Tom to Go

Bless me Father, for I have sinned. It has been seven months since my last post.

I have no good reason. A lack of focus, I suppose. If you know me, you’re aware of my propensity to become obsessed with things briefly before losing interest and moving on to a new hobby. Anyway, I will soon be resurrecting and repurposing this blog, using it to document my experiences in the one area that’s succeeded in holding my attention for a significant period of time: travel.

I’ve been doing/planning quite a bit of it in the past year or so, and so I thought, why not share it with everyone? As someone who loves traveling, I enjoy reading about and looking at photos of destinations throughout the world. But reading about ultra-luxury hotels and restaurants with multiple Michelin stars can make just about any locale seem inaccessible. So think of this as the working man’s version of Conde Nast Traveler. Nice hotels, restaurants, bars, cultural attractions and adventures you can afford. I think I’ve become a pretty savvy trip planner, so I’ll not only take you along with me to the places I visit — I will talk about the planning process, as well…because to me, that’s half the fun.

Also, because I have a day job and cannot afford to travel the world constantly in an effort to provide myself with writing material, I will occasionally write about places to go right here in New York. Can’t hurt, right? And to further maximize the material with which I have to work, I’ll take a look back at some of the traveling I’ve done in the fairly recent past.

Here are some trips from 2010 that I’ll be writing about when Tom to Go gets off the ground:

• Reykjavik, Iceland (2/12 – 2/14)
• Montreal, Canada (8/20 – 8/22)
• Ocean City, MD (9/3 – 9/6)
• Road Trip (9/14 – 9/21) – an RV road trip that includes stops in Tennessee, Mississippi, Arkansas, Indiana and Ohio
• Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (11/9 – 11/14)

That’s all for now, friends. I’ll keep y’all posted with updates. My awesome brother Mark is designing the new site for me, so as soon as that’s done,  you should have something pretty to look at. In the meantime, feel free to leave suggestions in the comments…places to go, things to eat, etc.

Wind to power US Air Guitar Championships in NYC…literally and figuratively

If you’ve ever attended or competed in the US Air Guitar Championships, you’re already intimately familiar with the copious amount of wind that is produced by the air guitarists.  If you’ve never experienced this spectacle live, it’s comparable to a Category Sixx hurricane…we’re talking about gusts of 300+ mph.  And it is all this wind that powers the US Air Guitar Championships.

But as I already mentioned a couple of posts ago, this year’s NYC Regional is being held a Brooklyn Bowl, which you all know, of course, is New York’s premier bowling alley/live music venue.  What you don’t know is that Brooklyn Bowl is 100% wind-powered, getting their energy entirely from Con Ed Solutions, a leading provider of renewable energy and sustainability services.

So for the New York Regional, the US Air Guitar Championships will be not only figuratively, but literally powered entirely by wind [for the first time ever?].  And wind is really just fast-moving air.

I know what you’re saying. “How appropriate?” I also know that you weren’t really asking a question…but there is a question mark there, so I will answer anyway: It is the most appropriate thing of all time. OF ALL TIME.  Hey US Air Guitar…these guys would make perfect sponsors for the tour, amiright?

Mitt Umlaut, STD, Tetrad, Windmill

Iceland is very nice, and Greenland is full of ice

So, I’m headed to Reykjavik — the capital of and largest city in Iceland — one week from today.  I’ll be posting more about Iceland in the next week, and a lot more about it after my trip. But one of the things I’m most looking forward to is possibly seeing the Northern Lights, or Aurora Borealis.

It’s an amazing display that most people don’t get the chance to see in person, and I’m super excited. They’re generally only visible in and around the Arctic Circle, and prime viewing season is from September to March or so.  But the appearance of the Northern Lights is dependent on solar activity, and we happen to be in a long stretch of solar quiet…which means the lights have been far less frequent and vibrant than normal. They’re not expected to peak again until 2012, but I just found out that a solar wind is expected to hit Earth on February 10 — two days before I arrive in Iceland. This is perfect timing, and I’m crossing my fingers in the hopes that I’ll get to see some ridiculous displays.

To give you an idea of what it looks like, this photo was taken in Iceland just two days ago…which makes me super excited for what I may get to see…

Northern Lights from Iceland

US Air Guitar back; Nationals likely returning to NYC

This month, the 2010 Winter Olympics begin. In June, the World Cup kicks off in South Africa. But come April, the greatest competition the world has ever known returns with a vengeance:

The US Air Guitar Championships

…and that, my friends, means it is time.

Once again.

For the Man. The Mitt. The Legend.

…Mitt Umlaut.

I’ll do a lengthier post as the competition draws near, explaining the intricacies of this art/sport. But for now, here’s what you need to know.  This year’s New York City Regional will be held on April 9 at Brooklyn Bowl, the finest bowling alley/music venue in all of NYC.

US Air Guitar originally had NYC listed on the official site as the host city for this year’s National’s, but they quickly took that down. However, since New York has held two regionals in each of the last two years — with Manhattan and Brooklyn hosting one a piece — and Brooklyn is hosting the only NYC regional, it seems likely that the Nationals will indeed return to New York after a two-year hiatus.

