Watts Up, Doc

Posted on November 30, 2009 by Val

Livermore, California
Longest Burning Lightbulb (The Centennial Bulb)

Centennial Bulb, shine a light on me

Centennial Bulb, shine a light on me

In 1901, U.S. President William McKinley was assassinated, succeeded by Theodore Roosevelt; Guglielmo Marconi made the first transatlantic radio broadcast; the first Nobel Prize was awarded; and, oil was discovered at Spindletop in Beaumont, Texas. Also this year, a hand-blown, 4-watt electric light bulb was installed in the ceiling of the firehouse at L Street in Livermore, California. What makes the installation of this bulb noteworthy is that it is still used today, over 108 years later, making it the longest burning bulb in the world. On its 100th birthday it was dubbed “The Centennial Bulb.” Finding it is a little tricky; essentially you have to be on your way somewhere else to get to it. As historic as it is, it is best attempted as a side trip, perhaps on a trip between San Francisco and Los Angeles. Livermore is relatively large, with Interstate 580 running right through it. A couple of turns off the interstate and you are there, at Fire Station 6. This is the bulb’s third and presumed final home (and yes, it was off while it was moved). The station generally isn’t busy; if the garage door is open where the fire trucks are housed, walk right in – they’re expecting you. You will likely be greeted with “You’re here to see the light?” The crew is friendly and helpful, but if you hear alarm bells, it would be prudent to get out of the way.

Me and my wife Claudia beneath the Centennial Bulb

Me and my wife Claudia beneath the Centennial Bulb

The bulb hangs near the right wall high up on the ceiling; at 4 watts, it’s barely as bright as a night light. A small American flag is attached to a pipe just below in case you’re having difficulty identifying the clear glass bulb amidst the rows of fluorescent fixtures. The firemen on duty are quick to tell you that depending on which way you stand, the lit filament spells out either “ON” or “NO” – for maximum impact, go for the “ON” view. You are encouraged to sign the guest book (which I doubt is over 100 years old) on a shelf below plaques and certificates confirming the bulb’s authenticity. The firemen will even take your picture when requested with the bulb in the background (a difficult task given the height of the ceiling).

A timeline shows events in the first 100 years of the bulb

A timeline shows events in the first 100 years of the bulb

A similar bulb in Fort Worth, Texas just hit the 100 year mark itself, but the Centennial Bulb still maintains the record and is the first bulb to break the 100 year mark. From a historic standpoint it is worth the diversion, but be sure to go during normal hours as you may not be able to get access after hours (although you can see it through the window). There is also a doorbell you can ring to get someone’s attention, but keep in mind it is a working firehouse. Unless you show up at a ridiculous hour of the night or the crew is preparing to respond to an alarm, you will most likely be cordially invited in. You can rest assured, like Motel 6, they’ll leave the light on for you.

The Centennial Bulb
Fire Station 6
4550 East Ave
Livermore, California 94550
GPS coordinates: 37°40’48.69″N 121°44’22.14″W

GALLERY: See images from Val’s visit to the Centennial Bulb in Livermore, California

Posted in Trippy Trips (On the road and overseas, things to see along the way), USA | Tagged , , , , , | 11 Comments

Meet The Beetles!

Posted on November 26, 2009 by Val

Insects: Hormigas Culonas (Leaf-cutter Ants), Beondegi (Silkworm Pupae), Scorpions, Crickets, Chapulines (Grasshoppers), Maguey Worms and Mealworms

Eating a scorpion pop with my I Ate A Bug Club button on

Eating a scorpion pop with my I Ate A Bug Club button on

Nothing bugs me worse than offering someone a tasty insect snack, only to have them cry out in disgust before they even taste them. Throughout history, eating insects has not only been a means of survival (they are generally low in fat and high in protein), but also a rare, expensive or hard-to-find delicacy. Deciding what types of insects to eat and where to find them can be tricky business. Regardless of whether or not they are poisonous, insects found in the city are generally not a good snack choice, since they are besieged by pesticides and exposed to biological material of questionable origin or quality.

Before you hang your head in sorrow and call off your planned dumpster dive, rejoice! Edible insects can be easily purchased if you simply look around. I will briefly talk about the insects I mentioned previously but will share my culinary adventures with each in separate articles. Don’t go Roger Maris on that bee hive hanging from the neighbor’s tree; it will hurt a lot and I doubt you’ll be happy with the result. No doubt you’ve seen tequila with a maguey worm (actually a moth larva) in the bottle; in parts of Mexico, in the Oaxaca region, these are roasted and eaten without the tequila, a delicious and nutritious source of protein. The “worms” found in those tequila-flavored lollipops we all know and love are actually mealworms, the larva of the darkling beetle and staple for reptile pets across America. A co-worker had offered me a handful of BBQ flavored roasted mealworms, and after crunching down on them for a few moments, I decided that I would devour a bag of these little critters before I ever touch another Cheeto. They were crunchy and slightly salty, and would complement a nice oatmeal stout perfectly. Get out the credit card, I’m buying in bulk!

