If we are to have another contest in the near future of our national existence, I predict that the dividing line will not be Mason and Dixon's but between patriotism and intelligence on the one side, and superstition, ambition and ignorance on the other.
"Instead of "Thank you for your service," try, "We're sorry you had to expend your blood, sweat, tears and toil to clean up our monumental failings." Every time you meet one of the dwindling numbers of WWII veterans (and those of all the other magnificent little American wars we've fallen into), keep your mouth shut and your brain focused on peace. These "Greatest Generation" folks answered the bell and won the fight. We might not be as blessed next time."
A member of the Honour Guard stands next to a coffin with the body of Ukrainian Armed Forces member Valerii, who was killed during Russia's invasion of Ukraine, during a funeral ceremony in Kyiv, Ukraine, March 8, 2022.
It’s always fun to get a phone call during morning meeting from your oncologist, who you just met yesterday, and who says, “You know...
I called Monday morning and the news was what I thought—but with an unexpected twist I have a malignant carcinoma on my toe…type is Kaposi’s Sarcoma.
Let's be clear: The war was about slavery, from first to last. And after the gun stopped firing, the war continued in multiple ways that all-too-often includes violence and murder.
RIP Amara Renas and all the other unknown women and men and children. May you haunt our collective memory forever.
Tragically brilliant.
"Instead of "Thank you for your service," try, "We're sorry you had to expend your blood, sweat, tears and toil to clean up our monumental failings." Every time you meet one of the dwindling numbers of WWII veterans (and those of all the other magnificent little American wars we've fallen into), keep your mouth shut and your brain focused on peace. These "Greatest Generation" folks answered the bell and won the fight. We might not be as blessed next time."
"Many states whose sovereignty is threatened are now finally waking up to the danger. But is it perhaps already too late to do anything about the seemingly over-mighty corporations?"
"What's our death toll up to in this week's boutique pay lots of money and die fashionably sweepstakes? 19?"
"The information presented is stark and perhaps unsettling."
Immoral, indecent, inhumane. ... We are running concentration camps and human beings are dying.
It’s been TWELVE (12)!!! years??! Holy cow. In spite of all the special dogs (Feargal, Fergus, Fred, Roux, Sascha, Bosco, Goose, Tessa and now...
100 years ago today, at the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month of 1918, the guns along the 440-mile line stretching from Switzerland to the North Sea fell silent. The war started 1 August 1914 just as German Chancellor Otto von Bismark once famously predicted around 1884, by "some damned fool thing in the Balkans;" in this case, the assassination of Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo, a city of agony in the 20th century). But on 11 November 1918, it was finally "all quiet on the Western Front."
In the next few days, there will be much remembrance of the events of 100 years ago—the end of World War I. Not as much in the U.S., where World War I is like the Korean War, a largely forgotten conflict, even though 115,516 Americans died between 1917-1918, along with over 320,000 sickened, most in the influenza epidemic of 1918.
Steve Bell’s ‘toons for The Guardian are always brilliant. But «in this one», he’s surpassed himself.
Remembering Bill Schock on his 100th birthday … and the 52nd anniversary of Braniff 250 in Falls City. Also … feeling old from …...
Back in 2014, I included a chapter in my book detailing Bill Schock's war experiences as they related to his reporting on the crash of Braniff International flight 250 in 1966.
«This is Bill’s final column» out of countless ones he wrote over 71 years for the Falls City Journal. With this column, he said...
This is kind of like how I feel about my (possibly four) upcoming surgeries: I don’t want to do this, but I have to,...
Because so much has been messed up and unstuck during the first half of this god-awful year, I just discovered the other day that...
In all this pouring (and pouring and pouring) rain, how difficult is it to find a naked man running around after he assaulted a...
Here is a series of pics of Bosco (and Sascha) from the moment we first saw them in October 2015 as Belly Rubs… Posted...
Some pics of a happy/sleepy Bosco. Always such a happy boy, until that last night. Farewell, Boscketty. Lordy do we miss ya. Posted by...
Our beloved Bosco is calling time and can now see the Rainbow Bridge and the finish line of a life well lived and well…...
This is our reality … (another in a series): We are human shields. Posted by Steve Pollock on Tuesday, February 20, 2018
This is our reality … (another in a series): Posted by Steve Pollock on Tuesday, February 20, 2018
[Yeah, it's long and snarky. Yes, again. Read and think or move along.] A teacher's perspective: This is our reality,… Posted by Steve Pollock...
It's the Mirror, so not exactly the greatest source, but the stats they cite are valid. We have now lost four men who… Posted...
Just some pics of David Garms I happened to find easily while waiting for sleep to arrive after this truly horrible… Posted by Steve...
[Here’s an obit of sorts to go with the post I just added above. Writing obits is what I used to do professionally …...
Frank and I are beyond sad and shocked to have to announce the death this morning of our longtime housemate David Garms. (This is...
https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/obituaries/jerry-yellin-fighter-pilot-in-last-combat-mission-of-world-war-ii-dies-a… Posted by Steve Pollock on Friday, January 12, 2018
There's this thing that has been closely guarded for going on 40 years in 2018. It's my secret. So as it hits its 40th birthday in our new year, I decided it's time to tell the world.
Some three hours ago, the legendary Rose Marie tweeted about opening the Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas 71 years ago this… Posted by Steve...
Yowza. Posted by Steve Pollock on Tuesday, November 21, 2017
Peckerwoods! What we learned this week: • Comedian Louis CK and Crusading Crazy Ass Roy Moore were accepted into that venerable old boy’s club,...
Just found out our court jester Bosco has a large, fast-growing osteosarcoma, which engulfed three ribs and is probably… Posted by Steve Pollock on Monday,...
Posted by Steve Pollock on Thursday, September 22, 2016
Presenting the Rick Stewart Memorial Bird Feeder Tree. Rick gave me these three feeders he made last spring and I… Posted by Steve Pollock...
[An anemic attempt to define Rick, who was undefinable.]Rick Stewart, Feb. 2, 1966 – Feb. 11, 2016.Three months or… Posted by Steve Pollock on Saturday,...
Sad news today: «Bea Arthur passed away at 86 from cancer»: ‘Beatrice Arthur, the tall, deep-voiced actress whose razor-sharp delivery of comedy lines made...
I wrote the following passages in two separate sections over two separate days. Part I – 2:00 a.m. San Francisco Time, Wednesday, Nov. 14,...