Go South, Young Woman

It's that time again. Time for our daughter to head back to college. We came to South Florida on Thursday, visited my brother & his family for a few days and my daughter moved into her dorm yesterday.



Last year was a difficult transition for us all, with our daughter starting college in Miami. As I noted back then, she had never been away from home much, so the idea of leaving home was both exciting and terrifying for her. This year, not so much. There was still a little trepidation on her part because she had such a good summer, so having to leave friends and family to go so far away caused some angst. It didn't help that a few of her close friends transferred to schools in or around Philly. On our end, it's also been a little easier and harder. Her summer job (selling kitchen knives, no less) ended up being a wonderful experience for her and we saw her mature and gain confidence in herself as she honed her sales skills. We had a good summer together, so it's sad to see summer end and her leave. On the other hand, it's easier to say good-bye, knowing she's better able to handle herself on her own.

While we were here, we got to see (sort of) the Discovery shuttle launch the other night. We headed outside at midnight, to see the sky light up after the launch and hear the lift off -- even though we're almost 2 hours away. That was an unexpected treat.

I'm also staying a few extra days to hang out, while my husband left for a trip to NYC with his brother & brother-in-law to see an Earth, Wind & Fire & Chicago concert and then head to the US Open tomorrow. Before the concert, he's having dinner with EWF -- our brother-in-law, who's from LA, knows a few of the musicians in the group. If I'm nice, my daughter will let me take her shopping for a few forgotten items and take her to lunch.

Looking for Treasure

Before I left for vacation, I remarked to friends that Las Vegas is probably on the top of my list of places that I'd rather not visit. However, my in-laws are celebrating their 50th Anniversary next month & the kids decided to hold the family vacation in Vegas this year so that we could combine the vacation and renewal of vows (and get a little gambling in for those who indulge).

The ceremony/reception was lovely, with all of the 5 children participating. My husband, as the oldest, was the best man. My brother-in-law, who is a minister, performed the ceremony. All of the grandkids also took part. I was one of the few in the audience, along with a few close friends & relatives who came along.

My husband & I aren't gamblers, so Vegas is not really the place for us. I couldn't believe that there were slot machines at the end of the runway when we deplaned. I'm only surprised that the bathrooms didn't have mini-slots, since they pervaded every other possible spot. To me, the non-stop gaming activity was an assault on the senses. With the temperatures over 100 degrees every day, there wasn't much else available -- even the pool was off limits until late afternoon.

We stayed at Treasure Island and visited the casinos that mimicked Paris & Venice. I've been to both cities several times, so I have to admit that I was pretty condescending about the thought of a Vegas Paris or Venice. The commercialization was a bit over the top, but the trompe l'oeil was decent. I went through the Venetian early one morning before the stores opened, so the effects were pretty good.

One evening, the ladies all went to see Menopause, The Musical, which was delightful. Another day, we wandered around old Las Vegas in the downtown section, which I enjoyed much more than the built-up strip. I even visited a few pawn shops, trying to benefit from someone's else's bad luck. I managed to find a good deal on a piece of jewelry, natch.


A number of people insisted that I at least try my hand at gambling, so I wagered $2. on the slots, which I promptly lost & quit for good. If I'm going to spend my money, I at least want to have something to show for it. All I have to say is: Las Vegas -- oy, what a place.

Eat, Drink & Be Merry

So, my hectic social life continues unabated. I'm normally a homebody, with an occasional night out, but lately I've been out almost every night, either for a client meeting or a social event.

In fact, I've been out to dinner so much in the last week or so that I could write a food blog. In the last week alone, I've been to Cooper's in Manayunk, Bocia in Mount Airy, a new restaurant in Roxborough twice, Sole 2 Soul, and had dinner at the Germantown Cricket Club.

Except for the Cricket Club, all of the restaurants are relatively new and are BYOB. Our favorite (thus, the second excursion) is Sole 2 Soul. It's just the kind of place that Ridge Avenue in Roxborough needs -- good food, nice setting. My daughter (who works nearby) is actually the one who discovered the place and we all went there last Friday. My husband & I returned last week again on our own, since we enjoyed the meal so much. The menu features a lot of seafood (which I don't eat), so my husband can get his fill. My blackened chicken breast was very tasty as well.

