Reprieve [re·prieve, ri-ˈprēv ] transitive verb(1) to delay the punishment of (someone, such as a condemned prisoner), (2) to give relief or deliverance to for a time. noun (1) the act of reprieving : the state of being reprieved, (2) a formal temporary … Continue reading Mittwoch Matinee
When I was a kid I used to think the Easter parade was an actual parade like the ones on Thanksgiving and the Fourth of July. I even imagined a marching band with epaulettes, plumed shakos, and sousaphones. Imagine my … Continue reading My Easter Parade, Corona Style
In 1932 when boxer Max Schmeling lost his heavyweight title to Jack Sharkey, his manager, Joe Jacobs, exclaimed during his ringside radio interview, “We wuz robbed!” I see more of this going on lately. Not radio interviews, contested decisions, or … Continue reading “We Wuz Robbed!”
Today is April 1, International Dads Day (see International Dad’s Day and “Don’t Call Me Shirley”). This is the second annual celebration of the day, which is dedicated to dads everywhere: living, dead, new, old, granddad, stepdad, godfather, papa, and … Continue reading Mittwoch Matinee
We all know about road rage. It’s covered in the DMV handbook for California, as it probably is in most states. The handbook describes it as “aggressive driving” and cites examples like tailgating and unnecessary lane changes. It even mentions … Continue reading Rage in an Age of Corona
George Steiner, literary critic, essayist, teacher, and novelist died last month at the age of 90. He was renowned in academic circles for the breadth of his classical humanism and among literati for his work as a book reviewer at … Continue reading A Lesson from the Master
I went grocery shopping at Safeway yesterday, which I usually avoid like–I’ll say it–the plague. But it wasn’t what I expected at all. The store did not look like Venezuela, although the toilet paper shelves were practically bare. I say … Continue reading March Madness
