Summertime in Washington, DC. No matter which party is in office, DC always follows the 3H Policy: Hazy, Hot, and Humid. While summer beers are generally light and refreshing, it's doesn't mean they're short on flavor.  I'm not such a fan of lighter beers, but my burgeoning love of IPAs has convinced me that perhaps a beer does not need to have color and viscosity of used motor oil to be enjoyable; especially on a day so hot you could fry an egg on the street.

I often complain that I never use my degree in Physical Science for anything science-y. But this is a situation in which only the rigor of clinical evaluation can save us.

A friend's BBQ party seemed a logical location.  We acquired our samples: 12 of the tastiest summer beers, as recommended by the staff of The Perfect Pour, Maryland's beer mecca.  Our cohort represented the spectrum from mainstream - Sam Adams Summer Ale - to imports from the Land of the Rising Sun - Ise Kadoya, a small Japanese microbrewery.

What follows are the results of our selfless dedication to society. And the fact that we had 12 hours to kill waiting for Ken's pork shoulder to smoke.

But first, all respectable scientific papers begin with a summary of the conclusions. Here's ours:

Never, ever, start a beer tasting with a 10.4% (alcohol content) beer and an empty stomach.   As a result I cannot guarantee the accuracy of anything beyond this point.

The Results

Avery - Maharajara
Smooth, with a slight cantaloupe aroma.  Super hoppy pepper bite, with a slight citrus-grapefruit bitter at the end.  10.4% alcohol, but you don't taste it at all.  Again, this is NOT the beer with which to begin.  Highly Recommended - with caution.

Anderson Valley
Smooth w/ hints of creme.  Quite mellow.  No aftertaste.  Recommended.

Great Divide - Belgica
Harsh bitter right from the start that lingers.  And doesn't go away.

Hitachino Nest - Weizen
Sour apples.  Worse on the aftertaste.  This must have been a beer that had gone bad.

Smuttynose - Summer Weizen
Mellow, with a yeasty bitter.

Victory - Whirlwind Witbier
Light refreshing, hints of banana, not too heavy.  Everyone enjoyed this archetypal summer beer.  Highly Recommended.

Blue Moon - Honey Moon
Light and refreshing, with a touch of honey at the end.  Bubbled with a zesty-citrus effervescence and almost no aftertaste.  Recommended.

Hitachino Nest - Commerative
Light vanilla as you first taste, then grows and blossoms in flavor in the aftertaste.  Highly recommended.

Otter Creek - Solstice
Little flavor at first.  Irony aftertaste, like tap water.  Starts like water, finishes skunky.

Rogue - Old Crustacean
Full bodied flavor that lingers but not heavily.  Not overly fruity for a barleywine. This is not actually a summer beer.  It was leftover from winter.

Ise Kadoya - India Pale Ale
Not so hoppy.  Nutty with a chocolate-iron aftertaste.  Quite good, but too heavy for summer.

Goose Island - Summertime
Light, effervescant and malty.  Not much aftertaste.  Good summer beer.  Recommended.

Though it may just be a myth that DC was built on a swamp, summers here can be brutal.  Luckily, the DC-area has a fair number of craft beer stores and restaurants.  And if you're in-the-know you might even find the occasional rooftop beer garden.

What's you favorite summer beer?

Hey, Zuckerberg! When did you change my privacy settings so that everyone can see my posts AND everyone can send me messages?  I just got a message from a real estate agent who said, "You came up on a Facebook search I did for people looking for homes."  Didn't I just reset my privacy settings two weeks ago?

Do you sit around as a group and come up with creative ways to abuse the trust your users have given you?  Are you not making enough on FarmVille, Mafia Wars, and targeted ads that you need to let private advertisers in and give them access to our lives?

The FDA tried that in 1997 when they allowed television ads for prescription medications.  Epic failure.

At this moment I am very close to following my friend Adriel Hampton in deleting my Facebook account.

For anyone who wants to avoid this situation, here's what you need to change in your "privacy" settings.  Privacy settings?  Why doesn't Facebook call them what they are: the "close door" button on the elevator.  You can keep pressing it, but the door is going to close when whoever programmed the elevator decides the door will close.  You are just a passenger.

