I have been a Lakewoodian, of the Washingtonian variety, since my uncle (Sam) brought me out in 1986. I do, however, have a son in Portland, so I spend some time "commuting" down that way. Lately that commute has involved longer and longer trips about and beyond. We've put about 12,000 miles on "Harvey" since November, and spend about 10 days a month on the road. Life is good. Our mid-June foray into our neighborhood to the North was aborted, however, by an unfortunate attack of gallstones for my wife. Once that is resolved, however, we're looking for cooler climes.

A well reasoned argument is like a diamond: impervious to corruption and crystal clear - and infinitely rarer.

Here, as elsewhere, people are outraged at what feels like a rigged game -- an economy that won't respond, a democracy that won't listen, and a financial sector that holds all the cards. - Robert Reich