Tony took a short break from rebuilding the Iraqi Air Force (seriously) to photoshop some signs for a protest (date TBD) in front of the Department of the Interior, where the anti-wiffleball National Park Service is headquartered. Thanks, dude.

I think we'll also need wiffle bats, a drum circle, face paint, bullhorns, and whatever else people bring to protests. It can't be too hippie-ish, though, as us PWL'ers are all hard working professionals. A protest song would be cool. I vote for "Killing in the Name" by Rage, mainly due to the last verse.

Fear us, National Park Service apparatchiks!

Posted by Lindsay at 10:35 PM | Permalink | Comments? (0) | TrackBacks (0) |  Subscribe in a reader |

The Jamestown Foundation's Eurasia Daily Monitor is generally a very useful resource on the region's hot topics, but this slight mistake in Monday's edition was quite amusing:

Kazakh Court Decision Against Chevron Carries Political Implications:

But to ensure stable oil deliveries from Tengiz the BTC managers will have to increase the pumping capacity of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline. Arzu Azimov, deputy head of the marketing board of the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan, reports that currently 750,000 barrels of oil are pumped through the pipeline every 24 hours. If Azerbaijan reaches its planned daily output of 1 billion barrels at its Azeri-Cirag-Guneshli oilfield in 2010, then BTC will not have enough capacity to handle Kazakh oil (Panorama, October 19).

Indeed, one does wonder how, with the BTC's export capacity at a mere 1 million barrels per day, the other 999 million bpd from ACG will be transported to Ceyhan, much less additional oil from the Tengiz project. Nevertheless, with that 1 billion bpd due to come online in 2010, it seems as though the SUV owners of the world have nothing to fear.

Posted by Lindsay at 11:33 PM | Permalink | Comments? (0) | TrackBacks (0) |  Subscribe in a reader |

100 meat patties, 100 slices of cheese, 19,490 calories. Yes, someone did order a 100x100 (at an In-N-Out in Vegas back in '04) and managed to document the entire process, with plenty of photographs.

Only 21 days until I am back in California. Not that I'm, uh, keeping track or anything.

Posted by Lindsay at 11:22 PM | Permalink | Comments? (2) | TrackBacks (0) |  Subscribe in a reader |

My brain has literally been turning into mush since I've left LSE. I was once again craving the classroom environment, so I signed up for the Environmental and Natural Resource Economics course at the USDA Graduate School last spring. If you're living in the DC area, I highly recommend taking a class or two there. The facilities and professors are impressive, and there are hundreds of courses to choose from.

We covered a lot of material in the environmental econ class, but my main interest was in energy. As part of our grade, we had to choose two topics and develop presentations for the class. My first presentation was on the Natural Resource Curse Hypothesis (3.6mb), which posits that countries with abundant natural resources (i.e., oil & gas) actually experience lower rates of economic growth than countries without similar resources. An oft cited example would be the so-called "Dutch Disease" experienced by the Netherlands following the discovery of large natural gas reserves in the North Sea. Contemporary examples would include Azerbaijan and other former Soviet republics.

My second presentation was on the European Union Emission Trading Scheme (EU ETS) (4.2mb), currently the largest greenhouse gas emissions trading system in the world. The first phase of the EU ETS experienced a number of problems, but the cap and trade system they've developed is actually quite interesting, especially when you start delving into the "linking directive" that allows EU countries to reduce their emissions via the Kyoto Protocol's Clean Development Mechanism and Joint Implementation arrangements. Gazprom has even gotten into the act by bundling carbon credits with the gas it sells to EU power generation companies.

I'll probably take another class during the winter term...maybe something a bit lighter, like travel writing. I should probably start taking Russian again, though, if I ever hope to attain a higher vocab level than that of a three year old peasant girl.

Posted by Lindsay at 10:52 PM | Permalink | Comments? (0) | TrackBacks (0) |  Subscribe in a reader |

Here is my first attempt at customizing Google Maps. It basically chronicles the majority of my travels (all international, some domestic) from 2002 to the present.

