Send April 6, 2014 4:00AM (UTC)Disney’s 'Muppets Most Wanted' was released late last month, and despite reviews presaging disappointment, America took to their theaters to see how the latest installment of karate chops and sight gags would fare. Whether you’re a purist who can’t stand “wrong Muppet voices” or an overjoyed muppet-man, either way you care about Kermit. While most journalists are covering the Muppets from the angle of “did they live up to Jim Henson’s standard?” this isn’t that kind of article. What I want to know is – why do we care so goddamn much. We’re grown-ups. Why is this still so important to us?In the lead-up to the Bobin-Stoller-helmed Muppet film, we’ve been seeing a good deal of googley-eyes, fleece and flocked foam. (Contrary to popular opinion, Muppets are not made of felt.) In February, the Electric Mayhem – the Muppet Show’s raucous house band – spiced up the categorically “sensible” Toyota brand playing “No Room for Boring” in a well-received Super Bowl ad.
Soon after, they played a soulful rendition of “The Weight” with Jimmy Fallon to mark the end of 'Late Night,' a resonant moment, for what was effectively an NBC studio swap. Lipton and Subway ads followed, incurring Twitter backlash. Last fall, Lady Gaga and the Muppets performed a well-intentioned Thanksgiving special on ABC. The reason for this upswing in Muppets is obvious: Disney has launched a concerted publicity campaign for its new film property.
But that’s not the half of it. Lately, spontaneous references to Jim Henson and his creations have also cropped up. On 'The Mindy Project': “I will Jim Henson you into apologizing.” On 'Community': “Welcome to the Labyrinth, kid, only there ain’t no puppets or bisexual rock stars.” Comedian Mike Birbiglia has been riffing on 'The Muppet Show' in his live act: telling the story of the time Statler and Waldorf heckled him on-stage. Unless this is the next phase of insidious product placement, it seems that the Muppets don’t exactly need Disney’s push. Thirty- and 40-somethings, once reminded, seem to be generating their own buzz, and this buzz was brought to us by the letter N.
SCOTUS Edition: Muppets V. Supreme Court Justices. It was called “ A Unified Theory of Muppet Types,” and she argued every living human can be classified into one of two categories: Chaos Muppets (which include Gonzo, Animal, and Fozzie Bear) or Order Muppets (like Bert, Kermit the Frog, and Sam the Eagle). “I just want to be super clear,”. AAF 2019: What went wrong and what happens next following league's sudden shutdown A lot has led to the AAF's fall, so let's dive into the main issues.
N, of course, is the first letter in the word 'nostalgia.' We – adults – love the Muppets. Boomers remember 'The Muppet Show' as one of the rare shows they could watch with their children that didn’t make them sick. Some millennials remember 'Muppet Babies' while most are coming to the franchise with fresh curiosity. But the generation that is most attached to the Muppets is surely Generation X; for adults of a certain age, the Muppets make us nostalgic for our youth in the '70s and '80s.
Though it was a time of economic trouble, nuclear threat and increasing divorce rates, it was also a time of arcades, station wagons and playing in the streets without parental supervision.It would be wrong to say, “Everyone in Generation X loves the Muppets,” yet it’s so right-esque that when people do not like Muppets, they feel compelled to justify it in O. But if you search “don’t like the Muppets” on Twitter, you’ll find tweets making it very clear that someone who doesn't get the Muppets just can't be trusted.
The Muppets are a touchstone for a generation of middle-aged Americans, and I agree I’m probably more nostalgic than a grown adult should be. (I published a book about Henson this month, after researching his business for the last three years.) But it’s not just me. It’s crazy what a lasting legacy one puppeteer – Jim Henson – has had. And how many people feel genuinely emotional about his characters, nearly 25 years after his death.So what’s the reason for our collective nostalgia? Is it simply his ubiquity in our childhoods? Is it simply the case that whatever you put in front of a child will become meaningful to him or her? Television has become a kind of de facto baby sitter, a virtual mentor and best friend to the developing child.
![What Went Wrong With The Muppets What Went Wrong With The Muppets](/uploads/1/2/5/4/125466591/555245577.jpg)
A college freshman might feel just as emotional about Barney, Power Rangers and the Teletubbies. While I don’t have a high opinion of the lobotomized purple dinosaur, he was certainly a “touchstone” to 20-year-olds.We all have our nostalgia. But, at least for me, my love of Henson’s work goes beyond that. I don’t think we love the Muppets simply because they came from our childhood. We love the Muppets because they gave us a worldview – a profoundly idealistic, yet profoundly realistic worldview – that many of us carry into our adulthoods.
