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Music, Movies and Meditation

LA Road Trippin’ – A Musical Map of Los Angeles

Courtesy Air New Zealand

Whisky a Go-Go, Los Angeles
Photo by Mike Dillon, via Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0

When you think of Los Angeles, it’s easy to imagine sun-drenched streets, impossibly-beautiful people – and, of course, great music. This is a guide to the top musical hotspots in LA which continue to inspire today’s musicians, from areas which launched rap superstars to the cities which have inspired thousands of great songs.

If you’re flying to LA, take some time out to explore its musical history and get closer to the places which inspired the music you love.

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Martin Scorsese’s Film on Bob Dylan’s ‘Rolling Thunder Revue’ To Be Released

By Chris Willman, courtesy Variety

Netflix describes Scorsese’s look at Dylan and famous friends in ’75 as part documentary, part concert movie and part “fever dream.”

Bob Dylan in 1978
Bob Dylan. Photo courtesy of Chris Hakkens, via Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 2.0.

For years, rumors have circulated among Bob Dylan fans that a documentary about his legendary, star-studded “Rolling Thunder Revue” tour of 1975-76 was in the works, and occasional whispers had a name attached: Martin Scorsese. Now, the cat can come officially out of the bag. Variety has exclusively learned that Netflix plans to release the movie in 2019, with the director’s name actually in the title: “Rolling Thunder Revue: A Bob Dylan Story by Martin Scorsese.”

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Hard Day's Night 2017

Question: Paul was known as the left-handed Beatle, however another one of the group was also left-handed but learned to play right-handed. Who was that Beatle?

Scroll down for the answer

The Coolest New Things Coming to America This Year

Courtesy Thrillist Travel

The State Hotel is a contemporary downtown Seattle boutique hotel, located steps from Pike Place Market with easy access to the Seattle waterfront. Photo courtesy The State Hotel

As a species, we are forever enamored of new things. As we look ahead to what 2019 will bring, we at Thrillist get particularly hyped about what new attractions we can expect.

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How to Meditate

Courtesy David Gelles

Jane Asher, Paul McCartney, John Lennon, Cynthia Lennon, Pattie Boyd, George Harrison, Maureen Starr and Ringo Starr pose with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi
Jane Asher, Paul McCartney, John Lennon, Cynthia Lennon, Pattie Boyd, George Harrison, Maureen Starr and Ringo Starr pose with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi at the International Academy of Meditation (1968). Photo courtesy: Reddit

Meditation is a simple practice available to all, which can reduce stress, increase calmness and clarity and promote happiness. Learning how to meditate is straightforward, and the benefits can come quickly. Here, we offer basic tips to get you started on a path toward greater equanimity, acceptance and joy.

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Random Acts of Canine Kindness

Cedric the Dog takes a well-earned break after distributing organic dog biscuits to a series of illegal puppy mills in Idaho.

You want a friend in Washington? Get a dog. – Harry S. Truman

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8 Popular Destinations Where Air Pollution Could Ruin Your Trip

Air pollution does a lot more than cause canceled or postponed vacations — it kills millions of people worldwide every year, according to the World Health Organization. Some of the worst places for air pollution are also home to bucket-list-worthy sights. But missing them might be the least of your problems if smog ramps up during your visit: Symptoms of air pollution sickness include nausea, coughing, headache, itchy eyes — and air pollution can cause long-term breathing problems.

Here are some of the worst destinations for smog, especially if you already suffer from asthma or other respiratory problems.

India

fog and smog at the Taj Mahal, Agra, India
Photo courtesy of Adithya0376, via Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0

The Taj Mahal attracts thousands of travelers every day, but the city it’s in is one of the worst in the world for air pollution. Smog in Agra can cut visibility so dramatically that you can’t see much more than an outline of the giant tomb, and visitors who don’t cancel their trip during a period of heavy smog can be seen wearing face masks to visit.

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Abbey Road album cover art
Iain Macmillan, courtesy Apple Corps/via REUTERS

Beatle Beat Trivia Answers

Question: Paul was known as the left-handed Beatle, however another one of the group was also left-handed but learned to play right-handed. Who was that Beatle?

Answer: Ringo was a leftie, but learned to play on a right-handed drum kit, which is why he adopted the then unique “matched grip” of the drum sticks that was soon imitated by most rock drummers.  It’s also why he would roll backwards (counter-clockwise) around the drum set.  An example of this is heard near the end of Day Tripper when he starts a roll on the lower-pitch floor tom-tom and finishes the roll on the higher-pitch mounted tom-tom, impossible for most right-handed drummers.

