Click on the image to access a
Google Earth sound map

by Sara Tucker

"Would you, perhaps, consider recording and selling some of your effective 'shut up' comments?" asked a rail commuter of Christopher Buckley at the Daily Beast. "I've tried without success on MetroNorth and usually get no response other than a f--- you or a glare."

Another admirer of Mr. Buckley's "Nazi of the Quiet Car" post suggested this tactic for silencing cell-phone users: "Amtrak should hire beefy guys to hurl them off the train."

"Honestly," commented a third, "that there are people who do not understand the concept of quiet makes me despair for the future of the human race."

Despair--not to mention crankiness--is tempting when you're trying to stifle a rising tide. "I've circled the globe three times mostly in search of quiet places, places that are free from noise pollution," says self-described "sound tracker" Gordon Hempton. His mission's lack of success has a lot to do with flight corridors, especially those that crisscross national parks. (Don't get him started on the FAA.) In March 2007, Hempton loaded a bunch of sound equipment into a 1964 VW bus and set out across the country, pausing to record the "varied natural voices of the American landscape--bugling elk, trilling thrushes, and drumming, endangered prairie chickens." The account of his road trip is told in One Square Inch of Silence, due out in March. Despite the book's title, his goal wasn't exactly silence but purity. And like all purists, he is a passionate defender of the realm.

Hempton's quest unites him with a growing community of acoustic ecologists and biophilia theorists who fear we're suffering from a national epidemic of manmade noise on the one hand and "nature-deficit disorder" on the other. A burgeoning sector of the blogosphere addresses the problem acoustically, by enhancing our soundscape awareness. The sounds of "light in trees,"  Madagascar frogs, even Saturn's radio emissions are just a click away.

Anna with children in the rural village of Cabaret.

A number of you have expressed appreciation for Kevin Doyle's posts on his trip to Haiti with Population Services International and PSI spokesperson (and former international tennis sensation) Anna Kournikova.  To keep PSI's work in Haiti and throughout the world front and center, Anna was kind enough to allow the Daily Traveler to re-publish reportage which originally appeared on her Web site. Read day one of Anna's dispatch below:

by Anna Kournikova

I want to tell you all about my trip to Haiti, as it was such a moving and life-changing experience for me. My trip was with PSI (Population Services International), and their Five and Alive/Youth AIDS programs which help to improve the lives of kids around the world, ages five and under, by educating and helping their families to prevent causes of death such as AIDS, malaria, malnutrition and diarrhea (caused by unsafe drinking water).

Anna Kournikova with some new friends.

by Kevin Doyle

Recently Condé Nast Traveler's Kevin Doyle visited Haiti with representatives from Population Services International (PSI), a nonprofit group that's waging a global war against malaria, HIV, and child mortality.

Earlier this week I shared with you my experience filming Anna Kournikova buying condoms in Haiti.  The video quickly became popular for all the wrong reasons.  Yet if it can help generate publicity for efforts made to help this troubled country, than I'm sure that Anna, who was in Haiti as a representative for Population Services International, is fine with the "false advertising." 

And yes, there are signs of hope.  I met two HIV-positive women who are both doing well on antiretroviral medications and making $400 a month--a fortune in local terms--packaging contraceptives for PSI. "When I learned that I had HIV I wanted to abandon my children because I thought I was going to die," one told me. "But I know now that I can live a normal life and I encourage others to be tested so they can be treated and won't infect their partners the way I was infected."

More stories of hope and photos after the jump.

No sleep till Brookyn
gets a better bottle

by Eimear Lynch

Brooklyn is not known for being a shy sort of place, which is why it's no surprise that perfumer Bond No. 9 is getting flack for its latest fragrance, released last month, that's supposed to rep New York's most outspoken borough. It's not the cardamom-meets-cedarwood scent that's the problem; the graffiti-emblazoned bottle is what goaded sweet-smelling Brooklynites into demanding a bottle design competition from the NY perfumery.

