Berzerk

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Jan Flanders (Etiquette)

Real Life Is Stranger

Dr. Jim

Confession Corner

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“Are Spa Treatments Selfish, Or Godly?”

Something tells me Mother Theresa never had a spa treatment. But Queen Esther had a year’s worth before she was presented to the king. So naturally, it begs the question, how hedonistic is a spa treatment for the Christian girl?

Maybe you’ve never pondered such a question as this, and wow, I’m so sorry for you. Truly, I think it’s hard to think about the problems in the world, how they feel so insurmountable, and want to go and treat yourself to luxury. But maybe you’re like me...

Jan Flanders (Etiquette)

Fiction Etiquette with a Southern Twist Twisted Southern

How appropriate that we are gatherin’ just preliminary to the Thanksgivin’ holiday. Ah know y’all are most thankful for the extensive admonishment you are receivin’ in the Sacred Laws of Fiction Etiquette from very your own Ms. Flanders—as well you should be. And to fortify myself for your profuse expressions of...

Real Life Is Stranger

It Fell (Very Swiftly) from Outer Space

This month let’s see if real life is too strange for a sci-fi novel, shall we? Our setting is Naro-Fominsk, near Moscow. Our heroine—Anichka Yakushkin (not her real name, but isn’t that fun to say?)—is home, expecting a visit from her new boyfriend, Boris.

Boris Batinov—not the cartoon character, but what a ribbing he’s taken throughout life—met Anichka at the Kievskaya subway station, Moscow. They met by accident. Or did they?

Confession Corner

The Editor Run Amok

Just look at that sign! Doesn’t the city pay attention? Don’t they know they have to use a period after the abbreviation for street? No wonder we’re raising a society of illiterate children. Our civic leaders don’t even try to set an example. No one pays attention, no one cares until it’s too late. They just let the errors pile up. Why, in my day, cars would have piled up at the sight of such transgression. But no, not today, anything goes and there isn’t anyone to care, except me.

Dr. Jim

Greetings, dear readers! We continue our series on the Six As of Addiction with a look at AADD, or “Adverse Algebraic Disconcertion Disorder.” This month’s letter comes from someone who, like many of us, loves to write but hates math. Thankfully, she decided to reach out . . . and learns now that she no longer need suffer alone.

Dear Dr. Jim,

I’ve known since I was just a little girl that I was born to write. From my earliest memories in grade school, I recall the sheer joy of reading . . . short stores, novels, nonfiction. You name it, I loved it.

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