“Aye aye aye” (often spelled “ay ay ay”) comes from Spanish “¡Ay, ay, ay!” – an exclamation expressing various strong emotions like frustration, pain, dismay, or sometimes even affection or admiration. The word “ay” itself is an ancient interjection found across many languages, likely stemming from a natural human vocal response to strong emotion. In Spanish, repeating it three times (”¡Ay, ay, ay!”) intensifies the expression and is even the basis of a popular Mexican…
There is one thing that Donald Trump is not and that is subtle. We often talk about politicians being so vague that they speak on and on without saying anything, and that is no accident. Being obtuse in a political skill that has its roots in survival instinct. Who doesn’t remember comedian and politician, Senator Al Franken of Minnesota being trolled and forced to resign his senate seat during the early days of the Me…
I’m in New York City this morning having arrived here at the Cornell Club about 12 hours ago. I was out of the air condition cab and had to walk about 10 feet to the air-conditioned lobby of the club and I must say I was surprised at how how hot and humid it was for that few seconds that I was outside. It was a good reminder of just how muggy it can get…
The other day I read a piece about the supposed consequences of electing Zohran Mamdani as mayor of New York City, a notion that has gripped the financial press for a few weeks now. I even saw a post from my favorite financial writer, Bill Cohen, that stated that his conversations in the market indicated that Wall Street was far less worried about the U.S. bombing Iran than they were about Mamdani winning the Democratic…
The other day I read a piece about the supposed consequences of electing Zohran Mamdani as mayor of New York City, a notion that has gripped the financial press for a few weeks now. I even saw a post from my favorite financial writer, Bill Cohen, that stated that his conversations in the market indicated that Wall Street was far less worried about the U.S. bombing Iran than they were about Mamdani winning the Democratic…
How are we supposed to feel about the U.S. bombing of Iran last night? For almost 50 years we and Iran have been at odds with one another. They have, indeed, called for the annihilation of both Israel and the U.S.. Thry have been at the center of much of the terrorism cloud that has blanketed the globe since 9/11 and before. Their fundamentalist way of life is anathema to our western liberal democratic ideology.…
The Cuban Missile Crisis was a 13-day confrontation in October 1962 between the United States and Soviet Union that brought the world to the brink of nuclear war. It’s widely considered the closest the Cold War came to escalating into a full-scale nuclear conflict. I was eight years old at the time and living in the heartland of Madison, Wisconsin. While my mother got her graduate degrees at the University of Wisconsin, I attended Spring…
Today is a day of protest. I am very aware of how often I write political stories on my blog. I know that for the three weeks I was traveling, I hardly wrote anything political as I was engaged in my travel experience. But now I am back here not traveling and faced with the realities of life in these United States in times unlike any we have seen since the 60s. I was too…
War exists due to a complex interplay of factors that have persisted throughout human history. At its core, war often emerges from competition over scarce resources – whether that’s territory, water, oil, or fertile land. When groups believe they need these resources to survive or thrive, and peaceful negotiation fails, conflict can escalate to violence. Power dynamics play a crucial role too. Leaders may use war to maintain or expand their authority, rally domestic support,…
Fingers are a funny appendage. They pretty much dominate one entire human sense, our sense of touch. They have to be very sensitive and tactile while being very rugged and durable since they are used every day for multiple chores. For instance, tomorrow morning I can think of three distinct things I will use my fingers for. The obvious one is that they are my preferred mechanism for inputting my thoughts into stories via keyboarding.…