One hundred and seven years old, and god damn, what a badass: An inspector from the Dutch education ministry arrived at Johan van Hulst’s teacher training institute in Amsterdam on the morning of June 19, 1943. He noticed youngsters and, with SS soldiers standing nearby, asked, “Are those Jewish children?” “You don’t really expect me to answer that, do you?” Dr. van Hulst replied. The garden of Dr. van Hulst’s Reformed Teachers’ Training College bordered the garden of a Jewish nursery. Under Dr. van Hulst’s supervision, hundreds of Jewish infants and children had been passed across the hedge and hidden … Continue reading Your Occasional Reminder That It’s Possible to Be Good and Brave
We forget, all the time, what we’re capable of. An emotional Emma González (@Emma4Change) concluded the #MarchForOurLives by standing in silence for 6 minutes and 20 seconds, the amount of time it took a gunman to kill 17 of her classmates at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. https://t.co/ZmVma1l4WI — Twitter Moments (@TwitterMoments) March 24, 2018 How often, how many times a day, do we tell ourselves won’t, can’t, doesn’t? How many times do we say inevitable, impossible, never? And then a girl stands in front of the whole world and she shakes their windows and she rattles their walls. Do … Continue reading Rise Up
(Posting a bit early because of a sad bit of news. Hope it’s acceptable. – Doc.) Of all the baubles and trinkets I’ve collected over the years that adorn my office, one of my favorite ones is a baseball signed by Jack Hamilton, who died earlier today. The reason I got it was that I taught one of his grandchildren during one of my many stops in journalism education. I still remember her approaching me during our introductory reporting course to ask for special dispensation when it came to her profile. “I know you said that we can’t do this … Continue reading Good night, Jack Hamilton
Jim Thome made the Hall of Fame this week in the same way he began his career: As an afterthought. Baseball pundits flocked to Larry “Chipper” Jones, writing stories about him “headlining” this class of inductees. Or, as one writer noted about him, he “feels” like a Hall of Famer. Vladimir Guerrero had more votes, so he deserved more attention. Edgar Martinez didn’t get ENOUGH votes, so people were talking about him as well. Oh, and let’s not forget talking about the steroid guys who we are somehow either too soft or too hard on. Thome? Mmph. OK. For all … Continue reading Thome, my homie
This is my great-grandfather. A farmer by birth, a carpenter by trade, a factory worker by necessity. He came to this country in his early 20s, leaving behind his family and everything he ever knew to start a better life … Continue reading A nation of shitholes
Well, I was pretty prepared to be angry and disappointed but wouldja look at that tonight? Democratic Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam will be Virginia’s next governor, fending off a challenge from Republican Ed Gillespie that embraced the tactics of President Donald Trump in the final weeks of the campaign. The crowd at the Democratic Party watch party at George Mason University’s student center roared as CNN announced he had won the race based on unofficial results of Tuesday’s voting. The call happened so early in the night that many supporters were still making their way through security at the time. … Continue reading Nazi Nazi Nazi, Out Out Out!
The plane touched down at O’Hare early Sunday morning, jolting me awake. I looked around to see other passengers in varying states of awareness. I flipped my phone off airplane mode and noticed I had no messages. I checked my email quickly. Same thing. Everything was quiet. What a difference two years makes. The last time I touched down on the first leg of a trip back from a college media convention in this metropolis, my life had gone from bad to worse. I had just traded some labor for airfare and a room so I could head to Austin, … Continue reading My Hill
I’m ’bout done hearing how exhausted we all are because if this guy can keep fighting so can everybody else: On platforms that didn’t exist during his first 80 years, Smith preaches about preserving democracy and the welfare state, creating a just society and living a life of compassion, all from an enthusiastically leftist perspective. And he rails against Donald Trump, Brexit, inequality, corporate greed and whatever else he finds loathsome, his pointed words delivered with an engaging, guy-on-the-next-barstool folksiness. In his tenth decade, Smith is trying to change the world, with the urgency of someone who understands the time … Continue reading The Olds Are Alright, Too
As the stories of neighbors helping neighbors begin to recede like Harvey’s floodwaters, the rush of stories on which politician is being an asshole is heading full steam toward us. Most of the stories are about the downside of humanity, in which people find ways to remind us that basic, common human decency isn’t common or basic for some people. While some reporters are trying to help people figure out where damage is or where their loved ones are, you have this asshole tweeting a fake shark photo and this ABC reporter ratting out “looters” to the cops and bragging … Continue reading When people are devastated, we shouldn’t care if Ted Cruz was an asshole
Three elderly men sat at an 8-foot plastic table outside the ballroom of the Red Carpet bowling center in Milwaukee. Among them, they possessed five NFL championships, three NBA titles, one World Series ring and the most famous home run ever hit in the annals of baseball. It was the summer of 1987, still the height of the nation’s sports card craze. The card show was packed with people just inside the door behind this makeshift shrine to sports immortality. As was the case during that era, older athletes who lived near these shows would gladly pocket a few hundred … Continue reading “I had to eat.”
