We should be outraged by a lot at the moment. Beside the obvious–Ukraine, CDC COVID flip-flops, January 6 and everyone associated with it, lack of any movement on climate change–there are many outrageous things that have been overshadowed by this list. But, now, with the news of that Supreme Court preview ruling on abortion, let’sContinue reading “Outrageous!”
Category Archives: Archive
The Tool
For years, I’ve had this long, 90˚ offset screwdriver. For those of you who have never tried to adjust the tiny mixture and idle screws used to synchronize the four Mikuni carburetors of a big Japanese motorcycle, consider this: Without that specialized $25 tool, it’s a near impossible, hand scorching task, since the alternative isContinue reading “The Tool”
Labels
What’s with all the labels? The recent nomination of Katanji Brown Jackson to be a Supreme Court justice is simply the latest example of where the label, in this case “First Black Woman,” superseded the actual person in the public eye. People like her seemingly aren’t considered just people by the media, they’re “Black people.”Continue reading “Labels”
Feeling Guilty
The other day my wife said something very profound. It went something like, “ I feel so guilty sitting here in comfort and watching the plight of the Ukrainians, and then, when I’m able to put it out of my mind for a minute or so, I feel guilty about that.” Wow! That’s like beingContinue reading “Feeling Guilty”
Riding the Plank
More from the master of motorcycling self-deprecation. Originally published in Keystone Motorcycle Press, March 2022 Really appreciate new KMP reader Mark Robbin’s letter in the February issue. He was responding to my piece in the January issue where I noted that my 75-year-old butt had a hard time doing more than 150 miles at aContinue reading “Riding the Plank“
I Know A “Better” Story
My title comes from a feature in our local paper where readers submit feel-good stories about smelling flowers or nostalgic breakfasts in long-closed area diners. I’m going to send this in, because it’s way more interesting and it all really happened–there were easily 1000 witnesses. But my guess is they won’t publish it. [By golly,Continue reading “I Know A “Better” Story”
What Are We Waiting For?
Two recent CNN interviews have stuck out for me. Before I get to the details, let’s be clear. I’d pretty given up on CNN. Too much biased blabber in place of actual news, and too many commercials. But, as someone pointed out, when the chips are down CNN is the gold standard for crisis coverage.Continue reading “What Are We Waiting For?”
Maybe It’s Time
Originally published in the Lititz Record, March 4, 2021. Revised and updated. After reading Tim Snyder’s sobering article in the NY Times, I’m beginning to think that America has at last been defeated. Not by external enemies but by our own insatiable appetite for information. We’ve abandoned our local news sources, as Snyder points out,Continue reading “Maybe It’s Time”
The Sea of Rice
Being a bit of a traditionalist when it comes to haiku, I bristle when I see these compact poems rendered by would-be “poets” who fixate on the 5-7-5 syllabic structure and ignore the other essential elements of this Japanese form: a seasonal reference and some sort of surprise or contrast. Of course, writing a haikuContinue reading “The Sea of Rice”
Silver Linings
It wouldn’t seem we have much to be happy about. First there were the four turbulent years of he who shall remain nameless. During that time, our democracy was set back about 300 years, maybe 3000, as institutions, traditions and the rule of law, all of which combined to give our lives stability and structure,Continue reading “Silver Linings”
SoEast 