It is only rarely that we take the time to consider where we picked up such ideas. Not all Generation Xers are intent on “making the world a better place,” but a good deal are.
And even with the Howard Roarks of Xers, the Donald Trumps of our cohort, there is one abiding similarity: Big Bird. For those born from the mid-'60s to the mid-'80s, the first show you probably watched was 'Sesame Street.' I would guess you don’t remember watching it as a 2-year-old, but at that age, you were constantly learning about the world, and like a sponge, you took it all in.Debuting in 1969, 'Sesame Street' was an experiment, to find out if public television could level class discrepancies and change the world. Airing free-of-charge in every home in the country and making learning fun, it undoubtably did.
More than a simple lesson on the alphabet, for those of us raised by Big Bird, you couldn’t help feeling a sense of idealism about the future. It’s a message that’s hard to put into words, but you feel it if you watch Jimmy Fallon and the Roots sing “” – as over a million viewers have. Just the opening bars of that song are enough to make me feel like a kid again. Across the world, 'Sesame Street' was broadcast as local co-productions, so Americans who grew up with Big Bird might share a strikingly similar worldview to Kuwaiti children who grew up with Nu’man, the camel who is Bird’s equivalent in the Arabic show. In the United States,'Sesame Street’s' airing on public television made it quite a “moment” for a generation of children. But it was not the only way a child could have been exposed to Jim Henson’s worldview.From the '60s on, Jim Henson’s work would reach nearly every child, whether it was 'The Muppet Show,' 'Emmet Otter’s Jug Band Christmas,' 'Fraggle Rock,' 'The Storyteller,' the Muppet movies, 'John Denver and the Muppets,' 'Labyrinth,' 'The Dark Crystal,' 'The Jim Henson Hour,' or 'Muppet Babies.' Unlike Sesame Street, Henson’s later work did not have a “curriculum” created by Harvard psychologists at the Children’s Television Workshop.
All the same, each show and movie had purpose. Henson told his staff that with 'Fraggle Rock,' he wanted to make a show that would help “stop war in the world” by teaching conflict resolution. 'Muppet Babies' was made to encourage imagination. According to the show’s head writer, “Henson wanted children to believe anything is possible. That's the only thing that's going to save this planet — the power of imagination.” Though 'The Muppet Show' did not have any overt “teaching objectives,” it had the implicit message that all kinds of weirdos and goofballs can work together in peace, give or take a few explosions. Underneath the screwball humor, 'The Muppet Show' had a message of brotherhood.What are the values contained in Henson’s works? This is subjective territory, but here’s what the Muppets taught me to value:Education: 'Sesame Street' was overtly educational.
Henson signed on to 'Sesame Street' at below his usual compensation request, and spent hours in his basement making stop motion films for the fledgling nonprofit, because he believed in their mission.Inclusion: Henson wanted to reach viewers of all ages all around the world, without restrictions. He actively sought out women and black puppeteers. This was reflected in the diverse cast of the Muppet Show: Pigs, bears, chickens and whatevers.
While comedy often ensued from different types of Muppets meeting, warmth and camaraderie did too.Global citizenship: 'Fraggle Rock' explicitly dramatized cultural differences and cross-cultural understanding, Henson also participated in 'Free to Be A Family,' a co-production with the USSR and produced 'Big Bird Goes to China.' He made commercials for the 'Better World Society” where Kermit asked: “What if everyone in the world lived in one house? We do.”Collaboration: Remember this song from 'Sesame Street'? “Cooperation/makes it happen/cooperation/working together.” Most Muppets are performed by two people at once – a main puppeteer and a “right hander” performing - dancing - in sync. Collaboration was involved in every step of the Muppets’ creation.Environmentalism: Henson took pleasure in the revitalizing effects of nature – the reflection of the moon on the water, or looking at a tall tree. In the 1980s, Kermit made PSAs for the National Wildlife Foundation, and Henson talked with Jerry Garcia about using Animal as a spokesperson for the Dead’s campaign to help the rain forests. Henson also made a special,'Song of the Cloud Forest,' where the protagonist was an endangered tropical frog.Creativity: Every frame of every Muppet performance includes art and creativity: set design, puppet building, performance, cinematography.
