I knew in November 2024 that July 4, 2026 would be a sad day for me. With him in charge, a milestone for the country would be desecrated. The president's sad attempts to celebrate are pathetic to say the least. The extremely thin crowds in Washington D.C. speak volumes of disgust and disinterest. Dismay in 2026 seems appropriate; disinterest to me is frightening. If one ignores the present state of our country, one complicitly approves. Bystanders collaborate with injustice.

Eddie* is a regular at our small synagogue, at three years old. He comes with his parents to various events and religious services. His attention span is still short, but he does sing along with the Rabbi and participate in the Kiddish (blessing over the wine and bread). Eddie loves the Oneg (food after a typical Friday night or Saturday morning service). We all love the food, for that matter. Eddie seems to love vanilla cupcakes, the bite sized ones. The first time I saw hi

Yesterday (Wednesday), the alarm sounded at my condominium. The residents knew this was not a fire drill, since the announcement would have noted, "This is a drill." So we assumed the alarm was real. We evacuated, somewhat confused, into the unseasonably hot day. Typical in these situations, neighbors chatted nervously. Approximately 20 minutes later, we received the "all clear" from the fireman. The United States has not received an "all clear." The alarms are ringing. A dee

Caution: This blog may contain honesty. Today, my adult daughter who has Autism celebrated Mother's Day with me. She is generous to a fault. I do not think you could find another more authentically generous daughter. Isabel lives to think about others. Her gifts are literally from the heart, though not necessarily what you would want. Therein is the rub. She showers me literally with presents, though, if I had a choice, I would select just one of a finer quality. But, I do no

The clowns rule the day. For the third time, Trump escapes with his life. I cannot help thinking I live in a dysphoric land, while robots dash around attempting to be effective lawmen/women. How good are our human law enforcement officers if they have allowed gunmen to get dangerously close to the President at least three times? I am sick of agents in black--whether they wear athletic gear or tuxedos--looking very fierce, pointing their weapons, and running around creating ch

90 miles away from Florida, we seem to have forgotten an island. Who's at fault? Apparently, the president is "bored" with the war in Iran. Earlier this month, he engaged attention to Cuba. The press did not concentrate on this story, since they were preoccupied with a war. Usually, the President of the United States would also be focused on a war he started. Reportedly, Trump said that Cuba might be subject to a "friendly takeover;" before adding that "It may not be a frien

The earth shakes and the body remembers a noise, a shattering, a smell. Events from childhood often remain with us for a lifetime. Just about everyone can remember a scary occurrence from early in one's life. An earthquake impacted me, the effects of which have endured for a lifetime. Older San Franciscans have posted their impressions of the Daly City Earthquake of March 22, 1957 on Facebook. Years ago, I wanted to see if my memory of this earthquake was correct. I searched

As the days tumble on, part of the world crumbles into blocks of concrete. Two narcisstic leaders destroy cities, filled with innocent people, for what? Jews, Christians, and Muslims cower in shelters. For regime change--impossible, unless accomplished by the people who live in the country. Kill all the terrorists--impossible, when one dies two more rise up and so on. Two elderly men in distant lands form an unholy bond and attempt to distract us from their crimes, by setting

While it is no surprise that I found Trump’s State of the Union speech unpresidential and ridiculous, my biggest surprise is the sprinkling of comments I heard on an NPR talk show a day after. I know that Trump's favorability is at a low, but that does not excuse the sophomoric understanding of the current governmental crisis. While a voter may not like what the current regime is not accomplishing, the present state of affairs is frightening, unprecedented, and abnormal. Such

I respect local law enforcement. I would call them immediately, if I or someone were in danger. I trust our police. I count on our officers to be trained appropriately. The misuse of power and weapons by the police has a long history in the United States. Remember the images of police, aided by German Shepherds, aiming hoses at protestors during the civil rights demonstrations of the 1960's? Recall the tear gas used during the anti war protests a few years later? In my lifeti

Renee Good was white, blond, and drove a family car. The angry mob of ICE agents who surrounded her car could see evidence of family life within the red SUV--stuffed animals, snack wrappers, and other flotsam from children. Those facts did not stop the agents, also white, from yelling at her, grabbing the driver's side door, trying to open the door, and then, one of them, shooting her in cold blood. Not one of these guys inferred that this woman was not a troublemaker, a murd

I woke up on January 1 and decided not to look, listen, or watch the news. I was invited to two parties on New Year's Day. To be in a celebratory mood, I pretended that Trump and the current regime did not exist. People I spoke to at the parties said jokingly that I was looking at the world through "rose-colored glasses." I laughed and said, "just for a few hours." I needed a few hours of respite from the constant barrage concerning Trump's unconstitutional actions. I t was m

Robert Reich, whom I have followed for a year, wrote a piece today called “The Shittiest Year.” He asked the question, "What was the worst year?" I do not think it is wise to pick one year as the worst, since tragedy and goodness occur simultaneously every year. However, 2025 stands out as pretty bad for the United States. I know how and why. Trump came to power. A wise person who wrote about the Holocaust said the important question to ask is How. Trump won the election bec

Multi-culturalism serves an important purpose, facilitating increased understanding among divergent groups. Knowledge of the other decreases hatred. On Friday night, I had the privilege to attend a Shabbat service sponsored by a small independent group. The event was held in a small African American church in Potomac, Maryland. The historic congregation--AME Zion-- has served a Black Community for a 100 years. Recently, the church was rebuilt due to water damage caused by its

I sound "holier than thou," but bear with me. Mea culpa. Why are so few willing to be involved? My question is for those comfortably retired, empty nesters, and those who do not have to work. I guess my brain was formed differently. I feel very lucky. Ever since I was 14 or 15 years old, I felt the strong need to help others less fortunate than myself. Without direction from adults, I set forth on my journey. Not being bold or confident as a teenager, I tread with tiny steps-

The messages about antisemitism are confusing. Recently Tucker Carlson interviewed Nick Fuentes, a self-described Nazi and Jew hater. Carlson did not disagree with Fuentes' incendiary stance regarding Jewish people and Israel, in particular. In addition to disparaging Jews as part of an international group of financiers and conspirators, Fuentes also repeated a belief--also uttered by Trump--that Jews are not loyal to the United States. Carlson did not object to Fuentes state

So simple to forget Donald Trump and his henchmen/women. So simple to think, here he goes again and go on with whatever we are doing. So simple to think all is well when the government reopened today. So simple to forget the activities of DOGE in January of this year. So simple to lose track of Trump's convictions and impeachment trials. We have to constantly wake ourselves up to remember and stay vigilant. I am guilty of falling asleep. In the last 3 days, I have been jolte

On a recent trip to Uzbekistan, our group had finished a day in Samarkand, a large city with amazing monuments. Particularly surrounding Registan Square, there are madrassahs which are stunning in architecture and design. Looking up at the structures is breathtaking. Samarkand was the home of Timur or Tamerlane, the Muslim leader of a renaissance in central Asia. Madrassah in Registan Square Our guide, Shadior

I learned today that I am a Content Creator. I listened to a congressional hearing on C-Span and realized that I fit the bill. Sounds...

Words matter. To me, this remains a major sticking point on all sides of our political divide. I turned the car radio onto C-span today,...