Original anecdotes, commentary, rumination, and occasional pontification.
SEPTEMBER 26,2020 – After three and a half years, no one should be surprised by Trump’s latest disruption of political norms. But his most recent assault on our democracy should motivate responsible Americans to vote for Biden in overwhelming numbers. What Trump has said about the electoral process is not merely “disruptive.” It undermines the …
SEPTEMBER 25, 2020 – The other night I woke up with a start. Despite having been fed a hearty supper and later snacks my stomach was growling. I felt no discomfort, just annoyance from the interruption of a beautiful “movie” . . . I mean, dream . . . about skiing. The noise—from my stomach, …
SEPTEMBER 24, 2020 – Yesterday I stood in line for an hour to cast my ballot—affirmatively, convincingly, beyond all attempts to lose, miscount, question or disqualify that ballot. It would be no exaggeration to compare my feelings to how one feels when participating in a ritual of one’s religious organization. Granted, everyone wore a mask …
SEPTEMBER 22, 2020 – As one headline after another suggests America is the Titanic amidst icebergs in the North Atlantic, we should take measure of our ship—our country—to understand better what kind of vessel we occupy. We’re 50 states, big and small, urban and rural, coastal and inland, West and East, North and South—each with …
SEPTEMBER 21, 2020 – Out of nowhere Saturday came his text: “How are you and your family[?] Long time w no communication. I hope Trump doesn’t get to pick another SC Justice. Can we talk? Give me a good time tomorrow. Will be working on cabin. Jeff.” It was my close college friend, Jeff Oppenheim. …
SEPTEMBER 17, 2020 – Yesterday I fled the cities again for the Red Cabin. That sounds as if the cities are “aflame,” but that’s not true. They’re safe and secure, and though lately the sun has exhibited an unusual orange tinge from West Coast smoke, the outdoor air is still breathable. Black Lives Mattersigns still blanket …
SEPTEMBER 15, 2020 – . . . “Let’s put Kennedy in the garbage can.” That’s what my older sisters and I sassed around our house in the run-up to the 1960 general election. Our parents were Republicans, as were our maternal grandparents. (Our paternal grandparents were in question; in 1965, Grandpa Nilsson expressed approval when …
SEPTEMBER 1, 2020 – Here we are, deep into 2020, stuck in a cinema watching an old black and white movie. Though we’ve seen the film before, we still fall for all the devices a Hitchcock throws at us. And then there’s the music—never underestimate the soundtrack’s effect on our fears. I’m speaking of Trump …
AUGUST 28, 2020 – Last night my wife and I watched portions of the RNC. We wearied of the shameless fear-mongering and contemptuous disregard for truth. What put us over the top, however, was the dense, unmasked crowd on the South Lawn of the White House. Cable commentators (GoebbelsNews excepted) couldn’t hide their dismay. Rudy …
AUGUST 26, 2020 – Among us who detest Donald Trump, theories abound as to why people still support him. “Fear,” some say. “Greed,” others wail. “Stupidity,” “Racism,” “Neglect by conventional politicians” . . . the list goes on. To which I add . . . “the forest effect”: Within a dense and boundless forest of …
AUGUST 23, 2020 – I didn’t catch any of the Democratic National Convention proceedings last week. Based on the personal reactions of people I know and respect, I should have. My excuses were two-fold: 1. I’ve been at the Red Cabin, where streaming is sketchy; and 2. I’m already so anti-Trump/anti-Republican, I needed no convincing …
AUGUST 22, 2020 – Yesterday afternoon while deep in my “tree garden,” I heard the rumble of distant thunder. When I emerged for a look at the end of our dock, an enormous thunderhead was closing in. I felt like a sailor in one-person dinghy in line with the prow of an aircraft carrier steaming …
AUGUST 17, 2020 – As I kayak along the shoreline, I admire the big pine that were much smaller when my grandparents were alive. I reflect on all that has occurred in the world since they bought this property in the fall of 1939. World War II had just begun with Germany’s Blitzkreig against Poland. …
AUGUST 12, 2020 – Not so long ago we said of ourselves that we were a deeply polarized nation. We’re now a poisoned nation. Let’s start with Covid. There’s much we still don’t know about the disease, but there’s also much we do know about it. One thing is that wearing masks limits its transmission. …
AUGUST 10, 2020 – For several years our household has survived with one car. Yesterday though, I wanted to head to the Red Cabin two days before my wife could join me. My younger sister, long-marooned with her husband in New York, graciously allowed me to borrow her car, garaged in Minneapolis. After loading up, …
AUGUST 9, 2020 – Early on I was destined for Ayn Rand Land. One of my grandpas was “Ragnar,” the name of the hero-privateer in Rand’s best-seller, Atlas Shrugged. My other grandpa was a businessman. My dad was an arch-conservative, meaning my mom had to go along. Then the kicker: my oldest sister, an intellectual …
JULY 16, 2020 – Ever since 63 million Americans cast their votes for a person who, in my 60+ years’ experience of gauging people, was utterly and patently ill-suited for any position of authority or responsibility, I’ve wondered—how can this be? By way of background, I attended school—kindergarten on up. I’ve held a number of jobs …
JULY 11, 2020 – After a week at the Red Cabin I’m feeling safe from humanity. I rarely even skim “the news” and rely on my wife, who reads it, to inform me if the world has in fact gone over the ever-threatening proverbial falls. I must confess, however, that yesterday I glanced at headlines. …
JULY 7, 2020 – On our way to the Red Cabin, we pass through the trim town of Cumberland, Wisconsin, population 2,170. Mom-and-pop stores line Main Street, the sole commercial street in town. At the economic center of town is an old 3M plant across from the high school football field. The most remarkable feature …
JULY 4, 2020 – (Cont.) “Who? I think I don’t know you,” he said. However much my chum might’ve changed physically, he wouldn’t have developed a thick accent. I showed him the photograph and explained why I’d thought he was Dick V. By this time, the woman had approached. By the shape of her mouth …
JULY 3, 2020 – On this cusp of Independence Day, I feel no shame in being American; no more shame than I’d feel imprisoned in a zoo of odd creatures, from a sloth to a turtle to a peacock to a lion to a wolf to a (breast-beating gorilla) to a playful porpoise to an …
JUNE 28, 2020 – If I had 15-minutes with Biden, I’d say: “Joe, you’re in a unique position. You don’t have to worry about the electability of your VP pick. “Polls show you have a commanding lead over Naked Emperor and Sycophant-in-Chief. Doofus Duo will continue to plummet, and you’ll win by a landslide . …
JUNE 25, 2020 – When I started law school, I figured the easiest subject would be “ethics.” I thought I had a solid handle on “right” and “wrong” and would know intuitively such foundational rules as, you can’t lie and you can’t steal from client funds in your firm’s trust account. Little did I appreciate …
JUNE 24, 2020 – I’ve never liked John Bolton, and now I like him less. Burned by the Naked Emperor, he decided to get even instead of mad. What’s “even” does little good. In an interview on the Late Show, Bolton said he wouldn’t vote for Trump in November but wouldn’t vote for Biden either. …
JUNE 23, 2020 – People reacting to the recent rash of statue sackings fall into three groups. First: angry folks pulling down symbols of racism—symbols erected by very white, very dead white . . . women (surprise!) who’d organized themselves in 1894 as the United Daughters of the Confederacy, primarily to build all those statues. …