tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-53013565596710627152024-03-09T18:46:03.379-08:00SeattleFlyerGuy's All-Purpose Travel BlogSeattleFlyerGuyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08357528552226401685noreply@blogger.comBlogger298125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5301356559671062715.post-20210392700407456222016-02-29T23:55:00.000-08:002016-02-29T23:56:01.055-08:00Well, hello again: Post-Haitus Update<div>
<img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFPX5vC_eGTlsBzTG1dgwxvttGsFkHwi_oa0pzeXS-2F9ZOMX_FXIApsJxe5XT99wleVGYSrKacYQhsDiEmlH3-5xoaLTdBrGNJIIizywzUtqxyr9SHVaB2uD4kTne2FdrdShU-PsMY2c/s640/IMG_0163.jpg" width="640" /></div>
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Hello again, </div>
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It's been a couple months since I have posted anything on here, mainly due to a hectic work schedule and the fact that I haven't had very many exciting trips recently. Since Peru, I've been here in the states, except for a weekend in Sweden (tickets were less than $350 r/t) and Disney World (if you don't count that as the US). It's been pretty quiet and I rounded the year out with a total of 46,855 miles flown. That makes 2015 the most traveled year since 2011.</div>
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Over the next few months, travel will be limited to flights back up to Seattle, but this fall I have one major trip on the horizon: My honeymoon. Naturally, you don't get this excuse to travel every day and this is going to be on amazing trip. Over the course of two and half weeks, we'll visit the Aitutaki in the South Pacific, New Zealand, Singapore, and Bali. In all, we will make a big pacific loop and fly just shy of completely around the world. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXAZd_NkpN2c7q19LgDogPqnceQj6TQsxXR33nzD5ZdXBPcAMqaObjezk1GR5cmbH8JsxXDJYa6-NW0jcdFXdYqnPMVUnKoPlaFbsLEXhS_goIASYM9IwR4CJuzBUS5K_s05G-MFT9fQI/s1600/special-offer-januar-march.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="362" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXAZd_NkpN2c7q19LgDogPqnceQj6TQsxXR33nzD5ZdXBPcAMqaObjezk1GR5cmbH8JsxXDJYa6-NW0jcdFXdYqnPMVUnKoPlaFbsLEXhS_goIASYM9IwR4CJuzBUS5K_s05G-MFT9fQI/s640/special-offer-januar-march.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is Aitutaki</td></tr>
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The total cost for airfare and hotels for this 19 day trip was $2,225 per person, or about $120 per person per day ($4,450 total for all hotels and flights). For a comparison,<a href="https://www.ricksteves.com/tours/france/paris" target="_blank"> a seven day tour of Paris</a> <i>excluding airfare to Europe </i>can set you back $2,000 per person. For just a little more, we will be doing the entire trip and some of the hotels we will be staying at are splurge hotels (~$325/night), such as the <a href="http://www.marinabaysands.com/" target="_blank">Marina Bay Sands</a> in Singapore and a beach front cottage in Aitutaki. Over the next couple posts on the blog, I'll talk about how this happened and what goes into planning something like this.</div>
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On another side, this year is going to be very exciting in terms of photography. I just upgraded to a Canon G9X premium compact, and I have three specialty cameras ordered and (hopefully) on their way to me soon. You will start seeing full spherical photos on here, along with better quality as well. So far, I have been using the G9X and like it quite a bit. Here are some sample photos from the weekend:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvNIgPdHddjoHDGL-fGFvpTuUZ0zxId9nTli1FBr_mCaQCjf8b2PHOOF4QWCoYOajTT9pevCRD9ewVLUdYNZs8tLnEKFYR1Sya0AWyPMtFuJnJ2h4E07OYCX5zMPkd3AqsAXpP-j_dzZc/s1600/IMG_0186.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvNIgPdHddjoHDGL-fGFvpTuUZ0zxId9nTli1FBr_mCaQCjf8b2PHOOF4QWCoYOajTT9pevCRD9ewVLUdYNZs8tLnEKFYR1Sya0AWyPMtFuJnJ2h4E07OYCX5zMPkd3AqsAXpP-j_dzZc/s640/IMG_0186.jpg" width="640" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWoXlt0Ot9rmZLRZCeDxvc23_qZEXmDrOdkoSYI_jMajp5L7HkSs5ITm3P_sI695WXHIRIsZAkOxnNncbNmuKqN-81yLqRV7mjcfuJOq60GzRwSe87Q9EFvzf-6j_0yyx0c6MANspQZdo/s1600/IMG_0243.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWoXlt0Ot9rmZLRZCeDxvc23_qZEXmDrOdkoSYI_jMajp5L7HkSs5ITm3P_sI695WXHIRIsZAkOxnNncbNmuKqN-81yLqRV7mjcfuJOq60GzRwSe87Q9EFvzf-6j_0yyx0c6MANspQZdo/s640/IMG_0243.jpg" width="640" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeflvt-a5HTPtdxosV3cO1gT6Q8ufiOguS2KXRenYMzVYcKT26jH4l7YHByrZ0dy2125c2VceYcTRJ98FOn48zkGcLoPkXRh4xsfpfLbshJIJ06_9T-QOed7rOPXXALrUaqneKAUCUqzc/s1600/IMG_0183.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeflvt-a5HTPtdxosV3cO1gT6Q8ufiOguS2KXRenYMzVYcKT26jH4l7YHByrZ0dy2125c2VceYcTRJ98FOn48zkGcLoPkXRh4xsfpfLbshJIJ06_9T-QOed7rOPXXALrUaqneKAUCUqzc/s640/IMG_0183.jpg" width="640" /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaIcCLitDEVJsdSoriRqoWJ7yousY0fu576TdZXKXRbzkEFfNxgRPppiM3f5RXZ8O9NzsHg3m8V5AR24PM5vT-nlZrAVc1RjIVDyzaFyXunKaedtWos6ZrHsmeAg23yxucA316TDnQQ7s/s1600/IMG_0281.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaIcCLitDEVJsdSoriRqoWJ7yousY0fu576TdZXKXRbzkEFfNxgRPppiM3f5RXZ8O9NzsHg3m8V5AR24PM5vT-nlZrAVc1RjIVDyzaFyXunKaedtWos6ZrHsmeAg23yxucA316TDnQQ7s/s640/IMG_0281.jpg" width="640" /></a></a></div>
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Overall, I'm impressed with it. I could have gone with the G7X, but looking forward to the honeymoon trip I wanted something very compact and that had multiple options for charging. While I would have enjoyed the lens on the G7X better, being able to charge via USB like you can on the G9X will be exceedingly useful. </div>
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As for other cameras, I should have before the honeymoon a Narrative Clip 2, a 360cam, and a Panono. These are all specialty cameras. The <a href="http://getnarrative.com/" target="_blank">Narrative Clip</a> is wearable camera that snaps a photo every 30 seconds or so. This gives you a stream of moments that you can go back and look into later, without having to explicitly worry about snapping a photo. I am looking forward to using it for timelapses. Meanwhile, the <a href="http://us.360.tv/en/" target="_blank">360cam</a> is all about 360 degree video. This space is getting a little more crowded, but the 360cam looks like a pretty solid product: The video stitching is done on the camera and quality seems to be on par with something like the Nikon Key Mission 360. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7ZmOA-1HGYXWNz4vj_1zFFpj74oxj2I5N7VdphIE9nHVakah-a-vikbMAfHWAsitEJwNsWVwhvvqWjVJ1V0jLYLVEEswabXqEglkjdLyX3SW5BEcUOqxDMVIjpBEYccLQNhsckS2EvTg/s1600/panono-panoramic-ball-camera-designboom04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="544" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7ZmOA-1HGYXWNz4vj_1zFFpj74oxj2I5N7VdphIE9nHVakah-a-vikbMAfHWAsitEJwNsWVwhvvqWjVJ1V0jLYLVEEswabXqEglkjdLyX3SW5BEcUOqxDMVIjpBEYccLQNhsckS2EvTg/s640/panono-panoramic-ball-camera-designboom04.jpg" width="640" /></a>However, those two gizmos are not as exciting as the last one: <a href="https://www.panono.com/" target="_blank">The Panono</a>. The panono is a spherical camera that uses 36 cameras to create the shot. The main advantage? Quality and size. Most of the other cameras on the market use one or two sensors, plus fish eye lenses, to create the shot. As a result, you get distortion and blur at the seams/edges, plus low resolution. In other situations you can get "ghosting" or parallax errors, which don't look that great. </div>
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The Panono, on the other hand, spits out a 100MP image and avoids a lot of the pitfalls of other options. The 36 cameras fire off at the same time so the whole scene is captured at the same time, and the resolution is pretty great. <a href="https://www.panono.com/p/VswfULuntr5g" target="_blank">Check out this example</a> and be sure to zoom in. It will be a unique way to capture places and it is on the way to me <i>right now</i>. I am pretty excited. </div>
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And there you have it. Next time I'll go into how I planned the honeymoon and why it was so cheap.</div>
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SeattleFlyerGuyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08357528552226401685noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5301356559671062715.post-64307780111801983622015-09-21T22:37:00.001-07:002015-09-21T22:37:24.976-07:00Peruvian Journey Part 4: Machu Picchu<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Machu Picchu is one of the crown gems of Peru's historic sights. Surround by a deep valley on three sides, nestled in the mountains, and effectively one massive construction, <i>this</i> is a ruin to see. Without a doubt, this ranks as the most impressive man-made sight I have seen (modern or otherwise).<br />
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Machu Picchu is a full city, which would have supported an active and diverse population. The terraces around the city (such as see on the west side of photo above) were used for agriculture while the center of the city included homes, an area for workshops, and religious/government/commerce functions.<br />
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In addition to having all of the infrastructure for supporting urban life, there is also the fact that Machu Picchu embodies an utterly stupefying amount of effort and will. Terraforming a mountain top into a set of terraces on all sides with massive stone buildings would be a challenge using today's technology, but Machu Picchu is over 600 years old. It must have taken an army to build (most likely not all were volunteers). The amount of rock moved by hand to build this is unfathomable...<br />
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...and yet people abandoned it. The reason for Machu Picchu being left to be covered by jungle is lost to history. Most likely it had to do with the sudden collapse of the Inca empire and the mandated adoption of European norms, but it seems unbelievable that an investment of this magnitude would simply disappear after people shrugged their shoulders and left. It is truly a sight to see and fully unforgettable.<br />
