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Quote of the Day
“The letter I have written today is longer than usual because I lacked the time to make it shorter.”
— Blaise Pascal (1623-1662)
Howard Daniel, Pen-for-Rent Principal
Tummy Tickler Bridge
/0 Comments/in Current Events, Family, Places I've lived, Recollections, Russia-USSR, Thoughts /by Howard DanielThe gently arched Hermitage Bridge carrying the Neva River Embankment roadway across the mouth of the Zimnaya Kanavka. In the background, the pedestrian bridge linking the Hermitage Museum (right) to the Hermitage Theater. A few days ago something — I’ve already forgotten what — reminded me of one of the small pleasures of life I […]
April Fools? They’ve Gotta Be Joking!
/0 Comments/in California, Current Events, History, Thoughts /by Howard DanielPublic opinion on reparations A few days ago, with April Fools’ Day coming right up, I spotted a couple of news items I briefly thought might be nothing more than a crazy prank. If only! The items I saw were reports on discussions within the nine-member California Reparations Task Force — appointed to “study and […]
Feeling Grateful
/0 Comments/in Current Events, History, Russia-USSR, Thoughts /by Howard DanielIf you’re like me, every so often you’ll find a nice graphic image in your Facebook feed, listing reasons why people like you and me should feel grateful: Because we have a roof over our heads and clothes on our backs Because our children have enough to eat Because we fall asleep in a warm […]
Dear Mr. President
/2 Comments/in Current Events, Thoughts /by Howard DanielIranian missile, perhaps a type that could reach Israel with a nuke Note to readers of this blog: I am about to send the following message to President Biden, with copies to my senators and congressman. I have no realistic hope that the president will read it, much less that it will sway him. But […]
Staying in Touch: The Other Side of Networking
/0 Comments/in California, Thoughts, Writing & editing /by Howard DanielThe Dutra Group’s work at Ocean Beach, San Francisco, discussed below Not long before last Halloween, I got a message from someone I’d collaborated with several years ago. She had long since left the firm she’d been at when we first worked together, but — as is the case with most people I get to […]
Richard R. Kelley, Dec. 28, 1933 – Feb. 24, 2022
/0 Comments/in Hawaii, Recollections, Travel, Writing & editing /by Howard DanielFebruary 24 will long be remembered as the day when Russia began its invasion of Ukraine. Awful as I feel about this appalling act of aggression in a part of the world of great interest to me, February 24, 2022, will for me also be the date of a more personal loss. It’s the day […]
A Long-Ago Moment That Will Live Forever
/0 Comments/in Family, Humor, Recollections /by Howard DanielMelissa, Adam and Naomi a few years after the event in this post. Dull moments were a rare luxury when Sandra and I were still living with our three teenagers — Naomi, Adam and Melissa — back around 1990, give or take a few years. However, one particular anything-but-dull moment stands out. It happened early […]
Nu, Omicron
/0 Comments/in Coronavirus, Humor, Language /by Howard DanielJust when a lot of us were beginning to think that Covid and its Delta variant had begun to run out of steam, we learned about the pandemic’s latest mutation, the Omicron variant — apparently a great deal more virulent, transmissible and, we fear, potentially deadly than all its predecessors. While the world still has […]
Birth of a Book
/0 Comments/in Hawaii, Places I've lived, Recollections, Thoughts, Writing & editing /by Howard DanielLast Monday, November 1, 2021, was a big day for an old friend, Dr. Richard Kelley. I say “old” not just because he’ll soon be celebrating his 88th birthday, but also because I’ve had the pleasure of working with him now for nearly 20 years.1 Monday was big because it’s when his just-published book — […]
Are You Ready to Join The Illuminati?
/0 Comments/in Humor, Thoughts /by Howard DanielIf you’ve seen claims that a shadowy, conspiratorial group called The Illuminati (“The Enlightened”) is behind everything that’s screwing up the world, I’ve got news for you. With simple click of your mouse, you too can enter the world of The Illuminati and revel in their power. Yes. If you’d like to roll up your […]