Recent Posts
Why the Mystery Meat?
Images from meal trays aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) are shocking. Consider the one above. A piece of meat that looks like a long forgotten slice of Steak-Umm’s; a glob of something that may be refried beans; and…
In Memory of Those Who Left Something Behind
Yesterday, the tides and winds were accommodating, and I decided to visit Sunrise Beach Park for two-handed casting practice and seeing if there were any passing fish I might entice with my fly. Sunrise Beach is northeast of downtown Gig…
Smoke Season
The local Air Quality Index (AQI) reached 137 yesterday due to regional forest fires. That reading put it into the “Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups” range, and is the level that smoke from the fires begins to be frequently smelled by…
John Mearsheimer Speech at NATO Summit
John Mearshemier, the R. Wendell Harrison Distinguished Service Professor of Political Science at the University of Chicago, gave a speech to the European Parliament a few days before the July 2026 NATO Summit in Ankara, Türkiye. Mearsheimer examined the conventional…
Don and Melania Buchanan
Another day, another outrage. Yesterday, Trump announced he had “requested” FIFA overturn a ‘red card’ ruling against Folarin Balogun of the U.S. World Cup Soccer Team, enabling him to play in today’s game against Belgium. Balogun had been ejected in…
Lifetime Skills for a Resilient Person
If you are facing the uncertainties of living and working in the coming decades, you have legitimate reasons for fear. That is true if you have already spent a number of years working; are just entering the job market, or…
USS Liberty
The USS Liberty (AGTR-5) was attacked by Israel on June 8, 1967. During the attack by Israeli jet aircraft and torpedo boats, 34 American sailors were killed and 174 were wounded. The first focus of the attack was on the…
Learning Curve
As I wrote in a post last year, I decided to learn spey casting, which uses a two-handed fly rod with water anchors (and no backcast) to cast a fly. There were a number of reasons for wanting to learn…
Memorial Day 2026 – Remembering the McBride Class of 1938
Every year in remembrance of Memorial Day the McBride High Alumni Association sends an email with the list of the graduates who lost their lives in military service or as police officers. By my count, that numbers stands at 101…
Project Hail Mary – A Must See
So as not to bury the lede – Project Hail Mary is one of the best movies I’ve ever seen. I was aware of it before it was released; had read mentions of Andy Weir’s novel the movie is based…