Here's the sitch:
* Create your design to fit within the outline of the Bond No. 9 superstar flacon and to include the company's circular "token" logo. (Read after the jump for a copy of the outline.)          
* Inspiration can come from anywhere in Brooklyn--DUMBO, Park Slope, Flatbush, Canarsie, Midwood, Bay Ridge, et al.--or from the very idea of Brooklyn. Go for any style, figurative or abstract
* Any medium is fair game: oil, acrylic, watercolor, house paint, pastel, crayon, Magic Marker, makeup--even a ballpoint pen or pencil will do.    
* Completed designs should be submitted to contactus@bondno9.com or Bond No. 9, 9 Bond Street, New York, NY 10012 by March 31, 2009.
* Note: The competition doesn't start until this Sunday, March 1, so you won't see any information on Bond's Web site before then.

After two winners are chosen in early April, the designs will be sent to get scented (couldn't resist). And artists, whose names will be displayed on the bottles, had better want to smell like BK, since both will receive one bottle of the fragrance per month for a year.

Senior Editor Kate Maxwell shows you some things you might not think to do in Vegas.

by Beata Loyfman

Unless you're hiding in your basement, you've probably heard about how the economy has pummeled Las Vegas. In fact, it's now America's most abandoned city, according to a recent Forbes survey. So imagine my surprise when I arrived in Sin City last weekend only to find . . . crowds! That's right, the Strip was a madhouse (more so than usual). Travelers from all over the world arrived in droves, spurred by cheap airfares, cheap hotel rooms, and the promise of instant riches.

And they're not alone. Celebs are also flocking to Vegas to blow off some steam. For example, Brad Pitt hit the Hard Rock Hotel for a boys' weekend with his sons, Maddox and Pax. They ordered Nintendo Wii from room service, saw Cirque du Soleil's KA, and checked out the (sedated) lions at MGM. Seven-month-old Knox Leon wasn't invited.

Drew Barrymore would not allow her 34th birthday party to be overshadowed by a little thing like the Oscars. She bailed on the awards and instead partied at The Palazzo with gal pals Ellen Page (the pregnant smart aleck from Juno) and Christen Wiig (the only woman allowed any screen time on SNL).

Like you, I was sick of all the bad news, so I booked a Vegas vacation package through Expedia. A non-stop Virgin America flight and three nights at posh Bellagio cost me about $510. Can't beat that!

Further reading:
* Travel and the Oscars
* Bette Midler returns to Caesars Palace on March 24. Check out my exclusive interview with the Divine.
* Seven Deadly Sins: A primer on the best of the Strip
* Video: Las Vegas nightlife
* Boldface: Celebrity travels

Scene from the Turkish Airlines crash in Amsterdam.
Photo:  Radio Nederland Wereldomroep

by Barbara S. Peterson

In the wake of yesterday's Turkish Airlines crash in Amsterdam, in which nine passengers died and dozens were injured but 126 escaped with their lives, people are again asking: Do your odds of surviving an airline accident depend on where you're sitting? 

That question has been posed practically since the dawn of commercial aviation. CNN International asked it of me yesterday in preparation for an interview I did on the Turkish accident. (A 737-800 crash landed in a muddy field several miles from Schiphol airport, smashed into three pieces, and, remarkably, didn't burst into flames, allowing most of the people aboard to flee through the cracks.) I gave the producer the same answer I received when I posed that question to an expert on evacuation safety a few years ago.

"Sure, I can tell you where's the safest place to sit," he had said. "But first you have to tell me what kind of accident you're going to be in."

Portuondo takes a rare time out.

by John Oseid

The Buena Vista Social Club is the gift that keeps on giving. It has been over a decade since Ry Cooder recorded with the crew, turning a handful of forgotten Cuban musicians into international octogenarian heartthrobs. Now come two new BVSC-related projects that make for the ultimate stimulus package.

The only female in the BVSC collective, chanteuse Omara Portuondo presents her favorite songs in the serene new album Gracias. She includes a few tunes composed by Cuba's beloved Pablo Milanés, a principal member of the post-revolution Nueva Trova movement. Milanés joins her in singing the lovely "Ámame como soy" (Love me as I am). Her old friend Chucho Valdés (whom I brought you last month) adds his singular piano touch, and her young granddaughter joins her for a sweet nursery rhyme, backed by the simple clacking of claves.

But Gracias is not strictly a nostalgia tour. Portuondo brings on a handful of my favorite performers for new songs, as well.

by Kevin Doyle

What is Anna Kournikova doing in Haiti buying condoms?  And how was I lucky enough to live out a fantasy shared by millions of young men around the world?  Find out after the jump.

