Dark Brandon Delivers

This morning I logged into Nelnet, my student loan servicer, and I was greeted by a wonderful surprise. My student loans from the University of Richmond, taken out twenty-five years ago, give or take, are gone. Paid off. Forgiven. I received an email about a month ago from the Department of Education. Hold on, letContinue reading “Dark Brandon Delivers”

Looking for Methodists

I went to last night’s Baltimore Orioles game — they were paying tribute to Brooks Robinson with a personal appearance and a Norman Rockwell print giveaway — but before the game I made a visit to Baltimore’s Mt. Olivet Cemetery. I was looking for two things — early Methodist bishops and Joe Biden’s ancestors. We’llContinue reading “Looking for Methodists”

Life in Pennsyltucky, An Occasional Series

Neighbor, I don’t believe Joe Biden will be visiting our fair burgh so you can have hot monkey sex — no doubt Jill would object — but if that’s your thing, who am I to judge? Seriously, though, it wasn’t Joe Biden who stole top secret nuclear secrets and kept them in bankers boxes atContinue reading “Life in Pennsyltucky, An Occasional Series”

Looking for Bidens

I visited Joe Biden’s grandparents and great-grandparents at Baltimore’s Loudon Park Cemetery yesterday. I learned last year they were in Loudon Park, and when I visited again I decided I’d look for them. Ironically, it was at the point where I’d decided to give up that I found them. Is that how it goes? BidenContinue reading “Looking for Bidens”

Gritty Leading the People

It was a week of publishing deadlines, and thirty hours after my last files went to the printer I’m still mentally exhausted. I did go to Books a Million again today to see what other gems I could find in their CD sale. (CDs, new and used, are 90% off as they are getting outContinue reading “Gritty Leading the People”

Doing the Thing

A week ago I received my mail ballot from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. I hadn’t been expecting it, but I voted by mail in the primary due to the COVID risk, and when I applied for the ballot then I must have signed up to receive mail-in ballots automatically. The ballot had sat on myContinue reading “Doing the Thing”

Joe Biden’s Window Closes

I admit, I’m disappointed that Joe Biden isn’t running for president. His speech yesterday in the Rose Garden, with his wife Jill to one side and the president to the other, was pure Joe Biden — funny, warm, forceful, and a little bitrandom. His window closed, and maybe it was never open, but I’ll missContinue reading “Joe Biden’s Window Closes”

On Hillary Clinton’s 2012 Political Options

It’s August. Political reporters need something to write about. So why not write about the 2012 election? How else to explain the sudden flurry of articles — with this one from Politics Daily a typical example — speculating on Hillary Clinton’s plans for 2012? Or, this article which suggests that Clinton will stage a primaryContinue reading “On Hillary Clinton’s 2012 Political Options”

On Joe Biden

Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama has picked his vice presidential running mate. Senator Joe Biden of Delaware. Joe Biden? I thought Obama was running as the candidate who was going to change Washington. How does picking an “inside the Beltway” Washington insider do that? Biden has been serving as Delaware’s Senator since Obama wasContinue reading “On Joe Biden”