Cooper's Brick Oven Wine Bar is the sister restaurant to Jake's. We all had gourmet pizza and salad, which was good, but not anything special. Unlike Craig LaBan, I'm not a fan of the crackery flatbread pizza. I prefer stretchy pizza dough, even if it's pulled thin for margarita pizza. Our friends liked it more than we did.

Thursday was our anniversary (21 years of marriage/38 years togetherness), so we dined at Bacio. Again, my husband had seafood, Filet of Talapia, which he loved and I had a delicious chicken parmigiana. The service was so slow that the chef sent out a beef salad gratis while we waited. We were in no hurry, so it was no big deal for us. We'd definitely go back.

On the 4th, we opted for a restful day -- a day relaxing at the pool, followed by a BBQ in our yard, with a late night dip in our hottub, sipping wine. We could hear the fireworks in the background, so it was a fab 4th.

Tomorrow we're off for our family vacation. This year we're going to a place that topped my list of vacation spots I don't want to see -- Las Vegas. We don't gamble, but everyone says it's still a fun place to go. My in-laws are renewing their vows on their 50th Anniversary and we're doing it up in Las Vegas. I'll see if I can find some hidden treasure at Treasure Island Hotel and Casino.

A Six-Pack & A Snowball

Back to the snow-filled City of Philly after our trip south. My husband is still high on the thrill of attending the Super Bowl, with an exciting win for his team, the Steelers. He & my brother (the two Daves) had fabulous seats (so they tell me) -- 18 rows back, near the 30 yard line. They saw all of the major action up close & personal.

And surprise of all surprises, I even watched the game. Even to my non-sports eyes, it was an exciting game. I was so happy for my husband that he got to be there for such a good game -- with the right outcome, of course.

I may not have gone to the game, but I got to spend some time with my family (including the daughter, who's a little homesick after her Christmas break). Of course, the weather cooled off a bit while I was there, but it was still a treat compared to the Welcome Home snow that greeted me on my return.



I spent a few days visiting my parents, so my on-line time was very limited -- they still use dial-up. In a way, it was a good thing. I got a chance to enjoy a good book without the usual breaks to see what's happening on-line.

Snow Be Gone

The snow, rain & ice even has our bamboo trees drooping. The holidays are over and spring feels like it will never come. It's that time of year when the winter doldrums have arrived.

So, when the call came last night, it wasn't just welcome news for my husband. My brother called to say that he had 2 tickets to the Super Bowl, and that means that he & my husband will be headed to Tampa this week-end to see the Steelers. My sister-in-law's family has connections and they managed to score tickets. My husband is, shall we say, ecstatic -- he's a big Steeler's fan, after all.

And I'm not staying behind, that's for sure! I'm certainly not going to the game, but we'll fly into South Florida and I'll be tagging along so I can spend a long week-end with my daughter, who's back in school in Miami. And I'll also get to visit my parents, who are there for the winter.

Ever since they won the playoff game, my husband has been rooting for Sixburgh:

(Cartoon via Rob Rogers)

It's Christmas Time Again

One of the nice thing about families being spread about is that it can extend the holiday season a bit longer. Visits to and from relatives out of town allows for Christmas to be celebrated all over again as the family gathers together.

We are back from a trip to visit my husband's family in Pittsburgh. We had our Christmas dinner on Saturday, followed by our annual Christmas gift exchange. I got to open my antique moonstone bracelet all over again, with oohs & aahs (since it was also a present from my mother-in-law, among others).

The long week-end was made even merrier by the fact that DavePhilly, who is a big Steelers fan, got to enjoy a big win with his Pittsburgh friends and my daughter, an Eagles fan, likewise enjoyed a victory ( and both teams managed to make the play-offs). And, of course, I'm happy because they both were.

This weekend my brother & his family visits, so we get to do it one more time.

It was a Chelsea Morning

It was a Chelsea Morning, from our Room with a View.



I may have mixed literary metaphors, but our retreat was a successful mix of sun, fun and work. We held our retreat at the new The Chelsea Hotel in Atlantic City, with a Stephen Starr culinary week-end. We dined at the Chelsea Prime and Buddakan Atlantic City. And we had breakfast each morning at Teplitzky's, also at the Chelsea. Excellent meals all, with the always great Starr ambiance.

The Hotel was a fun, funky treat for our retreat. Our ocean front view of the sun rise from our '50s style room was the perfect touch for the week-end. The service of the Hotel staff was superb, which added to the pleasure of a relaxing, pampered week-end. For more on the newest addition to the AC scene, see The New Hamptons?


