California Should Ignore Republican Bigots

The Attorney Generals of ten states have asked the California Supreme Court to stay its decision on gay marriages until after the voters have had a chance to ban gay marriages by constitutional amendment in November. The ten AGs are all Republicans. That's no surprise. The attorney general of the state of California, Jerry Brown, has told the court not to issue a stay. Lets hope California listens to Brown and not to the Republican bigots.

Small "d" democracy is not always a good thing. It's not a good thing to submit the rights of a minority to a popular vote. If you have a constitution that guarantees equal rights to all, then the very notion of a constitutional amendment that takes away rights of some should be out of order on its face. You can't have an amendment that goes against the rest of the document, it seems to me.

PHOTO: The spectacular Gothic cathedral in Leon, Spain. Wait until you see some of the beautiful stianed glass!

Jim

A poem for Scott

After listening to two nights of shocked MSM revelations about Scott McClellan, I had a few revelations of my own. Nothing as terribly earth shattering as I am sure poor Scott has been through. Still, I thought I would put a few of them into words. They seemed to flow together very easily like poetry in my head.

I have been Jewish every day of my life and I love my relegion (this isn't the poem yet). One thing about us Jews, we are introspective to a fault. We can't help but examine ourselves and constantly ask questions on top of questions. So I am curious how Scott came to the part of his life that has facilitated his own self examination. First a thought from my Bar Mitzvah speech and a very famous Jewish Philosopher, relegious teacher and scholar, Hillel:

"If I am not for myself, who will be for me. If I am only for myself, what am I? If not now, when?" And also "That which is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow."

Pretty profound statements to live by, even in today's "enlightened society". Using the above as my guide, I thought to myself what it must be like to be the conscience of Scott McClellan.

Thus the poem.

Title: My Conscience Thought

Under a blue White House sky, reality is breached and bent.
We're not sure where it went or if it was ever there at all.

The questions we have are many and varied.

What happened to the levies, why weren't they steadied?

What made a war and why are innocents dying?

Why are children left behind with their teachers crying?

Why has the land continued to be ravaged?

What happened to jobs and our economy, both have been savaged.

Our soldiers reflect our souls and should be advantaged.

When did torture become ok?

How did we ever get this way?

Scott, is your conscience clear?

Perhaps you waited to speak out of fear.

A lie is a lie even if it is spin.

The public has a right to know the trouble we're in.

For the next Scott McClellan, take heed of these thoughts.

Virtue and morals should not be bought.

Was the job worth it? It isn't too late, be there for others and try not to hate.

That's the end of this poem. Unfortunately I don't have a pithy ending because unfortunately too many politicians and Americans have not become introspective enough to ask some hard questions.

Five years too late Scott....

Seems like the root of our problems as a society; we don't ask questions first, we do what's easy and just look for answers and actions. Maybe if the American public started thinking more critically, we'd have fewer problems that seem so overwhelming. The main stream media isn't doing it for us people!

M

McClellan Is Believable

Scott McClellan never struck me as being the brightest bulb in the closet. I always thought of him as someone who was clearly in over his head as White House Press Secretary. So, I'm inclined to believe him when he says that he was duped by Rove and Libby, and that he only lost faith in Bush after Bush admitted that he broke his own word about security leaks by actually ordering leaks to further his (Bush's) political agenda. McClellan's tell all book is all the more powerful precisely because it comes across as truthful and believable, even if it's hard to understand how someone could be so naive as Scotty.

PHOTO: A view of mountainous Northwestern Spain

"Straight Talk" derailed

So much for the old "Straight Talk Express". Hopefully Senator Clinton will jump out of the fray now and let Barack Obama take center stage against the next onslaught of Republican nonsense.

