Author: Vic Socotra

Stage Two

(Image 01 March 2023 courtesy NBC Washington DC) “The cherry trees have progressed to florets visible, the 2nd of 6 stages. Depending on the weather, peak bloom should be around 3 weeks away!” @NationalMallNPS tweeted. Naturally, the news was electrifying. The cherry blossoms down around the Tidal Basin hit Stage Two on their germination process. […]

Life & Island Times: Detour Day 22

May 2001 All Of Sudden In St Louis During my two wheeled road trips, I never felt nerves or sensed or heard premonitions. Steve and I had slept well and deeply for many of the preceding nights. Twenty-two years later I still marvel at the insanity of having our entire future or better said any […]

The Dance Resumes

(Ms Chandsi Kataria of New Delhi demonstrates the dance she will perform in New York’s Times Square to illuminate the American budget process. Photo Kataria). It is gone now, and frankly we are a little relieved. It was a mild February in the Eastern US. It had all sorts of stuff, a flurry of little […]

Life & Island Times: Detour, Day 21

Editor’s Note: A stern lecture to the independent contracting force entrusted with editorial duties this morning included a stern admonition and reminder that the number “21” comes immediately after “20.” We hope it works. – Vic At our lunch stop diner, Skids, in Cimarron Kansas, we met a self-described motorcycle fiend. Retired (in 1980) 20+year […]

Life & Island Times: Detour, Day 20

Almost ran over a guy as he foolishly tried to mosey across US-50. L-to-R in front of us, all the way, never once tired to trot, let alone run out of danger. Only hard evasive repeated actions by us saved him from having his shorts browned or his head turned bright red after being launched […]

Weather Report: Clouds in the East

You would think the skies would know which way the prevailing winds blow, you know? Like the climate models, it depends on how you load up the computer with the assumptions of the programmer. If you believe in the story you are attempting to tell, naturally the process will direct you to what you know […]

Life During Wartime, Part 2

have inflicted almost 5,000 missile strikes, 3,500 air strikes, and more than 1,100 drone strikes on the territory of Ukraine24 February 2023 Life During Wartime, Part 2 It is an anniversary this morning, and has been for a few hours. The featured event is in Ukraine and has been highly anticipated, and the fireworks about […]

Life & Island Times: Detour, Day 18

Editor’s Note: Building Management at Big Ink ran a test of complete Condo Association conversion to Renewable power sources. The initial test, scheduled for dawn on a cloudy day introduced unplanned variation in composition management and iteration control. The mis-ordering of episodes is the regrettable full responsibility of the independent editorial contractors with a distant, […]

Arrias: Riding the Tiger

There was a young lady of Niger Who smiled as she rode on a tiger; They returned from the ride With the lady inside, And the smile on the face of the tiger. – W.C. Monkhouse Sometimes it helps to look at things backwards…What should the US government recommend to Ukraine if they were losing […]

Life & Island Times: Detour Day 19

May 2001 Detour Version 1.0 Day 19 “Utah has Arizona’s scenery but a better color consultant.” -Marlow to Steve after driving through Utah Grand Junction Colorado and the last of Steve’s friends are our city stops. Stopped for brunch in Delta Utah at the Topps Café. First meal of the trip where the sole coffee […]