Writer/Author
“A small group of neo-Nazis have staged an anti-Semitic rally in London, but were hugely outnumbered by counter-demonstrators….The group, waving Palestinian and Confederate flags, stood surrounded by police in a fenced-in area near Downing Street on Saturday. A counter-demonstration drew…
Maps of territory held by the Islamic State, or ISIS, bugged me, but I couldn’t put my finger on it. Then, I realized, they look like scans of brain tumors. Unfortunately, the similarities go much deeper. Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), the…
(MLHD) n: acronym for Media Love/Hate Disorder, a modern affliction seen in people with multiple connected devices; can disrupt meals, sleep and work. Early symptoms most common in those already suffering with fear of missing out (FOMO) and Time Warner Cable…
As the days grow shorter and colder, something stirs in us humans—a fear that traces straight down to the bone, maybe into our DNA. We associate winter with death for good reason. It brings death for many plants, creatures and…
“A White House official said on Thursday that the administration was considering a ‘proportional response’ against those who hacked into Sony Pictures computers, a retaliation that could thrust the United States into a direct confrontation with North Korea.” –Peter Baker,…
The moment I saw the robots in Interstellar, I thought Stanley Kubrick must be rolling in his grave. By the end, it seems he channeled them from the future. That’s as much of a spoiler as I’ll make in this…
In my last post, I commented on the profusion of tourists in Paris taking selfies with arms outstretched and their backs to the very sites they had traveled so far to see. Making your travel photo in front of landmarks…
Paris abounds with photogenic subjects—inspired architecture, majestic monuments, sweeping vistas, lovely gardens, and beautiful women—but in the background of every shot, it seems, lurks the world’s most photographed collection of iron girders. Gustave Eiffel (1832 – 1923), whose eponymous Tower…
Mapmakers everywhere must have breathed sighs of relief when they learned they would not have to redraw the United Kingdom to reflect an independent Scotland. History suggests they should remain at the ready. Coming just a week after an effort…
In preparation for an autumn visit to Paris, I’ve been trying to learn some French. Au Secours! (Help!) When my wife and I traveled to Italy in 2012, I thought my high school and college Spanish classes might help with…