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( 3 / 20 )Well, as it turned out the drive was not as bad as it could have been. Thankfully the highways were better labeled than the city streets had been, and towards the end I did find a decent map among our brochures, so we were able to avoid getting majorly lost even though we did miss one of the exits and then had to take an alternate route due to a road closure. It got quite light out by 4 am, so that helped us stay awake.
Just around 7 am we entered the long line of backed-up cars going to Gatwick Airport. We found our way to the North Terminal, where police, some carrying really scary guns, were funneling five lanes of traffic into two lanes to keep anyone from driving right up to the terminal. (You'd think they could have thought of that when they were designing the airport, or any time in recent years, but apparently they waited until something actually happened.) We finally made it to the car rental return and into the terminal, where we didn't find US Airways and had to catch a train to the South Terminal. There were long lines to check in and the first station was the passport check. The lady took our passports and took a while to look at them and look things up in the computer, and then she called us out of the line, gave us our boarding passes, and tagged our luggage, and we thought we'd lucked out, but instead of putting our baggage onto the conveyor belt she led us across to a little room where we had to give all of our luggage to someone else. She also gave him our passports and boarding passes. We were told to go sit down on the other side, where we couldn't see what they were doing with our bags, although they were swabbing down someone's bike for explosive residues or whatever.
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( 2.9 / 21 )I have never been this happy to come home from a vacation!
Before we left Glasgow, Navid's laptop was stolen, or at the very least someone found it in the lobby and decided to keep it, which is still stealing, isn't it?! At that point in the trip we decided that "Everything happens to us," and started speculating on what else would go wrong. Well, we weren't kept guessing for long: our first day in Edinburgh (Thursday) we found an on-street parking spot with a sign saying "No Parking Saturday, July 30th for a special event" so we figured that others had just seen No Parking and moved on, and that's why there was a space available. We were on the way to the information center to get a proper map, after having a hard time of it trying to find our way into town, so off we went, and proceeded to sight-see all day, with the naive assumption that the car would stay where we left it. It was a rainy day, with the rain getting quite heavy in the evening, so we were totally soaked by the time we got back to where the car was parked. But there was no car to be found! We found the transport police in the train station, who called the Edinburgh police and told us our car had been towed and we'd have to get to the impound lot ASAP before they closed, and we should catch a taxi, so we went out of the station and tried to hail a cab but none of them would stop and we had to go back inside and wait in a long, slow line to catch one. When we finally got there they made us pay 135 pounds, almost 300 dollars, to get the car back! Apparently we were supposed to pay to park there, although there the nearest parking meter was out of sight down the street. She gave us a form to appeal the decision, but who knows if that's ever done anyone any good.
The following day we left the car at the hotel, which by the way was a twin bed room again but by that time we were too worn down to fight it, and we had a pretty good time despite continued high prices and rain.
On Saturday we set out for a drive through some more of the country on the way to the Glasgow airport, and we did have a great time at Linlithgow Palace, but then we heard on the news, as by now everyone has, that terrorists had crashed a burning car into the Glasgow airport, the airport was closed, and all the flights were "suspended." Not having cell phone service of course, there wasn't much we could do but keep driving toward Glasgow, which we were doing when an accident happened on the road just four cars ahead of us and we were stopped for a long time. After waiting for a while we decided to make use of the delay to turn around and see Loch Lomond, since our flight would almost certainly be cancelled.
When we got into town we didn't know where to go, since the airport was still closed and many poor passengers had been kept there by the police all day, so we went to the alternate location of the car rental company, only to find it closed. Next we went to the train station, where I found out to my disgust that you can't even use the restroom without paying! There were no more trains leaving for London that night, and we were informed that all of the buses were already sold out. Thinking perhaps one of the airlines (EasyJet for the domestic flight and US Airways for international) could help us, we first looked for their phone numbers in our paperwork but found only an 800 number for US Airways and nothing for EasyJet. The 800 number didn't work, so we made the first of many calls to directory assistance, but no matter how many phone numbers we tried, all we got were closed offices and referrals to websites, so we begged our way into an internet cafe that was just closing and tried the websites, but to no avail. At this point it was around ten o'clock at night and it was clear to us that the only way for us to make our flight in the morning was to drive ourselves to London overnight. We got some fast food and then tried to call the 24-hour number for Europcar, but it didn't work either, so we had to go out to the car for the third time to look for the paperwork for another number, then go back into the train station to get yet more money in the pay phone. We were finally able to reach them and they said we could return the car in London for an extra fee but we'd have to return the car at the North Terminal since the South Terminal at Gatwick Airport was sealed off from cars due to the Critical terror alert level. So we realized we'd have to get to the airport really early.
