Radio Parallax

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Welcome to Radio Parallax

ABOUT THE SHOW

Radio Parallax* is a show covering topics in current events, politics, science, technology, history, satire, and whatever we damn well please.

The show can be heard in the greater Davis/Sacramento area every Thursday evening from 5:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. PST on KDVS, 90.3 FM;

In addition, current and past shows can be heard on the shows page.

Read about Radio Parallax in the Sacramento Bee: http://www.radioparallax.com/articles/sacbee.html

BLOG

Where were we? // 2008-04-29

...Ah yes, leaving the Big Apple for the Big Pork Barrel. After 3 days in Gotham I arose ready to skip town. While I entertained the idea of hanging there one more day my roommate's electing to stay in Brooklyn meant I'd likely have a morning to kill. So to hell with it, I reckoned, its off to DC.

By-the-way I neglected to mention that my journey back to Manhattan the night before was complicated by the fact that the sangria ingested in the surprisingly good Mexican restaurant had not been metabolized. So as we strolled towards the subway it was clear that I was train riding under the influence. Despite the former GM at KDVS's cheery "Welcome to my world" it did not seem like a smart plan. After pondering the lack of alternatives, however, it suddenly seemed like an "adventure".

An ADVENTURE. Excellent. And given the simplicity of the directions: get off at the 3rd stop and take the #6 line north to midtown I reckoned "How can I miss". So we said goodbye, I jumped on the train and off we roared. It struck me that I may well be THE ONLY person on the train over 40. The faces were young and hip, just what NYC SHOULD provide. One sweet young thing gripping the pole right in front of me induced a momentary pang of regret at having ridden the earth on so MANY orbits of the sun. Alas, I was slightly relieved when she left at stop #2. I was led not into temptation to attempt even a chat.

At the 3rd stop I exited as planned and set out to find the right northbound train. And wouldn't you know it the signs was not as unambiguous as one might hope. or was it the ethanol still on board? After snaking around I reckoned where I needed to go. Again, the signs were not completely clear so I did what we men too seldom do - but I've learned is essential in foreign locations - I asked for help.

"No, said the local" You want the next track over. I went up and over and decided this was NOT correct. I can't recall why now. Relying on my portagee sense of direction (and in retrospect nothing else I can recall) I returned to location #1, climbed aboard the next train and shot straight to where I wanted to be. As adventures go it was pretty minimalistic, but getting HOME to Manhattan while inebriated is an accomplishment, however minor.

Another beer seemed like a good idea as I got to the hotel so I entered a cigar shop and engaged the man chatting up the man behind the counter in a beret. He was African and highly educated and an amusing fellow. A professor of mathematics it turned out. "Where are you from?" I asked. "Guess" he replied. "I'm going to say Kenya or Uganda". He looked slightly surprised. "Born on Kenya, raised in Uganda" he said. "Not bad" I replied. "No," he said, "not half bad". Especially for a guy half crocked I thought, and headed for slumberland back on the 5th floor.

Anyway, as I started to say - with nobody to play with in the AM I packed with a minor headache and grabbed a cab to Pennsylvania Station. The board for departures there was huge. A throng awaited the track notification for the DC train. Having no idea where that track was I awaited the sudden surge of people that rushed forward as that data came up. Reliance on the herd's motion worked great. Before you know it I was where I needed to be - except I failed to choose to seat on the right (and non-sun side) of the cabin immediately. By the time I caught the mistake it was too late, the seats were filled. It was OK a slept anyway. I awoke in Delaware. The second time in my life I've been in Delaware. The first time I made a point to stop the car and SET foot in the First State. This time my contact with the ground came up through steel wheels. Its OK I was there. I'm counting it.

As we skirted Baltimore I called my high school pal who graciously extended an invite to stay with him. After spending $600 for two hotel rooms on day one in NY THAT was a wonderful offer. A meeting was set up for later and a pick-up at Union Station was arranged with Benjamin, my former producer at Capital Public Radio.

There was a wonderful moment as I wandered to get a bite and looked out the window. The trees and buildings were suddenly familiar. And sure enough the dome of the capital was peering around the corner. I had returned from foreign latitudes. This place I knew. DC felt warmer, both physically and metaphysically and after admiring the restored interior I went out to wait for Benjamin by the flagpole.

He pulled up, I hopped in his Miata and I was officially out of New York Land and back in the world I knew. Familiar faces, locations and, the all-American vehicle: the Japanese car.

And having spilled so much ink just getting there I'm saving our national capital (and a side trip to Baltimore) for installment #3.

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* Parallax: the apparent change in the position of an object resulting from the change in position from which it is viewed; Websters New World Dictionary, 2nd college edition 1968.