This recipe comes from the culinary Maestra, Jo-Ann Gaidosz of Active Gourmet Holidays. I adored her stuffed clams recipe which clearly enhances any Thanksgiving meal. It’s even more fun when your pack of friends and family congregate at the beach, and dig together for the rewards of the mouthwatering crustacean holiday harvest. I’ve known much of my life that New Englanders pine for Cherry Stone clams served with their bellies. For me, however, the delicate red lipped Machas, served without bellies, from Chile cannot be beaten. Have fun, Be safe and Happy Thanksgiving! — Audrey

Jo-Ann’s Stuffed Clams

Ingredients (For 2)

• 6 large quahog clams, scrubbed and cleaned
• 3 T butter
• 3 T olive oil
• 3 T white onion, finely chopped
• 1-2 cloves minced garlic
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs
• 2 T freshly squeezed lemon juice, plus more for squeezing over clams when served
• 3 T chopped parsley
• clam juice or some of the cooking liquid used for the clams
• parmesan cheese

*Quantities are approximate

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350F.

Bring about 2 inches of water to a boil in large pot. Add scrubbed and cleaned clams to the pot and cook until each clam opens (discard any that don’t open as it means they are dead and shouldn’t be eaten). Reserve some of the cooking liquid.

When cooled, remove clams from shells and chop finely. Save 6 of the shells for stuffing and discard the rest. Place shells on a baking sheet.

Saute onion in butter and olive oil over medium low heat until onion is tender. Add garlic and cook for about 1 minute until fragrant (don’t let the garlic burn). Then add the bread crumbs, parsley, lemon juice, parsley and a tablespoon or so of the clam juice or cooking liquid. The consistency should be moist, not dry so if it’s too wet, add more breadcrumbs and too dry add more clam juice or cooking liquid. Stir to combine.

Stuff each clam shell with the mixture and top with grated parmesan cheese. Place in oven for about 20 minutes until golden brown. Serve with fresh lemon juice.

The post Stuffed Clams for Thanksgiving appeared first on Traveling Archive.

1. NYFF61 Festival Report
   
   The 61st New York Film Festival recently closed up shop, which means that it was once again time for Film Comment’s Festival Report, with our annual live overview of the NYFF that was. Devika and Clint convened an all-star team of critics: Molly Haskell, Adam Nayman, and Kelli Weston, for a spirited wrap-up analysis of the highlights and lowlights from the NYFF61 lineup. In front of a lively audience, the panel discussed and debated Todd Haynes’s May December, Ryûsuke Hamaguchi’s Evil Does Not Exist, Jonathan Glazer’s The Zone of Interest, Bradley Cooper’s Maestro, Bertrand Bonello’s The Beast, Sofia Coppola’s Priscilla, Yorgos Lanthimos’ Poor Things, and many other noteworthy selections.
   
    
   
   
   
   
2. Are the Palestinians Wrong about Everything? (An Average Israeli Perspective)
   
   
   
   
   
   
3. Online calculator can gauge stress level of air travel
   FlightsFinder has introduced an online Airport Stress Calculator to help travelers avoid hassles while flying or prepare for potentially difficult situations. Users can enter their departure time, airline and airport and the tool will analyze how busy the airport is likely to be, the chances of having a flight delay and airlines’ specific baggage restrictions.
   
   
   
   
4. Best Directorial Film Trilogies
   
   
   
   
5. Upcoming Book-to-Screen Adaptations
      
   • The Other Black Girl
     by Zakiya Dalila Harris
     Zakiya Dalila Harris’ 2021 mystery-thriller follows twentysomething publishing assistant Nella Rogers, who is tired of being the only Black employee in the office. So she’s delighted when Harlem native Hazel joins the team as another woman of color. But things get quickly and severely weird when a series of unsettling events turns Nella’s world upside down. The new Hulu series adaptation premiered in September, and the creative team cites some varied inspirations, from Nella Larsen’s 1929 novel Passing to Jordan Peele’s instant-classic 2017 horror film Get Out.
     
   • The Changeling
     by Victor LaValle
     Victor LaValle is one of the most innovative writers working in speculative fiction these days. (For immediate proof, check out his 2016 quick-read novella The Ballad of Black Tom.) LaValle’s 2017 novel The Changeling follows an antiquarian book dealer who travels through eldritch realms to save his family. LaValle’s book is a slow-motion collision of dark fantasy, gritty realism, and parental anxiety. The Apple TV+ adaptation, starring LaKeith Stanfield, premiered its first three episodes on September 8, with eight total planned for release through the fall season.
     
   • Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe
     by Benjamin Alire Sáenz
     Check the reader reviews and you’ll find that people have a deep and genuine affection for this 2021 coming-of-age YA novel. The story introduces two Mexican American teens living in 1980s Texas and explores themes of family, queerness, and ethnic identity. The big-screen adaptation, in theaters now, features up-and-coming actors Max Pelayo and Reese Gonzales as Aristotle and Dante, respectively. Also on board: Eva Langoria, as Dante’s artistic mom, and Lin-Manuel Miranda behind the scenes as producer.
     
   • Black Cake
     by Charmaine Wilkerson
     A Goodreads Choice Award nominee for both Best Historical Fiction and Best Debut, author Charmaine Wilkerson’s 2022 novel concerns two siblings, a strange bequeathment, and a famous Caribbean recipe with a loooooong history. Black Cake shuttles back and forth in time, as the siblings learn about their family’s astonishing past and how stories are passed down through generations. (Sometimes via cake recipe!) The TV series adaptation, from Oprah Winfrey’s Harpo Films, is set to debut on Hulu November 1.
     
   • Killers of the Flower Moon
     by David Grann
     Investigative journalist David Grann made all the best-of lists in 2017 with this book about a terrible and largely forgotten chapter in American history. In the 1920s, dozens and perhaps hundreds of Osage Native Americans were murdered in a vicious dispute over oil rights in Oklahoma. Probably the most high-profile adaptation of the year, director Martin Scorsese’s long-awaited film will debut in U.S. theaters on October 20, with an Apple TV+ release later in the year. The cast includes Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro, and Blackfeet Nation actress Lily Gladstone.
     
   • Lessons in Chemistry
     by Bonnie Garmus
     Another incoming AppleTV+ adaptation-premiering October 13-Lessons in Chemistry is based on author Bonnie Garmus’ warmly received debut novel from last year. The setup: Brilliant chemist Elizabeth Zott finds herself hosting America’s most popular cooking show, where she challenges 1960s notions of what a woman can do in her professional life. A genuine hit with both readers and critics, the book earned the attention of Hollywood A-lister Brie Larson (Captain Marvel!), who is fittingly both lead performer and executive producer. You really can have it all!
     
   • All the Light We Cannot See
     by Anthony Doerr
     Winner of the 2015 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, Anthony Doerr’s World War II novel follows the parallel stories of a blind French girl and a reluctant German soldier whose lives come together in occupied France circa 1940. Netflix’s four-part limited series is set to drop on November 2, with all episodes available upon debut. This is prestige-picture territory for Netflix, and the production has attracted some top-shelf talent including Mark Ruffalo, Hugh Laurie, and newcomer Aria Mia Loberti, a legally blind actress who won the role after a global casting process.
     
   • The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes
     by Suzanne Collins
     Both spin-off and prequel, this 2020 dystopian sci-fi novel from Suzanne Collins marks her return to the colossal pop culture phenomenon that is the Hunger Games series. Set 64 years before the events of the first book, the novel provides an origin story for ultimate boss villain Coriolanus Snow. Is he the good guy in the new book? Is he the bad guy? The answer is yes. The movie adaptation, starring Tom Blyth as young man Snow, hits theaters November 17. Rachel Zegler plays Snow’s protégée, Lucy Gray Baird.
     