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I spent two days in the ruins, so I had a pretty good opportunity to walk around twice. Getting there is easy enough: Once you have your Machu Picchu tickets in hand (<a href="http://www.machupicchu.gob.pe/" target="_blank">buy them online here well in advance</a> or work with a local to buy them for you), you simply hop on one of the extremely easy to find and obvious buses in Aguas Calientes and enjoy the 20 minute drive up the mountain. You <i>can</i> hike it, but this does not look like an enjoyable to me: It is directly up the mountain and features numerous road crossings with buses. Also, don't forget the altitude! If you were going to do the hike no matter, I would take the bus up and hike down instead.<br />
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At the entrance, you'll find the Belmont Lodge, which is your tourist buffet brunch. The offerings are actually pretty good, but it is pricey. On the other hand, this is it for food up here and you are technically not supposed to bring stuff in to the park (<i>Be courtesy and pack it out!</i>). In practice you can bring whatever you want in, and I highly recommend plenty of water, something energy packed to eat, and protection against the sun.<br />
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From the main entrance, the main view you are seeking is up the path. Take the first left and go up and you will be welcome by the classic view below.<br />
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My absolute favorite parts of Machu Picchu, however, were both big and small. It was fun to feed the llamas that are wandering about and the stone work of the temples (see above) are mind boggling impeccable, but what I suspect I will remember the most are two things. The first is a lesser traveled area below the "industrial" area (below). Fewer people come this way and it is an ideal place to take a break or a even a nap. It is quiet, natural, and very peaceful. The ruins here exhibit less manipulation and restoration than some of the other areas, and you get a better feeling of being away from everything.<br />
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The second thing that I will remember vividly is a single wild strawberry that I found. I <i>love</i> wild strawberries. <a href="http://seattleflyerguy.blogspot.com/2013/07/smultron-in-sweden.html" target="_blank">As I have talked about before</a>, wild strawberries (aka "smultron" in Swedish) are a rare treat for me and connected with wandering around Sweden as a kid. This single strawberry found on the hillside of Machu Picchu connects back to all that in addition to being delectable. I also only found one single berry while I was there. The taste, surprise of encountering the berry in prime ripeness, and the location is something I won't forget as well. </div>
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<br />SeattleFlyerGuyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08357528552226401685noreply@blogger.com0Machu Picchu, Peru-13.1631412 -72.544962899999973-38.6851757 -113.85355689999997 12.3588933 -31.236368899999974tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5301356559671062715.post-34722214196135571822015-09-03T22:22:00.001-07:002015-09-03T22:22:05.058-07:00Peruvian Journey Part 3: Ollantaytambo<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Ollantaytambo is a small town nestled in the mouth of the valley that leads to Machu Picchu. Even though it was a brief overnight stop, this was actually one of the highlights of the trip. It was peaceful and quiet, despite being at the cross roads of a wide array of interesting archaeological sights. If I could take the trip again, the main thing I would have changed would be to stay two nights here instead of one.<br />
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<a href="http://www.iskaygroup.com/hostal_iskay_ollantaytambo/es/" target="_blank">Hostal Iskay</a> was my accommodation here (pictured below) and was a very pleasant place. Built on two terraces and directly adjacent to the old part of town. Much of Ollantaytambo dates back to the Inca empire. While the title says "hostel", in reality this was a very nice little bed and breakfast. The rooms were comfy and clean, and the breakfast included some very fresh eggs and with an array of local teas.<br />
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Of course, by "local tea" I mean coca tea. It is served everywhere in this part of Peru and the leaves are widely available. It is simply part of the culture, as much as coffee is in Seattle. Coffee is after all a completely addictive psychotropic drug... it just happens to be <i>our</i> drug. While I did not have any while I was there, I am told by a trusted friend that there is no euphoria associated with it but that it is actually very good at combating altitude sickness.<br />
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The main draw for most tourists is the terraces of Ollantaytambo. This were the site of the final victory of the Incas over the Spanish. The victory was short lived and the Inca forces withdrew to a city deep in the mountains (not Machu Picchu) after it became clear that they would not be able to hold out forever.<br />
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<br />SeattleFlyerGuyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08357528552226401685noreply@blogger.com1Urubamba Province, Peru-13.256739807260765 -72.266542413244679-13.260603807260765 -72.271584913244681 -13.252875807260764 -72.261499913244677tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5301356559671062715.post-57733474916736173902015-08-08T22:56:00.001-07:002015-08-08T22:56:56.002-07:00Peruvian Journey: Part 2 - Up to the Sacred Valley<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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While Lima is the capital of Peru, the heart of the country is the Sacred Valley. This is where the heart of the Inca Empire was based and that history and culture is still a source of pride for many Peruvians. The evidence of that civilization and the testament to their building prowess is easily visible at the many ruins in the valley. </div>
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For tourists, Cusco is the gateway to the Inca ruins. The city sits more than 11,000 feet above sea level and is a quick 40 minute flight from Lima. Ticket prices are surprisingly reasonable and flights are frequent. LAN provides the most mainstream service with the best planes. Other airlines like StarPeru and Peruvian (which I flew) provide decent service and lower prices... but with a few trade offs. For example, this is a fine specimen of a 737-200 has been around for quite a while. It may very well be as old as I am. </div>
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Once in Cusco, the most sensible thing to do is leave, immediately. It is not that the town is a bad plus, but the the high altitude is likely to have an impact. 11,000 feet up is the same as standing on top of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Hood" target="_blank">Mount Hood</a> or <a href="http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e6901.html" target="_blank">Mount Fuji</a>. Other towns in the valley are actually lower altitude and better suited for adjusting to the thin air. In my case, I stayed in Ollantaytambo.<br />
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For transportation, nothing prearranged is needed. Ignore the taxi hustlers that speak excellent English when you first step out; They are just trying to get you to pay four times as much as you should. They originally offered $60 to drive out to Ollantaytambo (1.5 hours), which by US standards is great, but you can hire a private cab at the collectivo terminal 15 minutes away for $18. Or take a collectivo for the whole journey for a couple bucks!<br />
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Ultimately, I took the short local cab to the terminal and bought a seat in the cab. The cab normally takes four people and their stuff for a trip and leaves when full, but I opted to by out the middle seat for a more comfortable ride. I highly recommend this. In total, I spent $9 for two seats and an hour and a half trip through the Scared Valley.<br />
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This was the first view of Ollantaytambo (above). If I were to do the trip again, I would stay here and use this as the launching point for touring around the Sacred Valley. The place we stayed at <a href="http://www.iskaygroup.com/hostal_iskay_ollantaytambo/es/" target="_blank">Hostal Iska</a>y was really nice and relaxing. Fortunately, there will have to be another time because there is much left unexplored.<br />
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Next time: The ruins of Ollantaytambo and More from Cusco!<br />
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SeattleFlyerGuyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08357528552226401685noreply@blogger.com0Ollantaytambo, Peru-13.2583689 -72.2642679-13.2738244 -72.284437899999986 -13.2429134 -72.2440979tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5301356559671062715.post-4213406216844354492015-07-29T20:45:00.000-07:002015-07-26T20:45:35.006-07:00Peruvian Journey: Part 1 - Lima<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Welcome to Peru! My most recent trip was back to South America (by way of Toronto) for a journey up to Machu Picchu. Naturally, the first stop for virtually any trip to Peru is going to be Lima, the capital city and main international airport for the country.<br />
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If you are traveling to Lima, a couple pieces of advice: From the airport, you are going to want to grab a green cab. There will be a huge group of them and for airport to the city, the is the easiest option. In terms of expense, it's about $18 from the airport to Miraflores or Barranco, where you are likely staying. The price is fixed and tipping is not expected, <i>however</i> before you run off be sure that you check the sign and confirm the price. If not, then you may end up with a guy that tries to get a couple extra bucks out of you. Not the worst in the world, but it ends up being an ignorance tax.<br />
