I was into a screed about the recent election, near the end, when a hit on the wrong set of keys caused it to disappear. Happens. For what it’s worth, I’ll try to reconstruct. To call this a Democrat sweep is both obvious, and largely besides the point. As I’ve said, it doesn’t really matter …
Author Archives: rfcan
Buyer’s Remorse
Donald Trump was recently elected to a second term, narrowly defeating Kamilla Harris. For the first time, The Donald actually won more votes than his democratic rival. In the first year of his second term, however, there.have been three “No Kings Day” demonstrations, the last one involving in excess of seven million people. And we’re …
Eggheads I Have Known
I taught chemistry, back in the day, and learned some, which I was subsequently privileged to share as a teacher. As an old coot, let me share some thoughts about some of the folks I learned from. By the way, I will never forget one thought about learning chemistry I received on my first day …
The Garden State
If we’re into misnomers, my native state is, of course, The Empire State. Across a certain river nearby lies another famous piece of real estate officially known as The Garden State, or, New Jersey. As a city boy in the 1940’s, I spent several summers there. These days, the state is better known for its …
Computers & I
This mirrors my experiences with these devices which, they say, might, in the form of AI, rule the world. They might do a better job. T’aint sayin’ much. I don’t pretend to know a great deal, but here is my take (and history) with them, such as it is. Back in the 1960’s when I …
Book Review
“As Dark as it Gets from Chains to Grace”, is the title of an autobiography by Laura Dunavent, a resident here, and our friend. But it’s more than that. It is the story of a troubled family in these United States, circa now, but it’s more than that. It is an improbable story of survival …
Way Back in the Day (continued)
Growing Up We all went to public school. Kind of ironic, given that Flo and I, later in life, taught in Catholic schools. My first (before we bought the house) was PS 151 Queens. Let me decode this. “PS” stood for Public School. There were lots of elementary schools in the five boroughs-so many that …
Way Back in the Day
Housing It was 1945. My parents were renting an apartment in a two- family. We later called arrangements like these “mother and daughter”. Anyhow, the Putnams, from whom my parents rented, were expecting their two sons, George and Jack back from the war, which was, thankfully, ending. One of the sons was getting married, …
The First Hundred Days
This became a milestone during FDR’s time in office. Rating presidents is sort of a hobby with historians. I am nothing of the kind, but for what it’s worth, I rank George Washington the best of the 18th Century, Abraham Lincoln of the 19th, and Franklin Roosevelt of the 20th. It is Roosevelt who popularized …
Cruelty
Elon Musk, often described as the world’s richest man, has been leading a campaign to all but destroy the federal government, as we know it. He has been given free reign to accomplish this by POTUS 47. I’ve often wondered whether this represents a quid pro quo for his rescue of Trump’s personal finances. While …
Rogernarc 