We are all just passengers on Facebook.  And Facebook is back in the baggage area, going through our suitcases; selling everything they find.

- Stop businesses from seeing your posts -

Account, Privacy Settings, Personal Information and Posts, Posts by me, set YOUR preference.  (also check Posts by friends and Comments on posts)

- Stop businesses from sending you private messages -

Account, Privacy Settings, Contact Information, Send me a message, set YOUR preference.

- Stop Facebook from sharing your info with outside search engines and services -

Account, Privacy Settings, Search, Public Search Results, UNCHECK allow.

Don't worry about the warning Facebook will throw up.  They make it sound like your friends won't find you if you don't allow this.  Not true.  If they are searching in Facebook, they'll find you.  People (businesses) searching in outside search engines won't see your results.  This is Facebook's way of trying to use our personal information to compete with Google

1 - Many cafes are closed on Saturdays.  Though there always seems to be a Caffè Nero open.

2 - Traffic lights which are red, turn orange (but the red stays lit), then green.

3 - In the Tate Modern museum, visitors just stand on the escalator, not letting anyone through.  I don't think it's the British though.

4 - No one covers their cough.

5 - Intersections in tourist areas have directions painted on the road telling you to look right or left when crossing the street.

6 - Pub etiquette: order drinks/food and pay at the bar before you sit.  They'll bring your food to your seat.

7 - There are frequent Tube closings during peak times, especially in popular areas, i.e. the place you are going (to reduce crowding).

8 - Major sections of the Overground (light rail) are closed for renovation.

9 - Public works projects (replacing water mains, etc.) frequently block streets.  At night, some streets are closed, causing major delays for some buses.

10 - Free wifi in cafes and restaurants is much more prevalent than in the U.S., though not pervasive.

11 - In an elevator, the ground floor of a building is G.  The 2nd floor is 1.  If there's a mezzanine, it will be M.  In that case, the 3rd floor is then 1.

12 - It's possible to find purple Porsche in front of a blue shop called French's Dairy, that sells jewelry.

13 - In restaurants and cafes, to-go is "take away" and frequently comes with a discount on the regular price. ~10-20% depending on the cost.  Lower-priced items are discounted more.

14 - Tipping not necessary at coffee shops or small cafes. Only at sit down restaurants.

15 - When paying by credit card, staff will stand next to you with a wireless credit card machine, while you fill in tip and add the amount to the bill, submit the transaction, and then print your receipt.  Sometimes they may hand you the device and you'll have to follow yes/no prompts and enter the tip amount yourself.

16 - Almost everyone who runs or bikes wears a yellow reflective vest or jacket

17 - Doors entering a building are a have no standard direction in which they open.  Some open in. Others out. Even the English seem to do a lot of door pushing/pulling.

18 - Korean restaurants do not give you free kimchi. You have to pay. $7 for three small plates.

19 - The one-week Oyster pass (which lets you ride the Underground and buses for free) will save you an unbelievable amount of money.

20 - I left this blank for everyone who's spent time in London to add their own observations!

(The full photo set from day 2 is at Flickr)

Day 2

I'm not sure what time it is.  I mean, I'm know what time my iPhone says it is.  However, a week and a half ago I was on West Coast time.  Then I spent several days in isolation at home in the DC area shoveling snow.  Now I am in London.  Talking with friends on the West Coast is rather confusing.  There seems to be more and more math involved.  I think I may have lost my circadian rhythm at Heathrow's baggage claim.

The hotel windows are insulated quite well against outside sounds.  This is especially fortunate since there is someone building something with a circular saw nearby.  However, the room doors are not as well insulated against the sounds of the housekeepers talking to each other from between rooms as they work.  Don't they know that their ten in the morning is my nine in the afternoon?

Before I left I saw the forecast for London was unfortunately consistent: rain and cold.  I took yesterday's clear skies as a bonus.  Today however, I awoke to the muted sounds that instinctually tell one that the world outside is wet.  The good news is a co-worker has recommended I pick up a souvenir umbrella from Harrods.  This, and another friend telling me about the basement full of food at the famous department store, will likely be enough to motivate me to investigate.

