Most people who are old enough remember the reggae singer Eddy Grant for his popular radio song in 1983 called Electric Avenue. Fewer know about his earlier seminal London rock combo, the Equals. Eddy Grant is currently involved in a lawsuit against none other than the world’s number one flimflammer, Donald Trump, over copyright infringement […]
Finding Ukraine in the US
I have not been alive, until now, for an invasion of a country in which I personally know dozens of people. I didn’t work or live in Ukraine as an adult; my relation to it resembles that of a diaspora member, but I was born there, and my family’s kin network helped raise me in […]
Bagels, Grapes and Marijuana: A Day in the Country
I did not go to the town of Sonoma to buy bagels, but while I was there for a meeting of the Sonoma Valley Cannabis Enthusiasts (SVCE), I figured I might as well buy half-a-dozen. The bagels at Homegrown are some of the best in northern California, in part because the owner, Stuart Teitelbaum, who […]
Shotgun Writer
Throughout my unheralded scribing life, I have tried to write cogently about rock and roll. I don’t know if I’ve ever done a decent job, some might say so now and again, but there is always the sound of one hand clapping. I was weaned on the good critics, Lester Bangs, Dave Marsh, Nelson George, […]
Banksters: A Story of Debits and Credits
During the “Great Recession,” which was brought on by the banksters themselves who usually take the money and run, I wrote an article titled “Burn Down the Banks?” It was prompted by the financial crisis of 2007, 2008 and 2009, though I must admit I was also thinking of the branch of the Bank of […]
An Analysis of the System is Protective: An Interview with Scott Nappalos
Scott Nappalos is a health care worker in California. We asked him for an interview because we thought that he would be able to provide some insights into the realities and challenges of health and health care work in the present moment that went beyond the superficial. We’d like to start by asking you to […]