Mad as Hell

Posted on by Leave a comment

I’m mad as hell and I’m not going to take it anymore. Great line from a great movie (Network, 1976) and a line which perfectly matches my mood.

I am sick and tired of getting into a rage each day, sometimes more than once a day, because of something the monster in the White House has done. I am halfway through writing about one expression of outrage when another matter comes up, and I start all over again. I don’t know who I am most angry with. Donald Trump or the 77 million people who voted for him. I have spent the better part of a month not writing at all. And trying not to pay much attention to the news either.

But the social media post Trump put up for Easter weekend was a tipping point. Futile as it seems, it is time to put some rage back on the screen. Trump’s post is the product of one sick mind. It is vile. It is reckless. It is a disgrace to 250 years of American history. How could anyone condone this post coming from the man who is supposed to be the leader of the nation? It confounds me.

Let me be very clear here. I am not a prude. There is a time and a place for profanity. And I have no love lost for Iran. I was reporting for CBS News in 1981 when 52 American diplomats arrived at Stewart Air National Guard Base in Newburgh, New York. They had been held captive for 444 days by the so-called Muslim Student Followers of the Imam’s Line who had stormed the American Embassy in Trehan following the Iranian Revolution. I still have one of the yellow ribbons that were tied on fences and trees at the airfield to welcome them home.

For forty-five years I have been listening to the chants of the radical Islamic people of Iran yelling, “Death to America,” “Death to Israel,” “Death to Americans, “Death to Jews.” I don’t care much about what happens to Iran. And I find their cries of “war crimes” laughable in light of their record of indiscriminate terrorism waged in the form of deadly attacks on civilians throughout the western world.

But that has nothing to do with the rage I feel with a president who would post the threats and insults above. Yes, an eye for an eye is the old biblical justification for horrendous acts. But the United States of America is supposed to be above that. The United States of America is supposed to be a nation of law. And the United States of America is supposed to do its best to follow the international agreements it has made. Our record is not perfect by any stretch of the imagination. But we try harder than most.

This kind of morally despicable behavior is standard operating procedure for Trump. Following the death of Robert Mueller on March 20, Trump posted this abomination.

For the record, Mueller was a lawyer, and a registered Republican. He received a bronze star for heroism and a purple heart for his service in the Marine Corps during the Vietnam War. That’s the war Trump sat out on a medical deferment for “bone spurs.” Mueller served in several positions in the Department of Justice. He also served 12 years as the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, appointed by President George W. Bush and continuing to serve under President Barack Obama. He was the only FBI director permitted by Congress to serve more than the statutory 10‑year term limit since the death of J. Edgar Hoover in 1972, receiving a special two‑year extension. A testament to his performance in modernizing and reforming the FBI.

Mueller came out of retirement to serve as special counsel for the Department of Justice. In this capacity, Mueller oversaw the investigation into “any links and/or coordination between the Russian government and individuals associated with the campaign of President Donald Trump, and any matters that arose or may arise directly from the investigation.” That investigation is the source of Trump’s hate. Muller was investigating Trump’s campaign and inner circle. Trump repeatedly characterized the probe as a “witch hunt.” He later claimed he had been “completely exonerated.” As he has done so often, Trump lied.

The final report Mueller released, extensively documented, found that Russia had without doubt worked during the 2016 election to tilt the scales away from Hillary Clinton and toward Donald Trump. Mueller issued several indictments. But on the question of Trump and his campaign, Muller found he did not have evidence that he believed would convince a jury to convict, unanimously, Trump and the campaign “beyond a reasonable doubt.” That is the high standard required for criminal prosecution in the United States. The finding was far from an exoneration.

But Trump has never been one to let the facts get in the way of his opinions. Or his hatred.

There are today three types of Americans. Those who knew Trump would be this bad and tried to warn everyone. Those who voted for Trump and now realize they’ve been conned. And those who voted for Trump and currently fight all facts and logic to try to prove to themselves that they were right.

Everyone is Mad as Hell.

##

Where Were You?

