You Ain’t Seen The Last Of Ernest T. Bass

If you’re one of the good people who still watch The Andy Griffith Show, you might get invited to our barbecue. This classic television series remains one of my favorite diversions, and a lonesome reminder that television is capable of doing some good. It stands in stark contrast to the snark, meanness and debauchery waiting … More You Ain’t Seen The Last Of Ernest T. Bass

It Is To Laugh

First of all, we’ll change the names to protect the guilty, but otherwise it happened just like this… About five years ago, a conversation took place between two lifelong friends: “I can’t believe you’re not going to vote for Pagliacci!” “I don’t trust Pagliacci, but I’m not going to vote for Krusty either. Besides, what … More It Is To Laugh

A Eulogy For Piedmont

There is a lot to be said for the virtual world. The pixel universe gives us a place where ideas can achieve their full flower, grow and grapple with and bump up against other ideas to prevail, or diminish, or merge into something new, and all without having any real skin in the game. But this cannot happen when the gatekeepers of this universe keep their virtual thumbs on the virtual scales. … More A Eulogy For Piedmont

Cousin Eddie

Sometimes on a Saturday evening in the winter months, when it was too cold to play outside or perform dangerous experiments in my secret underground laboratory disguised as our basement, the television would be left on and Hee Haw would catch my attention. I wasn’t old or wise enough to appreciate the music, but the … More Cousin Eddie