Sep 12, 2017Carcinoma IslandI felt a thump as my limp body was transferred from the gurney to the bed. I shook my head. There were three or four “gentlemen” in 18th-century pirates uniforms and one large rabbit staring down at me. “He’s alive, at least,” said the nearest pirate in an accent that…Fiction3 min read
Aug 8, 2017Selling a novelI began a novel, variously called Poplar Hill or Old Money, in January 2009. It took me about 8 months to get a first draft. That was a disaster: spelling mistakes, grammatical errors and punctuation, forgetaboutit. …Writing14 min read
Aug 6, 2017This I knowThis is all I know At the end of time, when the Universe ceases to exist, there will be no record of my existence. All history will come to an end as all grows cold and dark awaiting yet another Big Bang if such a thing is possible. Long before…Science2 min read
Mar 13, 2017Two Churls and a TechieA few weeks ago we had a couple of large snow storms. I mean one was about eight inches and the next, a few days later was about ten. The man I pay to plow my driveway compacted the snow into a solid block of ice about four feet high…Short Story3 min read
Feb 24, 2017I’m lucky I’m not deadI’m about to make a big stink today. It’s about the abuse of the medical system by everyone at the expense of the patients. …Health3 min read
Jan 3, 2017The Vulgar Art MovementThere is a word that seems to define our times, it’s vulgar. There is something about our current imitation of the gilded age that has a vulgarity the mansions of Newport Rhode Island never had. Wealth, robber barons, and over-the-top ostentation are a new sign of the times. Having an…Art2 min read
Nov 7, 2016Economics 101 for pundits and politiciansWhat every politician should learn before opening their mouths I’ve spent years yelling at the television. “You’re an idiot,” I yell at the image of the chairman and/or members of some Congressional committee that’s proposing to do something really stupid. I’ve yelled at a lot of talking heads, Senators, Congressmen…Economics8 min read
Jul 28, 2016Finding “suckers in the void”This story takes place about 30 years ago (in the mid 1980’s) in West Point Georgia, a small town nestled up against the Alabama border. It’s a town with a very southern history. General Sherman’s troops destroyed the town back in 1864 and its citizens have never forgotten it. The…Textile5 min read
Jul 7, 2016Remarks on receiving the Ibbetson Street Lifetime Achievement Award.I have arrived. I am deeply honored by this, and I have to thank Doug Holder both for this award and for inviting me to the first “Bagels with the Bards” meeting over ten years ago. Writing as we all know is a very solitary vocation. The “bards” have kept…Life Lessons2 min read
Jun 3, 2016Adventures in a Korean Emergency RoomI’m in South Korea visiting my daughter and attending a Rotary convention. Yesterday, I tried to attend a breakfast at the convention that started at 7:30 am. I’m an hour and a half by bus from the convention site so I left at 5:15 am, without benefit of coffee, and…Short Story5 min read