A couple of weeks ago, Daily Traveler reader b.newman asked: I am in the process of booking hotels for my honeymoon this August in Thailand. In Chiang Mai, can you recommend whether to stay at the Four Seasons or the Mandarin Oriental Dhara Dhevi?

Congratulations! These are both great properties, so it depends on what you're looking for. Here, some of our reporters weigh in:

The Four Seasons Chiang Mai has been on Condé Nast Traveler's Gold List for five years, so it's a good bet. Editors wrote, "On a working rice farm overlooking the Doi Suthep mountains, this resort uses architecture that blends thirteenth-century Burmese, Indian, and Chinese disciplines. Guest pavilions have verandas and vaulted ceilings." The restaurants, including the Thai eatery Sala Mae Rim, serve "the best food you've ever had," according to our other readers.

If looks are your thing, the Mandarin Oriental Dhara Dhevi, one of Traveler's 2005 Hot List properties, has 123 units that represent more than a dozen different decorative approaches. "By far the most successful are the northern Thai-style villas," reads the Hot List entry, "with private plunge pools and whirlpool tubs. Teak floors and stunning teak-paneled sloping ceilings offset a mix of antique and contemporary furnishings and huge bathrooms with whirlpool tubs." Mandarin Oriental levels of service and pampering prevail, including complimentary yoga classes, a spectacular spa, and a cooking school.

There are plenty more options in Thailand outside Chiang Mai, too, including great properties that opened within the last couple of years. Check out the 2008 Hot List. And for more on honeymoons in Thailand, read user JG's post.                

The lush entrance to Pico Bonito.
Photo: Michael Calderwood

From a Jamaican beachfront bungalow to a jungle lodge in Honduras, Condé Nast Traveler's March issue has got 28 easy-to-reach warm-weather getaways that won't break the bank. Here's one of our favorite green escapes from the story that will get you up close and personal with the great outdoors:

Lodge at Pico Bonito, La Ceiba, Honduras
Price: Doubles, $240-$325
This luxury lodge on 200 acres at the edge of Pico Bonito National Park has 22 elegantly furnished cabins with verandas and hammocks. Each cabin is hidden behind verdant coffee and cacao trees, affording guests complete privacy. For those who require more diversion, there's also an inviting pool, a small spa, and an arm's-length list of outdoor activities. Drop by the on-site butterfly farm or serpentarium, or arrange for guided excursions farther afield, including everything from bird-watching from high up on an observation tower and hiking the rain forest with a naturalist to horseback riding and white-water rafting.
Book: A Superior Plus cabin for air-conditioning (888-428-0221; picobonito.com).
Best for: Adventurous types who want to experience the rain forest at its finest. A must for avid bird-watchers.
Rental car: Required. You'll want a four-by-four to take on the backcountry road into the resort.

For more from this feature, pick up a copy of the March issue, which also features big bargains along Europe's new Riviera.

A Masai part-owner of Campi ya Kanzi leads a game walk in the Chyulu Hills.
Photo: Luca Safari Ltd.

by Brook Wilkinson

Condé Nast Traveler World Savers Award winner Campi ya Kanzi has just announced some great savings available for safaris this year. This Kenyan camp, a partnership between an Italian entrepreneur and the local Masai people, garnered a spot on our World Savers list last year for its innovative model of community development. Its Web site says it all: "A community ecotourism lodge, built, owned, run by a Maasai community, for the benefit of the local people."

At $550 per person per night, Campi ya Kanzi, isn't cheap--as you'd expect for a place that calls Hollywood star Edward Norton a frequent visitor. But to offset the effects of the economic crisis, Campi ya Kanzi is offering some substantial savings: Stay three nights and get a fourth for free, or stay five nights and get two more free. (You'll still be responsible for the $100/person/day conservation fee, which goes directly to the local community.) The private Kanzi House, which is normally reserved for guests who want to make a substantial donation to the community, has lowered its conservation fee from $2,000/day to $1,000/day. The five-bedroom house can fit up to six adults and four children, and has its own swimming pool and hot tub. Kanzi House guests can also redeem the free-night deals mentioned above.

Now that's a deal we can all feel good about.