Posted on by One comment

Some events you remember. I thought back, as I watched the men’s U.S. ice hockey team win the gold medal at the 2026 Milan–Cortina Olympics, to the last time the team won. I remember it well. It was the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, New York, in an event known as the “Miracle on Ice.” The team secured the gold medal on February 24, 1980, after defeating Finland, having upset the Soviet Union two days before on February 22, 1980.

It was a much different time. The 1980 U.S. team was made up of true amateurs, mostly college students, because the rules then in effect prevented paid athletes from performing in the Olympics. But the Soviet Union, America’s chief rival, flouted those rules. Their team was not paid to play hockey, technically staying within the rules. But its members were employed in state jobs, mostly in the Soviet Army and were well paid, well cared for, and seemed to spend most of their “duty” time playing hockey and representing their country. Thus the “Miracle.” The pros lost. The kids won. America had a new set of heroes.

Today the rules are different. The 2026 U.S. men’s hockey team is made up of professionals. The team consists of the best players in the business. Most play in the National Hockey League. And there is the irony. The chief rival for the U.S. in 2026 was not Russia, successor to the U.S.S.R., but rather Canada, our partner in the NHL! That rivalry ran deep and understandably so. Most of Canada’s players were also from the NHL. And in some cases, players who were on the same professional team were on opposite sides of the playing rink at the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics.

In the end of it was an amazing game, with a 1-1 tie at the end of regulation time. That led to sudden death overtime. Victory, and the gold medal, was one goal away. Jack Hughes, who plays for the New Jersey Devils, supplied that “golden goal” at 1:41 of the overtime period. Canada took home the silver. It was the first U.S. hockey gold in 46 years.

“Unbelievable game, unreal game by our team,” Jack Hughes said after the game, “Ballsy, gutsy win. That’s American Hockey right there. That’s a great Canadian team, but we’re USA. We’re so proud to be Americans.”

The United States had a new set of heroes. But the men’s hockey team was not alone.

The U.S. women’s hockey team defeated their Canadian rivals 2–1 in overtime to claim the third-ever Olympic gold in women’s hockey. The Americans had dominated the tournament but found themselves in desperate straits when Canada took a 1–0 lead on a shorthanded breakaway goal early in the second period. With just over two minutes left in regulation and the goalie pulled, veteran captain Hilary Knight redirected a shot from defenseman Laila Edwards to tie the game. It was Edward’s 15th career Olympic goal, breaking the all-time U.S. record for goals and points in Olympic women’s hockey, a fitting milestone in what was her fifth and final Olympics.

Their game also went into overtime, where defenseman Megan Keller collected a pass from Taylor Heise, skated around a Canadian defender, and backhanded the puck past goaltender Ann-Renée Desbiens at the 4:07 mark of the sudden death period.

I admit to a soft spot for hockey. But I have also had my eye on the figure skaters since being mesmerized by Peggy Fleming‘s 1968 gold medal performance in Grenoble, France. I felt the same way watching 20-year-old Alysa Liu deliver the performance of her life to claim the Olympic gold medal in women’s figure skating. Liu was the first U.S. women’s figure skater to take gold since Sarah Hughes in 2002. And what a backstory she has!

Alysa Liu was born in Clovis, California, in 2005, and raised in the Bay Area town of Richmond. Her father, Arthur Liu, came to the United States as a political refugee from China after the Tienanmen-era pro‑democracy movement. He later became a naturalized U.S. citizen, built a career as an immigration attorney, and raised his children in California.

Liu was a prodigy from the start. She began skating at age 5 and, by 13, became the youngest U.S. women’s national champion and the first U.S. woman to land a quadruple jump in competition. She won another national title in 2020 and took bronze at the 2022 World Championships, the first U.S. woman to medal at worlds in six years.

At the 2022 Winter Olympics, Liu finished seventh in women’s singles. She was only 16, already a two‑time national champion, and widely seen as the future of U.S. women’s skating. But behind the scenes, she was exhausted, physically and emotionally, after more than a decade of nonstop training and competition.