And yet, beyond our beautiful boundary, Atlantic City still needs to catch up with its potential. As I wandered the beach this morning, I couldn't help but feel that this picture captured the essence of much of AC:

Greetings from Atlantic City

It's that time of year again. Time for our annual LLWL (Lady Lawyers Who Lunch) retreat. Our group ushers in fall with a time to reflect on our past year's accomplishments and plan for the future of our Gang. We've gone from the Mountains of Mohonk to the Beautiful Beaches of Cape May in past years.

This year for various reasons we decided to stay close by, so we picked the garish glory of Atlantic City. Because we stuck close to home, we added a facilitator to our group meeting, to help us focus on the joint goals of our group. In between, some people gambled, walked the boardwalk, enjoyed the ocean and relaxed by the pool at our hotel.

My husband and I met in Atlantic City oh these many years ago (37, to be exact) and the AC of today ain't nothing like I remember from way back then. In fact, I haven't been back since then, so it's hardly the AC I remember!

On the other hand, once you look more closely around, there's still a lot of the old AC under the garish glitter.



However, the beach itself is beautiful and the boardwalk does provide an interesting mix of old and new.

The Audacity of Audacity

There's the audacity of hope, the mantra of Barack Obama. Then there's the audacity of audacity.

The quote of the day is this:

Customs Deputy Commissioner Jayson P. Ahern said the efforts "do not infringe on Americans' privacy."

Ahern is referring to the disclosure of the Homeland Security's policy that allows border patrol agents to confiscate laptops and other electronic equipment of anyone ( citizens or not) for any reason -- with or without suspicion of wrongdoing.

It seems like a long time ago, in a land far, far away, but there was a time when this country had laws -- and constitutional protections. No more. We have empty words of freedom liberty, contrasted with absolute government control.

I've touched on the issue of the loss of rights as we travel before. The latest iteration is reported in the Washington Post, Travelers' Laptops May Be Detained At Border:

Federal agents may take a traveler's laptop computer or other electronic device to an off-site location for an unspecified period of time without any suspicion of wrongdoing, as part of border search policies the Department of Homeland Security recently disclosed.

Also, officials may share copies of the laptop's contents with other agencies and private entities for language translation, data decryption or other reasons, according to the policies, dated July 16 and issued by two DHS agencies, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

"The policies . . . are truly alarming," said Sen. Russell Feingold (D-Wis.), who is probing the government's border search practices. He said he intends to introduce legislation soon that would require reasonable suspicion for border searches, as well as prohibit profiling on race, religion or national origin.

DHS officials said the newly disclosed policies -- which apply to anyone entering the country, including U.S. citizens -- are reasonable and necessary to prevent terrorism. Officials said such procedures have long been in place but were disclosed last month because of public interest in the matter.

And please explain to me how this is NOT an infringement on our privacy, as Ahern asserts? Your personal information is subject to seizure by the government at any time without justification and that doesn't infringe privacy rights? I guess it depends on the meaning of privacy. And if you have none, there can be no infringement.

Of course, I am also sure that this disclosure of the border search rules no doubt means that the rules also apply to travel within the borders of these United States -- we just haven't been told about them yet. One thing at a time. Once the liberals stop whining about the border searches of laptops, the word will come out that the same steps are necessary for all travel -- for our protection, of course. And -- it won't infringe our privacy either.

As Balloon Juice said, addressing this and other related violations of our liberties:

And I could go on and on. There are far more serious and dangerous violations of your civil liberties happening every day done in the name of safety and the war on drugs and the war on terror, all committed by nameless, faceless, and unaccountable folks, and there is really nothing you can do about it. Fight back and you will be shot or tasered to death, or jailed for resisting arrest if you are lucky. And no one, that I can tell, other than Russ Feingold, the corpse of William kunstler, a few folks at Reason magazine, and some DFH’s, seems to give a shit.

See also, Brendan Calling, who believes that the real goal is "intimidation and anti-government propaganda in action."

Never Can Say Good-bye

It's time to pack up and head home.

Our annual family vacation with my husband's family has come to an end. His family is scattered from one to coast to the other, with a few in-between, so they make an effort to get together annually for the holidays and a summer family vacation. We've been vacationing together at various shore points (mostly) since 1993, from Sea Isle and Bethany Beach to Clearwater, Newport Beach and San Diego. Except for one brother with younger kids, most of our kids are now teens and one just graduated from college in June. Luckily, his family is very close and everyone gets along, so the week is a time for rest, relaxation and fun in the sun.