Marc

Neocon Accomplishments

I am reprinting this from a post I just saw on Crooks and Liars. it's brilliant. Essentially, it says that the Neocons are highly competent politicians. Here's a wonderful list of their accomplishments:

Iraq War 2 (and probably Gulf War 1)
The deaths of almost 1 million Iraqis and displacement of 4 million refugees
$130/bbl oil bringing obscene record profits to oil industry
Taken Iraqi oil off the market


Kept Iraq from opening non-US dollar bourse


Stacked the Supreme Court with Neocons with a cake-walk confirmation


Escaping justice for numerous domestic and International War crimes


Escaping impeachment with collusion of key Democrats (fellow CFR members)


Enriched the war machine & Military Industrial Complex


Installed 2 Attorney Generals who would block investigations and supeaonas and ignore whistle-blowers


Gutted Habeas Corpus


Rationalized torture


Conveniently misplaced trillions (Sept 10th, 2001) and later billions of dollars


Reestablished record breaking opium production in Afghanistan


Implemented extraordinary rendition and secret torture camps


Manipulated - Stole 2000 and 2004 elections


Used hoaxed Niger Yellow-cake “evidence” with no political repercussions.


Lied about Iraqi WMD’s - with cartoons and drawings.


Lied about Jessica Lynch-Pat Tillman


Working on reigniting Russian-American Cold War (Russian bomber flights, etc)


Gutted independent officer corps


Christianization of the military


Moving towards Full Spectrum Dominance paradigm and capability for military


Massive expenditures for Chem-Bio, Space Weapons, Internet cybercorps


Intimidation (or willful cooperation) of Media & Business


Permanent military bases in Iraq and gigantic US embassy


Passed Patriot Act after convenient Anthrax and Manchurian-style Sniper attacks


Passed Military Commissions Act


Unprecedented use of signing statements to usurp Congress


Hide Continuity of Government plans from Congress


Massive debt to break government (and public)


Electronic surveillance and massive databases


Illegal warrantless wiretaps


First-rate mercenary forces enriched and empowered - and trained


Broke Posse Comitatus precedent with Blackwater and US military domestic deployment


Blinding of America to Iranian nuclear program by collapsing US intelligence efforts


Decimated New Orleans post-Katrina (dry-run for martial law)


Coopted Justice Department


Turned over key regulatory agencies to the foxes of industry (ex. Mining, Forestry)


Freed Scooter Libby with no political cost


Bankruptcy “reform” that made it harder to restart in the event of disaster


Two-Hundred billion dollar bailouts of financial industry


No Child Left Behind and other Orwellian named govt initiatives


Garnered cooperation of fellow CFR and Trilateral Democrats to enable agenda


Unending blank checks from Congress


Bailed out the Crooked mortgage industry from subprime housing collapse


Convenient benefiting from a “New Pearl Harbor”


Pulled a sham Investigation on 9-11 over on the public for a paltry $15 million
But the piece de resistance - Conning the American public that they are incompetent.



And you honestly believe that sacrificing 3000 civilians on 9/11 and an ongoing body count currently at 4010+ troops to achieve their goals is beyond them both ethically and logistically?

Wake up.

What more do you want to qualify them as a success? Most people think they are incompetent because they are operating according to a different game-plan, or paradigm, than the normal person. Normal people wouldn’t operate at this level of corruption and genuine evil. These people are expert Machiavellian psychopaths (with a strong dose of Straussian Noble Lie telling) and to attempt to associate normal behaviors to them is an exercise in futility. You absolutely CANNOT continue to believe that the administration is incompetent - they are completely competent and shocking us into accepting a fascist version of America (just like Prescott Bush and his cohorts in the financial elite and industrialists tried in the 1930s).

And I'll add one I didn't see in the post: it's all of the stuff you DON'T see the government doing, like investing in our infrastructure, schools, school lunches, those that can't help themselves.....

PS The shot above is from Venice, Italy. It was great to go there and it does remind me that things always do change, time has a way of wearing away everything, including the Neocons.

PSS I forgot to add one more thing: the Neocons have also done a top notch job of derailing equal rights for all and recognizing unions such as gay marriage. They've also done a wonderful job sucking up to big healthcare and pharma and taken a dump on things like healthcare for kids.

