Blog
I live in San Francisco, but the fires in Los Angeles County are personal. My son Yosi lives in South Pasadena. To his north, the Eaton Fire destroyed much of Altadena. Thankfully, the threat to untouched South Pasadena has greatly diminished. The challenge now is recovery and lessons learned to guide it. Can Altadena, parts…
Donald Trump may keep Carolyn and me from going on the Panama Canal cruise we’ve occasionally talked about. Last Monday, Trump held court gave a press conference at Mar-a-Lago sure to fuel the MABA movement. Make America Bigger Again. The lust for empire, which marked much of this nation’s activities in the 19th century, has risen from the ashes. Enough, you…
The New Year’s morning terrorist attack in New Orleans reminds us that the world seems to grow darker, but I have ways to brighten my soul. I take tragedy in New Orleans somewhat personally. My son Yosi used to live there and played drums and fiddle with two bands. Carolyn and I visited a number…
With Syria’s Bashar al-Assad and the 53-year-old Assad family rule overthrown, an old adage arises in the Middle East: Be careful what you wish for. But wish we must, then take care following up. The Middle East has been a highly unstable region not just in recent decades but throughout history. For centuries, competing caliphs…
Last Saturday marked a momentous occurrence in American history, yet no one seemed to remember. Perhaps you have to be at or near my age, 80, to commemorate December 7 as Pearl Harbor Day. On a Sunday morning in 1941, Japanese planes bombed the U.S. naval base in Honolulu, Hawaii, and nearby Army Air Force…
My wife Carolyn turned 77 last Tuesday, and we’ve been married 55+ years, both of which I address to a fragmented America. Carolyn proudly proclaims her age. Many people fudge theirs, hoping to prove they remain strong physically and mentally to get that next promotion, job or desirable partner. Vanity plays a role. The legendary…
Inflation, a prime issue for Donald Trump voters, took me down memory lane. A (small) 14-inch pizza (eight slices) from my neighborhood go-to, Village Pizzeria, runs $21-$31. When I was a kid in 1950s New York, a slice of cheese pizza cost 15¢ Hamburgers in my Queens neighborhood also cost 15¢. Then Hamburger Train—a model…
I’d planned a particular title for this post if Donald Trump won the presidential election, but Wednesday morning, I canned it. The title: “Shame on America.” Why drop it? The American people chose Trump in a free and fair election. If you read my posts, you know I find Trump the antithesis of what a…
Two “pro-America” events 85 years apart demonstrate that, to a disturbing degree, history repeats itself. On February 20, 1939, 20,000 people packed New York’s “old” Madison Square Garden. American flags festooned the arena along with a giant portrait of George Washington, swastikas at either side. The German American Bund rally supported Adolf Hitler abroad and…