Known for going over budget, Henson’s shows are like showing children the Mona Lisa at age 2: They teach you what art is. Henson himself loved to sing, and the musicians in Muppet performances were top-notch: Paul Williams, Joe Raposo, Jeff Moss and many more. Henson’s manager called him “artsy-craftsy” and Henson called himself an “artist.”Technological Innovation: Henson loved to solve problems creatively.
One rig for Kermit sitting on a stool was filmed with Henson crouching behind a mirror placed between the stool’s legs. He was the first puppeteer to watch monitors of his own performance. He pioneered the use of radio-controlled puppeteering. He made puppets ride bicycles. He surrounded himself with people who could think creatively and try new things, because as Frank Oz said, “He loved breaking boundaries.”These values were Jim Henson’s values.
And because they show up – both subtly and overtly – in his works, they were taught to 50 million Americans growing up in the '70s and '80s. Thirty years later, these are my core values.
And they seem to be what drives many – if not deep down, all — of my generation. I don’t think it’s a coincidence. 2.The so-called Generation X term has always seemed like a placeholder.
Before that, Strauss and Howe called it “the 13th Generation” of Americans, and X really isn’t much better. “They’re named for not being something,” wrote Todd Essig in Forbes. Strauss and Howe, boomers themselves, defined the 13th Gen in opposition to themselves. They cited Beck’s song “I’m a Loser Baby” as indicative of the cohort. Whereas boomers had the optimistic glee of Dennis the Menace, Gen X was shown after-school specials about all the evils in the world, and they seemed to have “absorbed the negative message.” They were distrustful of authority and didn’t like labels. Columnists called them a “nowhere generation” and a “tired generation.” They could just as easily have called them Generation Question Mark.Theorists disagree on the exact dates, but they tend to define Generation X as those born from 1961 to 1981, sometimes up to 1984. At its widest, this cohort includes Barack Obama (52) and Mark Zuckerberg (29).
Sandwiched on either side by baby boomers and millennials, Gen X is about 60 percent as big as either one – about 46 million people are Xers, according to Time. Once characterized as bafflingly disaffected and cynical, now that they are a generation of parents, those labels no longer seem to fit. There hasn’t been much in the news about Generation X since the '90s, because in sheer numbers, they are dwarfed by boomers and their millennial children.
Quietly, X has matured to middle age without much fanfare. But, in 2011, University of Michigan professor Jon D. Miller published the “Generation X Report,” based on the original 1987 LSAY study of 5,900 schoolchildren from all 50 states. Miller’s group interviewed these former schoolchildren and released a picture of Generation X that is completely the opposite of the stereotype.According to the report, the Generation X cohort is “active, balanced, happy.” Highly educated and family-oriented, they have a high rate of volunteerism. Others have noted the large number of entrepreneurs in this generation. In middle age, Generation X are pragmatic realists, still distrustful of authority, but finding they are the authority.Strauss and Howe actually predicted this. According to their book, 'The Fourth Turning: An American Prophecy,' four generational archetypes are constantly cycling through American history.
Generation X, they explain, is the “nomad” archetype:A Nomad generation grows up as underprotected children during an Awakening, comes of age as the alienated young adults of a post-Awakening world, mellows into pragmatic midlife leaders during a Crisis, and ages into tough post-Crisis elders. ('The Fourth Turning').According to Strauss and Howe, the “awakening” of our age was the chaotic consciousness shift in the 1960s, and our “crisis” began in 2008 with the subprime mortgage crisis. Have Generation X become “pragmatic midlife leaders” of our economic crisis? Author Jeff Gordiner writes in his book, 'X Saves the World,' that “GenXers are doing the quiet work of keeping America from sucking.' While I can’t say that armies of artisanal food trucks and Etsy shops will save America, entrepreneurial Xers may be leading the vanguard of a new kind of successful economy. If the things we can say about Generation X now are that they are highly educated, diverse and independent-minded, perhaps “X” is the wrong label for these people. Strangely, in their discussion of Generation X in 'The Fourth Turning,' Strauss and Howe never once mention 'Sesame Street.'
But they probably should.While there were many influences in the '70s and '80s telling children to follow their bliss, be themselves and make the world a better place, none of these linger in my mind as much as Jim Henson’s alter ego – a nondescript green frog with a permanent smirk. After studying Henson’s career in depth, I know that he really believed in the values he taught us.
