Disiecta Membra

Times Square, March 2025 I love New York! New Yorkers in iconic Times Square protest the ambush of Ukraine’s Pres. Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the Oval Office. Lacking any trace of decency, Trump and Vance ganged up against a hero. The malevolent capo and his ruthless sidekick tried their best to humiliate their guest. They pelted him with accusations of ingratitude and disrespect, impeding any…

I was reeling in disbelief when I read a piece in the Independent reporting that the MAGA adulation of Trump has reached new heights (or lows). They would have him join Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln and T. Roosevelt on Mt. Rushmore to look down onto the mere mortals below. “His remarkable accomplishments for our country and the success he will continue to deliver deserve the highest recognition…

Today saw the president of the United States and his vice president gang up in the Oval Office against a visiting head of state. President Zelenskyy traveled from his embattled country to the US to sign an agreement he hoped would be an important first step in ending the war. The deal proposed by Trump made continued American support against the Russian invader dependent on Ukraine’s cession of a…

New Yorkers and Trump, Women’s March, pussy hats, cartoons

IF you act on your right to express your political opinion without fear of being silenced and arrested IF you read material that is published without fear of reprisal IF you relax by laughing at late-night comedians’ political parodies  IF you enjoy watching television talking heads discuss political views IF you believe that migrants are human beings with human rights like yours IF you…

Republicans are planning to hit the ground running if they win the election. Their handbook is Project 2025, a 900-page document prepared by the conservative Heritage Foundation. Every voter should be aware of its primary objectives, because if given the opportunity by the voters who elect Donald Trump, Republicans will radically transform American democracy to an unrecognizable autocracy. The…

Let’s establish that although I believe Biden should withdraw from the race, if he stays and runs against Trump, I will stick with Biden. There is no scenario that would persuade me to vote for Trump. That said, I think undecided voters who will decide the election will not be encouraged to vote for Biden in light of his disastrous performance in the debate. Biden seems to be a decent man,…

Joe Biden killed it tonight with his SOTU. He owned the room and he knew it. He was aggressive and confident, even fiery. More important that the substance of the speech was his delivery, because it  belied the widely held perception that he is old, weak and barely able to function. Instead, the lion roared. The president launched into his speech without waiting to be introduced. Instead of…

It’s raining. Cold, damp and dreary. Inside it’s warm, but the house is empty. Everyone’s gone. “I’ll be home for Christmas … “ This song was a tough one for Sal. It always saddened him. He wanted to be in Italy with family, but he also wanted to be here with me and his American family. Happily, his was a temporary sadness. Now it’s my turn. I remember Sal’s heartache and my eyes tear up.…

I’ve given away only one possession of Sal’s: a very special watch that I had given him. I gave it to his nephew, who was in essence a son to him, someone he spoke with  every day, despite the ocean that separated them. I wanted Giovanni to have it, though I suspect he will keep it in a drawer, perhaps wearing it only on a special occasion, if at all. Years ago, I spoke with a woman shortly…

I am planning a trip to Italy this fall. I will be traveling with Sal’s ashes, taking them to the town of his birth, to the family crypt that shelters the remains of his parents and siblings. Sal let me know long ago that he wanted his eternal rest to be with his family. For years he refused to be cremated, but finally and fortunately for me, he conceded. Now it will be easy, I thought. I had…

To me, dear Sal, you never can be old, For as you were when first your eye I eyed, So you still seem to me. Fifty winters cold Have from the forests shook fifty summers' pride Fifty beauteous springs to yellow autumn turned In process of the seasons I have seen, Fifty April perfumes in fifty hot Junes burned, Since I first I saw you fresh, which yet are green. Ah yet doth beauty, like a dial…

My daughter was very close with her father, ever since she was a little girl. His passing has deeply affected her.  Yet I don’t know if she realizes the difference between losing a father and losing a life partner. As a daughter, her life is more or less the same as before. She has her husband, her home, her daily routine, all essentially unchanged. Life goes on as it did before. For me, the…