In a few days I will have reached official geezerhood. I remember that in my younger years I would sometimes think with amazement about living until the turn of the century
Posts published in “Essays”
Throwing the book at people is nothing new, but in our post 9/11 world the screws are tightening. Take San Francisco, whose District Attorney is Terence “Kayo” Hallinan, regarded by many as a progressive fellow.…
Most days, I wake with a purpose. There is always something to do and I generally go about it with a measure of good cheer. There is an African proverb that states, “ One bracelet…
They started by shaking hands. We said “Salaam aleikum” — peace be upon you — then the first pebbles flew past my face. A small boy tried to grab my bag. Then another. Then someone…
Those Cherry Cokes in a can the Coca-Cola people are selling these days are convenient, I'll grant you, and at least come close to tasting like the real thing. But, boy, do they take the…
“If liberty means anything at all,” George Orwell wrote, “it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear.” From all indications, the gatekeepers for big media in the United States…
Has the collapse of Enron finally pushed social security “reform” off the political agenda for the foreseeable future? Half the stock in Enron employees' 401(k) retirement plans was Enron paper, contributed as a company match,…
In 1968, while speaking at an Unbirthday Party for Lyndon Johnson held during the Democratic convention in Chicago, I revealed to the audience the true story of a reporter who had once interviewed LBJ. After…
SUV, pickup truck or sedan, hardtop or convertible, it doesn't matter. You're driving what is in effect a moving billboard, labeled front, side and rear with the manufacturer's name and distinctive logo. Racing car drivers…