I am an American, and this means certain things. As an American, I will say what I want, when I want, to whom I want. If you find my speech upsetting or disgusting, dangerous or irresponsible or even un-American, that’s your problem. I’m an American. I say what I want. I have the right to … [more]
For Whom the Liberty Bell Tolls (or: Brief Thoughts on Crossing the Border on a Motorcycle)
19-September-2011 by 3 Comments
Extremely put out
29-July-2011 by 3 Comments
Repeatedly called an “extremist” by Democrats during the 1964 Presidential campaign, Sen. Barry Goldwater (R-AZ) felt the need to channel Marcus Tullius Cicero and remind America, during his acceptance speech as the Republican nominee, that “extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice;” also that “moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue.” … [more]
Fellow Travelers
16-June-2011 by 1 Comment
Per Godwin’s Law, the longer an internet thread persists, the greater the chances of someone invoking Hitler or Nazism to “settle” the issue. A popular corollary asserts that the invoker is considered to have lost the argument through his or her specious hyperbole. Godwin’s adage would be more amusing if it weren’t so ecumenically … [more]
In Memoriam
27-May-2011 by 4 Comments
Fair warning: politics ahead. Outrage imminent. Abort! Abort! …or pick up your coffee and join me in a little thought experiment (for those looking for a calmer introspection on Memorial Day, there is this item in the P-I, written before I read this morning’s news). The only guarantee in this little thought experiment is that … [more]
Not a Federal Holiday
2-May-2011 by 2 Comments
We weren’t watching the news when they dropped him. We were out getting our hands dirty. We had a pipe to fix in the backyard. Should have taken care of it years ago, but there are all those pesky tactical considerations. Like geopolitics, remodeling is a complicated form of continual crisis management. Agenda items rise … [more]
Humbly submitted…
24-April-2011 by Leave a Comment
So there’s this book, and we’ve been tinkering with it, trying to get it all just so. Is it perfect? Of course not. Not by a long, arcing shot. There are typographical errors in the text. There are flaws in the formatting. The only thing that keeps either me or Pretty Publisher from spiking the … [more]
Two-Minute Drill
6-June-2010 by 1 Comment
Last fall, I was privileged to teach a writing seminar to wounded warriors of Task Force Phoenix at Fort Lewis, Washington. Part of the classroom curriculum was a two-minute writing exercise requiring use of an image to convey a feeling. No particular venue, theme or genre was prescribed; nevertheless, all but one participant wrote a … [more]
Just busy-ness
19-April-2010 by Leave a Comment
In the past “baker’s week,” I’ve bumbled into a few things. Happily, I’ve had lots of help — both in bumbling in, and in flailing back out. Quick update, then off to an Independence Day dinner with future friends whom I do not yet know: — interviewed moto-medics from three separate EMS agencies, and accompanied … [more]
"Jack Lewis takes the overall literary crown with his new book...there’s a lot more to Lewis’s work than what it feels like to ride motorcycles.” — Ultimate Motorcycling
"Insightful and from the heart ... a driven and much recommended look into the mind and conflict of the next generation of war veterans. " — Midwest Book Review (Reviewer's Choice)