He lived them.Maybe that’s why we are living these values in our own lives.3. I ran an Internet search for “Generation Henson,” and a few things came up. In 2011, when 'The Muppets' debuted, author Scott Walker Perkins mused in: “I come from that generation sometimes referred to alternatively as ‘The MTV Generation’ or ‘Generation X’ and a few other less salubrious titles. But really, we're the Jim Henson Generation.” Perkins goes on to say he feels he is “living in a world that Jim Henson created,” which seems like a bit of a reach, until you consider how many of today’s creative professionals were inspired (often without their knowing) by Henson.In 2006, an Urban Dictionary user named Brandywine defined the slang term “”. People born between 1962 and 1975, for whom the original 'Sesame Street' children's television program was invented. If during your childhood, the original version of 'Sesame Street' was in its original run (i.e., not re-runs), and if you were of the correct age for it to be relevant to you, and to learn from it, you are a member“I hate the term ‘Generation X.’ I prefer to be called ‘The Sesame Street generation.’ It’s less trendy.”With a flippancy characteristic of Urban Dictionary, Brandywine’s definition is tautological, but telling. According to “Brandywine,” the 'Sesame Street' generation now only “trusts” news when it is delivered by Jon Stewart (b.
1962) or Stephen Colbert (b. 1964), who by Brandywine’s definition fall into Generation X.Strauss and Howe wrote “divorce struck the Gen Xers harder than any child generation in U.S. History.” With parents on heroic journeys of self-discovery encouraged by the “Awakening” of the 1960s, Xers were often latchkey kids raised by television. It is not surprising we distrust authority.
And even for those of us with married, attentive parents, Jim Henson was practically a third parent to many of us – at least he was to me. I keep trying to put it into words – what did Henson – what did Kermit – teach me? It’s rarely articulated well, but is very clearly felt by those in Generation X. You see it on 'The Daily Show' when Jon Stewart opens up to the audience: “I still remember – boy if you want to have a good cry-fest – go on YouTube and find ‘Henson Funeral.’” Generation X is emotionally tied to Henson by profound invisible strings. I think that far more than we know, we are “living in a world created by Jim Henson,” as Perkins wrote.
What kind of world is that?Last September, on Henson’s 77th birthday, Facebook users who were fans of “Jim Henson” were asked how he inspired them. The word “hero” came up often. Many responders were artists of some kind, and Henson, they said, taught them to follow their passion, value “goofballism,” and to try to make the world a better place. When you search for Jim Henson on Twitter, you often find spontaneous retweets of Henson’s quotes:“The most sophisticated people I know – inside they are all children.”“Children don’t remember what you teach them.
They remember who you are.”“My hope is still to leave the world better than when I got here.”Even if we didn’t hear these quotes as children, we heard them as the message of 'Sesame Street,' 'The Muppet Show' and 'Fraggle Rock.' And today we see evidence of Henson’s influence all around us – in the grown-up children he inspired.4. While it’s not always obvious, many comedians working today have credited Henson as an influence. Jason Segel (b.
1980), who almost single-handedly returned the Muppets to the silver screen said it best:The Muppets are sort of like the gateway to comedy when you’re a young comedian. It leads to Monty Python and to Saturday Night Live and all that, but it started for me with The Muppets. (in )One of the members of the State, Kevin Allison (b.1970) said something almost identical:The State used to have a philosophy of “Just learn by doing.” We never took any courses.
We just did it from instinct and from growing up watching Python and SNL and the Muppets I mean, I say the Muppets, but I have to include Sesame Street and The Electric Company too. People underestimate the extent to which those shows you saw as a kid actually are probably the most foundational of all. (in )Ricky Gervais (b. 1961), who created the 'The Office,' has credited 'The Muppet Show' for some of his work on 'Extras':I have been a huge Muppets fan literally for 35 years An early hero of mine, John Cleese, was on there and he acted himself and I thought that's great I think it must have influenced me doing stuff like Extras, where these huge icons came on and they were the butt of the joke with the locals And I think that was the first time I'd really seen that done properly. (in )Tina Fey (b. 1970), who created '30 Rock,' credited the Muppets with a good deal of her show’s format and style, even if she hadn’t consciously emulated it.
. 'You're doing/using it wrong.' I know, that's where life becomes interesting, where advantages found that aren't explicitly prescribed by someone else.
