TODAY'S RAMBLINGS <4 Minute Read Later today, we leave glorious Hoboken after an amazing 3 weeks and return to equally glorious SF. There's a reason I bang on and on about how fortunate I am. I'll demonstrate that when I publish my first-ever Addendum, providing new and/or updated information to last year's Metro NYC Travel Guide. It's...

TODAY'S RAMBLINGS <3 Minute Read Happy New Year and welcome to the year of the Say Hey Kid. And what better topic on the first day of a new year than closure, and its importance? And specifically, the Zeigarnik Effect. Huh? Today's inspiration came from a spin-off podcast I heard last week from Freakonomics, called No Stupid Questions....

Without further ado and in response to the clamoring from many (fact check: nobody), here's who will be taking home a prized Portico this year. The award ceremony is very hush-hush and on a need-to-know basis, but I can confirm an event is in the planning phase. More to follow, but for now, here are this year's winners! Trip of The Yea...

TODAY'S RAMBLINGS <1 Minute Read (Plus Gawking Time at Porsche Website) I write about Porsche often, because, well, a guy can fantasize, can't he? And - in 2024 - it might not even be a dream. But if Ol' Purple Label and I ever do that, we'll have to decide which 911 to drive. And that won't be easy because do you realize that for 2024...

TODAY'S RAMBLINGS A lot of photos today! Try this link if your email seems to be missing photos. 1 Minute Read What? You think it's all just Christmas good cheer? Or worse, only eating and drinking? No - these three weeks have included their share of cultural diversions, including this, which I can only say was one bitch of a place. Ye...

TODAY'S RAMBLINGS 1 Minute Read Merry Christmas! I wrote this last year, and plan on using it each year, with an occasional update. As I've mentioned once or twice, I am a proud atheist. But - and let me be clear - I don't care what you believe or don't believe. Are you fair? Honest? Grateful? Curious? Fun? Productive? GOOD ENOUGH! Ple...

TODAY'S RAMBLINGS 4 Minute Read (inc. FROM THE UNWASHED MASSES) Today's post is a bit of a role reversal. And it's long, so there's that, but at least you have all weekend to enjoy it. It's necessary because my writing Wednesday on respectfully handling a bad meal at a restaurant resonated with at least two readers, one in a blog-lengt...

TODAY'S RAMBLINGS <3 Minute Read Are you honest when a waitperson or host at a restaurant asks how everything is and the answer should be "really not very good?" Do you go as far as to send food back if it is not as you wish? That was the situation Monday night at Hoboken's Barbès, a French-Moroccan brasserie in the north part of town....

TODAY'S RAMBLINGS <2 Minute Read Happy Monday, and don't worry: I rectified my shopping deficiency from a year ago by hitting a grand slam at Belstaff on Saturday, in between pops in the Meat Packing District. Micro Deadhead Silly thought about riding her Hog, but she was pretty buzzed already, so she walked with us to the Killer Lavau...

TODAY'S RAMBLINGS 1 Minute Read No Travel Guide (because there already is one), but of course I still want to wow from Hoboken and Manhattan. So I present to you what I've seen already in terms of power. But there's a twist at the end. Power The Security Council chambers at The United Nations was one of the few places I've visited that...

TODAY'S RAMBLINGS 3 Minute Read Greetings from heavenly Hoboken. The seemingly forever flight here from SF gave me plenty of time to dig deeper into the college sports and money thing. It's worse than I thought. If you'll recall, I recently bemoaned the wrongful elevation of sports within the greater world of large public universities....

TODAY'S RAMBLINGS 1 Minute Read + Data Review Happy Monday, but I'm sorry: there's just so much here that I find ridiculous and disturbing. And that's even after rolling out my annual Portico Darwin Award nominees on Friday - something ridiculous and disturbing in its own right. To be clear, I have mostly nothing but respect for both T...

TODAY'S RAMBLINGS (Today's post is loaded with photos, as is usual for this edition. You might try this link if you have trouble.) <2 Minute Read Delusions of grandeur! A distorted sense of self! Fake awards for real things! Yes, it's time for the nominees for the 2023 Portico Darwin Awards! And even more so than usual, and in the word...

TODAY'S RAMBLINGS <2 Minute Read Let's continue this veritable orgy of Darwin, and why not, I ask? Wrapping up 6 decades, which I do Friday, certainly justifies droning on and on about my favorite subject. Right? RIGHT? What follows is my wildly egotistical version of Ray Dalio's Principles, a book I finished recently. As you may know,...

TODAY'S RAMBLINGS <1 Minute Read Yes, it's true. I have been left speechless by a 60th birthday celebration weekend that began with a completely kick-ass party on Friday, and culminated in my Niners destroying Byron Browne IV's Eagles Sunday afternoon. In other words, this weekend was completely and totally Diamond Certified. And thank...