View Larger Map

It's viewable in Google Earth (KML file) as well. Granted, it still needs a bit of work, but overall I think it's rather useful in giving a more "geographic" feel to the travel entries and photos on this site. A few examples:

Chernobyl Tour

Russia Summer 2003

Make your own at Google Maps. I love you, Google.

Posted by Lindsay at 11:53 PM | Permalink | Comments? (3) | TrackBacks (0) |  Subscribe in a reader |

Just learned from the PWL Commish that the bureaucrats over at the National Park Service are putting an end to our glorious wiffleball Sundays at Gravelly Point:

The formality and lack of a personal nature caused my senses to prepare for bad news immediately. I’d received several notices from the United States Department of the Interior over the last few seasons. Usually a confirmation of the permit to engage in organized sports activity, in this case wiffleball, at one of the National Park Service managed properties, in this case Gravelly Point, part of the George Washington Memorial Parkway National Park.

This form letter, however, was different. It was notifying me that the last thing that was right about America was about to change. It was shattering not only my hopes and dreams, but taking away something that has become so much a part of the lives of close to 60 people.

Starting January 5, 2008, weekend sports activities at Gravelly Point will only be permitted from 6 AM to 9 AM.

No, that’s not a type-o…three short hours, 180 minutes, and quite possibly the worst 180 minutes of the day. For league that plays from 11:30 AM to 3:30 PM, the new rule is a death certificate.

The federal government's anti-wiffleball stance does not surprise me, as it is generally acknowledged that the federal government disapproves of any activity that its taxpaying citizens might enjoy (i.e., travel to Cuba, Cuban cigars, absinthe, and large scale securities fraud).

You can sign a petition to the NPS that asks them to reconsider their anti-wiffleball stance, but I think this calls for some real action, like making protest signs and marching on the Department of Interior headquarters.

If the NPS still says no, then why not continue to play regardless? Would the Park Police really arrest us for playing wiffleball? On second thought, they probably would.

Posted by Lindsay at 11:40 AM | Permalink | Comments? (0) | TrackBacks (1) |  Subscribe in a reader |

This is not an article from The Onion...this really happened:

The Federal Emergency Management Agency staged a fake news conference this week, with agency staff officials, pretending to be reporters, peppering one of their own bosses with decidedly friendly questions about the response to the California fires, the Department of Homeland Security acknowledged Friday.

[...]

The questions from the staff were posed after FEMA gave reporters only 15 minutes notice for a news conference on Tuesday, meaning that other than television camera crews, no reporters showed up before questioning began. A toll-free telephone line was provided so reporters could listen in, but it was not set up to allow questions.

As a result, staff members asked Mr. Johnson a series of friendly questions like, “Are you happy with FEMA’s response so far?” and, “What lessons learned from Katrina have been applied?”

Mr. Johnson gave no indication that the questions came from his own staff.

“I’m very happy with FEMA’s response so far,” Mr. Johnson said in response to one question, according to a transcript.

I love it. Very...Soviet-esque.

Posted by Lindsay at 11:27 AM | Permalink | Comments? (0) | TrackBacks (0) |  Subscribe in a reader |

Drove down to the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center today. The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum doesn't have enough room at its location on the National Mall, so they built the Udvar-Hazy annex near Dulles Airport to display more of their collection. It opened in December 2003, but I hadn't made it out there until today. Visiting the Udvar-Hazy Center is a must do if you have any interest in aviation, as the collection of aircraft assembled in this giant hangar is truly impressive.

SR-71 down below

Boeing 707 and the Concorde

Recognizer that B-29? It's the Enola Gay, the bomber that dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima in August 1945.

Space Shuttle Enterprise - NASA's first shuttle, built for atmospheric test flights. It was originally supposed to be named "Constitution", but a bunch of Star Trek fans waged a letter writing campaign and NASA caved-in to nerd pressure, thereby naming the shuttle "Enterprise" (sorry, I can't stand Star Trek).

