Blog
Most people flee jury duty, but a recent experience confirmed that our courts offer much to learn. Recently, I reported to San Francisco’s Hall of Justice on Bryant Street. It sits in an area south of Market Street where most San Franciscans don’t go. In the ’90s, I served on two criminal juries there. The…
As a parent of three sons, I’m licking my chops at the possibility that I may have more power to sway future presidential elections. In 2021, JD Vance, now the Republican candidate for vice president, declared that the United States was run by miserable “childless cat ladies.” As a prime example, he cited Vice President…
The Hebrew Bible can teach Americans a lot about our transfer of presidential power. We’re witnessing an historical event. President Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, withdrew his candidacy. No presumptive nominee had ever done that. Biden endorsed Vice-President Kamala Harris. In 48 hours, Harris won the support of the Democratic leadership, brought the…
This Tuesday, I turn 80. What have I learned? I’m imperfect. And the older I get, the less I understand. Yet, I still claim to know a few things worth sharing. But first, don’t ask me to predict who’ll win the 2024 presidential election. Or whether Joe Biden will withdraw from the race. Or if…
Pride Month in San Francisco concludes Sunday with the annual parade up Market Street. Carolyn and I have a personal connection. We have a trans son, Yosi, and a gay son, Aaron—and gay son-in-law Jeremy. Also, a straight son, Seth. We love them equally. Pride serves as a celebration for two straight parents who learned…
Getting old poses challenges. One: defining old. A second: knowing when to step aside. This quandary is evident in the historical play The Lehman Trilogy, closing in San Francisco this Sunday. Written by the Italian playwright Stefano Massini and translated into English by Mirella Cheeseman, The Lehman Trilogy, directed by Sam Mendes, opened in 2018 at London’s National Theatre.…
Last Tuesday, a jury found Hunter Biden guilty of three felonies involving filling out a gun permit. Many Americans will take away a reassuring lesson. Others won’t. I was neutral about Hunter Biden’s trial. I also didn’t have a dog in the fight regarding Donald Trump’s recent New York conviction on 34 felony counts. A…
The former King of the Realm, a convicted felon, held a press conference at his private castle. The Capitol Clarion covered it. “I came down the marble stairway—they couldn’t lower me in the basket—with one word about my trial. Rigged! A jury of my peers? Not one has as many sacks of gold. Sick people.…
Last Monday, Americans observed Memorial Day. Or did we? Some people flew flags (Carolyn and I did not) or went to special sites such as veterans cemeteries and memorials (we did in neighboring Presidio National Park). I suspect such observances were more common in the Heartland. I also suspect that to the majority of Americans,…
A Broadway road show and a Jerusalem Post opinion piece shed light on why the left maintains its antagonism towards Israel and Diaspora Jews—and the hatred coming from the Israeli right. “Funny Girl” at San Francisco’s Orpheum Theater entails the rise of Jewish comedienne Fanny Brice (born Fania Borach) a century ago. Brice overcame the…