Author: Vic Socotra

Arrias on Politics: North Korea is a real problem; maybe China can help?

On July 4th Kim Jong Un, North Korea’s autocrat, watched his engineers launch a missile into the Sea of Japan. Shot in a ‘high loft trajectory,” the rocket flew about 600 down range but rose more than 1700 miles. This trajectory, if flattened out (like a baseball player hitting a “pop-up” versus hitting a shallower […]

Life & Island Times: Nothing’s Crazier Than DC

Editor’s Note: I have had a couple health adventures over the last week but think we have identified the problem and are moving out swiftly to remedy it. I met with a Russian Attorney, so what could possibly go wrong? Hope to resume my usual drivel here shortly- and certainly in time for tomorrow’s Post […]

Life & Island Times: All My Friends Are Dead Or Dying

Editor’s Note: I love the way Marlow thinks. – Vic I saw and quickly read the short satirical children’s book for adults at a Beaufort SC book store this week. All My Friends Are Dead was a dark humor version of the short, sweet children’s books that were popular 20 years ago. Thus amused, the […]

From the Goat Locker

Editor’s Note: The Goat Locker is where the Navy and Coast Guard Chiefs hang out on naval ships or revenue cutters underway. It is an honor (or horror) to be invited there, depending on your rank. But we all know who runs this complex business. And they always have. This is from my retired Master […]

Life & Island Times: I Went to a Party

Author’s note: Since returning yesterday from my third and youngest grandchild’s high school graduation in northern Indiana, I have been thinking and researching a piece on the capitol beltway’s little emperor class and the self serving drama piece they are performing for us. Fortunately, a blast for the past and Noel Coward came to my […]

Postcard from the Swamp #5

Swamp Update OK- we are all jet-lagged here in the Swamp, every one of us, though in varying degrees. There were a hundred thousand or more people on the Nation’s Front Yard down at the mall all day yesterday to take in the Capitol 4th show. I avoid crowds these days, and had a vague […]

Life & Island Times: Seen Around Savannah

Editor’s Note: This morning, Marlow touches on some of the things that make this great, chaotic, wonderful nation unique. Enjoy your 4th! The Parade in Culpeper starts at 4:00 PM! Fireworks to follow at the park! – Vic I am no scientist, just an interested observer. I am exploring our new neighborhood in Savannah much […]

Arrias on Politics: Serving the National Interest

The media spends a great deal of time these days in what can comfortably be described as howling at President Trump. At the same time they’ll tell you it’s their responsibility to serve and defend the national interest, “humbly” reminding us it’s their “duty to seek the truth” and “to speak truth to power.” So, […]

Life & Island Times: History 3.0

July 2 2017 With the advent of Amazon and Google enabling fast searches of digitized books and periodicals and early Version 1.0 social media tracking of every errant thought, photo and text back in the early 21st century (I date this back to before Facebook – somewhere in 2002 and 2003), we entered History 2.0. […]

Air Intelligence

This being the eve of the nation’s birthday, some of the usual suspects have been talking about the foibles of cruises-past, when we were in the best Fleet in the world. I got to USS Midway (CV-41) in 1978, and I learned my trade at the knee of the Magnificent Vinnie and CVIC Asst. Rich […]