Category Archives: Sample Essays

Some examples of essays written for APA zines. Yes, I’m that old.

Snowed In by NSA Obfuscation, or: Duped Into Debating the Wrong Thing, Again

The media, backed by corporate, are fogging this NSA/Snowden (snowed in?) discussion by conflicting what he did — whistle-blowing to draw attention to crimes –to focus instead on false issues like personal privacy. They are doing this by linking every … Continue reading

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Us In the US Versus Them’uns

Right wingers versus lefties. Conservatives versus liberals. Citizens versus crazies. It is a binary set situation, with very little overlap on the Venn diagram. Clinical studies demonstrate conservative minds, corporate mentality, right wingers, labels are optional, operate from a basis … Continue reading

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Some Ripping Rip Snorters True and Otherwise

One interesting book I snagged recently at Half Price Books is Mysteries of Police and Crime: Victorian Murders by Major Arthur Griffiths. It is a facsimile of the 1889 edition. He was a prison inspector and deputy governor of Millbank … Continue reading

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Fairness Regained

Fairness Regained, a RAT STEW column by Old 815, written for THE RELUCTANT FAMULUS edited by Tom Sadler A literary journal just bragged that it liked to publish new literary voices and asked me to subscribe. “Publish some of my … Continue reading

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Journal For Tonight

Journal Entry, Midwest American Wilderness, 20 February 2013 C.E. 00:03 — Keep flashing on the superb David Cronenberg movie NAKED LUNCH, with the eerie & ethereal Peter Weller. Great Ornett Coleman soundtrack, too. The movie combines the titular book with … Continue reading

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Will History Fly?

Kathleen Edwards wrote: Studying history is, for all I can see, nothing but a picking and choosing of the human race of what they want to sell from the past and and what they want to sell to the future. … Continue reading

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Who Will It Be?

Publishing is changing. It’s no longer profitable to cling to the 19th Century models that have prevailed until digital became universal. Now it seems trad publishing sneers at ebooks, even as it tries hard to exploit them with the same … Continue reading

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A Conspiracy of Doubt

Conspiracy is as real as price fixing, point shaving, and gerrymandering. Worse, most things are not what they appear to be, at least on the surface. Dig deeper and always there is more complexity. History is lies agreed upon; this … Continue reading

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Dichotomy

The conservative stance is fear, hate, and greed, rationalized. The liberal stance is a rational attempt to get along and lessen everyone’s suffering. Every man for himself is conservative. All for one and one for all is liberal. Earth is … Continue reading

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A Wassail Bowl of Rat Stew for Everyone at Yuletide

(Note:  My column Rat Stew appears in the APA Zine:  The Reluctant Famulus,             edited by Tom Sadler.  Please see link on right column of this page.) Christmas is a time for horror movies so let’s dive in, shall we? SILENCE … Continue reading

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