Category Archives: Uncategorized

As Grace Slick said at Woodstock, all those years ago, it’s a new dawn.

October 1st, 2020. My older brother, who died at 27, would’ve been 73 today. He contracted Hodgkin’s lymphoma in the spring of 1973, and died the day before Thanksgiving. I use the word “contracted” deliberately. He was an aspiring physician, and before he started his residency he spent a semester working in a medical laboratoryContinue reading “Nation on Fire”

I haven’t been able to do any writing for weeks. Not even a journal entry. I am managing to keep producing the Portal, but that’s been about it. No walking. Indeed, I spent pretty much all of June in bed.        I am now boycotting the news. I just can’t stand to read about anyContinue reading “Pandemic Paralysis”

I didn’t read The Second Coming until I was about 27. It remains the most powerful poem I’ve ever read. It’s been more and more on my mind lately.        The center has not held. We are spinning wildly toward a society that is polarized beyond correction or redemption. About 20 years ago there wasContinue reading “Slouching Toward Bethlehem”

The coronavirus pandemic prompted numerous state and local governments to issue stay-at-home orders at various times in March. At first, because people were very much afraid of the virus, these orders were largely heeded. But now, since the “curve is flattening” and many locations have not yet been hit by the virus (anyone see theContinue reading “You Can’t Fix Stupid”

Paraskevidekatriaphobia. Thanks to Wikipedia, I just learned that word this morning, Friday the 13th. It means fear of Friday the 13th. Given the craziness of the past few days, it’s reasonable to assume that more people than usual will suffer from some high anxiety today. We are certainly in a bizarre situation, which the ageContinue reading “Zombie Apocalypse Disorder”

There are a few, and only a few sights and experiences in my life which have made me aware of the Presence of the Divine. I long ago eschewed religion. Men (usually) take a perfectly good set of spiritual beliefs and begin mucking about with it. The result is religion. I consider myself to beContinue reading “Whispers in the hush of Winter nights”

When I was younger, predictions about the future often began with, “In the year 2020…” I cannot adequately express how old that makes me feel. Twenty-twenty also means 1970, the year I turned 14 and the year I lost my political virginity, was 50 years ago. Who remembers Kent State now? As with past infatuations,Continue reading “2020: WTF?”

The image out our living room window, three stories up. My PC is just to the right, and I love looking out this window. For so many months that was all I could do. I don’t recommend getting housebound to anybody. Of course none of sets out to become housebound, but it happens.

The imminent arrival of another Thanksgiving means the holiday season is upon us, and when we are through the holiday season, 2020 will be upon us. I’m not sure I’ve ever been less happy about an impending new year. Thanksgiving has been a problematic holiday for me ever since 1973. It was the day beforeContinue reading “Thanksgiving”