George Saunders on Trump Supporters
George Saunders on Trump supporters, in The New Yorker: An outstanding piece of campaign reporting by Saunders, more commonly known for his fiction. A must read -- balanced and deeply insightful.
Tracks Across America
Riding on Amtrak northward from the Bay Area to Sacramento.
‘The Big Short’ – Great Entertainment from Tragedy
Smart, funny, fast-paced, full of heart, The Big Short offers a social consciousness rarely found in Hollywood films. It also does the nearly impossible by making the intricacies of the 2008 financial crisis understandable for non-economists.
We …
The Zen of Holiday Airline Travel
Chapter One: Optimism Against the Odds
Early morning, icy rain on the way, waiting to fly from St. Louis to Chicago. Long lines, blank faces. Flight delays. Semi-panic at Gate 19. Gray people, stressed by too much holiday time with family. …
A small moment of unplanned beauty
I was out walking and saw this small daffodil near the sidewalk (is it actually a daffodil? No idea - I don't know much about flowers. But bear with me.) Such a pristine little portrait of beauty. Fresh and pure. A gorgeous piece of urban nature. And …
You can just walk into a store and buy this
Yeah, a drone. A sophisticated remote control aircraft. Got a credit card? It's yours. So that means anyone -- really pretty much anyone -- can pilot their own mini craft through everyone's space. Might this cause problems at some point? …
Spielberg’s Bridge of Spies
I really enjoyed Bridge of Spies. It's an intimate period drama, mining the tension and paranoia of early 1960s Cold War. Co-written by the Coen Brothers, it's a cracking good piece of storytelling and it punctuates the seriousness with …
Muir Redwood Forest
One of the treasures of the Bay Area, Muir Redwoods is a cathedral. Majestic 800-year-old trees, a light moisture in the air. The fragrance alone is like music.
Second Chance Cat Rescue
This late model sedan with the company name – Last Chance Cat Rescue – got me thinking. I’m wondering: what exactly is the business model? Okay, clearly, they’re in the business of finding cats; plenty of kitties go missing, so someone’s got to track …
Gloria Steinem in March Across the Korean DMZ
Gloria Steinem is one of my all-time favorite heroes. I adore her for her enlightened support of feminism. She’s a bright light of intelligence in a crazy world.
Her most recent news: she was part of a group of women activists who walked across …
Mad Men’s Greatest Narrative Invention
As the Mad Men series ends, the hype is overblown; sure, it was fun TV, but I’m not placing it in the pantheon of great art. Much of the series was enjoyable diversion, with plenty of routine office politics and a delightful splash of soap opera. I …
Ex Machina — Deep and Entertaining
Hip and funny and futuristic and philosophical and really pretty tippy -- yeah, I really liked Ex Machina. The movie's theme of humans building sentient conciousness isn't new. HAL from 2001: A Space Odyssey famously intoned "I'm sorry Dave, I can't …
Night is Falling…
Market and Fourth Street, Saturday evening, about 8:30 PM. Everyone's on their way somewhere....
Which Candidate Does Hillary Fear the Most?
Chuck Todd surveys the Republican field and claims one young senator is Hillary's biggest worry. I don't agree -- I think her biggest threat is Jeb Bush. Plus: In New Hampshire polling, Chris Christie is actually trailing The Donald. Ouch!
The Importance of the Mid-Life Crisis
If not for the classic mid-life crisis, how would the manufacturer of this car stay in business? Sometimes a cigar is not just a cigar.
Ellen Degeneres’ Tweet Heard ‘Round the World
It was a rich moment: Ellen Degeneres snapped an impromptu selfie as she hosted the Oscars, and requested that viewers retweet it with the goal of breaking the record for most retweets. The Twitterverse responded with a frenzy. I'm trying to decode …
House Of Cards: Still Great, But Less So
I’m almost done binging on House of Cards, season two. It’s been a fun ride, even though this second season is clearly several steps down from the first. These episodes feel less like an ensemble work and more focused on Kevin Spacey. I miss the …