Monthly Archives: April 2012

20 years ago: A Remembrance of the Rodney King Uprising

Posted on April 28, 2012 by gar

April 29, 1991.  I was at work in Berkeley.  There was no World Wide Web in those days.  I checked.  The Mosaic browser wouldn’t come out until the following January, over a half-year later.  No, I got the news on … Continue reading →

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Corner of History

Posted on April 25, 2012 by gar

A corner.  Just a corner.  Not a fancy corner on a tree-lined boulevard with a landscaped median strip.  No, it was just an ordinary corner, but a happy corner that saw the sort of traffic a corner would see when … Continue reading →

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The Pink Ribbon Blues – Part I

Posted on April 23, 2012 by gar

As soon as Lionel entered the family room, tie undone, shirt untucked, beer can in hand, his eyes fell on the saxophone.  It has occupied the same corner, slouched at the same unaltered angle, for the past four days.  Dust … Continue reading →

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I regret my transgression…

Posted on April 21, 2012 by gar

There are apologies and then there are apologies. Some are spoken in anger, before the true cool down has taken place.  ”Well, I said I’m sorry!”  Reflection had yet to take place.  The words ring hollow. A favorite among politicos, … Continue reading →

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Passion Flowers – Part IV (Conclusion)

Posted on April 18, 2012 by gar

“The Passion Flower series, Mr. Gale,” he said after a long sip of brandy, “you asked what was the inspiration.” “Yes.” “It was my pathetic attempt at career suicide.  I wanted to destroy everything I had built up.  I wanted … Continue reading →

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All Hail Precious Leader

Posted on April 15, 2012 by gar

April 15, 2012 was an auspicious day in North Korea.  It saw the one hundredth anniversary of the birth of the country’s founder Kim Il-sung.  North Korea is known for much spectacle and pomp and circumstance, so of course an … Continue reading →

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George Zimmerman: Clueless Chutzpah on Parade

Posted on April 10, 2012 by gar

(Editor’s note (4/11/2012):  A link was added to this piece, in the first sentence, to a CBS News article which quotes Mr. Zimmerman’s now ex-attorney, Craig Sonner, verifying that The Real George Zimmerman website does in fact belong to George … Continue reading →

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Passion Flowers – Part III

Posted on April 7, 2012 by gar

We stood in front of a shelf marked 1953.  A gap sat in the middle of otherwise tightly packed volumes.  He began stroking the dust from the empty space.  Again, it felt as if he were stroking my skin.  This … Continue reading →

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The Divide and Conquer Project

Posted on April 4, 2012 by gar

During the Prop. 8 campaign four years ago, I received a mailer from the Yes on 8 folks which featured black religious figures on one side and then-presidential candidate Barack Obama on the other.  It contained quotes like these: “Marriage … Continue reading →

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Passion Flowers – Part II

Posted on April 1, 2012 by gar

Light, airy, and meticulously clean, attributes that well describe Mr. Horton’s apartment.  His closet embodied the exact opposite. As we entered, he reached up and pulled a cord.  A single bulb, brown with dust, hung on a thick wooly wire.  … Continue reading →

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