We usually also come to Sea Isle (or another shore point) in August for a week ourselves, but that doesn't look likely this year. Our daughter will be heading south to start her college career in mid-August and we'll go with to help her get settled in. We'll spend a few days on the beaches in South Florida, but that's not the same.

This will certainly be a year of big changes for us and this may just be the first.




* * *

Another note. One strange thing that I noticed during our week here is the paucity of people (compared to other years) at the shore. This is the height of the summer season, but the beach, the boardwalk and especially the stores, were weirdly empty. This is the best sign for me that the economy really, really sucks.

Morning Has Broken

Dawn breaks on our last day at the shore.

Despite the iffy weather here and there -- and exceedingly cold Ocean waters -- the weather mostly cooperated to provide a perfect beach week (my sunburn can attest to that).

Even better, I didn't have to spend much time on work. A few calls with clients, a few emails and one agreement. Yes, I know -- I'm one of those Type A people, who works on vacation. For me, it's an occupational hazard, especially when you are in a small firm without much back-up to fill in on those matters that just can't wait. What I have gotten better at is figuring out the true emergencies and those that can wait until my return.

Blogging has also been light (both quantity and content), which has matched my relaxed vacation mood. Luckily, there haven't been any major events to distract me from my lite reading (although I saw that a House Judiciary Committee hearing is scheduled for today on impeachment).

Tomorrow, it's back to Philly and the real world. Hopefully, I'll be able to go to the pool to extend the vacation mode a bit longer . . . .

Summer in the City

The sky may be a little overcast as I sit here watching the waves roll in, but it's still my favorite spot to be. A house on the beach in Sea Isle City, New Jersey, is my idea of the perfect vacation. Fun, sun and relaxation.

I almost had an even more relaxing time -- I forgot my laptop at home. It was packed and was sitting on the table in our breakfast room, but in the last minute flurry of getting things together to go, I walked out the door without it. My husband, nice guy that he is, went back to Philly yesterday to get it. He said that he needed to get some other things that he had left behind as well, but I know that he knew I'd be lost without my laptop.

So all is well with my world. The beach, a few books to read -- and my laptop.

Freedom Free Airlines

As I get ready to fly the unfriendly skies, heading home today after our jaunt to Miami for a few days of orientation at South Beach U for our daughter, this is certainly not the article I wanted to see. The US News & World Report, in Seizing Laptops and Cameras Without Cause, reports:

Returning from a vacation to Germany in February, freelance journalist Bill Hogan was selected for additional screening by customs officials at Dulles International Airport outside Washington. Agents searched his luggage, he said, "then they told me that they were impounding my laptop."

Shaken by the encounter, Hogan examined his bags and found the agents had also inspected the memory card from his camera. "It was fortunate that I didn't use [the laptop] for work," he said, "or I would have had to call up all my sources and tell them that the government had just seized their information." When customs offered to return the computer nearly two weeks later, Hogan had it shipped to his lawyer.

Although there are challenges that have been filed in court to this policy, a 9th Circuit Court of Appeals case upheld the right of Customs and Border Protection to conduct searches without reasonable suspicion. Laptop Searches in Airports Draw Fire at Senate Hearing, so I'm not very optimistic.

John Dean also wrote about these issues recently, see Airline Passengers, Beware The Government Does Not Protect Your Rights When You Fly, As a Recent Federal Appellate Decision Attests and Why Congress Must Act to Protect Air Passengers A Lawsuit Brought by Passengers Trapped on the Tarmac Without Basic Necessities.

I've mentioned ad infinitum that I hate to fly, see e.g., Fear of Flying. However, it seems that the indignities only grow as time goes on. People grouse, yet acquiesce to the searches, seizures and dehumanization inflicted on us at airports. Of course, the reality is that we have not choice -- express an objection and security is alerted, leading to a detention, if not arrest. Emboldened, the government and TSA go further, ensuring that we have no privacy or any other rights if we dare decide to board an airplane.

The latest outrage is particularly troubling to me, because my laptop contains client information. That raises issues of attorney-client privilege, which would require me to try to stop the seizure and possible viewing of this information. I can just imagine my objecting to some security person trying to take my laptop and my ending up being taken away in handcuffs. I guess I just have to keep my fingers crossed that I'm not one of the (un)lucky ones.

