Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross dismissed the 800,000 federal workers threatened with the loss of a second paycheck this week, saying they represented a paltry "one third of a percent" of the U.S. GDP. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gi_z8rjHA2M Hmmm.... Recent studies show there are about 540 billionaires --- people like Ross --- in the United States. As a nation of … Continue reading Billionaires vs. 1/3 of 1%
Month: January 2019
Ele-Vader Pitch
Like so many of their peers, my sons are obsessed by the Harry Potter books. No wonder, then, that while introducing them to Star Wars I came upon this happy epiphany. As I brought popcorn into the living room, I overheard one of them reading the Amazon plot pitch for The Empire Strikes Back as if it … Continue reading Ele-Vader Pitch
Darth Vader’s Henchmen…
Darth Vader's taskmaster Admiral Piett, promoted under choking duress during the Star Wars Trilogy, bears an uncanny resemblance to a peculiar and unlikeable figure serving the current administration. See if you can tell them apart. That's Piett in the Nazi-looking uniform. Miller, rhetoric notwithstanding, dresses a different part. But let's go to the tapes. Here … Continue reading Darth Vader’s Henchmen…
Have I Got a Deal for You…
Nope... Incredibly shrinking...
First Lit Mag Layout in the Books
Last week I took on the role of layout designer for a community literary magazine. It was a satisfying experience with a few lessons learned. The Job The challenge included formatting and organizing 120 pages of photos, art, poetry, and prose fiction and nonfiction between 50 and 1,500 words, in three languages and three different … Continue reading First Lit Mag Layout in the Books
Happy Publication Day!
Happy Publication Day to all the contributors at the American School of Bombay! Over 80 students, parents, teachers, and staff added their voice to the first issue of ASB Musings --- a collection of reflections of the world through our eyes --- to make it a spellbinding repository of poetry, short fiction, memoir, photographs, journalism, and … Continue reading Happy Publication Day!
Other Jobs Feds Can Do for $0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJ1VorN9Cl0 It's our fourth week working for the Republic in exchange for no money. In these lean times ($0 income!) a few other jobs I can do for equal pay---but greater pleasure---have crossed my mind. These include: 10. Post reviews of my travels to TripAdvisor(dot)com 9. Polish tombstones at my local cemetery 8. … Continue reading Other Jobs Feds Can Do for $0
Death Star
We call this project the Death Star. The Death Star is going up across from my flat. Just outside our bedroom window, as a matter of fact. Here's an eyewitness account of how they build the Death Star: After fielding an unusual duty call at midnight last night, I returned to bed at 01:00, badly … Continue reading Death Star
Lit Mag Guy
End of last year I offered to help produce a school literary magazine, figuring I might be useful editing the 80 or so submissions. Yesterday I learned the organizers really need someone to pull the issue together, format it, give it that polished look. Why'd they turn to me? My inexperience coupled with their tight … Continue reading Lit Mag Guy
Mending Wall
Robert Frost's great poem, outwardly a critique on a pre-existing wall, arguably has little to do with the hypothetical wall being proffered today. But Frost's wall stands for so much more, and the critique applies more universally than merely to stone piled on stone. The critique can be said to include any barrier that divides … Continue reading Mending Wall
Ben East Books 