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I was in the city for a total of two and a half days. By far, one of the more interesting places that I visited was the Larco Museum, which houses and extensive collection of Inca artifacts. I'll go more into my thoughts on the Inca empire in another post, but this was what wet the whistle. The level of creativity and playfulness on display was very cool.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AZMVURbEhZ8/VZ9NgepaH5I/AAAAAAAAObg/LM-6PwmWisg/s1600/IMG_1993.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AZMVURbEhZ8/VZ9NgepaH5I/AAAAAAAAObg/LM-6PwmWisg/s640/IMG_1993.JPG" width="640" /></a>In addition to the pottery, there is also examples of the gold working of the Inca empire. One thing that I learned from this was that most of the gold on display that impressed the Spanish so much (and triggered a bloody subjugation driven by their greed of the native people) was actually thin sheets of a gold alloy. In reality, it really wasn't the solid gold treasure that we hear about.<br />
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Larco Museum is also home to a collection of very NSFW clay pottery in another section. Obviously, pictures are not forthcoming, but it is pretty obvious that the Inca relationship with sex was not the same as after the Catholics got there. Not at all.<br />
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In the next post, we'll take a look at some of the tastes of Lima, including Amaz, Pan de la Chola, La Lucha, and the fantastic Ayahuasca bar.SeattleFlyerGuyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08357528552226401685noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5301356559671062715.post-33157613675580786892015-07-26T20:06:00.002-07:002015-07-26T20:06:53.830-07:00McDonald's Around the World: Toronto - Featuring the McLobster!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Ah, Toronto. The last time I was here, it was 20 below and freezing. This time around I was here on a layover and had a couple hours to run into the city. Naturally, I wanted to check a couple local specialties off my list, which happened to include a peek into McDonald's to see if they had one of the great myths of Canadian McDonald's: The McLobster.<br />
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Oh. There it is. Is there anything else that I can do double down on the Canadian-ess of this meal?<br />
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Maple bacon McDonald's poutine? <i>Don't mind if I do! </i>Naturally, I have to say that this was for the experience. I mean, non-breaded and fried seafood at McDonald's? That just sounds a bit risky, but the McLobster exists and I had to tried it.<br />
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First up, the appetizer. There's real maple syrup on there, in addition to the bacon, cheese, and gravy. Overall, it might not have been that bad without the maple syrup. Or if you were horribly drunk and stumbling home, I imagine.<br />
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Truth in advertising here: "Get ready! You're about to try something new!"<br />
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I really didn't know what a $7 lobster sandwich from McDonald's was going to be like, but here it is. It exists. The lobster meat is cool, rolled around in mayo, with bits of standard MickeyD's lettuce. Did I try it? Yes. Did I finish it? After this, I had a 9 hour flight ahead of me and the last thing I needed was a parting gift from Canada that involved getting sick, so I was satisfied with my three bites.<br />
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Maybe things will be better at McDonald's where I'm off to next? SeattleFlyerGuyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08357528552226401685noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5301356559671062715.post-12750422896435231862015-07-10T18:20:00.000-07:002015-07-10T18:20:00.297-07:00McDonald's Around the World: Mexico<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Sadly, I did not much ability to take photos in Mexico. The manager there with his hand up was not very happy with my camera coming out. I will not understand why these guys don't want free advertising... From the looks of it, pretty standard except for that chicken sandwich on the left might be a little fancier than usual...<br />
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...But, we did end up trying the cones above. Dulce de leche is a pretty common flavor in the latin world and here they had dulce de leche cones. Quite good! <a href="http://seattleflyerguy.blogspot.com/2012/12/mcdonalds-around-world-non-kosher.html" target="_blank">The Oreo version I had tried before in Buenos Aires</a>, but the dulce de leche I had to try. Overall, the best McDonald's cone I've had!<br />
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<br />SeattleFlyerGuyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08357528552226401685noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5301356559671062715.post-31033205927260456042015-07-09T21:54:00.001-07:002015-07-09T21:54:56.188-07:00Noise Cancellation Performance - Sony MDR-ZX770BN<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This is a follow up to <a href="http://seattleflyerguy.blogspot.com/2015/06/gear-review-sony-mdr-zx770bn-bluetooth.html" target="_blank">the overall review that I wrote over here</a>. The last time I had a bluetooth headphones (Sol Republic Tracks Air), I found that they were nice overall but pretty useless on a plane. Since my handle is "Seattle<u>Flyer</u>Guy", that shortcoming is a big one.<br />
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My new headsets needed to be put to real world tests and my recent flight to South America provided the perfect opportunity to test the noise cancellation features of my new Sony MDR-ZX770BN headphones. I am happy to say that they ended up performing well. I am sure that the Bose probably outperform there (for another $100), but there is something to be said for the around-the-ear design and comfort of this set.<br />
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I'll keep 'em.SeattleFlyerGuyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08357528552226401685noreply@blogger.com0Toronto Pearson International Airport, 6301 Silver Dart Drive, Mississauga, ON L5P 1B2, Canada43.677717600000008 -79.62481969999998943.631783100000007 -79.705500699999988 43.72365210000001 -79.544138699999991tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5301356559671062715.post-8819709035706844262015-07-03T18:11:00.000-07:002015-07-03T18:11:00.247-07:00Hola from Puerto Vallarta!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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...On to something a little more relaxing...<br />
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Although April ended up being a very busy month for travel, my trip to Puerto Vallarta was the only one that I actually planned as a vacation a couple months back (everything else came up pretty unexpectedly). This was my first time in Mexico and I ended up getting a good deal on Alaska Airlines for a direct flight from San Francisco. Usually when I travel I pack in as much as possible (9 days and 4 cities ? Sure!), but this time I really had three basic goals: Do nothing, have a couple beers by the beach, walk around and see the city a bit. It is difficult, but I managed to avoid trying to do too much this trip.<br />
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I stayed in Zona Romantica, which is the opposite direction from the newer all inclusive tourist resorts and just south of the Cuale river. The area here is still very touristy, but it doesn't feel like you are on the set of <i>The Truman Show: Tropical Vacation</i> like in some resorts. Although you are definitely being catered to as tourists here, there is more interaction here with locals. The "hotel zone" was built from the ground up north of the airport for tourists is more like a different world. It is designed to keep people apart.<br />
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What's the fun in that?<br />
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For those concerned about safety, Puerto Vallarta is just fine. The streets felt safe, people were friendly, and nothing we encountered raised concerns. The only big advantage to staying in the hotel zone on this front is that there are probably fewer people on the beach trying to sell you stuff, but that's about it. We were out at all hours too. No issues. <br />
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I didn't get a chance to ride these below, since taxis were pretty cheap and walking got us most places. Just to the north of the river is the main boardwalk area. It has been built up more recently than the Zona Romantica, but it a bigger draw of people at night. We ran into a night market/family night on the boardwalk one of the nights that we were there. Nothing wrong with a little street food and people watching.<br />
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Overall, I'll be back at some point. I enjoyed my couple days on the beach with no plans whatsoever. :)<br />
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<br />SeattleFlyerGuyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08357528552226401685noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5301356559671062715.post-88159109393537478642015-06-26T17:50:00.000-07:002015-06-26T17:50:00.076-07:00Stockholm in a Dozen Pictures<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I am not going to share too much about my trip to Sweden this time. I was there due to rather sad circumstances and much of it isn't really sharable in the usual way. Instead, I'll just share some photos from the journey.<br />
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SeattleFlyerGuyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08357528552226401685noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5301356559671062715.post-40752297266128017332015-06-19T17:43:00.000-07:002015-06-19T17:43:00.249-07:00McDonald's Around the World: Oslo<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Lunch time in Norway. I have a long history of seeking out McDonald's when I travel and this time was no exception. Scandinavian menus are pretty standard between Sweden and Norway. They have most of the same things and follow the same general formula: Offer the classic menu, some variant on the Big Tasty, offer cheap cheeseburgers (which is what they sell most of), and then add on a limited time theme menu. It's like when the McRib pops up, but a little more creative.<br />
