I am thumbing my nose at al Qaida on the Arabian Peninsula today, and defying their plans to interrupt my plans. Accordingly trusting my posterior to the tender ministrations of the TSA and a United Airlines regional subcontractor. I am confident in the multi-layered security at Dulles will preclude any interference with my travel plans. […]

(The new flag of the Culpeper Minutemen hangs limply below the National Ensign near the Big Ass Rock in the gravel circular drive at Refuge Farm. Photo Socotra.) I rose this morning at the farm, curiously refreshed, and on the brink of transitioning from One Thing to Another Thing. The move is done, or will […]

Forgive me, gentle readers. I have been remiss in contacting you the last few days. I have been quite distracted the last few days. Reggie, his twin sister Regina, Abdul and whatever that Romanian’s name was helped me out, big time, in relocating from Tunnel Eight to the new digs. I made twenty-five or more […]

Good times are coming. I read about it this morning. The wonks over at the Bureau of Economic Analysis fixed everything. I will get to that in a minute. I am packing today, freight elevator reserved for tomorrow. By nightfall on the first I hope to be moved, and the next chapter in this bizarre […]

(Dining table, with magazines, airplanes spare books, backpack and a Cartier bag filled with clip-on bow ties. Photo Socotra). It is beautiful weather, though I am off to a slow start this morning. I was up at two, the list of things that need to be done in the next three or four days- is […]

Hell, I don’t know if it is half of us that has to do what I did this morning. If it was, the drive would not have been nearly so smooth. I joined an elite this morning, and feel astonishingly liberated. Wait, I am (as usual) getting ahead of myself. I had labored mightily down […]

(Barrister Jerry anticipates dining on his beef-on-weck as Tex the bartender looks on. The sandwich is served with condiments of Duke’s mayonnaise, sautéed onions, grated horseradish and topped by three deep-fried olives. You can do all sorts of mischief with a deep fryer. Photo Socotra). The anticipation had been building all week. People were coming […]

(Presidential Press Spokesman Jay Carney, who apparently has no problems sleeping. It is part of his six-step program. Photo AP) Most of my pals have stopped making jokes about the NSA Internet surveillance program, even as Congress got around to narrowly permitting it to continue yesterday. For a while we were including a wave to […]

(This Thanksgiving’s dinner walking by Natasha’s kitchen window. Photo Natasha). “I am the first one to admit I am no farmer,” I said, taking a sip of happy Hour White. “I don’t even have a tractor.” Boats looked pensive. “You have not even defined your requirements,” he said. “Do you really need a tractor? What […]

(This is the team from the Rustico Restaurant. I saw somethings that would have got my vote immediately. I was in Hoosierland for the BRGR Battle Cook-off in Ballston. Photo Willow.) It is summertime, and the living is easy. Well, sort of. I received a pair of troubling notes yesterday. The first was the announcement […]