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The Good Part

FOR NINE MONTHS YOU PREPARED FOR “THE MOMENT.” The moment when you would hold your newborn child for the first time. The moment when you would hear her heartbeat and marvel at her innocence. The moment when an eternity of questions, uncertainties and challenges would be erased with one tiny smile. Finally the moment arrived. NowContinue reading “The Good Part”

One Night in Dallas

IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT IN DALLAS. That’s when we failed you, dear children. When we broke our promise of a better world. When the bloody aftermath of a peaceful protest shattered all pretense of civility. It happened on an American street in an American city. It happened in the twilight, in the open, without warningContinue reading “One Night in Dallas”

It’s Time to Make Voting Illegal for Older Adults

AS PARENTS, OUR JOB IS TO GIVE OUR KIDS A WORLD THAT’S BETTER THAN THE ONE WE HAD. But we — the parents and adults of the older generation — are failing miserably. By now it’s abundantly clear that Brexit, the British referendum on EU membership, won because the older generations screwed the younger. Instead of thinking about theContinue reading “It’s Time to Make Voting Illegal for Older Adults”

Her Name is Alex

(Originally published Nov. 19, 1998, in the OC Metro magazine. Republished now on the eve of my daughter’s high school graduation.) HER NAME IS ALEX. She’s new around here. So much has already passed her by — there are things she will never see and plenty she will never know. She won’t know any presidentContinue reading “Her Name is Alex”

When Our Gods Become Mortal

THE RECENT AND UNEXPECTED DEATHS of musicians David Bowie and Glen Frey left many in shock. We played their music nonstop, hometown squares became shrines, and we turned to the Internet and each other to find camaraderie and comfort. But why? Be honest: Did you listen to Bowie’s music the week before he died? The Eagles?Continue reading “When Our Gods Become Mortal”

A Note About “Below the Fold” — Going Dark but Not Going Away

ABSOLUTELY NO ONE HAS NOTICED that I haven’t posted anything new to “Below the Fold” since June. Don’t worry, I’m not offended — I’d be shocked if anyone did. Hell, I didn’t even notice until now. I’ve had this blog since 2005 (I think anyway, that was like so MySpace ago) and I don’t haveContinue reading “A Note About “Below the Fold” — Going Dark but Not Going Away”

Father’s Day is a Time to Remember – and Move On

Sunday is Father’s Day, a day reserved for bad ties, long naps and even longer excuses for why the garage is still a mess and promises of yes, I’ll take care of it at “when-I-get-around-to-it o’clock.” For me, it’s also a day of remembrance. The following is a column I wrote in 1991 about my fatherContinue reading “Father’s Day is a Time to Remember – and Move On”

We Will Always Have Spock

WIKIPEDIA, THAT GREAT INFALLIBLE RESERVOIR OF HUMAN KNOWLEDGE, lists Boris Volynov, a Soyuz astronaut, as being the first Jew in space, having broken Earth’s surly bonds in 1969. Judith Resnick is listed as the first American Jewish astronaut. She flew on the 12th Space Shuttle mission in 1984 (she later died in the Challenger accident.)Continue reading “We Will Always Have Spock”

Finally, I Can Tell Everyone the Truth

I’M OCCASIONALLY ASKED ABOUT MY FAMOUS HIGH SCHOOL FRIEND, the one who starred on Saturday Night Live and in numerous movies. Yes, I knew him – not close friends, but friendly. Yes, he was funny, but so were countless others. We were immature kids in the ‘80s living sheltered suburban Orange County lives; we thoughtContinue reading “Finally, I Can Tell Everyone the Truth”

These are The Ways in Which We Die

BY VIOLENCE. Victims of crime, of hatred, of regrettable circumstance. By disease, like the cancer that took ESPN anchor Stuart Scott. By fate, sudden and unexpected. Like a heart attack, a car accident. Like the brain bleed that took my wife’s uncle last week. And by time. Old age, wearing out. “Natural” causes. These areContinue reading “These are The Ways in Which We Die”