Miscellaneous: President Jimmy Carter dies at 100

President Carter died last week at the age of 100. His presidency was marked by a number of crises, particularly the Iran Hostage Crisis, as it came to be known, and ongoing rampant inflation. It was during this period and the preceding Ford administration that I remember getting 9% interest or more on a certificate of deposit.Opinions of Carter as a president appear to be mixed, but he seems to have been almost universally respected for his activities after he left office, particularly his devotion of a great deal of time to Habitat for Humanity. Perhaps he wasn't very effective as a political leader, but I'd much rather have another Jimmy Carter in the White House than the criminal soon to take over there. RIP

On the Road--Down South: Plains, Georgia (June 17, 2013)

After leaving the Andersonville Prison site, I found myself passing through Plains, Georgia, home of former President Jimmy Carter. It's a tiny town. I stopped briefly to have a look around, visiting a little antique mall. On a table near the entrance I noticed a small black cat curled up, napping in an enameled bowl. The woman working in the mall told me the cat naps there every day. She said that President Carter had been in town the day before. Carter's original campaign headquarters, in a train depot, is preserved. There appears to be a large Carter historical center on the edge of town, but I moved on west and south, heading for the Eufaula National Wildlife Refuge.