A can of silkworm pupae, or fish food, or bird feed - whatever.

The Colombian leaf cutter ants are hard to come by in this country, but these, too, would be an ideal bar snack. Their size makes them a little intimidating, but the taste is worth getting past the fear factor. For the squeamish, the ideal entry-level ant snack is chocolate covered ants. Surrounded by chocolate, they almost taste like raisins and are readily available on-line. Also available on-line and covered in chocolate are crickets. Fluker Farms specializes in raising insects for zoo animals and pets (predominately reptiles and amphibians), however they also sell individually wrapped chocolate covered crickets. In each plastic bag is a gold foil-wrapped piece of milk chocolate with an individual roasted cricket inside. Also in the bag is a button that lets everyone know you’ve joined the “I Ate a Bug Club” – be sure to wear it proudly. The crickets seem to lose their taste entombed in the chocolate, but the sensation of getting the tiny legs stuck in your teeth provides that jolt of reality. Since the cricket’s taste is muted, they’re pretty easy to eat, but personally I found the chocolate not to my liking. Perhaps they should give Godiva a ring and work something out.

Just a forkful of grashoppers helps the Oaxacan go down

Just a forkful of grashoppers helps the Oaxacan go down

Scorpions and silkworm larvae can be scary food. Scorpions are readily available encased in lollipops like their slithering caterpillar nephews and available on line or at gift shops “out west”. I had to endure artificially green apple-flavored maltitol candy to get to the object of my affection – the little brown scorpion. Being a purist, I tried to get all the candy off the arachnid before savoring it. I can’t begin to tell you how difficult it is to suck all the candy off, leaving the scorpion intact. Despite my success, either the fake green apple flavor killed the taste of the scorpion it or was simply a tasteless crunchy center. At a Oaxacan restaurant I had scorpion mescal, which had scorpions floating in the bottom of the bottle. The drunken arthropods had a somewhat bitter taste, and I’m assuming the mescal did them no good at all. Silkworm larvae are another story completely, and so I’ll leave you to read through the drama of devouring these moth feti in the article devoted to them.

After desperately trying to find chapulines (grasshoppers) without having to fly to Oaxaca, Mexico, I finally found a restaurant that serves them up in generous quantities.  The taste is a world apart from crickets, but you’ll have to read the blog article for the full story. I’m always on the lookout for other insects to try, so if you hear of any, let me know what the buzz is all about.

GALLERY: See more of Val’s images of insects as food

See Val’s blog post on eating hormigas culonas (leaf cutter ants)

See Val’s blog post on eating crickets and scorpions

See Val’s blog post on eating beondegi (silkworm pupae)

See Val’s blog post on eating chapulines (grasshoppers)

Posted in Colombia, Trippy Food (Tasty flora and fauna), USA | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Meet The Beetles!

To Hell With The Devil, Let’s Rock

Posted on November 25, 2009 by Val

Anaheim, California
Stryper’s 25th Anniversary Tour (House of Blues)

House of Blues welcomes 80s legends Stryper

House of Blues welcomes 80s legends Stryper

When you’re planning a trip, how often can you make the destination the 1980s? Stryper’s 25th Anniversary Tour afforded just such an opportunity. Stryper entered a genre (glam metal) better defined by sex, drugs and rock and roll than Christianity, but they took it and made it their own. Their videos were put in regular rotation on MTV (does anyone remember when MTV used to play music videos?) alongside the likes of Mötley Crüe, Poison and Ratt and enjoyed airplay and record sales, quite an accomplishment for a band with a religious message – they paved the way for a wider audience for Christian music.

Kenny Lewis (good friend and former drummer for several bands I sang with in the 1980s and early 90’s) informed be that he was going to be in Southern California as soundman for the Stryper tour, and I took the opportunity to spend some time with him and bother him while he was working. House of Blues in Anaheim seemed like the logical place to see the show – a glam metal band, playing in a venue that’s supposed to look like a giant Deep-South roadhouse, at “the happiest place on earth®” (where old Walt apparently invented illusion) – definitely falls under the ‘trippy” category. Keep in mind that you will need to take out a small loan for parking unless you pay attention. Parking at Downtown Disney is $6 per hour (charged in 20-minute increments) up to a maximum of $36 (which is easy to attain if you show up early and stay until the end of the show), but read the fine print – the first three hours are free, and the next two are free if you get validated (which House of Blues does.) I showed up very early – so early, in fact that Will Call didn’t have my tickets ready. Kenny came out and got me and brought me in to wait at the sound booth until the ticket window opened. The fun part of this was watching how a show gets set up; I tried not to bother Kenny too much while he did the sound check, and I certainly wasn’t going to touch the board. Michael Sweet, guitarist and lead vocalist did an extremely thorough test of all the microphones, monitors and speakers – the rest of the band appeared to do a cursory check of their instruments in a fraction of the time.

