Politically Engaged

I was writing recently that November 5th is a remarkable day in US history, because one of the remarkable American politicians, Eugene Debbs, was born this day  and because... Read more »

Mayoral Requiem for a Latter Day Democrat: Christine Quinn

Angela Merkel could have been Christine Quinn in New York City. Angela Merkel savored some soviet style life as an East German child Read more »

High School Times and Their Recurrent Celebration

Some high school moments are from The Breakfast Club, but most of them are better described by this opening line from Anna Karenina “Happy families are all alike; every... Read more »

Torn Apart but Suddenly Clarified

At barely 16, I read a book that made it easier for me to put a name onto some of my teenage anguish: bullshit. Read more »

My Own Serpico Story

When the time came to decide what I would do for living, I was lucky enough to buy a ticket to see a movie at the local movie theater.... Read more »

America: The It of Its Own Hide’n’Seek

Hide’n’ seek or hide and seek denotes a children’s game. The Wikipedia entry is not very clear, so here is a better description of the game: Read more »

Embracing Everything Human

Things have moved a long way since I first saw two men kissing. The kiss was breathtaking, and it came in a succession of kissing couples in a French... Read more »

On Hubris and Idiocy

My memories of the early 1980s are disquieting in a militaristic way. Read more »

Staring at Pictures

Today, June 20, I stared at Obama’s face for a couple of minutes. Read more »