(Order of Victory of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.)   The Victors poured into the streets of Paris and Athens last night. It is a sort of Victory in Europe Day for the forces of progressive anti-austerity. You saw the headlines this morning: Francois Hollande edged Nicolas Sarkozy to become the first Socialist President […]

If you haven’t been following things, and chose to get ready for the Kentucky Derby with a dollop of tequila, I would not blame you. I was fully ready for the greatest two minutes in sports, though it came with the peril of nearly missing it altogether. There was so much going on. Japan, home […]

(French Zouaves encounter Mexican cavalry at the first Battle of Puebla, 1862. Photo Wikipedia via Mike Manning.) I don’t think I have a lot more of those sorts of trips left in me. Of course, my learned co-worker pointed out that there were not a lot of requirements left for this sort of thing, and […]

(The President’s new campaign slogan, rolled out this week to much fanfare. You can imagine how the Right is going to doctor this one up.)   Morning. I am not back from the astonishing freedom of the road, where I was complete Captain of my destination (and, perhaps, Destiny.) According to the messages from my […]

  (Breezewood, PA, the village of Motels. Photo Courtesy Automatic7).   The roads that connect North and South are always filled with adventure and the possibility of mischance. A real delight sometimes, and sometimes agony. This trip had both.   Approaching the Capital yesterday, I realized suddenly how this all works. I got a palpable […]

(The park and marina, looking toward the former Socotra compound on the bluff in The Little Village By the Bay.) It is a global holiday dedicated to the glory of Labor. I am not sure what that is, precisely, except that when Caleb and I were sweeping out the garage attached to the main house […]

(Still life with ladies hats from the back downstairs bedroom amid innovative storage systems of several eras, both metal and plastic. Crap. Photo Socotra.) I agree with you- the episode yesterday was an uplifting prelude to the final send off. I felt good. the day was bright, though a cirrus clouds began to wave tendrils […]

(The door to the future, or at least one that is going to open soon. Photo Socotra.) The Bay is smooth as silk this morning, dead calm and glassy after the winds at the end of the week that stirred up whitecaps. It was a rising gale then, sort of like the storm I felt […]

(Second dumpster filled up by three pm. Photo Socotra). I had a chance to ponder many things after I got Spike to Pellston Regional airport for his (gulp) 0540 flight. They must originate the string-of-pearls routes here, places like Cheboygan and Alpeena being the next stops on the way to a great hub at Detroit […]

(The famous Dumpster, our ultimate friend. Photo Socotra)   I knew we were o trouble when the Dumpster was filled up by lunchtime. That put us behind on pace and into a frantic series of phone calls to the Little Traverse Dumpster Corporation.   Brenda said: “Residential? I can have a pickup next Wednesday.”   […]