Running Partners: Beloved and Reviled
Yesterday I went for a run, as I’m apt to do on a sunny spring day in New York City—or anywhere, for that matter. Because it was a beautiful Saturday, my regular route by the water was crowded, so I took a little detour to a small circular track around a field that hosts kids’ […]
Americans in Ukraine
AMERICANS IN UKRAINE For whatever reason, during my annual visit to Ukraine in 2025 I felt I met more Americans than ever before working and living in Ukraine. Perhaps it was the election of our current ruzzian friendly president, or maybe it was pure coincidence, but my curiosity got the best of me on more […]
Yousef and Laila in Hammamet, Tunisia
Let me tell you a story about Yousef and Laila in Hammamet, Tunisia. As an experiment, I used AI to help plan part of this trip. For the record, no travel planners were harmed in the making of this itinerary; I still do all my own research and always have. AI suggested Hammamet as a […]
Meeting Inspiring 88 Year-Old Solo Female Traveler, Willoughby
This is Willoughby, an 88-year-old, SOLO female traveler from Seattle. She spent 17 days at a hostel in the Historic Center of Oaxaca. I saw her at the airport and introduced myself as I had to learn her story. This was her first visit to Oaxaca. She didn’t take any group tours but explored on […]
Holding Hands in Mexico City
MEXICO CITY: On my final day in Mexico City, I had a 40-minute treadmill run at the gym, overlooking a busy street below. As I ran, I found myself watching the rhythm of people crossing at the stoplight. And I was struck by something simple but powerful: affection. Not just couples—but a grandfather holding his […]
The Kyiv Independent Puts Current U.S. Journalism to Shame
I finally met some of my greatest professional heroes—the journalists of the Kyiv Independent. If you are not familiar with the Kyiv Independent, you should be. These courageous reporters broke away from a rival news organization after many resigned in protest over an oligarch owner’s interference in editorial decisions. Determined to build a genuinely independent […]
Synagogue in Kyiv Hit by ruzzian Drone
A ruzzian drone hit last night (Oct. 24, 2025) in Kyiv, a synagogue in Podil. It was just two blocks from my apartment, where I stayed in July/August. I walked past it every other day during my runs along the Dnipro River. I don’t know why it makes war feel more tangible when something or […]
The Once Mighty New York Times Goes Full On ruzzian Propaganda
I’m sharing this because some of you are probably readers of the #TheNewYorkTimes I stopped subscribing a while ago because I don’t believe they can be trusted and are almost as bad as the #NYPost. At least with the NY Post, you know you’re getting a biased, incomplete, partisan version of the truth or an […]
The Most Beautiful Border Crossing of My Life (So Far)
I’ve crossed the Ukrainian border several times now, and each time is unique, but yesterday was my favorite. Sveta is a wonderful human who takes people in need across the border into Poland and onwards to their new home. It can be an abused wife fleeing her husband, an elderly person fleeing a front-line village, […]
Does NYC’s Deadline Club Stand for Facts or Disinformation?
I’ve been a member of the Society of Professional Journalists and its New York City Chapter Deadline Club for years, and it has been a largely positive experience. However, recently, I’ve had some experiences that have me questioning “What’s happening at the Deadline Club? Do they stand for facts or disinformation?”
Amyl and the Sniffers Show – Smells Like Punk Rock To Me
It’s cliche, albeit inaccurate, to say “punk music is dead.” In the past, to counter this false narrative, I’d point to bands like Rancid or musicians like Laura Jane Grace from Against Me. But then I’d just be proving their point. Rancid’s seminal “And Out Come the Wolves” album exploded onto the scene in 1995, […]
Intellectual Property Law Under Attack – Surprise, Surprise?
To the shortsighted who have questioned why I can’t just “stick to travel,” here is a good answer. Whether one pays attention to “politics” or not is immaterial because “politics” chooses to pay attention to you, and it always will. Yesterday, I filed for a few remaining copyrights because of this (yet another) disturbing development […]