Some of my friends speak highly of Venezuela’s strong man Hugo Chavez. This pisses me off, because I detest what he’s doing to his country and his dangerous braggadocio all over the world stage. I have read travelers’ accounts of how pathetic it is there compared with neighboring countries like […]

Mad Men is a television show that’s been lauded and praised by many. I caught the past two shows and think the buzz is deserved. The opening credits give you a hint that it’s a little different from most 2008 scripted TV fare. In an animated sequence, a man wearing […]

As an American traveler, one topic that I care deeply about is the value of the dollar. Over the past year, changing my crisp 100 dollar bills into euros or kronors or pesos has been a bummer of an experience. And it’s rare to speak with a traveler returning from […]

Last night after a long time closing up the cafe I relaxed on the couch and turned on the TV at 8:08 pm. It was time for that gathering that does indeed bring the world together–or at least to the same channel–for sixteen days: The Olympics. I knew I could […]

“There are two railroads out there,” said Amtrak President Alex Kummant in a Wall St. Journal article today. “There’s the one we run every day, and there’s the one everybody imagines is out there.” Kummant was asked about a topic that I wrote about in the Valley Advocate: really fast […]

I’ve been thinking about this date for a long time. Today is eight, eight, oh eight. WOW. It’s the opening night of the Olympics and at 8:08pm tonight, we’ll be watching. It might be a little more difficult because last night while Cindy was on the phone with me, we […]