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SLEEPING WITH SYLVESTER
Luncheons around this house consist primarily of foie gras and truffles. As I was consuming my sixth helping of truffles, news came over the radio and television that shocked me. It seems that Larry King, the ace broadcaster on the CNN network who does wide-ranging interviews, is now being sued for divorce by either his…
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REFUDIATE
The Duchess of Alaska, Sarah Palin, had a pronouncement over the past weekend. On two occasions, which were recorded in newscasts, Sarah used the word “refudiate.” When she was asked to explain what “refudiate” meant, she said that William Shakespeare made up new words at various times in his career. Those of us in the…
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PLAISIR D’AMOUR
Today is a cold winter’s Sunday which happens also to be Valentine’s Day. On occasions such as this, men and women declare their love for each other and, if things work out, the course may be set for their eventual marriage. Of course, this could be men and men or women and women. In my…
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VLADIMIR PUTIN’S DIVORCE
Vladimir Putin, the head man in Russia, took his wife out to attend a ballet performance. At the intermission, he was asked by a reporter, first, how he enjoyed the ballet and, secondly, if he was going to become divorced soon. In a display of modesty for Vladimir Putin, he announced that he was indeed…
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I’M STILL MAD AS HELL
This essay should be read after another essay called “In Memoriam: Abelino Mazariego.” I don’t usually write essays that are to be consumed one after the other. I like my essays to have a beginning, a middle, and an end, the thought being that they can all stand on their own feet. In the instant…
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IN MEMORIAM ABELINO MAZARIEGO (1953-2010)
There are two essays in this package having to do with the murder of Abelino Mazariego. The second essay is called, “I’m still as mad as hell.” These essays were written in anger and contain a few redundancies and a few errors. But in the second essay, I have tried to correct some of the…
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FULL FLEDGED DEVOTION
Under ordinary circumstances, the day at this house begins with a loud thud made by the storm door on the front porch. The loud thud has to do with the delivery of two newspapers rolled up and inserted into a plastic bag. If I am lucky, the newspapers will be placed to the side of…
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GREEN BANANAS
As everyone knows, I hope, I am a student of politics, particularly at the national level. For a time of about four years, I had the opportunity to be a lobbyist for AT&T in Washington. Unfortunately, I did not have an opportunity to meet Senator Claude Pepper from Florida during that time. But as age…
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HALL TREES AND SAM HALL
When I entered the high school in Clayton, Missouri in January of 1936, I was asked a question about my course preparation. The basic premise was that if you were going on to college, Clayton High School would equip you to handle college work. If you were not going to college, you were assigned to…
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COJONES
Within the next few days, Barack Obama will celebrate his first year in the office of the presidency of the United States. I suppose the media will make this anniversary something to remember. If I may be excused, I would like to add the words of an old essayist to the batch of communications that…