When last I published in this space, the nation was facing (again) the most important election of our lifetime. Politics, both directly and as it manifests in the general culture, has been a frequent source of interest for me since I began this blog. Temporarily, I imagine, I will be taking a break from the … Continue reading Nowhere Fast
Politics
Trump Supporters: Unshakeable
When I first began to conduct the interviews for this piece in the spring, I had a very different direction in mind than the one I ended up taking. I had, over time, noticed that my Twitter followers contained a not insignificant number of gay people who were as open about their support for Donald … Continue reading Trump Supporters: Unshakeable
Another Inconvenient Truth
Michael Bloomberg has, to a limited extent, re-emerged as a presidential candidate in the upcoming 2020 election. He had, on March 5th, ended speculation on the subject by removing himself from the list of possible office seekers, saying that he felt he could do more to help the country in other ways. He also seemed … Continue reading Another Inconvenient Truth
Looking For Mr. Brinkley
Being a pediatric echocardiographer for over twenty years I have had hundreds, if not thousands of college bound teens on my examination table. As you'd imagine, their thoughts on potential fields of study / possible professions have been a frequent topic of conversation. Although it is not a popular contemporary career path, I do see … Continue reading Looking For Mr. Brinkley
Jewish When Convenient: That Special Tuesday in November
On June 24th, 2018, the New York Post published a piece by Jonathan Neumann entitled "Scar of David". The thrust of his article was that American Judaism was broken, and that the fixation of the left leaning portion of American Jewry on the principle of tikkun olam (repair of the world) was at the heart … Continue reading Jewish When Convenient: That Special Tuesday in November
The Malice Of Absence
Whenever the headlines of the day carry the phrase "fake news" I find myself reflecting a great deal on the atmosphere of prevarication and dishonesty that I was raised in. The product of an emotionally weak father and a mother steeped in a panalopy of mental illnesses, I am ever mindful that forthrightness went at … Continue reading The Malice Of Absence
Ford / Kavanaugh: You Aint Seen Nothing Yet
I have, as previously stated, not bathed in this story as many have over the past few weeks. Still, I am fatigued from all that I have read or seen about it and can only imagine how utterly exhausted someone would be if they clung to every item about it. There have been a number … Continue reading Ford / Kavanaugh: You Aint Seen Nothing Yet
Ford / Kavanaugh: Like It Was Yesterday
We are now several weeks into this mess and I am no closer to an opinion on the central issue than I was on day one. In my mind nothing I have seen or heard has moved me from the place I started in. A woman of more than credible credentials (Christine Blasey Ford) has … Continue reading Ford / Kavanaugh: Like It Was Yesterday
Thank You Nkechi
On July 2nd Nkechi Diallo was booked and fingerprinted after being arrested for theft by fraud and perjury. In case you've forgotten, or (reflecting greater emotional IQ) never knew, Diallo was known previously as Rachel Dolezal. I suppose most of us have at least some idea of who this yoyo is but a brief run … Continue reading Thank You Nkechi
A Farewell to Better Angels
In a speech before parliament (House of Commons) in 1826, John Hobhouse first coined the phrase, The Loyal Opposition. Predicated on the idea that a functioning democracy requires it's legislative bodies to be able to voice their dissent without fear of accusations of treason, it entered the lexicon as a specific term regarding British governmental … Continue reading A Farewell to Better Angels