It’s a nice day today. David’s off today so he left to do a long bike ride with our friend Steve. It’s pretty steady today — calls coming in, stuff to do. Working from home is pretty awesome, and a lot less stressful. My morning commute involves cat activity and blackberry jam now… this morning I got up late, wandered into my office in my “Bear Loves Moose” nightshirt, and booted up. Ready to take a call… Hah, no. I’m in the habit of dressing, brushing teeth, brushing hair, and putting on my orthotic sneakers, because I’ve found that running…
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We saw people paddleboarding on our way through Montana to Glacier National Park, and rental shops too. Link: 10 great places to try stand-up paddle boarding – USATODAY.com Stand-up paddle boarding is making waves. The sport, which is has its roots in surfing, uses a board and paddle to scoot along the water, building strength and coordination. “It has caught on anywhere there’s a body of water,” says Matt Minich, editorial director of Bootprints.com, a weekly sports and adventure newsletter . He says the sport’s easier than surfing and can be mastered by most anyone. Some paddle boarders even do…
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In other words, from the beginning of the Bush administration, during which the erosion of middle-class income and the growth of super-rich income accelerated to a gap difficult to bridge. Obama has been hamstrung since day one, although he really should have abandoned bipartisanship when he had the chance in his first two years. Will the middle class remember who’s really to blame? America’s middle-class earners lost significant ground during the last decade as their incomes dropped for the first extended period since World War II, according to a report released Wednesday by the Pew Research Center. The decade also…
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There’s no better advocate for disabled kids and adults than fully engaged, lovingly encouraging parents. And when they’re no longer there for them, it’s up to the state — and some states are better advocates than others. From the moment Marjorie Sullivan Lee learned her newborn son, Kevin, had Down syndrome she became his advocate. Dismissing her pediatrician’s suggestion that Kevin be placed in an institution, Lee and her husband, John, decided Kevin would grow up at home with his five older siblings and be part of the community. That wasn’t necessarily the norm in 1960. Lee battled school officials…
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My church, St Nicholas Episcopal, is located in Elk Grove Village. We run a food pantry 3 Wednesdays a month. I think a lot of our guests would be very surprised to find themselves part of a “culture of dependency.” I think Romney’s appearance in the village, aside from its convenience to O’Hare, is less to do with doing a gun-and-run fundraising appearance and more to do with supporting Reprehensible Joe Walsh (R-Anthrax)’s campaign to retain his seat against the very formidable Tammy Duckworth (D-Gave Her Legs For Her Country). They had a face-off for the Trib editorial board— apparently…
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A friend of mine passed away last week, I got the word via email while we were still on the train journey from Montana to Illinois. Father Paul T. Brouilette was a fine priest, a great preacher, and a terrific musician. He played guitar, and a mean banjo – he had a Pete Seeger model, complete with "this machine kills fascists" motto. He was also an avid runner before being diagnosed with liver disease almost 2 years ago. It’s been a long, slow fight, and we had some hope when he was approved for a transplant. But then the match…
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Glacier National Park is incredibly beautiful. Congress needs to fund NPS better. # Whitefish is a fun town and a good base for exploring the area. Also, GREAT BEER. #fb # We saw a bear by the road yesterday. A BEAR, people. Munchin berries and ignoring us. #fb # We've also seen 2 Gee-whiz cars on park roads. Like Pringlemobiles for bears: self driving snack cans. #fb # Glacier National Park won't have any glaciers by 2020 at current melt rates. #climatechange http://t.co/YXdO2Vwb # Mosque shooter: does this mug shot make me look crazy? http://t.co/ZmMz4bu3 http://t.co/GkFdCCkF # Future travel: book…
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Actually slept last night and a bit this morning. It’s a pretty rough ride, though the people are nice. And heck, the steward just brought us mimosas. Doesnt help the people who’ll miss their connections in Chicago, but it’s pleasant to drink and watch the morning roll by. I saw where @RuthieGledhill (UK religion journalist) was complaining about a "foul, noisy" train between Chester and Euston and pronounced herself glad that Virgin Trains had lost the rights to run an entire area of the UK’s British Rail system. Wonder what she’d make of Amtrak and BNSF? It sure seems that…
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Somewhere west of Harlem, MT — Stopped again on a siding, probably waiting for another freight train with higher priority to go by. These are probably the Bear Paw Mountains, or maybe the Little Rockies, according to my Roadside Geology Montana book. Soon the sleeping car attendants will start making the rooms up for what passes for sleep on the train. We’re currently delayed at least 6 hours. No telling how much of the time I’ll be wakeful or snoreful. Or whether I’ll have cell service (David’s been able to get some stuff done, though). Good night! Via: Flickr Title:…