Concorde supersonic airliner. DC to London in 3.5 hours.

This is what computers used to look like...and you couldn't even play games on them.

SR-71 Blackbird

Virgin Atlantic Global Flyer, the plane Steve Fossett used for his record breaking solo nonstop flight 'round the world.

North Vietnamese propaganda rocket

MiG-15 used in the Korean War.

MiG-21

A-6 Intruder. This was one of my favorite planes as a kid, probably because of the movie.

This would probably be the first thing I would purchase after spending time in a Soviet prison, too.

Yokosuka MXY7 Ohka (Cherry Blossom), rocket powered kamikaze aircraft.

Rest of the photos are here.

Posted by Lindsay at 07:24 PM | Permalink | Comments? (2) | TrackBacks (0) |  Subscribe in a reader |

From Bush's most recent press conference (don't bother reading the entire transcript, it's too painful).

Q. And what would it mean for Russian democracy if, when you leave power, assuming you do, in January 2009 -- (laughter) -- if Vladimir Putin is still in power?

THE PRESIDENT: You know, one of the interesting -- well, my leadership style has been to try to be in a position where I actually can influence people. And one way to do that is to have personal relationships that enable me to sit down and tell people what's on my mind without fear of rupturing relations. And that's how I've tried to conduct my business with Vladimir Putin. We don't agree on a lot of issues; we do agree on some. Iran is one; nuclear proliferation is another. Reducing our nuclear warheads was an issue that we agreed on early.

But I believe that diplomacy requires good relations at the leadership level. That's why, in Slovakia, I was in a position to tell him that we didn't understand why he was altering the relationship between the Russian government and a free press -- in other words, why the fress press was becoming less free. And I was able to do -- he didn't like it. Nobody likes to be talked to in a way that may point up different flaws in their strategy. But I was able to do so in a way that didn't rupture relations. He was able to tell me going into Iraq wasn't the right thing. And to me that's good diplomacy. And so I'm -- and I'll continue to practice that diplomacy.

Now, in terms of whether or not it's possible to reprogram the kind of basic Russian DNA, which is a centralized authority, that's hard to do. We've worked hard to make it appear in their interests -- we made it clear to them that it is in their interests to have good relations with the West. And the best way to have good long-term relations with the West is to recognize that checks and balances in government are important, or recognize there are certain freedoms that are inviolate. So Russia a complex relationship, but it's an important relationship to maintain.

WTF does that mean? Hey, Russia, you guys aren't getting this whole democracy concept so we're gonna have to reprogram your DNA, ok? Isn't he constantly decrying stereotypes like these in his speeches on democracy in the Middle East?

WashPost has a semi-scathing editorial on the remark.

Posted by Lindsay at 12:12 AM | Permalink | Comments? (2) | TrackBacks (0) |  Subscribe in a reader |

Saint Seraphim's most popular quote was "Acquire a peaceful spirit, and around you thousands will be saved." Fitting for a guy who was recently declared the patron saint of Russia's nuclear forces:

This month the secretive, nuclear 12th Main Directorate of the Defense Ministry celebrated its 60th birthday...Today Russian nukes are produced by the Rosatom Federal Nuclear Energy Agency and then handed over to the 12th Directorate, which is in charge of delivery, security, maintenance, and testing of nuclear weapons, both strategic

To mark the anniversary in the new Russian official style, top officials from the Defense Ministry and Russian Orthodox Church attended a special service held in Russia's newly rebuilt Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow. An official meeting (torzestvennoye sobranye) followed the service in the Hall of Church Assemblies, which is part of the Cathedral complex. The meeting was reminiscent of Communist anniversary celebrations, but still distinctly different given that the top generals presided alongside black-robed Orthodox clergy (Itar-Tass, September 4). As nationalism has replaced the Communist ideology in Russia, the Orthodox hierarchy has been endorsing official events instead of Communist Party chiefs.

