What Ukrainian Leaders Secretly Feel About Trump and US Assistance
My goal this month was to find and describe for you the location of the legendary Biblical city of Sodom. But stuff happens. And after all, Sodom will still be… Read More
Lew Toulmin, PhD, FRGS
Lew Toulmin, PhD, FRGS, is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and of The Explorers Club. He has worked in 30 developing countries and traveled to 145 of the world’s 196 nations. He and his wife Susan live in Silver Spring.
The Search for Sodom: Part 1
Most Americans have heard the Biblical tale of Sodom and Gomorrah, sinful cities destroyed with fire and brimstone by God, who spared only Lot and some of his family. So,… Read More
The Great Race Crosses Maryland: Part 2
Last month I described the Great Race, the classic car rally run each year across different routes in North America. Today I’ll cover the highlights of the 2024 Great Race… Read More
The Great Race: The Coolest Car Event You Never Heard Of (Part 1)
The Great Race got started in 1983, when three car nuts decided to stage an antique car rally from Knotts Berry Farm near Los Angeles all the way to the… Read More
Utah’s Greatest Parks Part 3
Recall from the last two months of Travel Tales that in the spring of 2024 my wife and I drove through 500 miles of terrific parks in southern Utah. We… Read More
Utah’s Greatest Parks Part 2: Capitol Reef to Bryce Canyon
Recall from last month’s column that in the spring of 2024 my wife and I drove through 500 miles of fabulous parks in southern Utah. The second leg of our… Read More
Utah’s Greatest Parks Part 1
My wife and I have always had the Utah parks on our “to do bucket list”, and this past spring we filled the bucket to the brim. We spent nine… Read More
Ukraine War SitRep, Part 3
Last month I provided a Situation Report (SitRep) on the Ukraine war in the areas of geography; air; sea; cyber/comms; information; infrastructure/petro; and economic warfare. This month I will analyze… Read More
Ukraine War SitRep, Part 2
Who is winning the war in Ukraine? Everyone knows the answer, right? The Situation Report (SitRep) is that Ukraine is losing, correct? Maybe. Let’s figure it out. To do this,… Read More
Good, Bad and Surprising News from the War in Ukraine, Part 1
This past month the war in Ukraine passed five important but terrible milestones: two years since the war began; 400,000 Russian soldiers killed or very seriously wounded; about 180,000 Ukrainian… Read More
The Ligon Family History, Part 3
A Royal Refuge, Brideshead Revisited, and a 170-Year-Long Lawsuit Recall from two earlier monthly columns that Thomas Ligon/Lygon, the progenitor of the American Ligon line, is my proven great-g-g-g-g-g-g-g-g-grandfather, and… Read More
The Ligon Family Reunion at Madresfield Court, Part 2
In July 2023 I was privileged and lucky to be able to attend the reunion of the Ligon/Lygon family at the astounding Madresfield Court, in Worcestershire, England. As described in… Read More