     
     
     
   • Leave the World Behind
     by Rumaan Alam
     Author Rumaan Alam’s popular 2020 novel fits squarely with a long and noble tradition in the psychological thriller genre: the Vacation Gone Wrong. Two families end up at the same luxurious Long Island rental property when word comes that a mysterious blackout has struck New York City. Then things get really weird. The star-studded film adaptation-featuring Julia Roberts, Mahershala Ali, Ethan Hawke, Myha’la Herrold, and Kevin Bacon-is slated to premiere December 8 on Netflix, with a limited theatrical release likely as well.
     
   • Eileen
     by OttessaMoshfegh
     The first full novel from author Ottessa Moshfegh, Eileen was a surprise sensation in 2015, winning the Hemingway Foundation/PEN Award for debut fiction. Genre designations are terminally blurred with this one, and that’s part of the book’s strange, dark appeal. The story-one fateful week in the life of two women in 1960s Boston-is a kind of literary thriller, inspired by Shirley Jackson, Vladimir Nabokov, and the films of Alfred Hitchcock. Anne Hathaway and New Zealand actress Thomasin McKenzie headline the movie adaptation, coming to theaters December 1.
     
   • Foe
     by Iain Reid
     Canadian author Iain Reid specializes in the shadowy areas between cerebral horror, haunting sci-fi, and psychological thriller. In his sophomore novel, Foe, a near-future marriage is tested when the husband is replaced by his biomechanical double. While technically science fiction, the story is much more interested in the people involved than in the technology. The film adaptation, starring Saoirse Ronan and Paul Mescal, will debut in theaters on October 6, with a later streaming debut on Amazon Prime.
     
     
     
     
6. The T-Boy Society of Film & Music’s Top Five North-American-English Language Travel Novels
   
   
   
   
7. Florida lawmaker who penned “Don’t Say Gay” law sentenced to prison
   Joseph Harding, a former Florida lawmaker who penned the state’s controversial “Don’t Say Gay” law has been sentenced to prison for wire fraud, money laundering and making false statements in connection with obtaining $150,000 in COVID-19 relief loans.
   
   
   1. What Really is Halloween
   • Halloween or Hallowe’en (less commonly known as Allhalloween, All Hallows’ Eve, or All Saints’ Eve) is a celebration observed in many countries on October 31, the eve of the Western Christian feast of All Saints’ Day. It begins the observance of Allhallowtide, the time in the liturgical year dedicated to remembering the dead, including saints (hallows), martyrs, and all the faithful departed.
     
     One theory holds that many Halloween traditions were influenced by Celtic harvest festivals, particularly the Gaelic festival Samhain, which are believed to have pagan roots. Some go further and suggest that Samhain may have been Christianized as All Hallow’s Day, along with its eve, by the early Church.Other academics believe Halloween began solely as a Christian holiday, being the vigil of All Hallow’s Day. Celebrated in Ireland and Scotland for centuries, Irish and Scottish immigrants took many Halloween customs to North America in the 19th century, and then through American influence various Halloween customs spread to other countries by the late 20th and early 21st century.
     
     
     
     
     
8. T-Boy Society of Film and Music’s Favorite Food Destination Cities
   
   
   
   
9. ‘Every single day I am ready to be killed’: The KGB defector who writes about Putin
   
   
   
   

The post NY Film Festival, Halloween, Books to Film appeared first on Traveling Archive.

A Halloween Story

Do you like scary stories? Since it’s Halloween season I thought I’d give homage to my pal, Rod. He passed away almost 10 years ago but his memory lives on. He was a lawyer who had so many talents, he played lead guitar, composed music and wrote terrific prose — he even wrote his own musical play. Halloween season reminds me of Rod because he told the scariest stories. I wanted to share this before but I just didn’t know how to describe it in paper. I figured I’d attempt it now. I welcome your proof reading corrections.

A gathering of wide-eyed friends were huddled around Rodney as he told this original “true story” (yeah, right!):

MARIA’S WALK HOME
by Rod G

Maria was on her way home from school. School was located at the East side of the village while Maria’s home was at the other end, on the West the village. In between them was the village cemetery (this is a horror story so of course there had to be a cemetery). Nobody took the shortcut because it would mean passing beside the cemetery. (You know where this is going, right?)

But this one night … this one lunar night … Maria was exhausted from overtime schoolwork. She wanted to go home to relax in her warm comfortable bed. “Forget this superstitious warning! I’m going to take the silly shortcut!” (Oh noooo!)

Maria walked alone under the late evening moon. The claps of her wooden sandals echoed with the crickets and frogs of the night. As she approached the entrance of the cemetery, something moved. It was an old shrouded woman sitting quietly on the ground and counting white pebbles. Maria glanced over her shoulder. It was too late to walk back. She had to move forward. She walked cautiously as she passed the woman. But that’s when the woman noticed her and stopped counting. Maria couldn’t look at the woman’s face because it was covered with the shroud but when she looked down at the pebbles … they weren’t pebbles. They were human bones.

“Screeeam!!!” Pitter-patter! Pitter-patter! — went Maria as she dashed for home. Her wooden sandals flew in the air as she ran barefooted.

The faster she ran, the faster the footsteps behind her. The woman covered her face with her left hand but she swatted furiously to grab Maria with her right hand. Wooosh! Wooosh! Wooosh!

“Come here!” Wooosh! “Come here!” Wooosh! Pitter-patter! Pitter-patter! — went the woman behind her.

Up ahead, just a hundred yards away, Maria could see the light from her home. “Mama help me! Mama help me!!” Maria shrieked in terror. Maria doubled the pace … but so did the old woman.

Then Maria heard “Wooosh – Wooosh!” Pitter-patter! Pitter-patter! “Wooosh – Wooosh!” Pitter-patter! Pitter-patter! “Wooosh – Wooosh!”

Two hands were now closing in. The shroud no longer covered the face. The snarling face was haggard and wrinkled with sharp and dirty teeth that matched her sharp and dirty fingernails.

“Screeeam!!!”Pitter-patter! Pitter-patter! “Mama! Mama!”

Wooosh – Wooosh! Wooosh – Wooosh! Wooosh – Wooosh! Wooosh – Wooosh!

“That’s odd,” thought Maria, “there’s something different with the sound. What happened to the Pitter-patter! Pitter-patter!?!? … Oh no! … it can’t be! … the old woman’s feet no longer touched the ground. The witch was AIRBORNE! Screeeeeeeeeeeeeam!”

And that was the end of the story. And all my angry friends knocked Rod off his chair. We laughed because we knew he made it all up but we enjoyed being scared.

I loved Rod. Despite his brilliance, Rod lived a troubled life. I felt his pain. He was a proud and stubborn man. Prayed for him for years. When I shared the Gospel with him, he thought I was trapping him and was not open to new teachings. He was very defensive. Who was I to preach to a lawyer? He planned to come and visit me in California and he bragged about it and I was thrilled to be able to spend more time with him. But that opportunity never came.

My cousin called me. Rod had a stroke so I dropped everything and took a flight to be by his deathbed. That’s how important this was to me. The apostle Paul reminded us that “it is by faith and not of works that one is saved” so I prayed with him just in case there was still some cognitive activity. They pulled the plug two days after.

Thanks Rod for the jokes, the Halloween stories … the memories.

Have a good Halloween weekend my friends. TGIF!

Raoul

Joke of the Week

Parting Shots

Thanks to Art of Sierra Madre, CA

Found these

The post Halloween Story appeared first on Traveling Archive.

Do You Believe in Ghosts?

WARNING: Move to the jokes if sensitive about spiritual ideas.

“Your room is haunted,” declared Tata.

Tata is my Dad’s caregiver in our ancestral home in Dalipuga, Philippines. She, like many locals in the area, believes in multo (ghosts), dwende (elves), mangkukulam (witches), kapre (dark, hairy tree giants), and a host of other feared denizens of the night.

We were having dinner and I asked her if she heard the shrill of the neighborhood dog around 2am. It was as if it was being bludgeoned to death. To my surprise, Tata said that howling happens often. According to Tata, the dog is seeing a ghost of a young girl who was murdered years ago. The girl keeps going back to the scene of the crime. That’s when Tata opened up about the spirits around us.

She pointed at the far side of the garden and she said that’s one of the ghost’s favorite haunting spots. She said the upstairs guest room (where I stayed) was haunted. She often hears strange sounds coming from there even when no one was inside the room. She pointed at the rocking chair outside the guest room. “One time,” she said, “the rocking chair was rocking like someone was on it.” That’s why she doesn’t like to go upstairs. “Really?!?” I said with delight — “I’d love to meet that ghost.” You should have seen Tata’s bewildered expression. She didn’t think it was funny.

(Do you believe in ghosts? I don’t. I believe there are supernatural beings but not ghosts. I believe there are demons who pretend to be ghosts. Am I afraid? Nope. In fact, I don’t get scared watching any horror movie. They’re all Hollywood silliness to me. My God is greater than any of that.)

The next day, monsoon rain was coming and the wind started to shake the plants and trees. At the shaded area in the far side of the garden I imagined the “ghosts” were having a little party. That’s when a practical joke formed in my head. I took a picture and doctored it up a bit. And showed the picture to Tata. “Here is your ghost!” I declared.

Tata stared at it. I could tell what she was thinking — “Finally! Proof!” It was interesting to see her reaction. She tried to act calm and cool about it.

Then I told her it was fake. I even showed her the real photo but it made no difference. She still believes in ghosts and all the other silly superstitions. She didn’t see how gullible she was.

It bothers me that some apparitions have turned locations into holy shrines. Why do they venerate something they do not understand? Why do they worship shapes and faces in trees or in dripping ceilings. Please forgive me for what I am about to say. I do not mean to be insulting but this is a genuine question: Isn’t it possible they may be praying to demons? Shocking, huh? And don’t take comfort in numbers. A lot of people can be wrong. I realize some of you may be into these kinds of practices (so no disrespect) — I’m just hoping you’d consider a perspective few talk about.

How do you differentiate demonic from angelic activity? Take a hint from scripture. Every time miracles (good things) or apparitions occur, the angels and holy men refuse to be worshiped by man. Instead they all point to God, the true source of power. Only the one true God is to be worshiped (the very first commandment). It’s an insult to give reverence to anyone else. Let that sink in.

“Most people don’t really want the truth. They just want the constant reassurance that what they believe is the truth.” — Anonymous

“The reason you don’t know you’ve been lied to, conditioned and brainwashed is because you’ve been lied to, conditioned and brainwashed.” — Anonymous

Next time you see a man’s face in your toasted bread … just eat it.

But this is just me. TGIF people!

Raoul

Joke of the Week

Thanks to Garie of Paranaque, Philippines

Video of the Week

Thanks to Wyne of Mandaluyong for this outstandingly funny and clever video.

Parting Shots

Thanks to Art of Sierra Madre, CA

Thanks to Tom of Pasadena, CA

Outstanding Halloween Costumes

I love Rodney’s sense of humor

My good friend (and jokester) Terry and I came up with these.

The post Tickets to NASCAR appeared first on Traveling Archive.

T-Boy’s Top 20 Films for Halloween Viewing

Critics: Michael Rand, Jim Gordon, Brent Campbell, Raoul Pascual & Ed Boitano

20. It’s Alive (1974)

Written, Produced & Directed by Larry Cohen

Cast:

• John P. Ryan
• Sharon Farrell
• Andrew Duggan
• Guy Stockwell
• James Dixon
• Michael Ansara

Lenore goes into a particularly rough labor with her second child. Her husband Frank Davis dutifully waits in the waiting room. Something unimaginable happens in the delivery room. The baby is gone and the medical staff are all dead.

19. The Richest Man in Bogota (1962) The DuPont Show of the Week (TV Series)

Directed by Ralph Nelson

Cast:

• Lee Marvin
• Miriam Colon
• Richard Eastman
• Jennifer Gillespie
• Eugene Iglesias

Based on H.G. Wells’ short story “In the Country of the Blind”, Juan De Nunez finds himself in South America, trapped in a remote mountain village where the people (and the animals) have no eyes. In an old book, which they can neither “see” nor understand but regard as a sacred object, he discovers that there is something in the water that has caused this. The old book, written by the early settlers, indicates that their children were born blind, and that THEIR children were born (not only blind) but with no eyes! His love interest, Marina, is somehow different. When he holds a torch in front of her, she can actually follow the light. He determines that she has eyes under her skin, and he believes that he can take her back to the outside world, and with an operation, she would be able to see. This is against the community’s wishes, where De Nunez is considered a freak of nature due to having sight. Plans are made to alleviate him of his eyes.

18. Carrie (1976)

Directed by Brian De Palma

Cast:

• Sissy Spacek
• Piper Laurie
• Amy Irving
• William Katt
• John Travolta
• Nancy Allen
• Betty Buckley

Carrie White, a shy, friendless teenage girl who is sheltered by her domineering, religious mother, unleashes her telekinetic powers after being humiliated by her classmates at her senior prom.

17. Paranormal Activity (2007)

Directed by Oren Peli

Cast:

• Katie Featherston
• Micah Sloat
• Mark Fredrichs
• Amber Armstrong
• Ashley Palmer

After moving into a suburban home, a couple becomes increasingly disturbed by a nightly demonic presence.

16. Dead of Night (1945) Segment “The Ventriloquist’s Dummy”

Directed by Alberto Cavalcanti

Cast:

• Michael Redgrave
• Allan Jeayes
• Elisabeth Welch
• Hartley Power

Architect Walter Craig senses impending doom as his half-remembered recurring dream turns into reality. The guests at the country house encourage him to stay as they take turns telling supernatural tales.

15. What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962)

Directed by Robert Aldrich

Cast:

• Bette Davis
• Joan Crawford
• Victor Buono
• Maidie Norman
• Wesley Addy

A former child star torments her paraplegic sister in their decaying Hollywood mansion.

14. Spirits of the Dead (1968) Segment “Toby Dammit”

Directed by Federico Fellini

Cast:

• Terence Stamp
• Salvo Randone
• Marina Yaru
• David Bresson

Anthology film from three European directors based on stories by Edgar Allan Poe: a cruel princess haunted by a ghostly horse, a sadistic young man haunted by his double, and an alcoholic actor haunted by the Devil.

13. The Changeling (1980)

Directed by Peter Medak

Cast:

• George C. Scott
• Trish Van Devere
• Melvyn Douglas
• Jean Marsh
• John Colicos
• Barry Morse

After the death of his wife and daughter in a car crash, a music professor staying at a long-vacant Seattle mansion is dragged into a decades-old mystery by an inexplicable presence in the mansion’s attic.

12. Let the Right One In (2008)

Directed by Tomas Alfredson

Cast:

• Kåre Hedebrant
• Lina Leandersson
• Per Ragnar
• Henrik Dahl
• Karin Bergquist

Oskar, an overlooked and bullied boy, finds love and revenge through Eli, a beautiful but peculiar girl.

11. The Birds (1963)

Directed by Alfred Hitchcock

Cast:

• Rod Taylor
• Jessica Tandy
• Suzanne Pleshette
• Tippi Hedren
• Veronica Cartwright

A wealthy San Francisco socialite pursues a potential boyfriend to a small Northern California town that slowly takes a turn for the bizarre when birds of all kinds suddenly begin to attack people.

10. Rosemary’s Baby (1968)

Directed by Roman Polanski

Cast:

• Mia Farrow
• John Cassavetes
• Ruth Gordon
• Sidney Blackmer
• Maurice Evans
• Ralph Bellamy

A young couple trying for a baby move into an aging, ornate apartment building on Central Park West, but find themselves surrounded by peculiar neighbors.

9. Spider (2002)

Directed by David Cronenberg

Cast:

• Ralph Fiennes
• Miranda Richardson
• Gabriel Byrne
• Lynn Redgrave
• Mrs. Wilkinson
• John Neville

A mentally disturbed man takes residence in a halfway house. His mind gradually slips back into the realm created by his illness, where he replays a key part of his childhood.

8. The Night of the Hunter (1955)

Directed by Charles Laughton

Cast:

• Robert Mitchum
• Shelley Winters
• Lillian Gish
• James Gleason
• Peter Graves
• Billy Chapin
• Sally Jane Bruce

A religious fanatic marries a gullible widow whose young children are reluctant to tell him where their real daddy hid the $10,000 he’d stolen in a robbery.

7. Vampyr (1932)

Directed by Carl Theodor Dreyer

Cast:

• Julian West
• Maurice Schutz
• Rena Mandel
• Sybille Schmitz
• Jan Hieronimko

A drifter obsessed with the supernatural stumbles upon an inn where a severely ill adolescent girl is slowly becoming a vampire.

6. The Testament of Dr. Mabuse (1933)

Directed by Fritz Lang

Cast:

• Rudolf Klein-Rogge
• Thomy Bourdelle
• Gustav Diessl
• Otto Wernicke
• Rudolf Schündler

A criminal mastermind uses hypnosis to rule the rackets after death.

5. Near Dark (1987)

Directed by Kathryn Bigelow

Cast:

• Adrian Pasdar
• Jenny Wright
• Lance Henriksen
• Bill Paxton
• Jenette Goldstein
• Tim Thomerson

A small-town farmer’s son reluctantly joins a traveling group of vampires after he is bitten by a beautiful drifter.

4. Dawn of the Dead (1978)

Directed by George A. Romero

Cast:

• David Emge
• Ken Foree
• Scott H. Reiniger/li>
• Gaylen Ross

Following an ever-growing epidemic of zombies that have risen from the dead, two Philadelphia S.W.A.T. team members, a traffic reporter, and his television executive girlfriend seek refuge in a secluded shopping mall.

3. The Shining (1980)

Directed by Stanley Kubrick

Cast:

• Jack Nicholson
• Shelley Duvall
• Danny Lloyd
• Scatman Crothers
• Barry Nelson

A family heads to an isolated hotel for the winter where a sinister presence influences the father into violence, while his psychic son sees horrific forebodings from both past and future.

2. Nosferatu (1922)

Directed by F.W. Murnau

Cast:

• Max Schreck
• Gustav von Wangenheim
• Greta Schröder
• Janet Leigh
• Martin Balsam
• Ruth Landshoff

Vampire Count Orlok expresses interest in a new residence in Murnau’s adaptation of Bram Stoker’s novel.

1. Psycho (1960)

Directed by Alfred Hitchcock

Cast:

• Anthony Perkins
• Vera Miles
• John Gavin
• Janet Leigh
• Martin Balsam
• John McIntire

A Phoenix secretary embezzles $40,000 from her employer’s client, goes on the run, and checks into a remote motel run by a young man under the domination of his mother.

READERS, feel free to offer comments on you own selections of favorite films for Halloween watching.  Please send to **@Tr**********.com , and we will post in our Readers’ poll.

READERS’ POLL (as of today)

Ramon; St. Louis, MO: What no Exorcist!? I couldn’t sleep for a week after seeing it.

Charles; Miami, FL: 1. Halloween, 2. Friday 13th, 3. Carrie, 4. The Hills have Eyes, 5. Psycho

Wendy; Hollywood, USA: The Kardashians

Jamaal, Berkely, CA: 10 Best Halloween Movies of All Time 10. Halloween III: Season of the Witch 9. House 8. Tales of Halloween 7. Poltergeist 6. The Guest 5. The Nightmare Before Christmas 4. Trick ‘r Treat 3. Evil Dead 2 2. A Nightmare on Elm Street 1. Halloween

Linda; Seattle, WA: How ’bout some classics… Dracula (1931), 2. Frankenstein (1931), 3. Dracula (1992); 4. Bride of Frankenstein (1935); 5. The Black Cat (1934); 6. Night of Terror (1934); 7. The Raven (1935); 8. The Walking Dead (1935); 9. The Fly (1958); 10. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931); Honorable mention: Young Frankenstein (1974)

Tom; Vancouver, BC: Ghost Story… the one from 1981.

Alicia; LA, CA:  Bride of Chucky, Halloween, Blair Witch P

Jackie; Burbank, CA: Monster House (2006) 2. Shaun Of The Dead (2004) 3. The Cabin In The Woods (2012) 4. The Innkeepers (2011) 5. The Witches (1990) 6. Coraline (2009) 7. The Poltergeist (1982) 8. The Honeymoon (2014) 9. Scream (1996) 10. The Others (2001) 11. Hocus Pocus (1993)

Jose; Redland, CA: Halloween II (directed by Rob Zombie) (2009)

Erin; Belfast, No. Ireland:  1. Shaun Of The Dead (2004) 2. Psycho 3. The Cabin In The Woods (2012) 4. The Innkeepers (2011) 5. The Witches (1990) 6. Coraline (2009) 7. The Poltergeist (1982) 8. The Honeymoon (2014) 9. Scream (1996) 10. The Others (2001) 11. Hocus Pocus (1993)

Jackie; Burbank, CA: Monster House (2006) 2. Shaun Of The Dead (2004) 3. The Cabin In The Woods (2012) 4. The Innkeepers (2011) 5. The Witches (1990) 6. Coraline (2009) 7. The Poltergeist (1982) 8. The Honeymoon (2014) 9. Scream (1996) 10. The Others (2001) 11. Hocus Pocus (1993)

Jose; Redland, CA: Halloween II (directed by Rob Zombie) (2009)

The post Top 20 Films for Halloween Viewing appeared first on Traveling Archive.

I tagged along on a couple. Outing #1 was a Ghosts and Gravestones Trolley Tour.

It’s ironic that the tour begins right next to a Ripley’s Believe It or Not building. Just sayin’…. First ghost hunting tip: go for the stormy weather, alleged by dedicated ghost hunters to provide more energy for the “manifestations” to draw on. It was misty that night: check.

In the tour office hangs a Certificate of Haunting, issued by the Port Orange Paranormal Society, officially identifying the St. Augustine Old Jail, one of the tour stops,as “an authentically ‘haunted’ location…based on audio, video and photographic evidence.” You can’t argue with that!

