Author: Vic Socotra

The Wisdom of Cicadas

As you know, I am blessed to have a circle of pals who possess vivid memories of strange and ancient times and can recreate them with rousing prose. I am also happy to have a resilient Webmistress in the form of the redoubtable Renee, who has been putting up with this drivel for nearly twenty […]

Life & Island Times: Plague Chronicle Notes — Part XXIV — Freedom

Author’s Note: Vic, Your recent turn of phrase “What’s next?” regarding American events these past five months spurred me to write this short piece. I am unsure my characterization of the ending list of phrases, words and concepts answers your query, since I have direct evidence from colleagues that well more than half of them […]

What’s Next

I hope you have been following Marlow’s unique appreciation of the plague on his picturesque and unique Southern town. We are on episode 23 of his observations, and my intent is to compile it as a manuscript for the next book to appear on the website, and eventually for purchase as a smooth eBook on […]

Shellbacks

I am going to break tradition here and post my Shellback Card. I have a reason for it. The card recognizes successful completion of a solemn and sometimes brutal ceremony held on ships of the Old Navy- the one in which my pals and I served. To commemorate crossing the Equator, we were screamed at, […]

The Battle of Triangle Hill

(DVD cover for the epic film Battle on Shangganling Mountain. Photo YesAsia.) I was thinking about the start of the Korean War- or Conflict, or whatever this morning. It has been seventy years since the shooting started there, and it is worth the time to think about. I spent 14 months there one time, and […]

Swamp Postcard: Back From the Brink

So, I was trying to put the final touches on the Postcard this week from the bog down by the majestic Potomac River this morning. It was tough, since things just kept pouring in, helter-skelter. Our distinguished governor, Mr. Northam made news, announcing our collective house arrests would be eased on the first of July. […]

Life & Island Times: America’s Current Street Mob Madness

23 June 2020 America’s Current Street Mob Madness Editor’s Note: Marlow is taking the thoughts of Arrias to a more pragmatic and personal level. I am wrestling with the same issues, trying to plumb the depths of what comes next. There is the election in November, which scares the hell out of me, and there […]

Buddy Marshall Appeal

Help the Buddy Marshall Assistive Technology Center! Friends, Buddy Marshall is one of my heroes. His abrupt transformation from a top performing Navy fighter pilot to quadriplegic in the course of an instant is one that moved me tremendously and viscerally as a father. His Dad is an old pal of mine, and the sudden […]

Arrias: Madness

Take a look at the Great Sphinx – it’s missing its nose. A number of years ago I was a witness in a murder trial. It was fascinating for a host of reasons, some tragic, some actually enlightening. But one of the overriding lessons I learned from it was the “pedestrian” nature of the courts […]