Leonard Zwelling

“Happy Holidays”: It’s What We Jews Say This Time of Year By Leonard Zwelling          The other day on MS-NBC’s only politically balanced broadcast, Morning Joe, journalist Sam Stein made the observation that led to the title of this piece. It’s not so much that we Jews feel left out at this time of year. […]

The Selling of the No No, Prescription Drugs and Health Insurance: Mad Men in White Coats By Leonard Zwelling          The best part about HBO is the lack of commercials during broadcast dramas. Of course most of the content is great just as it is on Showtime, Cinemax (aka SkinaMax) and the other pay cable

Advice and Consent By Leonard Zwelling          It’s right there in Article II, Section 2, Clause 2 of the US Constitution. “He shall have Power, by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate…”. This describes the time-honored principle of legislative review of presidential appointments and treaties. The recent adoption of the so-called “nuclear

After Joe DiMaggio’s Gone By Leonard Zwelling          Joe DiMaggio (1914-1999), the Yankee Clipper, was the hard-hitting center fielder for the New York Yankees who epitomized grace and style before Mickey Mantle took his place. For my generation of New Yorkers, Mantle was the Yankees, but for those a bit older, it was DiMaggio. To

200 K (+ more…) By Leonard Zwelling          It has been less than a year since I began lenzwelling.blogspot.com. We have just passed our 200,000th page view.  There have been close to 180 postings.          I am floored. I guess, as I have said before, this internet thing is here to stay.          This is

Fakin’ It (and Extra—Ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-changes…) (With apologies to Simon and Garfunkel and David Bowie) By Leonard Zwelling          Just when you think it has gotten cold enough that all the nuts have frozen on the trees, my favorite story of 2013 drops like an apple on Sir Isaac’s head. The harassing San Diego mayor was not

Paternalism (and EXTRA “……of the Year”) By Leonard Zwelling          It’s way too simple but it does ring true. Republicans are like your father; Democrats like your mother. Republicans tell you to man up; Democrats will care for you. Republicans fancy themselves rugged individualists and self-made men (what happened to self-made women or is this

 The CPRIT One: Failing the Smell Test By Leonard Zwelling Both the Houston Chronicle and the on-line version of the NY Times via Kindle (by-line Associated Press) have reported on December 7 that the inquiry into the misdeeds that hampered CPRIT’s progress and held up the awarding of grants has resulted in a single indictment.

Two Stories By Leonard Zwelling          I love when the NY Times editorializes on the front page as it did on December 3. In two above the fold articles about health care, the paper first described in detail the outrageous system of hospital pricing. Right next to this story is a piece about the continuing

Promises, Deals and Trust By Leonard Zwelling          The 50th anniversary of the Kennedy assassination actually took me even further back. There has been much written last week about the era of the early 1960’s and how the world changed on November 22, 1963. I was one of those writers. But the world was changing