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This time around, they were featuring... <span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://rs2img.memecdn.com/amp-039-murica_o_1992833.jpg" target="_blank">'MURICA</a>! </span><br />
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How could I say no? It's the California menu! I live in Oakland! It's made to be. So, what does California mean to Norwegians? Well, barbeque, "cheddar", and bacon. Overall, not bad, but McDonald's... if you are going to play this game, do it right! Guacamole should be on there instead of barbeque. California is all about the guac!<br />
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<br />SeattleFlyerGuyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08357528552226401685noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5301356559671062715.post-10359360797006497962015-06-18T17:33:00.000-07:002015-06-18T17:33:00.516-07:008 Hours in Oslo - Wandering around Town<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Downtown Oslo, near Central Station</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Royal Palace</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Public play equipment: This is one of the popular tight ropes that are often seen being set up between two trees. By providing this, Oslo is helping engage passers-by and activate the space. People stop and watch and even chat a little due to this thing just being there.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="no"><i>Vigelandsanlegget </i>in </span>Frogner Park</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They match. :)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Uh, Children?</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">...you shouldn't be doing that...</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">See?</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> Oslo's efficient subway system. I also got a chance to add a new transit card into my collection!</td></tr>
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<br />SeattleFlyerGuyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08357528552226401685noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5301356559671062715.post-11424196612444742912015-06-17T17:27:00.000-07:002015-07-09T20:49:20.200-07:008 Hours in Oslo - Second Stop: Oslo City Hall<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Scandinavia has a good track record for building impressive city halls. Stockholm City Hall (Stadshuset) is one of my favorite buildings in the world. Köpenhamn's city hall isn't bad either. While Stockholm's city hall reflects Sweden's national romantic movement, Oslo's city hall was completed after World War II and pulls on both the romantic ornate style and some of the updated thoughts that came through between 1930 and 1950 (Construction and the design was actually started in the 1930s, but was paused due to the outbreak of the war).<br />
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While the exterior is impressive in itself, the interior is fascinating. What you see on the walls is the history of Norway emerging as a national identity and what it endured during the war years. Norway was occupied by Germany in order to provide bases for u-boats, to provide a secure route for Swedish iron from Narvik to Germany, and to preempt any invasion by Britian that would cut off iron from Germany (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norwegian_Campaign#Allied_plans" target="_blank">which was seriously considered</a>). During the war years, a puppet government led by Vidkun Quisling (Quisling still retains an inherently negative tone for betrayal in Norway) and his native fascist party (the "National Gathering") was put into power. In reality, the <i>reichskommissar</i> appointed by Hitler held power.<br />
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Norway largely resisted Germany during the war years. The resistance in Norway is credited with hindering <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norwegian_heavy_water_sabotage" target="_blank">Hitler's nuclear ambitions by sabotaging a shipment of heavy water</a> (used to control fission) and smaller acts such as <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Croton_oil#cite_note-5" target="_blank">ensuring that German submariners had gastrointestinal distress while at sea</a>. Many Norwegians suffered during the war at the hands of both the Nazis and Norwegian collaborators. The experience was etched into the national psyche after the war. The story is woven into the stories told in the interior art of the city hall. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">German soldiers hide from the Norwegian people in a cave, along with a troll and snake. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">German conspirators depicted in the main hall of RÃ¥dhuset in Oslo</td></tr>
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The artwork is of course not dominated by World War II. It merely reflects that in 1950 it was a fresh and critical experience that was a catalyst for a stronger Norwegian national identity. The building is full of beautiful rooms and spaces that celebrate other aspects of the Norwegian society and sense of self, as well as provide needed space for the ceremonies and functions that are called for in the capital's city hall (including the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony). The main hall, shown below, is a clear echo of Stockholm's Blue Hall but takes a much different approach. While Stockholm's hall is marked by a decision to allow the walls to remain unadorned, the Oslo space is covered in art.<br />
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One of the walls is covered with a depiction of Norwegian industry and work, while the other portrays civil society. <br />
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At one end of the hall is also the mural below. The mural focuses on emergence of socialism in Norway, the reasons that caused citizens to take action, and the vision for the future. On the left, is the depiction of a society still rooted in aristocracy, patronage, and the ills of the poor being left behind. In the middle, there is the emergence of labor and socialism. Norway for much of its existence has been a society based on fishing and subsistence farming. Hardly industries that generated immense wealth. It is a hard place to live and there were no vast riches to be had (at least until oil was discovered). <br />
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The signs in the middle have such radical demands such as the eight hour work days, a Norwegian social security system, vacation for workers, and voting rights for woman. It is worth noting that these things, both in Norway and in other places like the United States, were the result of the labor movement and that these were not free. In the background, you can see men on horses beating the demonstrators. This was not a scene unique to Norway.<br />
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The future? Home, health, prosperity, and security in old age for all. <br />
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Another especially powerful room follows the pattern of presenting two contrasting themes is the room below. Visually, the dimensions of the create a sense of towering and intimacy that is not found elsewhere in the areas I visited. The single thin window provides natural light, but accents the height of the room.<br />
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On each wall are two different stories of Norwegian society: The city and the country.<br />
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On one wall, we have Oslo during the winter. It is an urban cityscape that is both an idealized city, but also hides a variety of sub-stories in the imagery. The one that grabbed me is the view into the window of one of the apartments behind the men with skis. There is a woman and man who very obviously have just been fighting. She has her face in her hands while he looks out the window with his back to her. It's a very human scene and the choice to include it is interesting to me: Here, in an official building, we have an example of human fallibility and pain in a mural that otherwise presents a rosy picture of city life. The contrast makes it noteworthy, in my opinion.<br />
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On the other wall, we have the country side. The mural highlights the workers of the land, natural beauty, and an agrarian ideal. The expression of the cow below was my favorite part, although there was also some reference at the top that bugs in the countryside can be... large. One of them is depicted as being stabbed with a very large stick. <br />
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That's it for Oslo's City Hall (RÃ¥dhuset). Next Stop? How about a walk around town and some lunch?<br />
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<br />SeattleFlyerGuyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08357528552226401685noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5301356559671062715.post-73525014759270189192015-06-15T23:19:00.001-07:002015-06-15T23:20:43.284-07:00Gear Review: Sony MDR-ZX770BN - Bluetooth and Noise Cancellation?!...a brief pause from Norway...<br />
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About four months ago, I picked up a pair of SOL Republic Tracks Air. They were a good set for around the city,<a href="http://seattleflyerguy.blogspot.com/2015/01/sol-republic-tracks-air-headphone-review.html" target="_blank"> as I discussed here</a>, but <a href="http://seattleflyerguy.blogspot.com/2015/05/sol-republic-in-flight-testing.html" target="_blank">on the plane they came up a bit short</a>. I've been using them a <i>lot</i> a work and I've been happy with them for the most part, but the lack of noise cancellation on the plane has sent me looking for another option. I want the convenience of a bluetooth headset combined with the noise cancellation needed for travel. Oh, and I don't want to spend three hundred dollars.<br />