The edges are interesting, the middle isn't. (except for a good steak, then the middle is very interesting). I think I might really like the Palm Pre. But, no one in the civilized world has actually used it yet, so who knows. And, it's only CDMA (no GSM yet), can't really use it outside of the United States. Horribly disappointing and kills it for me probably.
Supposedly there are about 18 new Android phones coming out this year. I'm interested for sure, but who knows what the form factors will be, what carriers, if they'll have Quad-Band or at least GSM and at least 3G. It's all horseshit speculation and seems to be taking forever and a day (infinity + 1).
Why can't someone just get it right?. Need to nail down my Italy/Germany/Oktoberfest trip details and do more planning. Too busy of life is killing me. Need to get India trip organized and planned. What to do differently and/or see while I'm over there this time? Need suggestions.
(Chennai). Constant rain is killing my gardening plans and it's severely pissing me off.
I'm fascinated by what the automobile industry will look like in 5 years. I have a suspicion that it won't look anything like it has for the last 100 years. I'm absolutely giddy about the prospect.
The was fantastic, really. The architecture, carvings, artwork were incredible and there were a ton of people there worshiping in some form. The guide told us much of the stories that the carvings and the artifacts were portraying, hard to remember them all, but was very interesting. Of course, we were not allowed to take pictures inside of the actual temple rooms, of the deities, that is strictly forbidden. But got a lot of pics of the buildings. Also note the interesting pond outside that I took pics of, people were buying puffed rice and feeding it to those catfish, was crazy.
The guide told us that the catfish were very poisonous (I'm assuming to eat). Next we drove to the. As I mentioned above, apparently the church is only 1 of 3 in the world that is built on top of the tomb of one of Jesus's apostles.
Legend has it that he came to Chennai to spread God's word, was there for 20 years and was assasinated by a local king with a spear. Apparently, Marco Polo visited the church/tomb in the 1200's and was amazed by the healing powers from the dirt he took from inside the tomb. A pope visited the church and tomb as well (recently, like last 15 years I believe).
It was a typical Catholic church, but the significance of the church made it pretty neat to visit for sure. Finally, we went to. This is an area of ancient temples that were lost for hundreds of years due to being covered in sand (not all, but some). Some of the key areas were discovered by a British archeologist a couple hundred years ago.I think. As the tour guide told us (about 900 times or thereabouts), there are 3 primary architecture styles; stuff carved into hills/rock (like caves and such), stuff carved down from large standing rocks, and stuff that is built as pieces (composed buildings and pieces).
All of this was truly amazing - from the rock on the hill that looks like it's going to fall but is perfectly balanced and won't budge, to the huge carvings into the side of a rock hill to huge pieces that started out as just big ass rocks and were carved down from the top, to the cool ass temple built down by the ocean with the elaborate carvings. You need to check out the pictures or search for sites with better pictures than mine.
There were a lot of stories told about what was happening in the carvings, but the pictures will do a better job than I can type.The trip is all but over now, resting in the hotel room, packing and readying to head to the airport (at 1:00am Chennai time). Been a very productive time here and seen some magnificent things. But, so ready to be home with the family at this juncture.Also, to see all of my twitter updates (while some of you were asleep), visit.Andy. Been a couple of days since I posted. We have been extraordinarily busy and work has been intense with our offshore team. By the time we get back to the hotel, we're usually burnt and just want to pass out.
A few observations from the last few days:. Alejandra talked about some of her travels to places like NYC and Japan as it pertains to you being able to be anonymous and 'hiding' in a crowd if you want to, even though you are surrounded by a lot of people. India is.not. one of those types of places.
You are never anonymous or hidden in this culture. No matter where you are or what you are doing, people engage you directly with their eyes and talk to you in some form. If you are familiar with walking in most United States large cities, you can walk around and not interact with anyone if you don't want to, this place is completely the opposite of that experience. It reminds me of a scene in 'Crocodile Dundee' when the main character comes to NYC for the first time and starts walking down the sidewalk and is trying to say hello and talk to every person he sees and the people are really taken aback. Such a stark difference in cultural experiences. The best presentations and discussions that have been led have been by women here.
This isn't surprising of course, just noting that it's consistent with my experiences with the Indian offshore groups. One standout exception was a discussion we had with a data migration group, the men leading that were just excited, experienced, and just plain passionate about the work they are involved in. That was a really fun discussion just because of their passion. The flight attendants (formerly known as stewardesses) are all hot and model'esk, at least the female ones.
