I was driving the Panzer over to meet Old Jim at the not-Willow bar to shoot the shit and maybe watch the Preakness. It was a lovely day, low humidity and sunny, a splendid day to be alive. By consensus, the old cathode ray tube televisions high atop the bar fixture at Willow was not […]

(Looking forward toward the Amen Corner at the Willow bar. Photo Willow.) Ok- so it’s Armed Forces Day. I assume you are partying your brains out to celebrate the 65th anniversary of the announcement by the second Secretary of Defense, Louis Johnson, that henceforth “Armed Forces Day” would replace separate Army, Navy, Marine Corps and […]

(The chairs are un-stacked, the umbrella is up. The patio is straining with anticipation. Hockey is almost over; the Wizards are out of the playoffs, it is too soon to care about Baseball. There is only one answer. Photo Socotra). I was walking down the passageway to get to the garage this morning and saw […]

(G. Mennen “Soapy” Williams, governor of Michigan). I wanted to write about the way TLB’s hair shimmered with highlights when she walked into Willow last night. Honestly, I don’t think I have seen her look so lovely, and I have to say that Jon-without was at his dapper best. I was doing my best to […]

The morning started out with ennui. I slept well enough, but rose still tired. The temperatures have declined from the sultry first-sweat day of the season. The coffee was good enough, when I remembered to punch the button on the side. I don’t know- there is plenty to be outraged about but somehow I could […]

  Listening to news-and-traffic-on-the-eights, I heard about the big collapse of the Western Antarctic Ice Sheet. Twoo teams of scientists say the long-feared collapse of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet has begun, kicking off what they say will be a centuries-long, “unstoppable” process that could raise sea levels by as much as 15 feet. When […]

(This is the prototype for solar energy farms of the future that can produce electric power except when there are clouds or when the sun goes down. When operating, the individual mirrors focus intense heat on the tower array, which boils water to produce energy. It also shreds birds in midair and can blind pilots, […]

(Mom in Miami, 1960) To all the mothers out there, the very best wishes for a day filled with little luxuries, and the adoration of your children. Perhaps brunch? Certainly a respite from the cares of raising the next generation. Mom has been gone now since January of 2012. That first Mother’s Day without her […]

Sorry-got off on the Cold War this morning with the usual suspects. Maybe it was part of the informal celebration of Soviet Victory Day yesterday at Willow- the one that commemorated the final victory over Nazi Germany by he Red Army. We started with some thoughts about the Boko Haram, the militants who kidnapped almost […]

I have been a traveling man most of my professional life. Mostly the unpleasant bag-dragging sort of travel in which you never really get to unpack, and wind up humping the luggage through elevators of varying reliability to cabs of uncertain hygiene to oppressive air portals of embarkation. Remember the stunning invocation of luggage with […]