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In reality, there are very few options in this space. Most bluetooth headsets don't have noise cancellation. Most noise cancellation headsets aren't wireless. The few that have both end up being $250, plus. Enter the poorly named Sony MDR-ZX770BN*. Bluetooth? Check. Noise cancellation? Check. Price? $189 at Costco (for the deluxe package with the carrying case).<br />
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Popping the packaging open we have the headset themselves and the carrying case. The carrying case has the rest of the accessories inside it, including a solid USB charger, USB Micro B cable, a wired input cable (more on that later), and mini case for your accessories. Everything fits comfortably in the case seen above. One important note is that these are over the ear, not on the year. In my experience, this is far more comfortable (although they do get warm with extended use). <br />
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The wired input cable above is one of the nice features that immediately pops out at me. The input is only on one side of the headset, which means that there is only one cable to deal with. One side goes into the left earpiece and the other plugs into a standard 3.5mm jack. The Tracks Air that I also have also has a similar cable, but requires one plug per ear. It's a small annoyance, but once you get used to no cables, it feels like a mess.<br />
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On the left earpiece (above), you can see from left to right the reset hole, mic, noise cancellation button, the connection for the wired input cable, the charging port, and the silver power button. Pressing the NC button turns on or off the noise cancellation, while a long press triggers an optimization process. Sony claims that they have three different profiles of noise cancellation tailored for different environments. The optimization take a couple seconds and tries to select the best profile for noise cancellation.The real test of the noise cancellation will be on my next flight, so I'll follow up with the final verdict then. <br />
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The other has controls for music and calling. The headset does double as a bluetooth headset if needed. Flicking the controls up advances the track, while flicking it down does back. The volume buttons feel solid (as done the rest of the construction), but the rocker is my bet for the weak link. We'll see if it goes out in a year or two or never.<br />
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Soundwise, solid. They don't feel as heavily tweaked towards the bass as the SOL Republic set does, but the soundstage is larger and it is clear enough for me. The noise cancellation helps even more. If there is any loss of quality other the bluetooth, I don't think I could tell you that level of difference for what I am playing. I tend to listen to high quality Spotify and for that these perform well. The loss in quality -if there- is slight to none. These also come with <a href="http://www.aptx.com/howitworks2" target="_blank">aptX support</a>, if that is a thing that you have and care about. My phone does not support it. Consider me a happy customer.<br />
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*Seriously. What's the difference between The MDR-ZX770BN, ZX770BT, and ZX770DC? BN is bluetooth and noise cancellation, BT is just bluetooth (and $100 less), while DC is the code specifically for Costco (which includes the BN version of the headset with accessories). Add to that the ZX750 series and you have a bunch of research that Sony is expecting the consumer to do. <br />
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SeattleFlyerGuyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08357528552226401685noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5301356559671062715.post-54046437928163505872015-06-14T16:07:00.003-07:002015-06-14T16:07:39.343-07:008 Hours in Oslo - First Stop: Operan!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Norwegian is the only carrier that is seriously competing for the West Coast to Scandinavia market right now and when I had a short notice need to head to Scandinavia I called on them again. With the pricing, it made sense to stop over in Oslo and have an afternoon in the city.<br />
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It would be a short 8 hours, but Oslo isn't that big of a city and most
of the things that I was interested in this time around were in the
central city. Ideally, I would love to be here in the summer and to have
enough time to go out to the islands on the fjord for a little
swimming, but wrong season and not enough time.<br />
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First stop was the Oslo Opera House. It is a new addition to the city I was last there, so I wanted to take a look. It sits regally on the water, like an iceberg that has hit land and crystallized. In reality, it's made of Italian white marble, oak, and glass. This was not a building built on the cheap.<br />
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One of the most engaging aspects of the building is that the exterior is completely open to the public. The roof is designed to let you walk, sit, or lay on it as the weather permits and as you like. From the top, there is a little view, but nothing too dramatic <br />
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Next stop? The Oslo City Hall.SeattleFlyerGuyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08357528552226401685noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5301356559671062715.post-27144424335573382542015-05-27T00:17:00.000-07:002015-07-06T23:18:06.037-07:00How to get a Southwest Companion Pass on the Cheap (...or How 2016 will be the Year of Southwest for me)<i>First off, a warning: This is very much your results may vary. It relies on jumping through some very specific hoops, those hoops still being offered by Southwest/Chase, and being in a position to do so. That said, let me share my story. </i><br />
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Are you familiar with the Southwest Companion Pass? No? Well, here's the deal: If you fly 100 one way flights or earn 110,000 points in Southwest's Rapid Reward program, a person that you designate gets to fly for free with you for the remainder of the year and all next calendar year. In other words, BOGO for Southwest Flights.<br />
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That's a pretty great deal, but who flies 50 round trips a year or wants to spend between $55,000 and $110,000 on their credit card? It's a big prize for big spenders and as much as I love travel, I am not going to qualify with butt-in-seat flight segments. And despite that, I am 99% of the way there and I am about a month off from being 100%.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg878XkY7dtiuhgC6Ebq-ak-QSQzYHkI86lSZ4TVPXVVKKuT8S7aLOaR5M5BFbyQtmv4a62U7QTNZKfI3C8Q7HValgQIbRxCZtBM-h-7QARkhn0-Fz6OgIb_tykuUM0SzMHYKJkeHkWmHI/s1600/109k.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="352" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg878XkY7dtiuhgC6Ebq-ak-QSQzYHkI86lSZ4TVPXVVKKuT8S7aLOaR5M5BFbyQtmv4a62U7QTNZKfI3C8Q7HValgQIbRxCZtBM-h-7QARkhn0-Fz6OgIb_tykuUM0SzMHYKJkeHkWmHI/s640/109k.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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</div>
How did I do it? I'll tell you and tell you how you can do it too. After the break...<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<h3>
The secret is...</h3>
<b>Credit card bonus sign up offers count towards your companion pass qualifying points.</b> There are two cards out there with 50,000 bonus points. So, here's the plan:<br />
<ul>
<li>Chase Southwest Premier Card: 50,000 points</li>
<li>Chase Southwest Plus Card: 50,000 points</li>
<li>$2,000 required spend on the Premier Card: 2,000 points</li>
<li>$2,000 required spend on the Plus Card: 2,000 points</li>
<ul>
<li>Total: 104,000 points earned from card bonuses and required spend</li>
<li><b>Remaining points needed: 6,000 points</b></li>
</ul>
</ul>
Two card sign ups and $4,000 later and you are now 6,000 points from companion pass. THAT is doable.<br />
<br />
The benefits work out to about $3,000 worth of benefits (110,000 * 1.4 cents per point / 50% for Companion Pass = Approximately $3,000 in Southwest Airfare). <br />
<br />
My costs will be $170, plus perhaps some interest charges. That means about $2,750 in total value as profit. Not bad. <br />
<h3>
Step 1: Make sure this deal is right for you.</h3>
This isn't going to work for everyone. Sorry. This deal is dependent on being able to throw enough money around to trigger what you need to trigger. Here's a short list of what you need:<br />
<ul>
<li><b>Be based in a city that Southwest serves: </b>No point in earning points that you can't use. If your local airport doesn't have Southwest flights, what's the point of getting Southwest flights<b> </b>half off?<b><br /></b></li>
<li><b>Have decent established credit:</b> I've seen people say that a credit score of mid to upper 600s is needed to get the cards you need. My credit is mid-700s. Unfortunately, if you are establishing credit or have bad credit, this isn't likely to work</li>
<li><b>Have money to spend of creative funding solutions: </b>You need to plan on spending $4000 within a period of three months. </li>
<ul>
<li>Also note that there is $170 in annual fees up front. </li>
<li>You don't have to <i>pay</i> it in those three months, but <b>these offers are all traps</b>: They want you to spend money, earn your points, and then pay way more in interest that you would otherwise. These are 16% per year cards. On $1,000 of debt, you'll end up paying more than $1,160 at the end of the year if you do nothing.</li>
<li>If your credit is good, but you can't pay off that debt immediately, you might also consider a balance transfer to get the 0% APR (which is really effectively 3% to 5% depending on the offer).</li>
</ul>
<li><b>Have a bit more money to earn the last 6,000 points:</b> You will have until the end of the year to earn these last points. Doable. Worst case scenario is buying $750 worth of flights on Southwest. </li>
<li><b>Be willing to hustle a little:</b> By doing this, you really aren't the customer that the bank wants or Southwest wants. This is getting a little creative. Not everyone likes creative. </li>