Further reading:
* World Savers Congress 2008
* Responsible Traveler: Making a difference

by Sara Tucker

When it comes to cool jobs, a lot of us missed the boat, but who knew that "language sleuth" was one of the coolest? I surely didn't. Then I heard about The Linguists, which starts airing Thursday, February 26, on PBS (it's a TV Guide Editor's Pick of the Week), and now I'm sick with envy. The film stars ethnographers David Harrison and Greg Anderson, two college professors on an Indiana Jones-style quest to document the world's endangered languages before it's too late (the rate of attrition is one every two weeks; 167 are threatened right here in the United States). Their heroic pursuit takes them to remote pockets of Siberia, Bolivia, and India, and the result is a documentary that struck Sundance 2008 like a coup de foudre. The Linguists has been on tour for the past year (the Kansas City Star called it "Funny, enlightening and ultimately uplifting"; Vanity Fair pronounced it "a fantastic little film"); television audiences will finally get to see it for the first time Thursday night. For a sneak preview, click the video above or go to their Web site.

Scenes from the David Foote for Alternative Apparel launch party
Photo: Liam Alexander

by Eimear Lynch

Who doesn't need the perfect travel T-shirt? While donning American Apparel basics is easy enough, we'd rather go alternative with this statement-making iteration by artist David Foote for Alternative Apparel. Launched as an exhibit February 10 at Bo Concept in New York's Soho (69 Greene Street), the black-and-white tee--which reminds us of a softer, chicer Murakami--is available at both the store and on Foote's Web site through April 10. Want one? Pat yourself on the back: A cut of the profits will go to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

The perfect oyster.
Photo: Alison Brod PR

by Katherine Kims   

After reading Kevin Doyle's piece about sustainable fishing, I wondered how oysters end up on my plate. And how do I determine if they're genuine?

Oyster fisherman and three-time oyster-shucking champion John Bil advised me to inspect an oyster's quality by its smell (like the sea), color (not cloudy) and meatiness (not too thin, not too plump, with no liquid). In restaurants, he suggests working from what you know--"I like Fanny bays, what can you recommend?"--to seek the freshest product.

These most prized of mollusks are very much subject to nature: the water's temperature, tide, frost, nutrients, and bottom all influence taste, size, and shape. Because it can be difficult to get exactly what they want, restaurants often claim to sell Kumamotos, for example, when they are actually some other small West Coast breed or worse--they serve oysters a bit past their peaks. Fortunately, as of November, New York City has an outpost for oysters served with integrity: shellfish expert Bil now works at Flex Mussels. Started in Prince Edward Island in 2005, Flex was launched as an 18-seat shack and became so popular that it is now a full-sized restaurant on the Upper East Side.

Further reading:
* San Francisco's Swan Oyster Depot: Our west coast favorite for fresh oyster slurping
* Dirt Candy chef Amada Cohen likes Oyster Boy in Toronto
* Catch of the Day: International noshables

Chef Dominique Crenn of Luce
in San Francisco's InterContinental.

by Julia Bainbridge

Yesterday, the folks at the new InterContinental San Francisco stopped in New York to talk about the property, the plans, and, of course, the food. The 32-story InterContinental--expected to be the last major hotel to debut in the hilly city for the next seven years or so--was built with the future in mind: It is registered with the U.S. Green Building Council to pursue LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification.

You can read our U.K. sister magazine Condé Nast Traveller's Hot List entry on the hotel, which opened last February, here. I want to talk about Monday's real star, Luce chef Dominique Crenn.

German Chancellor Angela
Merkel rocks a bikini.

by Guy Martin

For those undecided about Mardi Gras wear, it's important to find proper sources of inspiration. A fired bank executive (with his '08 bonus in his pocket) being whipped by former depositors? That could really work for a lot of people outside the usual S&M demographic about now. But this Mardi Gras, the Daily Traveler is partial to the Bernie-Madoff-on-prison-KP-duty costume, e.g., stained and torn golf shirts and some ripped-up federal-issue khakis. It fits in with our whole plan for re-gifting ourselves with crap out of our closets for the duration of the crisis, anyway!

As ever, the Europeans and South Americans are way ahead of us. This year, in the Mardi Gras capitals of Brazil and Germany, nothing seems to be the flavor. Literally. 

Sao Paolo's reigning queen of Carnival naughty, Viviane Castro, notable last year for incurring an actual fine from the Carnival authorities for wearing too little--that's a fine for being naked, in Carnival, in Sao Paolo, get it?--has a new idea. 