On another note, luckily lightening didn't strike when I went into the campus chapel for one of the parent's sessions at the University.

South Beach U

Our daughter graduated a few weeks ago, The Graduate, and as I mentioned, she's going to college in Miami. I call it South Beach U.

We visited the school, among others, over spring break, The Whirlwind Tour, and all liked the place. What's not to like about going to college a few miles from South Beach?

The school is having its orientation program this week, so that the students can register for classes, meet their adviser, etc. and get a feel for the place. We're along for the ride. We'll also visit my brother, who lives in Delray Beach.

Believe it or not, the weather is reported to be hotter in Philly than Miami over the next few days. So, we're headed south for cooler climes. And a bit of beach time.

The Whirlwind Tour

We arrived in Fort Lauderdale on Wednesday afternoon, after a delayed trip down (our plane had to return to the gate before take-off when a mechanical problem was found) and since then, we have had a whirlwind tour of South Florida, from Miami to Delray Beach.

Our Spring Break visit has a purpose this year (besides sun and fun) -- our daughter is looking at colleges here. Rather than doing a big trip around the world last year before applying to colleges, we decided to let her apply where ever she wanted and then visit the schools once she was accepted and decided where she was interested. Over the process, she came to the realization that a big school was probably not for her, despite her earlier visions of going to a large college. So that made things a little bit easier. She wants to come to Florida because of the warm weather and the fact that we have family here, so she won't feel like a complete stranger in a strange land.

In between, we've been visiting with family. My cousin, the ex-nun, also happened to be in Miami visiting her brother, so we met her for lunch on Thursday on Lincoln Highway in South Beach for lunch after a college visit in Miami (pictured above). Yesterday we toured a college in Boca, had lunch with my parents who live near Boca and then spent the rest of the day wandering around Delray Beach with my brother, including an arts festival that happens to be there this week-end.

In fact, things have been so busy that I didn't even call my office -- a first for me (of course, a few clients did manage to track me down via my cell and I did check my email). And this is the first time I've had a chance to catch up on all the news and stuff to see everything I missed.

It's That Time of Year

It's March. Spring has sprung. It's that time of year -- time to Head South, Young Woman (OK, so I'm not so young, but I am heading south).

For the past several years, I've managed to harken back to those days of my youth, by going back to Florida for Spring Break. It sure does bring back memories of college days, taking the train to Fort Lauderdale for Spring Break (before I advanced to the trips to the Islands).

I have a brother who lives in South Florida and my parents also live in South Florida most of the year, so an annual family visit is in order. Our college bound daughter is also looking at schools in Florida, so we're off to visit a few campuses.

Up North, Down South

Another retreat has retreated into merely a memory of a good time with a great group of colleagues.

Our 2nd Annual Retreat was a success. See By the Sea, By the Sea, By the Beautiful Sea. We patted ourselves on the back a bit over the various things we accomplished since last year and planned and plotted our strategy for the upcoming year. And last, but certainly not least, we decided on New Mexico for next year's retreat.

Our B&B, The Southern Mansion, was spectacular. As someone said, it was definitely my kind of place. The history of the place says:

In 1863, the Philadelphia industrialist George Allen built an American bracket, post and beam villa on the island of Cape May. Designed by the internationally acclaimed architect Samuel Sloan and constructed by Henri Phillipi, this seaside palace was used by Allen and his descendants as a country estate for the next 83 years.

After the last of the original owners died, it had a few rough years. It was converted to a boardinghouse until it was shut down after it's license was revoked in the 1980s. It was restored and renovated in 1997. A delightful place to stay.

In between our meeting time, there was golf (and more golf) for some, long walks on the beach (the weather was perfect) and meandering around the "town." We had a book club meeting (we discussed A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini). We also had a short story reading by one of our literary brethren. See Southward Bound.

We also had some delicious meals. We dined at Union Park Dining Room and The Ebbitt Room at the Virginia Hotel.

As The Southern Mansion notes:

In her youth, Cape May was known as "Up North, Down South" due to her status as a favorite destination for antebellum southern gentry. During this period Cape May initiated the architectural and social trends of southern cities of the mid-1800's.

Up or down, a great place to be.

By the Sea, By the Sea, By the Beautiful Sea

From the Mountains of Mohonk, A Castle Retreat, to the Beaches of Cape May, The Southern Mansion, it's the time of year to reflect on fall and fun.

