[NOTE: Today, when framing a comment, I came across this previous post of mine. I think it’s so important—and so relevant to another heated discussion we had recently on this blog, that I decided to repost it.] I first read … Continue reading →
I may have a different perspective on Ted Kennedy than many of my readers. After all, I remember him as a slim young thing (both him and me), the most junior of the charismatic band of brothers Kennedy, they of … Continue reading →
Walter Cronkite, the anchorman for whom the word “avuncular” seemed to have been invented, has died at the age of ninety-two. The tributes will pour in. He was a giant of a newscaster in a way that no one can … Continue reading →
Yesterday’s post about compelling life stories brought to mind the great runner of my youth, Wilma Rudolph. Slender yet strong, with a fluid grace; exhibiting dignity without haughtiness, and self-possession to spare; she deserves at the very least a post … Continue reading →
I received the following lovely note from FredHjr’s wife, who wanted me to post it on my blog. Feel free to comment with messages to her and to the family. To all of FredHJr’s blogger buddies: I am Fred’s wife … Continue reading →
The news comes today that Robert McNamara, famous as Kennedy and then Johnson’s Secretary of Defense during the Vietnam War, has died at the age of 93. Those of us who are of a certain age remember him well, as … Continue reading →
[NOTE: For those who may have missed my original tribute to Fred, please see this.] Here’s the link to Fred’s obituary, with links to other related pages. And here’s the text and a photo. Rest in peace, Fred: ROCHESTER – … Continue reading →
I have some extremely sad news to report: I received an email from a relative of commenter FredHjr saying that he died suddenly and unexpectedly on Friday, June 26, from a concussion sustained in a fall. Even though none of … Continue reading →
Unless you’ve been on another planet recently, you are probably aware of the current brouhaha over House Speaker Nancy Pelosi; what she knew about waterboarding and when, and just who’s the biggest liar. I’d call Pelosi a polarizing figure, except … Continue reading →
Miep Gies, who was responsible for helping the Frank family hide in Amsterdam during World War II, turned one hundred years old on Sunday. It couldn’t happen to a nicer person. To know the mettle of this woman, you must … Continue reading →
John Updike has died at seventy-six. In the last decade or two, his work had increasingly grappled with issues of aging and death, so perhaps his actual death should come as no surprise. But somehow it does—as it may have … Continue reading →
The universally acknowledged hero of yesterday, who made the Flight 1549 story one of a controlled landing rather than a plane crash, is US Air pilot Chesley Sullenberger No one who knew Sullenberger (known as “Sully”) was the least bit … Continue reading →