June 22, 2020

Journalists Work to Divide, Not Inform

As a young journalist starting out many years ago, I was proud to join a profession where so many men and women had distinguished themselves through honest, thorough investigations, entertaining features, and excellence in writing. But for a long whi...

May 17, 2019

Let's not lose our sense of humor

During a recent drive through California's central coast, my husband and I stopped in a small town to refuel and buy some drinks.  In the mini-mart, I discovered the spork, an amusingly shaped hybrid between a spoon and a fork.  ...

January 13, 2017

Hollywood: Keep your mouth shut!

I wish Meryl Streep had not unburdened herself at the Golden Globes or shared her feelings of revulsion for the president-elect.  In this prolonged season of liberal suffering, it was hardly surprising for a Hollywood legend to dump on Trump. It...

October 2, 2014

How About a Yom Kippur in the White House?

President Obama isn’t much of a church-goer, having dropped that practice after moving from Chicago, but he does take time to publicly commemorate various religious holidays in the White House. With a nod to his Jewish constituents, Mr. Obama h...

July 15, 2012

Memo to Bloomberg: Forget Big-Gulp Bans. How about Encouraging Healthy Relationships Instead?

Mayor Michael Bloomberg's fondness for legislating what naughty foods and drinks New Yorkers can and cannot buy is wearing thin. Last week, a small but outspoken group of Gotham residents participated in what was dubbed a "Million Big Gulp March" at ...

August 27, 2011

Were Those Really the Days?

Men of a certain age have always loved to romanticize the past.  But looking back through the mists of time can cause memory cells to fog over, yielding not entirely accurate recollections.  It's easy to convince ourselves that "back in the...

September 14, 2010

Citizen, Unleashed

On a recent sunny morning, when I should have been at my desk doing income-producing work, I was aging prematurely in the Superior Court House in Hollywood, a Notice to Appear in my hand. Even in today's wacky world of American jurisprudence, being d...

December 21, 2009

iPhone, Therefore I Am

I was smug; I admit it. Despite the crush of humanity dumping their old-fashioned cell phones in favor of multitasking "smart phones" that are so brilliant they can do everything for you except brew your morning latte, I vowed to keep my li...

October 31, 2009

Time to Eat the Dog: PETA Won't Like This

My dog Ken has been looking as sad as a basset hound recently, and I think I know why. Somehow, Ken must have taken a look-see -- instead of just a raised leg -- to a recent issue of New Scientist, which reports on a new book called Time to Eat the D...

May 8, 2009

A Worm Bin? For Me? You Shouldn't Have!

Mother's Day is now enjoying its annual splash of media attention - attention that is surely coveted by creators of lesser-known holidays in May, such as International Tuba Day (May 1), International Migratory Bird Day (the second Saturday in May), a...

April 22, 2009

Saving Our Planet, One Guilt Trip at a Time

Special Earth Day Issue  April 22, 2009  UFOs and AGWThe Next Ice AgeGreen up, Man! It's Freaking Earth Day!Saving Our Planet, One Guilt Trip at a TimeA Lenin's Birthday StoryIn honor of Earth Day, I decided to finally go green before I get...

December 12, 2008

Blago's bad language

As news broke about Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich's arrest on political corruption charges, even those who have become cynical about political miscreants expressed shock at the brazenness of his attempts to sell the U.S. Senate seat formerly occu...

September 14, 2008

The Loneliness of the Blue-State Conservative

Hours after I slapped a McCain bumper sticker on my car, somebody tore it off in the parking lot of a local courthouse. No problem; I had bought a pack of ten and replaced it when I got home. I laughed when I thought that whoever had done it probably...