http://www.byjamesraia.com en-us N/A robert@cfx.org Fri, 12 Mar 2010 08:49:12 EST 20 http://www.byjamesraia.com/blogs/31/Comfort-food-in-downtown-Los-Angeles-at-The-Original-Pantry.html Amid skyscraper hotels, a convention center, a monstrous sports stadium and the general hustle-bustle of downtown Los Angeles, I recently discovered (like millions of others have), the best comfort food around at The Original Pantry.

The place opened in the 1920s and there are often lines around the block.

I had my indoctrination last week after the first night of the Los Angeles Auto Show. While walking from the LA Convention Center to my hotel, I saw the place and wondered why I'd didn't discover it like 30 years ago. I'd go out of my way to return, and it can't be soon enough.

It's an old-style dinner. Menus on the wall. Breakfast served 24/7. I sat at the counter. Waitress said I needed to try chili bean soup, sourdough bread and cole slaw. Wasn't about to argue. Huge portions, homemade, couldn't have tasted better. Next time, apple pie a la mode. Looked way too good.

Address: 877 South Figureoa St. Phone: 213 972-9279; Web site: www.pantrycafe.com.


]]> no@spam.com (James Raia) Mon, 07 Dec 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.byjamesraia.com/blogs/31/Comfort-food-in-downtown-Los-Angeles-at-The-Original-Pantry.html http://www.byjamesraia.com/blogs/30/Tour-de-France-Mountains-cobblestons-and-a-wide-open-race.html The route for the 2010 Tour de France was announced Oct. 14, and on paper it could be most difficult route in years. Without a team time trial, competition for the overall title could be fierce.

It's also about this time of the year, when I begin to think about attending the follow summer's event. It's a love-hate relationship. It's a great trip and it's exhausting.

I've attended the event 11 times, beginning in 1997 with Jan Ullrich's win. A year later, it was the late Marco Pantani's rule. Then Lance Arsmtrong won seven straight years, followed by Floyd Landis' victory and subsequent dethronment. And last summer, it was Armstrong's return to the peloton and his third-place finish to Alberto Contador and Andy Schleck.

The Tour for me is more about everything else surrounding the event — the people, villages, restaurants, the sheer enjoyment of the open road — than it is the competition.

So what of 2010 and the start July 3 in Rotterdam? We'll see.

To read more about the 2010 Tour de France, visit: National Cycling Examiner/Examiner.com

]]> no@spam.com (James Raia) Thu, 15 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.byjamesraia.com/blogs/30/Tour-de-France-Mountains-cobblestons-and-a-wide-open-race.html http://www.byjamesraia.com/blogs/29/People-of-Walmart-Pebble-Beach-for-golf-and-other-less-formal-locations.html Next week I'm traveling to the Monterey Peninsula again . . . this time for a few days to the Walmart First Tee Open.

It's now a six-year Champions Tour event at Pebble Beach and that means all the niceties (some might say attitude) Carmel by-the-Sea has to offer.

I like the event. The icons of the game are joined by 78 junior players from around the country. The pros play for $2 million; The kids get to tell their friends they played with Tom Watson or Gary Player or whomever.

And then there's the other side of Walmart - a new web site, as listed below. It's one of the most popular web sites today on the Internet.

www.peopleofwalmart.com

It's a pretty safe bet the Walmart executives heading to Pebble Beach right about now don't know at least some of their customers.

]]> no@spam.com (James Raia) Thu, 27 Aug 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.byjamesraia.com/blogs/29/People-of-Walmart-Pebble-Beach-for-golf-and-other-less-formal-locations.html http://www.byjamesraia.com/blogs/28/I-want-my-2000-Tata-Nano.html Word's finally out. The much-discussed and much-maligned Tata Nano will finally be available in April. The vehicle, marketed as the world's cheapest car, will cost about $2,000. Its debut was originally scheduled last October but various setbacks resulted in a five-month debut delay.