Just months after Beijing, in April 2022, Liu shocked the skating world by announcing her retirement. She cited burnout, a desire to live a normal teenage life, and the need to explore interests outside skating. She wrote that she had been on the ice for 11 straight years and wanted to spend time with friends, family, and school.

Two years later, in early 2024, Liu rediscovered the spark. She described skiing for the first time and feeling a rush that reminded her of skating, enough to make her wonder what it would feel like to return to the ice. That curiosity turned into a full comeback. She officially returned to competition in October 2024 at the CS Budapest Trophy. Her comeback was legendary, 2025 World Figure Skating Championships: Gold, 2025 World Team Trophy: Gold, 2024 & 2025 U.S. Championships: Silver (behind Amber Glenn both times).

Then came Milan–Cortina 2026.

Liu won gold in the women’s singles, the first U.S. woman to do so since 2002, ending a 24‑year drought. She rose from third after the short program with a high‑energy, near‑flawless free skate to Donna Summer’s MacArthur Park Suite. She also earned gold in the team event, making her a two‑time Olympic champion at age 20.

Asked about another retirement, Liu said, “Yeah, I have no plans to leave yet. I can’t imagine not skating next year.” She emphasized that skating no longer feels like a “job,” a reversal from how she felt in 2022.

Anyone who watched the smile on her face during the free skate performance understood completely. She had skated how she wanted, wearing the costumes she wanted, using the music she wanted and, she explained, having trained eating the foods she wanted. She was in it for the sheer joy of the performance. And she brought us all along with her.

Hat’s off to the entire U.S. Olympic team.

#####

Minneapolis, Minnesota

Posted on by Leave a comment

The reason investigations are conducted before making a judgment is because no one knows all the facts in the immediate aftermath of a tragedy.

That didn’t stop Department of Homeland Security Director Kirsti Noem from announcing within hours of the killing of a then unknown woman in Minneapolis that the woman was a domestic terrorist and that the agent of Immigration and Customs Enforcement had acted in self-defense after she ran him over with her car. The next day Vice President J.D. Vance displayed the fruits of his Yale law degree by proclaiming that the agent involved has “absolute immunity.” Vance also claimed, “She tried to stop him from doing his job. When he approached her car, she tried to hit him.”

Read more

Jack Smith Deposition

Posted on by Leave a comment

What were you doing in the evening of December 31, 2025? Were you sitting around waiting for major news to drop in Washington? I didn’t think so. I was noting the passing of 2025 and the arrival of 2026, as I suspect most of the people in the country were doing that New Year’s Eve. As least, that’s what Donald Trump and the Republicans were hoping.

That’s when the Republican-led House Judiciary Committee released former Special Counsel Jack Smith‘s deposition as part of their oversight investigation into the alleged “weaponization” of the Department of Justice. The committee, chaired by Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), was looking into the January 6 denier‘s belief federal law enforcement resources were misused for partisan purposes. Republicans claimed the investigations were politically motivated and intended to interfere with the 2024 election. 

Read more

Happy New Year!

Posted on by Leave a comment

We already know how 2025 has ended. Donald Trump has made it a wall-to-wall disaster with his illegal exercise of power with the goal of trashing the government and sweeping aside the norms of law and reason by which we have governed for 250 years. Even on New Year’s Eve he has vetoed a bipartisan law aimed at providing drinking water to tens of thousands. He has also reposted social media attacks on the memory of Tatiana Schlossberg, the granddaughter of President John F. Kennedy, who tragically died of cancer at the age of 35.

These acts of retribution, jealously, and sheer cruelty are standard procedure for Trump, who seems to draw perverse pleasure from these vile acts.

But there is hope that 2026 can be different. the new year is also an election year. That means we the people get a chance to reverse the mistake made in 2024 and strengthen the roadblocks that keep Trump from putting a crown on his head. in 2025 the Republican majority in Congress abdicated its traditional role as legislative partner and overseer of the executive. But every member of the House of Representatives faces reelection in 2026. So does one-third of the members of the Senate. Voters can make their disapproval heard loud and clear.

Buckle up. 2026 will be a rough ride. But we can make a difference. Some assembly will be required.