The rank-and-file of the 12th Directorate were formally blessed. The favorite Orthodox saint of the last Russian tsar, Nicholas II -- St. Seraphim of Sarov -- was officially declared the spiritual patron-protector of all Russian nukes, strategic and tactical. An Orthodox Church flag with the icon of St. Seraphim was bestowed on the 12th Directorate.

And General Vladimir Verkhovtsev, the current commander of the 12th Directorate, had this to say about security at American nuclear installations:

Verkhovtsev says that the Americans are too shy to allow Russians to visit their nuclear storage facilities in return, because the security there is comparatively flimsy. Verkhovtsev told me: "The Americans have a wire net fence with a sign that trespassers may be shot, a camera, and some movement detectors. In Russia such a security fence would have been torn down and stolen before long by citizens to use at dachas."

You know, he has a point there...that wire fence would make a lovely dacha accessory.

Posted by Lindsay at 10:00 PM | Permalink | Comments? (0) | TrackBacks (0) |  Subscribe in a reader |

"Where are you going next? And DON'T say North Korea."

"Uh, China, I think, and maybe a weekend in Pyongyang."

Despite my dad's wishes otherwise, I'm still determined to get to North Korea by 2010, as I mentioned a few years ago. For a limited time this year, the North Korean government issued visas to American citizens for three day tours of Pyongyang and the DMZ. I'm hoping this continues in 2008, so that I can end a week/week and a half in China with a trip to North Korea. And while this trip is entirely dependent on the whims of North Korean bureaucrats, there is also the matter of finances and where I will be, say, six months from now. And yes, I do realize that the concept of voluntarily visiting North Korea sounds completely insane to a normal person, which I've certainly never claimed to be.

Also, my friend Katerina called me a few days ago and declared that she would like to climb Mount Kilimanjaro, to which I replied "Dude, I'm totally up for that." So apparently we will be climbing Kilimanjaro sometime in the next few years...before we're 30, which is a scary thought in and of itself. In order to climb Mount K, we'll have to start a training regimen that involves a lot of hiking, or whatever. To accomplish this, I will have to move back to California, because the "mountains" on the (l)east coast are mere hills. Also, I will need to win the lottery or rob several banks à la Point Break to fund this expedition.

Posted by Lindsay at 11:47 PM | Permalink | Comments? (2) | TrackBacks (0) |  Subscribe in a reader |

A future NFL champion may someday be crowned overseas in a game witnessed predominantly by a foreign audience, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said.

"There's a great deal of interest in holding a Super Bowl in London," Goodell told reporters Monday. "So we'll be looking at that."

What's the point? They play real football over there.

Posted by Lindsay at 10:14 PM | Permalink | Comments? (0) | TrackBacks (0) |  Subscribe in a reader |

I haven't posted a Strongbow "find" in over a year, but recently came across 500mL cans of the Royal Family's cider of choice at Sherry's Wine & Liquor (2315 Calvert St NW) near the Woodley Park metro.

Here's the list so far:

- Fado Irish Pub in Chinatown (draft)
- Elephant & Castle Pub (draft)
- Finn macCool's Irish Publick House (draft)
- 51st State Tavern (draft)
- Chevy Chase Wine & Spirits (500 mL cans)
- Circle Liquors (500 mL cans)
- Whole Foods Market on P Street (500 mL cans)
- Sherry's Wine & Liquor (500 mL cans)

Russophiles take note, Sherry's also carries Russky Standart, Russia's finest export since the Kalashnikov.

Posted by Lindsay at 07:17 AM | Permalink | Comments? (3) | TrackBacks (0) |  Subscribe in a reader |

Yes, it can be done - on the Kamchatka Peninsula, in Russia's Far East.

It's that giant piece of land between the Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Okhotsk

Be advised that a surf trip to Russia will require cold water wax, a thick wetsuit with booties and hood, helicopter, six wheel drive vehicle, and an AK-47 to ward off the occasional bear. On the plus side, you'll be the only person in the water, a dream come true for those of us who grew up surfing the crowded breaks of SoCal.

