Do As Others Do

In the old days, when I was a peripatetic roamer on a quest, my general rule was to go where the locals go, eat where they eat, and get involved with what they find interesting. Amazingly, when I became an anthropologist, I found that exactly the same approach worked the best for meeting people and …

Among Us

Marcus

First, let's get this clear: we are already here. What was left of our ship we cajoled our new servants to bury beneath one of those crazy pyramids. They even decided that we were Gods; what a chuckle. But the chow was good. Worshippers greet a cat-filled Mars lander as it arrives beside the pyramids. …

Flexibility

I never had the luxury of being a Johnny One-Note. I was booted from High School early and ran out of my home to avoid an inevitable confrontation with my father about it. What I left with was my guitar, maybe five dollars, a change of clothes in a suitcase, and a lot of desperation. …

It’s Complex

Now, I'm not being evasive, but it is complex. It may depend on the situation. For instance, there was one I learned in ancient times when I trained to be a medical first responder. The instructor was clear: " Don't become a victim!" He meant that you can't save human lives in a crisis if …

Shanks Mare

When young, I couldn't afford fancy tours of new places. And the places I needed to find, like lowdown musical venues where I might play in exchange for some coin, were not on those tours. The well-to-do tourist tours were in limos, buses, or chaperoned walking tours. Mine started at the local bus terminal and …

Change On The Breeze?

Lit white candle in black metal holder on wooden floor in dark room

It was still warm last night when I crawled into bed. So I got up and opened some windows. One part of me was scolding that, sometime in the night, the predicted cool-off would blow in on the breeze, and I would wake up with the two cats snuggling in for warmth and my dear …

Just A Spoonful

Marcus: Dad was in the living room playing that thing with strings. He was playing some sad song and making noises with the low strings and oohing and ahhhing about a new bass run he'd learned. I didn't see any basses running, and I looked. It might have been fun chasing one. Anyhow, I figured …

Choose, but Choose Wisely

Smoking brass oil lamp on a book labeled Campaign Ledger 1793–1798

The genie offers you a wish. After you carefully cogitate about it, you fool the genie and get away with the money, the fancy mansion, and the sexy mates of your choice. To be clear, this is Genie propaganda. It made its debut in the 1960's when it became clear to those rapscallions that people …

Last Zucchini Bread Of The Season

Fresh out of the oven, these are the last zucchini breads of the season. We used up the last two zucchinis on this batch. These were barely cool before the family had started to devour the first one. What's up next? Pumpkin bread. We have three lovely pumpkins that after making a nice fall displaay …

Last On The Card – September 2026

A Tower View. From top to bottom, Sabrina, Marcus, and Max are ready to leap out at an unsuspecting squirrel!