Anyway, the 2010 season comes nearly two months earlier than normal. I’ve already spoken to a few of my air guitar hombres, and people are busy making edits to their songs and starting their training. Yeah…training.  Over the next couple of months, I may interview some of the more interesting air guitarists and post them up on here. It’d make for a good read, I’m sure. In the meantime, keep an eye out for updates. And remember, Mitt loves you.

Rock Blocked

So my good friend Sanjar (as in Sanjar the Destroyer, the 2009 runner up in the US Air Guitar Championships) has a new internet radio show called Rock Blocked. He’s awesome, and so is it.  It’s officially endorsed by Mitt Umlaut, which means you should listen to it.

Mitt and Sanjar, Legends of Air Guitar

Rock Blocked is an hour-long show featuring some bitchin rock music with the kind of smooth talking that only Sanjar can provide.  It’s currently the top-ranked show on JamzOnAir.com, which is where you have to go to listen to it (click on Rock Blocked under the Music Shows menu). Or if that’s too difficult, you can just download the shows at these convenient links:

Episode 1

Episode 2

Episode 3

Episode 4

Episode 5

…also, follow @RockBlocked on Twitter.

Lil Wayne Tuesdays, 2/2 Wrap-up

Today was Tuesday, and you know what that means…Lil Wayne Tuesdays, of course!

That's what he said.

Here, I present to you the best of today’s edition of Lil Wayne Tuesdays:

@tom9d “The best love is the kind that awakens the soul & makes us reach for more, that plants a fire in our hearts.” -Lil Wayne #lilwaynetuesdays

@sup3rmark “I went to the woods because I wanted to live deliberately… to live deep& suck out all the marrow of life.” -Li’l Wayne #lilwaynetuesdays

@jksloan “Yes, I can get away with wearing leather chaps. Just not on a windy day.” -Li’l Wayne #lilwaynetuesdays

@vtchaves “WHO DAT?” -Lil Wayne #lilwaynetuesdays

@tom9d “I try not to let my schooling get in the way of my education.” -Lil Wayne #lilwaynetuesdays

@sup3rmark “What we do in life echoes in eternity.” -Li’l Wayne #lilwaynetuesdays

@rbersani “Maybe we could go somewhere and just eat a bunch of caramels….It’s just as arbitrary as drinking coffee.” -Li’l Wayne #lilwaynetuesdays

@humanmichael “the most important political office is that of the private citizen” – lil wayne #lilwaynetuesdays

@jksloan “Ah, now there’s a naughty bit o’ crumpet!” -Li’l Wayne #lilwaynetuesdays

@sup3rmark “There’s a time for daring and there’s a time for caution, and a wise man understands which is called for.” -Li’l Wayne #lilwaynetuesdays

Twitter is crawling with gangs

A member of the notorious street gang, the "Bloods"

According to the Associated Press, gangs is all up on Twitter ‘n shit. Everyone — from the Bloods and Crips to gangs I’m apparently not cool enough to have heard of, like Florencia 13 and MS-13 (13 = the most badass of all numbers?) — is using social media now.  So where can you find gang members on Twitter? It’s not easy, apparently. Says the AP:

The toughest part about tracking someone on Twitter is finding the alias or screen name they are posting under. And many tweets are nonsensical or pointless, so cutting through the clutter can be difficult.

…which means, if you get a tweet from @Bloods asking what time it is, just keep your eyes on the monitor and reply that you don’t know. Otherwise, they’ll hack your computer while you’re looking at your watch.

The MTA is ruining art, too

The MTA ruins lots of things…lives, my appetite, etc.  Another thing they ruin: art.

Have you seen the “artwork” they post in subways as part of their “Arts for Transit” program? Good Lord. It’s not just bad; it’s offensive. Like…in the sense that it offends my eyes and emotions.  They all look like they were painted by the same person, though they’d have us believe there are multiple artists. Look…

Terrible Art: Exhibit A

Terrible Art: Exhibit B

Terrible Art: Exhibit C

Terrible Art: Exhibit D

They’re ridiculous! I get it. The fish and rabbit are supposed to be clever metaphors for the subway. They’re still shite. And they’re not clever. And what’s with the arm? Wait, wait! I aced my art history class…the NYC landmarks adorning the hand and wrist are precious treasures for us all, and the MTA — or, the sleeve — takes us to all of them. BAM! Still stupid. And ugly.

Also, why are the little subterranean creatures riding in the hollowed out bodies of the poor little insects in Exhibit D? Creepy. Just creepy.

Please stick to what you’re good at, MTA (having turnstiles?). Leave art alone. Thanks.

Love, Tom

Your face is ugly

Oh hi, so I know this whole interface and whatnot is kind of ugly. But I just used a template for starters. When I have the time to mess around with stuff, I’ll make it look nicer.  For now, here are pretty people to distract you:

Nora, Viviana, James, Me, Katherine @ Virginia/Viviana's 27th

Hola

Howdy folks. I’m going to dispense with the lengthy intro post. Here’s what I feel like doing here as of now:

• Talking about the places I’m visiting/trips I’m taking
• Talking about the things I’m learning to cook
• Talking about air guitar
• Talking about new things I try
• Talking about miscellaneous topics that interest me

…I’ll add more topics, but that’s a good start. Also, it’s Monday and I don’t feel like thinking too much.  And in light of that, here is a loop of Brendan Fraser clapping like a spaz at the Golden Globes, set to “Hollaback Girl.”