Author Archives: Jim

Columbus and my neighbors

Posted on October 10, 2017 by Jim

This is an updated version of a post from 2017. Columbus Day used to be a really boring holiday (unless you’re Italian). Now it’s nearly as controversial as, say, a football game, as a growing number of cities dump Christopher … Continue reading →

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Mississippi summers

Posted on September 7, 2017 by Jim

Note to readers: This exploration of my family history is primarily for my kids and kinfolk. I’m posting it in my blog because I’m too cheap to set up a separate website. If you are not among my relatives you … Continue reading →

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Observations from Harvey

Posted on August 31, 2017 by Jim

I can’t stop watching TV coverage of Hurricane Harvey (and couldn’t avoid it if I wanted to). It’s simultaneously terrible, tragic and heartwarming. The good news us that we’re seeing a learning curve in responding to disasters after the missteps … Continue reading →

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Visit to a bird farm

Posted on July 24, 2017 by Jim

I enjoyed watching the commissioning ceremony for the USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) on TV over the weekend. The news media consensus is… it’s big. Really BIG. President Trump’s commissioning speech showed uncharacteristic restraint by not calling the ship yuge. One … Continue reading →

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My stuttering family reunion

Posted on July 15, 2017 by Jim

Last week I spent four days reconnecting with an extended family of 700 people at the annual conference of the National Stuttering Association. This is the world’s largest organization for people who stutter with about 150 local support groups, educational … Continue reading →

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Confessions of a Civil War addict

Posted on June 28, 2017 by Jim

A couple of weeks ago I spent a few hours hiking around the Civil War site of the Battle of Glorieta Pass, which ended an ill-conceived Confederate invasion of New Mexico in 1862. Last year I attended a Civil War … Continue reading →

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Freedom of the press is alive and well

Posted on May 11, 2017 by Jim

We’re hearing solemn pronouncements from prominent journalists that the freedom of the press is under siege. I’m not concerned – yet – because all I’m seeing so far is mutual sniping between a partisan press and a new administration responding … Continue reading →

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Keeping up the brightwork at Great Lakes

Posted on February 28, 2017 by Jim

Another story from my Navy days that is still mostly true. Every so often the military personnel system puts a round peg in a round hole almost by accident. The Navy urgently needed a speechwriter at the Great Lakes Naval … Continue reading →

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The old neighborhood

Posted on February 11, 2017 by Jim

Note to readers: This exploration of my family history is primarily for my kids and kinfolk. I’m posting it in my blog because I’m too cheap to set up a separate website. If you are not among my relatives you … Continue reading →

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Being a savvy news consumer

Posted on February 3, 2017 by Jim

We’re a nation of smart consumers. We kick the tires on a used car, check restaurant and hotel reviews on TripAdvisor and read food labels. Now we need to wear our consumer hats to follow the news. That’s because the … Continue reading →

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