London is a terribly fashionable city.  WHere you hear the phrase "black is the new black" they're talking about London.

I'm still adjusting to transportation moving on the opposite side from the U.S.  For cars this isn't so much trouble, but for the Tubes (the subway, not the internet) it's a mildly amusing.  I keep looking in the opposite direction, waiting for the train to arrive.

Escalators, however, are the same as the U.S.  Everyone stands on the right and walks on the left.  And they are MUCH better at it that we are in DC.  Line queues to right for the escalator, but leave room on left for people walking, even when there's a huge crowd waiting to get on the right.

Walking is a mess.  There seems to be no rule or convention at all.  People are everywhere.  I thought this might contribute to overcrowding at the stations, where entire stations are often closed and evacuated because of crowds.  Probably not. During rush hour the stations are packed.

Harrods has beautiful window displays, similar to Macy's in NYC.

Harrods food court is impressive and classy.  There is incredible variety.  (more photos here)

I was disappointed that only one person was handing out samples.  I was looking for a free lunch.

Surprisingly, there are dim sum and sushi restaurants in Harrods.  Unbelievably expensive.  And honestly, the fish smell coming from the sushi place was not so good.  

I did find macarons!  This was an unexpected bonus.

However, I was shocked to see a Krispy Kreme.  In Harrods.  First Tokyo.  Now this.  

This is madness!

No. This. Is. KRISPY KREME!!!

Unfortunately, there is nowhere to sit in Harrods, so I went across the street to a Starbucks (there is one on every corner) to enjoy my find.

In the States when we pay for something we often give exact change (or a little over) with our bills to minimize the amount of change we receive.  In countries like England, where one and two pounds are coins, this doesn't work. Not realizing this, I gave the girl at a pub ￡5 and change for a ￡3.20 pint. She was utterly confused. I didn't realize what I had done until she broke out a calculator to do the math. I didn't have a chance to explain until after she handed me my change.  All coins, of course.

I found a beer named after my old friend, John Smith.

At another pub in Camden I was finally able to try Bangers and Mash.  Sausages dropped into a bowl of mashed potatoes and covered with onion gravy.  It was a delicious and heavy as it sounds.  I laughed when they asked if I wanted more gravy.  Later, I took them up on their offer.

I met a friendly group at the pub when I offered my small table to them as I was about to leave. Turns out one of them is a doctor, so we had an interesting discussion about the difficulties as health information becomes more pervasive and accessible. Her friend in the music industry and was very familial with the DC/Baltimore scene. We swapped names of great bands to come out of the area.  I had no idea Bad Brains had their start near DC.  Of course, I added SR-71 and Jimmy's Chicken Shack.  Another person had visited DC and was a fan of the architecture and open spaces.

The Tubes are easy to navigate. I think I'll try the buses tonight though. The group at the pub recommended the Night Bus (buses which run all night) if I'm too jet lagged to sleep. They got quite a laugh out of my saying that Americans have only heard of the Night Bus from… (they even said it at the same time) Harry Potter.

In Chinatown I had a delicious pork bun.

Later I had some very nice Indian "comfort food" at a restaurant, Masala Zone.  The dish was called Gosht Dabalroti.  I also tried an Indian beer called Cobra which, despite it's name was very smooth.  I swear there were hints of vanilla.

After visiting another pub, I went to make my way back to my hotel in Russell Square only to find the queue at Covent Garden Station out of control. Strangely, Leicester Square Station, two blocks away (and up the line) was fine.

Despite the rain, my first full day in London way quite enjoyable.

Enron, playing at the West End's Noel Coward Theatre, is based on the events of the corporate scandal.  A lawyer, giving the opening monologue, explained what we see may or may not be true.  It is a dramatization after all.  The production started slow.  Enron contained a good bit of corporate America bashing.  The voice of reason come only from low-level employees, never from anyone in a position of authority.

While there were aspects of the production I feel feel short or relied too heavily on stereotypes, it is certainly a unique experiment, bringing financial scandal to the stage.

