Bill Murray's Blog, page 169
October 17, 2011
Just Before the Leaves Fall
Our next mission abroad is still some seventy days away, but this isn't the time of year to be away from our southern Appalachian home, anyway. These are the very final days before that last, crashing rainstorm blows out our leaves and blows in six months of brown and chill. Every day we walk around the farm wide-eyed, camera in hand, trying to will a few more of these beautiful, colorful days.
This photo is a seven exposure HDR, taken down at the bottom of our driveway, at the beginning of...
Eight Generic Things You Don't Need to Know
People respond to lists. They're a cheap way to attract eyeballs to your web site. So most content providers are weak enough to use them once in a while. Hey, it's Monday.
Some lists are okay, I guess. I like bullet points 4, 6, 8 & 9 in 17 Thoughts on Travel Lists on Perceptive Travel, for example.
When lists aren't used just as generic fluff and filler, you can discover worthy stuff, as in these seven remotest abandoned wonders on a blog called Web Urbanist. Name one other place you've...
October 13, 2011
Sale!
In honor of the six month anniversary of its publication, we're discounting the $8.99 regular price of the Kindle version of Common Sense and Whiskey - the Book, to just $6.99 for the next two weeks.
It's a great read about some of the less-traveled parts of the world. Check it out. This low price is good now through the end of the month.
Or, get the print version.
Jigme Gets Hitched
Congratulations to the Bhutanese people. Looks like they're having a huge party around today's royal wedding.
Have you noticed? Most of the time the tone of news articles about Bhutan is a little bemused, treating the Kingdom of the Thunder Dragon as kind of quaint and not quite of this world. Writers always try to mention that "gross national happiness" thing, which started "as a casual, offhand remark" by the previous King. I admit to having treated Bhutan the same way in my book, quoting...
Japanese Nuclear Propaganda
An article in the current New Yorker tells us about about the frightening Little Pluto (for plutonium) Boy, a cartoon used to indoctrinate children about the benefits of nuclear power. Here's a clip on You Tube.
October 7, 2011
Common Sense and Whiskey, the Book - Sri Lanka, Chapter Nine
Here is Chapter Nine of Common Sense and Whiskey, the book. We'll publish each chapter over the course of the year (Track down previous chapters here). You can order the entire book direct from EarthPhotos Publishing, or at Amazon.com. Photos and additional commentary are available at A Common Sense and Whiskey Companion. And here's the Sri Lanka Gallery at EarthPhotos.com.
9 SRI LANKA
There are certain things a guidebook ought to level with you about right up front, before gushing about...
Accomplished Traveler Inspires Countries-Visited Envy
In his review of Common Sense and Whiskey, the book, editor of Perceptive Travel magazine writes that I'm "one of those 'been to 100 countries' types." I'm not entirely sure in what spirit that was meant, but I take it as high praise.
Of course, whenever you find yourself feeling self-satisfied, it's healthy to be humbled a little bit.
And so I present to you Gordon Kilgore, a fellow Georgian who has traveled to all 50 states, 7 continents, the North Pole, and 181 countries. I...
Friday Photo Quiz #129 - Where in the World?
There are clues to this week's quiz answer in the photo, and not just the minaret.
Can you name the city? The country?
The answer is after the jump.
And a good weekend to all from Common Sense and Whiskey and EarthPhotos.com.
And the answer is ..................................................... this is Sarajevo, capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The sign on the left, if you can make it out, reads "...dzinica." Tha puts us squarely in the Balkans. Another clue: The very...
October 5, 2011
New Book Review from Perceptive Travel Magazine
Excerpts of the new review of Common Sense and Whiskey, the book, in this month's Perceptive Travel magazine:
"Enjoyable to read ... literally all over the map ... A nice book to pick up, read one section of, and come back to later.
Approaches each destination with a thirst for adventure — or at least looking to find a taste of something unusual.
A keen sense of the ironic and bizarre, told without embellishment.
Doesn't shy away from the country's underbelly or the dark sides of tourism.
October 4, 2011
"Evidently, denture adhesive is improving"
Oktoberfest ended yesterday in Munich with the loss of
"a Viking helmet, two crutches, an electric wheelchair, a rucksack containing two foldable camping chairs, a case full of musical notes, 1,300 items of clothing, 520 wallets, over 1,000 identity cards, 390 mobile phones, 370 pairs of eyeglasses, 90 cameras, 80 items of jewellery and watches and 425 keys..."
and only one set of dentures, down from previous years.
"The year I started," a worker in lost and found said, "I...