Me and friend, drummer and soundman Kenny Lewis

After sound was done they let fans in that had paid extra to meet the band, get pictures and autographs, and be treated to a run through of a couple of songs with the band in their street clothes. I wondered if they would be shaking the dust out of their signature yellow and black striped Spandex outfits for the show, but I’d have to wait to find out. The sound check sounded good, but Kenny told me that Michael Sweet was feeling ill and was going to have a difficult time singing – I have to take his word for it since it’s his job to know how to make the band sound good. After the last fan left, I walked out behind them to get my tickets, still wearing my camera. Important safety tip – unless you dropped some serious cash and signed away your life in blood for a media pass, you are not going to get into House of Blues with a professional-looking camera; it just isn’t going to happen. After dropping my camera off at the car, I waited in line for the doors to open and reunited with Kenny at the sound booth.

80s glam metal band Stryper performing in street clothes

Stryper eventually took to the stage with a more updated look – gone was the big hair (with the exception of drummer Robert Sweet), and the Spandex of old (although they still dressed in black and yellow.) Sweet connected with the audience which resulted in an overwhelming show of support. The house was packed, hot and sweaty, but I felt safe from a stampede behind the sound board. The band was tight, and excelled in vocal harmonies (everyone sang except the drummer, and a guy named Charles played keyboards and sang backing vocals from offstage.) Sweet had a few rough spots where he let the audience sing some lines, but still showed a strong range. The band did a wide range of music from their 25-year history and added a metal version of Boston’s “Piece of Mind” that was a departure from the original version (Sweet filled in for the late, great Brad Delp on the last Boston tour).  Of course it wouldn’t be a Stryper show if the audience doesn’t get pelted with mini-bibles; oh, yes, it’s all in good fun until someone loses an eye.

After the show, Kenny gave me a wrist band that would give me backstage access; I used it to help the road crew break down and load out, which I have to say was a great experience. The whole crew was great, and everybody treated each other with respect and welcomed me as if I were a regular crew member. I had donated an afro wig to Shaggy (the bus driver) by request of some of the crew, and he not only got called out on stage to put it on, he wore it for most of the time we were loading up the truck. It brought back memories of loading out back in my rock days back in Boston, but when all was loaded at 1 AM, I just wanted to go home and sleep. My car was the only one left in the parking lot – I drove out of the open gates, and although it might not have been the happiest place on earth, it sure was a lot of fun.

House of Blues
1530 S Disneyland Drive
Anaheim, CA 92802-2319
GPS coordinates:  33°48’34.35″N 117°55’22.90″W

GALLERY: See images of Val’s encounter with Stryper at House of Blues in Anaheim, CA

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It’s Elementary!

Posted on November 24, 2009 by Val

Westminster, London, UK
The Sherlock Holmes Museum

Entrance to the Sherlock Holmes Museum

Entrance to the Sherlock Holmes Museum

When was the last time you went looking for a fictional place? 742 Evergreen Terrace, Springfield (Texas)? 1313 Mockingbird Lane, Mockingbird Heights (Midland, TX)? How about one of the most famous fictional addresses of all time – 221B Baker Street, London UK? For aficionados of Arthur Conan Doyle’s “Sherlock Holmes” novels, this address is akin to Mecca. In 1990, a former Victorian rooming house somewhere around 237 Baker Street in London was converted to the Sherlock Holmes Museum. The actual location where 221B Baker Street should be doesn’t exist, perhaps intentionally by Doyle so that people reading the stories back in the late 1880s wouldn’t flock to the address like crazed groupies and paparazzi (as they do now). The current location was officially given the address by the city of Westminster in London, which probably drives the mail carriers nuts. Getting there is half the fun, since many Londoners don’t believe it exists. Ask for directions and you may get, “There’s just a storefront there,” or “There is no 221B Baker Street.” The easiest way is by the Underground (Tube), taking the Hammersmith and City Line to the Baker Street stop. You’ll know you’re there when you see Sherlock Holmes profile baked into the tile lining the station.

