We have shied away from politics in our blogs, but I can’t resist…. and, I prefer to think of this as theatre.First, after the discovery of classified documents at former Vice President Pence’s home, I feel compelled to go down to my basement and see what I may have.Second, I live in the now infamous Third Congressional District of New York and am …
The election is over. I was so looking forward to November 9th. Not necessarily because I was looking forward to the results of the vote, but because I couldn’t wait for the tv ads, mailings, emails and text messages to end.I found the emails and text messages to be particularly annoying. And, like a bad whatever, I couldn’t get rid of them. Unsubs …
I was listening to a discussion among news commentators about the Jussie Smollett situation. I am reluctant to characterize it as a hoax, alleged attack, alleged hoax, or anything else. One commentator’s take away rang most true for me. He (I think it was Jeffrey Toobin) noted all of the quick reactions—from public figures and others — when the al …
As I ponder this last blog for 2018, I think about the blogs that were never written. There were many. Among the bloggers – with appropriate guidance – we stay away from blogging about politics. Oftentimes what strikes me as worthy of a blog is set aside due to our self-imposed restriction. I don't dare refer to it as censorship because it is n …
The words on the pen linger in my mind -- “Mightier than the sword.” The words bring back memories of studies in history and civics. The relevance of those words today is undeniable. We are caught in a frenzy of words thrown at us from so many sources -- some reliable, some less so. It is sometimes easy, but often difficult, to discern the differe …
I was distressed in reading the reports yesterday that the top trending video on YouTube was a conspiracy theory that Florida school shooting survivor, and one of the organizers of the "March for Our Lives", David Hogg, is an actor; more precisely, a "crisis actor" -- someone who is "paid to pretend to have been affected by a tragedy for political …
The words of a schoolteacher of mine from many many years ago resonate for me. “We read the obituaries not to learn who died but to learn about those who lived.” I read the obituary of Haim Gouri, an Israeli poet, journalist, novelist, and filmmaker who died last week at the age of 94. He was a voice from the founding of the State of Israel. The …
If you’ve ever wondered whether your vote makes a difference, consider what’s going on in Virginia. Three races for seats in the Virginia House of Delegates are in the midst of recounts. Yesterday morning the reports were that one of the candidates had a one vote lead. That one seat could also shift party control in the House. (Yesterday afterno …
I just finished reading “Thomas Jefferson and the Tripoli Pirates” by Brian Kilmeade and DanYaeger. A very good read about the war against the pirates of the Barbary Coast and the birth of the US navy and marines. Hence the words to the marine corps song. “..,to the shores of Tripoli." The authors also wrote “George Washington’s Secret Six” abou …
Here's how it was related to me: Flo was having a manicure a few days after the election. Her conversation with Maggie, her manicurist, was disrupted by the loud one-sided cell phone conversation of another patron. (Yes, the salon requests that cellphones not be used.) Flo and Maggie were discussing the results of the election. Since Maggie lives …
Heal first. Analyze later. More next week.
"Be prepared!" Wasn't that one of the basic tenets of the Boy Scouts? What surprised me most about Monday night's debate was the lack of preparation by one candidates. As I was watching, I wondered whether the debate would be used as an example of the importance of preparation.
Between now and November 8th, I am going to learn more about polls than I may ever want to know. Every day there's a new poll and every new poll is accompanied by an analysis of the techniques utilized by the poll. Then some commentator will delve into the bias of the poll. Gone are the simple days of "here are the results and there's a error facto …
Every four years, Labor Day marks the 'beginning' of the presidential election campaign. And every four years, two types of people emerge -- those addicted to the election news and those who purposely avoid the election news. Okay, I admit it. I'm addicted. I have become an election news junkie. I not only watch CNN whenever I can, I listen to CNN …
There’s a first for everything. When I voted in the congressional primary on Tuesday morning, I was the first ballot in my electoral district. At least the volunteers at the polling place had not been waiting in vain. I made their day. But it really wasn't good. I arrived at around 9:00 a.m. And the polls had been open for three hours. It was c …