I can't completely blame the Neocons and their enablers though, the Democrats also helped....

Happy Anniversary To Us!

We met on Memorial Day in 1983. Therefore, our anniversary is a floater, just like the Memorial Day holiday itself. This year we'll be celebrating all summer - why not? After all, twenty five years together is worth celebrating!

Jim

Mrs. Clinton - Was THAT Remark Really Necessary?

Hillary has now stated what many of us fear might happen but what we won't even consider uttering because the prospect is so horrible - that an assassin's bullet will once again alter the course of American politics. Why was it necessary for her to go there?

Jim

Cherry Grove Offshore Rainbow

Click on the picture to enlarge this so you can see it better - a beautiful offshore rainbow!

Americans React to $4 A Gallon Gasoline

In Today's New York Times:

Americans have started trading their gas guzzlers for smaller cars, making fewer
trips to the mall and, wherever possible, riding public transportation to
work.

Duh. You don't say?

Jim

PHOTO: The interior of the Parador at Santiago de Compostela - quite fancy!

Ellen DeGeneres Pressures McCain On Marriage Equality

Ellen has really become one of my heroes recently. I was really touched when she used her national TV show to plea for the lives of young gays and lesbians after the murder of Lawrence King. Now she is putting it to John McCain on the issue of marriage equality, making the case personally and publicly that McCain's position is wrong. Good for her!

It's the Memorial Day holiday and the unofficial beginning of summer, and gas prices are, of course, off the charts. I was driving on Long Island yesterday, and regular gas is selling for $4.05 a gallon. Meanwhile, oil company profits are also off the charts. When will the American people say "Enough!"

On the political front, it seems as though Mrs. Clinton has once again returned to the nasty type of campaigning against Obama that some had thought she had moderated recently. Mrs. Clinton has no support with the left wing of the Democratic Party or the blogosphere. She is widely thought to be on a campaign to destroy Obama in the hope that he will lost the election and she can then be in a position to run in 2012. This is pretty sour stuff but Mrs. Clinton doesn't seem to care how she is thought of.

Jim

PHOTO: Another of the beautiful courtyards at the Parador in Santiago de Compostela, Spain.

The Impending Energy Crisis

Oil at $150.00 a barrel, gasoline at $6.00 a gallon or more...this will be a "full blown energy crisis," according to one NBC News analyst. As I wrote to Dan this morning the way it looks we may have taken our last airline flight for a long time. American Airlines in now going to charge for checked bags and oil keeps going up and up. The airlines will have to raise fares drastically to keep up with rising fuel costs. Last night on the NBC evening news analysts predicted gasoline will be $6.00 a gallon by the end of the summer and may even go to $12.00 a gallon in the near future! Small cars are now (finally) becoming in demand. Some analysts think that the rising cost of oil will filter down into everything we buy and cause an economic crisis. WOW...where does it all end?

Jim

PHOTO: Dan booked us into two beautiful Paradors during our recent trip to Spain. Paradors are Spain's official chain of luxury hotels usually situated in historic structures. This one in Santiago de Compostela is a large former dormatory for pilgrims that has four beautiful interior courtyards.

Ted Kennedy: An American Hero

Senator Kennedy is an American hero, a champion those of Americans who lack the power, wealth, and position to advance their own situation. No one has been more of a public champion in government for the gay community than this man. I wish him well as he battles his health issue. He certainly has fought many battles for us.

Jim

PHOTO: Fox kit from last year's litter - this photograph was taken at this time last year near the Sunken Forest on Fire Island.

Oviedo Festival Video

We arrived in Oviedo, Spain to find a local day-long festival taking place. It was fun to see the parade through town, that included several different bands and many marchers in folk costumes.

