Justice Delayed Once Again for Shawkan

Posted on by Mark Aldrich

A journalist’s job is to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

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Mahmoud Abu Zeid, an Egyptian photojournalist who goes by the name “Shawkan,” learned today that his trial was once again postponed, this time until Tuesday, February 7. Ten prisoners, co-defendants with Shawkan, were released today for medical reasons. Shawkan’s deteriorating health began to qualify him for a release under medical grounds two years ago, but his detention continues, three-and-a-half years after his arrest.
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January 17 in History

Posted on by Mark Aldrich

A King Features comic strip called Thimble Theatre was in its eleventh year when a new character was introduced in the strip on this date in 1929: Popeye. Popeye, at first a secondary character, quickly became the most popular figure in the comic and after a few years, his adventures were the focus of the strip.

Popeye’s first appearance in the strip, from 88 years ago today, is at top. He is hired as a deck hand.

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Betty White is 95 today.
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A Marathon, Not a Sprint

Posted on by Mark Aldrich

If you look at this page via a Windows browser, there should be a logo on left side of the tab at top, a little green-brown-yellow blob.

It is a photo of a duck. I first placed the picture there, seen full-size at top, as an inside joke with myself, but the story is worth sharing. (Most of this first appeared in a post from December 2013, “A Duck About Town.”)

The photo was taken in 2013 (with friends alongside: LT and HG), and it was added at the very last second on the very first post written later that same year. If you have looked at this web site once or a thousand times (thanks, mom!), the duck has been there, on whatever device you use, each time. It is this site’s mascot, a companion to each piece I write.
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