A Promised Land by Barack Obama For those readers who are soon to launch into Barack Obama's memoir, "A Promised Land," be forewarned: if you think you're about to enjoy anything like a light-hearted romp through a very successful 2008 presidential campaign and an arguably quite successful first-term presidency, it would be wise to radically … Continue reading ‘A Promised Land’ by Barack Obama (review by Jack Kramer)
politics
The Conservative Party? Jack Kramer opines
The malignant tumor generally known as Donald Trump may have been excised before it could fully metastasize, but Trump was not, of course, the only cancerous cell in our ailing body politic. Neither was he the cause of the disease; he was simply its most glaringly obvious symptom. The other malodorous, noxious cells are alive … Continue reading The Conservative Party? Jack Kramer opines
‘When We Left Cuba’ by Chanel Cleeton is a beautiful historical fiction espionage romance
“When We Left Cuba” by Chanel Cleeton is the gripping story of Beatriz Perez, daughter to a sugar baron in Cuba whose family fled when Castro’s army took over the island paradise. Living a grand but reduced lifestyle in Palm Beach, Beatriz’ mother is constantly scheming for her daughters to marry well and restore the … Continue reading ‘When We Left Cuba’ by Chanel Cleeton is a beautiful historical fiction espionage romance
‘Outwalkers’ by Fiona Shaw is a powerful book about the love of a boy for his dog in a bleak dystopian future
"The Outwalkers" by Fiona Shaw is a tough read, but not because it's not a fabulous story. In fact, the book is intriguing from the first page and emotionally heartrending to the last. It's dark and depressing, but at the same time it's filled with hope and the promise of a better world. My heart … Continue reading ‘Outwalkers’ by Fiona Shaw is a powerful book about the love of a boy for his dog in a bleak dystopian future
‘Suspect Red’ by L. M. Elliott — Fear and Loathing in ‘53 D.C.
L.M. Elliott’s riveting Young Adult historical novel “Suspect Red” takes us on a rough ride through one thicket-filled thorny year in the life of early-adolescent Richard Bradley. He is a thirteen-year-old Washington D.C. resident circa 1953-54. And he is faced with the dilemmas and demons that would haunt any teen-ager whose father, whom he idolizes, … Continue reading ‘Suspect Red’ by L. M. Elliott — Fear and Loathing in ‘53 D.C.
UPDATE: A Win for Workers! Pure Profit Versus Integrity; As Observed on a Local Level with Mechanics’ Strike
The corner is quiet now and has been for a few weeks. The strikers are gone. They have been vindicated after an arbitrator found in their favor and against Napleton Cadillac of Libertyville. Congratulations to them. The full decision can be read here. But in it, the actions of the employer were found to be … Continue reading UPDATE: A Win for Workers! Pure Profit Versus Integrity; As Observed on a Local Level with Mechanics’ Strike
The Politics of Greed
The New York Times ran a review of Ivanka Trump's 2009 book. The review is titled "IVANKA TRUMP’S TERRIBLE BOOK HELPS EXPLAIN THE TRUMP-FAMILY ETHOS" and it says, in part: When Ivanka was a kid, she got frustrated because she couldn’t set up a lemonade stand in Trump Tower. “We had no such advantages,” she … Continue reading The Politics of Greed