Blogs
STATESIDE STORIES: Dems Determine Rules for Inquiry while Trump Fights “Deep State” »
The US House of Representatives voted on Halloween to spook Trump with a 232 to 196 vote on endorsing the Democrat-led impeachment inquiry and set up a new public phase of the investigation. House speaker, Democrat Nancy Pelosi, presided over the vote and said “what is at stake in all of this is nothing less than our democracy.” Republicans in the House were united in defense of President Trump, describing the inquiry as secretive and unfair. Moreover, Trump says the “Deep State” — that is, the Washington bureaucracy — has been against him since his election in 2016.
A Second Opinion: Fantastic Fall Foliage »
“Why don’t they let the leaves stay on the ground, so they can dance and skip and play around? They’ve done their work; they’ve had their day, so why not let them stay and play?”
A SECOND OPINON: GETTING TO THE SEASHORE! »
Being able to actually touch the ocean is a wonderful thing when you live inland. I hope you were able to do it this summer, and if not, plan for next year!
A SECOND OPINION: BREATHE — How many Rainforests are there left in the World? Fewer and fewer… »
In Brazil it almost seems that forests are being cleared for ranching and other purposes. Forests are a pain in the neck to people who see nothing but profit and progress. But forests fill a basic need for human life: O2. We breathe because of the oxygen produced by trees and plant life and especially the rainforests of the world. Bolsonaro may just have to deal with the world on the issue of the wildfires in the Amazon.
A Second Opinion: Dis-Respect for the Forces… »
Candlelight Vigil, Police Week, National Mall, Washington DC, May 2019 At the 31st Annual Candlelight Vigil two Deputy United States Marshals
A SECOND OPINION: Trump Not Fully Exonerated »
If you've been keeping up with the news, you may have realized that in the Congressional Hearings with Special Investigator Robert Mueller, President Trump was not fully exonerated from wrongdoing by Mueller's report. But although he may not be removed from office through impeachment, the President could be prosecuted after he leaves office for Russian collusion and obstruction of justice, both of which the he vehemently denies ever occurred.
A GUIDEPOST REPRINT: “MADRID: A VIEW FROM ‘DOWN UNDER’,” 29 JULY 1983 »
Rodney Ward, like many back-packing ‘cowboys’ of the mid-seventies, first arrived in Madrid in 1975 and was at once struck by Spain’s fine old capital city. Although planning to move on within a few days, the Magic of Madrid compelled him to stay for two years. Only then did Rodney Ward set off back to Australia. Does he miss Madrid? “It’s always nice to come home,"he says, but Madrid gets in the blood.
STATESIDE STORIES: How About Going Camping? »
Some people camp in tents, some use recreational vehicles and campers, and some just backpack out into the woods to sleep out under the stars on soft summer nights. Some even use pack mules and horses to really get out into the backcountry and leave civilization far behind. There are so many different places for the camping aficionado to go all across the country that any listing would be incomplete. But if you are traveling to the US and want to try your hand at camping, be sure to make reservations ahead of time to save space in the many National Parks and Recreational Sites available. Or you can just trust to luck and rent a camper or trailer that will at least give you shelter from a summer storm.
A Second Opinion: Beyond the Pyrenees »
Somehow I always felt that "Europe" began at the Pyrenees, leaving Spain as a magic island of cultural heritage. What has the EU really done to improve the life of the average Spaniard except complicate the panorama a bit more? Perhaps there has been a forward-looking push from up North that has subtlely changed the traditional Spanish attitude of xenophobia. Perhaps some modernization has occurred and the economy is more robust than before. But Madrid is not Paris, and Barcelona is not Berlin, and Rome will always be Rome. If the British can say "no" to the Continent then others may follow suit.
STATESIDE STORIES: FATHER’S DAY! »
Father's Day in the States is Sunday, June 16th. That is the day in which we recognize what fathers do for their children, which is quite varied and something often to boast about.
