Where's Andy Now?

Kyoto

andy — Tue, 15 May 2012 21:33:08 +0000

Tokyo

andy — Wed, 09 May 2012 07:01:19 +0000

A Haiku for the Red-Eye to Tokyo

andy — Wed, 09 May 2012 02:59:55 +0000

Hamamatsucho Station. 5:51am, May 9, 2012.

Dawn. Done with customs.

Arrive Hamamatsucho.

Too early for crowds.

Everything You Know About Cinco De Mayo Is Wrong – Forbes

andy — Thu, 03 May 2012 17:57:27 +0000

It’s not Mexican Independence Day, and you should never, ever, do tequila shots.

Read the full story on my Forbes Seat 1A blog.

Dutch Government To Foreigners: No More Weed For You – Forbes

andy — Wed, 02 May 2012 01:05:11 +0000

Starting today, a new law in the Netherlands bars foreigners from “coffeeshops,” which legally sell marijuana and other “soft drugs,” and imposes new restrictions on Dutch residents’ access too. Some predict that this could be the death knell for coffeeshops, with knock-on effects across the Dutch economy.

Read the full story on my Seat 1A blog on Forbes.com.

Rail Renewal

andy — Tue, 01 May 2012 18:49:47 +0000

Via Verde de la Jara, Spain. Image via Wikipedia

ANDREW BENDER reports on disused railway lines and stations that have been given new leases of life as parks and museums, for Silver Kris, the in-flight magazine of Singapore Airlines. Locations include the High Line in New York City; Hamburger Bahnhof in Berlin, Germany; Quebec’s le P’tit Train du Nord and Via Verde de la Jara, near Toledo, Spain.

Yes, Los Angeles Has A Rail Network, Believe It Or Not – Forbes.com

andy — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 21:46:20 +0000

Pico Station, Downtown Los Angeles, is close to Staples Center arena, LA's convention center and the LA Live dining and entertaiment complex.

“LA has a rail network?” you ask. True, the city has pretty much defined car culture for half a century and many key destinations are still inaccessible by train (reaching LAX from Downtown LA requires two trains and a shuttle bus), but faced with increasing traffic, environmental awareness and public demand, LA is evolving and proud of it.

Read the full story on my Forbes Seat 1A blog.

LA’s Newest Rail Line Offers Transportation And Art Exhibit All In One – Forbes.com

andy — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 21:36:09 +0000

Los Sunglasses, by Jose Lozano

As Los Angeles builds out its rail network, stations along the way have become mini-galleries for public art, and the Expo Line, opened this past weekend, is case in point. Among its 10 stations are 176 art panels by local artists, from glass and ceramic mosaics to photos printed on porcelain tiles.

Story and slide show on my Seat 1A blog on Forbes.com.

Ex-TSA Chief Calls Airport Security Screenings 90 Percent “Clutter”

andy — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 17:52:25 +0000

America’s airline security system spends 90 percent of its effort looking for “clutter” and distracting agents from genuine threats. So says Kip Hawley, former Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration in a new book.

Meanwhile, the traveling public is contemptuous over long waits, inconvenience, and perceived intrusiveness over screening for items that pose no risk.

“We need to prune these regulations in a major way,” Hawley says.

Read the full story on my Seat 1A blog on Forbes.com.

To Attract Tourists, America Gets A Theme Song

andy — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 16:45:17 +0000

When America’s share of the world travel market falls, that’s money lost. Since 1992, that share has fallen by nearly one-third, from 9.4 percent to 6.4 percent last year.

To that end, Brand USA is launching the first-ever ad campaign for travel to the United States. Its commercials are filled with heart-tugging images: beaches and bayous, the arches of Utah, a fin-tailed convertible cruising a neon-lit street, a girl running through a field of goldenrod, a New Orleans brass band and a biker heading toward the Golden Gate.

Read the full story on my Forbes Seat 1A blog.

Los Angeles

andy — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 16:52:12 +0000

Mexico City

andy — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 10:10:39 +0000