Steven Knipp's article on the man/woman in the street in Iran should be required reading for any who thinks that the antagonisms of world leaders is reflective of the average citizen. What a wonderfully revealing piece of journalism, both in the writing and the photography. I am honored to be associated with journalism at this level.

Tony Tedeschi

I'm pulled in two directions, this January 2nd. Today begins my get-rid-of-the-stomach diet and increased exercise regimen and I just finished reading Bill Scheller's article on Swartz's Montreal deli. Having eaten at Schwartz's -- only once, vs Bill's 27 years worth -- all I can say is the memories of that smoked brisket -- so well reconstituted in Bill's article -- would have put the barely nascent diet in jeopardy if Montreal were not an 11-hour car ride from my home. Ah well, back to the oil-less salad.

Tony Tedeschi

I just wanted to say how much I've enjoyed the opportunity to publish my novella, "A Patent of Nobility," online in naturaltraveler.  I'll miss getting out my weekly serial installments, and can only hope that the next time you hear about Venice from me, it will be when I post a story live from the Serenissima itself.  

Northern Vermont has gotten its first big snowfall of the season -- two snowfalls, actually -- yesterday's was a fine, blowing snow, and overnight a light, fluffy powder began to fall.  It's still falling, which means the roof will have to be raked several times today, the car that lives outside will have to be dug out, the mailboxes will have to be cleared or else Wayne the rural delivery driver will read us the riot act, and the birch branches hanging over the one lane road leading up to the house will have to be cut or else Stanley the plow guy will scratch his truck.  Meanwhile, Kay has been busy on the web handling logistics for a trip to Eleuthera in March.  She gets the easy jobs ... but I'm not complaining; so far it looks like the best beginning of a ski season in years.

A friend who read my recent piece on climbing Mt. Mansfield was confused over one of the sentences at the end, which seemed to indicate that my wife had had our dog put to sleep.  Not so -- it was the lady who gave us the cookies whose dog had been put to sleep, and the cookies were his last meal.  Max, my dog -- he's partly pictured with me on the contributors' page of nt.com -- is just fine, although he just can't hold down turkey skin.  We learn this every Thanksgiving, and promptly forget.

Pedro Pereira, who has contributed a number of articles to naturaltraveler.com over the years (most recently about Vermont in issue No. 11), is also a highly accomplished singer/songwriter. And while we might be accused of being somewhat biased about a fellow contributor and good friend, the unbiased third party opinions are universally positive for his debut CD, "Last Man on the Planet." For the latest rave review, visit the following:

http://www.harmony-central.com/articles/reviews/pedropereira_lastman/

You can hear selections of Pedro's music at: myspace.com/pedromusic

and/or order copies of the CD at: cdbaby.com/cd/pedropereira

Labels: Music

If a Pimentel guitar weren't so beautiful to look at, you might be so caught up in ogling that you didn't take a strum. Once you have run your fingers across the strings, you realize you have beheld not only beauty but substance. How you get there is the subject of my article "Scouring the Landscape for a Musical Match," in Issue 16 of naturaltraveler.com. Tone becomes an obsession when you play a musical instrument and even if you think you have found your musical match, the quest for tone becomes an end in itself. A Pimental is definitely a significant step in that quest. Read on at:

http://naturaltraveler.com/article.php?issue=2007/11/16&article=pimental_guitar

To hear a bit of what it sounds like visit: http://myspace.com/stuckinthesixties and choose the track: "Where Are You Now?"

Labels: Albuquerque, guitar, New Mexico, Pimentel