John Brown was my baseball coach. Mr. Brown -- I never really thought of him by his first name -- died Dec. 11, 2006, at the age of 80. I learned about his death at Christmas while visiting my dad, who had clipped the obituary from the … [Continue reading]
Arwen, my cat
"Stupid human." I can only imagine how many times that thought might have entered the busy mind of my cat, Arwen. I'm sure, though, it wasn't as much as I muttered "stupid cat" under my breath when she was underfoot. If she was here now, I'd … [Continue reading]
V for Vendetta
(Contains spoilers!) This is a political movie, but don't mistake it for a commentary on present-day American politics. Nor should viewers mistake this film as a glorification of terrorism. Instead, "V for Vendetta" is a protest against too much … [Continue reading]
Mark Mustio, R-Moon
Also from an Aug. 25, 2005, article in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: Rep. Mark Mustio is returning the salary increase he voted for himself July 7. Mustio said Tuesday that he planned to use the increase to hire a part-time staff assistant to … [Continue reading]
Just responding …
From an Aug. 25, 2005, article in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: Another lawmaker, Rep. Ray Bunt, R-Montgomery County, a 23-year veteran of the General Assembly, announced yesterday that he is returning the unvouchered expenses as a result of … [Continue reading]
Senator to constituent: “Get a life”
This wonderful anecdote comes from the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "Bill McIntyre, of Camp Hill, interpreted a message he received from Senate Minority Leader Robert Mellow, D-Lackawanna, as "you have nothing to complain about." When the 72-year-old … [Continue reading]