The Journey is the Destination is such a vibrant testament to a life lived to the fullest, which makes the reality of young author, Dan Eldon's end all the more tragic. After years of brave photojournalism: Eldon and three colleagues were stoned and beaten to death by an angry mob in Mogadishu after a botched UN raid killed several locals.

Prior to his sad demise, Eldon was a full-fledged world traveler by the age of seven and the photographs taken in his teens and twenties were published in newspapers and magazines world wide.

This posthumous collection of his colorful, complex visual journals was published by his family and the scrapbooks, made from age 14 to 22, continue to inspire socially conscious artists and young adventurers today, here's a link to several images I posted over on RC.

Though Eldon's isn't a household name, that all may change once Daniel
Radcliff portrays him on the big screen – but this book and his story can't be forgotten.

See more: Books 1990s Arts Non Fiction

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Posted on August 10, 2009

With several left over smoked Ham's Bacon hot dogs from our Adirondack weekend (Ham's Bacon is a smoke shop that is actually called Oscar's but I like my name for it better) I began searching for recipes for hot dogs.

Of course I quickly found the Chicago Style Dog, a piled up sandwich that I've seen on Shake Shack menus (but after waiting in line, who can resist always buying a hamburger) but I've never tried one myself.

We got a very detailed how to at Hot Dog Chicago Style, a site devoted to the traditional local dish. Sadly, not every ingredient was readily available in town, so To as to not upset any die hard fans of the site who may scoff at the slightest adaptation, I call our creation Chicago Hot Dog New York Style.

We used pepperocini peppers in place of sport peppers and regular relish instead of “bright green relish”?and sesame seed buns instead of poppy. We did find celery salt, though and if I were you I wouldn't skip this vital ingredient, a dash of it brightens the flavors.

Jim tells me this style hot dog began as hobo food.

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Posted on August 3, 2009

Rotten Tomatoes is nerdy in a bad way sometimes (I could skip having to watch the awkward hiaku reviews) but it's also got that kind of nerd charm that can be enjoyable. The hosts are very LA Current TV stock (see XPlay) and the faux banter between can be lame, but easily over looked because these two kids do grow on you (she especially when you see how much prettier and like a normal cool girl you might know she looks like under all that makeup).

But the real reason we watch every week is just because I miss movie previews on Sundays. I was always a fan of Siskle and Ebert and even went along with it when it became Ebert and Roper. But it's “hip”, “younger” reincarnation staring uncharasmatic douches name Josh was unpalettable.

Rotten Tomatoes gives a well rounded point of view of new releases including online viewers, critics, and to their credit, they also reference and recommend many older and sometimes lesser known films.

It's not a ground breaking or life changing show and it could be too much for you depending on your tolerance for geekdom, but I enjoy it despite it's flaws and am happy at least some people are still wathcing, loving and reviewing movies.

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Posted on August 3, 2009

I've recommended several Lake George area attractions, but the region is not terribly well known for excellent cuisine, so I thought I'd help out visitors with a food choice eating selections.

Breakfast is pretty standard fair, but we most enjoy the log cabin and taxidermy setting of the Tamarack Inn. The service is always super friendly and the fried eggs and ham are less greasy than other local spots. Plus I love that you can order some silver dollar pancakes if you really want to fill up on breakfast.

A new local delicacy that was brought to my attention on my latest trip is the dirty john dog. Well, I should say that this pint sized, dry chili encrusted goodness is only new to me. It's been a favorite in the area for over fifty years. You'll find the taste sensation at the New Way Lunch diner in Queensbury (there's also an original location in a seedy part of Glens Falls). where the only tune on the juke box is Kim Carnes' Betty Davis Eyes and the staff is made up of very polite teenagers.

On the way to dirty johns, you'll pass through the outlets, which I would like to note houses an Oshkosh B'gosh. Stop in, my fall stuff is just hitting the stores and it's downright adorable. And while we're on the subject of shopping, I'd also like to recommend Fawn Ridge Pottery. I've never been to the actual show room, but I have a hand thrown wedding gift pitcher that I adore.

On the opposite spectrum from the ultra cheap ($1) hot dogs, lies the hoighty toighty Friends Lake Inn. Reservations here can be made online at opentable, but are not necessary if you eat like an old person at 6 or so like we do. The meal was pricey and very good, but their foie gras and pineapple flan appetizer and creamy coconut and pineapple sorbet were particularly memorable.

If you want to grill your own food, and of course, it's a must if you're with friends in the outdoors, there's no better spot to get the fixings than Ham's Bacon – or as it is properly and more boringly called Oscar's Smokehouse. Their hot dogs are phenomenal, but they really blew my mind with their smoked trout and salmon, both of which i have been indulging in for dinner for the past week.

See more: Places to Visit Upstate New York

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Posted on August 3, 2009

Did you ever have a great teacher that just made their subject fascinating? That's what listening to Radio Lab with Jad Abumrad and Robert Krulwich is like. With their goofy wit and accessible info, I find myself amazed by science and actually learning more things about certain subjects that I remember than when I was in school. (I only had one memorable teacher, Mr Nichols, and it probably helped us to remember what he said because we all had crushes on him).

I'm listening to their archives and can already highly recommend the programs on sleep, stress, and sperm (that's three separate episodes by the way). If you've exhausted your This American Lives and have a curiosity in the mysteries of science, this entertaining show will be a god send to you.

See more: Spend a Couple Hours News/Information Radio Programs

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Posted on August 3, 2009