JOHN M. EDWARDS, part owner of a privately held oil and natural gas concern based in Houston and New Orleans, gushes on about one of nature’s most valuable resources: petroleum! You can’t get to a rainforest without any transport to get you there. Luckily most major oil companies like Chevron and Shell have absolutely no interest in damaging the primary rainforests of the Amazon and Congo, although there is always some drilling on the edges … [Read more...]
Investigating Legendary Party Thrower Jim Haynes
It was through my fellow American expat friend, “The Famous Zack,” a black Christian science-fiction writer originally from Ohio, with a short story coming up back then in the now-defunct “AMAZING STORIES,” that I first heard about the wild parties thrown by the legendary Jim Haynes, whom some sour-grape artists deemed an apocryphal “traitor.” So well known was Haynes as a manic socialite host that he even felt propelled to write a … [Read more...]
Dispatch: Austin Cafe Limits – Cooling out at Quacks
An American Poet, Instead of Texas T, Fuels up on Texas C (Oily high octane Joe), and in Austin's most famous Coffee Stop... In Austin, Texas, while vaguely visiting UT (The University of Texas) in The Lone Star State’s lively livable capital, I decided to pursue the art of doing absolutely nothing at all. My college chum from years back at Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA, Jen Harmon, an art photographer and Aikido expert, … [Read more...]
Let Les Bons Temps Roules in Red New Orleans
John M. Edwards discovers New Orleans unique cuisine to be out of this world, not just Creole and Cajun clichés (“Gumbo” and “Jambalaya”), but also, well, nothing beats an Oyster Poboy! At the legendary Napoleon House in New Orleans, Lousiana, I found myself expectantly dreaming of a dressed “Oyster Poboy,” especially since they had not even one of them on their menus. (Hurricane Katrina had literally wiped out many of the oyster beds way back … [Read more...]
Sometimes You’re Not Lost. And THAT’S the Greatest Lesson of Them All
“Can you do me a solid, Madame Laveau?” I whispered, so close I could have sworn I felt her lean in. There was no response. Not yet anyway. The months before heading to New Orleans was a chaotic mess. I had lost my job. Or rather, my career. A career I had studied for. A career I took pride in. I’m a teacher. But as I left the office the day I was let go, I remembered what my former boss said to me before my dismissal: “Your. Students. Love. … [Read more...]
New Orleans: One of the Country’s Largest Urban Parks Launches Family Fun Pass
New Orleans City Park welcomes visitors with bundled package of top family attractions New Orleans, LA (May 30, 2013) – With 1,300 acres of sprawling oak trees and green space, winding bayous and lakes, walking paths and more, New Orleans City Park is recognized as one of the largest, most expansive urban public parks in the country. Nestled inside the park are a number of amusement-style family attractions where visitors can do everything … [Read more...]
Orbitz Survey Names Cancun the #1 International Destination for Summer Travel
STR Also Reports Increasing Hotel Occupancy in Cancun Cancun, Mexico (May 8, 2013): All signs point to a glorious summer season as Cancun is named the top international destination for summer travel by Orbitz. Orbitz Summer Travel Insider Index analyzed air and hotel booking data from Orbitz.com and picked the 10 most popular summer destinations. Cancun was ranked number three behind Orlando and Las Vegas and was the only international … [Read more...]
Eureka Springs Revisited
In early November, I spent two serendipitous days in the tiny resort town of Eureka Springs, located in the Ozarks, at the edge of Arkansas. I had accepted an invitation from a friend in the American Midwest to join her on her ranch in Kansas, and she was taking me on a road trip. Since we would be riding through Missouri, I asked if I might see something connected with Mark Twain. “Hannibal is on the other side of the state.” I was mildly … [Read more...]
Charming and Mysterious Mazatlan
We had never been to Mazatlan, Mexico before and weren’t sure what to expect — except beautiful beaches and luxury resorts, perhaps. We found those and so much more, including history, culture and adventure. Mazatlan is a charming Mexican city with a distinctive character and even a little mystery. In Mazatlan, traditions have continued for many years allowing it to maintain an authenticity that one doesn’t find in many resort areas. The people … [Read more...]
Hundreds of volunteers made Oakland kids’ dreams come true
Children at the Community School for Creative Education in Oakland saw their ideal play space designs become reality on Saturday, August 18. In just six hours, the “my dream playground” posters the kids had drawn were transformed into a creative, colorful play environment. Teams of volunteers assembled a steel and plastic playground structure with a twisted slide, monkey bars and lots of components for climbing and exploring. Some built a … [Read more...]
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