Best Books of 2022

1. Carrie Soto Is Back: Taylor Jenkins Reid‘s latest novel about a nearly over-the-hill tennis star took my breath away.
2. I’m Glad My Mom Died: Jennette McCurdy’s memoir of her childhood, her career, and her abusive mother made me grateful for my parents, warts, and all.
3. Hollywood Ending: Harvey Weinstein and the Culture of Silence: The revelations in this book are damming.
4. What Souls Are Made Of: A Wuthering Heights Remix: The book takes Wuthering Heights in a new direction, deepening the narrative and an understanding of Bronte’s era.
5. The Matchmakers Gift: A Novel: Lynda Cohen Loigman‘s latest novel about a Jewish teenage matchmaker in the early 20th century and her skeptic granddaughter is pure gold.
6. The Princess and the Scoundrel: The book tells the story of the wedding and honeymoon of Princess Leia Organa and Han Solo after the destruction of the Empire in Return of the Jedi.
7. The Weight of Blood: This reboot of Carrie adds racism to the mix, making Stephen King‘s novel even more relevant than it already was.
8. Gangsters vs. Nazis: How Jewish Mobsters Battled Nazis in WW2 Era America: Their tactics may not have been exactly legal, but standing up against antisemitism is nothing to sneeze at.
9. Madam Speaker: Nancy Pelosi and the Lessons of Power: This biography of Nancy Pelosi is a reminder of the barriers she has broken and the legacy she will leave behind.
10. His Name is George Floyd: One Man’s Life and the Struggle For Racial Justice: The murder of George Floyd forced the world to face its racist past.

Here’s to the books we read in 2022 and the ones we will read in 2023.

Thank You, Nancy Pelosi

There is an old saying about women:

“Well-behaved women rarely make history,”

Last week, Nancy Pelosi announced that she will be stepping down as Speaker of the House.

She cited both the attack on her husband and the Republicans winning the House in the midterms. This is not, however, a complete retirement. She will be just another Congressperson representing her district and constituents.

Regardless of where one’s political beliefs lie, there is no doubt that Pelosi broke barriers. The crack she left in the glass ceiling cannot be ignored.

One of Pelosi’s lieutenants, Steny Hoyer, endorsed NY’s Hakeem Jeffries as her replacement. If he is elected, he will be the first African American to lead the House and New Yorker in the role for nearly a century. He will also be making history in his own right.

I would hope that for a brief moment (though I know that is a pipe dream) that we would all recognize what she has done for the country and put aside partisan politics. But I know better.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. You have proven once more that women can do anything.

The Attack on Paul Pelosi Was Nothing Short of an Assassination Attempt

The nature of any democratic government is disagreement. But at the end of the day, I think we can all agree that political violence of any kind (i.e. January 6th) is wrong.

Last Friday, a man broke into the San Fransisco home of Nancy Pelosi. Instead of finding the Speaker, he found her husband, Paul. As I write this, Mr. Pelosi is in the hospital, recovering from surgery. As many others have pointed out, he is 82. His age brings up questions of how quickly (if at all) he will be able to return to a normal life.

A normal human being would be sympathetic to what Pelosi and her family are going through. But as usual, the Republicans are spreading lies and half-truths. Back in 2017, when House Majority Whip Steve Scalise was shot, the Speaker released the following statement:

This morning, the U.S. Congress suffered a despicable and cowardly attack. My thoughts and prayers are with Whip Steve Scalise and the others wounded, Capitol Police and staff, and their families. We are profoundly grateful for the heroism of the Capitol Police, whose bravery under fire undoubtedly saved countless lives. On days like today, there are no Democrats or Republicans, only Americans united in our hopes and prayers for the wounded.

One of the podcasts I listen to (I forget which at the moment) asked the following question: if the victim had been Kevin McCarthy’s wife instead of Nancy Pelosi’s husband, would the press and the politicians reacted differently?

This is how we should all be responding. We should see past the politics to see that an innocent man was nearly murdered by someone who has been indoctrinated by a false narrative.

