"The difference between the almost right word and the right word is really a large matter." —Mark Twain
What’s going on in my life
I’m not one to quote Bible verses, but Isiah 11:6 came strongly to mind when I glanced over at the couch last night and witnessed this peaceful scene: Another quote came simultaneously to mind, this one by Ronald Reagan: “Trust, but verify.” Clearly, the Christmas Truce has begun.
I’m gonna say these bags of holiday cheer represent Hanukkah, Christmas, Festivus, Kwanzaa, Yule, and Eid al-Adha. Don’t count ’em and try to guess which three religions I really mean … just go with me on this, okay? Like most white middle class Americans, we have Jewish and Christian friends. We know pagans and atheists, gays and straights. Most […]
People keep saying torture can’t be all that bad … after all, we torture our own aviators and special operations forces at a super-secret training facility so they’ll be able to stand up to it if they’re ever captured by the enemy …. and you don’t hear any of them complaining, do you? The acronym for this specialized training […]
Americans who look like me torture.
I feel like we’re slipping back to the 1960s; I meant it when I said I can see Donna and I packing clothing and food for freedom riders again, just as we did in 1964.
This photo of Donna and me was taken 49 years ago today. We were at my folks’ apartment in Wiesbaden, Germany, where we had just come after getting married by a German justice in a civil ceremony at the city courthouse. A lot of things have happened since, but we’re still in love and together, and that’s something. I’m […]
Donna and I spent most of Thanksgiving week in Las Vegas, Nevada, visiting our son Gregory, daughter-in-law Beth, and grandson Quentin. Taylor, our granddaughter, stayed in Seattle for the holiday so we didn’t get to see her this trip, but our daughter Polly and her boyfriend David drove up from Ajo, Arizona, so we were […]
Sometimes I wonder what it’s like on Conserva-Earth, where this nasty woman lives. Do young couples elope because they hate each other? Does the water smell vaguely of urine? Are surfaces coated with a thin layer of grime? Does everyone carry? Are pimples considered marks of beauty? Who are their role models? The Walton family? […]