</ul>
If you can't meet these four requirements, feel free to keep reading, but you probably aren't a good fit.<br />
<br />
Everything has to fall in place and if you don't get 110,000 points, then everything was for nothing at all and <i>they</i> win. If you want to win at this mileage game, you have to know when to fold 'em and when it is worthwhile to do something. Don't start this if you can't finish it. <br />
<h3>
Step 2: Open a Rapid Rewards Account</h3>
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</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
It's free. Go here: <a href="https://www.southwest.com/account/enroll/enroll-member?clk=GSUBNAV-RR-ENROLL&f=zSWARRHPAA1409RRAzz">https://www.southwest.com/account/enroll/enroll-member?clk=GSUBNAV-RR-ENROLL&f=zSWARRHPAA1409RRAzz</a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEUsHW01LVMi0tRTI_RFKn38XG_2nmNKgKRZSWTJrGeO2t0Tsvkz8eabgkCfFWOwT37to_CkeXjBtM5riK7UHJB2Gf08z6V8JbKNc-Th_6wauD4KGTfYRQHBpQRtloSNPxyOssDDG1gtI/s1600/Enroll.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="274" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEUsHW01LVMi0tRTI_RFKn38XG_2nmNKgKRZSWTJrGeO2t0Tsvkz8eabgkCfFWOwT37to_CkeXjBtM5riK7UHJB2Gf08z6V8JbKNc-Th_6wauD4KGTfYRQHBpQRtloSNPxyOssDDG1gtI/s640/Enroll.png" width="640" /></a><br />
<br />
<h3>
Step 3: Sign up for the Chase Southwest Premier Card</h3>
Next
you'll need to sign up for the first card. This is a "Premier" card,
which is meant for the upper market. You may want to apply for this
first, since this is more likely to bounce if your credit score is
marginal. The bonus should be 50,000 points for $2,000 spent in the
first three months. Apply here <i>after checking that the second offer is also available</i>: <a href="https://creditcards.chase.com/6000323?CELL=6PLT">https://creditcards.chase.com/6000323?CELL=6PLT</a><br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVpHFrV5uEGQ65zeC1C0haNH3Z4sA5s3Kc5BUTNC9vMJw22n_DiHdso5_Q2PgcgowruCePd6LsPAazv3GcoN1p8zLyDhgk6DeZ5XdHoFxvBkAqctmrl-FDjtUJ5YGEq7vmFHZNjCdwSns/s1600/card_art_prem_031915.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVpHFrV5uEGQ65zeC1C0haNH3Z4sA5s3Kc5BUTNC9vMJw22n_DiHdso5_Q2PgcgowruCePd6LsPAazv3GcoN1p8zLyDhgk6DeZ5XdHoFxvBkAqctmrl-FDjtUJ5YGEq7vmFHZNjCdwSns/s1600/card_art_prem_031915.png" /></a></div>
<br />
It
might feel weird to have both cards, but they are two different
products with two different bonuses attached to them. If you are
concerns about your capacity for paying off the cards, you can stagger
them by a month or so, but <b>be warned</b>: If Chase pulls the offer, then you are stuck at 50% of a companion pass. That's as good as nothing. <br />
<h3>
</h3>
<h3>
Step 3: Sign up for the Chase Southwest Plus Card</h3>
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</div>
<h3>
</h3>
Next you'll need to sign up for the second card. This is a "Plus" card, which is meant for middle market. The bonus should be 50,000 points for $2,000 spent in the first three months. Apply here <i>after checking that the first offer is also available</i>: <a href="https://creditcards.chase.com/6000321?CELL=6PLT">https://creditcards.chase.com/6000321?CELL=6PLT</a><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim90_WSeQrOuJ_N7VGbfUMYQ0rIX5RRO5TAoIokLyY-7Ex3OGLErO_nsaa0PP3ScbV17Ffp1HpO8BuAyjEkuFgLfkXdlZ8k4szn5bEntnm4pWt9ltZZq044FGazPiRwmh0SsjUQi5p2kw/s1600/card_art_plus_031915.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim90_WSeQrOuJ_N7VGbfUMYQ0rIX5RRO5TAoIokLyY-7Ex3OGLErO_nsaa0PP3ScbV17Ffp1HpO8BuAyjEkuFgLfkXdlZ8k4szn5bEntnm4pWt9ltZZq044FGazPiRwmh0SsjUQi5p2kw/s1600/card_art_plus_031915.png" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<h3>
Step 5: Spend! </h3>
You will need to spend $2,000 on each card within the first three months to trigger the bonus points. Keep EXCELLENT track of your spending on each card. Use one exclusively until you hit the $2,000 mark, then switch to the other. A couple ways to help with this include:<br />
<ul>
<li>Always look for an opportunity to use your card. Every day, any way you can. If it's $2, put it on the card. </li>
<li>Splitting a bill and a friend is paying cash? Take the cash, put it in your pocket and put the whole sum on the card. This is great for groups.</li>
<li>Paying bills? Nothing wrong with calling and paying with a credit card. I payed a $350 bill over the phone with the card and no extra fee.</li>
<li>Ask your financially stable and very trustworthy friends if they are going to have any large purchases and use your card to make the purchase for them. </li>
</ul>
<h3>
Step 5: Finish up the point earn needed to meet the 110,000 limit</h3>
Once you have hit the $2,000 spend and earned the bonus points, you still have 6,000 more to go. You can reach this by flying, using <a href="https://www.rocketmiles.com/refer/NORDICREV" target="_blank">RocketMiles</a> to book hotels, or with more spend. It's up to you, <b>but you must earn all the points by 12/31! </b>If you miss that, it resets to zero and all this was for nothing.<br />
<br />
For me, it'll be a combination of Southwest flights and everyday spending. If push comes to shove, I may buy some Southwest Gift Cards (only via Southwest.com) to reach the finish line. <br />
<br />
<br />
<h3>
Step 6: <b>Profit</b>!</h3>
Once you hit that 110,000 mark... well, the pass is yours! Enjoy!<br />
<h3>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-b-9fdIfIQl0/VVGUwSJX0KI/AAAAAAAAN6Q/FtKJskgs0MU/s1600/IMG_1397.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-b-9fdIfIQl0/VVGUwSJX0KI/AAAAAAAAN6Q/FtKJskgs0MU/s640/IMG_1397.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
</h3>
<h3>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"> ...Recommended Step 7: Clean up!</span></h3>
<span style="font-size: x-small;">After earning your pass, you might want to consider some clean up. After 10 months, I call and close any cards that aren't serving me well to avoid the annual fee. You should too. Don't cancel too soon! They may deduct the points from your account!</span><br />
<br />SeattleFlyerGuyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08357528552226401685noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5301356559671062715.post-39202043990785745222015-05-11T23:16:00.001-07:002015-05-11T23:16:08.544-07:00Where've you been? A quick two months in reviewThe simplest way to summarize my April is this: Crazy. In addition to completing a rather large project at work (the documentation was 200 pages and I wrote it in four weeks), I also ended up having a very, very busy month of travel. In April, I visited Norway, Sweden, Mexico, and Seattle. That's over 15,000 miles in a month.<br />
<br />
Naturally, I am only now starting to catch back up.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MfvgadS4clY/VVGU7KSUCPI/AAAAAAAAN7g/v8AEabVfwWQ/s1600/IMG_1534.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MfvgadS4clY/VVGU7KSUCPI/AAAAAAAAN7g/v8AEabVfwWQ/s640/IMG_1534.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Puerto Vallarta, Mexico</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-F9z9YTLtJsk/VVGVj3bWE5I/AAAAAAAAN_w/_m8ujf2cnUw/s1600/IMG_1728.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-F9z9YTLtJsk/VVGVj3bWE5I/AAAAAAAAN_w/_m8ujf2cnUw/s640/IMG_1728.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Seattle, WA</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-c5PywjV6-og/VVGY2mURzzI/AAAAAAAAONU/DAWEJoEQrgM/s1600/IMG_1505.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-c5PywjV6-og/VVGY2mURzzI/AAAAAAAAONU/DAWEJoEQrgM/s640/IMG_1505.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stockholm, Sweden</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
\<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3aWdEROjfcQ/VVGYhUDmxGI/AAAAAAAAOK0/fN1QNRUAFqc/s1600/IMG_0965.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3aWdEROjfcQ/VVGYhUDmxGI/AAAAAAAAOK0/fN1QNRUAFqc/s640/IMG_0965.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oslo, Norway</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-c6Dc1Lxhjo0/VVGUxgmVc8I/AAAAAAAAN6Y/sjbrzUk0aq4/s1600/IMG_1401.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-c6Dc1Lxhjo0/VVGUxgmVc8I/AAAAAAAAN6Y/sjbrzUk0aq4/s640/IMG_1401.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oakland, CA</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />SeattleFlyerGuyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08357528552226401685noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5301356559671062715.post-9521370315368835542015-05-11T23:10:00.002-07:002015-05-11T23:10:44.519-07:00SOL Republic In-flight TestingDuring my crazy month of April, I finally had the opportunity to try out my SOL Republic Bluetooth headphones on a plane. Naturally, performance here is going to be a big deal for me. The wireless features are great (<a href="http://seattleflyerguy.blogspot.com/2015/01/sol-republic-tracks-air-headphone-review.html" target="_blank">as I first reported here</a>), but planes offer a much different environment than around town.<br />
<br />
So, how did they do?<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1UO-rCdj4uo/VVGX2PoMDZI/AAAAAAAAOFI/vp3hfZkIh-4/s1600/IMG_0818.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1UO-rCdj4uo/VVGX2PoMDZI/AAAAAAAAOFI/vp3hfZkIh-4/s640/IMG_0818.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hL_RzX210Sg/VVGX1XwdlrI/AAAAAAAAOFA/FVBnI0iyNcA/s1600/IMG_0816.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hL_RzX210Sg/VVGX1XwdlrI/AAAAAAAAOFA/FVBnI0iyNcA/s640/IMG_0816.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
Unfortunately, not <i>that</i> great. They did exactly what they were supposed to do (working both wirelessly and with the corded option perfectly), but the noise found in the Norwegian 787 was just too much for these otherwise good headphones. After being spoiled with active noise cancellation, I don't think I can ever fully go back. On the other hand, after being exposed to the freedom that comes with bluetooth wireless (again, <a href="http://seattleflyerguy.blogspot.com/2015/01/sol-republic-tracks-air-headphone-review.html" target="_blank">first raved about here</a>), I don't think that I can go back to a wired headset either.<br />
<br />
While I'm still using these day to day, I am now going to have to find a pair that brings in the trifecta: Bluetooth, quality sound, and active noise cancellation. We'll see what I find!<br />
