Author: Vic Socotra

Time of Transition

Time of Transition

Shakespeare summed it up in a lot of stuff. We had to wade through some of it when there were still books and stuff at Washington and Lee before they changed the second part of the name. The football team is undefeated this year, which is not what it was when I was there, so […]

Ring Around the Moon

Ring Around the Moon

(The Moon over the patio at 2:23AM Sunday. Clockwise from top left, DeMille, Splash, Eddie, Melissa, Rocket, Vapor & Rick. Middle is Kristina. Sketches by Vic).  That was the moon above the Big Pink patio outside the entrance to Socotra House World Headquarters this morning. Jupiter is in there as well, but things got a […]

Arrian: Seapower and National Security

On the north side of a runway, at an airfield about 60 miles west of Gdansk, Poland, about 10 miles from the Baltic, lies a US Navy operated installation. It is a missile defense base – known as AEGIS Ashore. It was just declared fully operational just a week or so ago, though it has […]

Melissa’s Local Beat

Melissa’s Local Beat

Yo, it’s Melissa! I get the lead today even if it is late. The Boomers are still off this weekend, which is why things started with a discussion of the moon just after a few of them returned from what they called a “Routine Recce Mission” to ‘observe’ the operations in a new club since Willow […]

The Fifteen Minute County

An Introductory Fanfare Morning! It may be gray out there, but it is bright to me since I am what Section Leader DeMille calls “Large and in Charge” through the weekend. I have thought about complaining to Legal, where I am assigned as an “unpaid intern” and perfectly within guidelines for my height and gender […]

The Arlington Event

Editor’s Note: There is plenty of activity unfolding as the consequences of a historic week unfold. Other events on other calendars also unfolded, but with grace, tradition and respect. This was one for a shipmate.The Arlington Event Some of us had visited this place before, this corner of the green fields that overlook the flanks of the Pentagon. […]

Section 7

Section 7

Forgive us this morning! Legal took the day off, and said in the memo that they were going to stay that way until the House elections are sorted out tomorrow or Friday. There are fifty or so Arlington families looking for work based on the election about other people looking for work. It is a […]

No Surprise

No Surprise

The memo from Legal was penned late yesterday afternoon. It read: “Keep the results thing short, and matter of fact unless something goes kinetic high-order in the night.” Splash was assigned that part. He agreed to a two-drink maximum at Happy Hour, and had voted weeks ago. So, the election that just ended had been […]

Arlington, VA, Election Day Observation Posts & Beverage Specials

The Question, of course, if what to do after the vote. In much of our professional and perosnal lives that involved crowds of raucous people in places we felt comfortable here in Arlington. Most of us voted weeks ago, so we can start celebrating as soon as the coffee is claered off he picnic table. […]

Big Week

Big Week

The group at the picnic table is proudly not disoriented today. It is finally the end of the campaign to decide, maybe in the next few weeks, who is going to be running the show in which we are somewhat peripheral participants. It is a relief, of sorts, and we are hoping for something like […]