This song, by award-winning inspirational artists Wayne Burton and Jenny Jordan Frogley, so beautifully expresses what I wish for everyone in the coming year and beyond. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

When I say that the display of lights in Dunedin, Florida was moving, I’m not talking about the “bring you to tears” kind of moving. I mean they were literally moving – on the water. At Dunedin’s annual Holiday Boat Parade last night, thousands of people gathered on the waterfront to watch perhaps three dozen wildly decorated boats sail into the marina.

From Christmas trees to an American flag, boats were decked out in all manner of themes

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The pure white sand on Siesta Key Beach makes for a realistic snowman

I have long said that our values are out of whack in this country, that we covet material things to an unhealthy degree and spend needlessly in a futile attempt to feel better about ourselves. It seems I am not alone in this belief. Reverend Billy, along with his mock-religious Stop Shopping Gospel Choir, has made it his mission in life to spread the message of evil consumerism, proclaiming that “our current financial crisis is nothing short of a shopocalypse.”

Last year the good Reverend released “What Would Jesus Buy,” a documentary film that attacked our consumer culture, in which his antics get him escorted out of the Mall of America and arrested … at Disneyland. Variety Magazine called the documentary “seriously hilarious” and the Austin Chronicle said it was “as entertaining as it is jaw-dropping.” Check out the trailer for the video below:

The Reverend isn’t a real minister. He is Read the rest of this entry »

I was surprised, during my recent ‘leaf-peeping’ trip to the Northeast, to discover a plethora of travel-related bargains. Two years ago, I could not have traveled in the U.S. and stayed in hotels – even if I stuck to the more modest mom and pop motels – for much less than $200 per day, including meals. Yet on this trip I averaged around $100 per day, including food. Most rooms were priced between $60-65 per night and in a few cases I was able to find acceptable accommodations for as little as $35 per night.

That started me wondering whether the recent economic downturn has created an unexpected silver lining for travelers. The short answer is a very definitive YES!

First, consider that the dollar, which a year ago was performing dismally against almost all foreign currencies, has regained some of its former oomph! The Mexican peso has dropped to its weakest level ever against the dollar, as has the Brazilian real. The Argentine peso, which was already at Read the rest of this entry »

For days I’ve been unsuccessfully searching for an appropriate message or video to post here on Christmas Day, but nothing seemed quite right. Then, this morning I stopped by the web site “WhereTheHellIsMatt.com.” According to Matt’s website, he is a “30-year-old deadbeat from Connecticut who used to think that all he ever wanted to do in life was make and play video games.” He embarked upon a successful career designing video games but soon realized there was more to life than making money. In 2003 he quit his job and used his savings to wander around the world until the money ran out. Along the way he came up with the idea of dancing everywhere he went and recording it on his video camera. He posted the video on his website and soon became known as “the guy who dances.” Matt dances very badly, but most people don’t seem to mind.

Now Matt and his buddies have made a video named the “Gratitude Dance,” which begins by stating that we spend so much time focusing on what’s missing in our lives that we lose sight of the many amazing things that are already in our lives. Read the rest of this entry »

Ask anyone if they think Christmas has become too commercial and they will most likely answer with an unequivocal “YES!” Stores bring out the Christmas decorations earlier every year. Kids’ wish lists get longer and pricier. Parents go deeper into debt each year. Christmas morning dawns to frenzied ripping of gift wrapping, with the contents of each package barely examined before being discarded in favor of the next package. By noon the gifts have been abandoned, and the kids head for the hills as soon as Christmas dinner is finished. Not unexpectedly, the true spirit of Christmas is often lost in all this.

The message of Christmas – love – is one that everyone should be able to appreciate, regardless of his or her religion, but each year I find it more difficult to feel the spirit. Fortunately, I always travel home to Illinois to spend this holiday with my family and the impending visit gets me excited. This year is no different. Read the rest of this entry »

There is no direct route between the Outer Banks and northern Illinois. National Parks and the Smoky Mountains block the way, thus the major Interstates drift either either north or south, and I always struggle with which route to take. This time, since the forecast called for no ice or snow, I decided to go through the mountains of West Virginia. The foothills of the Smokies began in northwestern North Carolina as I approached the twin towns of Pilot Mountain, with its distinctive knob-topped mountain, and Mount Airy. The signs here are a dead giveaway: Route 52 is “Andy Griffith Parkway” and the most famous diner in town is “Aunt Bea’s.” If you haven’t figured it out by now, the town of Mayberry on the Andy Griffith Show was modeled after Mount Airy, and when Andy occasionally made reference to “going down to Mount Pilot,” he was referring to Pilot Mountain. Read the rest of this entry »

OK, here’s a guy who’s at least as wacky as me. This is my friend Matt, trying to be funny in study hall as his girlfriend videotapes him:

I met Matt some nine or ten years ago when his parents, Annette and Steve, decided to purchase a home on the Outer Banks and they selected me as their real estate agent. On that first occasion of showing them property, Steve and Annette had their big black lab with them, so they followed me around in their car rather than riding with me, but Matt asked if he could ride with me. This adorable seven or eight-year old child stepped into my car and announced, “I’m not like other kids; I like escargot.” Read the rest of this entry »