I've been thinking about this for a few years since it involves two of my favorite topics: Russia and surfing. A while back I did a Google search on surfing in Russia, but didn't come up with anything substantial. I even traveled all the way to the Caspian, and still, nothing. Surely with all that coastline, though, Russia has to have something surfable?

I recently came across this article from Surfer's Village detailing a Rip Curl sponsored surf trip to Russia, in which pro surfers Tom Curren and Brian Toth found themselves in an old Soviet Mi-8 scouring the coast of Kamchatka for potential waves:

Curren, 40, who resides in Santa Barbara, California is considered by many to be the sport's greatest ever performer, was joined by Toth, on this the most recent chapter in Rip Curl's 'The Search' program, an ongoing series of expeditions to remote and uncharted coastal areas across the globe looking for perfect surfing waves. With the aid of helicopters, specialist six-wheel-drive vehicles and the latest wetsuit technology to allow high performance surfing in sea temperatures around 10° C, the expedition surveyed the coastlined surfing at a series of locations.

[...]

Tom Curren commented; "I didn't actually see where we were going on the map until the day before we came over here and it's definitely remote and I was really kind of nervous that it was going to be really, really, cold, of course it is pretty cold, but it's not as bad as I thought it would be. We saw a volcano when we were camping at the first beach, that was pretty exciting I've never seen a volcano erupting before, it's definitely rewarding to go to a new place that you don't know anything about, and actually get good surf, even more interesting is to see surfing developed in places like this where there's potential for a surfing culture to develop".

Footage from the expedition was, of course, posted on YouTube:

Still, Russia's entry on WannaSurf remains sparse. Maybe some local Russian surfers (are there any?) could provide some updates.

Entire photo gallery is here.

I would love to visit Kamchatka...not necessarily for the surfing (although that would be amazing), but I've heard it's the most beautiful part of the country - active volcanoes, a rugged coastline, and lush forests teeming with wildlife. Yeah, Kamchatka's definitely on my travel "to do" list, with or without the surfboard in tow.

Posted by Lindsay at 11:53 PM | Permalink | Comments? (3) | TrackBacks (0) |  Subscribe in a reader |

I've never been a huge fan of Christopher Hitchens, but his latest column, "A Death in the Family", is a magnificent, albeit heartwrenching, tribute to Lt. Mark Dailey, a 23 year old Californian killed by an IED in Mosul, Iraq. If you read one article today, make it this one.

In other news, the House Foreign Affairs Committee, despite vigorous protests by the Bush Administration, approved a resolution recognizing the Armenian Genocide. The resolution will likely be forwarded to the full House for a vote. I find it amazing that - some 90 years since it occurred - this historical event (and yes, it was genocide, despite the U.S. government's reluctance to use the "g word") could inflame such passion within the U.S., and potentially worsen relations with Turkey. As for the Turks, they're spending $300,000 a month on communications specialists and lobbyists in D.C. to tell their side of the story, which basically amounts to "well, as you know, war is a messy business."

Etc:

A new Sim City, brought to you by...BP?:

One wrinkle in the game’s marketing is that relatively clean systems like wind farms, natural gas plants and solar farms are branded with the BP logo, while the dirty options like coal are not. Gas stations in the game also carry the BP brand.

New art museum opens in Moscow, solicits donations to destroy Tsereteli-designed monuments that plague Moscow:

Indeed, Markin has gotten into trouble for placing a box in his museum for donations toward the cost of destroying all the monuments in Moscow by the sculptor Zurab Tsereteli. Tsereteli is Moscow's best-known and most powerful sculptor, his massive, patriotic pieces rising amid, and occasionally above, the cityscape.

"I hate his work," Markin sniffed.

Tsereteli's grandson visited Markin and asked him to remove the box, and he did.

"We had already received enough money to tear all the monuments down," Markin said.