If nothing else, this is a reminder that we should all be voting blue next week (if one has not voted already). If we don’t, this may the first of a long list of civilians wounded or murdered simply because of their political beliefs.

Madam Speaker: Nancy Pelosi and the Lessons of Power Book Review

To be a woman in politics is to have a backbone made of steel. It requires courage, strength, an incredibly brilliant mind, and the ability to navigate through the bullshit.

Nancy Pelosi has done this and so much more. She has broken barriers, become a controversial figure, and stood toe to toe with some of the most notorious political figures of our era. Her biography, Madam Speaker: Nancy Pelosi and the Lessons of Power, by Susan Page, was published earlier this year. Pelosi was born in Baltimore, the youngest child, and only daughter in a prominent Italian-American family. Though she was raised in an era in which girls were boxed in, her mother encouraged her to color outside of the lines.

Moving to California after marrying, Pelosi only got into politics after her children were grown. Starting at the local level, she climbed up the ladder with a shrewd mind and an understanding of the game. Page spends most of the book examining her career and the challenges (especially when going against you know who) that she has come against. Diving into the details of the last few decades, the woman we meet is one who does not shrink when coming against a man who thinks that he knows better than her.

I enjoyed this book. The reader is introduced to Pelosi as the whole woman, not just the image on the evening news. She is thoroughly human in a way that I found relatable and inspirational. Pelosi may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but you cannot deny that what she has accomplished is exceptional and admirable. We need more women in this world like Nancy Pelosi.

Do I recommend it? Absolutely.

Madam Speaker: Nancy Pelosi and the Lessons of Power is available wherever books are sold.

The Iron Dome Saves Lives, But AOC & Co Refuse to See That

When it comes to American politics and antisemitism, the impression used to be that only thing with a right wing ideology believed the lies. Those who defined their political views as left wing knew better and stood up against those would spew such disgusting ideas. But the truth is that it exists on both sides of the aisle.

Earlier this week, the budget was held hostage by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and a handful of other Congresswomen. They demanded that unless the $1 billion dollars promised to Israel to keep funding the Iron Dome was removed as a line item, they would vote against the bill. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was forced take it out of the final bill to keep the government funded after October 1st. Her compromise was to propose a standalone bill. It’s close, but no cigar.

What AOC and company either fail to realize or don’t even consider is that the Iron Dome does not differentiate between a rocket heading toward a Jewish home or an Arab home. It’s purpose is to save lives and prevent property destruction, regardless of whose name is on the deed and what religion they practice. But as usual, they are unwilling to even consider that maybe Israel is not all bad. I am going to end this post with a couple of tweets from Daniella Greenbaum Davis and Eve Barlow because unlike other people, they are not afraid to speak the truth.

The idea that iron dome – a DEFENSIVE weapon, is “controversial” is all the proof you need that for a lot of people, the only good jews are dead Jews.

— Daniella Greenbaum Davis (@DGreenbaum) September 23, 2021

Which side you on, babes. pic.twitter.com/vQwpvi8TIc

— Eve Barlow (@Eve_Barlow) September 22, 2021

Thoughts On the Impeachment & You Know Who’s Sea Wall Comment

Regardless of where you land on the political spectrum, I think it’s safe to say that this current President has, if nothing else, rocked the political boat.

You know who’s recent comment about the proposal to build a seawall to protect New York City from another Hurricane Sandy is both arrogant and ignorant. I don’t know where he was during the hurricane, but I know where I was. It was one of the scariest experiences of my life and a kick in the pants that climate change is real and destructive.

The ironic thing is that while he mocks the effort to protect the residents of New York City from another massive hurricane, he continues to believe that building a wall is the solution to resolve the issue of immigration reform. Building the wall and maintaining on the Southern border is a waste of money, time and the human resources. If he truly wanted to reform our immigration issues, he would be doing everything in his power to work with Congress. Instead he makes up lies and spouts false promises that will never become reality.

Speaking of, last week, he became the third President in American history to be impeached.

To be fair, this does not mean (at least at this point in time), that he will be even found guilty or removed from office. Only time can tell us that. But, the message is clear. No one, not even the President of the United States is above the law. He or she is as bound to follow the rules as any of us are.

