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Dear Mayor Parker: So how did it feel to get booed when you said you would consider the voice of residents who are actually impacted by bike lanes? The booing came from members of the bike cult, represented by the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia, whose clout far exceeds its
Entertainment
We’ve lost another of the South Philly stars of the late ‘50s, and later. This time it is James Darren, a friend, who died at 88, of heart problems, despite having a huge heart. Here’s a story about his life. Previously passing were Bobby Rydell, Joey Bishop, Al
Uncategorized
Think the U.S. is politically divided? We are, pretty much 50-50 (or 52 Kamala, 46 Trump, in the most recent poll). In Israel, it is far worse, because Israel lives in a much worse neighborhood, where bad decisions have lethal consequences. Military, intelligence and government ineptitude resulted in the
Culture
Following the Harris/Bash interview, I looked at the Facebook home page of two women writers, each well-educated and bitchy. (I mean that in a good way.) The reaction of Lady A: “I’m bored.” Lady B: “She did great.” Now — neither of them was lying. They said what they
Journalism
For many Americans, what Vice President Kamala Harris said on CNN Thursday night was less interesting than what she was asked by CNN anchor Dana Bash. Even before the interview aired, many MAGA heads were all over social media squawking that because CNN taped it, the network “would be editing
Journalism
I’ve been a professional journalist for more than 60 years, I’ve covered all kinds of stories and interviewed all kinds of people. There is no subject I am afraid to tackle, but if I were Dana Bash, I’d be feeling a butterfly belly, and a puckered sphincter
Journalism
This is an example of the press putting its thumb on the scale. This photo shows a Washington Post story as carried in the Philadelphia Inquirer. The story is what’s called a sidebar, or an auxiliary story that supports the main story, which was Donald J. Trump’s campaign
Culture
Tom Cotton is the very conservative junior senator from Arkansas, which should guarantee him a certain degree of anonymity, which he has overcome by being 1) very conservative, and 2) very articulate. Maybe not too much of a surprise from a man who got both his undergraduate and law degree
Politics
Way back at the end of July, that seems a century ago, as the palace intrigue was winding up, with Kamala Harris winning the game of musical Presidential chairs, I gave her some heartfelt advice in a 5-point plan, which she seems to have taken, although I have no evidence
Uncategorized
This is a necessary postscript to my last column, which was a “review” of Kamala Harris’ acceptance speech. I wanted to focus on her, alone. There were other points worth mentioning, but a good column is like a rifle, with a single, well-defined target, rather than a shotgun that scatters
Politics
On Thursday, accidental Presidential candidate Kamala Harris introduced herself to America. A month ago, her approval ratings were lower than Joe Biden’s. Today, she is the Joan of Arc of the Democrats’ 2024 campaign to drive a stake through the heart of Donald J. Trump. But lurking in the
Politics
Tim Walz got the premier closing slot at Wednesday’s Democratic National Convention, and he did a lot with it, in only 16 minutes. I note some media outlets were calling it “coach’s night,” rather than “teachers night” or “National Guard night” or “governor’s night.” When a writer