You say you want a revolution Well, you know We all want to change the world You tell me that it’s evolution Well, you know We all want to change the world Lyrics by John Lennon How apropos since it is nearly Independence Day, since we are celebrating our own version of revolution. America is … More Revolution?
America is a ghostly specter. The year 2020 is not yet half over, but it poised to become one of the most eventful years in our history. At least our modern history. This is becoming a year of change. The ship is turning, slowly, but either the country evolves, or it will break apart. The … More Stranger in a Strange Country
There are days I want to isolate myself from the world. The hate, conspiracy theories and broken systems are simply too much. I do not thrive on chaos, it does not energize me or give me purpose. I have those already. I remember a time that good, thoughtful people worked to bring things back in … More When the World is Upside Down
Labels are often wrong. Most people are much more than a single word or a phrase. When you assume a person is a narrowly defined element, you are also assuming what you think they believe fits into a neat compartment. Lots of things go wrong with assumptions. People are strange and often complex creatures; they … More What Am I?
“The Al Franken Decade” was a running joke on Saturday Night Live. Al Franken had a persona of having a rather large ego, and “The Al Franken Decade,” complete with Franken’s name superimposed on the screen whenever he mentioned it, was a great touch. While it was a joke, Franken has had some interesting decades … More The Al Franken Decade
Mention the words, foreign film, to the average person and they turn up their nose. Sitting thorough one was like having thumb screws applied. Times are changing, but it still has to be a popular film for many to get past the foreign part of the description. First, with home video formats and then with … More Foreign Language Films
The Attorney General of the United States is the top law enforcement officer, head of the Justice Department, and key adviser to the President. Or, as the role originated in the Middle Ages, to advise the Crown on legal matters. The Judiciary Act of 1789 set up the federal court system and provided for an … More Robert Kennedy: Attorney General
The subtitle is: A Reporter Remembers Watergate. A subtitle to the subtitle might be: Who is Richard Nixon, a question Brokaw tries to answer. Retired news anchor Brokaw has written several books including The Greatest Generation, a huge bestseller. Brokaw returns with a subject quite familiar to him, Richard Nixon. Brokaw traces events of 1973 … More Tom Brokaw: The Fall of Richard Nixon
Robert Redford, Faye Dunaway, Sidney Pollack. This film had everything going for it. International intrigue, attractive co-stars, rising director, jazzy score, great supporting cast. Following Watergate, there was distrust of government and spy agencies. Adapted from a novel by James Grady, originally called Six Days of the Condor, some of the plots points are the … More Three Days of the Condor (1975)
“Acting strategically requires that political leaders make clear what they will stand for and what they will not stand for. We must mean what we say, to both allies and foes.” Do you read this book because it was written by a four-star general who commanded troops in both Iraq and Afghanistan, or because he … More Jim Mattis: Call Sign Chaos
