San Francisco, March 1977. I had just finished my first business trip to the USA, and was now spending a few days walking around San Francisco. I loved the place to the point that I had changed a flight so I could stay an extra two days. At Fisherman’s Wharf I chatted with a couple.…… Continue reading The Time I Visited a Moonie Commune
Category: Write
How I Tunneled through the Great Firewall of China
For political and commercial reasons, China blocks Internet sites. Services I use daily, like Google, Blogger, Twitter, and the New York Times, simply do not exist on China’s Internet, thanks to the Great Firewall of China. Before my trip to Shanghai in April 2017 I made sure I would have access to all the Internet…… Continue reading How I Tunneled through the Great Firewall of China
Vacation on Location
Four of my Purple Rain photos just published in: Vacation on Location: Explore the Sites Where Your Favorite Movies Were Filmed. My original blog post.
My Hawaiian Junk Drawer
Hawaii has a lot going for it. Billboards are illegal, healthcare is almost universal, and the British Union Jack on the Hawaiian flag harks back to a time when these were the Sandwich Islands. Hawaiians consume more Spam than any other population in the world. You find it on “mixed plates” throughout the state, accompanied…… Continue reading My Hawaiian Junk Drawer
Long-Haul Journeys
Almost a year ago I learned I have high-grade prostate cancer. I’m surprised I’m not discouraged by surgery, radiation therapy, and the possibility of further therapies including chemo. My desire to travel is undiminished. 39 daily radiation sessions got in the way of a trip to Hawaii in January 2017. Instead, I planned a trip to…… Continue reading Long-Haul Journeys
My Post-Election Microblog
https://twitter.com/TomPhase3/status/795997055781105668 In 1960, in a school playground in Northern England, boys were grabbing younger boys and demanding: “Nixon or Kennedy?” If you answered “Nixon” you got roughed up. All the boys were answering “Kennedy” so I answered “Nixon.” I was nine. My nephews are eight and nine. I wonder if last week’s election has inspired…… Continue reading My Post-Election Microblog
My Post-Election Microblog
Posted My Post-Election Microblog.
My Most Expensive Night Away from Home, Ever
Notes: In the above infographic I used a stock photograph of surgery being performed using a da Vinci robot, a device that costs about $2 million. July 2016, a surgeon operated a da Vinci on me via five small incisions. I was glued to the table: alcohol was sprayed on my back to activate…… Continue reading My Most Expensive Night Away from Home, Ever
Beyond the Narrow Road to the Deep North
I’m drawn to places at the end of train lines. Today, my backpack and I head to Wakkanai in the north of Hokkaido. It’s as far north as you can go without entering Russia. Until about 150 years ago, Hokkaido was almost completely wilderness. The indigenous Ainu were able to live somewhat traditional lives while under…… Continue reading Beyond the Narrow Road to the Deep North
Travels With Our Nephews, June 2016
Today we start an adventure with our nephews (7 and 8) and their parents.