It frequently strikes me that every once in awhile we should take the time to read a good book about the country’s antecedents. This is especially important for those of us who have formed our own understanding of American history and politics.  I know that I need to do this as it is easy to…

The Christmas season was always a wonderful time for me growing up tobogganing and throwing snow balls as we all waited for jolly old St. Nick. It was a magical time, and happiness prevailed as we gathered with friends and family. This year, of course, is different for all of us. In the spirit of…

Upon returning to St. Simons I was welcomed back by some “locals” with a tribal rite consisting of a skit and a proclamation. Along with all the hoopla I was presented with the doormat pictured above. It was a spirited celebration; I’m not sure whether to be flattered or go directly to the stocks in…

I’m back in the tropics for the winter. Okay, I know it is not exactly the tropics here as it is only 350 miles from Potlatch, but it’s not bad.  Certainly not the 25 degrees in the morning I experienced before leaving.  Don’t have to break the ice out of the dog dishes down here….

Going to taverns and saloons is sort of a family tradition. Actually, outside of the South, it’s an American tradition. Even a cursory reading of American history reveals that taverns have always played a significant role in politics as well as in our social lives.  I miss it. My father was a devoted fan of…

One reason people say history repeats itself–it doesn’t–is because people continue to make the same mistakes over and over. Frequently the following generation repeats the mistakes of the former and so on. This is where we find ourselves in confronting the scourge of the virus that has preyed on us since back in March when…

It’s the weekend when I have time to think about everything that happened the past week. For some reason I use the time to make sense of things and frequently stew about what I have seen and read. It has become routine that just when you think that things can’t get any worse or bizarre,…

I’m temporarily displaced from my rustic world and am down in Atlanta where the temperature was a cool 34 degrees this morning. There’s too much traffic and bustle here for me, but I didn’t have a choice. For almost ten years now, I’ve had a pacemaker, and it came up that I needed to replace…

This past Sunday Trump came to Georgia ostensibly to support the Republican senators in the contested run-off election scheduled for January 5th. It was another spectacle, one that finally convinced me that the president is a cult figure who can do no wrong in the minds of his followers. Valdosta, Georgia might as well have…

Like me, many of you must be marking time in disbelief about our politics. This view is especially acute with what is happening here in Georgia. The run-off contest for the Senate has become a circus. The incumbent senator David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler, who was appointed to fill the term of retiring Senator Johnny…