As we hopped on the Trolley of the Doomed, all dressed up for Halloween, with about a dozen other eager seekers, we were instructed on the basics of ghost sightings: look for little orbs with tails, a white light, a shadow, an apparition in white (seems to be the preferred attire of apparitions). At a cemetery fence, not surprisingly always a portal for the undead, cameras were flashing and phones lighting up, one after the other. “Why are they all taking pictures of the fence?”inquired my always-skeptical husband.

“There’s nothing there.”

The 130-year old Potter’s Wax Museum building we were told was built over a cemetery, thereby explaining all the “energy.” I was beginning to pick up on the idea that energy was just a euphemism for ghosts. Our guide talked of strange happening which by the end of the night had become a mantra — footsteps heard, bottles falling, objects flying. Combined with a lot of corny humor, it didn’t help convince me of the authenticity of the experience.

As we walked through the museum, I suddenly felt a vibration on my arm –a very intense vibration — and I quickly looked around to see who or what “energy” might be near me. How disappointed was I to discover it was only my Fitbit! Another 10,000 steps logged but no other-worldly workout buddy to share it with.

A re-enactment of an old pirate being felled by an executioner — with one of my tour compatriots assuming the role of the condemned — was great theater. But nothing compared to that of the Old Jail,known as the Hanging Jail from 1871-1953, for the eight criminals who hung from the gallows. A dramatic inmate told the stories of the sadly deceased with great gusto playing out all the gory details of the crimes. The impersonators were the best part of the tour but unfortunately they were all very much alive!

Someone claimed to get a picture of an orb — allegedly a filmy white light with or without a tail — on her cellphone. I looked through the bars into the same very dark cell and all I saw was…well… a very dark cell. However the marketing person employed by the tour company sent me this photo taken on a tour of a nearby castle in 2008:

Given my own penchant for spirits (of the drinking variety), it seemed a ghost-invaded pub crawl a good way to combine my spirits with…well…theirs as part of my next phantom-filled adventure.

Not often does my line of work require me to attend an extended Happy Hour so when the opportunity to imbibe at four different venues all in the name of research presented itself, well…I felt obligated…. Ergo: Ghost Tours of St. Augustine Creepy Crawley Pub Crawl. Zombie martini, anyone?

Brian, our tour guide and historic haunted site veteran, passed out Electromagnetic Field Transmitters to aid in our search for otherwise unrecognizable companions. Supposedly their energy is recorded on the readers which tend to beep loudly in response. Or it could just mean that there’s a computer nearby. Hard to tell.

As we walked the neighborhood, Brian advised us to ignore the more modern establishments and focus on the historic ones — all the better to haunt you with, my dear — about which he regaled us with stories. Claiming that the theory of ghosts is as polarizing as politics (though probably not in 2022…), he said the spectrum tilts 60-40 in favor of believers. “Ignore the skeptics,” he admonished. “That’s not why you’re here.” As we walked over streets that were built over cemeteries and past ongoing archeological digs, he assured us that residual energies remain. Rarely, though, is a ghost going to come up and say, “Hello, my name is Ralph and I’m going to haunt you tonight.” Instead, he admonished, you have to acquaint yourself with a place and know what to look for — or more accurately, “share the presence of.”

My creepy crawly comrades kept checking their EMF transmitters to see if they’d connected with any external energies and then snapping their cameras in the hopes of randomly catching them on film. Until we got to the next bar, of course, and started imbibing again. For a while I thought the liquid spirits were overtaking the more ethereal ones. But then we moved on.

The rash of squeals emitted from several transmitters at the corner of Charlotte and Hypolito streets caught everyone’s attention — equaled only by the story Brian then told of the murder there on November 20, 1785 of William Delaney by a jealous rival. Now, I didn’t see Delaney’s spirit anywhere but I also know this didn’t happen at any other intersection. Coincidence???

We were all more than happy to get to another bar for more uplifting spirits. At Meehan’s Irish Pub, the liquor is held in place by wires because, as rumor has it, the bottles have more than once inexplicably flown off the shelves. According to Kaiser, who has been bartending there for four years, he has heard voices, seen lights flicker, had the bathroom door stick for no apparent reason and claimed sightings of a man in overalls. “If you don’t believe in ghosts, come work here,” he invites.

Similarly, Sara, a bartender at Scarlett O’Hara’s, also renowned as haunted, enthusiastically proclaims, “Oh yeah, I’ve experienced everything.” Those experiences, not surprisingly, range from erratic lights, moving dishes, unseen voices and apparitions of a woman in white (notice a pattern here?) and a man in a uniform. I ordered yet another drink!

It’s hard not to be moved by all these stories. As skeptical as I was when I began the trip, how do you dismiss the experiences — often so similar — of so many others? Or ignore some very real tangible evidence ostensibly captured on film? I was left just shaking my head a lot — and feeling somewhat reassured that overall, ghosts seem to be a lot more playful than they are scary.

The next day, glad to be done with ghosts for awhile, I was doing more traditional sightseeing. When I mentioned to a curator at a small museum that we were staying at the St. Francis Inn, the oldest in St. Augustine, he asked in what room. I told him. “Ah then, you’re safe,” he said, “as long as you’re not in Lily’s room.” Oh? When I returned to the Inn, I found that stories abound around Lily, a most playful ghost who wanders the third floor searching for her lost love, wrecking havoc with the other guests. As I’ve learned is usual with ghosts, lights go on and off, bathroom locks get jammed, and objects fly across rooms. I was beginning to feel right at home.I nodded toward Lily, just in case SHE could see ME.

For more information, visit floridashistoriccoast.com; ghosttoursofstaug.com, www.trolleytours.com.

The post Ghost Tours in St. Augustine: A Fanciful Foray into Phantom Fantasy — or Fright appeared first on Traveling Archive.

Located in the northwest corner of Spain, its coastline overflows with colorful coves, greener than green valleys, and fast running rivers that – on a sunny day like we had when we were there – sparkle as if they were filled with hundreds and thousands of the world’s finest diamonds. One of the most important people on any press trip is the guide. How good, or yes bad, is she/he, and do they give you newsy, thought-provoking information? Ours was, I thought, a real winner.

The bus on which we were traveling in Galicia stopped on the upper reaches of a huge hill – one could hardly call it a mountain – and as the breeze that’d appeared to have come out of nowhere, shrieked around our vehicle in eddying wind whipped gusts, our savvy guide told us, in the best “Get to know the local witches well” voice, “as you’ll NOT want them to cast a spell over you” almost whispered that moments from now, we’d be in a unique village called Santa Tegra.

As promised we rolled into Santa Tegra to be confronted, and almost enveloped, by a vast phalanx of booths, small stands, curio shops (of all shapes and sizes) selling – or trying to – almost everything connected to Spain, history, local crockery, stone ware, toys, gizmos of one sort or another, and enough scarfs, jackets, rings and things, to stock at least 5 huge American shopping Malls. Tucked in amongst all this paraphernalia, there were seemingly never-ending booths and shelves with witch dolls that highlighted how wizardly, wonderful and wicked witches were and, even better if one wanted to purchase one, they conveniently came in sizes small, medium, large, and were “tourist ready” and clothed in almost every sort of dress, outfit, and all in colors you never knew existed. All of us, all at the same time, instantly knew why our tour bus stopped at this precise spot.

