Myrtle
I got my turtle in the pet department of W. T. Grants when I was in kindergarten and put her in a plastic bowl on the kitchen counter next to the sink.
Category: Culture
The Odyssey: An Intense Experience With a Strong Moral
In late July I saw The Odyssey. I didn’t see it in IMAX but that didn’t impact my experience in a negative way — I really enjoyed its intensity.
The Symbolic Ethnicity of San Gennaro
When new immigrants come to the United States, whether they are ethnic, racial, religious, or political groups, they are immediately faced with the need to assimilate into American society. There are some changes that occur which are common to all groups. T
The Illusion of Restoration—Returning home after 35 years
It wasn’t something I consciously thought about every day, but it lived beneath the surface: one day I would return home, and something inside me would finally settle. The streets I knew as a child, the language, the sea, the familiar light — all of it would somehow restore the part of me that had remained suspended in time.
Kudos from Contemporaries, Upon Ann Northrop’s Retirement as Co-Host of Gay USA
Proof of a life well-lived came in the form of swift and swooning responses, upon soliciting testimonials in praise of Ann Northrop. The widely influential journalist, broadcaster, educator, activist, strategist, and golfer recently retired as co-host of the long-running weekly broadcast Gay USA (gayusatv.org).
Weaponized Narcissism
In my March essay (Enemy of the People) I wrote of behaviors the American Psychiatric Association characterize as narcissism. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) was my source. As I said in March, Donald Trump exhibits substantially all of the behaviors listed, including those for malignant narcissism.
HIV Spreads Like Wildfires in Gay Bathhouses
Back during the AIDS epidemic of the 80s, to get a knock at your door from the Department of Health could mean life or death.
Housing Expert Condemns City’s “Affordable Housing” Plans
Housing expert Ron Shiffman condemned the current “affordable housing” agenda as a “Trojan horse” benefiting real estate developers, a stealth strategy that actually results in luxury condos, higher rents, and displacement of low-income renters.
My View of the Village
Snippets from the Village.
From Thrash Metal to Jazz: Alex Skolnick’s Unlikely Musical Journey
Few guitarists have traveled as boldly between musical worlds as Alex Skolnick, the Testament veteran who transformed himself from a teenage thrash-metal prodigy into an accomplished jazz guitarist without ever abandoning the music that made him famous.
America at 250
- Driving With Your Pet
We were recently car shopping and were pleasantly surprised to see how pet friendly car companies have become. This led us to check information at the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) and The Center for Pet Safety (CPS).