Baby boomers who have suffered through the senescence of their aging and ailing parents know the anguish it can bring. But for the vast majority of the those suffering cognitive decline, their role in society has been mercifully diminished as loved ones and, sometimes, their surrogate care givers, guide and protect them. When painfully obvious mental decline occurs, however, in
Written in conjunction with guest writer Little Sister/LRM. Americans are constantly berated by media pundits and academicians who say, ad nauseam, that we need to “follow the science,” as if that were easily done. In my essay “Trusted Information” (4/18/20) I listed a half dozen “scientific” directives put out by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Centers For Disease
An Open Letter To The Yankees Mr. Brian Cashman General Manager and Vice President New York Yankees Yankee Stadium One East 161st Street Bronx, NY 10451 Dear Mr. Cashman, I have been a dedicated Yankee Fan my entire life. I count being in Yankee Stadium for Reggie Jackson’s third consecutive home run on three consecutive pitches in game six of
In 1971, Stanley Kubrick’s film “A Clockwork Orange” both fascinated and horrified audiences. It painted a dystopian picture of what England (and western civilization) might look like in the not too distant future. The movie’s theme involved sociopathic violence, but it also sought to portray a society in the process of dissolution. Everywhere were scenes of urban decay. Inhabiting tumbledown
Written by guest writer LRM (who will henceforth be referred to, at her request, as “Little Sister”). “Maybe we’ll have a summer of love” intoned the mayor of Seattle in June after a section of her city was occupied by a group of protesters who turned it into the CHAZ (Capital Hill Autonomous Zone), later termed CHOP (Capital Hill Occupied
Perceptive writers from William Shakespeare to George Orwell to radical leftist Saul Alinsky have all recognized the power of names. In Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, Romeo laments to his paramour (with, unfortunately, the wrong family name): “‘tis but thy NAME that is my enemy!” In Orwell’s classic dystopian novel, 1984, names are deemed so important that the reverse meaning of
The “sturm und drang” of daily politics across our culturally and politically diverse nation is known to sometimes produce bizarre effects. None of these weird effects are quite as idiotic, however, as the politicization of wearing a face mask for COVID prophylaxis. Somehow, refusing to wear a mask has become a shibboleth to libertarians throughout the land. Now it IS
A demagogue is a political leader who seeks support by appealing to the desires and prejudices of ordinary people rather than by using rational argument. While demagoguery has likely been present since the dawn of civilization, and while emotions DO play a valid role in the political process, it would appear that, in today’s America, it has reached epidemic levels.
Do you, dear readers, believe in miracles? I do. And, over the years, I believe I’ve witnessed a number of them. One of the greatest miracles I have ever seen, however, is the country in which I live: the United States of America. That such a country, so committed to freedom, justice and equality, could emerge from the turmoil and
Not long ago a reader (thanks PR) sent me a video of a portion of a television variety show hosted by western movie star, John Wayne. It was recorded in 1970 and featured the participation of just about every star from Hollywood and the music and entertainment realms. Please watch the video before reading further. It can be accessed via