Crisis Mode

The Most Interesting Man In The World is just a sadbelly beer pusher with nothing interesting to say about motorcycles, but the most interesting woman I’ve ever known once said of midlife crises, “Have them early and often.” It’s fair to say that she had no idea what she was signing up for. She probably … [more]

Five annos on

June 2012 The past few years have treated me luxuriously.  I have a partner with a smile so shiny, she lights up every room she enters.  I get to write things and post them around, and call it my profession (I profess that this is what I do; is that close?).  Daughtergirl is rump-kicking her … [more]

Prequel, the First

In 2011, my publisher Litsam, Inc. released Nothing In Reserve, a group of stories surrounding my deployment to Iraq in 2004-’05.  The following events and observations preceded the span covered by that book; some by a lot, some by less.  These are some of the triggers that launched my personal bullet, one which will seem … [more]

Reminders from an Irish Rose

I appreciate graceful language where I find it, but for a people wielding history’s most acquisitive linguistic hegemony, we’ve hidden it well. English suffers from its economic superiority. Victors are precise, even eloquent in the description of conquests past, but the beautiful human anguish dries up and falls away from a people too well-heeled, too … [more]

Pit Stop

This is who he was… He became a friend to me within a week after we moved into the decaying edifice across from his house. He was a journeyman carpenter; proud of his work, but humble about his life.  He would tell me which tools I needed – then loan them to me. He didn’t … [more]

Dear Snotty Kid…

I didn’t ask whether you opened the door. I told you to close it. I don’t care if they’re your favorite pants. I care whether they cover your butt. That’s what pants are for, actually. It doesn’t matter if your homework is stupid. It matters that you do it. If you’re not hungry enough to … [more]

Real Americans

Real Americans don’t beat each other down. We help each other up. If someone else needs a beatdown, real Americans stand ready to administer it — and then offer the same hand up that we offer each other. Real Americans don’t break up American companies for a living and call ourselves “job creators.” We found … [more]

“G-D Was Busy”

Here’s a parable that confuses me a bit. You can find it all over the place, not just on Christian web sites and socially conservative blogs but sprinkled around Facebook and MySpace and really, wherever glib ideations go to spawn. It goes like this: A United States Marine was attending some college courses between assignments.  … [more]