If aiming at the goal of human rights violations, the US scores once again!

Gulf News writes: "The U.S. government has injected hundreds of foreigners it has deported with dangerous psychotropic drugs against their will to keep them sedated during the trip back to their home country, according to medical records, internal documents and interviews with people who have been drugged."

Before you call the Gulf News biased, you should know that the story was actually reported by the Los Angeles Times-Washington Post News Service. Apparently, the government's forced use of antipsychotic drugs, in people who have no history of mental illness, includes dozens of cases in which the "pre-flight cocktail," as a document calls it, had such a potent effect that federal guards needed a wheelchair to move the slumped deportee onto an airplane.

Federal officials portray sedation as rare and "an act of last resort." (Not the all-inclusive, family-friendly kind of resort mind you.)

Awhile back, I wrote a post about how Langston Hughes' train trip to Mexico to visit his father influenced his poem "A Negro Speaks of Rivers." I recently heard that Katherine Anne Porter's writing is also connected to travel to Mexico, but years before Langston made his way there.

Because May 15 was Porter's birthday (She died September 18, 1980) Garrison Keillor presented a short retrospective on her life during yesterday's "Writer's Almanac . "

Travel changed Porter's life. Prior to her trip to Mexico, on the invite of Mexicans who told her about the revolution that was about to blow, Porter had never been out of the U.S.--she hadn't been much further than Texas where she was born. To head to Mexico in 1919, as a female and alone, was rare.

With the success of her short stories inspired by her Mexico experience, Porter later headed to Europe where she began to write about Texas. As she found, often when you leave your home, that's when you can truly see it and have something to say about it that has any meaning.

The collection Flowering Judas and Other Stories was a result of her Mexico travels. She wrote her novel set in Texas, Noon Wine, in Europe.

Here's a quote from Katherine Anne Porter to enlighten your day as a traveler.

"Miracles are instantaneous, they cannot be summoned, but come of themselves, usually at unlikely moments and to those who least expect them."

Run! Starting today, you can purchase tickets between New York to Toronto for as low as $1 at Trailwaysny.com or Greyhound.com. NeOn, short for New York-Ontario, has two round-trip express schedules each day between New York and Toronto.

NeOn tickets are available for purchase in advance at Trailwaysny.com, Greyhound.com or from a driver before boarding. One-way fares start at $1, plus a booking fee. The highest fare will adjust based on market demand. The earlier passengers purchase their tickets, the lower the fare they receive.

The best part? They offer free Wi-Fi, power outlets and video. Yay! I am convinced it won't be long before even riding a bus is more comfortable than flying.

What do backpackers and South Beach have in common? Easy. They both love thongs. (Not bad, considering I am only on my first cup of coffee today, eh?)

There many many places that come to mind when a visualize a "backpacker destination." South Beach, Florida would not be on that list. Apparently, I am wrong.

This AP article talks about South Beach becoming increasingly more backpacker-friendly, offering affordable hostel accommodation right in the center of it all: "Anywhere between three to 14 travelers are cramped in one room at a hostel, sleeping on bunk beds. A room with 12 beds can run for US$18 a night per person; an eight-bed room is $18; $30-$40 for smaller rooms."

That, interestingly enough, is cheaper than the last Strawberry Daiquiri I ordered in South Beach. I remember paying $16 (and that's way back when the dollar was actually worth something) and they gave it to me in a small plastic cup. Maybe that's why I could never picture South Beach as a backpacker-friendly place...

[via canoe.ca]

As I'm pawing through warm weather clothes and putting winter clothes away, I'm casting some of them off. Eventually, they may end up on the racks at a charity store in Columbus or in a pile at a market someplace in Africa.

Oprah, though, has enough cast-off clothes that she recently opened a store in Chicago so we can buy them. We can also buy her shoes. I have maybe two pairs of shoes that I could let someone buy. Usually, by the time I get rid of shoes, no one would want them. Oprah, though, has dozens. Clothes range from things she's worn to some that maybe hung in her closet until she decided they are a no show--except, of course, on you. They are sold in the Oprah's Closet section of the Oprah Store in Chicago.

