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CLEAR THINKING
The Commander in Chief/Chief Executive of these United States claims that he has discerned that Social Security is proceeding to a state he calls “flat bust.” If he were talking about female physiognomy, that would be one thing. But Mr. Chief of Everything is saying that the Social Security Trust Fund will be bankrupt in…
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CUT OUR LOSSES NOW
One of the many delights about working in the Federal City, Washington, D.C., was to read William Raspberry in the Washington Post in the morning and then to read a column by Mary McGrory in the afternoon Washington Star. Mary died last year and we miss her. But Brother Raspberry is still at it. On…
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SO FAR, 801 AMERICAN DEAD IN WAR IN IRAQ
In this short statement or essay, it is proposed to tell the reader what the effect of death in war has on surviving soldiers now and in the years to come. The casualty lists are a poignant reminder that death most often comes to young men who have reached their 19th, 20th, 21st, 22nd and…
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WHAT WILL THE CHILDREN SAY?
Wars have an interesting way of stirring cynicism as time passes. The entry of the United States in the First World War was described by Woodrow Wilson, the president at the time, as the war to end wars. In other quotes, the war was termed an effort to make the world safe for democracy. It…
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TONY NAVE’S FATHER
This essay about the death of Tony Nave’s father is dedicated to George Bush and to George Nethercutt, a Representative from Washington State who made it all possible. Nearly eight months ago, there was printed in several newspapers and on the Internet, a photograph taken by Steve Perez of the Detroit News Photo Department. It…
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THOUGHTS THAT OCCUR WHILE SHAVING | Fourth Series of Thoughts
Hiraeth My friends whose native language is other than English, tell me that the language of England, which is also spoken in many other countries, is a rich and diverse language. By that, it is assumed that the English language has a term or an expression to fit almost any of mankind’s needs. While the…
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THOUGHTS THAT OCCUR WHILE SHAVING | Second Series of Thoughts
In this Second Series, we deal with why Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani of Najaf, Iraq, took his coronary troubles to Jewish and Christian cardiologists in London. He went to London, not to Damascus or Cairo or Beirut, for his heart work. For Ali Sistani to agree that infidels (Jews and Christians) be allowed to meddle…
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OLD GEEZERS DYING IN BIG NUMBERS
Saturday, May 29, 2004, was the day the long awaited World War II Memorial was to be dedicated. The broadcast was carried by most of the major television networks. On one station, we were told that World War II veterans were dying at the rate of 1000 to 1100 per day. Another station said the…
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MUSINGS — Volume III
This old essayist thought that one set of musings and ponderings while Ms. Chicka drives the car would be sufficient. Obviously, that is not the case. It appears that several other thoughts have occurred while the Chrysler is not in my control. Try these musings, for example. Is 2004 a rerun of 1928? During the…