Today I promised the standing-room-only crowd at my New York Times Travel Show seminar that I would post links on my website. They’re out of context, but they’re here, plus a few major points from my talk this afternoon. The booking engine resources can be found at my colleague Reid Bramblett’s site, ReidsGuides.com. Learning about… Read more »
Jason Cochran
Scamming at the New York Times Travel Show
Hey! Guess what? I’m speaking this Saturday, January 19, at 2 p.m. at the 10th anniversary New York Times Travel Show at the Javits Center in New York City. The topic will be online booking scams. I’ve got a dozen to warn you about, and alongside me will be my brilliant colleague and longtime friend… Read more »
The mass grave under Brooklyn’s Fort Greene Park [WATCH]
I am tremendously excited about this video that I researched and hosted for AOL On’s “What Remains” series. It takes off from my popular blog post about the mass grave in Brooklyn’s Fort Greene Park. I think the broadcast-quality production these guys put together is phenomenal. The short version is explained in my post, linked… Read more »
Scenes from the dedication of the FDR memorial in New York City
In a way, the monument is as much to Louis Kahn as it is to FDR, as proven by how many times each of the speakers invoked both of their names. Former President Bill Clinton, Governor Andrew Cuomo, Tom Brokaw, Ambassador William vanden Huevel, Mayor Michel Bloomberg. All nodded to Louie. It’s odd: The son’s impetus to memorialize his architect father is what led us, even enabled us, to memorialize the president. From small questions rise large deeds.
Jutta Levasseur, Epcot’s egg painter, has died
I was at Epcot in Walt Disney World last week, and I learned the sad news that Jutta Levasseur has passed away. The German-born Levasseur had hand-painted egg ornaments in the Germany pavilion since the park’s opening day in 1982. She was such a fixture that the park gave her the great honor of setting… Read more »
I have a new reel
Jason’s Cochran’s reel. See where I’ve been on screen. Maybe call me to be on yours.
The night I jilted Gloria Steinem
David Bale gave me many things that I never properly thanked him for. His support helped change and redefined my life. But his biggest lesson was not to hide when I am invited to live.
Who’s leaving smiley faces beside celebrity graves?
I swear it’s not me. Someone else is leaving water-smoothed rocks with painted-on smiley faces by the eternal resting spots of the stars of yesteryear. I’m just the first person to notice. I keep running across them in Los Angeles. These are from Pierce Brothers Westwood Village Memorial Park and Forest Lawn Memorial Park Glendale…. Read more »
Beggars denied at Labadee, Royal Caribbean’s private paradise in Haiti
Cruise ship corporations are capable of treating others with dignity and kindness, as I wrote about in yesterday’s post about Oasis of the Seas‘ discovery of a raft of Cuban refugees, and they are famous for providing economic opportunities for workers from disadvantaged nations. But just as often, they seem to be caught up in… Read more »
My cruise ship intercepts a raft of Cuban refugees [WATCH]
Yesterday, I was aboard Royal Caribbean’s mighty Oasis of the Seas when we encountered an inflatable raft packed with 18 refugees from Cuba.