Author: Vic Socotra

Arrias: Cui Bono?

Two thousand years ago Cicero wrote about a noted Roman judge, Lucius Cassius Longinus Ravilla, that the Roman people regarded him as a “most honest and wise judge.” Cassius, in an effort to reach the most accurate and just finding, was famous for asking, again and again: Cui bono? “Good to whom?” Or, more colloquially: […]

Deferred Decisions

New week, ya’ll! Local news: We have had some of the urban anger down here on what once were the front lines between Lee’s Army and Grant’s Army. A pair of brothers who had land they did not want to work decided to donate the parcel to the County as a park. It would eventually […]

Life & Island Times: To Better Days

Editor’s Note: Marlow has been mining some of the same recollections that many of the Boomer generation have dredged up in this latest transitional period of the Republic. This one captures the unspoken images of the generation that preceded us. It is worth remembering as we turn the shop over to a generation that doesn’t. […]

The Inner Buckeye

So, we enter this morning a new month, the eighth of this chaotic year. It is a treat to be part of a historic event that combines so many astonishing things. It is a half century since mass disturbance last plagued our streets and we torched our central cities. Now, here it is again with […]

Public Emergencies

We are less than a hundred days to the presidential election. It is exciting to be in the midst of crisis and have another one bearing down fast. Here in my home state, absentee voters can cast their ballots up to 45 days in advance, so the time for hard thinking is upon us. Hahaha. […]

Swamp Postcard: Political Health

Well, here is a week that I have difficulty in understanding. I mean, I might have seen something like the hearing yesterday, but if so, I can’t remember it. We appear to be on the verge of something that is so vast that it (almost) defies my comprehension. I read a note from a progressive […]

The “Q” Word

(Dr. Fauci is honored by President Bush for his role in locking down SARS) Since everything is political in these last three months before the election, it is interesting to look back at this remarkable year. It is equally interesting that simply remarking on this tumultuous six months is fraught with controversy. It is a […]

Arrias: Existential Threat

There is an adage in aviation that runs: “Aviate, Navigate, Communicate.” What it means is that, above all things, keep the airplane flying. Second, figure out where you are. Third, talk to the ground or other airplanes only after you have taken care of the other two – in sequence. It was this very simple […]

Plague Life

We have all been spending a lot of time at home, and judging from the amount of notes in the email string, we are spending too much time in cyberspace. I am not going to launch into another satyric account of our current national disorganization. It is fun to watch and quite spectacular. Since I […]

The Playbook

(Judge Bork, in the old days) I enjoyed our recent dance through the current campaign to overthrow the Government of the United States. It has been great fun to see the drama unfold, and to follow the plays and players in the drama. It took me a while to get in synch with the operational […]