The Nano, designed so more Indians can afford to drive, and also to help the country's massive traffic jams, will be available in limited supply. It may also be available in Europe and the United States, but not for awhile. In the meantime, anyone for a road trip to India?
]]> no@spam.com (James Raia) Thu, 05 Mar 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.byjamesraia.com/blogs/28/I-want-my-2000-Tata-Nano.html http://www.byjamesraia.com/blogs/27/Lance-Armstrong-Is-The-man-Just-Ask-Anna-Hansen.html The news that Lance Armstrong and his girlfriend Anna Hansen are expecting a child next June has quickly spread across the Internet with a strong underlying theme: The seven-time Tour de France titlist is a media machine and he has an incredible amount of good fortune. To reiterate:

As reported:

1. It will be Armstrong’s fourth child and his presumably his girlfriend’s first child;

2. Armstrong’s first three child were born via in vitro fertilization; his pending fourth child was reportedly conceived naturally;

3. Anna Hansen, 28, is employed by First Descents, a Vail, Colo., organization the helps offer outdoor adventure experiences for young adults with cancer. The couple reportedly met last July via their respective involvement in charity work.

Breaking News:

1. Within a few hours after CNN.com first reported the story, “Anna Hansen” was the top-searched term on Google.com.

2. Dr. Sanjay Gupta, the CNN medical correspondent, has commented on the unique circumstance: “This is a hopeful thing for testicular cancer survivors. It means his (Armstrong's) body healed from the chemotherapy and surgery.”

3. Armstrong has not said if his pending fatherhood will necessitate altering his 2009 competitive plans, which are scheduled to begin Jan. 20 at the Tour Down Under in Adelaide, Australia. Armstrong also plans to compete in the Amgen Tour of California, Tour of Italy and Tour de France.

3. Few images of Anna Hansen are available. But from the pictures posted on Internet sites, Hansen follows a similar trend among the women has dated. His wife, the former Kristin Richards, looks like Armstrong’s mother, Linda. Former girlfriends Cheryl Crow and Kate Hudson also have blonde hair and other characteristics similar to Armstrong’s mother.


]]> no@spam.com (James Raia) Wed, 24 Dec 2008 00:00:00 EST http://www.byjamesraia.com/blogs/27/Lance-Armstrong-Is-The-man-Just-Ask-Anna-Hansen.html http://www.byjamesraia.com/blogs/26/Lance-Armstrong-Confirms-Return-a-And-The-Media-Machine-Begins.html By the time Lance Armstrong's rumored return to cycling was confirmed Wednesday, public relations, marketing and journalistic outlets around the globe were well into the story. Armstrong (and his handlers) are savvy and got the word spread via CNN, The News York Times, among others.

The following CNN video was distributed to selected media members. In the interview with Kiran Chetry of CNN, Armstrong explains why he’s returning to compete during the 2009 season, including participating in the Tour de France for Astana, the Kazakhstan-based team directed by his close friend Johan Bruyneel.

Bruyneel was the director of the U.S. Postal Service/Discovery squad Armstrong rode for during his seven-year Tour de France dominance that ended in 2005. Now, Armstrong will compete after a 3 1/2-year hiatus.

]]> no@spam.com (James Raia) Thu, 25 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.byjamesraia.com/blogs/26/Lance-Armstrong-Confirms-Return-a-And-The-Media-Machine-Begins.html http://www.byjamesraia.com/blogs/25/Lance-Armstrong-Media-Blitz-David-Letterman039s-Show-Las-Vegas-amp-Bill-Clinton.html The news surrounding the return of Lance Amstrong seems to change about once an hour. Now comes work, via the Australian Web site, CyclingNews.com, that Armstrong's return will include an appearance on Late Night With David Letterman Friday night in New York and he will also give press conferences in New York on Wednesday at the Bill Clinton Initiative and the next day Las Vegas — both to discuss his future cycling plans.

The seven-time Tour de France winner, according to the web site, may also compete in a cyclo-cross event that's part of Interbike, cycling's largest U.S. trade show. And what happens from there? The Tour Down Under (January)? The Tour of California (February)?

