Vietnam War Veterans Day

    Today, March 29, the United States of America commemorate National Vietnam War Veterans Day. It was on this day in 1973 that the last of U.S. combat troops departed South Vietnam and the last American prisoners of war were repatriated. The day honors the nine million American men and women – more than six million of whom are living today – who served on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces during our involvement in Vietnam from November 1, 1955 to May 7, 1975.

     It's been a long time since there's been an update to this blog. The reasons are many, including competing activities, health issues and lack of time. Nevertheless, Greg and Kitty are now ready to give it another go.

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    You may recall that we lived in Italy for many years. For much of that time, Kitty was very active in the American Women's Association of Rome (AWAR). In December 2000, AWAR organized a New Year's Eve celebration at a seaside resort in the Basilicata region. It was quite a nice event with entertainers, music and dancing. Here are a few photos:

    We were reminded of this event recently because we ran across this article by Tony Perrottet in the February 2014 issue the Smithsonian magazine (The Cave Dwellers). While we were in Basilicata, we took the opportunity to visit Matera. It is a truly fascinating spot where people are living and working in caves that have been occupied for 9,000 years.

Once the “shame of Italy,” the ancient warren of natural caves in Matera may be Europe’s most dramatic story of rebirth

Why Is There a Bump in the NC/Va Border?

Another interesting little bit about the history of North Carolina (from Our State magazine):

Why Is There a Bump in the NC/Va Border?

The Invasion of the Underclad Undergrads

Given all the bad press that North Carolina has received in recent months, it's nice to recall that there is a time and place for fun and games, even here (from Our State magazine).

The Invasion of the Underclad Undergrads

CFFS Luncheon on 31 January 2017

Greg attended a luncheon the Carolina Friends of the Foreign Service on Tuesday, 31 January 2017 at the University Club in Durham.

The speaker was Jeff Spinner-Halev, Kenan Eminent Professor of Political Ethics, Department of Political Science, University of  North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The topic of his talk was Changing Demographic Trends and their Impact on Israeli Domestic and Foreign Policies.

See more at: http://carolinafriendsforeignservice.blogspot.com.

Farm impasse at climate talks threatens goal to end hunger

Here's an important issue that must be addressed if the Sustainable Development Goals are to be met:

A lack of progress on agricultural issues at the U.N. climate talks in Morocco puts at risk efforts to help farmers adapt to climate change and meet a global goal to end hunger by 2030, the head of the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization said on Wednesday.

See the full article by Megan Rowling at the Thomson Reuters Foundation:

Agriculture remains at the periphery of the talks, mired in outdated arguments, says UN food agency head

The Importance of Wildlife Conservation

Greg has an interest in wildlife conservation that was sparked in his pre-teen years, probably by reading Edgar Rice Burroughs’ stories of Tarzan and life in the jungle and the adventures of Martin and Osa Johnson on safari in various parts of the world. He felt strongly enough about this cause that he used money he earned from baby-sitting, lawn mowing and other chores for neighbors to make contributions to the National Wildlife Federation (NWF). To this day, he is still a member and continues to support the NWF.

Here's some information about NWF from an article by Mark Wexler in the National Wildlife magazine:

February 5, 2016, marked the 80th anniversary of the National Wildlife Federation. On that date eight decades ago, a diverse coalition of hunters, anglers, farmers, gardeners and other outdoor enthusiasts were meeting in Washington, D.C., at the nation’s first North American Wildlife Conference, convened by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. At the time, drought and the Depression were taking a heavy toll on the country’s natural resources, so delegates to the historic meeting united to form a new organization that would become a powerful voice for wildlife. “No one should conceive that the question of wildlife conservation is limited only to the interests of sportsmen and bird lovers,” said NWF’s first president, Pulitzer Prize–winning political cartoonist J.N. “Ding” Darling, who saw wildlife as “a vital element in our existence.” Still true to that view, the National Wildlife Federation is working harder than ever to safeguard wildlife and wild lands for future generations.

See more at: NWF Guardians of Abundance