Nevertheless, we all – as expected – stood, gawked and rubbernecked at this cauldron of local lore, as our guide informed us that Galicia is known as the Land of Witches. Embellishing this point, he theatrically stated that in olden times when someone was stricken with some sort of deadly disease, the local witch was summoned to cure the illness. Did they know back then, I wondered, if they would one day be a powerful draw for tourists?

I’ll confess, I’m still a real sucker for all this kind of sightseer schmaltz, and sensing this “I’m ready to buy” syndrome, one of the vendors, elderly and frail looking, with a spindly black hat, and wearing her required Witches wardrobe, approached me and pulled out this truly intimidating witch (model, of course, NOT a real one!) seated in a rocking chair and, when wound up, would rock back and forth. Even better, if one clapped one’s hands, she’d let out a blood curdling yell! I purchased it on the spot. As I said, for something offbeat, coupled with an unequalled array of exquisite scenery, check out Spain and, of course, Galicia. You might even say “It’s spellbinding.” Contact John:

jd******@gm***.com

The post Halloween, and Scary Spanish Witches for Sale! appeared first on Traveling Archive.

Curated by Ed Boitano

Letters to Santa Reveal the Toll the Pandemic is Taking on Kids

Courtesy Faith Karimi, CNN

Jonah wants nothing from Santa this year except for a cure for coronavirus.

Anthony told Santa he wants a magical button he could press to transport him away from the weary reality of the pandemic.

Jasmyne’s Christmas list is short and to the point. “This year, I would like end of Covid-19, world peace, climate control, new Xbox,” it reads.

In their letters to Santa Claus, kids across the US are still asking for toys, clothes, Legos and video games. But in a year filled with illness and uncertainty, a review of letters addressed to the North Pole and collected through the Post Office’s Operation Santa program reveals the pandemic is weighing heavily on children.

Some are imploring Santa to make coronavirus go away. Others are asking for masks for Christmas. Still others write about the challenges of going to school online or how their parents can’t afford to buy presents this year because they lost their jobs.

“Dear Santa,” Jonah wrote. “I don’t want anything for Christmas, but I would like to ask you if you can do me a favor: Can you please find a cure for Covid-19 and give it to us to save the world. Thank you.”

MORE

Eight Elaborate Christmas Displays Across America — And the People Behind Them

In her new book, photographer Danelle Manthey captures a distinct type of American folk art: Christmas light decoration.

READ ON

Happy Holidays and a Good and Healthy New Year to Us All

By Susanne Servin of Herzerl Tours

ADVENT – is the quietest time of the year (line of an Austrian poem).

Advent time (which is usually the four weeks in December and translates to expectant waiting) in a non- religious way is very meaningful for all us right now – as we are expectantly waiting for a relief of this awful pandemic that ravages our country and the world – for a vaccine to come.

But there is HOPE!!!

And to cheer us all up or to take our mind of things – lets bake!

My most favorite Christmas cookie recipe is Vanille Kipferl (vanilla crescents) – it’s a family recipe going back to my great grandmother, Emilie Zimmermann.

I have featured it on my website but let me send it to you again.

MORE

Best Cities for New Year’s

Courtesy Diana Polk, WalletHub Communications Manager

With New Year’s around the corner but the scale of celebrations limited by the COVID-19 pandemic, the personal-finance website WalletHub released its report on 2020’s Best Cities for New Year’s.

MORE

Dublin & Galway Selected Friendliest Cities in Europe

It’s travel award season on the island of Ireland! In recent weeks, the island has been awarded a number of exciting accolades. Both Dublin and Galway have topped the Condé Nast friendliest cities in Europe list, while EPIC The Irish Immigration Museum has been awarded Europe’s Leading Tourist Attraction by the World Travel Awards for the second year running.

Meanwhile, Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel experts were wowed by the Burren Ecotourism Network’s community effort, naming them one of ten winners in the new ‘Community’ category of Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel 2021. Ireland’s Burren Ecotourism Network has been named one of ten winners in the new ‘Community’ category of Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel 2021.

8 Immune-Boosting Smoothies We Want to Sip All Day Long

Courtesy Mary Nunes

Whether it’s flu season, allergy season, or you’re just in the mood for a refreshing, flavorful drink, an immune-boosting smoothie is always a good idea. By snacking on something as easy and convenient as a smoothie, you can jam-pack your body with antioxidants, vitamins, and more superfoods that kick-start your immune system into gear. Smoothies are (rightfully) all the rage these days, as they are easy to make, totally filling, and can give your body a plethora of health benefits.

READ HERE

You Might be an American Traveling Abroad if…

Inspired by Jeff Foxworthy with assistance from the Alot Travel Team

If you wear a Baseball Cap while traveling abroad you might be an American tourist.

Baseball is the American pastime, right? At least, it was at one point, and it’s still thought of that way, even though we watch more pro football than baseball at this point.

Still, we love the caps, and we carry them around with us everywhere — including overseas, where they immediately mark us as Americans.

MORE

5 Things Science Says Will Make You Happier

Research-backed habits that will improve your outlook and positive attitude

By Nataly Kogan
Medically reviewed by Daniel B. Block, MD

It’s easy to assume that things like money and a luxurious lifestyle lead to happiness, but research shows that it’s the more simple experiences — like practicing gratitude or spending time with friends — that promote a sunny outlook.

Whether you need to shift from negative thoughts or want to continue a streak of positivity, here are five ways to boost happiness every day.

MORE

The Pentagon is Missing the Big Picture on “Stars and Stripes”

By Mark T. Hauser

The Pentagon’s plan to scrap funding for the Stars and Stripes newspaper isn’t just an attack on a historic military institution. It’s ignoring the lessons the paper’s history offers for efficient operation and integrating military operations with the economic life of the nation.

MORE

 

Ireland’s Voices Stream Christmas Hope to the World

The home of Guinness in Dublin will be the location for a unique Christmas concert that will connect the heart of Ireland with the world.

One of Ireland’s most respected musical events, Other Voices, is staging a special Christmas show in the Guinness Storehouse, which will be live streamed around the world on 16 December.

Featuring a wide range of Irish talent, ‘Other Voices: Home at the Guinness Storehouse’ will see this iconic building in the heart of Dublin come alive with an eclectic programme of Irish music, stories and songs.

MORE

How an Ancient Revolt Sparked the Festival of Lights

By Amy Briggs

It’s time to celebrate Hanukkah, the Jewish Festival of Lights that lasts for eight days and nights. This year Hanukkah starts on Thursday, December 10, and ends Friday, December 18. The holiday’s popularity has surged in modern times, but its origins date back to the turbulent centuries following the death of Alexander the Great, the ancient Macedonian leader who conquered the Persian Empire.

READ ON

The Grinch That Keeps on Grinching

A new television special hearkens back to the nearly 50 years of Christmas thievery from the Dr. Seuss classic

Courtesy Patrick Sauer, SMITHSONIANMAG.COM

The first time readers young and old laid their eyes on the Grinch, he wasn’t green. He wasn’t on television, on stage, or even in a book. He didn’t even debut amidst the Jing-Tinglers of the season, but rather during the dog days of summer. In 1955, a 33-line illustrated poem “The Hoobub and the Grinch” ran in Redbook magazine. In it, Dr. Seuss introduces the Grinch as a con artist selling a piece of string for 98 cents to a yellow-furred galoot out catching some rays. It’s “worth a lot more than that old-fashioned sun,” says the Grinch. (A scam to be sure, but the Grinch is right about the broiling damage that can be done without proper UV skin care.)

MORE

No Two Alike: The First Photos of Snowflakes

Courtesy of Brian Clark Howard, National Geographic

Published in 1923, these vintage images highlight the beauty and mystery of snow crystals.

