Monthly Archives: May 2004

The big news from Cannes is that Michael Moore’s new anti-Bush flick received the longest standing ovation in the history of the festival. It is increasingly obvious that if voters around the world could take part in American elections (considering … Continue reading →

It seems train stories are all the rage this week, so here’s another one. Almost 150 years ago, in 1869, in Promontory, Utah, the Union Pacific tracks joined those of the Central Pacific Railroad in the completion of the North … Continue reading →

One of the requirements for leading a nation is the ability to make the tough choices and decisions which face Presidents and Prime Ministers on a daily basis. One such choice was faced by Lucio Gutierrez, the President of Ecuador, … Continue reading →

Riobamba, Ecuador – One of the true jewels of adventure tourism, and an unforgettable experience for train buffs like the Dowbrigade, has been off-line for over a month and is in danger of disappearing forever. We are referring to Ecuador’s … Continue reading →

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The first cicada of the season sat on the doorstep like a mutant bumblebee, with red eyes and yellow legs. But, apparently alarmed by the appearance of a human, it tumbled off the shallow step, landing helplessly … Continue reading →

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) – It looks like J-1 is in love. After meeting the very fetching and slightly younger Aurora, he changed color and his eight arms became intertwined with hers. Then, the two retreated to a secluded corner to … Continue reading →

In amajor victory for progressive forces in Asia, the world’s first Internet President, Roh Moo Hyun, has been returned to power by the Constitutional Court in South Koreas after being impeached by the National Assembly two months ago. The main … Continue reading →

From the Land of Pocari Sweat… Priests at one of Japan’s most famous temples have taken steps to block the sale of a sweet marketed as the "Snot from the nose of the Great Buddha". They have prevented the name … Continue reading →

We had the pleasure and honor to dine with Endara Crow at The Trattoria de Enrico in Guayaquil, shortly before his death at 60 in 1996. He took charge of ordering, as it was one of his favorite restaurants. We remember … Continue reading →

Tufts University groundbreaking research on caterpillar locomotion could pave the way to designing first flexible robot to navigate through human body, pipelines, reactors MEDFORD/SOMERVILLE, Mass. – Tufts University neurobiologist Barry Trimmer is inching his way to unlocking the secrets behind … Continue reading →

El candidato es una persona que obtiene dinero de los ricos y votos de los pobres para protegerlos a unos de los otros A candidate is a person who gets money from the rich and votes from the poor for … Continue reading →

The province of Ecuador in which we are currently ensconced is called Manabi, and its largest industries are agriculture, fishing and tourism.  Many of the towns and parishes, however, which rely exclusively on the first of these are in rough … Continue reading →