Beyond the Line
World Culture—Dining, Music, Life and Everything Inbetween.
- Measuring Balls in Seattle, and a Quick Look at Old TechI passed by the Amazon Headquarters in Seattle. It takes a pair to name your own place Invictus, but they in fact, have three large balls. I’m not sure what the statement is—two giant balls at the base of a skyscraper I would get, three makes no sense. Invictus is the latest Big Tech headquarters… Read more: Measuring Balls in Seattle, and a Quick Look at Old Tech
- Canceling Chinese New Year, Hell No.A New Years celebration is a huge waste if I have to end it, hungover and saddled with resolutions that are as realistic as digital-privacy in China. Even resolutions that are on-point upset me because they’re an exercise in self-hate—so very depressing. That’s why, when the first new moon of the year comes around, I’m… Read more: Canceling Chinese New Year, Hell No.
- Riding Waves of Unexpected Change in LahainaI met an old surf instructor named Fred near the end of summer tourist season. His wrinkled, sun-weathered hands have seen change, but not recently. Between waves, he told me about the change that came to Lahaina, a little surf and harbor town on the Northwest side of Maui. It’s the kind of change that… Read more: Riding Waves of Unexpected Change in Lahaina
- You Don’t Change Pakistan – Enjoy Diversity with New Friends Instead.I haven’t been to Pakistan, and I don’t have an invitation to visit either—not that you need one. I could hop a few planes to Karachi, but I don’t get off on tourist packages. Instead, I need to meet someone who knows a good place to get Nihari and the right way to have a… Read more: You Don’t Change Pakistan – Enjoy Diversity with New Friends Instead.
- Beautiful Murals, Sexy Hot Sauce and Dodging Immigration in TucsonThis story is going to end in the ruined parking lot of a small hispanic market, surrounded by cacti and abandoned store fronts. Harsh, mid-day sun beat down on me. My arms were full of little glass bottles and a six-pack of Pacifico in each hand. Immigration had set up shop for reasons of their… Read more: Beautiful Murals, Sexy Hot Sauce and Dodging Immigration in Tucson
- Think You Know Warsaw? Don’t Assume, There’s a Witch to BurnThere had been a city, where a lot of people lived. There would have been some problems—things like alcoholism, organized crime or drugs, there may even have been a few fascists. But they didn’t need the next nation over to roll in with tanks and bombs to fuck up the place. I’m not talking about… Read more: Think You Know Warsaw? Don’t Assume, There’s a Witch to Burn
- Yes, They’re Communist, Why Are They Having More Fun?An enticing scent wafts through the air. You draw it in slowly, savoring the heady sensation for as long as possible before you exhale. You do it in private because America has hangups when it comes to legalities. We don’t trust average people to consider risky behavior and make a considered choice—and what about the… Read more: Yes, They’re Communist, Why Are They Having More Fun?
- St. Patrick’s Day—Pinch Me, I Feckin’ Need ThisThink about last year’s St. Patrick’s Day for a moment—you probably didn’t even wear green since the asshole who pinches everybody was also working from home. If you’re like me, you knocked back a few bottles of Guinness and called it good. This year in Dublin, the party starts the weekend before, assuming it doesn’t… Read more: St. Patrick’s Day—Pinch Me, I Feckin’ Need This
- St. Louis—Come and Go, It’s All Part of the SameAt first glance, St. Louis seems like a city that can’t decide what it wants to be. The Arch is a symbol of opportunity, but people that come to love the city move on to chase other dreams. It’s a place where things are started and not always finished—it’s also exactly what America needs it… Read more: St. Louis—Come and Go, It’s All Part of the Same
- D.C. Travel—Don’t Care Why You’re Here, Tip your ServerFor those who live in DC, the following is for tourists. You can go on by, and yes—we’re going to stand to the right. Everyone in America thinks they know DC, partly because we hear about it constantly. The politics and the monuments, the history—museums, libraries and important artifacts—George Washington’s false teeth. Like everywhere, real… Read more: D.C. Travel—Don’t Care Why You’re Here, Tip your Server
- On the Breakfast Menu in a Place Now Called Istanbul.Long ago, a Roman emperor sailed forth to bring his newfound faith in Christ to the unbelievers in the East. He came to rest in the City-Between-Continents, which he promptly renamed after himself. He surrounded it with a wall and chained off the harbor, but these do nothing to protect faith. In truth, Constantine was… Read more: On the Breakfast Menu in a Place Now Called Istanbul.