by admin | Nov 12, 2017 | Disaster, Disaster policy, Government, History, Natural Hazards, Public policy, Urban Planning
There was a time not long ago, in human history, when a faraway nation could experience a wrenching natural disaster that most of the rest of us would not know about for months, or even years, afterwards. The idea that anyone else should or could help the stricken...
by admin | Oct 1, 2017 | Activism, Civil rights, Crime, History, Public safety, Racism
Few people live for the excitement of radical demonstrations. Most of us want to enjoy life and, if we can, contribute something positive to society along the way. Thus, it is small surprise that, when hundreds of Ku Klux Klan members, neo-Nazis, and white...
by admin | Aug 17, 2017 | Activism, Blogging, Civil rights, Government, History, Political philosophy, Politics, Racism, Writing
Ignorance did not make America great. Ignorance will not make America great again. Let’s all vow to stop the glorification of #ignorance. Like millions of other Americans, I have been deeply disturbed over the past week by the comments of President Donald...
by admin | Aug 13, 2017 | Government, History, Recreation, Restaurants, Travel
Oslo is pleasant, scenic, historic, and modest enough in size to be easily navigated. You can learn a great deal about it quickly, but perhaps not as quickly as my wife and I were forced to do by circumstances. But we thoroughly enjoyed our short stay. Despite better...
by admin | Jul 2, 2017 | Aging, Books, Education, Government, History, Journalism, Personal history, Politics, Social Media
There is no doubt about it. President Donald Trump’s latest tweets have rightly triggered a firestorm of disgust and angry responses. The personal attacks on MSNBC reporters Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski have revealed a level of meanness and misogyny even...
by admin | Jun 18, 2017 | Books, Climate, Disaster, Environment, Geography, History, Natural Hazards, Resilience, Science, Urban Planning, Water
I was never a New York native, but I did not feel entirely alien, either, when I returned for the first of four visits to the area in January 2013, following Superstorm Sandy. My father lived in Queens most of his life and left only when my mother, who was from...
