A couple of weeks ago, I wrote in my column, “Watergate analogies apply to Obama, not Trump,” that President Obama’s Justice Department planted a spy in the Trump campaign. I said I used the term “spy” because this was a counter-intelligence operation, not a criminal investigation, where the term informant would have been proper. That statement has been brought into question as unsourced except as a tweet by Trump himself. This is what happens when I try to show that the beloved Obama went Nixon, but further.

Playwright Howard Meyer packs a lot of meaty food-for-thought into his new play, “Senescence,” which is having its premiere at Axial Theatre in Pleasantville, where it runs through Sunday, Nov. 18. As always in his work, there’s a lot on this writer’s mind, and it’s all there on stage, in the dire situation depicted that has universal import, in the uniformly excellent acting ensemble that brings it to vivid life, and in the supple vernacular of Mr. Meyer’s authentic and taut dialogue. This isn’t a ...

I’m still figuring out what 2019 will look like for me in terms of making a measurable difference for others. I don’t want to just stew about it; I need to genuinely step up, and I will, but how it will be different than years past? Well, I’ve given myself until the end of 2018 to define that. I’m trying to reconcile my holiday spirit with my concern for our broader “community” and let’s face it; this column can’t be a bummer! So, to kick off the season, I’m sharing with you a few cool ...

In his farewell address upon retiring as president of the United States, George Washington cautioned Americans of the political dangers they must avoid if they are to remain true to their values. Considered a classic statement of republicanism, Washington warned of the threat from a two-party system gone awry and the emergence of a disreputable despot.   “The domination of one faction over another,” said Washington, “sharpened by the spirit of revenge—natural to party dissension—is itself a frightful ...

The dog sniffed me twice, circled my body, and then squatted and peed on my boot. “Oh my, gosh! Bad, Bitsy, bad!” said Bitsy’s owner, dragging the tiny designer dog away from my dripping rubber boots. She turned to me somewhat aghast. “I’m so sorry—Bitsy has never done that before. At least you’re wearing raining rain boots. Lol!” I was at a loss as to how to respond. I mean, what do you say when someone’s tiny dog pees on your boot? “Oh, don’t worry, this happens all ...

I go through this every month: “Clean up, company’s coming!”  I run around the house in a panic, picking up all my projects and spend hours just putting away my stuff before I can clean the house or my husband can clean, whose fault it is anyway for inviting people over!  What’s the matter with him?! Every month, my husband invites people over for wine and cheese. I hate it and I love it. It forces me to “pick up the house,” as my mother says, and get things put away.  If my husband ...

I love a good ghost story. Book, TV show, movie—doesn’t matter. Scare the bejesus out of me and I’m a happy boy. I have no idea why that is. I’ll leave that to my therapist. I know some people avoid horror movies and thrillers like the plague, saying, “It will give me nightmares!” I guess I am fortunate that I am able to forget about the thing minutes after it’s over and rarely suffer any residual emotional blowback. I think that’s because, on an intellectual level, I’m well aware that ...