I don’t think I could have done it. In my military reserve days, they taught us that when a hand grenade lands by you, just fall flat on your face on the […]
Retorts: Thinking about what a real hero is
Retorts: Disaster prep needn’t be disaster
Oh, that’ll never happen. Or, it won’t happen again. The nation’s attention has been focused this week on the agony of Texas and Louisiana as those states are lashed by Hurricane – […]
What’s in a name? Business, that’s what
This is the season of statues, monuments and symbolism, both near and far. Violence in Virginia, and at least some virulent words here in Orange County. A national tempest has been stirred […]
Retorts: Wielding words as weapons
The events in Charlottesville, Virginia are still fresh in our minds and emotions are running high. A fear of rising escalation of anger, of steeper polarization seems to be taking hold. […]
Retorts: It’s one year for the OC Tribune
“Journalism,” Matthew Arnold said, “is literature in a hurry.” I can remember in my youth scrambling to write articles to meet some impending daily deadline, peering desperately at increasingly obscure notes, feeling […]
Retorts: The two sides of gentrification
Here’s the good news. Get ready for your property values to rise. Here’s the not-quite-as-good news: your kids may have to move to East Overshoe in order to find an affordable house […]
Retorts: Stop, you’re killing me with jokes!
“What are you gonna do?” That’s a very common line from the now-venerable HBO series “The Sopranos,” about a mobster and his family, made unique by his visits to a psychiatrist. Marilyn […]
Retorts: Math requirements don’t add up
Let’s imagine a high school classroom, more than a few years ago. A group of students is working geometry problems. A pretty blonde in the front row turns to the boy behind […]
Retorts: Keep your pot to yourself, please
Don’t smoke that dope. At least not around me. That sort of summarizes my whole attitude about the legalization in California for medicinal and recreational use of marijuana, also known as cannabis. […]
Retorts: Trader Joe’s? Amazon? BevMo?
Of all the amenities that a community needs and wants, among the most important are shopping and dining opportunities. That may sound shallow, but these days shopping is a sport and eating […]
