Sometimes a concert becomes something more than a concert.
What I expected to be a bucket-list Bruce Springsteen show in Brooklyn turned into a reflection on patriotism, community, and hope in a deeply divided America. This essay explores why Springsteen's music still resonates—and why I left the arena feeling more optimistic than when I arrived.
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A night with Bruce Springsteen became a reflection on patriotism, community, and hope in divided times.
One of the most interesting questions in American politics is whether electoral success is the same thing as political competence.
Donald Trump has repeatedly survived controversies that many believed would end his political career. But surviving isn't necessarily the same as governing well.
In my latest article, I look at the disconnect between Trump's ability to defy expectations and a record of political decisions that may ultimately cost the Republican Party.
Read the full piece here:
A president who never learned to govern kept winning anyway. It has already cost the country; what price will his party pay next?
What do you think—is political resilience a sign of strategic brilliance, or can it simply postpone the consequences of poor decision-making?
With Rush returning to the stage this weekend, I decided to prepare by listening to all 19 studio albums in chronological order.
What started as concert prep became a journey through nearly five decades of music, from the hard-rock roots of the debut album to the farewell statement of Clockwork Angels. Along the way, I ranked every studio release and reflected on the partnership between Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson, and Neil Peart that made it all possible.
One thing became clear: every album contributed something lasting to the band's legacy.
I wrote about the experience here:
As Rush returns to the stage, a reflective look at their recorded history and the enduring spirit behind their sound.
I'd love to hear how other fans would rank the albums.
Trump's Strategic Misfires: Snatching Defeat from Victory in California
California's top-two primary system created a scenario that many observers thought could produce an all-Republican general election for governor—a remarkable possibility in one of the nation's bluest states.
Instead, a high-profile endorsement may have altered the balance of the race and reduced the chances of that outcome.
This article explores California's political evolution, the legacy of Pete Wilson-era immigration politics, and whether Donald Trump's political instincts are becoming a liability for his own party.
Sometimes the hardest strategic move is doing nothing at all.
LAUSD voters are heading to the polls at a moment of uncertainty for the nation's second-largest school district.
With layoffs looming, Superintendent Carvalho on paid leave while under federal investigation, and ongoing debates about charter school oversight, the next school board will face enormous challenges.
In my latest article, I explain why I'm endorsing Ankur Patel in Board District 4 and Dr. Rocío Rivas in Board District 2. I also discuss the importance of special education advocacy, transparency, and accountability as the district navigates the years ahead.
With layoffs, investigations, and weak oversight, LAUSD voters face critical choices in Tuesday’s election.
LAUSD serves a large population of students who rely on Special Education services—yet it rarely comes up in meaningful detail during school board elections.
To try to bring more clarity to the June 2, 2026 race, I sent six questions about Special Education to every candidate running for LAUSD School Board. The questions focused on IEP services, funding, charter school enrollment disparities, accountability, and how families navigate the system.
So far, only Board District 4 candidate Ankur Patel has responded.
His answers are here for anyone who wants to understand where at least one candidate stands on these issues before voting.
What voters should know about Patel’s experiences, priorities, and ideas for strengthening Special Education in LAUSD.
Special Education is often discussed in terms of budgets and policy frameworks, but for families it’s something much more immediate: whether services are actually delivered, whether support staff are available, and whether schools are equipped to meet students where they are.
This conversation doesn’t happen enough in LAUSD politics. It probably should.
Instead, he’s launched a new conflict that’s already destabilizing global markets and raising serious questions about America’s diminishing influence.
In Part 2 of my Trump’s Strategic Misfires series, I look at how Trump went from the candidate who promised peace to the president who is now escalating a war with no clear endgame — and why the political fallout may be just beginning.
Trump vowed to stop endless wars. Instead, he has ignited a new conflict, destabilizing markets and raising questions about U.S. leadership.
Trump’s Mid-Cycle Redistricting Push Is Turning Into a National Arms Race
Redistricting is suddenly one of the biggest political stories of this election cycle — and it’s reshaping power in real time.
