Author: Vic Socotra

Lighting Up a Lucky

Photo: News Diaries You can see the issue this morning—and why Miles is sitting in Melissa’s seat at the north end of the Conference table. There’s a vortex of feminine power in motion today, and he’s content to watch it steered from our side by the senior women. That would be Melissa and Holly on […]

The Protest-industrial Complex

Legal told us to be careful about this, since we don’t want to disparage anyone going about their perfectly legal activities. There is, however, a great deal happening in that corner of our vibrant multi-trillion-dollar economy. Section Leader Miles thinks we need a clearer understanding of how the many red lines weave through a normal […]

The Calendar Closes In

Sundays at Socotra House are always a little unsettled between the breakfast pass through the Galley for a light wake-me-up before attending to holy services or a quick morning work-out at the Gym in the building Mezzanine. That meant the morning production meeting was segmented by who was munching, sipping Flat Yank coffee or leaving […]

13 Time Zones

That was the difference between this bed and the one back home. Not a theory. Not a metaphor. Just arithmetic. In Fairfax, the Trillium would be quiet now. Thermostat cycling. Coffee not yet made. The day still folded neatly ahead of itself. Here, the day had already been opened, inspected, and set in motion before […]

Safe, Proper and Judicious

We got a got a note from a shipmate in Japan about the time we were wrestling the new bookcase in next to the recliner Miles has been using in an attempt to get the new year started in proper fashion. That is normally in keeping with the oriental signs of the Zodiac for all […]

Old Long Syne

Should Old Acquaintance be forgot, and never thought upon; The flames of Love extinguished, and fully past and gone: Is thy sweet Heart now grown so cold, that loving Breast of thine; That thou canst never once reflect On Old long syne. CHORUS: On Old long syne my Jo, On Old long syne, That thou […]

Arrias and His Muse: The Year in Review

Log Entry for January 1st —- December 31st 2025 The ball dropped, toasts were made, The weather cold but sunny, Than an evil cretin in the Big Easy, Fifteen poor souls lost, no part of this is funny. Radicalized American – ISIS fan, Foul terrorist operations, Looks like we forgot too soon About the clash […]

Steady Hands, Clear Windows

Miles was back this morning, determined not to let the last day of this bedraggled year slip away without at least a brush of irony and a wave in the rear-view. It may explain why the entertainment channels that had occupied the big screen at the end of the Conference Room at Socotra House were […]

Weird News

We were going to run a story analyzing the changes in America across the Gens crowding the Conference Table. The kids in GenZ are acting up a bit. The two Gen Alpha gals are crying at the moment and their view seems to have spread to the Boomers when they are awake. Splash had the […]

3 Days Before Christmas

This happened at Tracy O’Grady’s fabulous Willow Restaurant in Arlington’s Balston neighborhood a dozen years ago. Vic had it as first person, so that is why it reads a little funny: Old Jim called me as I was trying to get topics outlined for some uplifting pre-holiday thoughts. The phone was buried in my back-back, […]