Ciao! Aja and I are having fun in Firenze right now. We are skipping morning mass to attempt this blog post and can hear the church bells tolling. After yesterdays tour of the Uffizi Gallery and the Accademia (David) we feel we have had our fill of the Adoration of the Magi and will concentrate on other things today, although I am sure we will find our way into a church or due (2). We spent a couple days in Rome admiring some of the beautiful offerings... Trevi Fountain, St Peter's Basilica, Pantheon, etc. So many wonderful offerings. Today we have our gelato spot picked out and so we are off to work up an appetite!
I just dropped off our friends She-Ra and Nemo at the Mexican border on the southern end of the Arizona Trail. She-Ra will be hiking the entire 800-mile trail in about six weeks. You can follow her trail journal here. It's been eight years since Lori, Griz and I hiked the AZT and I am mighty jealous not to be out there again this year. It was nice to see that the border wall hasn't yet made it to the Coronado National Memorial (where the AZT starts) and we could still duck into Mexico through the hole in the fence. The top photo shows the hikers next to the border monument. These monuments are (or were) placed every mile along the border from San Diego to Brownsville, Texas. Good luck She-Ra!
You believe in a book which has talking animals, wizards, witches, demons, sticks turning into snakes, food falling from the sky, people walking on water, and all sorts of magical, absurd, and primitive stories; and you say that I am the one who is mentally ill? -Dan Barker
This is my buddy John. You couldn't find a nicer, more laid-back guy. He is a gifted musician, devoted husband and proud father. He is also the latest victim of our failed War on Drugs. John was recently arrested for possession of marijuana. John does not drink alcohol, instead choosing pot as his relaxant of choice. There is a good chance that John will be thrown in jail for this victimless crime. Instead of being a positive, productive member of society, John will most likely be torn from his family and incarcerated at hefty taxpayer expense. And for what gain? America has the highest prison population of any developed country, most of which is directly attributable to non-violent, victimless drug charges. This is not right!
We have all heard these sad tales before but they have never hit this close to home for me. If you are a pot smoker or just a firm believer in personal responsibility, personal choice, privacy, and/or civil liberties, take a moment to send some positive vibrations John's way. Then TAKE ACTION! Give time and/or money to the cause. Support groups that advocate for legalization, decriminalization, medical marijuana, etc. The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, the American Civil Liberties Union, and Americans for Safe Access are great places to start. My check is in the mail!
We are here because one odd group of fishes had a peculiar fin anatomy that could transform into legs for terrestrial creatures; because the earth never froze entirely during an ice age; because a small and tenuous species, arising in Africa a quarter of a million years ago, has managed, so far, to survive by hook and by crook. We may yearn for a "higher" answer - but none exists. - Stephen Jay Gould
"The belief that a change of presidential administration can, by itself, sweep up the detritus of the last eight years, much less that of the last century, is of course ludicrous." -Lawrence Kaplan, NY Times
