No, I am not being held in Guantanamo Bay without trial. In fact quite the opposite... I have somehow been registered for selective service, which means Uncle Sam can call on me in the nation's hour of need. Thanks for your concern Tom, orange isn't my favourite colour.

First of all. Jaf congratulations on getting married. I hope the wedding went well and everyone got pissed.

Second. May I offer my insincerest apologies for not updating the blog for more than 2 months. There's no excuse except laziness and I happen to think that's a good excuse. Anyway I'll try to fill you in on what happened in March...

Here's a picture of a relatively small truck in Wisconsin. Americans fulfil their need for emblematic expression by decorating their vehicles and houses with flags. I'm not sure what would inspire someone to fly a flag from the roof of their car but it's actually quite common.

This is the crowning achievement of 20th century food manufacturing. According to the Krispy Kreme website each one of these doughnuts is 200 calories, a superb energy source. That works out at 0.25c per calorie which is bloody good value and that's why I'm now a donut fiend.

Here's me back at Savannah Ridge... feeling pretty happy with myself after eating 5 Krispy Kreme donuts.

This is the Chicago Blackhawks vs. Vancouver Canucks game. Ice hockey is to field hockey what destruction derby is to F1 racing. There are no rules except that the game is stopped every so often probably so the TV networks can run ad breaks. The referees adopt a laissez-faire philosophy towards violence on the rink. They are only supposed to intervene when a player has lost his footing and fallen on the ice. The fights are shown on the big screen so that the bloodthirsty fans can more closely observe this tragic mockery of sport.

For St. Pat's day they dyed the Chicago River green. The environmental impact is minimal because Chicago River has no ecosystem to speak of. On this day there was a parade, the streets were packed with people wearing green, and the bars were packed with people wearing green pretending they like guinness. Tis Irish, to be sure to be sure... That big white building is the Sheraton hotel where we stayed a little while ago.

Here is one of the stunning views of Chicago from the John Hancock observatory. To the east is Lake Michigan. Just below is one of Chicago's two beaches.

Here's me I think I just spoiled a nice sunset picture.

What a magnificent view of a beautiful city. It's a tribute to the glory of capitalism and the genius of humanity. However this picture fills me with melancholy because it can't last. One day the oil will run out (almost half is already gone and there's no more) and the cars will stop and the lights will dim and the planes won't take off. The energy shortage will cause those who own capital to more vigorously conquer the remaining resources so that they can continue the destructive business of production, which is the basis for their existence, and further subjugate those who don't hold capital power. This will begin the decline of the empire, which has now extended itself to wherever there is a market... blah blah blah I think I'd like to eat a donut now.