Category: Writing
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The Annapolis Bookstore
A short block from Maryland’s historic State House, down a white brick street narrow with specialty shops, The Annapolis Bookstore is exactly what a bookstore ought to be: jammed with literature, old and new, on shelves that climb from creaking wood floor to high plaster ceiling. Close with the antiquated must of well-turned pages, yet…
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Buckle Up!
I watched in suspended horror and fascination as the single-engine Socata bobbed and wobbled just 50 yards from our windshield on the way out to Annapolis tonight. We had a good 15 seconds to watch it fly just above oncoming traffic to our left — put it at 40 or 50 feet over those cars…
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Mental Deviants & Gun Nuts
A dozen years ago when I worked in Saudi Arabia, the government had a habit of referring to domestic terrorists as ‘deranged’ and calling them ‘mental deviants.’ We mocked the Saudis mercilessly for it. The Royals were denying reality. They failed to acknowledge and confront the extremist forces at loose in the Kingdom, extremist views…
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House of Cards, Sleight of Hand –Ed.
I re-read this old post in light of today’s widely reported allegations against Kevin Spacey. Now I know why the opening credits are so creepy. Think the opening credits for House of Cards is just some anodyne tour around the nation’s capital? Not so. One minute into the 90 second clip the camera pans desolate…
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Walden in Africa & Other Diplomatic Readings
Among the 53 titles compiled in this Month’s Foreign Service Journal is Dan Whitman’s Answer Coming Soon. Whatever else it provides to those who read it, Answer undeniably will provide this: a reflection on the power of books. The power is especially profound for those who spend their lives in places where electricity can be spotty…
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The Polyglot Archipelago
Seven islands form the area now called Mumbai (Bombay until 1995). Marathi, Hindi, and English are just a few of the languages spoken there, including Bambaiva, a blend of Gujarati, Konkani, Urdu, Indian English, and more. Its home to 18.5 million, India’s most populous city. Rudyard Kipling, Salman Rushdie, and Fareed Zakaria all were born…
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Gutman!
My sons are psyched Dan Gutman’s coming to town! So am I. They used Barnes & Noble gift cards to pick up something for him to sign. The youngest snagged My Weird School Fast Facts: Space, Humans, and Farts. I can’t wait to read it with him! The oldest went for Flashback Four #2: The…
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The Mars Boycott
Halloween is here and I’m taking a stand. I will eat nothing wrapped in orange, brown, yellow, or gold. I declare Mars and the rest of Candy Corp America persona non grata in my home! Here’s why: The average child eats about 3 cups of sugar and 7,000 calories on Halloween. They’d have to walk approximately…
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Prophetic—
Patchworks is sadly a timely tale of national character and individual insight, juxtaposing individual lives and Second Amendment rights. One reads this engaging, often amusing, and ultimately disturbing account in light of an advancing history of public massacres involving firearms. WorldView Magazine’s Peter Van Deekle reviews Patchworks at Peace Corps Worldwide. Excerpts: B.A. East brings…
Ben East Books 