Talking Back To TED

The first few times I saw TED Talks I was impressed.  Then you start to notice a certain sameness to the format and the attitudes of the speakers.  This pseudo-TED Talk from The Onion (which previously gave us the shocking Truth About Facebook) on Compost-Fueled Cars perfectly captures the ethos of TED.

Ravello

We already did  one post on our visits to the Amalfi Coast (see Praiano) in 2006 and 2010 and we'll probably return there next year.

This is Ravello, another one of the towns we've visited.  Unlike most of the other towns which are located right on the coast, Ravello is on top of a small mountain making it a torturous drive to get there.  This map shows the convoluted road network.  That's why the second time we visited we stayed in Ravello instead of making the daily drive even though it was only about 10 miles from the hotel we like so much in Praiano.(Looking from Ravello down to the coast.  From Google Images.  Rest of pictures are from our trips.)

Your first assignment is getting to Ravello which can be a challenge.  Here's a tip - fold in your side view mirrors.  These photos are of the main road - not a side street.  I just thought of another tip - make sure you get damage coverage on your rental car - take my word on this one.

The central plaza.

The neighboring hill town as seen from the plaza.

No motor vehicles are allowed in the center of town so you can walk undisturbed on the paths, stairs and alleys (there are no roads).

 
We stayed at the Hotel Graal.

View from the hotel restaurant.

Working hard at Ravello restaurants.

                                                                Our terrace.

We've haven't even gotten to the best part of the town yet - the villas - which we'll cover in a separate post.  Let's start walking towards the Villa Cimbrone and stop at a little cafe for a drink first.

The Right Time

Yes!  As a frequent business traveler I've advocated this solution for many years.  The whole world should be on Eastern Standard Time.  It would make so much more sense - for me.

From Fake Science

Lucky One

From Alison Krauss & Union Station.  She has a gorgeous voice.  If you saw O Brother Where Art Thou you heard her several times on the soundtrack.
Alison also did a very successful collaboration with Robert Plant.  My favorite song off that record features a solo vocal by her - Trampled Rose, written by Tom Waits.

George McGovern R.I.P.

My first presidential vote was for George McGovern who passed yesterday at the age of 90.  I'm still good with that vote though some of my political thinking has changed since then.  In fact, one of the things I liked about George McGovern is that he was open to rethinking some of his opinions.  His own experience as a small business owner after he left politics altered his views on regulation and liability laws and he was willing to speak up publicly on those issues.

McGovern served his country as a bomber pilot, flying more than 20 missions in the European Theater during WWII.  He was a man of honesty and integrity.  Rest in peace.

Monday Morning Wake Up Call

A little late, but here it is:

The View From The Afternoon by the Arctic Monkeys (2006)