It was now eleven o'clock at night and we were about to embark on a trip that everyone told us would take eight to nine hours, driving through the darkness in a strange country with hand-written Mapquest directions (the internet cafe had no printer) and no map of the UK, and since I do not drive stick shift, Navid would have to do all of the driving. Off we went . . .
Stay tuned for the rest of the story.
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( 3.6 / 7 )Navid and I are in Glasgow, Scotland for the ICC conference. We flew into London on Saturday and stayed for two nights before flying to Glasgow last night. From our experience so far I can share several travel tips for the UK:
1. Don’t go to the South Kensington underground station if you want to stay at the Holiday Inn Kensington Forum. The correct stop is Gloucester Road. And don’t stop at the wrong Holiday Inn: there are two different ones a block apart on the same street.
2. Don’t look for street signs. The names of the streets are written on the buildings.
3. Don’t expect the little map in the tour guide to have enough detail to actually help you.
4. Don’t rely on directions from strangers. They probably don’t know what they’re talking about and may not be too polite.
5. Wear comfortable shoes since you will be walking a lot and even when you get on the bus or the underground or the train it will be very crowded and you will have to stand up.
6. Don’t try to cross the street unless you’re willing to take your life in your hands. The walk lights are very short and the taxis will not slow down for you at all, and if you have the audacity to cross when they are trying to make a turn they will honk at you, since apparently cars have the right-of-way over pedestrians.
7. Look both ways when you want to cross, since the cars are not coming from the direction you expect, and it’s hard to tell two-way streets from one-way streets because the centerline is a dashed white line just like the lane dividers. And if you see an arrow pointing down the right lane, it’s not actually an arrow at all but a triangle, and even the locals don’t know what it means.
8. If you do decide to drive, be prepared to not only drive on the left side but also use a stick shift, since it costs an extra $50 per day to get an automatic.
9. Don’t use hotwire.com if you want to actually get the kind of room you want, because even though you pay in advance for a non-smoking room with a double bed, when you show up there exhausted from flying all night and catching the train and the underground and getting lost a few times on the walk over, the hotel is not required to give it to you, and if they are booked up they will put you in a smoking room, and they will not care if you don’t like it, and they may tell you to wait for a non-smoking room to come along, but if you wait they will run out of double beds altogether and give you a room with single beds in it, and don’t listen if they promise to upgrade you to an executive suite the next day and move your bags for you, because they are lying and they won’t do it. And for $119 a night you get a room with barely enough space to walk past the end of the bed, and a bathroom so small they had to put a sliding door on it to save room. (If you’re staying at the Holiday Inn Kensington Forum.)
10. If the lights in the room don’t turn on, it’s because you were supposed to stick your room key card into a funny-looking holder on the wall which is completely unlabeled with no instructions anywhere.
11. Take a rain jacket when you go outside, because it rains frequently, usually just when you go outside.
12. Be prepared to pay at least double for everything, because the price may look the same but every pound you spend costs two dollars.
13. If you want to fly out of Luton Airport to get a cheaper fare, keep in mind that it will take you $160 to go there in a taxi, or else two hours to get there using the underground, the train, and the shuttle bus.
14. Make sure you know which train you want to take because King’s Cross Station actually has three different train stations and they all have different schedules and routes.
15. Don’t listen if the lady at the check-in counter tells you your plane is boarding already. The plane you are supposed to take probably hasn’t even arrived yet and you will get worried and sweaty for nothing.
16. Don’t expect comfort from EasyJet. Your departure gate isn’t assigned until the last minute, at which point you all stampede down long hallways (bummer for you if you’re not in top shape) to get to the “gate” which is really just a holding area with rope lines dividing the boarding groups, and there you all stand and wait until they open the door and let you tramp across the windy tarmac and climb a rickety, shaking ladder up to the plane, where you try to search out a decent seat for yourself, and when you do find one and you’re finally in the air, you can’t even get anything to drink without paying for it, and it costs $1.40 for a miniature can of Sprite.