Fifty years ago tomorrow, two scared 20-somethings gathered with family and friends in a cathedral-esque church on the south side of Milwaukee to pledge their lives to one another. Her father thought the man wasn’t good enough for his daughter. His father thought the woman was far too strident and interested in a career to be a good wife. Nobody, least of all these two kids, knew if they’d make it, if they’d be OK. Still, there they were in front of a three story slab of pink and white marble with a giant crucifix, saying they would live together … Continue reading A Golden Anniversary Explained
It’s important to know that somebody fought back: “I was saying, ‘Creator – provide comfort to his family who don’t know you’re here,” she recalled. An officer called out to her: “You did what you could, it’s time to come off the train.” [snip] The next night, Macy met Namkai-Meche’s mother and father at a vigil held by the train stop. She handed his father a purple-painted, heart-shaped rock, her prayer rock. She said the victim’s parents thanked her for being with their son, telling her that she was “a mamma to our boy in that moment.” Macy, a single … Continue reading ‘This is someone’s child’
At this time of year, most of us educators give up all hope on humanity. Between the students who are “just starting” the final projects they had six weeks to finish and the constant stream of “So, I was looking … Continue reading Amazing Grace
I wonder if she’s mad about it. Rosemary returned to the exact spot in front of the Federal Building in Pittsburgh 43 years after her 1st visit. pic.twitter.com/JLEfzRoA9F — Brasilmagic (@Brasilmagic) March 8, 2017 I would be. I’d also be glad that I could still get out there in the street. I spent 2o years working for an organization I’ll visit again in two weeks. In the time I spent there, people said thank you once. More often they said, “What have you done for me, today?” or “Who are you again?” or “I’ve never really been clear what this group is … Continue reading Work’s Never Done
I was 12 years old when my great-grandfather died and my experiences with him were limited to Christmas events, birthday parties and the occasional times we watched a parade from his porch. Most of what I know comes from family legends and stories others told. Two things sat at the core of each tale: He worked hard all his life. He was an immigrant. I thought about him this week with the immigrant ban, the Muslim ban or whatever the hell “anti-terrorist” spin the alt-White House is putting on this. His life spanned exactly 100 years and there was a … Continue reading “Keep it”
I will never forget what the GOP did to this man. Never. Kerry stared hard at the man in the white ball cap standing before him, the river’s water reflecting off his sunglasses as he peppered Tam with questions and eagerly gobbled up details about a defining incident in his life. Tam told Kerry the Viet Cong could hear the Swift boats coming from 3,000 feet away, and he gently suggested the lumbering Americans never stood a chance. “We were guerrillas,” he said. “We were never where you were shooting.” “I’m glad we’re both alive,” Kerry told him as they … Continue reading Thank You, Mr. Secretary, Senator, and in a better world Mr. President, too
THANK YOU ALL! This is a message from the St. Hyacinth Pantry’s director to everyone who donated:
I want to thank you and all of your generous friends for their overwhelming support. With the money already raised, we can provide emergency food for over 300 families this month, which is especially important during this very busy holiday period, our busiest time of the year. Separately, if anyone is in the Milwaukee area, and would like to visit the Pantry to see our facility or see us in action, please feel free to contact me.
Respectfully submitted – Steve Pollock, Acting Director, St. Hyacinth’s Food Pantry
Two more days. I’ve been telling people it seems like this election will never be over, or like the world will end on Tuesday because it’s so hard to make plans until we know IF THE WORLD IS GOING TO END. I have major life decisions to make this week and I keep thinking, “Well, maybe I should just hold off in case it all burns right down.” I’m not going to come here today and make the case for Hillary, or against Trump, because what would be the point? We’ve talked about both of them for hours and hours. … Continue reading Who Are We?
