As you are well aware, I was in Puerto Rico with a “travel companion” last week. Well, I decided to write in today’s Metro about a couple from Philly I met while in Vieques. In other Puerto Rico news, here are some photos from the trip. We were in the rain forest south of Utuado for the first couple of days. A very hairy drive to get there over switchback roads, but it was worth it. Very secluded, extremely relaxing. Took a few hikes, but other than that, just sort of loafed around and drank rum and juice. Then we headed to Vieques, where we went to the tiny town of Esperanza. The island is best known for being the place that the US Navy was driven out of in 2003. It is home to some of the most beautiful, most desolate beaches in the Caribbean. We hiked to nearby Sun Bay, which was beautiful, and also did the Bioluminescent Bay kayak trip. It looked a lot like this. It was very cool, though kayaking at night while wet was a little chilly. Finally, we headed to Old San Juan. Stayed at a very cool, fairly cheap hotel called the Casablanca, which was right in the middle of everything. San Juan was terrific. Great walking town, although the sidewalks were a little narrow. But lots of great restaurants, Spanish architecture, and the El Morro Fort was very cool. I would definitely like to go back to San Juan when I have more time, but we were able to get a lot of hiking around the town in in our short time there. So there you have it. Great trip, lots of fun, I definitely recommend Puerto Rico as a vacation destination (though to be honest I like Mexico a little bit better.)

Jack Nicholson turns 72 today. There are several men who claim to be his father (he doesn’t know who his real father is), and he was brought up believing that his grandparents were his actual parents, and that his actual mother was his sister. He found out the truth in 1974 when a reporter for TIME Magazine told him. Apparently, his grandparents didn’t think he could handle the truth. Anyhow, just curious: what’s you favorite Jack film? Mine is probably the Shining, followed closely by One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. Let me know what yours is in the comments below.

We’re all drinkers (now that the Good Dog quizzo is over), and so we are all familiar with beer goggles. They are the reason we drink, so that by the end of the night, we are no longer discerning when it comes to practicing mating. But alas, do beer goggles really exist? Researchers in England say no: Beer goggles are a fallacy and women actually seem no prettier after drinking, a study suggests.
‘There was no great difference – the men were just as undiscerning as ever,’ said Vincent Egan, the lead researcher.
Oh, so beer goggles are just an excuse we give our buddies when we go home with someone who looks like that lady from Britain’s Got Talent, and not based on fact? Not sure, because this research reached a completely different conclusion than research conducted on the same topic last year. However, both studies agreed on one thing: women do have beer goggles, as they find men more attractive after a few drinks. To which I say: “Ladies, keep drinkin’!”