Risky business

Driving to work the other morning, I heard a story on NPR about a movement presently gaining traction in the midwest - risky play. This unstructured free play, which has been present and promoted in Canadian schools for decades, is thought to foster communication and cooperation between participants, two actions I believe we can all agree should … Continue reading Risky business

My Dublin home

Most people, I think, believe that restaurants are a place to spend some time and take a meal. I suppose for many this is the basic truth. For those folks, though, I feel sad because a quality experience in a restaurant is about so much more than what goes into your mouth. I’ll give you … Continue reading My Dublin home

Another peek into the annex – Ruth Franklin’s The Many Lives of Anne Frank

It’s been about 80 years since Anne Frank died, yet her brief life remains an inspiration to people around the globe. While her assertion that “In spite of everything I still believe that people are really good at heart,” at times rings as nothing but naively innocent, her ability to hold onto to this optimistic … Continue reading Another peek into the annex – Ruth Franklin’s The Many Lives of Anne Frank

Seeking: Instructions for how to live under a totalitarian regime

Is there a book or something? Maybe a website or Facebook group that I can consult? Actually, both of those platforms are problematic with the government having removing literally thousands of webpages and Zuckerberg taking his turn to lick Trump’s boots… Yeah, maybe a book is the best choice - as long as it isn’t … Continue reading Seeking: Instructions for how to live under a totalitarian regime

When did America become “the country where I was born?”

The most simplistic answer would be that momentous event occurred on September 21st, 1966 in early morning when I made my debut at the (now defunct) Manhattan Infirmary.* Because, although neither of my parents were American citizens, and only one of them is even listed on my birth certificate, by birthright I was declared American, … Continue reading When did America become “the country where I was born?”