Happy New Year!

#####

Trump the Cruel

Posted on by One comment

When I wrote about the tragic murder of Rob Reiner and his wife Michele Singer Reiner, I noted the tremendous outpouring of sentiment saluting them not only for their contributions to the entertainment industry but also for their role in the community and their humanitarian work. I did mention that there was one notable dissent, and said I’d talk about it in the future.

I did not want to spoil the moment then and in truth I do not want to do so now. The problem is that, as the world is painfully aware, the dissent came from Donald Trump and he, by virtue of the position he holds, cannot be ignored. I resent that he dominates the news. I resent that he takes all the oxygen out of the room. I resent that he is the worst example of a human being I have ever seen. But he can’t be ignored. He must be called out. Rob Reiner would have wanted it that way.

Within hours of the time the news about the Reiners’ killing broke, Trump had put a post on his captive social media platform that was probably the most vicious thing I have ever seen. I asked one of my AI assistants what was the most common adjective being used to describe it and the response was, “cruel,” followed by “inappropriate,” “disrespectful,” “distasteful,” “callous,” “vile,” “incendiary.” and “depraved.” With my apologies, just in case you haven’t seen it yourself, read it and judge for yourself.

Trump’s post itself described Reiner as having a “mind crippling disease known as TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME” and called him a “deranged person”. 

Trump’s problem with Reiner is that the actor and director was also a progressive activist,  a supporter of Democratic candidates, and an outspoken critic of Trump .  A few hours after the post, Trump told a reporter that Reiner was “a deranged person” who “was very bad for our country.”

In the decade since he announced his presidential campaign by branding immigrants as criminals and rapists, the accepted wisdom about Donald Trump has become that no matter how outrageous are the things he says, he feels no consequences. This time was a little, just a little, different.

Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) labeled the discourse “inappropriate and disrespectful,” challenging his GOP colleagues to defend it. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) a former staunch ally, she rebuked the president, stating the deaths were a “family tragedy” that should be met with “empathy,” not politics. Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) and Rep. Stephanie Bice (R-Okla.), both condemned the remarks as “wrong,” urging for “sympathy and compassion” instead of political attacks. And conservative commentators including Jenna Ellis (Trump’s former lawyer) and David Urban (former senior adviser) called the remarks “indefensible” and a “horrible example”. 

We are tempted to just throw up our hands and ignore the monster. But Trump didn’t stop with one vile act. Having already turned the Oval Office into a cheap looking gold filigreed imitation of The Palace of Versailles, he added giant ornate gold letters labeling the rooms of the White House, like the signs one sees in the memory section of an assisted living facility, and created a “Presidential Walk of Fame” featuring pictures of past leaders with grossly unflattering images for men he doesn’t like;

Trump has now added to the rogues gallery plaques which offer partisan comments on the past presidents, reflecting his personal perspective. Joe Biden‘s plaque repeats a false claim that the 46th president, a Democrat, took office “as a result of the most corrupt election ever,” when, in fact, he defeated Mr. Trump in 2020 in both the popular vote and the Electoral College. Barack Obama, the nation’s first Black president, is labeled “one of the most divisive political figures in American history.”

Trump also demanded, and was granted, free television time on December 17. Instead of a holiday address, or an announcement of a major event, Trump used 18 minutes for one of his regular rants basically saying everything has been great since he returned to office and anything that isn’t great is the Democrats’ fault. His delivery was so frenetic he had many wondering if he was under the influence of some form of medication.

But Trump’s pièce de résistance for this holiday season has to be the rebranding of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. At the beginning of the year, Trump fired members of the Center’s board, appointed loyal lackeys in their place, and had them “elect” him chairman. He subsequently approved all the performers named winners of the 2025 Kennedy Center Honors, ordered a redesign of award medal which was originally created in 1978 and used ever since, and named himself as host of the award ceremony.

Then came the announcement, from the White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt rather than from Trump’s hand-picked board, that the center will now be known as “The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts.” The vice president of public relations at the Kennedy Center later confirmed the announcement. The center’s web site carried a new logo within hours. The next day, workers were installing new signs on the exterior of the building. Trump said he was honored and surprised by the gesture. That is just more Trump BS. He had been referring to the center as “Trump-Kennedy” for months.

