-
BAD NEWS FOR THE ULTRA PIOUS
If my reading of the calendar is right, today would mark a very bad day for the ultra pious in our midst. Two things have gone violently astray. On this day the President of the United States finally ended his evolving soul searching and announced that he would no longer oppose weddings of gay people. …
-
THE POWER OF PRAYER (THREE)
As I am a non-believer in religious exercises, it may seem unbecoming for a fellow with my mind bent to raise the issue of the power of prayer. In this essay I do so not with an accusatory sense of purpose. My interest is purely curiosity. I do not wish to deride those who believe…
-
THE ULTIMATE DECIDER
A good many years ago my eldest brother married a woman named Rose Wilson. Rose may have been the kindest woman known to mankind. As my mother would have said, “She had a big heart.” Although I did not see much of Rose because of my living in Kansas City, Chicago, and New York, I…
-
THE SCHWA
Late in 1945, the American Army very reluctantly agreed to my obtaining an honorable discharge. I was a simple Buck Sergeant which means that I had no place at the table with Generals and Admirals. But the war was over and American women loudly proclaimed that they wanted their sons, husbands, their boyfriends, and their…
-
WHY DO I CRY?
This essay is being dictated on the Friday evening of September 14. At the moment, I am in a thoroughly somber mood. The somber mood comes from having listened to the broadcast from Andrews Air Force Base, which was the site of ceremonies honoring the four dead Americans who perished recently in Libya. If I…
-
CAN YOU READ THIS UPSIDE DOWN?
[Note from Kevin — This is the continuation of this essay, entitled Setting a Nose Alight, about Pop’s time with the labor union. It had these following two lines under the title:] from Charles L. Brown Former Chairman of the Board of AT&T, Circa 1956 Earlier this year, one of my daughters pointed out…
-
ROLL, JORDAN, ROLL
Contemplating the essay that I am about to write, I have come to the conclusion that more than anything, it is about curiosity. The curiosity is my own. For many years, I have wondered about the Jordan River and whether or not it really rolled. But there are some things to take care of before…
-
ANOTHER ROUND WITH A POLYGAMY OF ESSAYETTES
You will recall that these are individual subjects that have absolutely no relationship to each other. With that forewarning, we will begin a new venture into the world of polygamy which I am determined to rescue from the Mormon Church. First there is the bladder scanner. This subject is considered by some to be…
-
THE SILVER DOLLAR BLUES
I am going to reach into racetrack terms to introduce this essay. At tracks where horses and dogs race each other, there is a highlight of the afternoon called the Trifecta. This means that when a bettor picks the winners of the Trifecta, he will be rewarded with extra cash. I have been to the…
-
SUMMERS AND/OR SOMMERS
I have consulted with grammar experts here and in New York City and the general conclusion is that the title to this essay is something like an adverb. I was largely unschooled on the matter of grammar in the English language. So if there is a mistake in the labeling of this title as an…