Pope Francis visited the United States for the first time last week. As part of his visit, he came to Philadelphia on September 26th and 27th. His visit was on my calendar as soon as it was announced, which was almost a year ago. If you know me, you know that I like spectacle. If […]
The Chip Kelly Experiment
Chip Kelly has been the head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles since January 2013, and is now also the General Manager. He has been the head coach for 34 games. It is time to fire Chip Kelly, and move on from this failed experiment. I know that Jeff Lurie won’t do this, because he still […]
Yahrzeit
There is a Jewish tradition that honors the anniversary of a loved ones death called Yahrzeit. The word is pronounced “yartz-ite”. It is usually observed in honor of one’s parents or an immediate family member. Part of the tradition involves lighting a candle (called a Yahrzeit candle). The candle burns for at least 24 hours. […]
Teach A Man To Fish
There is an expression, “if you feed a man a fish, you feed him for a day…if you teach a man to fish, you feed him for a lifetime”. I think the intent of the expression is that it is more important (long-term) to teach people to help themselves, instead of just giving them something. […]
Why I Write
I have a friend who likes to say “I can’t wait to hear what I have to say today”. What he means is that he learns things about himself when he speaks. He speaks to express himself. That is why I write. I learn about myself, and about the world, when I write. I sit […]
Sam Bradford’s Knees
In March, the Philadelphia Eagles traded their first round draft pick, and their starting quarterback (Nick Foles), for Sam Bradford and the St. Louis Rams first round draft pick. The following are facts about Sam Bradford and Nick Foles: 1) Sam Bradford hasn’t played during the regular season since mid-2013. Since then, he has had […]
Moving Parts
I have observed a lot of transitions recently. They include: 1) My wife may have a boyfriend. Judge for yourself. This is an actual photo of her on vacation three weeks ago, holding hands with a man half my age. I think I have been replaced. (Actually he was a very helpful tour guide. I’ve […]
What Would Morris Think?
Morris Ticktin was my great grandfather, on my fathers’ side. Hw was my grandmother Nettie’s father. He was born on October 18, 1873 in a town called Bialystock. At the time of his birth, Bialystock was part of Russia. It is now part of Poland, near the Ukrainian border. When he was 18 years old, […]
What Now?
One morning early in my career, I learned that my boss resigned. A colleague and I met each other in the hallway, and wondered what to do. We agreed to meet later that morning to discuss the situation. The title of our meeting was “What Now?” Life hands me a lot of “What Now?” experiences. […]
Status
I watched the movie “Up In The Air” last week. It starred George Clooney as an ultra-frequent flyer, who is obsessed with accumulating airline and hotel perks. His character traveled 330 days a year, and he described the 35 days a year when he was home as “the worst days of the year”. His character […]