There are a few other things you should do in London/Glasgow:
1. Do visit the Natural History Museum, which is free and has so many interesting exhibits you probably won’t finish them all. They have lots of dinosaur skeletons, specimens of different animal groups, interactive and multimedia exhibits on topics ranging from volcanoes and gemstones to photosynthesis and conservation. The building is beautiful too.
2. Do visit the Victoria and Albert Museum, another free museum in a beautiful old building, with amazing historic art, furnishings, and more. The free tour is very interesting. Even the museum cafeteria is beautiful.
3. Do walk through the large, green parks, which feel even fresher and greener in the rain.
4. Do check out the wonderfully ornate old buildings, especially the House of Parliament and Westminster Abbey.
5. Do eat in the delicious restaurants, which range from traditional pubs to Chinese and Indian fare. We’ve enjoyed everything we’ve tried so far. And after July 1 they will all be smoke free!
6. Do try the English breakfast if you enjoy your eggs and toast with sausage, bacon, baked beans, grilled tomatoes, and mushrooms.
7. Do try the delightful pastries, gelato, and crepes. Why can’t American bakeries make desserts that good?
8. Do visit Harrod’s (if you have time) to take in the fantastical décor and gasp at the outrageous prices and out-there fashions.
9. Do stay in the Crowne Plaza in Glasgow if your budget allows or your employer is paying: the staff is friendly, the rooms are deluxe, and the location is perfect: right on the River Clyde next to the Exhibition Center and across from the Science Center.
Stay tuned for updates as the adventure continues!
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( 3.1 / 49 )Have you heard about the Healthy Pets Act, California Assembly Bill 1634? It would require spaying and neutering of all cats and dogs, but purebred animals would be exempted. Here's more info:
http://democrats.assembly.ca.gov/member ... -07%29.pdf
Here's the message I sent my State Senator, Christine Kehoe:
We got our cat from the Humane Society and he is neutered, and we would do the same thing again, but I don't think that the legal right to have kittens or puppies should be limited to official breeders and purebred animals. Breeding animals to show more and more exaggerated traits that humans consider valuable robs them of the natural genetic variability that keeps them healthy. My cat doesn't have a pedigree but he is every bit as beautiful and lovable as the fanciest special breed. It's not right to make a law that only purebreds can reproduce.
If you would like to comment, find your state senator here:
http://www.senate.ca.gov/~newsen/senato ... ctmaps.HTP
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( 2.9 / 122 )About two months ago, Navid and I decided to try Community Supported Agriculture. Rather than buying our produce from the grocery store, which in turn buys fruits and vegetables from all over the world, we are now buying direct from a farm! The organic farm whose CSA we joined is Be Wise Ranch .
We know that everything we are buying was grown with loving, organic care right here in the San Diego area. Furthermore, all of the food is fresh and seasonal, as opposed to conventional produce that's picked before it's ripe, then must endure a long trip before being sprayed with chemicals to make it ripen artificially. This not only makes it taste better, but saves a lot of fossil fuels and greenhouse gas emissions from shipment. And we know we are contributing to the local economy and the security of our local food supply.
Finally, we never have to worry about what kind of noxious chemicals may have been sprayed or spread on these crops.
We started out with Be Wise Ranch with the 4-box trial membership. Since there are only two of us, we signed up for the small box and chose every-other-week delivery. In our last box we got orange and yellow carrots, turnips, zucchini, bok choy, rainbow chard, lettuce, strawberries, and an avocado. In past weeks we've also gotten beets, mizuna (a leafy green used in salads), radishes, broccoli, and probably some other things I've forgotten. The regular deliveries challenge us to eat more fresh veggies than we would otherwise, which has no doubt been great for our health. Some of them aren't quite to our taste (the rainbow chard springs to mind), but when our trial membership expired we decided to renew it for another 3 months and see what new kinds of veggies we'll get as the seasons change. I hope we'll get some citrus soon, but a lot of the citrus crop was lost in the rare frost we had this winter.
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( 2.9 / 75 )If you've already seen this movie, bear with me, and if not here's a reminder:
The Future of Food
Posted 1/21/07
Last night Navid and I watched The Future of Food , a 2004 documentary. I thought that I knew a lot about genetically engineered food and modern agriculture, but this movie blew my mind. If you haven't seen it, you don't know how the big corporations pushing genetically engineered food are trampling the rights and safety of family farmers, consumers, and scientists. And the American government has done nothing to stop them. It's up to us to protect ourselves, and the first step is to get as much information as we can.
