POLITICS & THE ECONOMY
THE GULF OF WHAT?
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…
Read MoreFIVE CRUCIAL NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS
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…
Read MoreA BIRTHDAY, A MARRIAGE AND HEALING
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…
Read MoreTHE SLEDGEHAMMER CREW
What do you say when someone forces you to revise your Friday post on Thursday: Hallelujah! Yesterday, Matt Gaetz withdrew from consideration for Attorney General. (Donald Trump then picked former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi.) The FBI had investigated Gaetz for sex with a minor but didn’t prosecute. The House Ethics Committee stopped investigating when…
Read More15¢ A SLICE
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…
Read MoreTAKE A BREATH
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…
Read MoreECHO OF A DARK PAST
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…
Read MoreFIVE THINGS KEEPING ME SANE
With the presidential election 11 days out, if you’re not going a little crazy, you’re not trying. Me? I rely on five ways to stay (somewhat) balanced. • My morning routine. After breakfast with the San Francisco Chronicle sports section, I walk a mile or more. Returning home, I enjoy coffee watching CNN and reading the rest…
Read MoreTARGET ON MY BACK
There’s a target on my back, though it doesn’t take the circular shape with a bullseye. It’s a six-pointed star—the Star of David. Who put it there? The former President of the United States. On September 19, Donald Trump told attendees at a campaign event titled “Fighting Antisemitism in America,” “I’m not going to call…
Read MoreMY ELECTION DILEMMA
The second assassination attempt on Donald Trump leaves me with a dilemma. Do I tamp down my anti-Trump remarks because they might lead some unbalanced person to violence? I well remember the 1963 assassination of President John F. Kennedy in Dallas. I was a sophomore at Alfred University. Also the 1968 murders of Martin Luther…
Read MoreTHEY’RE EATING DOGS AND CATS
Given candidates’ inherent dodging and weaving, I don’t see presidential debates as learning experiences—except for last Tuesday’s. Donald Trump enlightened a national TV audience about Haitian immigrants. “In Springfield [Ohio], they’re eating the dogs—the people that came in, they’re eating the cats. They’re eating—they’re eating the pets of the people that live there and this…
Read MoreTHE VEEP AND THE JEWS
Kamala Harris’ pick for running mate—Tim Walz, governor of Minnesota—has raised new questions about Jews in America. In a recent New York Times article (“For Some Jewish Democrats, Heightened Worries About Anti-Semitism”), Jennifer Medina and Katie Glueck wrote, “For many American Jews, the prospect of Gov. Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania as a running mate for…
Read MoreTHE CAT LADY AMENDMENT
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…
Read MoreTRANSFERRING POWER
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…
Read MoreWHEN IS IT TIME TO STEP ASIDE?
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.…
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