In the late 1800s, a self-educated Vermont farmer by the name of Wilson Bentley made the first successful image, or “photomicrograph,” of a single snowflake. He used a bellows camera attached to a microscope.

Here are some of the very first photos of snowflakes.

SEE THE PHOTOS

WNPA Recently Announced the Recipients of its Annual Awards

Western National Parks Association (WNPA), a nonprofit education partner of the National Park Service (NPS) since 1938, recently announced the recipients of its annual awards. For over 30 years, WNPA has recognized individuals and organizations who make exceptional contributions to national parks and increase awareness of WNPA’s mission.

MORE

What Americans Abroad Should Not Expect

Pancakes

The fluffy flour-based pancakes that American’s have come to love at breakfast time (or for brinner) just aren’t found abroad. French crêpes are too thin. The Japanese version (okonomiyaki) is too thick and most often topped with savory things like meat, seafood, and cabbage. Australian-style pancakes are too eggy and have sugar in the dough.

MORE

The Radical History of Corporate Sensitivity Training

By Beth Blum

During these turbulent months, American corporations have responded to demands for racial justice by straining to showcase their sensitive sides. They’ve pledged, like Quaker Oats, to change offensive product names; they’ve scrambled, like Prada, nascar, and Delta, to implement emergency sensitivity workshops; and they’ve opted, like most of the major publishing houses, to hire sensitivity readers to vet new manuscripts for racist representations. Not so at the Donald Trump White House.

MORE

The Future of History in the Pandemic Age

By Michael Creswell

Historians need to consider and prepare for changes to the profession that will follow the COVID-19 pandemic.

Attempting to predict the future is always perilous, and events frequently humble those who dare to try. Making predictions is especially hazardous for historians, who often struggle to explain the past. Peering into the future is not part of their professional training, and their efforts to do so are likely to fail.

MORE

“Heroes of Our America”: Reading a “Patriotic” History of the United States

By Alan J. Singer

Not long ago, history textbooks were written as patriotic fables. Examining one offers a warning about the cost of putting mythmaking ahead of historical learning

Heroes of Our America (1952) was a history book for fourth graders published by the Iroquois Publishing Company of Syracuse, New York. Its co-authors were Gertrude and John Van Duyn Southworth. John Southworth, with Harvard and Columbia University degrees, taught at a number of schools in the New York metropolitan area and was president of the publishing company. Gertrude Southworth, his frequent co-author, was also his mother.

I picked it off my office shelf after Donald Trump called for teaching “patriotic history” in American schools as a defense against a mythical radical “left” conspiracy and to ensure that  “our youth will be taught to love America.” Heroes of Our America is an example of the kind of “patriotic history” Donald and I were both exposed to as children in the 1950s. I grabbed the book when it was discarded from the Hofstra University Curriculum Materials Center only a couple of years ago.

MORE

The post Kids’ Letters to Santa, Jewish Festival of Lights appeared first on Traveling Archive.

The T-Boy Society of Film and Music Selects Top Horror Films

The Horror Film’s roots lie in German Expressionism. When it moved to Hollywood, along with many of its directors, it was smart, scary and clever, but eventually evolved into camp, then cheap thrills trash. John Carpenter dominated the horror film for years, yet like most genres it has exploded with sub-genres of films that can still interrupt a good sleep. Holy Dracula, there are too many good ones out there! Our members’ lists offer a rare look at what is in their darkest dreams.

Dublin & Galway Selected Friendliest Cities in Europe

It’s travel award season on the island of Ireland! In recent weeks, the island has been awarded a number of exciting accolades. Both Dublin and Galway have topped the Condé Nast friendliest cities in Europe list, while EPIC The Irish Immigration Museum has been awarded Europe’s Leading Tourist Attraction by the World Travel Awards for the second year running.

Meanwhile, Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel experts were wowed by the Burren Ecotourism Network’s community effort, naming them one of ten winners in the new ‘Community’ category of Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel 2021. Ireland’s Burren Ecotourism Network has been named one of ten winners in the new ‘Community’ category of Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel 2021.

Top Horror Films

By the T-Boy Society of Film & Music
Curated by Ed Boitano

From Ed Boitano:

Nosferatu (1922)
Director : F.W. Murnau
UFA made artistically outstanding and technically competent films during the silent era. Located in Berlin, its studios were the best equipped and most modern in the world. It encouraged experimentation and imaginative camera work and employed such directors as F. W. Murnau, Fritz Lang, Ernst Lubitsch and G.W. Pabst; all pioneers in the expressive use of camera position, lighting, stylized art direction and acting, and editing techniques.

MORE

#LETUSALLUNITE: A Global Campaign on the Occasion of the 80^th Anniversary of “The Great Dictator”

To mark the 80^th anniversary of “The Great Dictator,” one of Charlie Chaplin’s most iconic films, Chaplin’s World announced today that it is launching a year-long campaign with international partners. #LETUSALLUNITE, a human fresco on a global scale, will unite the citizens of the world around the universal values of the film.

MORE

80-Year-Old Man Killed After Confronting Bar Patron For Not Wearing Mask

When an 80-year-old man at a bar near Buffalo, New York, noticed a fellow customer not wearing a face mask, he confronted him. The customer responded by swiftly pushing him to the ground, the police said. Five days later, the man was dead.

MORE

Fall Foliage Trip Planning

Written by Kim Knox Beckius

The annual display of colorful fall foliage clogs scenic byways this time of year as onlookers travel for “leaf peeping” getaways. As the trees put on a memorable show for us, behind the scenes, it’s due to the slowing of chlorophyll production. That’s what’s going on, you see: an un-greening of leaves that unveils the true colors that have been masked throughout the summer. As underlying pigments pop, lighting up the landscape, mountainsides and roadsides truly do warrant gawking.

MORE

The Radical History of Corporate Sensitivity Training

By Beth Blum

During these turbulent months, American corporations have responded to demands for racial justice by straining to showcase their sensitive sides. They’ve pledged, like Quaker Oats, to change offensive product names; they’ve scrambled, like Prada, nascar, and Delta, to implement emergency sensitivity workshops; and they’ve opted, like most of the major publishing houses, to hire sensitivity readers to vet new manuscripts for racist representations. Not so at the Donald Trump White House.

MORE

Amtrak’s New Fall Fare Sale Lets You Bring a Friend for Free

Riding the rails is the perfect way to follow fall down the Northeast Corridor

Written by Katherine Alex Beaven

Summer may be officially over — R.I.P. — but Amtrak is already giving us reasons to get excited about celebrating fall. This week the national rail service announced a huge buy-one-get-one sale on Acela business class and Northeast Regional coach train fares. This means you can buy a ticket and bring a friend for free — or just split the difference and save 50 percent on ticket prices.

MORE

The 5 Best Ways to Prevent a First Heart Attack

By Sharon Basaraba
Medically reviewed by Richard N. Fogoros, MD

Whether your father, mother or siblings have had heart disease may seem like the most important predictor of your own chances of a heart attack. Not so — says a large Swedish study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology in 2014. In fact, it showed that 5 specific lifestyle factors like eating right, regular exercise and quitting smoking can combine to prevent 80% of first heart attacks.

MORE

Epiphany Central – 15 Lessons from the Pandemic

By David Erskine

Dr.  Allen asked me to write a fourth blog yet again from just ten minutes north of the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. If you read my last blog, you know that we experienced another COVID-19 surge a few weeks ago. The good news now is that California has flattened the  curve (for a second time) as I write this mid-September.

