This is the season of patriotism, real and manufactured. Memorial Day has just passed and in a few weeks it will be Flag Day, followed by Independence Day. The Stars and Stripes […]
Why what America stands for really is quite exceptional
Maybe you can taste the past
It’s interesting how some of the signposts in our lives are not just births, marriages, deaths and the like. Sometimes it’s the passing of an institution or even a store. Zlaket’s closure […]
Mall situation gets muddled?
A little of this, a little of that … Could It Be Mall Over Dept: I read that one of the major owners of the troubled Westminster Mall is putting its property […]
Retorts: The legacy of April ’75
This week many in our Vietnamese community are observing – you surely couldn’t call it “celebrating” – the end of what we call the Vietnam War, a long-running tragedy that spanned three […]
It’s a very delicious holiday
Palm Sunday has passed and Easter Sunday is straight ahead of us. As a kid, this was considered third on the scale of favorite holidays, behind Christmas and Halloween, and anticipated in […]
Retorts: That sinking feeling …
There was a time when political appointees to important government posts were more-or-less winked at as a concession to necessity. Sometimes it was harmless. For many decades, the Postmaster General was a […]
Keep hands to your … wheel
April has been declared “Distracted Driving Month” by police and other traffic folks. I’m pretty sure what they mean by that is you should not be distracted while driving. I am a […]
A marble-ous tradition is lost
America’s kids have lost their marbles. Also their kites and yo-yos. We have now stepped into spring officially, which – in the golden past of the Golden State – would signal kids […]
It’s Canada’s cold shoulder
Be Careful What You Wish For Dept.: The idea from the White House about making Canada the 51th state is intriguing. But I think there are a few rough edges to be […]
Retorts: The News is sad
A bit of local history passed into, well, the past recently. The Orange County News appears to have closed its Garden Grove office and consolidated its operations in Seal Beach along with […]