Character development focused on greed and ambition.  The conclusion drawn at the end of the story, however, was unexpected.  All progress, Samuel West playing Enron exec Jeffrey Skilling explained, comes via bubbles.  Bubbles come via greed, ambition, hope, and most of all… money.

Enron was full of American pop culture references.  During the interval (as intermissions are called here) the daughter of a British family sitting next to me was telling her parents she was happy she recognized a few of them.

There was a considerable amount of profanity, I assume to show the vulgar nature of the characters.  Seemed overused to me.

I enjoyed the dramatized history lesson.  The play really did make difficult economic and accounting theories easy to understand.  The characters for the most part, however, never developed or grew.  Perhaps this is exactly what the playwright wanted to say about American corporate culture.  The characters did show how disconnection with reality is contagious and reinforcing.  

Once the play stopped being a synopsis of events, the characters came to life.  There were a couple of dance numbers, barbershop quartet, puppetry, mouse and velociraptor masks, and light saber fights.  The set and props were minimal.  Lighting was superb.  Lots of techno music.  Visually, the production was stunning.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/lostonroute66/4366799212/

A display above the stage kept track of Enron's stock price throught the production.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/lostonroute66/4366054191/

The connection to the events of September 11th both puzzled and disturbed me.  Planes are not held up by faith.  They continue to fly even when the passenger know nothing of aerodynamics.  In a market bubble, the plane IS held up by faith.  When faith is lost the plane (market) crashes.  This was accompanied by images of the Twin Towers.  Dust and debris were replaced by shredded paper.  Was there a causal connection implied?

Tom Goodman-Hill, playing Andy Fastow, who created Enron's shadow companies was the most engaging of the characters.  Perhaps this was because he was the only character who experienced growth through the narrative.  His demons were embodied in Jurassic Park Velociraptors, wearing business suits.  Through his performance, I found it difficult to tell if he eventually confessed his deeds to clear his conscience or cut a deal.

Amanda Drew, playing Claudia Roe, gave an excellent performance of a woman fighting an uphill battle in male-dominated corporate culture.  Roe wanted to build, to create something tangible, as opposed to showing paper profits.  Her performance was the most vulnerable of the cast.

I believe Enron will come to Broadway this spring.  I'm interested to see how it is received.  I hear there is a movie in the works as well.  If it's anything like the production, I would recommend seeing it.

Day 1 in London has been quite enjoyable.  The incredible amount of legroom I had on the plane was balanced by the fact that the seat barely reclined.

Upon arriving at Heathrow, police boarded the plane and escorted someone off.

My hotel, the Waverly House is about a block from Russell Square, which seems to be a good launching point for exploration.  My corner room has a nice view of the city as well.

O2 UK, the cell phone provider is making me feel right at home.  My iPhone is barely usable.  I cannot get over how expansive connectivity is.  Between the international data plan and a wifi hotspot plan for my laptop (which I might use for the iPhone as well) it's about $100 for the 6 days I'm here.  The wifi is painfully slow as well.

After a disco nap and shower I found a pub.  Everything I heard was true.  There are pubs on every corner, they are full of cask beers, and the food is reasonably priced.

Public transit has been easy to navigate.  Although one station, Holborn, was closed and evacuated for over-crowding.  I bought a 1-week Underground pass for about $30 USD.  Which reminds me that I need to stop thinking in terms of dollars.  These are Pounds, and are a bit for expensive.  Advice from Facebook was to multiply by 1.5.  Or even 2x, just to be safe.

On the advice of my high school theatre guru, I went to the West End and saw a show.  Leicester Square (which seems to be the same area as the West End) and nearby Covent Square are a rabbit warren of alleys, filled with unique one-off shops, cafes, and the occasional TGIFridays. And theatres.

I went to the equivalent of NYCs Times Square Ticket Booth and got discounted tickets for Enron. 

Before the play I had a very tasty cappuccino and chocolate/caramel bar at a cafe called Elis.

Apparently in the UK, businesses must be licensed to play music for their customers.  And I thought music copyright/performance issues were out of control in the U.S.

I took a quick stroll down a lane full of interesting galleries and bookstores, almost all of which were closed.  I hope I'll have time to go back a look around, especially at Tengu.  I definitely want to buy one of these little guys.

