On the Existence of Independence

It is early July. In my country, we set fire to gunpowder and other explosives wrapped in paper — which are produced almost entirely in extremely hazardous conditions outside of this country — to mimic the actual gunpowder explosions that presumably were the background for the signing of a document that declared this small group… Continue reading On the Existence of Independence

Paul Bunyan Day

Paul Bunyan statue in Bangor, Maine. (Wikipedia) It’s that special day in June again. No, not that solstice thing. No, forget graduation. No, not the wedding thing. It’s Paul Bunyan Day! A day to celebrate an absolute idiot who blundered through the north woods, wearing plaid flannel, leading a cow named Babe, and wielding an… Continue reading Paul Bunyan Day

Robinhood

Apparently, if you don’t willingly participate in this economy of greed and destruction — “willingly” being loosely defined as “with some degree of acceptance and authorization” — those in power will resort to actual theft to relieve you of the dollars you manage to harbor in the brief period between payday and bill paying day. … Continue reading Robinhood

Jungle to Veg Garden!

The sun reaches its northernmost point on the horizon today. Tomorrow evening it turns around and starts heading south again. In the US, we call this the beginning of summer, but traditionally this is the middle, Midsummer.  The official date of the Midsummer holiday is the 24th, much like the winter solstice holidays are tied… Continue reading Jungle to Veg Garden!

Juneteenth

Today is Juneteenth. Specifically, today is the first anniversary of Juneteenth becoming a federal holiday and the 157th anniversary of the reading of General Order No. 3 by Union Army general Gordon Granger. This was the order which served as the Texas version of the Emancipation Proclamation and therefore was the official grant of freedom for… Continue reading Juneteenth

A Love Story for Bloomsday

Thomas Bloom was a professor. Business. He was not remarkable looking, talking, feeling, or thinking. The only remarkableness about Tom was an enormous lack of remarkableness. Bored freshmen amused themselves by pretending this apparent unremarkability constituted a cover for a secret identity of intrigue. Only for amusement. Could they have entered his mind, they would… Continue reading A Love Story for Bloomsday