Jim

Hillary Should Gag Geraldine Ferraro

Hillary Clinton supporter Geraldine Ferraro was on the "Today" show this morning being interviewed along with another younger woman correspondent. The question was about whether Hillary's gender worked against her and if that is why she is losing to Obama. Ferraro would not shut up. The other young woman barely got a word in edgewise. Ferraro was shrill, obnoxious, and repulsive, plain and simple. If Ferraro continues to get air time it can only cost Mrs. Clinton more votes. Perhaps Hillary can arrange for Geraldine and Bill to go on an extended vacation before either of them does more damage to her campaign.

Jim

PHOTOS: The small but charming gothic cathedral in Oviedo, Spain (sandstone construction,) and a popular street in Oviedo lined with "sideria" restaurants that specialize in serving the local cider and local foods.

Gay Marriage: Some Things Never Change

Erica Jong on gay marriage over at Huffington:

So hurrah for California and Massachusetts. Let's hope the anti-gay lunatic
fringe eventually sees gay marriage as a blessing not a curse. It certainly
promotes stability and family. And it's certainly good for kids.
But the truth is the anti-gays don't think rationally. They need their wedge issues to
distract the populace from reality. Anti-gay rhetoric is a useful political
smokescreen. It obscures the fact that the rich are getting richer and that
nobody gives a hoot about the poor. Whenever people get exercised about sex --
suspect the truth: they want to pick your pocket.

Obama Gets It On Energy

From Google AFB News:

Pitching his message to Oregon's environmentally-conscious voters, Obama
called on the United States to "lead by example" on global warming, and develop
new technologies at home which could be exported to developing countries.
"We can't drive our SUVs and eat as much as we want and keep our homes on 72 degrees at all times ... and then just expect that other countries are going to say OK,"
Obama said."That's not leadership. That's not going to happen," he
added.

Cherry Grove Realities: Oil Price Realities

New York Times columnist Paul Krugman writes today:

If Europe’s example is any guide, here are the two secrets of coping with
expensive oil: own fuel-efficient cars, and don’t drive them too much.

We just came back from a trip to Spain during which we rented a car and drove it for about 300 miles. The car was a Nissan compact but it had plenty of room for the two of us and our bags and it got great gas mileage. That was a good thing because gas was probably about $7 or $8 a gallon. It way past time for Americans to abandon their gas guzzlers, trucks and SUVs. Pretty soon they will have no choice. Our own car is a Saturn compact SUV with a manual transmission and it gets excellent gas mileage, when we drive it, which is less and less. Krugman is right: this is the future for Americans - smaller cars and less driving. Get used to it.

At our Community Association meeting yesterday, it was announced that there would be no Daminex program this year because there is no money for it. Daminex is a pesticide that kills deer ticks that carry Lime Disease. The program costs $8,000 a year for the entire community. Funny how there are some very wealthy people here in Cherry Grove...wealthy enough to buy and refurbish big businesses like the Ice Palace, Top Of The Bay, etc. but there is no money for programs that benefit the people who live here. As usual, what really matters in Cherry Grove is what is good for the bars and businesses. The people who own homes here are just a footnote to what is the real reason d'etre for the Grove.

Jim

PHOTO: Beach Plum in bloom on the Fire Island dunes

Cherry Grove Community Organization Meets

One of the joys of being on Fire Island in the Spring is the flora. For a few short weeks, the dunes look like they're snow covered but it's not snow, it's Beach Plum blossoms. The blossoms start out pure white, then the blossoms turn pinkish as they mature. In a few weeks the blossoms are gone.

Earlier today I went to the first joint meeting of the season of the Cherry Grove Community Association and the Property Owner's Association. Due to lack of money there will be no "Community Welcome Back" party. There was a lot of talk about the Doctor's Fund, which is promoting their own cookbook to raise money. The Doctor's Fund endeavors to provide the community with doctors during the summer, although if you have anything other than a minor issue you really have to seek medical help on Long Island. There was also lots of talk about the boardwalks, and a lecture from a member of the Cherry Grove volunteer fire department on safety. The Property Owner's Association president talked a lot about his efforts to get politicians to help with various problems that confront the community.

