The Return of the Silent Majority
posted September 21, 2010
Charlie invents a plot to stall the politcal machine
When Richard Nixon rode atop the curling wave of a new brand of conservatism into the White House in 1968, pundits credited it to a massive show of support by the nation’s middle-class voters. At the time, many of those people were union members ... Read More ...
Dumb White Guy Going Black
posted September 3, 2010
Charlie imagines a darker self
I recall a bad movie, called Black Like Me and starring James Whitmore. Based on a book of same title, the story followed a journalist who had his skin chemically darkened in order to study the treatment of blacks in the American south during the early Sixties. It played out miserably, right down to the white guy who looked as if he had been dipped in a caramel pot. Read More ...
The Imperfect Friend
posted August 18, 2010
Charlie considers the search for a new buddy
I don't make friends easily, by design, since I've found that most people are too much trouble for me to bear. I'm no prize, either, so it's a mutual repulse, like matching poles on two magnets. Read More ...
How to Live Without Health Insurance
posted August 7, 2010
Charlie offers tips to his fellow members of the Forgotten Legion
When initially added to the rolls of the unemployed, I picked up the COBRA coverage from my former employer. It wasn't a great plan, but with the federal subsidy, it cost less that $150.00 a month. Read More ...
Driving Through Danger Zones
posted July 16, 2010
Charlie recalls some harrowing driving experiences and wonders what they portend
I honestly can't say whether I'm a good driver. I have some skills, am well versed on the rules of the road that most other drivers flout, but I do confess to being a mite heavy on the gas pedal and extremely hard on tires and clutches. Therefore, you can take the following with a large stalactite of salt. Read More ...
Independence Day, 2010
posted July 5, 2010
Charlie ruminates on the mythology of history and the fabric of fabrication
I recall seeing the musical 1776 on the stage of Ford’s Theater in Washington, D.C. a few years ago, having had already seen the movie spun off from it. Read More ...
On Finding and Being Found
posted July 3, 2010
Charlie confesses to the root of his life's failings
When I was very young, grownups would ask in a seemingly friendly fashion, “What do you want to be when you’ve grown up?” Even in my youthful form, I found the question impertinent. Read More ...
posted June 29, 2010
Charlie questions the motives of the Justice Department regarding the timing of the recent roundup of Russian rogues
When the cops come around and take a local resident into custody, it’s pretty standard to hear the neighbors chatting with members of the media, voicing surprise and offering words of support for the party under arrest. Read More ...
We Regret to Inform You That Your Cream Cheese Has Expired
posted June 25, 2010
Charlie butts bagels with the food distribution syndicate
Supermarket shopping is a death-defying process. No, I’m not referring to the busloads of codgers cramming the aisles and barring all escape routes from a bakery department blaze. READ MORE ...
Why I Follow Colson Whitehead
posted June 15, 2010
Charlie makes a new friend on Twitter
I am not a stalker, not in the classic sense. I huddle in a dark corner of cyberspace and watch while people expose themselves in 140 characters or less. READ MORE ...
“I Started at the Top and Worked My Way Down” – Orson Welles, Hollywood, and the Curse of Kane
posted June 11, 2010
The smartest guy in the room examines the smartest guy in Hollywood
The list of films in which Orson Welles played a part, as director, actor, producer, screenwriter (or any combination thereof), stands in direct contradiction to accepted Hollywood cinematic traditions, for Welles tried to raise the intellectual level of American filmmaking. READ MORE ...
Politics From the Sidelines
posted May 16, 2010
Charlie on his preference to politically spectate, rather than join the game on one side or other.
During the fourth quarter of the deciding game of the NBA Eastern Conference semifinals, the Celtic’s Glenn “Big Baby” Davis passed up an open jump shot from the elbow, deciding instead to drive to the basket. He missed the contested shot, which led to a Cleveland fast break and a shooting foul at the other end. READ MORE ...