The cluttered desk of a busy (fictional) mind

One of the very realistic dioramas on the top floor

Approaching the building from across the street, you notice the large sign over a modern storefront reading “Sherlock Holmes Museum.” A wave of disappointment may wash over you since we’re talking about a bookstore and gift shop. As you get closer, several things start to fall in place. For starters, a blue circular metal plaque was attached to the front of the building, similar to historic plaques throughout the UK used to designate residences of famous people. In this instance, the plaque reads, “Sherlock Holmes, Consulting Detective, 1881 – 1904). To the left of the gift shop/bookstore is a black wooden door adorned with old-style lanterns and the number “221B” lettered on the transom window. Life has truly imitated art. Upon entering, you are instructed enter the gift shop through the inside door on the right to purchase your ticket; you still may anticipate being admitted into a warehouse-like back room with displays about Sherlock Holmes and Arthur Conan Doyle. When you are directed to go back out the shop door and go up the stairs to the right, you realize that the game is afoot. Continue reading →

Posted in Trippy Trips (On the road and overseas, things to see along the way), UK | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

It’s Not Easy Eating Green

Posted on November 21, 2009 by Val

Chinatown, San Francisco, California
Frog with Tender Greens (Uncle’s Cafe)

Frog, the other green meat

Frog, the other green meat

I have long been fascinated with Asian cuisine, a wonderland for the senses – the aromas, the explosion of tastes, the colorful and unusual presentations. San Francisco’s Chinatown is said to be one of the oldest and largest Chinese communities in North America and with an enormous variety of restaurants to choose from I was feeling like a kid in a candy store trying to decide what to get for lunch. To hell with moo goo gai pan, egg rolls and orange chicken – I wanted something they don’t serve at the local Panda Express. Just looking in the windows of some of the markets and restaurants is awe inspiring – strange and exotic vegetables, poultry hanging from hooks, and things even I couldn’t identify.

Frogs in the window of Liang's Seafood

Frogs in the window of Liang’s Seafood

The heart of Chinatown is accessed by walking up Grant Avenue from Chinatown Gate at the intersection of Bush Street. It seems that no matter where you’re going in San Francisco, it inevitably involves walking up. Take David Lee Roth’s advice and make sure you have sensible shoes. Staying on Grant Avenue doesn’t really offer as many exotic options, as I’m sure they’re trying to entice tourists with American tastes so we walked up Clay Street to a quieter area at Waverly Place and started reading menus. Pausing in front of Uncle’s Cafe, my eyes immediately focused on one menu item – Frog with Tender Greens. Not the wasteful French frog legs, but whole frog. Sorry Kermit, but your cousin is going down! There were some more tradtitional options on the menu that I knew would appeal to my wife, Claudia (she is not as adventurous with food as I am), so I suggested we eat there.

It does not get fresher than this

It does not get fresher than this

The restaurant had everything I look for in an ethnic restaurant – hand written menus on the wall (in Chinese, of course), a no-frills decor, and packed with Asian patrons (with some of the staff eating at a separate table). It wasn’t the cleanest, brightest of places, but I wasn’t out to woo a business client. The wall at the back featured a large fish tank – not for diners to admire their fine collection of white pompom oranda, but to point to and exclaim, “I want that – does it come with vegetables?” Catfish were playing with tilapia, red fish and some other fish I couldn’t identify, unaware that they would soon become the Number 16 Special. While we sat there, a man walked in with a 30 gallon plastic barrel on a hand cart, went in the back and dumped more live fish in – it doesn’t get much fresher than that.

Seaweed soup (the black stringy stuff)

Seaweed soup (the black stringy stuff)

The waiter brought English menus, and although I knew what I wanted, Claudia needed time to decide and so I took the opportunity to see if there was some other unusual item that would complement the frog. Claudia ordered the beef and broccoli dinner (with soup and rice), while I ordered seaweed soup and the frog with tender greens. The waiter looked at me like I misunderstood the menu; “You want frog?” he asked, to which I replied, “Why? Is it bad?” He assured me that it was very good and one of his favorites, but apparently I squeezed past the racial profiling required to order frog. First came the soup, hot and steaming in a huge bowl (he assumed Claudia would want to share, which wasn’t going to happen until hell froze over). The aroma was appealing – it was like sitting on the rocks at the shore on a warm day. The base was clear and similar to seafood soup, and there were several different varieties of seaweed in it. When I let a mouthful sit on my tounge, I could smell the seaweed and it reminded me of the dulse I had in New Brunswick.

Note the spine on the piece of frog at upper center

Note the spine on the piece of frog at upper center

A short while later the frog arrived. The tender greens were braised baby bok choi, and they had been sauteed with the frog parts in a light, clear sauce. The frog was sweet and tender, but required some deft tongue work to get the meat off the tiny bones. There were chunks of ribs, legs, and a variety of other cuts, and the waiter informed me that it was off a single frog. The taste was somewhere between quail and scallops, and the combination of the frog and the bok choi was heavenly.

A cannolo and latte waited for me in North Beach, so we finished our meal and hopped out of there. I’ve got to try to find something a little more exotic on my next trip to San Francisco.

Uncle’s Cafe
65 Waverly Place
San Francisco, CA
GPS coordinates: 37°47’38.75″N 122°24’24.78″W

Posted in Trippy Food (Tasty flora and fauna), USA | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment