Odds and Ends
-
In the film Once Upon a Time in America, Noodles, played by Robert De Niro, said to Chief Aiello, played by Danny Aiello, “You know, Aiello, for a rotten lousy no-good sonofabitch, you’re not half bad.” That bit of movie dialogue might not represent my most ideal tagline, but I thought I’d start off the…
-
To exist in a madding world swimming in dysfunction and a list of human failings too long to mention (and those are our species rosier aspects), one must possess a sense of humor, an appreciation for irony, and the wisdom to recognize each as a gift. A bonus would be having a life mate also…
-
It’s been a spell since I posted a recipe or food awareness blog. Recently, “zesty chickpeas” came onto my radar. It’s a tomato sauce-base recipe. The sauce is flavored with sea salt, fresh minced garlic, cayenne pepper, coriander, turmeric, and… drum roll… ginger? Yes, fresh ginger goes into this tomato sauce concoction. I was skeptical…
-
I’m a young boomer, age sixty-three, which means I’ve lived half my life with a world wide web and half without. Back in its infancy, the once nifty new space called an internet was dubbed “The great information highway.” Then, a funny thing happened on the way to the forum: information became the new currency.…
-
If you’re looking for an engaging summer read, please consider the edgy and spirited American Odyssey. The tone and presence of its core characters will immerse you in a summer’s day, when you were coming of age, a breath away from awakening unrealized passions, and making enduring ties. The paperback is available at Amazon.com: American…
-
Recently, for the first time, I listened to the opera Ainadamar. I had never heard of the opera or its composer, Osvaldo Golijov. Golijov was born in La Plata, Argentina, to a Jewish family that immigrated to Argentina from Ukraine. Ainadamar in an Arabic word meaning Fountain of Tears. It is the name of an…
-
The domain where public discourse goes to linger and test its wares has become too crowded a sphere. Moreover, the coexistence of legacy and social media has placed us inside a pinball machine operated by a wizard who refuses to let the small silver orb settle. In my humble opinion, we’re not wired to care…
-
The following is an excerpt from the podcast Darkhorse, hosted by evolutionary biologists, Bret Weinstein and Heather Heying. Bret and Heather discuss what elites are planning to do to mitigate climate concerns. As for my own perspective on climate concerns and initiatives, the following is an engaging analysis I wrote late last year: Who’s The…
-
Perhaps the riskiest thing we can do is making ourselves completely vulnerable to another. The consequences can be devastating, the rewards unparalleled. Imagine that you’re an automobile and you have entrusted someone with your ignition key. Your hope is that the better angels of their nature align with yours, while remaining mindful that a portion…
-
Watch Ukrainian-born virtuoso, Valentina Lisitsa carve up the final movement (Precipitato) of Sergei Prokofiev’s “War Sonata” (Sonata #7). If you enjoyed Valentina, you might also enjoy The Universe in Keys 04/01/2025. Happy Easter. Happy Passover. Happy weekend!
Michael's Corner 