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I'm sitting in a classroom in Vienna, Austria, in a German class I took years ago. Teacher asks: What does your country do for poor people? Everyone's from different countries; I'm last. All the others tell how their countries help, even those from poor countries. They look at me expectantly. We didn't do much for poor people then; I didn't know what to say. 10 people stared me down - the only American - with pity. I felt real shame. Shame's fueling the 2016 Presidential election. Shame hurts;...
I could write a book about looking for a roommate; better yet, a movie. You won't believe all the funny things that happen. I was afraid to start. Who was I expecting - Jacquie the Ripper? I feared being in a closed space - the apartment - with complete strangers. I sounded paranoid, even to myself. Yet you read about people who take silly risks and get hurt. I decided to not be paranoid, but not casual; I'd aim for careful. Inevitably, you take chances. It's like looking for an apartment at...
Three hundred people were lucky to attend Saturday night's concert by the Culver City Symphony Orchestra. It was a lovely night: great music, not expensive, and intriguing programming mixing famous composers with ones you may not know. The concert was about to start when a tuxedo'd gentleman started stood up on the stage. Matthew Hetz, the orchestra's President and Executive Director, gently explained a few concert basics to the audience. "Please don't text during the concert," he asked (sign...
Donald Trump says he will make America great again. In this year's State of the Union address, President Obama said the U.S. is great. Which is it? Do you think the U.S. is past its sell-by date? 41% of Americans think the American Dream is out of most people's reach, while 38% think it's still possible, and 21% aren't sure, according to a 2013 YouGov poll. It's alive and kicking, if you ask me. Lest you think I'm too much of a cheerleader, I see the problems. Still - ask yourself: Where would...
Most people like to be liked. No one wants to be thought of as rude. Whether you’re being rude, it’s like beauty; it must be in the eye of the beholder, don’t you think? Wait till you hear my story. I’m so interested in what you think. I was in a small local café. I like the place; I like the coffee, it’s primo. I like the décor, the color scheme, the ambiance. It feels right. I’m sitting there quietly reading. To my left a couple of people are silently playing chess with a timer. To my right t...
I have a friend who had to have a bone marrow transplant over the past year. That was brave. Now her Facebook photo is a picture of Wonder Woman. She's brave. A writer I know has a 5-year-old grandson, Max, who loves the character "Iron Man". Max has hemophilia, a genetic condition that stops his blood from clotting. Max could die if he has even a minor injury. When Max needed surgery to get a metal port in his chest, he told people, “I get to be Iron Man!” Max and his sister made up cal...
"Most folks are as happy as they make up their minds to be." I didn't get it the first time I saw this quotation by Abraham Lincoln. I thought it made no sense. It makes sense to me now. I've discovered that deciding to feel happy is like Captain Jean-Luc Picard's saying, "Make it so." It's like channeling Oscar Hammerstein's lyrics: Make believe you're brave And the trick will take you far. You may be as brave As you make believe you are The result of this deception Is very strange to tell For...
By Carole Bell Observer Columnist My friend Ben Abramovice, a beloved California character, knew how to keep New Year's Resolutions. He always made them and always kept them. His secret? It's below...don't peek! 40% of Americans make New Year's Resolutions, according to Forbes. Top resolutions? The number one New Year's resolution? Losing weight. (not a surprise). Number 2: Getting organized. Number 3: Spending less and saving more. A surprise was that falling in love was number 9 (according to...