I found a very interesting candy store, Cyber Candy, that had about every sugar and caffiene-infused item imaginable.  Half of the store was stocked with Japanese items.  The picture of Homer Simpson in his underwear in the front window is classic.

On to the theatre.  Enron, playing at the West End's Noel Coward Theatre, is based on the events of the corporate scandal.  A lawyer, giving the opening monologue, explained what we see may or may not be true.  It is a dramatization after all.  The production started slow.  Enron contained a good bit of corporate America bashing.  The voice of reason come only from low-level employees, never from anyone in a position of authority.

While there were aspects of the production I feel feel short or relied too heavily on stereotypes, it is certainly a unique experiment, bringing financial scandal to the stage.

My review of the production will be a separate post.

That's all for today.  Jet lag or not, chia tea or not, it's time for sleep.  Tomorrow is vintage clothing day!

A few things that crossed my mind, somewhere between DC and LA.

Economy plus, aisle seat, center section, empty middle seat, pleasant, but not too talkative, neighbor. This may be the most enjoyable cross- country flight I have ever taken.

The closet in a New York City boutique hotel is larger than the lavatory on this plane.

Is anyone else frightened by the sheer force with which aircraft comodes dispatch our waste? Is it suction generated by the aircraft, or an FAA-approved singularity?

Unless you are flying Jet Blue, find the Dunkin Donuts in your terminal before you board. (Jet Blue is based in Boston, the home of Dunkin Donuts - the best mass-market coffee. ever.)

Scarves. You'd be surprised how much warmer you feel with your neck comfortably covered. Less bulky than a jacket. Far more stylish. Could probably be wrapped around your eyes if you didn't have anything else to block out light.

There's something compelling about watching a TV show or movie without the sound. I find it deepens my appreciation for the art of acting.

Much like listening to Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon while watching the Wizard of Oz, whatever music you are listening to will seem to synchronize with the in-flight movie.

Watching anything by the Wikowski brothers or Pixar will highten the effect of the previous statement.

What have you learned at 36,000 feet?

Social Justice Camp DC began Friday with a evening of 5-minute Pecha-Kucha presentations, all focusing on Social Justice.  Speakers were brilliant, passionate advocates that discussed issues ranging from saving DC social programs from budget cuts to Regina Holliday's medical advocacy murals, created to promote patient's rights.  The inspiring civil and human rights work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was mentioned often, including in my own presentation.

My talk chronicled my experience looking for a definition of Social Justice.  After the usual Internet sources failed, I turned to an unlikely method: translate Social Justice into Japanese characters and then analyze those characters as if they were telling a story.

The results were surprising (and a bit funny), but eventually lead me to my own definition of Social Justice.

@cindythroop shot video from the front row.

I took the audio from her recording and created a video the shows only the slides.

Interestingly, I did some of the development of this idea on my $20 wall-sized whiteboard.

Fascinated by this process, I'm working a new Found in Translation.

Here's the write-up for the 5-minute Petcha-Kucha presentation I'm giving tonight at Social Justice Camp DC.  I'll post a video if there is one.  Otherwise, I'll record the narration and post on YouTube.

Found in Translation: Social Justice

Coming from the Government 2.0 and Health 2.0 communities, I wasn't really sure what Social Justice was.  After a few conversations and web surfing, I realized it was a question I would have to answer for myself.  In studying foreign languages, I've found that one tends to learn more about one's own culture when seen through the lens of another.  So to decipher the meaning of Social Justice, I turned to the characters of the Japanese language.  Each character, a complex pictograph, tells a story.  I wanted to see what story the characters for Social Justice would tell.

Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat, Pray, Love, read from her newest work, Committed: A Skeptic Makes Peace with Marriage and answered questions at a signing last night organized by Politics and Prose at the Sixth & I Historic Synagogue in Washington, DC.

I was first introduced to Gilbert's work by a friend who showed me Gilbert's amazing TED talk on creativity and then lent me her copy of Eat, Pray, Love.

