Desperate to flee Afghanistan Two weeks ago, just days after the Taliban seized power in Kabul, I wrote about the news from Afghanistan and Washington. Among much else, I said: It is utterly irresponsible and shameful for our highest officials in Washington to be telling the thousands of U.S. citizens still stranded in Kabul and […]
Kabul, August 2021 I’ve been following the news from Afghanistan and Washington. Perspective calls for a few bullets. Here are mine: • How we got into a fight with the Taliban in the first place: The Taliban had been ruling Afghanistan for five years on September 11, 2001 — the day Osama bin Laden’s Al-Qaeda […]
https://pen4rent.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Kabul-runway.jpeg524705Howard Danielhttps://pen4rent.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/logo.pngHoward Daniel2021-08-22 19:01:162021-08-23 17:26:34Chaos in Kabul
Sandra Shakespeare got it exactly right when, in Romeo and Juliet, he penned this memorable line: What’s in a name? That which we call a rose By any other name would smell as sweet I mused on this thought in a previous blog post, but came to a conclusion different from the Bard’s. Margaux […]
https://pen4rent.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Sandy-with-hair-up-copy-1.jpg12001600Howard Danielhttps://pen4rent.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/logo.pngHoward Daniel2021-07-25 19:04:362021-07-25 19:10:23A Rose by Any Other Name Would Smell as Sweet
Back in the Cretinaceous Period when I was a kid, there was a popular TV program called Father Knows Best. In today’s “woke” age when “old white males” are no longer widely imagined to have all the answers, the premise of that show — that middle-aged guys might possess a special kind of wisdom — […]
Building in Israel hit by rocket from Gaza The world gives us much cause for outrage. Just this morning, I learned that the illegitimately “re-elected” president of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, had his air traffic controllers and his MiGs force a civilian airliner from Ireland, which was crossing Belarussian airspace en route from Greece to Lithuania, […]
This is the writer and editor behind Pen-for-Rent Two weeks ago I celebrated something very nice — my Pen-for-Rent page on LinkedIn blew past the 10,000 followers mark. Greatly adding to my gratification at reaching this milestone was discovering (in the information provided by LinkedIn) that my page’s “engagement rate” of nearly 9% was higher […]
https://pen4rent.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/HD-3-footer.jpg20001673Howard Danielhttps://pen4rent.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/logo.pngHoward Daniel2021-05-16 17:08:142021-05-16 17:09:55Top of Mind
Matzah In the days leading up to the beginning of Passover1 last night, I’ve seen several articles on the web about matzah,2 cracker-like sheets of unleavened bread. That was all the food the Israelites (whom today we call the Jews) were able to take with them as Moses led them to freedom following generations of slavery […]
Zebee Not long ago I spotted something funny online about the attributes — from a female viewpoint — of a perfect guy. One of them was a good memory.1 I’ve forgotten the rest. OK, just kidding. But only partly. Actually, while I don’t remember them all, one of those “great guy” attributes was that he’d […]
Bon voyage! (Courtesy Matson Navigation Company) A few days ago I spotted a funny story on Facebook that reminded me of something a very brave man, Aba Taratuta, told me back in 1978 or thereabouts, when I was on the staff of the U.S. consulate-general in Leningrad (today again known by its original name, St. […]
Mob invades U.S. Capitol, Jan. 6, 2021 I am appalled. We should all be appalled. But regrettably, that feeling is not universal. What am I appalled at? Two big unthinkables. Unthinkable No. 1: The mob’s assault on the U.S. Capitol. Even worse — the fact that the mob’s Cheerleader-in-Chief was the guy in the White […]
https://pen4rent.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/ss-200107-capitol-riot-05_6531c2c53697168721939b641ce64fb9.fit-880w.jpg587880Howard Danielhttps://pen4rent.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/logo.pngHoward Daniel2021-01-11 00:54:552021-01-11 16:40:31The Unthinkable Happened … Now What Do We Do?