<br />SeattleFlyerGuyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08357528552226401685noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5301356559671062715.post-4073277987753908802015-03-29T10:28:00.002-07:002015-03-29T10:28:28.277-07:00Should I be afraid of flying? Looking at risk in light of the Germanwings disasterOn March 24th, 2015, one of the worst possible scenarios in aviation happened: A co-pilot purposefully caused an aviation disaster. Even worse is that all signs point to a fifteen minute long descent where the co-pilot purposefully kept the pilot out of the cockpit and where the people on the plane knew what was happening. Crashing into a mountain is unfathomable in itself, but the feeling of helplessness that the pilot and others on board must have felt make it far worse.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi0DVbnt-CJAR2N0-jU8Ame72-AghiNKHfKENv1KA9bMf2cp91Wn9N4p91C4AJagryuSWwMLZ7Idg56XFQk5KLramM_gWEjaEsO2UBk9Sa-w7KyGdZsmpW7Vj4kUW-aNkIzHGBdl8Z4VY/s1600/4310529726_3d01f3dbc5_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi0DVbnt-CJAR2N0-jU8Ame72-AghiNKHfKENv1KA9bMf2cp91Wn9N4p91C4AJagryuSWwMLZ7Idg56XFQk5KLramM_gWEjaEsO2UBk9Sa-w7KyGdZsmpW7Vj4kUW-aNkIzHGBdl8Z4VY/s1600/4310529726_3d01f3dbc5_o.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/aero_icarus/4310529726/in/photolist-7yUAj3-4Sx45i-eGsbf4-9pzp9y-fsaLUt-fsq7mC-eaR4iV-656uY6-9iQacg-DqpwC-fzmy3F-bmxLEd-dgBZFi-qQPEQW-fsaNFT-4SBeRb-8ewVMF-cbHyuJ-8eAdzh-7w2oBq-ribYWZ-7xguRd-7y1qip-4HvuU4-4HvuDZ-4Sx7uD-4Sx6dP-4SBvrj-4SBD8A-8eAdDy-oha3NW-owHWGT-9pzzzm-fraUHb-fraUtL-rwmkdr-dYSMcQ-7zSXna-7zWpwJ-9sHXCL-4stX8M-dp2foL-ejrtYH-7AALzk-89k76Q-9zGo2w-D7zmw-dTkxGY-7yrRLN-7AynKS" target="_blank">Aero Icarus</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Given this horror and the very bad year of commercial disasters in 2014, should we stop flying or be afraid of flying? <b>My answer is no. </b>While there is always a risk when getting on a plane, flying is still one of the safest ways to travel and safer than many things we do without a thought on a daily basis.<br />
<br />
There are various sources that peg the odds of dying in a plane crash somewhere in the range of one in a couple million for any given flight, but perhaps the risk published by the national safety council tells a better story. They publish information about what <a href="http://www.nsc.org/learn/safety-knowledge/Pages/injury-facts-chart.aspx" target="_blank">the odds of dying from a particular cause over the course of a lifetime on their website here</a> (helpfully, they note that the overall odds of dying by <i>any</i> cause is 1 in 1).<br />
<br />
<h3>
Odds of dying by "Air and Space Incidents": 1 in 8,357</h3>
<h3>
Odds of dying by "Choking from Inhalation and <span id="DeltaPlaceHolderMain"><span id="ctl00_PlaceHolderMain_SecurityTrim">Ingestion</span></span> of Food": 1 in 3,649</h3>
<h3>
Odds of dying by "Motor Vehicle Crash": 1 in 112</h3>
<br />
<b>...and there you have it.</b> Getting on a plane is objectively much safer than things we do every day, like drive to work or eat anything at all.<br />
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Of course, there is also the subjective experience, which is often feel that things we don't have control in (like being a passenger in a flying metal tube) are more dangerous than things that we feel we have control over (like pilot a metal cube on a highway with thousands of other metal cubes that act completely on their own). Hopefully, being able to look at the actual odds can help us more rationally judge the risk (and control our fear, if the recent news is bothering you) when we do need to take the next trip on a plane.SeattleFlyerGuyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08357528552226401685noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5301356559671062715.post-25288558807954207542015-01-29T22:25:00.004-08:002015-06-15T22:34:40.715-07:00SOL Republic Tracks Air Headphone ReviewI've been searching for a new pair of headphones for awhile. I used to use in-ear headphones, but they always seemed to break, so for the past few months I've been trying to find a good pair of traditional over-the-head headphones. In addition to my trusty Sony NC40s from 2008 (noise cancellation for flights), I recently picked up a Sony ZX set, an AmazonBasics pair, and now a set of <a href="http://solrepublic.com/shop/tracks-air-wireless-on-ear-headphones.html" target="_blank">SOL Republic Tracks Air</a>. Since these are a bit pricey (<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00GYFLO14/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00GYFLO14&linkCode=as2&tag=seatsallpurp-20&linkId=VC6FEVFKGY3PB3VU" target="_blank">$149-ish retail now</a>), I thought I'd give you a review. <br />
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Short story: man, these things are nifty. I never knew cutting the cords would be quite this nice. Once upon a time, I worked at a place that sold wireless headphones that had a stand and connected by either infrared beams or low powered analog radio. They sucked. Static, finicky, expensive, and bad battery life. Thankfully, technology today is much different.<br />
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These headphones are bluetooth enabled, which means that your music streams wirelessly to the headphones from just about any modern phone or laptop. It's baked in to every smartphone and Connecting the headphones to my laptop was a snap, but even more impressive was setting up the connection on my mobile phone. All I had to do was tap the phone to the right earpiece where the NFC tag is and it just connected. Bluetooth turned on and a moment later, "Connected to TRACKS Air" appears on my screen.<br />
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Very slick.<br />
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All of the controls are on the right earpiece. Power, volume, and a multifunction button that lets you play/pause/skip tracks. You can also use the headphones as a headset as well: There are microphones built in to either side. The sound quality is pretty good with the microphones. My tests on Skype and on the phone came across clear. If you are a bluetoothless Luddite, the headphones also come with a a set of wires that will let you plug it into a a 3.5mm jack... but if that is your MO, then you can probably save some cash by foregoing all the bluetooth toys and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00B1NN0TS/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00B1NN0TS&linkCode=as2&tag=seatsallpurp-20&linkId=WKANUWJJTBC2PCM2" target="_blank">buying a wired set like this</a>.<br />
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Another concern you might have is play time, but fear not: A full charge gives up to 13 hours, so you only need to plug them in every other day or so with moderate use. The headphones charge over a standard micro-USB cable. Easy-peasy.<br />
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All those toys are nice (very nice), but what about the sound? After all, a wireless pair of headphones that suck still suck. I've been using these things a lot with Spotify at work, and overall I'm very happy with them. On a heavy day, I'll run through a couple hours of music, across a number of different genres.<br />
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For modern dance/electronica/trance, these things are great. Avicii, CAZZETTE, Pitbull, Robyn, Empire of the Sun, Deadmau5 (especially Deadmau5) and the like all get a wink and a nod from the engineers. The bass hits nicely and the vocals are clear. Something a little more... northwesty? No problem. Mary Lambert, Deathcab for Cutie, Macklemore, Postal Service, and even Sir Mix all sound great. The 808 kick drum makes people get dumb loud and clear. Luda comes in crisp and clear. Ne-Yo, Junip, Jonsi, alt-J, Two Door Cinema Club, Mumford & Sons, all sound good to me. These are designed and marketed towards a younger audience, so there is a little gaming with the sound going on to make them sound better with what is popular in the 20-30s crowd. <br />
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Where I did run into a little trouble came when I was running through my classic Big Band tracks. If there is an album that I have listened to ad nauseam, it is Ella Fitzgerald's Love Songs: Best of the Verve Songbooks. I was my first exposure to Ella and for awhile I listened to it pretty much non-stop. The net result is that even years after retiring the album from my main rotation, I still remember every single word and phrasing on the CD. The boomy profile of the headphones wasn't too well suited to the Big Band sound. Rich bass is good, but I am listening to as I type this "All the Things You Are", and I feel like the bass is getting in the way of some of the other components of the band. The brass isn't as bright I would like be. Listening to some Nate King Cole, it seems like Big Band isn't the best suited for the headset. The sound seems to be better paired to jazz trios, like much of Stan Getz and Carmen McRea. <br />
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Overall, the headphones worked well and despite a bump with a specific
genre, I really like them. They are a solid performing headset,
comfortable for longer periods, pretty sound isolating, and full of tech
driven tricks. My next flight is in a couple weeks, so I'll write a
follow up after that when I know how well they handle the noisy cabin while inflight and compare them to my active noise cancellation headphones. <br />
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SeattleFlyerGuyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08357528552226401685noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5301356559671062715.post-70519247932541458582015-01-19T22:52:00.002-08:002015-01-19T22:52:45.108-08:00Do you XLB? You should.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Do you know what this is? This is <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xiaolongbao" target="_blank">xaiolongbao</a>, and it is pretty much my favorite edible thing to come out of China, ever. XLB, as some trendy hipsters have taken to calling it, is basically a pork meatball soup made into bite-size delicious morsels. Within that soft exterior is a meatball surrounded by broth, waiting to be taken between two chopsticks and eaten.<br />
