featured book

I have been impressed with the urgency of doing. Knowing is not enough we must apply. Being willing is not enough we must do. -- Leonardo Da Vinci ... read more

Anis Shivani: New Rules For Writers: Ignore Publicity, Shun Crowds, Refuse Recognition And MoreThese rules totally go against every prescription for writi ... read more

This is a good site showing who to trust (or not) when it comes to self-publishing: Self-Publishing Services Rated by the Alliance of Independent Authors ... read more

Polling: The gateway political drug to misinformation, mistakes and malfeasance. -- Christian JosiThis was actually just ... read more

Can you believe we've been online since 1999!?!? Even more unbelievable, we STILL have almost no audience! Truly amazing. Shouting into the void for a quarter century. Quite impressive, no? Anyone rea ... read more

I'm attaching pictures we made of Astrakhan and our room. We are staying at the Hotel Azimut in Astrakhan. They are going through major renovations right now. It's kind of funny to see the interior design mix. The lobby is decorated in ... read more

We had a great visit with our little girl this morning. There were no observers. That happens this afternoon. Vika mentioned we should think about showing more affection in front of the observers. It's more in line with how Russians tre ... read more

The time stamp on these blog posts are in US Central Time, not Russia time. It's 6am Sunday morning here. We h ... read more

The adventure begins. A quiet, unassuming young man and his devoted wife and kids set out for parts unknown, unless you count Missouri as known. ... read more

Daisy graduates! Pic One,Picture from earlier that day!Previous pictures: One and ... read more

We're in a different hotel, the Holiday Inn -- Moscow Sokolniki, for the rest of our stay. This is the one that was originally reserved for our return from Astrakhan. It has ... read more

It was cold today in Nashville! The high for the day was only about 45. I guess that'll feel warm if we get that in January, but still... . It's supposed to get down to the mid-20s tonight. I know, I know. You all in Chicago and Moscow ... read more

Use them as your search engine, and they give to charity: You shop. You save. We give. UPDATE: Here i ... read more

Went to Home Depot today for one of those door-closer things for screen doors. I'd left ours propped open all night by accident, and the wind weakened its hinges. When I pushed to close it, a bracket snapped, and the door flew open instea ... read more

Airports to avoid, if at all possible:Which airports have body-scanning technologyThe above link has disappeared. Go here instead: ... read more

Another reason to go vegetarian, although their math isn't right. Forty-seven percent is much worse than 1 in 4. Maybe we should actually read the article? :)Read, listen or watch the rest here: ... read more

A Face in the CrowdVol. 5, No. 3, May 25, 1993Eleanor Gets LicenseAfter taking the DMV driving test every year since the age of 16, Eleanor has finally passed and been given her drivers license!It just goes to show that perseverance pays ... read more

Hometown NewsVol. 2, No. 13, October 20, 1990Editor's Note: This is most definitely the last issue. Bill graduates!After seven months, Bill has finally comple ... read more

Things You Need To Know Vol. 2, No. 10, July 16, 1990 Pioneer Portuguese now availableWorld famous Portuguese historian Lionel Holmes's latest work is now available at a store near you. Don't be surprised if they're sold out. Sales ... read more

The Leaky Faucet Vol. 4, No. 2, February 13, 1992 The quintessential newsletter. Warning: May not be suitable for the humor impaired ... read more

the NEWS Vol. 2, No. 6, April 16, 1990Back in spite of popular demand. WORLD NEWS Mike is back from Germany and looking very European. (Fancy haircut, pale complexion, but otherwise healthy. ) He's having trouble getting used to speakin ... read more

The Broken Record Vol. 4, No. 5, June 25, 1992Predictable, irritating. Really, no redeeming qualities whatsoever. ... read more