In January 2007, I published my story about a strange 24-hour layover in France in early November 2006. I was sent by Air France to a fake Wild West hotel at EuroDisney and then had a hostile screening from an Air France security guard before boarding my flight. In response to the out-of-control interview, I alerted my member of Congress, who complained to France’s U.S. Ambassador. In December 2006, the ambassador apologized for what he called “degrading treatment,” which I endured for no legitimate reasons. The experience highlighted for me the need to challenge abuses of authority, at home and abroad.

A beautiful run on Dec. 26, 2006, prompted this poem. Somehow, the longing gazes I received from two huskies triggered this response. It has been a long while since I have written anything in this form. I make no promises that I respected any known convention of poetry.

In November 2006, I published highlights of my delightful and completely tourist-oriented trip to Italy, which I visited in October and November 2006. The Italians' appreciation of good food, simple pleasures, and their rich cultural heritage was positively contagious. Moreover, I have never tasted a finer cappuccino anywhere in the world than in Italy. Bellissimo!

Upon my first anniversary of having lived a full year in Anchorage, Alaska, I published my Alaska photo essays, on Aug. 8, 2005. The essays focus on how I see the Frontier State, its defining issues, its character, and its charms. I have provided small written essays with each chapter as well. Anchorage, my newly adopted home town, gets a big thumbs up.

In April 2005, I published my photos and a short essay focussing on Egypt, which I visited in November and December 2004. The bulk of my photographs are non-editorial, and instead focus on the country's rich Christian legacy. The country's Copts are among the world's oldest Christian groups, and they continue to thrive, despite pressures from radical Islamic groups, who have gained a deep foothold in Egyptian society since the early 1900s.

In March 2005, I published a very light-hearted personal account of my good times skate skiing in Anchorage, Alaska, one of the world's finest locations for this most-enjoyable of winter sports. (Note: the file is 1,150 kbs.) This story is formatted in Word, for the sake of speed.

In February 2004, I visited the State of Israel and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. Sadly, I have little if anything positive to say about my trip to Israel and the Occupied Territories. I found almost no hope and an abundance of despair, depression, fear, hatred, and racism (read why). Jordan proved exceedingly pleasant, due to stunning scenery and incredible hospitality I encountered. For those moved by history, the region is fabulous. In December 2003, I published a short collection of images taken in the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. (What a fabulous place it is, too.)

In July, 2002, I reorganized my documentary photo projects on human rights, in which I focussed on three cases of genocide in the 20th century. Currently, my photo series on the Holocaust and Rwanda (as well as the Armenian genocide) can now be accessed from a new grouping of these stories. My explanation why I no longer focus on these complex human rights issues is found on my epilogue page.

As always, for those who think this is all too "serious," please go to the handstand link from my portfolio page; the link is located at the bottom of the page. The page now includes photos taken in front of classic monuments in Istanbul and Athens.