The Weekly Screed

Barn cats, Botox and fiscal conservatism

By David Benjamin | 12/08/2017 | Comments Off on Barn cats, Botox and fiscal conservatism

Barn cats, Botox and fiscal conservatism by David Benjamin “I think not having the estate tax recognizes the people that are investing. As opposed to those that are just spending every darn penny they have, whether it’s on booze or women or movies.” — Sen. Chuck Grassley Ever since mein Drumpfenfeuhrer started stumping for the…

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"No room at the inn"

By David Benjamin | 12/01/2017 | Comments Off on "No room at the inn"

“No room at the inn” by David Benjamin It was a bitterly cold winter afternoon, in a month that would someday be known as December, in the town of Bethlehem, when the weary newlyweds — a dewy maiden big with child and her grizzled sexagenarian spouse — limped into the little hamlet. The girl was…

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Hello world!

By Peter Wayne | 11/16/2017 |

Welcome to WordPress. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start writing!

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Thoughts and prayers, thoughts and prayers

By David Benjamin | 11/09/2017 | Comments Off on Thoughts and prayers, thoughts and prayers

Thoughts and prayers, thoughts and prayers by David Benjamin “In retrospect, Sandy Hook marked the end of the U.S. gun control debate. Once America decided killing children was bearable, it was over.” — Dan Hodges PARIS — Eighteen years ago, in the innocent early days of America’s mass-shooting fad, I realized that atrocities like Devin…

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Vacation season

By David Benjamin | 11/07/2017 |

The Packerscreed, by David Benjamin (11/7/17) Vacation season “My life, as I know it, has been taken away from me.” — Nick Buoniconti, brain-damaged former Dolphin linebacker PARIS— Like Bob, in the film What About Bob?, I’m taking a vacation from my worst mental illness — namely, the Green Bay Packers. My vacation officially started…

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"… But I know what I like"

By David Benjamin | 11/02/2017 | Comments Off on "… But I know what I like"

“… But I know what I like” by David Benjamin “Mona Lisa looks as though she’s about to be sick.” — Noel Coward PARIS — As I was passing an art gallery yesterday on rue St. André des Arts, a painting caught my eye. It depicts three female figures sculpted in stone against horizontal panels…

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The war between Ellen DeGeneres and the Serbian Marines

By David Benjamin | 10/25/2017 | Comments Off on The war between Ellen DeGeneres and the Serbian Marines

The war between Ellen DeGeneres and the Serbian Marines by David Benjamin MADISON, Wis. — My latest dispatch from the Right-Wing Chain-Letter Network hails from a high-school classmate whom I’ll call Big Red (not his real name), because he’s innocent and deserves to be protected. Big Red forwarded a neatly formatted photo montage of five…

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Crazy for the blue, white and red — and yellow fringe

By David Benjamin | 10/18/2017 | Comments Off on Crazy for the blue, white and red — and yellow fringe

Crazy for the blue, white and red — and yellow fringe by David Benjamin MADISON, Wis. — When he stood atop a pedestal for the national anthem, Tommie Smith, gold medalist in the 200 meters at the 1968 Olympics, raised a black-gloved fist. His gesture was mirrored by fellow African-American John Carlos, the bronze medalist.…

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Shutterbug

By David Benjamin | 10/12/2017 | Comments Off on Shutterbug

Shutterbug by David Benjamin “Photography records the gamut of feelings written on the human face, the beauty of the earth and skies that man has inherited, and the wealth and confusion man has created. It is a major force in explaining man to man.” — Edward Steichen MADISON, Wis. — My camera bag, which weighs…

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My name is David Benjamin and I approve this message

By David Benjamin | 10/03/2017 | Comments Off on My name is David Benjamin and I approve this message

My name is David Benjamin and I approve this message by David Benjamin “Posting a malicious rumor on Facebook, or writing a false news story that is indexed by Google, is a nearly instantaneous process. Removing such posts require human intervention. This imbalance gives an advantage to rulebreakers.” — Kevin Roose, “The Shift,” New York…

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