My old friend Neil was last seen on this blog in “James Bond and the Errant Shrubs.” There, his adventure began when he cheerfully cut off branches that protruded beyond private gardens across a public sidewalk, sometimes smacking him in the
Whimsy
Shall I compare thee to a sweltry day? Poem and Commentary
Shall I compare thee to a sweltry day? By Johann Sebastian Shakespeare Shall I compare thee to a sweltry day? Thou art more dismal and less temperate. Long ago flow’red the darling buds of May That now droop and wilt, green fuses past
Disconnects
Why do I suddenly think of that chilly Boston evening forty or so years ago? A friend of mine named Tim and I were visiting a married couple, friends of his. She played hostess while her husband stayed glued to his recording of Mozart’s Marriage of
Planet Pluto, Society and Civilization
1 Poor Pluto: reclassified from planet to mere ice body. Does Pluto care? It’s still a heavenly body, and it seems to have been content these past several billion years to keep pushing along the rim of the solar system. Actually, it’s people who
Bear Carrying a Dolphin: A Story
Transcript of the annual meeting held by the shareholder residents of the 126-unit cooperative apartment building at 666 Toussaint Avenue. The meeting began with presentations by the Chairs of the Finance, Planning, Rules and Admissions Committees in
Advice: A Story
Ever noticed how we can't complain without giving each other advice? "The way I'm eating in this pandemic, I'm going to turn into a beached whale." — Don't you exercise? — "Like I told you, I have a stationary bike." — Oh right, what you