Author: Vic Socotra

Life & Island Times: The Mansion

The Mansion Marlow’s Coastal Empire The Mansion at Forsyth Park W and her Marlow decided to spend their seventh consecutive Friday date night at a neighborhood restaurant. They had walked to the Mansion since it fronted the central eastern border of Forsyth Park and was only five short blocks from their Park Avenue home. The […]

Arrias Speaks: Terror – Again

After the most recent (multiple) terror attacks several commentators were quick to point out that the process from ‘explosion to arrest’ took less than 48 hours and that this demonstrated the great strides made since 2001. The action of the various police and investigative organizations in identifying and tracking down the suspects was excellent police […]

Life & Island Times: Savannah Whoo-ee’s

Savannah Whoo-ee’s Marlow’s Coastal Empire They hadn’t heard train whistles for thirty, maybe forty, years. Their new home-town hadn’t either until about six years ago, when globalization brought back regular whoo-ee’s to the residents. When Savannah became the Saudi Arabian-like sea-railhead for eco-friendly, sustainable, wooden fuel pellets for European Union electric power plants, train traffic […]

34 Confederates

(The impressive spire of Christ Church Alexandria, attended by George Washington and Robert E. Lee. Photo Socotra). I ran across a bit of news the other day that confirmed that I no longer live in a place I once did. It was about The Rebel, the one who stands at the intersection of South Washington […]

Route Seventeen

Life and Island Times Coastal Empire September 22 2016 – Route Seventeen Alongside route 17 outside of Savannah Marlow and W spied a house. The frames around its windows and doors were painted blue. Folks, especially in South Carolina’s Low Country and Georgia’s Coastal Empire, have a name for this paint’s soft blue-green hue – […]

Storm Over Leyte with John Prados

An evening of naval history and the role of intelligence in battle at the International Spy Museum The International Spy Museum (800 F St NW, Washington, DC 20004) is a national treasure of spookery, tradecraft and strange tales. It is a must-see attraction when visiting Your Nation’s Capital, and well worth the trip downtown. Numerous […]

Willow Retrospective

(The Burger Bash 2015 Grand Champion, two in a row for Tracy’s Willow team). I told you last year it would not be the last time I wrote about Willow. In a way, it is always going to be with us. Heather talked about it at Front Page the other night, that the one-year anniversary […]

Pressure Cookers

Linden, New Jersey, can rest a little easier this afternoon. A fellow named Ahmad Khan Rahami was found sleeping in the doorway to a bar, and when awakened, produced a pistol and engaged in a running gun battle with police after shooting a cop in the abdomen. Thankfully the officer was wearing a ballistic vest […]

US Foreign Policy: Off the Rails

A recent commentary opined that, if elected, President Trump must find ‘qualified’ people for key positions; that only a few on his team have the necessary credentials. Another article lauded Mrs. Clinton’s foreign policy acumen, experience and inside knowledge. This was compared to Mr. Trump’s inexperience and lack of inside knowledge, concluding that Mrs. Clinton […]

Toe-tagged

I am in terre incognita here. I wake each morning with the dread feeling that something awful is either about to happen, or already has. I am staying away form the television. The left and the alt.right commentators are savaging each other, and the kick-off for the Michigan game is still an hour and a […]