I'm finally getting around to posting pictures of my roadtrip from last summer. (Part 1 is here.)When I went to Avalon in 2011, I was pretty disappointed in the pictures I took. I saw a lot of interesting spots filled with local color that seems a bit exotic to a Midwestern city boy like me. But I was in vacation mode and couldn't quite bring myself go out of my way to take … [Read more...] about Coastal Dash 2012 Travelogue – Part 2
Coastal Dash 2012 Travelogue – Part 1
I'm getting ready to start planning my next summer road trip, but I realized I never got around to posting anything about last summer's road trip.The trip started the same as any trip from Chicago must start: Stuck in traffic. I left home around 6pm on Friday, so I caught the tail end of the rush hour as I drove through downtown Chicago to get to Indiana. It was pretty … [Read more...] about Coastal Dash 2012 Travelogue – Part 1
A Few Reasons for Opposing Background Checks For Gun Purchases
I see lots of political and policy commentary go by on Facebook, and I'd like to respond to some of it, but Facebook is a very annoying place for that kind of give-and-take. People don't write articles or blog posts on Facebook, they post images with text in them, and the only response you can provide is a brief comment. It's not as bad as Twitter, but it's not a great format … [Read more...] about A Few Reasons for Opposing Background Checks For Gun Purchases
The Unreal Liberal Argument for Conscription
I'll always have a warm spot in my heart for the liberal/progressive mindset because I grew up in the immediate aftermath of the 1960's. The era brought lots of changes for the better -- the free speech movement, the expansion of civil rights, Miranda and Gideon -- but the one that most vividly affected me at the time was the abolition of the draft. I was only 8 years old -- … [Read more...] about The Unreal Liberal Argument for Conscription
George Bush is History’s Greatest Monster
George Bush is History's Greatest Monster. No, not W -- he's another matter -- I'm talking about his father.I just finished using an auger to unclog a toilet for what must be the 200th time since we had to replace our old, reliable toilet with one of the low-flow models. We used to have good, working toilets in this country. Reliable toilets. Toilets that we could count on … [Read more...] about George Bush is History’s Greatest Monster