Whatever and wherever, Armstrong will now constantly be in the news from now until the start of the 2009 Tour de France next July 4 in Monaco. And then the real media blitz will begin.
]]> no@spam.com (James Raia) Tue, 23 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.byjamesraia.com/blogs/25/Lance-Armstrong-Media-Blitz-David-Letterman039s-Show-Las-Vegas-amp-Bill-Clinton.html http://www.byjamesraia.com/blogs/24/Lance-Armstrong-Will-Win-2009-Tour-de-France.html Lance Armstrong, the seven-time Tour de France winner, turns age 37 today. And that means it’s almost exactly 10 months until Armstrong will win his eighth Tour de France.

Since Armstrong announced last week that he’ll return to competitive cycling, I’ve repeatedly been asked why he’s coming back.

Like I have a clue. Whatya think? He called me and asked for my opinion?

I know Armstrong some through the years. We get along fine, just like he gets along fine with lots of journalists.

But why Armstrong is returning? I’ll take him at his word. He wants to expand his cancer foundation to a larger global audience, and riding a bike seems to be the best way he knows how to do so.

And in terms of an eighth title, I’m not a cycling fan. I don’t care about gear ratios or titanium frames or the latest cool kit.

But through the years, I’ve seen Armstrong do too much to doubt that he’ll do what he wants to do. And if that means winning the 2009 Tour de France, he’ll do it.
]]> no@spam.com (James Raia) Thu, 18 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.byjamesraia.com/blogs/24/Lance-Armstrong-Will-Win-2009-Tour-de-France.html http://www.byjamesraia.com/blogs/23/Mike-Sayers-An-Emotional-Goodbye-To-Cycling.html There’s plenty to criticize in pro cycling, its doping issues to organizational woes.

But organizers of the Tour of Missouri did something nice last Sunday afternoon. They called Michael Sayers to the awards ceremony and wished him a farewell after his decade-and-a-half in the peloton.

Sayers, 38, of Carmichael, Calif., finished 38th in the main field in the final stage of the race Sunday and 77th overall in the last race of his career.

Sayers didn’t win many races (two since the 2006 season), but he was a consummate team rider. He rode long and hard and withstood the typical dilemma of aging pro cyclists — weary bones and crashes.

When he was asked to speak, Sayers thanked a handful of teammates and the team directors he rode for and with through the years. He broke down in tears a few times and concluded by saying he rode hard in every race in which he competed. Most often, it was for a teammate's success.

It was a nice send off for an unheralded, long-time pro. Sayers waved to the crowd for a few seconds and then left the stage to join teammates. Good on you, Mike. Bravo.
]]> no@spam.com (James Raia) Sun, 14 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.byjamesraia.com/blogs/23/Mike-Sayers-An-Emotional-Goodbye-To-Cycling.html http://www.byjamesraia.com/blogs/22/Lance-Armstrong039s-Rumored-Comeback--It039s-Simple-He-Likes-The-Bike.html Sugar Ray Leonard did it, so did Michael Jordan and Brett Favre. Now, it’s Lance Armstrong’s turn to not be able to stay away.

Rumor has Lance Armstrong returning from what would be a near four-year retirement to compete in road cycling next year.

Armtrong, who will turn age 37 this month, has not commented, but several media outlets — Associated Press to the Sacramento Bee — are writing reaction stories to the original story posted by the cycling web site, www.velonews.com.

There’s plenty of speculation why Armstrong would return. He reportedly will not take a salary or and sponsorshipo money to compete in what would be a five-race scheduled, beginning with the Tour of California next February.

But the theory that makes the most sense is that Armstrong misses the competition.

Since his retirement after winning his seventh consecutive Tour de France in July 2005, Armstrong has completed the New York City and Boston Marathon and a 100-mile mountain bike race in Colorado.

Armstrong has also lived in recent years in the spotlight of celebrity, dating or at least becoming friends with several high-profile actresses and society women.

A return to cycling would allow Armstrong to return to perch in which he was the most comfortable — a bike seat.
]]> no@spam.com (James Raia) Mon, 08 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.byjamesraia.com/blogs/22/Lance-Armstrong039s-Rumored-Comeback--It039s-Simple-He-Likes-The-Bike.html