First, let's recap. Viviane is a Sao Paolo "student" and samba school dancer with the X-9 Paulistana crew. Her '08 costume consisted of an inch-and-a-half-wide "cuff" running between her legs. The glitter-covered device had to be glued in place, over a splendid, eponymous "Brazilian," in fact. Seen front to back, it ran from the top of Viviane's pelvis bone to a point in the middle of her butt, a span of approximately nine crucial inches. According to Carnival authorities, the cuff's inch-and-a-half width didn't cover quite enough flesh up front.   

But none of that is the point.  Except that it is.   

For last Friday's parade, Viviane promised to paint her body with an image of, in her immortal words, "the great political figure Barack Obama," even though X-9 Paulistana's theme was the preservation of the Amazon.  Attention, red-blooded Democrats in Sao Paolo! Anybody get a shot of Viviane?

Country in flux.

by Katherine Kims

Urban China: Informal Cities is the seventh commission of the Three M Project, a collaboration between New York's New Museum, the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago, and the Hammer Museum in Los Angeles. The 167-by-15-foot installation with displays from Urban China magazine illustrates the story of a country struggling with urbanism and change. With the current economic climate and accumulation of yet-to-be-completed high rises in New York City, its first stop out of the three cities, the exhibit is as relevant now as ever.

"Urban China: Informal Cities," February 11 to March 29, 2009, The New Museum, 235 Bowery New York, (212) 219-1222

Further reading:
* The Three M Project: "From China, Iraq and Beyond, but Is It Art?" (NYT)
* The New Museum's new commision
* Word of Mouth: The buzz worldwide

by Ondine Cohane

After my stop in Los Angeles, it was back on the plane to Puerto Vallarta to check out the new St. Regis Punta Mita and the towns farther north. I was last in PV for my Condé Nast Traveler piece on surfing and driving Highway 200 along the West Coast of Mexico; I love this part of the Pacific coastline, with its mix of high-end and rustic accommodations, rugged mountains and beaches, and the fishing villages that are slowly being discovered.

The Punta Mita development is one of the most rarefied of the enclaves here and can sometimes feel too much like a manicured gated community if you really want to experience Mexican culture. Nonethless, the St. Regis is a beautiful addition (the other hotel here is the Four Seasons, which is also great but not as intimate). The villas are comfortable and spacious--most have views of the ocean--the food is fresh and unfussy, and the Remede spa is exquisite (the waiting area is a huge palapa within a courtyard of pools). Best of all, because of the way the resort is positioned between two rocky headlands, you feel like you are on a private beach with no neighbors. If you need a break in the sun with a gorgeous view and a good dose of luxury, I can think of few better spots (and you'll get the bragging rights of getting there soon after it opened).

* Tokyo sushi restaurant, from a sushi point of view. Cue soundtrack.
* Meanwhile in Berlin...178 people photographed over 20 days.
* Exotic animals that you can ride (BootsnAll)
* Philly authorities confirm that their town is NYC's sixth borough (MSNBC.com)
* Kissing banned in the U.K.  Punching still allowed. (Telegraph U.K.)

Keep the mountains beautiful.
Photo: Appalachian Voices

by Sara Tucker

People who saw "Children of the Mountains," Diane Sawyer's exposé of Appalachian poverty, on ABC's 20/20 last week have been peppering the blogosphere with questions about how to help. (ABC's own post about the show had gathered exactly 1,776 comments at last check.) Offers range from the wide-open ("My family is willing to extend any sort of help to the children of this area. If any next steps can be taken, we would love to know") to the specific ("I am a semi-retired veterinarian and I am very interested in moving my mobile clinic into the region Ms. Sawyer covered in her report").

Countless bloggers wrote about the show. "Jesus," posted a follower of Cajun Boy in the City (where the entire program can be fuzzily viewed). "This is heartbreaking. I'm going to quit bitching about my job and go hug my kids."

Plenty of viewers criticized the program, and some, like "Crystal" at Right Pundits, were offended by it ("well this is stupid, i live in the montain && these pictures must of been took years ago because where i live little babys are clean && have all the toys && food they need. and i hate to tell all of the people that read this but the montains aint tht olny place tht has drug problems && povety levels"). But while the stories of American children living in poverty made thousands of viewers want to reach out, most had no clue what to do. "Does anyone know of a donation or address where I could send canned goods for these people," an LA Times reader queried at Show Tracker, "or clothing that I don't wear anymore?"

