With this post I seek to celebrate all that is grand and glorious in the world of facial hair. The worse the beard or mustache, the better. The more over the top, the more I love it. Too extreme is not extreme enough. Let’s see what’s out there… This guy definitely scores points for the … Continue reading
The original Stalin Line was a line of fortifications along the western border of the Soviet Union. Work began on the system in the 1920s to protect the USSR against “western aggression.” The line was made up of fortified bunkers and gun emplacements, similar but less elaborate than the Maginot Line (and equally ineffective). Following … Continue reading
Bratislava, Slovakia Report # 1 I have found that countries for which I have low expectations before visiting have always wildly exceeded my expectations and have proved remarkably enjoyable, while countries that are supposed to be enjoyed and that I am supposed to like, invariably disappoint me. Slovakia, and Bratislava in particular, fall into the … Continue reading
With the Tamil Tigers having been wiped out as a conventional military force in Sri Lanka and the top leadership killed, I thought it an appropriate time to post some of the pictures from the daily protests in London against the Sri Lankan government’s offensive against the Tigers. Although, the Tigers appear beaten as a … Continue reading
One can see some interesting things on the Tube. For example, I found this guy to be photo-worthy due to his unusually wide stance. Really, one could speculate for a while about the need for such a posture… Of course, he was also rather inconsiderate as the train was quite crowded and as you can … Continue reading
The Best Movie Shootout Scenes, The Best Gun Scenes, The Best Movie Gun Scenes… Give it the title you want. I tried to collect the very best. Hands down, I think the best movie shootout scene of all time is the sequence in Heat between the bank robbers and the police. Simply incredible and like … Continue reading
My Italian interpreter and I went to the Royal Academy of Arts today. They had a special exhibition on Japanese woodblock prints, but there are enough Japanese woodblock originals in the Ames family for me not to consider the fee to enter the cramped rooms (stuffed with tourists) to be worth it. We explored the … Continue reading
The Velvet Rocket 