Top Films of 2018

scene from the movie Zama

Zama (Argentina/Brazil/Spain) by Lucrecia Martel scored top film of 2018 by Film Comment’s contributors and editors.

See the full list

Read José Teodoro’s interview with Lucrecia Martel

Paul McCartney’s Lost ‘Bruce McMouse Show’ Film Heading to Theaters

By Jon Blistein/RollingStone

Paul McCartney with Linda McCartney
Paul McCartney with Linda McCartney. Photo courtesy of Jim Summaria, via Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0.

The Bruce McMouse Show opens with Wings performing “Big Barn Bed,” after which the camera travels through the stage into an animated world where the McMouse family lives. While Bruce McMouse shares stories from his past with his family, his son runs in and informs him that Wings are currently playing right above them. Bruce decides that the band needs his help as a producer, and as the concert continues, a host of animated mice flock to the stadium to enjoy the show.

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Revolutionize Your Healthy Travel Game

Courtesy Well and Away

the London Eye
The London Eye. Photo courtesy The London Eye

Traditional guidebooks are handy for learning about museums and city landmarks. But would you ever reach for one to explore a new city like a local?

We had this challenge, and for years traveled with bookmarked pdfs and digital lists from friends, but the research that went into curating the perfect itinerary that balanced cool hidden gems with healthy destinations. So together with a small team of travelers, designers and wellness junkies, I’ve created Well + Away to offer the guidebook of the future: one that will show you a new city from the point of view of a hip-healthy local.

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Typical French Restaurant Vocabulary: How to Order in Paris

Words and Phrases You’ll Need to Eat Out

Courtesy Courtney Traub

ordering at a French restaurant
Photo courtesy of Brasserie Gallopin

Are you a bit nervous about eating out in Paris or elsewhere in France, worried you may not be able to get by without fluent French? Use this guide to learn basic expressions and understand most signs and menu headings at restaurants in Paris.

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Burping Is Good Manners & 25 Other Global Etiquette Surprises

Courtesy The Daily Meal Staff

a cup of Cappuccino

In Italy, Never Order A Cappuccino After A Meal

When you’re dining the Italian way, be sure to order an espresso or a coffee after a meal. Do not order a cappuccino, as Italians believe milk beverages slow down digestion.

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15 Surprising Things TSA Allows Past Airport Checkpoints

By Benet Wilson

Some items — like guns (real or replica), large scissors and flammable liquids — are never allowed. But the agency continues to make changes when it comes to what can get past the checkpoint.

Below are 15 surprise items you can actually take past the checkpoint. But in case you still have questions, you can take a photo of the item and send it to either AskTSA on Facebook Messenger or via Twitter. Staff are online with answers from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. ET during the week and 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekends and holidays

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A Taste of Iceland

Courtesy Tony Tedeschi, Never Stop Traveling

Iceland scene
Photo courtesy: James Boitano
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Deb's Poetry Break

A Supermarket in California

By Allen Ginsberg

What thoughts I have of you tonight, Walt Whitman, for I walked down the sidestreets under the trees with a headache self-conscious looking at the full moon.

         In my hungry fatigue, and shopping for images, I went into the neon fruit supermarket, dreaming of your enumerations!
         What peaches and what penumbras! Whole families shopping at night! Aisles full of husbands! Wives in the avocados, babies in the tomatoes!—and you, Garcia Lorca, what were you doing down by the watermelons?

         I saw you, Walt Whitman, childless, lonely old grubber, poking among the meats in the refrigerator and eyeing the grocery boys.
         I heard you asking questions of each: Who killed the pork chops? What price bananas? Are you my Angel?
         I wandered in and out of the brilliant stacks of cans following you, and followed in my imagination by the store detective.
         We strode down the open corridors together in our solitary fancy tasting artichokes, possessing every frozen delicacy, and never passing the cashier.

         Where are we going, Walt Whitman? The doors close in an hour. Which way does your beard point tonight?
         (I touch your book and dream of our odyssey in the supermarket and feel absurd.)
         Will we walk all night through solitary streets? The trees add shade to shade, lights out in the houses, we’ll both be lonely.
         Will we stroll dreaming of the lost America of love past blue automobiles in driveways, home to our silent cottage?
         Ah, dear father, graybeard, lonely old courage-teacher, what America did you have when Charon quit poling his ferry and you got out on a smoking bank and stood watching the boat disappear on the black waters of Lethe?

Berkeley, 1955

Allen Ginsberg, “A Supermarket in California” from Collected Poems 1947-1980. Copyright © 1984 by Allen Ginsberg. Reprinted with the permission of HarperCollins Publishers, Inc.

Send Deb your favorite travel poems

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