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My first run in with xaiolongbao was at <a href="http://pingsdumplinghouse.com/" target="_blank">Ping's Dumpling House</a> in Seattle. The restaurant sits unassuming in the middle of the international district. When you look inside, it is a pretty humble shop with the same people there every day. All of the dumplings are made by hand on site and while the menu offers two or three different versions, they just are not as amazing as the xaiolongbao. My first experience was... awkward, but delicious. There is a bit of a trick to eating these dumplings and I had no idea what it was, so it ended up being a bit messy <span style="font-size: xx-small;">(1)</span>.<br />
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Now that I am in Oakland, I <span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">need to find my go to replacement for Ping's. Today was the first attempt. I headed out to <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/dumpling-kitchen-san-francisco" target="_blank">Dumpling Kitchen in Parkside</a> from the reviews and to see a new part of the city. The end result? Pretty dang good xaiolongbao, but way too far out to make a regular spot for me... The quest has begun!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">1 The trick to eating xaiolongbao (at least how I do it): Have a soup spoon in your left hand. Carefully pick up the XLB with your chopsticks (You don't want the skin to rip!). Place the XLB in the soup spoon, then pick it up again and bite a small hole near the top. Slurp and the broth will come right out without a mess. Next, dip it in the vinegar (mixed chili, if you like) sauce and finish it off in the next bite. Repeat until you need to order more.</span>SeattleFlyerGuyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08357528552226401685noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5301356559671062715.post-43905585535121561892015-01-19T22:08:00.002-08:002015-01-19T22:08:26.730-08:00Photos from Stockholm<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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My last trip to Sweden was a bit of a personal trip. I was there to see friends and family, and my schedule didn't allow for very many photos. From the moment that I landed in Stockholm, it was pretty much non-stop: A dinner at a friend's house an hour and a half after touch down; Visiting family out in Stockholm; Visiting friends; Meeting their new families; Catching up with more friends; Spending time with three generations of family members outside of Stockholm. It was a whirlwind.<br />
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Still, I manage to get a few photographs in. Stockholm is a very, very nice city. Whether you want to measure it in terms of beauty, livability, or how well things just <i>work</i>, it is hard not to look around and wish that your city back home was as nice as it is here. <br />
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It really is too bad that you can't be in more than one place at once...<br />
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<br />SeattleFlyerGuyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08357528552226401685noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5301356559671062715.post-24653280727890813782014-12-19T11:51:00.000-08:002014-12-19T11:51:00.046-08:00Lost Gloves in Stockholm<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />SeattleFlyerGuyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08357528552226401685noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5301356559671062715.post-71598931136249364262014-12-16T11:46:00.000-08:002014-12-16T11:46:00.624-08:00Flight Report: $490 to Stockholm on Norwegian... Plus, first time on a 787!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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One of the new benefits of being in Oakland is that I have a new option for getting to Scandinavia: Norwegian flies to Stockholm, non-stop, from Oakland. It's a ten hour flight where you step on in California and off in Sweden. That's pretty much unheard of, since I've always had some connection, either in Europe or on the East Coast. The most convenient was always SAS, who flew to Copenhagen and then onward to Stockholm... but this is a new level of convenience.<br />
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Plus, my ticket was $490 round trip. I've paid more to get to the mid-west. For that price, you might be wondering what you get and how scandalous Norwegian will treat you once you get to the airport. After all, prices that cheap make people think of RyanAir and their shenanigans.<br />
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Turns out, you get exactly what you pay for. In my case, I opted to skip any additional services like food, drinks, checked bags, and a reserved seat (saving $140 in the process) and I got what I paid for: A spot on a plane. They did weigh my carry on (there is a 10kg limit that IS enforced), but none of the Ryan Air stuff like being forced to check in online or pony up a hundred dollars.<br />
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On the plane, there is no free drink or food service, but you can ask for a glass of water in the back for free. Otherwise, the best move is to bring it with you; Even at airport prices (and Oakland Airport does suck for food), it's still less than buying it on the plane. I didn't get a snap of their meals, but it looked like standard airline fare. Not worth the money they want for it.<br />
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The bottom line is this: I'll fly with them again. They are cut rate, but they are at least nice about it.<br />
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Another big bonus for this flight was that I finally got to fly on a 787. I've been waiting for the opportunity to take a trip on one of these aircraft and Norwegian runs them on their international routes (to the US and Thailand). Inside, it is pretty spacious. The cabin is nice and the storage pulls up pretty far to give it the feeling of having extra room. The new electrochromatic windows are alright, but they let in far too much light for my taste (see the last image). It's harder to sleep than with traditional blinds that can be pulled down. I suspect in the future they will either do both or have to dramatically improve the technology.<br />
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While the inside is nice, the real stunner is the wings. These things are amazing. They move like they are almost organic and on lift off, the bend in the wing is pretty dramatic. Most other wings are pretty stiff, but these flex in the wind and you can see them curl as the lift starts pushing the plane upwards. Check out this video of what I'm talking about.. (not mine). Pretty exciting to see them in action in person!<br />
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<br />SeattleFlyerGuyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08357528552226401685noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5301356559671062715.post-40302519211646382342014-12-12T11:04:00.000-08:002014-12-12T11:04:00.328-08:00Food Friday: Ma'ono in West Seattle<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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When visiting Seattle, one area that isn't quite as frequented by tourists is West Seattle. Many people may visit Alki beach, which is where the photo above was taken, but there is a lot more to the neighborhood than just the summer beach area.<br />
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By far, the best area to explore is the <a href="http://wsjunction.org/" target="_blank">California Junction</a>. Once upon a time, this was the streetcar junction where the current commercial center is <a href="http://www.seattle.gov/transportation/transit_history.htm" target="_blank">(See maps of the Streetcar Network here</a>. It was all ripped up in 1941 to make way for buses!)<br />
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<span id="goog_1060781266"></span><span id="goog_1060781267"></span>The neighborhood commercial area here is pretty good. It has a good mix of businesses, bars, and restaurants that make it a vibrant area. There is Easy Street Records (one of the few remaining places to get knowledgeable advice on music), the kid friendly Cupcake Royale, West Five (the home of interstellar mac-n-cheese), and the renown <a href="http://seattleflyerguy.blogspot.com/2011/02/food-fridays-bakery-nouveau-in-seattle.html" target="_blank">Bakery Nouveau</a>.<br />
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This time around, I tried Ma'ono for brunch. They opened up a couple years back, but this was the first time that I had been there. The menu is hawaiian inspired (delicious, but "healthy" it is not) and features fried chicken. Reservations are recommended, both for a table AND for the friend chicken. If you don't order it ahead of time, then you may end up without it.<br />
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So, how was it? Delicious. The breading is nice and crispy, while the meat is tender and not overly oily. The sausage gravy that comes with it feels so wrong, but ends up being something you can't stop eating. By the end, you are looking at those spoons in the gravy and thinking, "What if I just thought of this as a sausage stew? No one is going to judge me for eating stew, right?"<br />
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On the menu there is also chicken nuggets and french toast. While also fantastic and seasoned well, it's just not the same as the bone-in fried chicken. The french toast is lightly sweetened and plays well with the savory ground chicken nuggets, but isn't the same show stopper at the fried chicken. It's great by itself, but having them side by side will leave you wishing you could just some of the fried chicken with your toast instead.<br />
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A meal this good, however, is not guilt free. However, the guilt is a pretty cheap price of admission for something like this.<br />
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<br />SeattleFlyerGuyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08357528552226401685noreply@blogger.com0