Cherry Grove is a small vacation community. Most of us live here only half of the year and few of us vote here, so we're pretty much powerless and largely at the mercy of the Town of Brookhaven on Long Island, which has political and fiscal control over us. So, we spend a lot of time and effort out here trying to raise money to help ourselves out. It's just the way it is out here in this summertime community.

Jim

Decompressing After The Trip

I'm still feeling a bit of jet lag after our return from Spain a couple of days ago. However, the weather here on Fire Island yesterday was so beautiful that you could not help but feel better no matter what. I took a couple of long walks with the dog on the beach and spent some time sunning in the afternoon. Today looks like another winner weather-wise.

PHOTO: Asturian shoes worn as part of a folk costume in Oviedo, Spain.

Gay Is Good For Animals

One thing that does seem to be exclusive to humans is homophobia.

...from an article in today's New York Times on scientific research confirming that for many animal species homosexuality is a natural occurrence. Apparently only humans are capable of irrational bigotry and hatred, but that's not really a surprise, is it?

Jim

Gay Marriage Legal In California

"the California Supreme Court may have created a laboratory to test once and for
all just how powerful this issue really is"

- news analyst Adam Nagourney in the New York Times.

We returned home from Spain (where we could have legally married each other) to the wonderful news that the California Supreme Court ruled that the state's ban on gay marriages is unconstitutional. Now we'll have to see if the ruling stands or if the anti-gay marriage forces are able to pass a constitutional amendment which would trump the ruling. To his great credit, the governor, Mr. Schwarzenegger is publicly on record as opposing the amendment. Meanwhile the effect of the ruling on the presidential campaign is being pondered by the pundits. It's too bad that neither Mr. Obama nor Mrs. Clinton are prepared to do the right thing and support gay marriage. So much for courage and leadership, attributes which once again finish second place to political calculations.

Jim

Zarzuela Last Evening - Road Trip Today

We enjoyed a fine Zarzuela performance, of Torroba's "Luisa Fernanda," at the Teatro Campoamor Tuesday evening. Today we drive south from Ovideo to Leon for our flight back to Madrid. The trip is winding down now but we'll be returning with many nice memories of our experiences here in Spain this time around.

Jim

A Festival In Asturias

Sometimes travelers seem to have little luck and dark days; on this trip we've had lost baggage, closed attractions and a couple of colds, no doubt caught on airplanes.

However, today in Oviedo was another banner day when we 'lucked out' and stumbled upon a festival, held every year in this sleepy capital of Asturias. While crossing the park to visit the Gothic cathedral again we encountered a parade of musicians and follk dancers, all dressed in the colorful costumes of the region. Some of the bands played jazz favorites by W. C. Handy, but others wowed the crowds with Spanish melodies and bagpipe songs. (Follow Jim's videos of the live music tommorow.)

After enjoying the myriad sights and sounds we decided to have lunch in the area where the Siderias abound. They are restaurants and bars where new, potent cider is poured by expert waiters who hold the bottles high above their heads, and without looking at the tilted glasses held in their other hand, pour the cider into the glass. Despite their expert aim, much of the foamy cider lands on the floor. We have found out that there are even cider-pouring contests at certain times of the year. The food is also excellent, based on rich red wines (tintos), a huge variety of cheeses, seafoods and meats.

Dan

The Seafood Delicacies Of NW Spain

The Northwest of Spain has to be one of the best places in the world for seafood lovers. The restaurant windows in Santiago are filled with fresh catches from the sea including lobsters, crabs, and fish. However, some unusual and expensive delicacies are also served, including razor clams, and the most unusual and tasty Percebes, or goose barnacles.

Here is part of what writer Bill Cassleman has to say about Percebes:

The percebe is a delicious, edible gooseneck barnacle. Seafood lovers
proclaim the succulent lusciousness of its slippery, slurpable innards make
percebes earth’s best-tasting seafood. This opinion holds sway throughout Spain,
said to consume more seafood per person than any country in the world.

