Upcoming Events:
Thursday, 22 August, 1 pm
Book Talk, “Why Books?”, Fitchburg Community Center, 5510 Lacy Rd., Fitchburg, Wis.
Thursday, 19 September, 6:30 pm
Book Talk, “Why Books, and Why This Book?”, Oregon Public Library, 200 N. Alpine Parkway, Oregon, Wis.
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The Weekly Screed
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2014 The Weekly Screed (#665) You gonna argue with a guy named Hensleigh Wedgwood? by David Benjamin “… But at night, brother howlet, over the woods, Toll the world to thy chantry; Sing to the bats’ sleek sisterhoods Full complines with gallantry: Then, owls and bats, Cowls and twats, Monks and nuns,…
Read More...THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2014 The Weekly Screed (#664) “Drop that shih-tzu, or I’ll shootcha!” by David Benjamin “… ‘Watch it!’ [Cordell] Jude yelled to Adkins, who was mentally disabled, according to USA Today. Adkins then swung what looked like a pipe in the air and Jude shot and killed him — the pipe-like object turned…
Read More...THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2014 The Weekly Screed (#663) Things kids used to do by David Benjamin MADISON, Wis. — Let’s say you’re about 13 years old and you’re walking along next to the highway… You noticed, didn’t you? We’re not talking about a contemporary 13-year-old here, are we? This is a way-long time ago, like…
Read More...SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2014 The Weekly Screed (#662) Judge not, lest ye be screwed by the Russian judge by David Benjamin MADISON, Wis. — The first Olympics in my recollection were the 1960 Winter Games in Squaw Valley. The memories, in grainy black and white, consist almost entirely of endless, redundant ski jumping (on tiny…
Read More...SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2014 The Weekly Screed (#661) Why is this man bellyaching? by David Benjamin MADISON, Wis. — Bill Schoonover is alive and cancerous, and living in Oak Harbor, Washington. I know about Bill because Judy, my Republican friend in Fort Myers, is hooked into the Right-Wing Chain Letter Network. Judy thoughtfully shared with…
Read More...FRIDAY, JANUARY 24, 2014 The Weekly Screed (#660) Sky lantern by David Benjamin MADISON, Wis. — When I look back, my friendship with Paul Keeffe seemed to spring up almost instantaneously. On first sight, there was a glint of mischief in his eyes that told me he was One of Us. He was a new…
Read More...TUESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2014 The Weekly Screed (#659) George Jetson might have been more convincing… by David Benjamin “The future of mobility will be done by electronics and — for sure — fun to drive!” – Rupert Stadler, Chairman, Audi Aktiengesellschaft MADISON, Wis. — Every year, one of the corporate Power Point extravaganzas at the…
Read More...FRIDAY, JANUARY 3, 2014 The Weekly Screed (#658) Our gay president, and how he got that way by David Benjamin “If you tell a big enough lie and tell it frequently enough, it will be believed.” – Adolf Hitler MADISON, Wis. — In a documentary film that few will ever see — The Unknown Known…
Read More...FRIDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2013 The Weekly Screed (#657) The importance of not being visibly earnest by David Benjamin “Hipsters seeking Sel Rrose restaurant last month were startled to see…” The New York Times, 9 Dec. ‘13 MADISON, Wis. — My first encounter with the term “hipster” in its new — pejorative — formulation was in…
Read More...THURSDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2013 The Weekly Screed (#656) Saving Captain Miller by David Benjamin MADISON, Wis. — In the film, Saving Private Ryan, when Tom Hanks’ character, Capt. Miller, reveals his civilian job — “I’m a schoolteacher” — it comes as a chastening surprise to his rebellious squad, and to the audience. Although it should…
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