Blog
The ongoing renovation of the House of Bagels a few blocks from my home says something about what’s at stake in the midterm elections. Carolyn and I have been buying bagels at the House of B. for fifty years. Our kids always were given a tiny bagel. Walking around our neighborhood today triggers such nostalgia,…
As the midterm elections approach, you may wonder where America could be heading. You’ll find one disturbing—yet entertaining—possibility in my new novel, “The Double.” Sure, I’m plugging my book. Why wouldn’t I? This is my blog. But hear me out. As a concerned citizen, I’ve written a page-turning Kafkaesque fable that’s not only spellbinding—merit enough—but…
Want to go to Disneyland? Better do it now before it’s blown to smithereens—at least, in POTUS’ imagination. The war with Iran continues. High oil costs raise gas and diesel prices, crimping the budgets of American individuals, families and businesses. (Ads do tariffs.) Donald Trump, who’s made billions during his second term, says in effect,…
In March 2023, I shared my thoughts after season 4 of the Israeli TV show “Fauda” (Netflix). I titled the piece, “Fauda—Violence and Humanity.” Carolyn and I just finished season 5. Things have changed. Planning to watch season 5? Stop reading. Better, read and watch anyway. There’s much to be learned. At the end of season…
The Arc de Triomphe in Paris shares much with an arch from antiquity, a recent one and a proposed arch for America. Little of it is good. The Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte commissioned the Arc de Triomphe. Construction lasted from 1806 to 1836, its completion long after his death. It celebrated wars of conquest that cost…
Texas Toast and Las Vegas have something in common. Texas Toast is white bread cut to a thickness of about one inch. Why? Because many Texans believe that bigger is better. I’m not knocking Texas. I lived there long ago. The Lone Star State’s fascination with size goes way back. After all, it’s the biggest…
A week ago, President Trump announced that the United States would rename Lake Ontario to Lake America. As a patriot, I say, “Make America even greater!” with a few more red-white-and-blue name changes. Swiss Cheese to American Cheese II. The new name will plug up the holes in the cheese—empty spaces you pay for. Kind of.…
I rarely write about the death of a celebrity, but Dolly Parton’s life deserves a few words. In 2019, I wrote “Shalom, Dolly!” after seeing the Broadway road musical, “Hello, Dolly!” The show had aged, but the staging and cast made it literally—and figuratively—sing. I also felt it personally. Dolly Gallagher Levi, a matchmaker supreme, was a…
A week ago, President Trump declared, “After we finish defeating Iran, which is being very badly defeated, pretty soon I’ll be declaring the Hormuz Strait a territory of the United States.” The strait will then host Trump’s latest real-estate development. As real-estate agents say, property’s three top selling points are location, location, location. Is the…
Donald Trump’s wars on Iran and vaccines evidence the president again taking this nation down the rabbit hole. I detest Iran’s ayatollahs and the Iranian Republican Guard Corps—vicious theocrats and corrupt power mongers. I also despise life-threatening diseases. But Trump’s lack of common sense—a value of which he incessantly boasts—has destabilized the Middle East and…