Back again:
After a short trip (in days, not miles). It's refreshing to get out and see America, even if just for a short time, especially on the 4th of July.
I was reminded today by a mention in Al's Morning Meeting of the wonderful E-Podunk website that highlights small town America. A nice place to go for old postcards, information about towns (including, now, census data), and special features like one on the Erie Canal. I'm even more impressed with E-Podunk now that I've found out it is run by former journalists.
Also ran into a couple sites today highlighting places I love: Finger Lakes Region provides (finally) a guide to this wonderful upstate New York area of wineries, lakes, and history (underground railroad and women's movement, especially).
And Apalachicola Bay area, guide to Apalachicola and St. George's Island area of the Florida Panhandle (white beaches, oysters, and more history).
It's nice to be able to look up information about places like this. There are hundreds more great sites like this out there.

The Philadelphia Inquirer did a very interesting story yesterday on The Smoking Gun. This site does something that daily newspaper reporters don't always get to do: they go to the courthouse and get the documents. Basic journalism.

And, if you missed it, Glenn Garvin's profile of Bill O'Reilly in The Miami Herald this weekend is worth a read. Too bad the Web version doesn't have the 1970s photo of O'Reilly as a Catholic high school teacher in Miami, all blue-eyed, long-haired intensity (well, not TOO long). One of his former students:
"And, yeah, he could be a smart aleck. I laugh when I see him on TV now because he's exactly the same way he was back then.''