Think of life here in the Empire as drifting upon magnificent barge where large, feathered fans stroke the warm river air and time moves differently from the time of everywhere else. Everything is better on the barge with a kind of ease scenting our nights. The barge passes through towns up and down river, through […]

Author’s note: After a blue-skied St Patrick’s day with friends, food, good cheer and our town’s first parade since 2019, these thoughts surfaced: When I used to go to the refrigerated section in liquor stores to pick up some beer back in college, I’d stand by the cooler’s glass doors and search past the Cokes, […]

On this first weekday of this year’s sainted day of Patrick, I’ve foresworn reading or watching any current events reporting to share some thoughts about life’s post job phase. Take it from me, if you’re asking yourself about this post’s topic, I do not know much for certain. Your mileage may will vary. Wildly. -Marlow […]

As fragmented reports of impending Russian use of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) in Ukraine and Russian TV analysts openly discussing how to invade NATO’s Baltic countries and Poland clutter our news feeds, here’s an old tale. -Marlow Today’s American politics are sorta like being in junior high with nothing going on in the whole […]

The past three weeks of 24/7 shock and awe sh*t, war-war porn on our flat screens, smart phones, tablets and computers took me back to similar dark times 50-years ago, when I heard a fellow boomer’s tune on my FM radio as America’s first televised nightly news war crescendoed half a world away in Vietnam. […]

Editor’s Note: We had a vigorous discussion at The Farm about whether to stay up for the President’s first State of the Union message last night. We did not, though we did review his remarks first thing. We reserve comment, of course, since the Young Attorney is watching us carefully. We may talk about it […]

Author’s Note: While I’m thinking about the change March’s coming will soon bring to the Empire, this is for Vlad and his hommies. Drink and hip hop it up, boys. -Marlow ——​ Well, Vald was dancing at Moscow club one Friday night And that nightclub bar was a little too uptight Yeah, Vlad was dancing […]

Eastward and westward storms were breaking upon Europe’s wintry steppes as 2022 opened — great, ugly whirlwinds of hatred and blood and cruelty. We in the comfortable West foolishly did not believe them inevitable. Those who lived there stood firm and looked up and out saying “Death wins nothing here, its gnawing wings that amputate […]

A wartime text conversation between a Russian mother and her son just before he dies in a distant battle: ​Lash, why are you not answering for so long, are you sure you are on exercises? 12:23 Mama, I’m no longer in the Crimea, not at the EXERCISE 14:16 And where??? Dad asks if you can […]

Editor’s Note: We are in a curious time. There is War on the Continent unseen in generations.. Marlow contributes this note from the Coastal Empire to tell the tale of women who have lived in times of trouble and who gave us our lives. – Vic My grandmother on the German side of my family […]