Gilbert opened the evening by thanking everyone for coming.  She added, "Especially the men.  You're very brave."  (counting myself, there may have been 10 men in the audience of 700)

Gilbert read for about 30 minutes from Committed.  In the book, she and her lover (not a U.S. citizen) are separated at the border and are told the only way he will ever be allowed back in the U.S. is if they marry.  The memoir chronicles her quest to overcome fear of marriage (both had lived through horrific divorces) by learning as much as possible about the history of the institution.  I would describe her prose as disarming self-disclosure.  She is a gifted storyteller, with a warm, familiar tone, as if talking with a close friend.

I'll leave reviews of Eat, Pray, Love and Committed to others.  Of course, I highly recommend them both.  Actually, my recommendation would be to listen to Gilbert read the books herself.

Because I have little time to read, and because I was so drawn into her TED talk, I purchased the audio version of Eat, Pray, Love, read by Gilbert.  I had already read a couple of chapters and knew I wanted to follow her journey across Italy, India, and Indonesia.  In all honesty, I enjoyed the experience so much (it was my first audio book) I will certainly purchase the audio version of Committed when it is released.

Gilbert's honest and sincere tone was echoed by those from the audience who asked questions after the reading.

One person asked for advice on marrying someone from another culture.  Gilbert replied that even if we marry someone born in the same country, "I think we all end up marrying someone from 'another culture'."

One particularly amusing comment came from a woman who had found Eat, Pray, Love but was unsure about reading the book and didn't want to "jump into anything without being certain."  Gilbert was amused by her serious attitude towards reading selection.  After she began reading Eat, Pray, Love she devoured the novel.  "I only ate, slept, and read until I was finished."

The question of same sex marriage being addressed in Committed was asked.  Yes, topic is addressed in detail in several parts of the book.

When asked if she thought marriage as an institution would be better off without government intervention, Gilbert replied, yes.  However, she provided this justification for why that can never happen.

You can't have marriage without intimacy.
You can't have intimacy without privacy.
You can't have privacy without rights.
And you can't have rights without a government to protect those rights.

Her prediction for same-sex marriage: it will most definitely happen.  Just as inter-racial marriages have happened, and others before that, this too will become a reality in the U.S.  "The couples always win.  Always."

Her advice for for those about to marry, or anyone entering into a relationship?

Go into a relationship whole. Or at least owning all of your own holes.  You can want someone else to fill in the holes.  The idea of someone completing us is deeply ingrained in our culture.  But it should not be an expectation.  "You shouldn't impale someone with your holes."

When asked about a section from Eat, Pray, Love regarding soulmates, Gilbert replied she has an "allergic reaction to the word."  Such a weight has been placed on that concept by our culture, that she cringes at its use.  She is happy for those who feel they have found their soulmate, but for her, she holds partnership and companionship as aspects of a successful long-term relationship.

Gilbert's advice for writers on proof-reading: read it out loud.  The ear hears more than the eye sees, she says.  Always have an audience before you begin writing.  For any writing, no matter how small or humble, select at least one person to which to write.  Gilbert herself had a circle of close friends read Committed as she was writing it.  She adds that the book could just as well be said to have been written by them all.

When asked why she discarded the first manuscript for Committed, Gilbert responded she read an excerpt to her husband one evening in bed (not a spoiler - it's well-known there is a happy ending).  He was silent for a long time afterwards.  He finally said, "I'm a little tired.  Maybe you should read it to me again in the morning."  She put it away and never touched it again.

On setting realistic goals as a writer: "My goal was to publish before I died."

In an unexpected commentary on technology and the evolution of writing, Gilbert explained she doesn't have much advice for young writers on how to break into the business.  "I typed manuscripts on a typewriter, put them into manilla envelopes, and mailed them to editors at glossy magazines that don't exist anymore."

She did add, "Write the stories you are compelled to write by your conscience."

After answering questions, Gilbert signed several hundred copies of Committed and, despite the line wrapping around the inside the synagogue,  took time to hear each individual's personal message.

Thanks to Politics and Prose and the Sixth and I Historic Synagogue for hosting this event.

And thank you to Elizabeth Gilbert for sharing her experiences with a sincerity and candor that shows the true potential of loving oneself and sharing that love with another.