I can't recommend this movie strongly enough. We got it through Netflix, and I see from the Blockbuster website that they have it too, at least through the online service.
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( 3.2 / 12 )I thought I'd pass along this action alert from the California Certified Organic Farmers :
Last week the U.S. House subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy and Poultry passed new language added to the 2007 Farm Bill that would bar states or localities from prohibiting any food or agricultural product that the USDA has deregulated. The new language reads:
SEC. 123. EFFECT OF USDA INSPECTION AND DETERMINATION OF NON-REGULATED STATUS.
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no State or locality shall make any law prohibiting the use in commerce of an article that the Secretary of Agriculture has-
(1) inspected and passed; or
(2) determined to be of non-regulated status.
The intent of this language is to deny local or state rights to regulate genetically engineered crops or food. This would wipe out the restrictions passed by voters in four California counties and two cities, and could limit the powers of the California Rice Certification Act and its ability to prohibit the introduction of GE rice varieties. Local and state laws pertaining to GE crops have also been passed in Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Maine, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Carolina, Oregon, South Dakota, Vermont, Washington and Wisconsin. All of these democratically enacted laws are threatened by this language.
This Farm Bill language now moves to the House Agriculture Committee, so now is the time to take action in opposition!
Take Action Now!
Find and contact the House Agriculture Committee Members directly...
The message: I urge you to OPPOSE any Farm Bill Language that would pre-empt states' rights to make democratic decisions to protect their own health, food safety, economy, environment, and agricultural sector. Please do not pass Section 123: EFFECT OF USDA INSPECTION AND DETERMINATION OF NON-REGULATED STATUS! This is clearly a back- door means of wiping out state and local food safety laws, including laws on genetically engineered crops and organisms. Such a measure should not be hidden in the Farm Bill and passed without an open, democratic process. The state and local laws this language could do away with were put in place democratically, by voters.
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( 3.1 / 23 )Like many others, I hope, I took time out to watch the democratic presidential debate yesterday afternoon (7 pm eastern time is only 4 pm out here).
Anyone who hoped that the debate would give a level playing field to all of the eight candidates was sorely disappointed. It was obvious to everyone watching that the allocation of time and seating was designed to favor the candidates already in the lead. There is some benefit to allowing people to hear from the front-runners, but the front-runners are also the ones who have the money to buy media coverage. The debates should, at least temporarily, give everyone a fair chance to be heard.
Nevertheless, I thought both Joe Biden and my longtime hero Dennis Kucinich came across very well in the time they were given. I appreciated hearing from Kucinich about the clearest, most direct solution to our healthcare crisis: eliminate for-profit insurance companies, who make their money by denying people healthcare, and institute a single-payer system whose goal is actually to keep us all healthy! I have been a fan of the single-payer plan since I argued for it on the high school debate team, and I still believe it offers the greatest efficiencies and the most humane care.
I also appreciated Joe Biden's reality check about the supposed ease of ending the war with half of a Congress--yes, we really do need a progressive Democratic president.
I also appreciated the spirited exchange between Edwards and Obama on who has shown more leadership on the Iraq war issue--at least they both understand what the American people want from them, which is really so very simple: we want peace.
The other moment that struck me from the debate was the complete BS coming out of Hillary Clinton's mouth when they questioned her on her Iraq vote. I know she's already been tarred and feathered by many for refusing to apologize for her vote and I hate to pile on, but this issue is not going to go away, because all the hindsight in the world can't make that vote and this war disappear. I think it is so disingenuous of her to claim that when she voted to authorize George Bush to use military force against Iraq, she believed she was telling him to send the inspectors back in. BS, BS, BS! Either that or she actually believed Bush would exhaust all the diplomatic options first, in which case she is the worst judge of character in the history of the universe and there is no way she is qualified to be president. She can blame it on Bush and that's part of the truth, but anyone who wants to lead this country needs to show the vision to avoid such traps, or at least the humility to admit and learn from their mistakes.
Sorry to badmouth the person with the best chance of becoming our next president, but there it is. Let's consider our options carefully while we have the chance--nothing is decided yet.
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( 3.3 / 12 )Here's an interesting blog by a woman who went to Iran in 2003 to make a documentary on environmentalism in Iran: http://www.clipfile.org/marcia/ And I absolutely love the title!
I started reading it from the top but I'm sure it would make more sense to start from the oldest entries.
Enjoy!
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