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]

Photo contest!

Get your camera.  Stuff a big, BIG memory card into it, and move out smartly. Your charge is to document American life as we live it today. With the demise of LIFE magazine, no one’s really making a good job of this on a regular basis and I’m a lousy photographer. It thus falls to … [more]

A few of my personal veterans

Thanks, Dad.  Thank you for ferrying those air-sea rescue birds back from Da Nang, for rescuing that family in Alaska, and for letting me wear your retired F86 helmet — that rubber-faced sorting hat of dreams — when I was four years old. Thank you, Paul, my other dad.  Thank you for exemplifying quiet professionalism, … [more]

Night Driver

Written in 2006 and excerpted from a previous manuscript, this another snippet that didn’t make the cut for my book, Nothing In Reserve.  As mentioned previously, I’d like to put a couple of these out there during the week before Veterans Day (during which Nothing In Reserve will be on sale in recognition of veterans). Please note that, although written … [more]

110 Percenters

What does it mean to be elite? Does it mean you give the most, or take the most? Does it mean you gain the most influence, or does it mean you set a selfless example? Does it mean you do your own job with particular excellence, lead others to do their best, or take on … [more]

ANOTHER READING?!

  If thou’lt permit… We’re having a reading from Nothing In Reserve: True Stories, Not War Stories at Third Place Books in Lake Forest Park, WA. This is the last anticipated reading in the Seattle area. The reading takes place at 1830 (6:30 p.m.) on Saturday, November 19 and will run for about an hour … [more]

Extremists…

…often lead the way toward social change and equally often are intractable reactionaries.  ACT-UP pushes a progressive gay agenda just as hard as Israel’s ultra-orthodox wrap themselves in 16th century clothing and mores; DARE enters the lists against NORML in open combat. Are emotional appeals more useful than facts? Is it just a matter of … [more]