God knows Joan Rivers had much to atone for every Yom Kippur, considering her trenchant wit, off-color jokes, and celebrity takedowns—though sidesplitting. Never deferential to fame and status, Rivers claimed, “I succeeded by saying what … Read More
Inconvenient Truths Denied By Climate Faithful
At the tumultuous summer’s close, when throat-slashing, genocidal jihadists and economic malaise dominated headlines and our psyches, Hillary Clinton announced her preoccupation. “Climate change is the most consequential, urgent, sweeping collection of challenges we face,” … Read More
The Truth About Lying’s Consequences
“You can’t handle the truth!” Jack Nicholson shouted at Tom Cruise during the climactic court-martial scene in the movie “A Few Good Men.” Caught in a lie that exposed his “above-the-law” mentality, Nicholson’s character, Col. … Read More
Inequality and A Tale of Two Ukrainians
Last week, as Ukrainian émigré-turned-tech tycoon Jan Koum prepared to cash a multi-billion dollar check from Facebook — acquirer of his start-up “WhatsApp” — Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich was checking-out of his Gatsby-esque estate where he’d … Read More
If You Like Your Freedom, You Can Keep It
In the waiting room of Memorial Sloan-Kettering’s radiation treatment center, I discovered that in the race of life, those running to stay on the track are among the most determined, hopeful, and courageous. They’re also … Read More
No Cones of Silence in the Surveillance State
In the madcap TV series “Get Smart,” secret agent Maxwell Smart evades surveillance — and arch-nemesis KAOS – with an array of clandestine gadgets including a shoe phone and the legendary “Cone of Silence.” Americans … Read More
Tyranny of Bureaucracy
In his 1980s comedy routine, Yakov Smirnoff celebrated America’s free society and equality before the law, joking: “In America you can always find a party. In Russia, Party always finds you! In America, you break … Read More
The Unbearable Lightness of Being Indebted
“Fat, drunk, and stupid is no way to go through life,” counseled Faber College’s Dean Wormer in “Animal House.” For the collegiate class of 2013 — until next year the most indebted ever – add … Read More
A Valentine Wish: Repair the State of Our Unions
“First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes the baby in the baby carriage,” goes the rhyme. Unfortunately, in large swaths of American society, this rhyme is playing in reverse, with dire consequences for lower-income … Read More