I have one word for you: Plastic
I have one word for you: Plastic. Plastic waste has been a concern of mine for decades. (I wrote a term paper about it in 2002 when I was taking a class in California Politics and Public Policy at Calif. State University East Bay in 2002.) On my walk through California and Arizona in April […]
Thoughts on the Sabbath
From sundown Friday to sundown on Saturday is Shabbat—the Sabbath. It’s actually 25 hours just so we don’t start late or end too early. Since I started thinking about such things, I realized that of the Ten Commandments, for me the Fourth Commandment: Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy, is one of the […]
A Walk Around Lake Merritt
My day started at 6:30 am with a walk around Lake Merritt. Other walkers and joggers were already on the path around the lake and a number of people in small boats were sculling in the water. Canada geese and other water fowl were in abundance as well. When I moved from San Francisco to […]
My Fitness Guru: Scooby
“You must have become very strong pushing that kart up all those hills.” You can’t imagine how many times I’ve heard that statement. Sorry, but no. I’ve read many articles stressing the importance of upper body exercise. Scooby Werkstatt is an online fitness guru whom I first found years ago via his website, scoobysworkshop.com. His videos are […]
My Writing (and Performing) Life
Today represented a positive step in returning to my “normal” life. Catherine deCuir, the talented singer with whom I regularly perform, came over (as she typically does on Tuesdays) to discuss upcoming gigs and rehearse a few songs. We also talked about the progress of the novel we worked on for two years. The Rabbi […]
Back Home Again – Losses and Gains
How fast do you lose upper body strength that took 15 years to attain? How many weeks can you go without practicing your instrument(s) before you sound embarrassingly bad? How long does it take to get over a major disappointment, regardless of the many friends who are telling you that you’ve done an amazing thing? […]
Eulogy for My Father
The death of my father on March 7 (as well as that of my mother in 2012) helped me learn the true meaning of the word community. I truly appreciate the outpouring of caring and kind words from friends, most of whom never met my father but understand (generally first-hand) what it is like to […]