Christian Peacemakers Kidnapped in Baghdad When I saw that headline, John Stephens had already called me with the news: Quaker Tom Fox and three other members of the Christian peacemaker Teams’ group (CPT) in Baghdad had been kidnapped. John’s call came just after Thanksgiving, late November, 2005. I was driving south from New York City, … Continue reading Tom Fox & Thanksgiving Past: 2005
A Flashback to December 2021: The other day I went to lunch with my buddy Micah at my favorite diner, Elmo’s. It was busy & we talked & ate for a couple hours. At a nearby table, several Middle-aged folks were sitting with a much older woman. I didn’t “pay them any mind” until a … Continue reading Santa Went to Lunch in Durham . . .Not Making This Up
I’m So. Joe Biden loves Nantucket for Thanksgiving. Been going there for decades. He’s staying at some billionaire’s place. How do I know? Why, Politico tells me so. Doesn’t surprise me. I’ve stayed there a few times. Not in the billionaires’ section, of course; or with a security detail. But I loved it too, like … Continue reading Joe Biden’s Nantucket, And Mine
I’m not much of a data wonk, but I can read charts that go up and down. And handily, the Washington Post & New York Times put out such charts for COVID every day. So here is our recent history with the pandemic compressed into four simple charts. 1. Summer 2021 started well, but turned … Continue reading Quickie Covid Update: Bad News, Good News, Bad News (Again; Sorry)
Doggone it, the 2022 Texas law banning the teaching of critical race theory came too late to help me. I was particularly sorry to miss the mandate that educators avoid anything that might end up making anyone “feel discomfort, guilt, anguish, or any other form of psychological distress on account of the individual’s race or … Continue reading Not-Banned Black History Month: Critical Race Theory & Me — It Could be Verse