Jul 04
Born into slavery around 1818, Frederick Douglass became a key leader of the abolitionist movement. On July 5, 1852, in Rochester, New York, he gave one of his most famous speeches, “The Meaning of July Fourth for the Negro.” He was addressing the Rochester Ladies Antislavery Society. This is actor James Earl Jones reading the …
Jul 12
Today Bernie formally endorsed Hillary, as expected. Reading between the lines of his “Forever Forward” email, it looks like Hillary made some platform concessions to sweeten this sour deal. She supported reduction of student debt and increases in medical coverage. Apart from that, Hillary’s people appear to have blocked all forward movement on the platform, …
Mar 30
Watching the President of the United States stroll through Old Havana almost like a regular tourist with his family the other day brought back vivid memories of my well-spent youth. I was in college when the word went out from the US State Department that United States citizens were verboten to travel to Cuba. This …
Jan 30
OK, so I’m an old softie. I cried during the first act of Giselle last night. Thanks to a donation to KQED, we had tickets to the San Francisco Ballet’s performance of this venerable classic. They weren’t great tickets — next-to-last row in the Orchestra section — but even from there, the show had its …
Jun 08
Waiting outside the haircutter’s shop Waiting outside the haircutters’ shop For the women to come open up A little tabby cat homed in on me Seduced my hand with perfect trust Yielded to my thumb in her ears Permitted herself to be picked up Purred when I scratched her belly Oh, how lovely the curl …
