Post Number 1102 … And Counting.

It slipped by me, but the other day was my 1100th post on this blog. And in the 6-plus years since I started, according to Google, readership has grown modestly, but steadily. It’s still relatively small potatoes in the blogosphere, of course, but no matter. I write about what interests me — mostly, but not always, about train travel or travel in general.
Back a few years, I sometimes strayed into non-travel areas and occasionally into political topics. That drew an admonishment from a regular reader in Kansas who sits, shall we say, on the opposite side of the political spectrum from where I reside. Still, he had a point and I have tried to stay away from politics ever since … the exception being when the conservatives try to cripple or kill Amtrak by cutting or eliminating the railroad’s annual subsidy, which is short-sighted, selfish and dumb.
And, sorry, but I cannot and will not hide the fact that I have nothing but contempt for Florida congressman John Mica, who constantly seeks to advance his political career by pandering to the ignorant and uninformed — unfortunately still a majority in his district — with frivolous, nonsensical and self-serving attacks on Amtrak.
All that said, at some time in the fairly near future, I’m going to stop using this restrictive, limiting and balky Google format and switch over to my own honest-to-God web site. It will allow more flexibility with graphics and photos, and will make it easy to find earlier posts on specific topics for those of you who might wish to do so.
There will also be a page to promote the 4th edition of my book, All Aboard – The Complete North American Train Travel Guide, which is due out in early December.  The link will be direct to my publisher, Chicago Review Press, and not to Amazon. As you may know, Amazon is threatening to withhold or delay the sale of books by authors and from publishers who will not accept Amazon’s  ruthlessly lowball offers. So the hell with them!
I’m about to take off on another extended trip, with lots of train travel, so the switchover to the new site won’t happen for another month or so. When it does, I have been assured that it will be automatic and painless for all you good folks.
Let me just finish by saying that I truly appreciate each and every one of you. That you would choose to spend time here is quite humbling and I shall continue to do my best to make it worthwhile.
 
Aloha pumehana.