As I put it last year:

The Lady Lawyers Who Lunch (a/k/a my officemates) have decided to take a long lunch. We are off for a long week-end retreat. A little business, a little booze, a lot of fun.

This one, as anyone who knows me can guess, was my pick. What better setting than a restored Cape May mansion built circa 1860, set on one and a half acres of gardens, centrally located in the historic district, within a 5 minute walk to the best beaches, shops and restaurants.

I'm especially looking forward to this retreat/respite, since I need to have surgery (not major) in the next week or so. In fact, tests, doctor's appointments (coupled with a daughter who had to get strep throat at the same time) caused me to have to delay my trip to the shore by a day.

The Velveeta Capers

Philly blogger (and Daily News Journalist) Will Bunch, of the superb online blog Attytood, was on Keith Olbermann's Countdown, discussing the inexplicable coincidence of increase in terror alerts whenever there is bad news coming out relating to the Bush Administration. See Attytood on your TV set.

The video is available at Crooks and Liars: Creating Terror Scares. Bunch's appearance is also mocked by Dan Rubin of the Inquirer, who writes about it at his blog, Goodnight, Mr. Bunch.

Attytood follows up his on-air discussion with an acknowledgment by CNN that the latest terrorist alerts issued by the TSA -- the "dry runs" were bogus (and they were aware of this when the alerts were issued, see Told ya so, Part 1: CNN says "just kidding" after terror scare.

And, I also discovered that Blinq is back! Great news.

Tags: News and Media, Journalism, TSA

The Genius of the Constitution

The timing of the ruling was perfect to allow for one of those teaching moments. On our way back to Philly from our Poconos vacation, we passed the Hazelton exit on Route 80. My daughter studied immigration rights issues last year at school, see Love Park Rally, so it was just the right opportunity to discuss the recent opinion and my favorite quote:

U.S. District Judge James Munley ruled Thursday that the law usurped the federal government's exclusive power to regulate immigration and deprived residents of their constitutional right to due process.

'The genius of our Constitution is that it provides rights even to those who evoke the least sympathy from the general public,' Munley wrote in a 206-page opinion.

See Judge strikes down Hazleton's tough anti-illegal immigration law. I was able to describe the decision, as reported by The Scranton Times:

U.S. District Judge James Munley found fault with just about every aspect of Hazleton's Illegal Immigration Relief Act, which he struck down Thursday in a 206-page opinion that declared states and municipalities have no business trying to stem illegal immigration.

Munley's decision is a road map for judges 'inclined to find in favor of immigrant advocates,' said Peter Spiro, who teaches immigration law at Temple University.

'This is a big victory for immigrants rights advocates, to have a slam dunk in the first major case addressing one of these ordinances,' he said. 'They could hardly have asked for more.'"

* * * *

"Even if federal law did not conflict with Hazleton's measures, the city could not enact an ordinance that violates rights the Constitution guarantees to every person in the United States, whether legal resident or not," Munley wrote.

Munley also wrote that Hazleton's law was at odds with current federal immigration policy, which he said avoids "excessive enforcement" against illegal immigrants so as not to jeopardize foreign relations. Hazleton, he said, failed to consider "the implications of the ordinances on foreign policy."

An editorial in the Scranton Times, Hazleton still part of United States, observed that mayor Barletta is expected to run for congress. Now I get all the grandstanding. I thought it was just simple bigotry in action. See also, The Pennsylvania Progressive: Judge Dismisses Barletta's Bigotry.

As an aside, I must say that the changing "complexion" (pun intended) of the Poconos was amazing -- and I'm not talking about the foliage. The influx of non-whites in that area was quite surprising. It was not that many years ago that the Poconos was a white enclave, with hardly a person of color, never mind substantial numbers of immigrants. This was KKK country, at least in certain parts. Shortly after we arrived, my brother-in-law came back from a trips to the local WalMart to pick up supplies and observed with some shock the ratio of non-whites at the store.

Shaun Mullen of Kiko's House (who also spent last week in the Poconos), reported some time ago on the disgrace of the sweatshops that have populated that area, with a raid on a number of businesses who were employing illegal immigrants, see The Poconos: From Paradise to Sweatshops and Update on the Poconos Sweatshop Scandal.

For more on the other side of the Pocono area, see The Poconos & It's Sick Obsession With Guns.

Tags: Civil Liberties, Law, Immigration, Pennsylvania