One sympathizer spoke for the masses: "My heart was broken completely, but I mean, what can we do though? Where do we go from here?"

On Tuesday, a bunch of ready-to-rock Kentuckians shot back an answer.

Efron's new film, 17 Again.

by Beata Loyfman

Let's say you were the young, handsome star of a cagillion dollar Disney franchise. Let's say that you shine your shoes with Benjamins and gross more each year than Burundi. Let's say that tween girls from L.A. to Tokyo faint each time your pretty face appears on the screen. What would you do? Well, if you're Zac Efron, you would try to escape it all.

"I'd love to take a year off and travel the world under the radar. I would love to do it really low-key. I wouldn't need to stay in fancy hotels or anything; I just want to explore--but I don't know how I'd do it. Maybe I'd shave my head to try and go incognito?" (Starpulse)

Well, Zachary, you're in luck, because we've done the hard work for you. Read our picks for spots where you'll be free to roam the streets as just another pretty face. Added bonus? These locales won't put a dent in your nest egg.

Branson says, "No Way BA/AA."
Click image to go to his Virgin site.

by Barbara S. Peterson

British Airways' new head exec for the Americas, Simon Talling-Smith, is confidently predicting that the airline's bid to team up with American Airlines--and jointly operate hundreds of flights a week over the Atlantic--will pass muster in Washington within six months. The deal includes Iberia, which also is in the process of merging with BA.

If this all sounds vaguely familiar it's because this mega-alliance was first proposed ten years ago. (In the fast-changing airline business, that's practically the Pleistocene era.) The deal was put off indefinitely when the UK and U.S. governments raised objections to the size of the alliance and demanded, among other things, that BA cut back its presence at Heathrow. But Talling-Smith said that BA is not backing down this time: "We are not prepared to give up any slots" at BA's main hub.

So what's different now?

The first first lady of fashion
Photo: Art Seitz

by Eimear Lynch

It's fashion week in New York and we're seeing lots of high-low mixing and matching, a la Michelle Obama. Channeling Mrs. Commander-in-Chief is not exactly new, and the first lady craze has recently hit a high (see Jason Wu, mrs-o.org, this month's Vogue cover story). But it's Jackie, not Michelle, who's got Nina Ricci seeing stars--and they're bright enough to need these oversize shades on, say, a getaway to the Kennedys' fave vacation spot in Acapulco, Mexico. Where to get these politico peepers? Come March, they'll be sold exclusively through Ilori boutiques.

Further reading:
* Follow Michelle's fashionable footsteps on firstlady.gov
* Obama's Oahu: Where the forty-fourth president eats, stays, surfs, and plays--and wears shades, no doubt
* Health & Beauty: Looking, feeling good

by John Oseid

Kevin Lyttle's Web site declares he is "best known for his worldwide hit with the interpellative soca ballad 'Turn Me On.'" I haven't the faintest idea what that means, but I do know that listening to the Vincentian singer's blend of soca, R&B and dancehall is a great way to get into the Carnival mood as we approach the most adrenaline-rushed week on the world social calendar. 

Unless you spent the summer of '04 in a bunker, you've heard the biggest crossover hit from the West Indies ever so many times. Lyttle's self-titled album features no fewer than three remixes of "Turn Me On." The video above to his latest single "Fyah" starts out with an East Indian "riddim" commonly used in Caribbean music and segues into dancers showing off their wicked West Indian moves.

Click image to go to site

by Tom Loftus

No doubt taking notes on SoCal's ability to transform hot dog stands, hot-rods, and hot-bods into quasi-iconic status, British Petroleum has transformed an unassuming gas station at the corner of Olympic and Robertson in Los Angeles into the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao + squeegees. 

As the press packet--yes, this gas station has its own Web site--explains, the station uses recycled steel, solar panels, motion sensor lights to reduce electricity, CO2-reducing greenery, a green roof, and other green best practices.

"It's not a prototype 'station of the future,'" the site explains, "It's a station for today that's a little better, a living lab where we can try out ideas for other stations and where people can find ideas they might want to bring into their own lives."

As long as the station dispenses good old cancer and greenhouse-causing gasoline--and not, say, clean spring water--we'll take this press release with a Hummer-sized grain of salt.  Still, according to DT-er Mollie Chen who stumbled across the corner during an L.A. weekend, the place looks neat.