Mr. Carson of Downton Abbey and My Library Visit
I’ve written before about Downton Abbey and my favorite character, the butler Mr. Carson
Author
John Cleese and Eric Idle Come to Tucson
In the Spring, we found out John Cleese, and Eric Idle were invading, sorry, coming to perform
Father, Why Must I Learn English?
The head of the history department in my high school once showed off his knuckles
Donald Trump vs. Bernie Sanders
This may or may not happen in the general election for 2016
The United Kingdom vs. Donald Trump
Even calling himself “The Donald,” can raise hackles
Why The Founding Fathers Matter for Americans
I'm told The Founding Fathers are racist, slave holding, dead white men
The Journey of Bernie Sanders
“Grandpa, you promised to take me out on Lake Champlain. Why are you running for President?”
The Trump Cabinet
I was watching the Grinch Who Stole Christmas and a terrible thought crossed what passes for my mind
The Romans Lose in the Teutoburg Forest
I had heard of Boris Johnson before I started reading his books
The South African Weapon of Mass Destruction
It's not the atomic or hydrogen bomb. It's something more insidious
Trump Skewering the American Presidential Race
Leading candidates' debates and demands are churlish and petulant
Smack-down of a Thirteen-year-old Girl
An inquisitive thirteen-year-old and an older woman, who isn't wiser
The Wind in the Reeds
For anyone who visits New Orleans just once, they realize it's a unique place
The Chicago Cubs Must Not Be Allowed to Win the W. Series
One hundred and seven years since the last World Series victory
You Have No Legal Residence Here, Move On!
Toward the end of the Eighteenth Century, slavery was already becoming economically unfeasible
A Male Yankee Slob’s Look at Downton Abbey
I am a Yank, but I am also an Anglophile. I enjoy things British
Ashley Madison
Meeting and having chemistry may or not be deliberate. Ashley Madison can be nothing but deliberate.
Eastern Europeans Should Be Fans of the New York Mets
OK, why the Mets? Don't the Cubs have a longer history of futility?
A More Disciplined United States?
I am no paragon. I am diabetic, can stand to lose weight etc.
More on South Carolina and The Confederate Battle Flag
African-Americans and whites protesting outside the South Carolina State House
Will Greece be Given a Grexit?
Merkel tells the misbehaving Greeks they have to clean up the mess on her terms.
What’s in a Flag?
I am being cynical, because it is my First Amendment right and because I can
General George S. Patton: Murdered or Killed in Accident?
I never thought a lot about this, until I read Killing Patton, by Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard
A Cat Named Yerbie
I would try to read, and he would come up on my lap. Trying to write? Forget about it
Some New Immigrants to Boston
People would call in saying, the snowdrift was a 'Gronk' and a half high
The Future of American Football
My take on American Football and the issues I would like to cover
A Silly Look at Monty Python’s Life of Brian
Isn’t this an oxymoron? Maybe, but look at this essay as a silly movie review.
The DNA of Richard III
I never developed that much interest in Richard III, until his remains were discovered.
Policing in the United States
One major discussion has been about racial profiling. I can now safely tell you I have been profiled
The Chicago Cubs Might Win the World Series!
The Chicago Cubs haven't won the World Series for more than a century
Citizens Arrests Gone Mad
It was a bright sunny day in Mesa Verde, though Diana Sanchez, dispatcher extraordinaire was fielding some very…
Ask Your Mother
"Ask your mother," Anastase said softly. "Mom will say no," he wailed. I burst out laughing
How Anastase Broke Himself
My Rwandan friend Anastase and I have started working on his biography. This is from a few years ago
A Silly Look at Paris
A Paris Obstacle Course for Americans. This is meant to be a modern, Mark Twain Innocents Abroad type look at…
The Making of U.S. Citizen Anastase
The first reaction when you tell people you have to go to court is “What did you do? Or is it for jury duty?”
L.A. Story
Mr. Charton, aren’t you a little old to be going to Hollywood? If I had been stopped by LAPD for any reason and…
Another Way to Get Out of a Speeding Ticket.
Anastase was driving back home, so his youngest son, eight year old Cadeau could take his shower and go to his…
A Cobra Called Cleopatra
Cleopatra inhabits the reptile house at the Bronx Zoo. She is young, and found out the Bronx is not a glamorous…
China, You’re Fired!
The first act is what he said in the interview. A 25% tax on all Chinese goods coming here. We are defaulting on…
The Revenge of The Chicago Bears…
...or The Illinois Wisconsin Border War.
What is going on with the protests in Wisconsin is serious. I could not…
The Battle Of Southie
September 12th, 1974: Ray Lynch thought he’d seen enough conflict in Vietnamese Rice paddies, not thinking battle…
What’s a Girl Gotta Do to Get a Guy in this Town?
(With apologies to country singer Joe Nichols)
The administrator of Cottonwood Assisted Living in Mesa Verde,…
First Meeting With Susi Baldwin
Meeting Susi Baldwin.
The story of Susi Baldwin begins for me in January 1976, a cold January. It is the…
Kids Will be Kids
Phone calls to the Mesa Verde Police Department were normally about a cat up a tree, so two emergency calls in a…