Tuesday, February 26, 2008

Tuesday 8:00 Buzz - 2/26/2008

This continues my effort to chronicle the guests and topics covered on the Stan Woodard's Tuesday 8:00 Buzz on WORT-FM. Our Podcast is online in the WORT Archives.

We are podcasting! Subscribe via the WORT Archives

Today's Show - February 26th, 2008

First Guest: Dr. Lita Hooper Author of Art of Work: The Art and Life of Haki Madhubuti (Non Fiction). A Third World Press book.

Second Guest: Sarah Spaeni , an Edgewood College student doing research on bullying.

Third Guest: Christopher Alan Bracey Author of Saviors or Sell-outs: The Promise and Peril of Black Conservatism, from Booker T. Washington to Condoleezza Rice (Non Fiction). A Beacon book..

Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Tuesday 8:00 Buzz - 2/19/2008

This continues my effort to chronicle the guests and topics covered on the Stan Woodard's Tuesday 8:00 Buzz on WORT-FM. Our Podcast is online in the WORT Archives.

We are podcasting! Subscribe via the WORT Archives

Today's Show - February 19th, 2008

First Guest: Susan L Taylor Editor in Chief Emeritus of Essence Magazine and Author of All About Love: Favorite Selections from In The Spirit on Living Fearlessly (Non Fiction), a collection of her columns. A Urban Press book.

Second Guest: Theresa Sanders talking about the Kappa Psi Omega 13th Annual Men Who Cook at the Fitchburg Community Center, 3-5PM on Saturday, February 23rd, Call 608-249-9799 for advance tickets.

Third Guest: Elisa Carbone (Author) and E. B. Lewis of Night Running: How James Escaped with the Help of His Faithful Dog (Fiction). A Random House book..

Monday, February 18, 2008

Honeymoon Destinations...

So, I'm getting married soon (May 25th, 2008), and I'm trying to work out where to go for the honeymoon. I want somewhere green, somewhere nice to the locals, somewhere not a sterile American environment. But, most of all, somewhere with drinks, a beach, and clear blue waters (presumably, for me, on the Caribbean.) Given the nature of the trip, I would prefer somewhere all inclusive so that if we don't want to care about anything, we don't have to.

I think I've narrowed it down to a few choices:

They're all expensive, but...

Hamanasi will cost over $1,800 to get to and take a number of hops — at least two hops to Belize City, and a hop on Maya Island Air or Tropic Air to Dangriga Airport. But, has excellent adventures: Mayan ruins, barrier reef snorkeling and diving, nature preserve, kayaking, canoeing, the whole shebang. They are also heavily invested in ECO Tourism. Their honeymoon package includes all meals, but not drinks from the bar.

Tiamo is a much easier trip (comparably, at least), catch a flight to Fort Lauderdale, and a $400 hop on Lynx Air to Congo Town on South Andros Island — still around $1,200 in airfare. They are completely isolated: no computers, cell phones, TVs. Their power is entirely solar, and they thoroughly recycle waste and water. They are largely non-motorized watersports oriented, with kayaks, sailboats, snorkeling and scuba (along the barrier reef and blue holes). Like Hamanasi, their honeymoon package includes all meals, but not drinks from the bar.

Manchebo Resort and Spa is kind of the odd duck, not nearly as out there as the other two — but they are a Green Globe Certified resort and a CAST member. The airfare is much cheaper (only about $800 total), and it is a direct flight from several US airports. They have all of the usual water activities, although the snorkeling probably isn't as good. Their All Inclusive Honeymoon does include everything, including drinks.

I'm still undecided. I need more information, maybe I need more options. Manchebo seems nice, but mainstream, but easiest. Hamanasi has Mayan ruins and other adventures that don't exist elsewhere, but getting there will likely be a 19-hour multi-hop adventure. Tiamo is less of a flight adventure, has wonderful snorkeling and water, but (maybe this is a positive?) doesn't have any modern toys.

Anybody (is there anybody other than me reading?) have a suggestion?

Wednesday, February 13, 2008

If You're Trying to Find the Margaritaville in Glendale, AZ

Entering the Address they give you (6751 N Sunset Blvd, Suite E109 Glendale, AZ 85305) gets you to the wrong place.. Google is completely wrong. It lands you on W Sunset Dr, approximately 7.3 miles from where you want to be -- the Westgate City Center near W Glendale Ave at 93rd Ave in Glendale. If you use this data to plan a trip by bus, you will waste a lot of time.

For whatever reason, Google does not know that this is N Sunset Blvd .. Or, Margaritaville Glendale made their address up. (Although the mall security agents sure seem to think that it their address.)

Monday, February 11, 2008

Calendar Systems, Respect

My Calendar
(Meeting name blurred to protect the guilty -- although I'm not sure why.)

I'm leaving tomorrow morning on the 6:05 AM flight, so I blocked this afternoon off to get ready and run errands as needed with a meeting that says Getting Ready to Leave Please Ask Before Scheduling. Without so much as an email attached to the invitation asking if it is OK, a 1.5 hour weekly meeting popped on my calendar this morning.

This shows either a complete disregard for the ability of our calendaring system to show available times, or a complete disregard for me. Hopefully the former.

Wednesday, February 06, 2008

Guild of Professional Englisth Butlers

Guild of Professional Englisth Butlers

Noticed this when I was checking how nice places like Hamanasi Resort or Turneffe Island Lodge in Belize, Oualie Beach Resort in Nevis or Tiamo Resort on South Andros Island in the Bahamas compare price-wise with the behemouth, gut wrenching resorts like Sandals (Although, they aren't as bad as Couples, at least.) It turns out that among the Luxury Included features Sandals provides is Butler Service from graduates of the Guild of Progessional Englisth Butlers.

Jimmy Buffett Podcasts

I've been a long-time listener of Wastin' Away on the North Coast, but I just wanted to take this opportunity to pimp it a little here. They boys discuss the latest Buffett news and gossip and whatever else pops in to their heads (Roger Clyne, usually). They remind me of sitting around with my friends (on the Bradshaw porch, or the Jordan boat). The audio could use a little compression (and normalization), I find myself cranking the volume, and occasionally being blasted by someone too close to a Mic.. but it's worth it.

Just today I discovered The TropiCast Radio Network (The Official Soundtrack of Your Tropical Dreams) .. Jimmy Pirate plays great Trop Rock, unfortunately as a 64K MP3 sampled at 22.05Khz, so it's hard listening occasionally. Maybe they'll upgrade someday.

Tuesday, February 05, 2008

Tuesday 8:00 Buzz - 2/5/2008

This continues my effort to chronicle the guests and topics covered on the Stan Woodard's Tuesday 8:00 Buzz on WORT-FM. Our Podcast is online in the WORT Archives.

We are podcasting! Subscribe via the WORT Archives

Today's Show - February 5th, 2008

First Guest: Randall Horton (Editor) and Patricia Eldgidge (Contributing Poet) Discuss Fingernails Across the Chalkboard: Poetry and Prose on HIV/AIDS from the Black Diaspora (Non Fiction). A Third World Press book. Upcoming: Black HIV/AIDS Day, February 7th, 2008.

Second Guest: Dorothy Pickney Discussing the jailing of her husband, Rev. Pickney. Call to support at 269-925-0001.

Third Guest: Carl Weber Author of Something on the Side (Fiction). A Kensington Publishing book. Email him urbanbooks@hotmail.com.