MORE

The One Horror Film Stephen King Was Too Scared to Finish

Courtesy of Richard Evans

Stephen King has been responsible for many of our nightmares over the years. The prolific author has written a staggering number of terrifying novels and stories, many of which have been adapted into equally frightening films. But King is also a fan of the horror genre, and frequently recommends books, movies, and TV shows that have hooked him. In fact, he often showers them with effusive praise. In a new foreword for the 2010 reissue of his nonfiction book Danse Macabre, he called The Blair Witch Project the “worst nightmare you ever had.” Read on to find out why the movie spooked King so badly, along with his other favorites. And for more ’90s nightmares, revisit The Scariest Movies ’90s Kids Can’t Forget.

MORE

8 Immune-Boosting Smoothies We Want to Sip All Day Long

Courtesy Mary Nunes

Whether it’s flu season, allergy season, or you’re just in the mood for a refreshing, flavorful drink, an immune-boosting smoothie is always a good idea. By snacking on something as easy and convenient as a smoothie, you can jam-pack your body with antioxidants, vitamins, and more superfoods that kick-start your immune system into gear. Smoothies are (rightfully) all the rage these days, as they are easy to make, totally filling, and can give your body a plethora of health benefits.

READ HERE

You Might be an American Traveling Abroad if…

Inspired by Jeff Foxworthy with assistance from the Alot Travel Team

If you wear a Baseball Cap while traveling abroad you might be an American tourist.

Baseball is the American pastime, right? At least, it was at one point, and it’s still thought of that way, even though we watch more pro football than baseball at this point.

Still, we love the caps, and we carry them around with us everywhere — including overseas, where they immediately mark us as Americans.

MORE

What Americans Abroad Should Not Expect

Pancakes

The fluffy flour-based pancakes that American’s have come to love at breakfast time (or for brinner) just aren’t found abroad. French crêpes are too thin. The Japanese version (okonomiyaki) is too thick and most often topped with savory things like meat, seafood, and cabbage. Australian-style pancakes are too eggy and have sugar in the dough.

MORE

5 Things Science Says Will Make You Happier

Research-backed habits that will improve your outlook and positive attitude

By Nataly Kogan
Medically reviewed by Daniel B. Block, MD

It’s easy to assume that things like money and a luxurious lifestyle lead to happiness, but research shows that it’s the more simple experiences — like practicing gratitude or spending time with friends — that promote a sunny outlook.

Whether you need to shift from negative thoughts or want to continue a streak of positivity, here are five ways to boost happiness every day.

MORE

The Future of History in the Pandemic Age

By Michael Creswell

Historians need to consider and prepare for changes to the profession that will follow the COVID-19 pandemic.

Attempting to predict the future is always perilous, and events frequently humble those who dare to try. Making predictions is especially hazardous for historians, who often struggle to explain the past. Peering into the future is not part of their professional training, and their efforts to do so are likely to fail.

MORE

The Pentagon is Missing the Big Picture on “Stars and Stripes”

By Mark T. Hauser

The Pentagon’s plan to scrap funding for the Stars and Stripes newspaper isn’t just an attack on a historic military institution. It’s ignoring the lessons the paper’s history offers for efficient operation and integrating military operations with the economic life of the nation.

In February, the Pentagon proposed slashing funding for the famed soldiers’ newspaper Stars and Stripes, a story that roared back into the news in September after its publisher reported he had been ordered to halt publication by the end of the month.

MORE

“Heroes of Our America”: Reading a “Patriotic” History of the United States

By Alan J. Singer

Not long ago, history textbooks were written as patriotic fables. Examining one offers a warning about the cost of putting mythmaking ahead of historical learning

Heroes of Our America (1952) was a history book for fourth graders published by the Iroquois Publishing Company of Syracuse, New York. Its co-authors were Gertrude and John Van Duyn Southworth. John Southworth, with Harvard and Columbia University degrees, taught at a number of schools in the New York metropolitan area and was president of the publishing company. Gertrude Southworth, his frequent co-author, was also his mother.

I picked it off my office shelf after Donald Trump called for teaching “patriotic history” in American schools as a defense against a mythical radical “left” conspiracy and to ensure that  “our youth will be taught to love America.” Heroes of Our America is an example of the kind of “patriotic history” Donald and I were both exposed to as children in the 1950s. I grabbed the book when it was discarded from the Hofstra University Curriculum Materials Center only a couple of years ago.

MORE

The post Dublin & Galway Friendliest Cities, 8 Smoothies appeared first on Traveling Archive.

The Legend of the SS Liberty

Few are familiar with the legend of the SS Liberty, a barque… a ship that carried a hundred people headed for the new world. 28 were businessmen, 30 were laborers while the majority was a mix of the two. During those days the trip took them over a month to get to their destination.

Unrest between the the social factions emerged. Some say it was the sea wind, others say it was cabin fever but most believe the trouble started because the inept captain had miscalculated the provisions and they were running out of food. The mutinous passengers decided to elect a new captain: Who was the smartest among them? Who was capable of leading them to survive the trip? Two candidates emerged. One was an intellectual businessman and other was a laborer with street smarts. At first the contest was respectful but then rumors started to spread about sexual indiscretions and relatives getting extra rations. Eventually, the divide between the businessmen and the laborers increased… neither group listened to the other. To make matters worse, someone contracted cholera and the disease began to spread.

Clusters of bullies emerged and they started to destroy the tables and chairs as a show of force if they did not get their demands met. The anarchy escalated to burning the galley which almost sank the ship.

The elections were held. The losing side accused the other of cheating. Bullies muscled their way into the store room, found a powder magazine and blew up the helm and they lost the ship’s rudder. Many had died of the cholera but many more died of the explosion. When the dust cleared, the few who were still left standing cried in desperation at their new captain for answers.

The proud captain, picked himself up from the rubbish and gazed at the grief-stricken faces. He knew this was his moment. He needed to give them hope.

“Well,” he started, “at least there are fewer of us to feed.” 

AND THAT’S WHEN THE RIOT STARTED!

It’s a joke guys! It’s a joke!

You didn’t think I had the solution to the problems we’re facing here in America, did you? I wish I did. My simple message today is we are on the same boat. We burn it down, we all sink with it. So let’s stop this suicidal track of destruction.

My election prediction: The next President will be a male senior citizen with a 5-letter name who will be wondering “how the heck did I get into this mess?”

Be safe, be healthy, and remember the legend of the SS Liberty! TGIF people!

Raoul

Joke of the Week

Thanks to Charlie of New Jersey  for sharing this joke.

Video: Kids are Smart

Thanks to Jun of Encino, California
A cute video of very smart babies. When I was their age, I was eating dirt.

Video: A Boy and His Skeleton Friend

Thanks to Bok of Makati, Philippines
Just in time for Halloween. It’s more strange and cute than scary.

Video: Don’t Worry, Be Happy

Thanks to Nani of San Juan, Philippines
A revival of an old tune that’s perfect for these worrisome times. As long as you are a child of God, you need not worry.

Rodney’s Puns

Thanks to Rodney of Manitoba, B.C. who sent this pun.

Parting Shots

Thanks to Don of Kelowna, B.C.

Thanks to Mel of Washington, DC for another Monkey gag

Thanks to Art of Sierra Madre, CA

Thanks to Peter Paul of South Pasadena for the last gag

HAPPY HALLOWEEN EVERYONE!

The post Text to a Wonderful Wife appeared first on Traveling Archive.