Joyce Kilmer once wrote, "I think that I shall never see a poem lovely as a tree.....poems are made by fools like me but only God can make a tree."

I've often thought that he was describing the trees in my hometown.

When I was a boy, my childish eyes… Read full post »

For years now, maybe centuries, men, and women, too, have argued over the age of the universe.

On the one side are the scientists, physicists, astrophysicists, and science fiction writers who argue that a big bang occurred about six billion years ago and the debris of this massive bang eventually for… Read full post »

Billy Jack Swartz...

Harold Noobody...

The Abominable Toe Man...

Momotaro Schwartzenegger...

Our intrepid reporter...

Razorback Jack...

The Moon Shines Tonight on Little Redwing...

Remember Al Jolson...

This Buddy of mine went nuts...

Pecans is da bes'...

Screw you, Millard Filmore...

So much for wri… Read full post »

For a long time I was into genealogy. It was fun and I learned things I never knew, met relatives I’d never heard of, and dispelled at least one family story that had been around forever.

The story was about our Indian Ancestor.

From the time I can remember,… Read full post »

This should be a time of excitement for me and in many ways it is. I’ll soon leave Hawaii for a new life elsewhere. I’ve always looked forward to changes like this with great hope. This time is no different.

At the same time, I feel a deep sadness… Read full post »

Almost every Memorial Day, people who know that I am a Veteran will say something like, “Thank you for defending my country!  Your service was appreciated!”

And every Memorial Day when I hear those words, I feel a tinge of shame.

It’s true that I, along with 22 friends,… Read full post »

 If you've ever recived one of the following kinds of messages, you can feel assured that it is complete, gold-plated bullshit.

Hello
My name is Nina. a 22 yrs old girl . I am average in height and fair in complexion ,am a loving, romantic and caring angel. I read… Read full post »

At the risk of irritating Irish Catholics, I’ve decided to celebrate St. Patricia’s Day on March 17th.

Patrick is the male version of the female name Patricia, and if Patrick can be a saint, why not Patricia?

Patricia is a name of Latin derivation meaning patrician, or proud, and I… Read full post »

I knew someone once who died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.

No one knows why she took her life. We never will. She left no note. We only know that she stretched out on the couch one Sunday afternoon, lifted a pistol to her right temple, and… Read full post »

The ending that I remember most clearly happened shortly after I joined the Air Force at the age of 18. The weather that year was exceptionally lousy. When it rained, it didn’t stop. It just kept on falling. The funny thing was, it didn’t rain in the desert where I happened… Read full post »

It’s funny how memories often pop up in the course of a simple conversation. I’m sure you’ve experienced situations similar to mine, which usually happen when I meet someone for the first time. That’s when we exchange innocuous bits and pieces of information in an effort or a… Read full post »

If someone had asked me that question ten years ago, I’d have lied through my teeth and said something like, “Oh, you know, The Classics, Greek Lit, Machiavelli, Shakespeare, Carl Sandburg, Henry Miller, I could go on and on. Let’s have a beer.”

The truth is, the only literat… Read full post »

I’ll be in the Lone Star State pretty soon and I’m scared.

Texans are tough. I was in the service with a bunch and, in the street level vernacular, they “took no shit from the company commander. “

In those days, we were ammunition handlers, driving truckloads of bombs… Read full post »

As a product of the No Color Collar Class, I believe I can safely say that America’s kids prefer a Grilled Cheese Sandwich to any other sandwich 10 to 1. And when I say kids, I mean real kids as well as those of us who have never grown up.… Read full post »

I haven’t posted much over the past year and a half. My wife passed away and my mind just hasn’t been with it. 

Yesterday, though, I decided to post something even if it was lousy. The old “A journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step” kind… Read full post »

There was a time when I was gun crazy. Oh, I wasn’t loony or anything like that. I was merely a card-carrying member of the gun culture. Guns were like air, all around, unnoticed unless we decided to head for the countryside and shoot whatever moved. I couldn’t… Read full post »