RSS- Kashmir crisis live: India missile attack kills eight; Pakistan official says two Indian fighter jets shot down
- The Art of Dealing With Trump
- “We cannot be held responsible for what happens on the territory of the Russian Federation”
- ARMY’S FIRST MOBILE BRIGADE COMBAT TEAM PREPARES FOR JRTC
- DOE: Eleven Big Wins for Nuclear in Trump Administration’s First 100 Days
- “How Russian motorcycle storm troopers became a headache for the Armed Forces of Ukraine”
- “Trump and Zelenskiy meet one-on-one in Vatican basilica to seek Ukraine peace”
- China says Trump’s trade optimism is all talk
- The vicious rivalries tearing apart Pete Hegseth’s Pentagon
- Rubio announces sweeping reorganization of DOS
Category Archives: Prose
“Joe at Christmas” by Basilisk
“He’s a plasterer,” we used to joke, “unless he’s plastered.” The subject of our youthful mirth was a guy named “Joe.” I’m not sure I ever knew his other name. Some called him “wino Joe.” He was a fixture in … Continue reading
Bill Harris, The Bulge and Christmas 1944
“Near-complete surprise was achieved by a combination of Allied overconfidence, preoccupation with Allied offensive plans, and poor aerial reconnaissance. The Germans attacked a weakly defended section of the Allied line, taking advantage of heavily overcast weather conditions, which grounded the Allies’ … Continue reading
Thanksgiving in the Field – 1863 from “Death Piled Hard”
One of my pre-occupations is the cycle of novels that I wrote concerned with what I think I learned in life. It is set in the American Civil War and called “Strike the Tent.” Why? If I knew why perhaps I could … Continue reading
Posted in Books, Prose, WBS
2 Comments
More Alan Farrell …
Ladies and Gentlemens: Thanks for having me here to honor those who’ve served. I was a soldier. Then I was a teacher. Now I’m just a… well, a citizen, I guess. A teacher. One day I’m dozing through a meeting of the English … Continue reading
Posted in Farrell, Prose, TTG
6 Comments
The Solitude of Combat Veterans – Alan Farrell
Ladies and Gentlemens: Kurt Vonnegut — Corporal Vonnegut — famously told an assembly like this one that his wife had begged him to “bring light into their tunnels” that night. “Can’t do that,” said Vonnegut, since, according to him, the … Continue reading
Posted in Farrell, Prose, TTG
40 Comments
Without Comment….By Walrus.
“And were you pleased?” they asked of Helen in Hell. “Pleased?” answered she, “when all Troy’s towers fell,And dead were Priam’s sons, and lost his throne,And such a war was fought as none had known,And even the gods took part, … Continue reading
Posted in Culture and Society, Prose, Walrus
23 Comments
The Solitude of Combat Veterans – Alan Farrell
Note: I thought I’d reshare these words by Alan Farrell. He gave this address to a group of vets one Veterans Day at the Harvard Business School. Granted the address is more appropriate for a Veteran’s Day than a Memorial … Continue reading
Posted in Farrell, Prose
7 Comments
Idle Hour
By W. Patrick Lang Comment: I thought of this story yesterday while I was waiting for my lobster role order. Whenever the Cousins Maine Lobster food truck comes to our area I pick up a couple for SWMBO and myself. … Continue reading
Posted in Messing about in boats, Prose
28 Comments
The Great Charge – 3 July 1863 (from “The Butcher’s Cleaver”)
“… A mile away, across the grassy valley from the cemetery ridge, Pickett’s Division lay waiting in the woods. They had come up to this position in the early morning hours. The officers occupied themselves with the usual business of … Continue reading
Posted in Prose, Ukraine Crisis, WBS
13 Comments
The Solitude of Combat Veterans – Alan Farrell
Ladies and Gentlemens: Kurt Vonnegut — Corporal Vonnegut — famously told an assembly like this one that his wife had begged him to “bring light into their tunnels” that night. “Can’t do that,” said Vonnegut, since, according to him, the … Continue reading
Posted in Farrell, Prose
7 Comments