Apropos of the last post, try this instead: My daughter is Jewish. Her best pal is Muslim. For Halloween they created a superhero team: The Juslims. I’ve rarely been more proud. Truly. pic.twitter.com/zqPCCwzshR — jeffpearlman (@jeffpearlman) October 30, 2016 A. Continue reading Not Everyone Sucks at Halloween
Angelo Drossos, who owned the San Antonio Spurs during their ABA days, was a hard-charging Greek businessman who was known to have an incredibly bluntness about him, especially when he knew he was right. The most famous story about him, retold in his own words in Terry Pluto’s classic book “Loose Balls,” involves his purchase of future-Hall-of-Fame shooter George “Ice” Gervin. Drossos had purchased Gervin from the failing Virginia Squires, only to have the team’s owner (Earl Foreman) come down with a case of seller’s remorse. The league president, Mike Storen, sided with Foreman and demanded Gervin be returned to … Continue reading A Stronger Letter Will Follow…
It’s important to remember that the choice to go along to get along is still a choice: The national headlines emerging from San Francisco’s current rental crisis paint a picture of wealthy landlords pushing old ladies out of units they’ve inhabited for decades in order to quadruple their profits housing techies. While that happens, a sizable portion of the city’s rental stock exists in landlord-occupied buildings like the one I grew up in. In many cases, these landlords are like my mom: teachers, carpenters, small business owners, etc., who bought their homes before prices exploded. Now, they’re suddenly presented with … Continue reading We Make Decisions
South Louisiana is having one of the worst floods in its history. Our readers are well-known for opening their hearts and wallets to help people in need. Here are a few ways you can help the victims of the Gret Stet flood of 2016. Second Harvest Food Bank. United Way of Southeast Louisiana Flood Relief. Finally, Denham Springs is one of the hardest hit communities. Here’s a link to a gofundme to support the Denham Springs Aminal Shelter. Thanks in advance for helping. Our readers rock as well as rule. Continue reading How To Help South Louisiana
It was diabolically hot last month in New Orleans: the hottest July in recorded history. August has followed suit thus far. What can a poor boydo? Huddle in my study, which is the smallest room in our house, and luxuriate in the air-dish and ceiling fan. We’re all big fan fans here in the Big Sweaty, especially when it’s not fit for man or beast outside in the heat. That’s life in the big city, y’all.
I’m not into to the whole Pokemon Go thing but many people are. So much so that a guerilla artist put a fiberglass statue of Pikachu at Coliseum Square here in New Orleans. My friend Jessica tweeted about it:
— Festival Season is coming (@maenadjess) August 1, 2016
It’s a great picture. I’ll just have to forgive her for all the vexatious exclamation points. Twitter makes many people excitable. In my case, it tends to make me irritable, but what do I know from Pokemon? I never played the original game unless it was Pikachu peek-a-boo or some such shit.
I bent my rules with this week’s theme songs. I’m using different songs with the same title but they’re by artists, Squeezeand Van Morrison, I’ve already featured on the Saturday post. I make no apologies because they fit one of my themes of the week. Every time a prominent Republican says they’re voting for Hillary Clinton I say: Another domino tumbles.
We’ll begin with Squeeze since Chris Difford’s lyrics use the image of falling dominoes to make the song’s point:
Now that we’ve gone “down like a domino,” it’s time for some free-association word play from Van the Man:
Van just wants to hear some rhythm and blues music on on on the radio. Who can argue with that? If you care to, let’s duke it out after the break.
Michelle Obama, last night: That is the story of this country. The story that has brought me to the stage tonight. The story of generations of people who felt the lash of bondage, the shame of servitude, the sting of segregation, who kept on striving, and hoping, and doing what needed to be done. So that today, I wake up every morning in a house that was built by slaves. And I watch my daughters —two beautiful intelligent black young women — played with the dog on the White House lawn. And because of Hillary Clinton, my daughters and all … Continue reading ‘Jim Robinson lived in a Friendfield Plantation slave cabin. His great-great-granddaughter lives in The White House.’
We’re done, guys; The crowd @FIU eagerly awaits for @HillaryClinton and @TimKaine to take the stage. #StrongerTogether pic.twitter.com/MqB95knQx7 — Hillary for Florida (@HillaryforFL) July 23, 2016 I’m with her, I’m there for her, I’m ready to bake her cupcakes and have her political babies and shred her fuckin’ e-mails, because we have pro-choice, pro-gun-control, pro-goddamn American candidates at the top of the ticket and if what it takes is me quitting my job and following her and Tim Kaine around in a panel van for the next four months then that is what I will do. Let’s be clear, though: … Continue reading Lock Her Up, or Okay, We’re Done Screwing Around Now
