Have you ever seen the movie Gladiator? It begins with an exciting battle between the Romans and Germanic tribes. There are massive dart launchers and catapults that throw balls of flame that explode when they hit the trees under which the Germans stand. At one point, it looks as if the entire hillside has been napalmed. Maximus, the general of the Roman army, is played by Russel Crowe, who has all these great lines, like, “Brothers, what we do in life echoes in eternity.”  He even has a faithful dog that runs into battle with him. Overlooking the battle is the Emperor Marcus Aurelius, p ..read more

In the book How to Be a Stoic,  Massimo Pigliucci discusses the highly inflated use of the word hero. Although many apply the term simply to someone they admire, the word hero means much more than that. As Joseph Campbell said, “A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself.” I can think of no greater example of a hero than Giuseppe Garibaldi. It is ironic that Giuseppe Garibaldi was born on the fourth of July in 1807. Born in Nice, he was not an American nor ever became one, but he lived a life that celebrated and fought for the principles that are the ..read more

Recently, after a long and busy day, my wife and I decided to bring in a pizza. Although my wife makes an incredible pizza, it was one of those nights when we just wanted to sit in front of the television, doing nothing more strenuous than chewing. As we went through the coupons in the coupon drawer in our kitchen, we found a new place in the neighborhood that we thought we could try. Then, calling in the order, we got to the crucial decisions, the toppings. “How about anchovies?” I asked. My wife and I grew up with anchovies on our pizza. Me, because I am Italian American. My wife because he ..read more

This past July, we bade farewell to Tony Bennett, one of the all-time great crooners. Tony Bennett, an artist of whom Frank Sinatra said “is the best singer in the business.” What made Bennett the best was his unique style. A crooner is a particular type of vocalist, typically a male artist who sings sentimental songs in a soft, smooth, low voice. Think of other great crooners; Andy Williams, Dean Martin, Bing Crosby, and Perry Como. They called Mel Tormé, another celebrated vocalist, The Velvet Fog. But that was not Bennett. Compare his rendition of Don’t Get Around Much Anymore to Tormé’s ..read more

Christopher Columbus is an icon. And that is a problem. Here, I use the term icon in the sense that he is a symbol or emblem of something. However, to which ideological tribe one belongs more often determines what that icon represents than does any aspect of his life. On one end of the spectrum, Columbus is the source of all European atrocities in the Americas, even those that occurred hundreds of years after his death. There is no need to fact-check any account of his villainy. He is a symbol of evil. Therefore, he is summarily found guilty of any accusation. On the other extreme, many see h ..read more

In a previous post, Italians, The First Latins, I discuss how Latin has become a shortened term for Latin Americans. The issue I have with this evolution of terminology is that it excludes the original Latins, Italians. Unfortunately, some have interpreted that post to mean that I felt the term was too inclusive, that the word should be limited solely to Italians, which is not the case. My point was for a broader view, not a narrower one. As I had noted in that previous post, I have encountered more and more people lately who, when I say I am a Latin, will respond, “you are not Latin. You’re ..read more

This past May, I was fortunate enough to walk the Camino de Santiago. One morning, I headed out a couple of hours before dawn, hoping to reach my destination before the sun became too strong. There was no moon, so it was very dark. If there were any stars, I could not see them through the canopy formed by the trees. Although I had a headlamp, walking through an inky black forest was unnerving. I worried about what might be hiding in a clump of bushes farther up the path. Worse yet, what was behind me? I started to sing, hoping to frighten anything that might be nearby. Then I wondered, would ..read more

With Father’s Day approaching, I am reminded of how things were in the old days, back when I was a boy. In those prehistoric times, there were a limited number of phone lines, especially those that ran from coast to coast. On Mother’s Day, the lines would be overwhelmed with callers. Frequently you would get an automated message; all circuits are busy. So, good luck in trying to call mom in New York from LA. But on Father’s Day, no problem. I have come to learn, from at times, painful experience, that fathers come second in the hearts of their children. I guess it just comes with the job. Thi ..read more

Today, May 9, 2022, I begin my pilgrimage in Saint Jean Pied de Port with the intent of walking the approximately 476 miles to Santiago. A pilgrimage. Me, the agnostic. What am I nuts? Over the past few weeks, I have been asking myself what on earth possessed me to make such a commitment. It all began innocently enough. About ten years ago, while cycling with my friend Robert, we talked about the Camino de Santiago. Of course, we discussed the movie The Way that had been released the previous year. After promising to make the trip together, I promptly forgot the commitment but continued envis ..read more

“Mother? Where are you, mother?” If you have seen Disney’s Bambi, you know this scene. In the interests of those who haven’t, I won’t go into more detail. That scene, as well as the others between Bambi and his mother, depict a very American, twentieth-century image of motherhood. She is the personification (deerification?) of a loving, nurturing mother, willing to protect her fawn at all costs. If she had opposable thumbs, I am sure she would have been baking Bambi apple pies. Unfortunately, the cleansed and sweetened Disney version ignores the depth of the original story, including the char ..read more