I had the opportunity to sample this dish at the Parador in Santiago while we were staying there. An appetizer plate for one costs $75.00 but they were worth it. To me they have a wonderful subtle flavor all their own, as does escargot!

Jim

PHOTO: The Percebes by Hans Hillewaert (Wiki Commons)

Oviedo: Low Key But Nice

Oviedo doesn't get much of a recommendation in our guide book, but a stroll through the town is revealing. First of all, it's a university city, so there is a lot of youthful excitement to be found particularly in the old quarter, where many of the campus facilities are housed in stone buildings that were constructed centuries ago. We happened upon a festival this week which includes free outdoor concerts in addition to the Zarzuela performance that we will see tonight. Oviedo is nestled in a valley surrounded by tall hills. It features a charming Gothic cathedral that has wonderful stained glass windows. The food here is also very good. Last night we had a seafood dinner that featured delicacies such as razor clams and octopus. The restaurant district near the old town is bustling. Our guide book does not do the town justice. It's a charming city in NW Spain that is well worth at least a short visit!

Jim

PHOTOS: Teatro Campoamor, Cathedral, restaurants on the Calle Gascogna

On The Road To Oviedo

We have arrived in Oviedo. The four hour drive from Santiago de Compostela was pleasant with much interesting scenery especially along the Atlantic coast of Spain. We will be attending a performance of Zarzuela tomorrow evening. Today we picked up the tickets after we checked into the hotel. It's warmer and sunny here. I'll post some pictures soon.

Jim

Hillary's "Female Moral Inferiority"

Here is Barbara Ehrenreich (Huffington) on the impact of Ms. Clinton's political tactics:

Hillary Clinton smashed the myth of innate female moral superiority in the
worst possible way -- by demonstrating female moral inferiority. We didn't
really need her racial innuendos and free-floating bellicosity to establish that
women aren't wimps. As a generation of young feminists realizes, the values once
thought to be uniquely and genetically female -- such as compassion and an
aversion to violence -- can be found in either sex, and sometimes it's a man who
best upholds them.

I can't add much to that.

Jim

Authentic Galician Sights And Sounds

One of the traditional musical insturments of the Galician section of Spain is the "gaita," which is a kind of bagpipe. Yesterday we happened upon a wedding celebration outside the town hall in Santiago de Compostela. There were a few musicians playing instruments including the gaita and a man playing a drum. Here is a short video that I shot of the wedding party. Listen to the sounds of the authentic instruments of Northwest Spain.

Beautiful Tourist Friendly Santiago de Compostela!

What a difference a day of travel makes! We're now in NW Spain in Santiago de Compostela. This remarkably beautiful town is as welcoming to tourists as Granada was difficult and frustrating. The town is alive with beautiful architecture, strolling musicians, marriages and other celebrations, and wonderful shops and restaurants. It's also cooler here in the North, so we're wearing our sweaters. We'll have a full day of visiting the many attractions here before we depart for Oviedo tomorrow morning.

Here are photos of the wonderous high Baroque facade of the cathedral and a typical view of the town.

Jim

Hillary As A Champion Of Women

My dear friend Louise wrote to me to explain why she and women in general support Hillary Clinton fervently, and why they don't want her to quit the race:

I was one of the girls who played basketball when girls were allowed to
playonly on one half of the court and not cross the half-court line...a girl was
selected to be either aguard or a forward. I was always selected to be a guard,
which means I nevergot a chance to shoot the ball at the basket. Hillary Clinton
is doing what Iwas never allowed to do...

Louise's point simply put is: Hillary's candidacy in an of itself represents a sort of victory over the oppression of women. If I understand where my friend Louise is coming from, it seems as though many women want her to win because she is a woman, i.e., because of WHAT she is, rather than because of her political record or her positions on the issues, i.e., WHO she is.