Trump’s push for mid-cycle redistricting was meant to protect Republicans from the usual midterm backlash. Instead, it triggered a predictable chain reaction: red states pushed aggressive gerrymanders, blue states responded with counter-maps, and the result is a nationwide tit-for-tat that may ultimately cancel out the advantage Trump hoped to create.
But the bigger risk is this: these maps assume voter coalitions stay frozen in place.
If key groups continue shifting — especially Hispanic voters reacting to Trump’s immigration crackdowns — some of these “safe” districts could become dummymanders, collapsing the moment turnout and voting behavior changes.
I break down how this battle unfolded, why it may backfire politically, and why redistricting could end up energizing the very voters Republicans were trying to neutralize.
Full article:
The President’s redistricting push sparked a partisan arms race, but shifting coalitions may turn his gains into liabilities.
Schools talk a lot about inclusion, but too often we still fail students with neurological disabilities—not through policy, but through ignorance, stigma, and public shaming.
I wrote this article after remembering a moment from high school finals week, when a student with Tourette’s became the center of attention because teachers weren’t prepared and didn’t understand what they were hearing. That memory came back after reading about a Tourette’s advocate who was humiliated on live television when his involuntary tics were broadcast without any safeguards.
As the father of a daughter diagnosed with Tourette’s and severe autism, I’ve seen firsthand how easily society labels involuntary neurological symptoms as “disruptive behavior.”
We’ve gotten better at building ramps and removing physical barriers. But we still have a long way to go when it comes to neurological inclusion in schools and public spaces.
Shaming the Uncontrollable
We’ve removed physical barriers, but the stigma surrounding neurological disabilities remains a persistent injustice.
Ever get the feeling Marty forgot to fix something on our timeline?
Between the branding, the renaming, and the effort to stamp one man’s name onto public institutions, it’s starting to feel like we’re living in the Biff Tannen version of America.
I wrote about it here:
The Legacy Trump Is Building for Himself
A president's quest for legacy - and the public memory he cannot control
After nearly 40 years in Los Angeles, I got used to a life where the seasons barely changed. Moving to Washington State brought them back — along with a sense of wonder I didn’t realize I had lost.
This essay is about snow, springtime renewal, and learning to notice the small changes outside my window again.
Leaving behind endless sunshine, I found something unexpected in winter snow and spring renewal.
In 1983, I saw Journey live on the Frontiers tour — and the crowd reaction was one of the closest things I’ve ever experienced to Beatlemania-level hysteria.
That Journey is gone.
In this new article, I look back at what made the band feel unstoppable in the early ’80s, how lineup changes and internal conflict slowly unraveled that chemistry, and why their current “final tour” feels more like a farewell to a name than the band that once defined arena rock.
📌 Read here:
While the band once inspired near-Beatlemania, the Journey I saw in 1983 is gone, and this final tour won’t bring it back.
Rob Hirst wasn’t just the drummer for Midnight Oil — he was the pulse behind one of the most politically distinctive bands in rock history. His drumming gave the band’s message urgency and power, and his role deserves far more recognition than he typically gets.
Trump has always been obsessed with being admired — but lately it feels like he’s trying to force history to remember him the way he wants, by stamping his name onto government institutions and public symbols while he’s still alive.
This piece looks at Trump’s legacy project, the authoritarian-style aesthetics behind it, and why public memory doesn’t work the way he seems to think it does.
Read here:
A president's quest for legacy - and the public memory he cannot control
Internal district correspondence shows LAUSD School Board members were warned months before the PROP-28 lawsuit that the district may be violating the law — yet they failed to intervene.
Superintendent Alberto Carvalho has publicly claimed PROP-28 funds are being used only for new arts programs. But an August 2024 Board Informative states the district prioritized PROP-28 funds to cover existing staff, raising serious questions about whether LAUSD is supplanting funding voters intended to expand arts education.
This isn’t just about Carvalho. It’s about a School Board that refused to do its most basic job: oversight.
Full article:
Internal correspondence shows the Board was warned about PROP-28 violations months before the lawsuit and allowed litigation to continue.