Shameful, Unforgiveable
/3 Comments/in Current Events, History, Thoughts /by Howard DanielDesperate to flee Afghanistan Two weeks ago, just days after the Taliban seized power in Kabul, I wrote about the news from Afghanistan and Washington. Among much else, I said: It is utterly irresponsible and shameful for our highest officials in Washington to be telling the thousands of U.S. citizens still stranded in Kabul and […]
Chaos in Kabul
/0 Comments/in Current Events, History, Thoughts /by Howard DanielKabul, August 2021 I’ve been following the news from Afghanistan and Washington. Perspective calls for a few bullets. Here are mine: • How we got into a fight with the Taliban in the first place: The Taliban had been ruling Afghanistan for five years on September 11, 2001 — the day Osama bin Laden’s Al-Qaeda […]
A Rose by Any Other Name Would Smell as Sweet
/0 Comments/in Family, Hawaii, Recollections /by Howard DanielSandra Shakespeare got it exactly right when, in Romeo and Juliet, he penned this memorable line: What’s in a name? That which we call a rose By any other name would smell as sweet I mused on this thought in a previous blog post, but came to a conclusion different from the Bard’s. Margaux […]
Happy WHAT?!
/0 Comments/in Family, Holidays, Humor /by Howard DanielBack in the Cretinaceous Period when I was a kid, there was a popular TV program called Father Knows Best. In today’s “woke” age when “old white males” are no longer widely imagined to have all the answers, the premise of that show — that middle-aged guys might possess a special kind of wisdom — […]
Cause for Outrage
/2 Comments/in Current Events, History, Thoughts /by Howard DanielBuilding in Israel hit by rocket from Gaza The world gives us much cause for outrage. Just this morning, I learned that the illegitimately “re-elected” president of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, had his air traffic controllers and his MiGs force a civilian airliner from Ireland, which was crossing Belarussian airspace en route from Greece to Lithuania, […]
Top of Mind
/0 Comments/in Thoughts, Writing & editing /by Howard DanielThis is the writer and editor behind Pen-for-Rent Two weeks ago I celebrated something very nice — my Pen-for-Rent page on LinkedIn blew past the 10,000 followers mark. Greatly adding to my gratification at reaching this milestone was discovering (in the information provided by LinkedIn) that my page’s “engagement rate” of nearly 9% was higher […]
Matzah, a Leningrad Perspective
/3 Comments/in Holidays, Recollections, Russia-USSR /by Howard DanielMatzah In the days leading up to the beginning of Passover1 last night, I’ve seen several articles on the web about matzah,2 cracker-like sheets of unleavened bread. That was all the food the Israelites (whom today we call the Jews) were able to take with them as Moses led them to freedom following generations of slavery […]
Dog Food
/0 Comments/in Brazil, Family, Humor, Places I've lived, Recollections /by Howard DanielZebee Not long ago I spotted something funny online about the attributes — from a female viewpoint — of a perfect guy. One of them was a good memory.1 I’ve forgotten the rest. OK, just kidding. But only partly. Actually, while I don’t remember them all, one of those “great guy” attributes was that he’d […]
Heroism
/0 Comments/in History, Humor, Recollections, Russia-USSR /by Howard DanielBon voyage! (Courtesy Matson Navigation Company) A few days ago I spotted a funny story on Facebook that reminded me of something a very brave man, Aba Taratuta, told me back in 1978 or thereabouts, when I was on the staff of the U.S. consulate-general in Leningrad (today again known by its original name, St. […]
The Unthinkable Happened … Now What Do We Do?
/2 Comments/in Current Events, History, Thoughts /by Howard DanielMob invades U.S. Capitol, Jan. 6, 2021 I am appalled. We should all be appalled. But regrettably, that feeling is not universal. What am I appalled at? Two big unthinkables. Unthinkable No. 1: The mob’s assault on the U.S. Capitol. Even worse — the fact that the mob’s Cheerleader-in-Chief was the guy in the White […]