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THANKSGIVING, 2006
In my longer than expected life, I have never looked forward to the year end celebrations. The long American Depression kept Thanksgiving and Christmas celebrations from being joyous occasions. In our family, at best, they were subdued. In effect, I enjoyed the holidays knowing that they would soon be behind me. When Thanksgiving arrived this…
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OH, GOOD JESUS
As a general rule, Gentiles who profess a religious faith tend to claim that they are Christians of one sort or another. While Christianity requests that it adherents subscribe to various rules, a good many rules are ignored or are deliberately violated. A case in point is the Catholic teaching that use of birth control…
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A COLLOQUY WITH TOM FRIEDMAN
Under ordinary circumstances, your old essayist attempts to keep his correspondence separate from the essays that are produced here. In this case, however, Tom Friedman, the New York Times star op-ed writer wrote a piece that should not be condensed or treated in the Reader’s Digest fashion. Friedman’s piece was so wrong and so provocative,…
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THE PES-TI-MIST
It is a matter of great regret that none of you knew George Knickerbocker, my pre-World War II St. Louis colleague at AT&T. George insisted in pronouncing every letter of every word in spoken English. For example, miscellaneous on George’s tongue came out as MIS-KEL-AN-EOUS. Old George did not stop there at all. As in…
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A BUCKET OF WARM SPIT
It is widely believed by high school English teachers and prissy editors that spit is a horrid word. Before you consider joining the cabal condemning that descriptive word, it might be well to recall that it was used most effectively by a Vice President of these United States. When he used spit in a ringing…
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FOUR DISMAL DECISIONS
In the space of a week, the Bush Administration has brought four dismal decisions down upon the American people. All four involve our relationships with the rest of the world. One involves Chaney’s attack dog, John Bolton, being named as our permanent ambassador to the United Nations. The second is the appointment of Bush’s female…
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STANDING UP, STANDING DOWN
Once again, the Bush Administration has lied to its citizens. In this case, the lie has to do with getting out of Iraq. Along with the lying, abject confusion about how to deal with the Iraqi insurgency reigns in Washington, Baghdad and all other Army Command posts in between. In this cursory examination, it is…
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BIRDS DO IT, BEES DO IT, EVEN EDUCATED FLEAS DO IT or HEY DIDDLE DIDDLE
Your ancient essayist will be on medical leave for an indeterminate period. He has suffered a sledge hammer blow to his lustful heart and his dainty psyche. Recovery is an iffy thing, and rightly so, when the depth of the damage is considered. The old essayist is looking now for a secluded sanatorium where psychiatric…
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BEING BUFFALOED AND OTHER RESPONSES | Meditations Chapter Ten: Verses Ezra to Micah
On Tuesday evening, June 28th, the peerless President took over the broadcasting networks to ask for patience and understanding as the ill-gotten Iraqi war proceeds well into its third year. The theme was the well worn phrase, “As the newly trained Iraqis stand up, we Americans can stand down.” Emperor Rumsfeld said a week before…