I created the “Connecting the Dots” blog site to investigate and interpret a global range of topics from an international, and personally quirky, perspective.
My topics in “Connecting the Dots” include politics, the environment, fun issues, social issues and anything else that catches my attention. I hope you enjoy them, and will join me through your comments.
I inaugurated the “GOLDEN FLEECE AWARD” some time ago, which rewards the most stupid, inept, criminal and just plain dumb activities of public officials and others, everywhere. I have now added another award, the “GOLDEN EAGLE AWARD”, which celebrates remarkably positive activities of public officials and others. I would appreciate your help in identifying great examples of both.
Trump has promised to eliminate the Department of Education. In 1786, Thomas Jefferson wrote to a colleague about public education: “NO OTHER SURE FOUNDATION …
Peru’s new megaport has been built by the Chinese. It is part of their worldwide strategy, called “Belt and Road” which pores millions of dollars …
“I am an American with Hispanic heritage”. That was a response from someone living close to the border between the U.S. and Mexico, who was …
Following a traditional path used by traders and invaders, the Georgia Military Road has been a passageway for people and ideas since antiquity. The …
Whisky lover and author Charlie MacLean has made a life out of rating Scotch whisky. Here are his favourite ways to enjoy a dram, from …
Smaller than gondolas, “sandoli” are ancient boats that have been used by everyday Venetians for centuries. Today, they whisk travellers to quiet corners Venice where …
Tarantulas. The global arachnid trade is threatening the world’s most famous spider species, and it’s primarily driven by souvenir collectors. With their eight beady eyes …
Ghosts! Every country has its ghost stories, its mythical monsters, and its ghoulish urban legends. But the United Kingdom – the home of the Gothic …
Election prediction is obviously not my forte. My gut had told me it might be a landslide, and I was right. The only problem was …
Beginning in 1943, the War Department published a series of pamphlets for U.S. Army personnel in the European theater of World War II. Titled Army Talks, …
