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As you travel the train northward from Los Angeles, scores of forgotten Americans huddle together, lining the tracks. Their tents and makeshift shelters, complete with shopping carts and discarded tarps, give little relief from the wind, sun, heat, and, more recently, record rains. The tempered Amtrak windows provide just enough separation, allowing passengers to stare … Read more

Beautiful scenery, a relaxing ride. How about attendants and employees who are civil? A ride on the train is a wonderful experience not to be missed. Train travel is a great way to explore America. Bring a book, enjoy a snack, and don’t forget your rose-colored glasses. The glasses will help you ignore the sadness … Read more

Traveling by Air? Are you going to see a distant loved one in a faraway state or country? Most likely, you’ll join the millions of others who will experience the joy of air travel. Today, however, there is nothing enjoyable about traveling by commercial airline. Let’s examine the entire miserable experience from packing, getting there, … Read more

  I wrote this letter some time ago but thought you might find it interesting.   Dear Captain Philip Corder, Southwest Airlines Flight 2911 on November 15, 2023, was a remarkable experience. I wanted to share with you my perspective on what could have been a dire situation. Shortly after takeoff, a male passenger located … Read more

Today, the military-civilian divide is greater than at any other time in American history. The percentage of Americans who have served in the military is lower today than ever since the end of World War II. While fewer people in uniform seem like it means fewer wars, it is, in reality, a symptom of a … Read more

In case you were wondering. Here is the place Lillian and I now call home. Camarillo is a city in Ventura County, just north of Los Angeles County, along the California Coast. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 70,741. Camarillo is named for brothers Juan and Adolfo Camarillo, prominent Californios who … Read more

Packaging and Recycling These are two subjects I know little about. But you don’t have to know much before you know you don’t like something. And I don’t much care for either of these. Often, one leads to the other, but one often fails because of the other. I’ll examine one before the other as … Read more

Lillian and I traveled from just north of Los Angeles to Seattle on Amtrak’s Coast Starlight. One of their most scenic routes, the trip takes you up from Southern California along the Pacific Ocean, into the Salinas Valley, and up the Central Coast. From there, the train makes a brief stop at Jack London Square … Read more

Grammar, Punctuation, and Etiquette Oh My! In my last post, I acted as if I revered editors. As if I wrote the post to thank them for endeavoring to make my writings more precise, concise, and, dare I say – within the bounds of proper English. That was last time, not this time. This go-around, … Read more

Grammar and Punctuation, or should I say – {Parsing and Punctuation For the commally challenged,;}]   The following is dedicated to the incredible editors in my life. To correct this, they will have to leave more than a few things wrong. This will drive them nuts. e.e. cummings didn’t capitalize and yet became one of … Read more