b.a. east
Dunking Ganpati into the sea is all about dissolution (more). Even so, witnessing his mortal remains embedded in the mud tonight brought to mind the enormous ego of past Lords: 'My name is Ozymandias, king of kings: Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!' Nothing beside remains. Round the decay Of that colossal wreck, … Continue reading Ozymandias and the Alter Ego
Writing insights worth re-posting: Silence, too, is a tool in the wordsmith’s toolbox–perhaps the most potent of all in an art wrought by and from words. The caesura, a moment of silence in music and a metrical pause in poetry, allows readers (and musicians, and writers) to catch their breath. This pause also allows emotion … Continue reading Imagination–Reblogged from Valor and Compassion
Reflecting on U.S. Diplomacy. An excerpt: The next-to-last time I saw Mohamed---11:15 a.m., December 6, 2004---a blast-resistant window separated us. The day’s final applicant, he was alone in the waiting room when the high-low alarm started wailing. An Afghan male taking refuge in Saudi Arabia from the time of the Soviet invasion of his country, … Continue reading The Impact of Public Diplomacy
There’s nothing pithy in the title ‘Before We Break for Lunch, Let Me Repeat Everything Already Said at This Meeting At Least Twice.’ And that's exactly the point. By sticking its finger in the eye of brevity, this piece at the tail end of Flash Nonfiction Funny captures everything that’s beautiful and funny and sad … Continue reading Finite Jests
The Attorney for the Attorney Representing the Client’s Attorney---A Legal Thriller Balzac’s Listicle of SCOTUS Decisions on Penal Reform Other People We Must Arm & Why---Essays on fear-mongering from the NRA Nantucket: Beyond the Limericks Dirty Rhymes, Inappropriate Puns, & Other Reasons Dad Shouldn't Drink So Much Dr. Pepper Treats Sgt. Pepper’s Chest Wound: … Continue reading Books Not Presently Up at Amazon
MLB Opening day tomorrow. In that spirit, and in keeping with my recent series about baseball, sports, and writing, I'm taking this rare measure of re-blogging the announcement of fellow blogger C.S. Boyack. Hope you'll take him up on his offer of a copy of the Enhanced League on Kindle. https://www.youtube.com/embed/i94ldGNNSQ0?version=3&rel=1&fs=1&autohide=2&showsearch=0&showinfo=1&iv_load_policy=1&wmode=transparent Once upon a time, … Continue reading How about some free days? — Entertaining Stories
Call them what you will---trolls, comment monkeys, sock-puppets---no-one should doubt that the hundreds of employees of the 'Internet Research Agency' had a sense of humor. From the Mueller indictment: On or about May 29, 2016, Defendants and their co-conspirators, through an ORGANIZATION-controlled social media account, arranged for a real U.S. person to stand in front of … Continue reading Those Funny Russian Trolls
Cherish. Having the quality of a pop diva. Cherish. Cherish. Not quite a chair. More of a stool, really. Cherish. Cherish. An artificial flavor just short of cherry flavored. Cherish. Cherish. To lead, sort-of. Cherish. WordPress prompt word of the day: Cherish.
Of all the Christmas albums out there, my favorite by far is the Vince Guaraldi Trio's A Charlie Brown Christmas. And of all the attempts to push back on the commercialization of Christmas, my favorite comes from Linus. While the other kids seem to have all the moral fiber of a Fox News host, young … Continue reading Good Will Toward All
This guest essay was written by Gun Sense Chester County member Barbara Gall Sheehan. She read excerpts of the essay at our recent event, Remembrance — 5th Anniversary of the Tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary.
By Barbara Gall Sheehan
If only….I was sick that day
If only… I had missed the bus
If only…I was better at hiding
If only…I could run faster
If only…my teacher was a super hero
If only…my Dad was there to protect me
If only…I was invisible
If only…he didn’t have a GUN
Whether you are pro-gun, anti-gun or somewhere in between, we all can agree that guns in the wrong hands have tragic consequences and there is no harsher example than Sandy Hook.
Five years ago, our nation was shaken to its core when the unthinkable happened in a Connecticut elementary school. Just two weeks…
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