Saturday, January 7, 2023
In ancient Rome they used to condemn Christians to fight lions in the coloseum. It was a battle to the death - usually the death of the human involved - barbaric in the extreme. We consider ourselves "civilized" in this era. Sending a man to a bloody death is no longer acceptable. Or is it? How many... Sign in to see full entry.
Friday, January 6, 2023
nothin' much
Not feeling up to snuff today - will try to post something fun here tomorrow. Be well. Sign in to see full entry.
Thursday, January 5, 2023
SOMETHING MOTHER SANG
Sometimes when we three came home from the swimming hole or from a game of improvised baseball we'd hear mother in the kitchen, singing. At times she had the radio on and sang along, but never while we kids were underfoot. Those moments were reserved for instruction and correction, for her to remind... Sign in to see full entry.
Wednesday, January 4, 2023
PLEASE FORWARD...
It seems like every week we Americans have a new horrific criminal shooting up a school, a concert, a store - and now we have a prime suspect as a post- graduate criminology major accused of stabbing four others in their sleep. As I watched the major news networks, I noticed the creep's mug shot... Sign in to see full entry.
Tuesday, January 3, 2023
WHAT'S IN A NAME?
George: stalwart, solid, hard-working, family oriented, salt-of-the earth. That was my uncle. Stubborn as a mule, damn sure he was right on every point, but at heart he was a good man, good husband and father. And now comes along another George. Lied about his education. Lied about his work history.... Sign in to see full entry.
Monday, January 2, 2023
THREE DOG NIGHT
There was a folk tale, supposedly from the deep south, in which folks slept with a hunting dog alongside them on chilly nights. If they got cold during the night, or so the story goes, they’d pull up another hound. On really cold winter nights they might have to add another: thus the term, “three... Sign in to see full entry.
Sunday, January 1, 2023
FIRST DRAFT - THE UNFORTUNATE COURTSHIP OF HOMER LEYDIG
Harlan Leydig, at eighteen, was one of those guys who's so ugly he's cute. He had dated several girls in high school: none seriously. Girls weren't interested in a skinny, six-foot guy with red hair, freckles, a beaked nose and receding chin. They wanted the athletic boys, the good-looking ones with... Sign in to see full entry.
Saturday, December 31, 2022
THE BACKYARD SQUIRRELS RETURN
For a long ten days we had snow on the ground, it was cold as the Arctic with chill factors well below zero. Those little unnoticed gaps in the window frames where the indoor heat escapes unbenownst to us suddenly show their presence as fog forms and freezes on the outer pane. The furnace runs 24-7,... Sign in to see full entry.
Friday, December 30, 2022
FROM THE ARCHIVE
CUSTOMER SERVICE AT MA BELL - 1956 I got a job at the local office of Illinois Bell Telephone Co. in Wood River, IL using my previous experience at Pacific Telephone in Seattle as an extra qualifier. It was a shoo-in: they were happy to hire me. My boss at the phone company was a Mr. Peepers type,... Sign in to see full entry.
Monday, December 26, 2022
WHEN DID YOU LEARN TO SAY NO?
-from the Archives- When I was a little kid – let’s say about two – I knew how to say no. No to food with strong flavors, like spicy chili or cooked spinach, anything with onions in it. No! If the word didn’t get my way, I went directly to the tantrum stage. Mama used to tell me when I got a little... Sign in to see full entry.