Got this message today. I’ve edited it slightly to conceal the person’s identity. we are both very upset at what you have done, and what you are about to do. you are playing hardball. i’m a lot better at it than you are. there is no free ride. you get back what you put out….
Nothing bores me more
November 19, 2013
Don’t try to engage me in a discussion on the battle of the sexes. Nothing bores me more. Men and women are different; men and women are both human. The end. Someone just made the most obtuse statement I’ve ever read about my writing. Though I won’t repeat it, here’s my reaction to it. I…
I like faces
November 15, 2013
Whether they’re real or not, I like faces. I see them everywhere. Years ago I planned to publish a book called Accidental Faces or something similar. I still might do it, but for now, here are some accidental, contrived, and real faces. This is a universal plug that Eric brought from the Netherlands. It represents…
A note to prospective burglars
November 14, 2013
One of the cute little tricks burglars use is to read obituaries and then hit the house when the owners are attending the funeral and reception. Couple of points I’d like to make. One: I can’t attend Mom’s funeral and reception. I’m going to be home. The Meniere’s is getting worse, either permanently or situationally,…
The armored man
November 9, 2013
One of my favorite films is John Frankenheimer’s Seconds. It’s been called the most depressing movie ever made. I disagree. It’s a cautionary tale. The movie is about a secret company that allows disaffected middle-aged men to fake their deaths and start over. For a fee the company gives the men plastic surgery, sets them…
On corruption
September 26, 2013
Those of you who’ve read Ghosts and Ballyhoo know that my brother Paul and I narrowly avoided being killed by an Irish Republican Army nail bomb in Regent’s Park on July 20, 1982. As a result of that experience, I’ve read everything I can about terrorism. It turns out that the terrorists who attacked the…
How could she do that?
September 9, 2013
It isn’t clear if Mom will be able to come home. Although she’s beaten lung and ovarian cancer—there are no tumor markers in her blood—she’s refusing to eat or exercise. This is making her weaker and weaker, of course. I understand why she’s doing this. She’s very angry at the loss of control. All she…