Back in Santiago, it is warm, fortunately. Southern Chile is prized and one can see why, but I must admit I prefer Mediterranean climates and larger towns. One striking feature of the south, however, is the number of locals wearing mountaineering gear and Vibram soles. This is not something I had seen elsewhere in the … More Pleno sur

Today on this Patagonian isle it stopped raining long enough for a hike in the stunning national park, ending on a wild beach with grassy dunes. I also discovered a very hip bar with wi-fi, of all things, and I am there now. This enables me to write, over a fast connection, on the very … More Friday Night Luxury

Today it is raining in northern Patagonia, and I am drinking tea. One might think this is excellent posting weather, but it is not. Computer connections are slow, and people wait in line to use them. This not being a travel weblog, I am not attempting to make any sort of general report. I will … More Solstice

It appears there may be some traffic when I finally arrive at my destination, since I will coincide with the funeral of Augusto Pinochet. He will not have a state funeral, but only a military one. Gott sei Dank, as my aunt would have said, and Alhamdulillahi, as we would have said in my Arabic … More Orlando Letelier

I Tasneem Khalil is has a new weblog. This is excellent news. I discovered his old site utterly by chance, and was fascinated for technical, literary, and artistic reasons, as well as the interesting and articulate content. Then the site disappeared, and I was concerned. Khalil is a journalist who writes on, among other things, … More Tasneem Khalil

As soon as I put up this notice, I will call my favorite spa and schedule a manicure. For Saturday, I should think. The following Saturday, when I am in town, I think I will buy lingerie. While it is true that normally, I buy things like trees, clippers, and ladders, and while I covet … More Fetch Me My Lacy Underwear

To me, today, as it does many days, but especially in the last week of classes, No Child Left Behind means sitting in review sessions explaining study techniques and reading strategies I learned in a public elementary school of medium quality. We are doing things like finding topic sentences. I am also explaining, and explaining … More All Children Blew Minds

You are The Empress: Beauty, happiness, pleasure, success, luxury, dissipation. The Empress is associated with Venus, the feminine planet, so it represents, beauty, charm, pleasure, luxury, and delight. You may be good at home decorating, art or anything to do with making things beautiful. The Empress is a creator, be it creation of life, of … More The Empress

I “Officers on the scene had reason to believe that an altercation involving a firearm was about to happen and were trying to stop it,” Michael Bloomberg said. Right, so they fired 50 bullets into this unarmed novio and his two friends. Novio and friends brushed against someone’s shin with their car, and hit another … More Why I Do Not Need a Pistol

Bush twin Barbara was robbed in Buenos Aires Wednesday. The Chicago Tribune reports this, but mentions only the UNICEF aspect of Jenna’s visit to the wilds of Paraguay last month. I have already brought attention to Wonkette’s October post on this matter, but I will do so again. Around the same time, the Truthista said … More Barbara’s Purse and Jenna’s Bush