TODAY'S RAMBLINGS <1 Minute Read Happy Friday. This one is a bit strange - yes, even for me. It's about a radio show, and it also won't mean much to many, especially those reading this outside of the San Francisco Bay Area. Because there was a major shake-up at the SF radio stalwart KNBR late Wednesday, and I am bummed. KNBR is the fla...

TODAY'S RAMBLINGS <2 Minute Read Happy Wednesday. Many consider me arrogant, with an ego the size of Texas. Guilty as charged. But those who know me know that I try to temper these endearing traits by sincerely admitting when I am wrong about something. So let's turn to some recent brilliant prognostications . . . that weren't. CRUISE ...

TODAY'S RAMBLINGS <2 Minute Read Happy Monday, and whew, please stop the holidays, I want to get off. But of course, even though Thanksgiving is over, we're only getting started. I turn 60 soon (yes, there's a party, and yes, you're invited - ping me), and then there's the matter of a 3-week trip to Hoboken and Manhattan beginning on 1...

TODAY'S RAMBLINGS <1 Minute Read Here's a fun one for a holiday weekend. Well, fun if you're a transportation geek like me, because today I continue my whining about the dearth of passenger trains in the United States. But to keep the boredom down, I'm expressing my frustration visually. What follows are maps, at the same scale, for ci...

TODAY'S RAMBLINGS <2 Minute Read Sure, I published this in late September of last year, but the subject is timeless, especially at Thanksgiving. - - - We were at my favorite hotel, in my favorite place, for 7 nights. During the stay, I came to realize just how absolutely, positively lucky and fortunate I am. But it wasn't the quality o...

TODAY'S RAMBLINGS <2 Minute Read Happy Monday and let's get right to it by me saying I have nothing against the professors, instructors, nor students, past and present, at Texas A&M University. Today's title is instead about how a PUBLIC UNIVERSITY can fire the head coach of an athletic team and pay him over $75 MILLION to go away. The...

TODAY'S RAMBLINGS <3 Minute Read One would have to be pretty out of it to be missing the wall-to-wall PR around Geddy Lee's new book, My Effin' Life. He's everywhere, but just in case, here's the cover, which features a nice picture of the handsome devil himself. Mr. Lee was of course the bassist for my favorite band, Rush, and both th...

TODAY'S RAMBLINGS 2 Minute Read + External Article I was really stumped today for a subject. Yes, even Mr. Chatty Cathy runs out of "interesting" topics. But not to worry, at the last minute, golf saved the day. Or at least this post. That's because of this very interesting article I read in The Athletic, The New York Times's sports pl...

TODAY'S RAMBLINGS 2 Minute Read Happy Monday, and today, I'd like to focus on a single column from my primary news source, The Economist. It caught my attention because I was initially discouraged by more news of our ever-heating planet. But then I wasn't, and I thought you might enjoy hearing why. Here is the column, a news summary; i...

TODAY'S RAMBLINGS 1 Minute Read + External Links Holy f'ing shit, this Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) conference being held in San Francisco 11/11 - 11/17 is one big honking deal. Today's post is mostly for my SF readers, although others may find the dignitary insanity and resulting stormtrooper-esque lockdowns to be of inter...

TODAY'S RAMBLINGS 2 Minute Read It's Wednesday, and what better time than to peer into my inner wannabe? Today, I express my love for Porsche automobiles, but also showcase their miscues. It's a great reminder that not even the best get it right every time. Plus, it was fun grabbing these photos. It's also fun being an elitist snob, so...

TODAY'S RAMBLINGS 1 Minute Read Happy Monday and let me be the first this week to decry the out-sized power of big tech in the US. Think of Apple ($2.76 trillion). Amazon ($1.43 trillion). Alphabet ($1.58 trillion). Microsoft ($2.62 trillion). Meta (only $808 billion). They have too much money (yes, those are their market capitalizatio...

TODAY'S RAMBLINGS <1 Minute Read + 20 Minute Video For the weekend, how about less Portico Darwin and more CityNerd? Huh? For those out of touch, Ray Delahanty, A.K.A. CityNerd, is an urban planning expert and runs a wonderfully informative YouTube channel that chronicles the best and worst of our built environment. He covers a lot of ...

TODAY'S RAMBLINGS 2 Minute Read So many have asked (actually, no one has asked), "Portico, won't you share with us the gear you used poolside in Cabo Pulmo? And maybe even share the music with which you wowed your fellow travelers vacationers?" My pleasure. THE SOUND SYSTEM If you know me - at all - you know I don't travel very far wit...

TODAY'S RAMBLINGS <3 Minute Read Happy Monday. Well, yippee, we have a new Speaker of the House of Representatives! Rep. Mike Johnson, from Louisiana! I think he's an asshole! But please judge for yourself - here are some facts regarding Mike Johnson. And when you're finished, perhaps you can tell me again who wants to "destroy our gre...