Hello, My Name is Kevin Schwarm
A free spirit's take on work, life, travel, & consumerism

When Your Car Rental Goes Awry: Embracing the Pickup Truck Experience in Florida

I knew about the results of the US versus U.S.S.R hockey match in 1980 before it was on tape-delay. Having to watch the game while the majority of others didn't know the results was a painful and challenging endeavor.

On February 9, the NYTimes published an article called: “Bridge Owner Lobbied Administration Before Trump Blasted Competing Span to Canada.” Essentially, this article is about opening a new bridge between Detroit and Windsor (the US and Canada) to help streamline trade between the countries. Currently, there is a monopoly in which one family (The Morouns) owns the only other bridge between these two cities. However, powerful people in the US (not interested in representing al

This article merely outlines some of the things Trump has done and said over the last few weeks. Will this ridiculousness ever stop??? He doesn’t want to release funding for a major rail tunnel in NYC until Penn Station and Dulles Airport are renamed after the president. He hosted a Governors' meeting at the White House, but he’s only inviting Republicans. Is this how we're making America great again? His Truth Social account recently added a video portraying the former presi

Reading the Epstein files, I think it’s time for the federal government to take action. Perhaps not the kind of action people think. These alleged women today claim that famous and wealthy bank execs, politicians, and business leaders engaged in sex while they were underage, which is a farcical charge. I believe this is a conspiracy, but not the type you're thinking of. You see, most wealthy individuals (through the two releases of the Epstein files) claim they didn’t know Je

I volunteer at a local hospital in the area, working a four-hour shift each week. I work in Guest Services, which means I'm behind the counter at one of the two hospital entrances, greeting guests and patients. Essentially, we deliver flowers to patients, push certain patients and guests in wheelchairs, and direct or walk visitors to the right areas. From my perspective, it’s only four hours per week, but if you do it for several years, you get a good idea of how the organiza

I reached out to a former friend whom I knew at the university. Dave and I decided to meet for coffee at a central location to catch up. He currently lives in rural Wisconsin. It had been over 40 years, so I was somewhat hesitant about how our meeting would go. Years ago, Dave was young and impressionable, but he typically analyzed things from a fresh and objective perspective. Here’s the conversation. I walk into the café and notice a semi-recognizable person in the corner,

Since 2010, six teams with losing records (but division winners) have hosted playoff games. In each of these situations, these six teams faced opponents with better regular-season records. You see, according to the NFL, each division winner is guaranteed a first-round home playoff game regardless of their opponent's record.   This unfair competitive imbalance in the NFL will occur again this year. The Carolina Panthers won the very weak NFC South with an 8-9 record. Therefore

The song and dance by the Trump administration regarding the Epstein Saga. Sharpie Shortage The Trump Administration had 30 days to release the Epstein files, and on the last day of those 30 days, they publicly said they wouldn’t meet that deadline in full. It was reported in online media that 117 pages of a single file were entirely redacted in black. Why weren't more files released by the deadline? Did they run out of black Sharpies? Many people from Both Parties want Trans

Is there something wrong with my reading glasses? I just read that Trump pardoned Juan Orlando Hernandez, the former Honduran leader. Last year, Hernandez was sentenced to 45 years in prison for drug trafficking and weapons charges. According to prosecutors, Mr. Hernandez was involved in an illegal organization that lasted many years and brought more than 1 million pounds of cocaine into the US.  At the time, Manhattan’s top federal prosecutor had called the drug prosecution