Not that it matters to Trump, but this renaming appears to be illegal. The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts was established by the John F. Kennedy Center Act, 20 U.S.C. §§ 76h–76s, which outlines its purpose, governance, and operational framework. The law specifies the name, makes the center the only living memorial for President Kennedy within the District of Columbia, and precludes other names, plaques, or other citations. This is just one more example of Trump satisfying his ego by sticking his name where it does not belong. And doing so in defiance of the law.

This is one more item that will find its way into the courts. Or be reversed if and when the people in power are changed by the voters. Hint, hint. Or we can let Kerry Kennedy, niece of John F. Kennedy, and daughter of Robert F. Kennedy (the senior one), take care of it.

A footnote…. The TV ratings for the Kennedy Center Honors program Trump hosted were down 35% compared to last year’s ratings. That is the program’s lowest rating ever.

#####

Rob Reiner

Posted on by One comment

How do you explain the inexplicable?

It had already been a horrific weekend. On December 13 a mass shooting at Brown University’s Barus & Holley Engineering Building in Providence, Rhode Island left two students dead and nine others injured. The gunman remains at large, and a multi-agency manhunt is ongoing.

The next day a terrorist mass shooting at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia left at least 15 people dead and around 40 injured. The attack targeted a Jewish Hanukkah celebration and was carried out by a father-son duo inspired by Islamic State ideology. It followed an increase in antisemitic attacks in the country including one in July where an arsonist set fire to a synagogue in Melbourne while worshipers were inside.

Then came word from the trendy Brentwood section of Los Angeles. Hollywood and the rest of the world were stunned when acclaimed filmmaker Rob Reiner, 78, and his wife, photographer Michele Singer Reiner, were found dead in their home in what police described as a homicide. Authorities have since arrested their son, Nick Reiner, 32, and charged him with murder.

What do you say about the human condition when faced with that sequence of events?

The shocked reaction to the Reiners’ murder was overwhelming itself. Rob Reiner was praised not only as a great talent on both sides of the camera but also as a mentor and friend who shared that talent with a generosity rare in the cutthroat entertainment business. There was one exception which I will write about at some other time.

Earlier this year I wrote about the passing of Diane Keaton and Robert Redford and noted they appear many times on my list of favorite films. The passing of Rob Reiner leaves a similar hole in my heart.

Rob Reiner was born in the Bronx, New York in 1947. He spent his childhood in New Rochelle, where his father Carl would place his fictional family of Rob and Laura Petrie on “The Dick Van Dyke Show.”  They moved to California in the early 1960s. Like his father, Rob got his start as an actor before stepping behind the camera. His breakthrough role was Mike Stivic on “All in the Family” in 1970. Mike was the outspoken liberal son-in-law of Carroll O’Connor‘s conservative bigoted Archie Bunker. These are my first memories of Rob Reiner. Mike’s battles with Archie, written by the great Norman Lear, brought into America’s living room topics roiling the nation but up until then considered too controversial for television.

Now the list of films begins. And I will only note some my favorites. Reiner’s first feature was 1980’s “Spinal Tap,” a groundbreaking “mockumentary” that was a breakout hit. His next movie was “The Sure Thing,” a coming of age romantic comedy, followed by “Stand By Me,” based on a Stephen King story. King was also the source for “Misery,” which would be one Reiner’s biggest theatrical hits. 

My list of films also includes “The Princess Bride.” Also “A Few Good Men” and “The American President,” both written by Aaron Sorkin. “When Harry Met Sally,” my favorite rom-com, “Rumor Has It…,” and “The Bucket List.” The number is films in which Reiner acted, usually in a supporting role, are too numerous to list here.

The list of testimonials has been astonishing. I am just going to cite one, an Instagram post from Meg Ryan, who starred along with Billy Crystal in “When Harry Met Sally.”

Now I’m going to watch some movies.

#####

« Older Entries