While reading Senator John Kennedy’s book, “How to Test Negative for Stupid” (2025) I harked back to Bierce’s biting commentary on American politicians. Bierce had no use for fools, so he would have been delighted to meet Mr. Kennedy, an Oxford graduate, a native of Louisiana and a top notch lawyer. Mr. Kennedy tells, in…
The Un-glue Worker: A Pathology
Recently, I blogged that the “Glue Player” (GP) or Glue Guy (GG) is a new management phrase derived from basketball and baseball. The term describes someone in a team “who holds everything together, often without seeking recognition for their efforts.” GPs have other attributes: they “lead from behind.” They let the stars shine while making…
Bierce’s Philosophers Three fable*
A Bear, a Fox, and an Opossum were attacked by an inundation. “Death loves a coward,” said the Bear, and went forward to fight the flood. “What a fool!” said the Fox. “I know a trick worth two of that.” And he slipped into a hollow stump. “There are malevolent forces,” said the Opossum,…
Lubans’ The Accidental Fare Evader fable (a la Krylov*)
In Eastern Europe, during communist rule, a befuddled tourist found himself on a city bus without a ticket. As happens, the bus police boarded, demanding to see tickets. The tourist, along with a few villainous looking individuals was escorted off the bus. “The fine is 5 kopecks,” said the guard. “Plus 15 kopecks for…
Glue Players, Lovable Clowns, Jerks, Stars, Schmucks, et al.
“Glue Player” (GP) or Glue Guy (GG) is a recent management phrase borrowed from basketball and baseball usage dating back to the late 1970s. The term describes someone in a team “who holds everything together, often without seeking recognition for their efforts.” GPs have other attributes: they “lead from behind.” They let the stars…
Candle Evenings
When October ends, I find Americans outdoing each other in dressing up in scary costumes and consuming Gargantuan amounts of sugar. Other cultures have different ways of marking a somber time of year. My cousin’s photo, taken in a typical “forest cemetery” reminds me of an All Souls Eve I spent years ago in…
Ambrose Bierce’s, The Wolf and the Feeding Goat*
A Wolf saw a Goat feeding at the summit of a rock, where he could not get at her. “Why do you stay up there in that sterile place and go hungry?” said the Wolf. “Down here where I am the broken-bottle vine cometh up as a flower, the celluloid collar blossoms as the rose,…
Saul & Conrad: More Than Just a Business
Caption: Rego’s Neighborhood, NYC. Writing about Saul Zabar – in the preceding blog – prompted me to reflect on a related story from 2010: Rego’s Smoked Fish. On one of my several visits to New York from North Carolina, Saul had me ride along to see a smoked fish supplier, Rego’s, that used to do…
More New York than Woody Allen: A Tribute
Saul Zabar’s death on October 7 2025 at age 97, brought back memories of my interviewing him about his unique leadership of Zabar’s – the incomparable grocery/deli at W. 80th and Broadway. Over numerous decades, under Saul’s leadership, the store drew thousands of Manhattanites and tourists. As one food critic put it, “on Saturdays…
Creative Chaos?*
Many years ago I had a secretary. She was a graduate of NYCs Katherine Gibbs School which trained executive assistants. A Gibbs graduate back then was guaranteed a decent job. At the time, most executives had at least one secretary. I hired her in 3 minutes. Once she started, my office and I were never…