To capitalize on all things Oprah, the Oprah Store also has Oprah inspired items--things that a person really needs like items peddled on her Web site. The thing is, I have so many Jamie things, that if I bought an Oprah thing, my house would explode.

If you do buy Oprah's old things, the money does go to Oprah's charity--the Angel Network. My stuff is heading to Volunteers of America. They'll come get it. [Listen to recent Weekend Edition story on NPR]

Norfolk, Nebraska, hometown of Johnny Carson of the Tonight Show, will host the first ever Great American Comedy Festival as a tribute to Johnny and the stuff that makes us laugh. Comedy big time professionals like Robert Klein and Eddie Brill will perform throughout June 16-22. Others have been performed in venues like the Tonight Show, David Letterman and the Last Comic Standing.

For people who aspire to break into comedy there's a chance for you to get discovered at the Amateur Hour Competition.

If you want to hone your craft, there are workshops to help make you more funny than your friends tell you that you are. Eddie Brill who is David Letterman's talent coordinator is offering a one-day workshop. For speech and drama teachers, there's a free improv workshop. If you want to up your odds on making it on a game show, there's even a workshop to help you do that.

If you're between 14-19, you can attend a week long comedy youth camp. This looks like a terrific opportunity for some young person, and as week-long camps go, the price is right. Now, if they'd only do an adult version.

The festival is designed so you can see as little or as much of it as you want. You pay for tickets to the events you want to see and some are free.

Wow. How amazing is this photo? The colours are perfect--deep reddish gold over purple shaded mountains framed by the black trees. Jason Bechtel took this photo of the sunset over the Jemez Mountains at the Santa Fe National Forest in New Mexico, and he did a great job, don't you think?

Have a photo that could compare? Submit it to our Gadling Flickr Pool.

Grand Canyon National Park is undoubtedly one of the most photogenic places. Even though I have seen hundreds of Grand Canyon photos, I never get tired of them. (OK, I will admit that sometimes, I get tired of those same old sunset pictures.)

This shot by emland particularly struck me: with its hard line somewhere "between heaven and hell." Incredibly dramatic.

***To have your photo considered for the Gadling Photo of the Day, go over to the Gadling Flickr Pool and post it. Make sure it is not copyrighted, otherwise we can't post it here.***

If one roll of duct tape is handy for taking care of almost everything but the kitchen sink--oh, wait, you can use it for that too, how about what happens when there are rolls and rolls of the stuff? Head to the Avon Heritage Duct Tape Festival and you'll find out. In Avon, Ohio, "Duct Tape Capital of the World," the place where Duck brand duct tape is made, duct tape shows up in parade floats, hats, clothing, sculptures and crafts.

You name it, you can make it with duct tape seems to be the festival motto. The festival, June 13-15, handily coincides with Father's Day weekend. Flowers for mom for Mother's Day and duct tape for dad. Of course, you can mix it up and make flowers for dad out of duct tape. Although, since the theme of this year's festival parade is pirates, maybe a pirate hat will do--or a ship.

Along with the duct tape events there are rides, food and music. If something breaks down during this weekend, like a ride seat cushion gets a small tear, there will be plenty of stuff on hand to fix it.

If there are any funky festivals celebrating something unusual about your town, let us know. Toot your horn so we can send people your way to toot with you. For ideas for how to use duct tape in your travels, click here.

I heard that this weekend there are Civil War reenactors on the state house lawn in Columbus. This reminded me of my two friends who have dabbled in Civil War reenacting. Each dress up in period soldier attire-- one is in Confederate gray and the other is Union blue. As reenactors, they meet up other reenactors to act out a particular slice of history. There are rules involved for how reenactments are done.

It's not a matter of running around on a field any which way, but following the patterns and paths of what actually happened during particular battles during the Civil War. Clothing reenactors wear are to fit the time period and reenactors are often not supposed to take pictures. One of my friends said that he took a few pictures once when he was "killed" and down on the ground, but he had to be quick so people wouldn't notice.

The Web site Civil War Reenactment HQ lists several reenactment events and locations. Many reenactments include Civil War campsites and interpretive talks geared for various ages, parades and food.