It may be that the interest in and affection for life in the old East Germany is a result of the current German “crisis” — the climbing unemployment, the catastrophic shape of the pension system,…
Posts published in “Essays”
Just after midnight, the pitch-black New Year’s night suddenly came alive with darting shadows. The slap-slap of rubber boots against the slick pavement echoed throughout the silent neighborhoods on the periphery of the city. Sleepy…
A recent Associated Press story by Don Thompson reports: “Mexican cartels have taken over much of California's marijuana farming, boosting both the potency of the drug and the propensity for violence from armed guards protecting…
Back in the last century, a densely-populated island called Manhattan housed numerous curious enclaves. On a single block, every store might sell political memorabilia. Seeking Grover Cleveland victory banners, or “Eleanor, Start Packing: The Willkies…
Q: If you're going to make a parachute jump, you should be at least how high? A: Charley Weaver: Three days of steady drinking should do it. * * * Q: True or false: a…
Voters don’t insist that presidential hair be life-like. It needn’t boast colors found in nature, but is expected to behave obediently, even opposing gale-force winds. Here in California, the archetype — the iconic coiffure —…
One of the worst things about today’s ultramodern systems of communication is hiding in plain sight: They waste our time. Sure, gizmos like computers and cellphones and pagers can be real time-savers. But what’s less…