Dolores Galina Brown

This is Dolores G. Brown (Doll to friends), as I met her at "The Duke of Earl" on Bay at Elm. She told me about her latest project, to write the definitive book on "Why Bad Things Happen to Good People?". I said that correct grammar is "Why Do Bad Things Happen to Good People?" and we seemed to have hit it off ... but let me tell you he origin of this idea. Doll is vegetarian, jogs and goes to the gym five times a week, buys her clothes from "Salvation Army counters", volunteers for the "Rosedale Food-bank", cooks for the "People's Kitchen", flosses after every meal and donates to the Humane Society and World Refugee Fund. Earlier today Doll was hurrying to court where she was to appear as defendant for a minor misunderstanding: she caused the slightest bump and most minuscule scrape when she hit the patrol car that chased her three blocks and managed to box her in after she ran a red-light. She was prepared to mount a vigorous defense. Suddenly Doll saw a person in distress and in obvious need of assistance to cross the road, so she hastened to assist. Once they've crossed the road she bought them coffee and doughnuts and listened to their story, at the end she left them her mobile number and said to call anytime if any need arises. This all took about thirty-five minutes, the bulk of the forty-five minutes she was late for court, where she was informed that she was sentenced in absentia and documents will be mailed to her address of record. She managed to say that she was ready to mount a vigorous defense. Doll went to "The Duke of Earl" for a few pints and shots of Tequila (which always provided her with great ideas). After she told me her story, Doll said she's certain that publishers, once they've read the manuscript, will line up and fight for her book but, as she wanted editorial independence, she thought of self-publishing. It would cost about twenty-four thousand of which she had almost half ($9,800) and would I be willing to invest the balance for a thirty-three percent share of profits? I replied  that I got to run as I just remembered that I've started the dishwasher which is now running unsupervised. I left my mobile number and said to call anytime if any need arises.

Eberhard Dolch

This is Eberhard (Ebb) Dolch, retired optometrist from Indianapolis, as I met him a while ago, wearing his leather jacket and hat with the insignias of the 23rd Division "Americal", a proud Vietnam veteran (his full unit designation: 11th Infantry brigade, 4th battalion, 1st infantry). We sat, he had club-soda, slice of lime and I had Jack and Coke and Ebb told me his story. He was drafted in May 1967, went to Ft. Bliss, TX for basic training and deployed later that year to the 23rd in 'Nam. I asked if he knew anybody in the 3rd Infantry Regiment who was ”involved”. He became very defensive and said: ”what a shame that my buddies were smeared by those ”peaceniks”, good that justice prevailed and all unbased charges were dropped. Even when they got Lt. Calley as scapegoat and sentenced him to life, Nixon let him go”. Ebb was much happier to talk about the GI Bill and how he went to Ilium College in Eastern New York to study optometry. His family was originally from Dresden and Billy Pilgrim, professor at the college, had spent time in that city and knew it well. Ebb asked him if he knew Metzger Strasse 5, the location of the original Dolch Butcher Shop, but Billy was stuck. He later became unstuck in time, so it goes.

Hannah Caro (Diamond)

This is Hannah whoruns the "Das Caro", a pub on Caroline-Michaelis-Straße.

You cannot meet a sweeter kid: clever, hardworking and talented: just a beautiful person. We had beers and she told me her story. One night, after she threw out the last stragglers and locked the pub she started towards home and, as it was a warm evening, she decided to walk. Her playlist going, she heard behind her a strange loud noise, like a series of bangs and scrapes. When she turned, she saw a huge dark shape or shadow. She thought it looked a little like a dragon and when it started rising, she realized that it was indeed a dragon in aggressive stance: glowing eyes, large mouth full of teeth and scales all over down to the fishtail. Hannah is not intimidated easily, she shouted: "Get lost Fafnir!!!" and took out her can of trusted Ballistol Pepper Spray upon which the silly dragon instantly dissolved into nothingness. The number 12 street car direction Pasadagplatz was just slowing to stop so Hannah ran for it. Once aboard, breathless from the effort she showed the driver her pass and sank on a seat in the empty car. Rely on Berliner drivers to be funny: "Rennst wie du 'nen Drachen jesehen hast." Still panting Hannah replied: "Denkste?"