We're coming to the end of February and Black History Month in particular. An incident in Toms River, South Jersey gave me reason to pause. So did racially-motivated assaults and shootings in prior weeks across the nation and in my part of the country. Two weeks ago, a Toms River Middle School teacher was called…
Recalling a Day of Infamy
Eighteen years ago, I recall that I had the day off and was looking forward to sleeping in after a late night on the Herald News copy desk. We were following a story out of Washington, D.C. involving a lawmaker and the disappearance of his young and particularly attractive intern. Our cynacism was already in…
We’re All Searching For a Heart of Gold, and We’re Growing Old
We all have the need to be loved. It's a basic and human emotion. Some of us in that search find love in all the wrong places. Some of us are blessed and come to learn that we are loved in spite of what we do or don't do to earn such devotion. As children,…
I’ve Seen the Enemy and He Looks Just Like Me
I don't recall just where the quote for the above headline comes from, but I thought it only fitting. Apologies in advance to all my gun-owning friends but after what's taken place in recent days, I have to throw in my own two cents, no matter who I offend. Two young white men with hatred…
I Can Live With a Phone That’s Dumb as a Stone
With a nod to comedian Dennis Miller (his pre-conservative days), I don't want to go off on a rant here, but I like my antiquated flip phone just fine. Smart phones aside with all their bells and whistles, my dumb phone has been my saving grace from a myriad of distractions and temptations. My wife…
Vagaries of Life: For You, Death Can Be a Cabaret, Old Chum, Come to the Cabaret
You know, the older I get, the more I'm amazed at the complexities of life. Also the absurdities. When you're young, all of life is before you: love, adventure, setting goals and striving to attain the unattainable. You sit on a mountain top and look down at the green and lush valleys below and your…
Regarding The Daily News, Accuracy and Spencer Tracy
Just learned earlier this week that The New York Daily News cut its news staff by 50 percent, from 80 reporters and editors to 40. It's a sad day for New York, the surrounding boroughs and the tri-state, because the city's unique and irreverent voice, already decimated in recent years due to a harsh economy,…
In the Long Run, Good Manners Really Do Matter
Perhaps it's just me, but I've always found, I've always been taught that a simple "please" and "thank you" goes a long way. I guess it was just the way I was raised, an old-fashioned value not necessarily drummed into me by my parents but more so shown to me by example. It always made…
Trumpy Bear, Have You No Shame, Sir?
Channel surfing the other day, I came across a TV ad that I at first thought was a spoof, the kind of thing Saturday Night Live or the Colbert folks over at CBS love on "The Late Show." There was an offer, all to make America great again, for your very own "Trumpy Bear" to warm your heart…
In Ridgewood, Mailman Delivers Inspiration, Joy and Humanity
For Bill Olave, a letter carrier of 30 years, delivering mail door to door in the northwest section of Ridgewood is not a life of routine or drudgery but one of joy. With an infectious smile and a heart filled with cheer, those along his route say that in a world where people often disconnect…
Writer's Ramblings 