Berniegourley

MY BLOGS
-
Tao of Loafing
http://www.berniegourley.com/
Reviews, rants, and randomalia from the desk of Bernie Gourley
LATEST ARTICLES ( 3743 )
-
The Sound of One Nub Clapping
Taken at the Red Cross Snake Farm, BangkokOnce upon a day in February ruminating about creatures scary staring at a flaring cobra hood I thought, maybe this... Read more
Posted on 19 February 2013 SOCIETY, TRAVEL -
DAILY PHOTO: Cambodian National Museum in Phnom Penh
In the courtyard of the National Museum of CambodiaThe National Museum of Cambodia is picturesque. The collection is small and simple, but impressive in quality. Read more
Posted on 19 February 2013 SOCIETY, TRAVEL -
BOOK REVIEW: Bones of the Master by George Crane
Bones of the Master: A Journey to Secret Mongolia by George CraneMy rating: 4 of 5 starsI’m a sucker for a tale of the sage next door. In an unwise world, it’s... Read more
Posted on 19 February 2013 SOCIETY, TRAVEL -
Our Most Beloved and Most Deadest of Presidents
SOURCE: KENNEDY LIBRARY Presidents live the ultimate catch-22, the only way to reliably boost their approval ratings is to shuffle off this mortal coil... Read more
Posted on 18 February 2013 SOCIETY, TRAVEL -
BOOK REVIEW: Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer
Into the Wild by Jon KrakauerMy rating: 5 of 5 starsNature is a harsh teacher. That was the last lesson Chris McCandless ever learned. Read more
Posted on 18 February 2013 SOCIETY, TRAVEL -
BOOK REVIEW: Eclipse of the Crescent Moon by Géza Gárdonyi
Bas relief of Siege of EgerEclipse Of The Crescent Moon by Géza GárdonyiMy rating: 4 of 5 starsThis book is the English translation of a volume originally... Read more
Posted on 17 February 2013 SOCIETY, TRAVEL -
DAILY PHOTO: Akihabara in Tokyo, Japan
Tokyo’s Electronics DistrictAkihabara is where one goes to find the latest in high-tech gadgets. I was there in 2008, about exactly 48 hours before the... Read more
Posted on 17 February 2013 SOCIETY, TRAVEL -
BOOK REVIEW: The Journeys of Socrates by Dan Millman
The Journeys of Socrates by Dan MillmanMy rating: 4 of 5 starsThe Journeys of Socrates shines the spotlight on Dan Millman’s mysterious teacher from The Way of... Read more
Posted on 16 February 2013 SOCIETY, TRAVEL -
DAILY PHOTO: Gulf of Finland Inlet
Taken from the Hilton Helsinki KalastajatorppaIn 2011, we made a mid-summer trip to Helsinki. We stayed at the Hilton Helsinki Kalastajatorppa. Read more
Posted on 16 February 2013 SOCIETY, TRAVEL -
TODAY’S RANT: Viral Video Advertising
I recently saw this posted on Facebook. I, being a doofus, believed I had stumbled upon the black box recording that would show archaeologists the moment it... Read more
Posted on 15 February 2013 SOCIETY, TRAVEL -
BOOK REVIEW: Cat’s Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut
Cat’s Cradle by Kurt VonnegutMy rating: 5 of 5 starsCat’s Cradle is Vonnegut at his most brilliant and witty.The book follows a writer, John/Jonah, as he does... Read more
Posted on 15 February 2013 SOCIETY, TRAVEL -
BOOK REVIEW: Ishmael by Daniel Quinn
Ishmael: An Adventure of the Mind and Spirit by Daniel QuinnMy rating: 4 of 5 starsA man answers an ad that says, “Teacher seeks pupil. Must have an earnest... Read more
Posted on 14 February 2013 SOCIETY, TRAVEL -
DAILY PHOTO: Grand Plaza, Tikal, Guatemala
Taken from Temple IIThe Grand Plaza comprises two temples towers that face each other, Temples I and II, the manicured courtyard between them, and these... Read more
Posted on 14 February 2013 SOCIETY, TRAVEL -
TODAY’S RANT: Cupid is Stupid
Posted on 14 February 2013 DEBATE, SOCIETY, TRAVEL
-
TODAY’S RANT: Continuity Gaffes
For those unfamiliar, a continuity gaffe is a mistake in a movie in which something that shouldn’t change from one instant to the next does. They result from... Read more
Posted on 13 February 2013 ENTERTAINMENT, MOVIES -
BOOK REVIEW: The Sun Also Rises by Hemingway
The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway My rating: 4 of 5 stars Whatever the blurbs or critics might say, this book is about the raft of men left in the... Read more
Posted on 13 February 2013 SOCIETY, TRAVEL -
DAILY PHOTO: Downtown Debrecen
The Aranybika (Golden Bull) Hotel is one of the most prominent landmarks of Debrecen, Hungary. The Golden Bull is alternatively an important edict of 1222 or a... Read more
Posted on 13 February 2013 SOCIETY, TRAVEL -
A Dude’s Attempt to Master Pad Thai
On a trip to Thailand last fall, my wife and I did a one-day cooking class in Chiang Mai. That day I made the perfect batch of pad thai. (For the uninitiated,... Read more
Posted on 12 February 2013 SOCIETY, TRAVEL -
5 Minefields of Armageddon for 2013
National Land Image Information, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transportation Tourism, Japan 1.) Ever heard of the Senkakus? What about Diaoyus? If not,... Read more
Posted on 12 February 2013 SOCIETY, TRAVEL -
BOOK REVIEW: Vagabonding by Rolf Potts
Vagabonding: An Uncommon Guide to the Art of Long-Term World Travel by Rolf Potts My rating: 5 of 5 stars Vagabonding is a book about how to make the leap from ... Read more
Posted on 12 February 2013 SOCIETY, TRAVEL