As Senator Nancy Pelosi (D-California) stated on Real Time with Bill Maher,

“If I knew that the president is listening, I would want him to know that he is impeached forever, and he is impeached forever because he used the office of the president to try to influence a foreign country for his personal and political benefit. In doing so, he undermined our national security, he was disloyal to his oath of office to protect the Constitution and he placed in jeopardy the integrity of our election,” she added later. “He gave us no choice.”

As of now, we don’t know how this will all turn out. Regardless of what happens, it is a stark reminder of how important it is to what has to be done to keep our democracy alive. If we don’t, I am seriously afraid of what the consequences will be.

Don’t Mess With Nancy Pelosi

History was made in the United States today. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-California) asked her Democratic colleagues to start to draft articles of impeachment against you know who.

But I don’t want to talk about the impeachment in this post. I want to talk about the badass that is Nancy Pelosi.

After the announcement, she was asked if she hated the President. The question came from Sinclair reporter James Rosen. The exchange went as follows:

“Do you hate the president?’

Pelosi stopped and chided Rosen.

“I don’t hate anybody,” she said.

She then returned to the lectern and said, “As a Catholic, I resent your using the word hate in a sentence that addresses me. I don’t hate anyone.”

“So then don’t mess with me when it comes to words like that.”

Nancy Pelosi is my new hero. Unlike a certain fairweather President, she is not afraid to stand up for what she believes in, even if the idea is unpopular. She stands up for what is right and stands up for this country. If only we had more politicians like her.

Will the Phone Call With the Ukrainian President Be the Straw That Breaks the Camel’s Back?

For nearly three years, many Americans (myself included), have been angered, stressed and generally not happy with the actions of the man we unfortunately refer to as the President of the United States.

At every turn, we ask is this enough? When will we reach the breaking point to finally get this man out of office?

That breaking point may have arrived. During a phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, you know who may have threatened to pull back promised financial assistance if Mr. Zelensky did not investigate the business interests of Presidential candidate and former Vice President Joe Biden and his son, Hunter Biden.

It appears that the this phone call may be the straw that finally breaks the camel’s back.

As of earlier this afternoon, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-California) announced that a formal inquiry has been launched. If the results of the inquiry go in a certain direction, impeachment becomes a serious possibility.

While impeachment does not mean that he will be forced out of office, it is certainly a step in the right direction (at least from my perspective). It says that no one, not even the President is above the law.

Perhaps being impeached will finally teach him that.

This Tit For Tat Business Is Getting Us Nowhere

When in a business situation and trying to come to deal that will please both parties, there are two ways on how to respond to the situation.

The first type of response (i.e. mature) response is to sit down with the other party and hammer out a deal that both sides will walk away satisfied with.

The second type of response (immature) is to respond in an action that can only be described as tit for tat.

Earlier this week, Nancy Pelosi asked you know who to delay his State Of The Union speech (which is as of now scheduled for January 29) until the government shutdown has ended.

His response was something that we have been sadly become accustomed to. Not only did he cancel a pre-planned overseas trip by a congressional delegation, he did so less than an hour before they were supposed to leave. He claimed that it was because of the shutdown that those who were on the trip could not use government airplanes. But while he denies the use of government airplanes so our Congressmen and women can thank our troops in person, Melania flies to Florida using a government airplane.

What is good for the goose is good for the gander. If members of Congress cannot fly using government planes to support our troops, then the first family cannot use government airplanes for personal use. But this is nothing new, at least coming from him. He thinks that he, his family and the people closest to him are above the law and are not expected the follow the rules that the rest of us follow.

As the shutdown continues, experts predict that the financial damage to the economy could pass the amount that he states that he needs to build the wall.

Earlier this evening, he announced that he will support DACA and TPS (Temporary Protected Status), if the Democrats agree to the wall. Do I smell desperation?

He has obviously learned that tit for tat and acting like a man-child taking a temper tantrum will get him nowhere, at least in the short-term. The question is, will he learn that in the long-term or is this just temporary until until the government opens and it is business as usual?