Russia on Its Mind, Georgia Flexes Its Muscle in Iraq. Quid pro quo:

At a time when other countries are pulling troops out, Georgia has more than doubled its troop levels in Iraq, to 2,000 soldiers from 850, and agreed to send them from the safer Green Zone in Baghdad to this area along the Iranian border. That gives Georgia, a tiny Caucasus mountains nation, the second-largest troop presence among American allies in Iraq, behind Britain.

[...]

A dozen or so of the Georgians said in interviews that they understood their service in Iraq as directly linked to their own security — as a means of helping Georgia join NATO when Russia’s international ambitions are stirring again.

Sgt. Koba Oshkhereli, looking out of the dusty gate of Forward Operating Base Delta at the trash-strewn streets of Kut and all the danger it holds, put it this way: “The bear was sleeping. Now the bear is awake and stomping his feet.”

Oh yeah, and Thomas Friedman dubbed my generation "Generation Q" (I thought we were Generation Y? Can we settle on a damn letter?!) because we are optimistic and idealistic and travel, but all we do is e-mail, post to our blogs, and join Facebook groups. Whatever, dude.

Posted by Lindsay at 07:23 PM | Permalink | Comments? (1) | TrackBacks (0) |  Subscribe in a reader |

As bizarre as it sounds, wealthy Ukrainians are building vacation homes near the 30km exclusion zone surrounding the Chernobyl nuclear reactor:

The sky is a cornflower blue and the lake is calm. Sunburned fishermen pull up to the dock in motorboats, their nets filled with pike.

On the deck of a hunting lodge, couples are feasting on their catches and rehashing the day's adventures. Farther down the road, crews are finishing the roof of yet another lakefront, luxury home.

The latest villa to sprout on the shores of the Kiev Reservoir is just a few metres from the barbed-wire fence that marks the 30-kilometre exclusion zone surrounding the infamous Chernobyl plant.

Yes, nature lovers have discovered Chernobyl. The region near the scene of the world's worst nuclear accident is now dubbed the "Chernobyl Riviera" for its grand homes and commanding vistas.

[...]

wenty-one years after a reactor at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant exploded, ripping off the roof, and spewing radioactive poison into the countryside, Ukrainian holiday-makers are flocking to the region to bask in its quiet and enjoy the abundant wilderness that sprang to life when humans were forcibly evacuated.

Today, the woods and waters surrounding the village of Strakholissya - a half-hour drive from the stricken plant - are among the best hunting and fishing grounds in Ukraine. Wild boar, deer and wolves roam in the dense birch and pine forests.

Not one of the many weekenders interviewed expressed concern about potential health hazards. "It's more contaminated in Kiev," one fisherman said, laughing.

Recently, Ukraine's rich and famous discovered the tranquil spot. They are mainly from Kiev, townspeople say, and they have built a line of lavish homes, hidden from prying villagers' eyes by tall fences.

Their magnificent houses, docks and swimming pools are on full display if you rent a boat and ogle from the lake.

[...]

At the hunting lodge, Mr. Kuzmenko, his wife and friends said they weren't worried about radiation levels.

"Our bodies have adapted to this," said Sergei Ivanov, who, along with Mr. Kuzmenko and their wives drove up from Kiev for a weekend of duck hunting.

The group were up at dawn with their rifles. By early afternoon, they were back at the lodge, relaxing on the deck, the corpses of their hunted fowl hanging from the railing. Mr. Kuzmenko's wife, Oksana, was looking forward to sunset.

"In the evening, the water gets an interesting colour," Ms. Kuzmenko said. "The moon gives a white light, which makes [the lake] look like ice."

Personally, I'd rather invest in beachfront property and spend my time surfing instead of picking radioactive mushrooms, but that's just me. To each their own.

Related: LAist Interview: Director/Adaptor of Voices from Chornobyl, Cindy Marie Jenkins, Chernobyl plant to get a proper burial

Posted by Lindsay at 11:42 PM | Permalink | Comments? (1) | TrackBacks (0) |  Subscribe in a reader |