On Thursday, September 14, I got on Amtrak’s Empire Builder in Chicago, which would take me to LaCrosse, Wisconsin. I didn’t know it, but I was in for a treat.Shortly after the train set off, an announcement came over the loudspeaker that two volunteers from the Trails & Rails program, co-sponsored by Amtrak and the […]

Late on Tuesday evening, I got on a train, heading west. I found a window seat and settled in for an all-night ride. Fortunately, I had my “survival kit” with me… a portable CD player, a bunch of CDs, and some food, including my mom’s famous chocolately chocolate chip cookies (good enough to bring joy

This is the day to say “Impeach” in the blogs.So, I’m saying it.Impeach Bush and Cheney, too.They have violated their oath to uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States.They have forgotten that there are three separate and equal branches of government (executive, legislative, and judiciary). They want imperial power. There is no excuse

Today, Ellen took me and her kids (Joseph, Thomas, and Amelia) to the fairgrounds, where we picked up the things that I had entered into competition at the Creative Arts Building. I had entered two pastel paintings, one small afghan (crocheted granny squares), and two crocheted doilies. I won an “honorable mention” for the afghan

My friend Lynn took me and four other people to see a preview of the movie “World Trade Center.”It’s the story of two Port Authority police officers who were buried alive in the rubble on 9/11 and who were pulled out alive. The officers were Sergeant John McLoughlin (played by Nicholas Cage) and Will Jimeno

The date for my Big Trial had arrived. I was prepared to plead “no contest” to the charge of “violation of a lawful order” and to make a speech. I had come to the conclusion that “violation of a lawful order” was a charge too stupid to deserve much of a response.I also intended to

Mary and I returned to the Palestine Center for lunch (delicious falafels and refreshing lemonade) and a talk, titled “Hamas, its Neighbors, and the Quartet.” The speaker was Nadia Hijab, senior fellow and co-director of the Institute for Palestine Studies (Washington office). She has written several books, including Womanpower: The Arab debate on women at

Wednesday, July 19, was my tourist day. I grabbed my camera, my sketchbook, and my “fat lil notebook,” and I was on my way. After a ride on the green line of the famous five-color Metro system, I headed to the National Archives. Each line gets a different color: red, yellow, blue, green, and orange.

Last week, I left toasty Western New York to head to even hotter Washington, D.C. I had an appointment with a magistrate judge in the U.S. District Court in Alexandria, Virginia, that I had to keep on Friday. I’d like to say that I was looking forward to the “Trial of the Century” or, at

On Sunday, I put my music in a backpack and headed off to church. I gave myself almost an hour and a half to get there because… well… walking tourists are easily distracted!As I walked down Linden Avenue, I noticed a large, hand-painted sign stuck in a lawn in front of a house. “Stop the