Women are oppressed to be sure. This is undeniable and wrong. However, I find it sad that they now find a champion in a woman who was herself publicly embarrassed and emotionally battered by her husband, and whose record on the issues of importance to Americans leaves so much to be desired (her support of the Iraq war, etc.)

The fact is that if Barak Obama's remaining opponent were a man, he would probably have been forced to drop out by now for the sake of Party unity. Hillary cannot win the nomination. She is behind by all measures: pledged delegates, superdelegates, states won, and the popular vote. Obama is the nominee. The Democratic primary race is over. All that remains is for Mrs. Clinton to exit the race gracefully and in such a manner as to insure that her supporters, including women who consider her their champion, support the Democratic Party nominee, Mr. Obama. Destroying Obama now and in the coming weeks with race or class-based innuendo is not the path for her to take. She should leave now while taking the high road, thereby remaining a worthewhile champion of women like my friend Louise.

Jim

More Shame On The Clintons!

Why can't Hillary and Bill exit gracefully instead of once again playing the race card against Obama by suggesting that white voters won't vote for Obama in the general election? The bad taste that the Clinton presidency left in the mouths of many of us is now refreshed with this latest shameful behavior. As Bob Herbert puts it in today's New York Times:

"...class is not a Clinton forte.
But it’s one thing to lack class and a
sense of grace, quite another to deliberately try and wreck the presidential
prospects of your party’s likely nominee — and to do it in a way that has the
potential to undermine the substantial racial progress that has been made in
this country over many years.
The Clintons should be ashamed of themselves.
But they long ago proved to the world that they have no shame. "

No shame indeed! They (the Clintons) are awful.

Jim

Granada For A Day - Probably Enough

We're in Granada today. We left Seville very early this morning and after a three hour train ride, through much rain, we arrived. We had rain here in Granada too at times. We took the city tour but we couldn't visit the only major attraction here (the Moorish palace known as the Alhambra) because it is inundated with tour groups. It seems you have to be a part of a group any more to get into such a popular attraction. It's a good thing we visited and enjoyed the Alcazar in Seville. In fact, Seville is a much nicer town in Southern Spain to visit. So tomorrow we fly to the North where we have tickets for a Zarzuela performance.

The photo of Granada was taken from a vantage point on one of the hills surrounding the city. The other two photos are views of the cathedral in Granada.

On The Move In Southern Spain

This morning we are taking a train from Seville to Granada. The trip takes three hours so we hope it will be a scenic ride through Southern Spain.

Jim

Postcards From Spain VII

Here are some of the sights from our city tour of Seville: The Plaza de Espana, the only remaining section of the old medieval city wall, and the Torre del Oro, which once held treasures from America.

Postcards From Spain VI: Seville

Here are some views of the spectacular Alcazar (royal residence) in the old quarter in Seville. There are many, many interior rooms and an extensive network of beautiful gardens. "Mudejar" is the term for the Moorish influenced architecture.

Postcards From Spain V

We left Madrid for the South of Spain and arrived in warm and sunny Seville around mid-day. Seville is the site of the largest Gothic Cathedral anywhere, and our hotel is located nearby, so we did the tour of the cathedral this afternoon.

Fast Eddie Rendell Needs To Shut Hillary Down

It's over...everyone says so, the blogosphere, the pundits, everyone, but Ms. Clinton. It's time for Ed Rendell and the rest of her die hard supporters to go to her and insist that she pull the plug on her campaign and work for the defeat of McCain. It's over. Period.

Postcards From Spain IV

Additional views of Toledo. The Moorish influenced architecture of the train station in Toledo.

Postcards From Spain III

The architecture of the cathedral in Toledo.

Postcards From Spain II

This is the Plaza Mayor in Madrid, one of the largest and most famous public squares in the city.

Postcards From Spain

A visit to the lovely house and garden of the Spanish painter Sorolla in Madrid.