Author Archives: Jim

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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How to drain the swamp

Posted on January 6, 2017 by Jim

What’s most appealing about Donald Trump’s victory (with apologies to my friends who believe he’s the incarnation of evil) is the prospect of long-overdue government reform. His “drain the swamp” campaign pledge resonated because 75% of Americans believe there’s widespread … Continue reading →

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Family stories: They met in the bargain basement

Posted on December 28, 2016 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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The national civics lesson

Posted on December 21, 2016 by Jim

Americans may be deeply divided by the 2016 presidential election, but we’re getting one helluva civics lesson. Until this year, most of us gave little thought to the Electoral College,  the Federalist Papers or even the Constitution. Now we’re getting … Continue reading →

Posted in Commentary | 3 Comments

The culture shock of alien tribes

Posted on December 13, 2016 by Jim

The transition to the Donald Trump administration is an exercise in culture shock. Trump himself is a shock to the system, of course, and it’s reasonable to expect the losing party to bitterly oppose anyone he appoints. Where the culture … Continue reading →

Posted in Commentary | 2 Comments

Election observations

Posted on November 14, 2016 by Jim

At the risk of contributing to the post-election drama, here are a few observations. If you insult me I am not going to vote for you. Calling Donald Trump a racist is not unreasonable, given the incendiary things he has … Continue reading →

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