Elsewhere

The smell of smoke on the air in San Vicente. Hot, close, almost no breeze. Bananas ripening, pugua ready, and yellow flowers on vines and laburnam trees ( a/k/a golden shower trees).
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While we're consumed in Saipan with the daily soap opera of our local government, the world has many other facets worth paying attention to.

An Icelandic volcano has put forth such a massive ash cloud that airports across Europe have been shut down for three days.

The U.S. has indicted some top level Blackwater officials. Blackwater was a CIA contractor providing "security" in Afghanistan and Iraq, but several of its people were involved in shootings that led to federal investigations.


There is a new meaning to the phrase "self-educated." So much real education is available online these days. I'm still exploring Khan Academy, which I read about in our local newspaper (teen section). It seems like there is a lot more free education to be had.