Author: Vic Socotra

Life & Island Times: How Should I Explain Yesterday

Having seen up close and personal the Civil Rights era marches, the police over reactions and riotous conduct in reaction thereto, the antiwar movement demos, the 1968 Chicago riots, the cities or Detroit and DC burning, being called foul names and spit upon when in uniform during the 70s, I’ve been trying to formulate some […]

So Now What?

The words in the title have been used many times in this extraordinary this year. Now what? I attempt to display a certain amount of omniscience here in the Daily, but I will confess our current situation exceeds even my normal hubris with numbers on that score. Up side: we have a President-Elect now. We […]

After the Day

Well, here we are. This has worked out pretty much as expected. As I mentioned yesterday, it looked like the Senate run-off votes, compiled on the same machines as the ones in the disputed General Election, worked their magic properly. The margins of victory were microscopically above those which would have required a recount. It […]

Swamp Postcard: Modestly Believable! US Government Unified!

New world, isn’t it? I went to bed with The Rev and Ossoff in the lead in their Georgia Senate run-off races. This morning, half of them were declared victors. The other will probably be declared the winner later today. Looks very much like a unified government again with all sorts of exciting new stuff […]

Der Tage

The title is derived from the German language, which we tried to avoid having to learn a couple times in a previous century. It once had an association with something else, used in the singular, but since we are talking about ‘big days’ here today and tomorrow that share some of the same themes of […]

Arrias: The Polish Underground and Silicon Valley

Editor’s Note: There is some fascinating activity in progress here in The Swamp. I am alternating glimpses of the alleged news with substantive input from heartwarming movies on the Hallmark Channel. Arrias has some thoughts that seem appropriate to contemplate on a week like this. – Vic The Polish Underground and Silicon Valley Jan Karski […]

A Big Week

In the part of America in which I spent many years, this was a marvelous day to combine ridding ourselves of the last vestiges of holiday merriment and acceptance of the growing horror that the new year was actually starting. This week used to be “next year.” That is part of our tradition, anyway, but […]

Putting the Fun Back in Dysfunctional- 2021!

I just typed it for the second time. The new number still sends an electric thrill up my gnarled knuckles. Finally, 2020 is behind us and all will be well! I think that was the second use of an exclamation point for this bold new year. It was exciting! (Third time! Is there a limit […]

A Brand New Year

Sorry- I had intended to leave the New Year to yesterday and on the Eve of 2021, relax with the fire in the background. I fully intended to have some happy thoughts about the end of this year and the start of another. Hopefully a better one. That is a pretty low bar. Instead, there […]

Annus Horribilis

The Royal Family- the descendants of the Kings who threw us out of our old homes- had a saying about bad years. They said it in Latin, to make it more prestigious sounding. “Annus Horribilis” has a grander aura than the mild profanity that has accompanied each month of 2020. It would be more appropriate […]