Welcome to Traipsathon.

“We Specialize in What We Do.”

Traipsathon Solutions Inc., a completely legitimate business, is a division of JR Transportation Industries, the means by which frequently-subpoenaed pseudojournalist Joe Rhodes wanders North America, occasionally looking for stories but mostly having no idea what he is doing. He plans to continue doing this until he is done.

On this website, you will find :

Dispatches from travels in the Traipsemobile, also known as the Traipsathon Mobile Command Center, along with links to actual stories written  for actual publications plus stories that no legitimate publication would touch and are therefore Exclusive to you, the Traipsathon reader.

Traipsetracks, songs of the day that reflect the Traipsemobile’s location, the state of the world, Mr. Rhodes’ mood or that he just likes the damn song .

This  page will always have a map telling you where the Traipsathon is operating that day and what the weather is like.

There is also a listing of Mr. Rhodes’ latest Tweets including updates of where he happens to be at that moment, at least until the authorities arrive. This is your best bet for up-to-the-minute status reports on The Traipsathon’s location (including Foursquare check-ins) and Mr. Rhodes’ state of mind. Short version: He ain’t right.

We welcome your comments, your suggestions and your funding ideas. Enjoy the ride.

  • http://www.Twitter.com/TheGirlPie @TheGirlPie

    I thought you were kidding when you started talking about all this! HA!

    What a great non-plan, Earl (you’ll always be Earl to me), and a wonderful home page (finally! Yay!)

    Where’s the camera mounted that will record the shenanigans for the upcoming comic/reality series you must be doing all this for? Are you checking in at FourSquare places, or is that too much responsibility?

    Looking forward to the dispatches, we just LOVE YOUR WRITING!

    ~GirlPie

  • http://www.twitter.com/TheGirlPie @TheGirlPie

    I thought you were kidding when you started talking about all this! HA!

    What a great non-plan, Earl (you’ll always be Earl to me), and a wonderful home page (finally! Yay!)

    Where’s the camera mounted that will record the shenanigans for the upcoming comic/reality series you must be doing all this for? Are you checking in at FourSquare places, or is that too much responsibility?

    Looking forward to the dispatches, we just LOVE YOUR WRITING!

    ~GirlPie

  • Tonya

    Earl?

  • Tonya

    Earl?

  • http://www.joebo.net earlkabong

    Yes, Earl Kabong. It’s my corporate pseudonym, the name by which people know me. In the same way that people know you as “Big Butt McGee.”

  • http://www.joebo.net earlkabong

    Yes, Earl Kabong. It’s my corporate pseudonym, the name by which people know me. In the same way that people know you as “Big Butt McGee.”

  • Greg Blair

    How is your command post running now? Did we fix your problem with the alternator,or is it still causing problems? Thanks for the m&ms. I did not know you are famous or infamous? Remember to stop by and see us at Rychliks . good luck on your trips.

    • http://www.joebo.net earlkabong

      Greg — sorry to tell you, the alternator fix didn’t last. Kicked into limp mode in Greenville, where I am for the night. I really thought you guys had licked the problem. I was feeling all cocky and then, the ABS light came on and the air conditioner went dead and, well, you know how it ends. So will try to get someone in Greenville to take a stab at it and, I hope, at least get me back to Dallas.

  • Greg Blair

    How is your command post running now? Did we fix your problem with the alternator,or is it still causing problems? Thanks for the m&ms. I did not know you are famous or infamous? Remember to stop by and see us at Rychliks . good luck on your trips.

    • http://www.joebo.net earlkabong

      Greg — sorry to tell you, the alternator fix didn’t last. Kicked into limp mode in Greenville, where I am for the night. I really thought you guys had licked the problem. I was feeling all cocky and then, the ABS light came on and the air conditioner went dead and, well, you know how it ends. So will try to get someone in Greenville to take a stab at it and, I hope, at least get me back to Dallas.

  • Anonymous

    Citizens of Illinois, please welcome the Traipster with open arms. He’s a good house guest too, he left us a growler of Sun King beer, and only one soiled towel in the bathroom.

  • Anonymous

    So that’s where they moved Shea Stadium to.I hope they didn’t get The Mets with it.

  • Anonymous

    Can misspolly join your fan club? I’m the same polly that found the L. Feat for Mr. Randall

  • Anonymous

    Molly Hatchet had the great Franzetta covers on their early vinyl albums. I still got a couple.

  • Anonymous

    How about a new Dispatch instead of these annoying tweets. Sober up and write something!

    • Anonymous

      I can drink and drive. But drinking, driving and writing is simply too much to ask.

  • Anonymous

    Are you hooking up with the movie people?

    • Anonymous

      As you know, movie people only hook up with each other and/or potential investors.

  • Anonymous

    Glad to hear you made it back to LA. I hope your vehicle has inflatable pontoons for all the rain you’re getting. When does that movie come out?
    I guess the West LA cops are on to you. You should park closer to the Federal Building

  • Anonymous

    Sorry to see you’re in Vegas. I was hoping to see the van going down the red carpet at the Oscars and causing some mayhem!

  • Anonymous

    Happy to donate to Traispsathon International! Love you, Joe.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Matt-Brown/1535884308 Matt Brown

    See you this weekend in the High Country Joe!

  • Anonymous

    Have fun in the northwest. Heading out east for my 40th HS reunion. My vehicle will not draw as much attention as the traipsmobile, but I’ll give it a go, if I don’t melt along the way. Hope to stop and see Patro in Cleveburgh

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Mark-Turner/1616925930 Mark Turner

    Joe, I want to know how da roads was on your trip south through Canada. I may be driving a vehicle back in early November. I know there is no correlation, but maybe you can give me a global warming hope.

    • Anonymous

      Mark — the trip south was considerably less dramatic than the trip north. The Highway is in fine shape, only a few under-construction rough spots. And since Minneapolis is about to be in the 80′s for the fourth consecutive day, i’d say the global warming is the traveler’s friend. Short-term thinking. It’s what I do.

  • Anonymous

    Did you run out and bang the big drum at the Boilermaker game?

  • Anonymous

    Did you run out and bang the big Purdue Drum?

  • Anonymous

    if you need some temporary work, I think they’re looking for tomato pickers or fish scalers when you go through alabama. Immigration laws drove out all the people willing to do backbreaking work for $7.00 an hour.

  • Anonymous

    Happy Holidays my traveling friend. Watch out for those Burmese pythons, forget the gators.