It's akin to the airline industry that the USA had in the 70's. I don't mind. When it rains here, the cows that litter the roads hide under big trucks to escape the weather. In this part of india, this state, apparently every single meal is ended with eating 'yogurt rice' (I don't know the actual name). They refer to it almost as religious.
It tastes like runny sour cream with soft rice in it. They eat it to help with digestion and to mitigate the really spicy food. I don't like it.
You only see 1 'breed' of dog in the streets. They have homogenized their gene pool over time, all over the country so that you really only see 1 breed, no variations. You don't see large dogs, small dogs, etc. Only 1 type of dog, period. The hotels have Cartoon Network, but don't show 'Adult Swim' shows. What the hell is wrong with them?. We went to one of my favorite stores here in India - FabIndia.
It's a chain store here that sells clothes, fabrics, tea, etc. That are usually made by hand by coops and such around the country. The prices are really reasonable and the selections are killer. I recommend anyone travelling to India to find one of these stores and buy some shit. I can't get any variety of beers here. If you don't like Kingfisher lager or Heineken, you're shit out of luck.
Ordered a Venezuelan Malbec (red wine) the other night, it was served chilled/cold. My Keens (shoes) are done. Noting that they stink and when I get home, they are going in the trash.
Annoying to travel with smelly shoes. I have been told explictly by disparate people that the election proved to them that real change can actually occur, the United States has proved it. The view that the USA is and always will be ran by white men with the same ideas and therefore leading the world has been shattered. They have told me that it shows them that things can actually change, coming from a world view that nothing ever changes or gets better for them. These are usually carpet or pashmina salesmen but they want to talk about this first and foremost.
It's hard to describe the look in these men's eyes when they say it - it's very very personal to them and it gives them hope of change. (this is a shocker that I didn't have perspective on) I have been told explictly the same number of times that the election results shows that.real.
democracy really exists in the United States and therefore can really exist elsewhere. Apparently, there is quite a bit of skepticism about the 'democracy' that we talk about, as all they see is the same people or type of people elected over and over again. (perception is reality to the world) This election shocked them and they say something like 'It has been proven to us that there is real democracy in the USA and we should hope to have that some day so that the people can change something if they want to by voting.' One guy told me that 'Now that the USA has proven they have real democracy and the people can change things, now we and the rest of the world have to prove we can do the same, it's no longer an option to be skeptical of this notion.' I had no idea democracy itself was questioned regarding the perception of the USA. Yesterday we decided to take a walk, just see anything, whatever. We were immediately attacked by men wanting to drive us around, show us sights, take us shopping.
They were relentless, not ceasing to follow and nag for a block or so. A nice man helped us across one of the crazy ass streets (freaking taxi's, motorcycles, cars everywhere) and gave us some advice on where to walk.
Shortly thereafter he shows up with a taxi (little 3 wheel dealio with a small 2 cycle engine) and offered to drive around to a few places. Was nice at first, saw an old king's palace (now a government building, no visitors allowed), which is ginormous and several city blocks long/wide, and such. Then, as usual coerced us into visiting a few shops that he gets kick backs on for taking tourists to. That was a pain in the ass, they just constantly berate you to buy something. I survived with only buying some spices and tea. Alejandra didn't fare as well and bought some pashmina's.
Anyway, was annoyed and just wanted to get back to the hotel at that juncture. Sick of being nagged to buy shit, I just want to see some stuff and take pictures. It's hard to impossible to get that here. We arrived in a very foggy/smoggy Bangalore without incident. The captain on the plane referred to it as 'hazy'. Hazy my ass, it's like soup out here.It's about 5am on sat morning here and the temperature is about, I'd say - 65 degrees.
Our driver and others are wearing jackets because they said 'it's cold to them'. I laughed at them, they said well, this is very cold for them and they're not used to it.We landed in the brand new airport here, only open about 3 months. Bought some cigars, exchanged money to get rupees (sp?), which are about 44 per US dollar.Feeling pretty rested and ready for the day but have absolutely no clue what's on plan actually.Just passed a new golf course in the city which had huge nets along the side next to the road to prevent golf balls from exiting and hitting cars I presume. The nets were about 4 stories tall I'm guessing.More later.Andy.