Russell Frank
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No Ceasefire Resolution, but a Heartening Exercise in Civics and Civility
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My snap response to the Gaza ceasefire resolution considered by State College Borough Council on Monday night was an eyeroll. After the requisite litany of “whereas-es,” council would, if the resolution passed, urge the Biden administration to call for a ceasefire, the release of hostages and prisoners and a “fair peace.” Which of course would…
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Of Gratitude and Inquietude
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I’m across the bay from San Francisco this week, visiting the newest member of the crew and the first grandson, Marcus James, born last month, thriving and calm. Marcus is only the latest manifestation of my family’s knock-on-wood luck: generation after generation of healthy babies, growing up in a land largely spared the ravages of…
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Summoning the Ghosts of Elections Past
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The obvious solution to Joe Biden’s over-the-hill problem: We rewind to 2008 and pull a switcheroo. Make Uncle Joe the presidential nominee and Obama the running mate. That way, we get Biden at a much sprier 65 from 2008-2016 and Obama at a more seasoned 55 when he succeeds Biden in 2017. And then Obama…
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We All Grieve
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Concerned friends want to know how I’m doing. Not because I’ve had a health crisis or a family crisis. Because I’m Jewish. I appreciate their asking. They’re right to think Hamas’ wanton taking of lives and hostages on Oct. 7 was especially traumatic for their Jewish friends. And the more details that emerge, the more…
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Want to Live Longer, Pennsylvanians? Start Packing
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“Depend upon it, sir, when a man knows he is to be hanged in a fortnight, it concentrates his mind wonderfully.” – Samuel Johnson (1709-1784) I’ve long thought it would be handy if, on the day we were born, we were given a sealed envelope containing the date of our death. That way, when we got to the…
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I Can’t Hear You, I’ve Got a Candle in My Ear
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Sometimes we columnists put ourselves in harm’s way so that you, our readers, won’t have to. That is why I spent part of my Sunday afternoon with a lit candle in my ear. For the record, I did not purchase Wally’s Natural Ear Candles because I have an ear wax problem. Nor does Wally claim…
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A Chatbot Did Not Write This Column
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As you may have heard, the possibility that students are subcontracting their schoolwork to chatbots has academics in a tizzy. The concerns take two forms. One stems from the professoriate’s role as self-appointed guardians of the meritocracy. For grades and diplomas (and job offers and promotions – the whole meritocratic shebang) to mean anything, they…
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Happy Birthday to Me Is Really Happy Birthday to Us
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We all know adults who belittle birthdays. At a certain point, they say, older is not better. And being the birthday boy or girl is embarrassing in all kinds of ways: Being the center of attention. Having to thank people for gifts they don’t want and will never use. Having to be funny and humble…
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All Jobs Too Big
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If you’re familiar with “You Bet Your Life,” the quiz show Groucho Marx hosted after making all those delightfully ridiculous flicks with his sibs, you might recall what happened if one of his guests said the secret word: A duck, specifically a Groucho duck, would descend from on high bearing a $100 bill. I thought…
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Ol’ Rocking Chair’s Got Me
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I’m on my rocker. Well, not yet. My rocker awaits me in my office when I return from my summer travels. It’s my 25 Years of Service Award from my employer, the Pennsylvania State University. Yep, started in ‘98, the pre-tarnished days of Paterno, Sandusky and Spanier. The Jordan Center still had that new arena…