The PBS Vietnam Series gets me thinking September 18, 2017 I watched all the Stanley Karnow episodes in the 1990’s about Vietnam but I think Kevin Burns will bring a little more nuance at… Continue Reading
Welcome DFL delegate to today’s endorsing Convention June 3, 2017 It will be a long and fascinating day. I’ll keep lots of mental notes. I would also like to provide you with some time… Continue Reading
Paranoia Pt 2 (The Deep shit state) March 21, 2017 What is prompting this thread is the book I opened again in the middle of last night when I couldn’t sleep “1920, The year… Continue Reading
Luverne Klar Wrassler extraordinaire March 13, 2017 Coach Klar died last Saturday. I got word from the webpage set up for my fellow Mankato High classmates. I will write a little… Continue Reading
HAPPY # 7 (IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER OTHER THAN #1) February 9, 2017 I was quite taken with a couple of academics who were analyzing the reaction to the Trump Presidency. They in turn were taken with… Continue Reading
Sticks and Stones, Pt. 3 washing my mouth out with soap January 30, 2017 My Buddy accuses me of being prissy when I complain about his emails. Well, I just want to assure my readers that my family… Continue Reading
The Big Short January 6, 2017 I put this movie in my memory bank over the last year when some economic analyst on NPR gave it a big thumbs up…. Continue Reading
Your word is /ôr?THä?r?f?/ January 5, 2017 For better than ten, perhaps fifteen years I was the pronouncer at our regional Scripps Howard Spelling Bee. I have mentioned spelling bees and… Continue Reading
Bleeding Kansas December 16, 2016 This is one of my Mother’s paintings. Its called “Lilly White Town.” She painted it to symbolize the new world we had moved to… Continue Reading
Manchurian Candidate November 2, 2016 My daughter Facebooked me to tell me that she (young as she is) knows what the Manchurian Candidate is. For those who haven’t heard… Continue Reading
Topeka homecoming October 25, 2016 In 2002 I visited my old Topeka home with my Mother just as Alzheimers was beginning to intrude into her life. I asked her… Continue Reading
Think twice before pushing “send” September 16, 2016 So begins the NY Times piece on panic spreading on Capital Hill as the Russians make public yet another luminaries personal emails: WASHINGTON —… Continue Reading
TURN TURN TURN September 12, 2016 “VANITY OF VANITIES, SAYS THE TEACHER, VANITY OF VANITIES! ALL IS VANITY. WHAT DO PEOPLE GAIN FROM ALL THE TOIL AT WHICH THEY TOIL… Continue Reading
Sex Education September 12, 2016 One of the most engaging articles in the Sunday paper was written by an intern for the Duluth Budgeteer, Ryley Graham. It was about… Continue Reading
Unto the fifth generation – Not! May 14, 2016 My children are as allergic to today’s GOP as though it was a toxic substance. If it had not become the party of God… Continue Reading
Zero Hour’s beginnings twelve years ago May 13, 2016 Tonight I decided to look through old scribblings of mine thinking that I might be able to cobble a book together for use in… Continue Reading
on National Teacher’s Day May 3, 2016 After eight hours of lying in my bed waking periodically so that my night’s sleep only amounted to four or five hours between long… Continue Reading
I fought the law April 26, 2016 As I was belatedly putting away my Mother’s christmas ornaments this morning I was thinking about how strange it is that I’ve developed a… Continue Reading
Taking a pin to my pompous balloon April 23, 2016 Yeah, this email reaction to my white lie post from a sympathizer just about sums it up: “Harry, except for talking too much, you… Continue Reading
Thinking in Adages April 22, 2016 I was named after a man my Dad was profoundly disappointed in, his father, Harry Welty. There is it. After a couple hours of… Continue Reading
