Some Thoughts from a Proud Liberal Who has often been Skeptical of the Activist Left I thought I was smart, I thought I was right I thought it better not to fight I thought there was a virtue in always being cool So when it came time to fight, I thought I'll just step aside and … Continue reading Stop Trump →

Gentrification is an ongoing fact of life in Chicago that's too complicated for me to tackle here.  But I will say that on this walk, that fact presented itself in an obvious way.  This sign above, for me, says a lot: the area between Irving Park (4000 North) and Lawrence (4800 North) is generally referred … Continue reading Broadway Avenue, Chicago – Part 2 – Uptown/Buena Park →

I thought I'd breathe some life into the blog with some personal-experience writing.  Not like a "birth of my child"-type thing, and not a fire-breathing post about racism or libertarianism.  Just a 5-mile walk on a rainy day - or the first mile or so at least. Just what might seem like a very boring … Continue reading Broadway Avenue, Chicago – Part 1 – Introduction and Lakeview →

"...it's not the first time you have kidnapped Africans and enslaved them." "Are you ready to work with us?  Otherwise your situation is gonna be very bad," the [US interrogator] continued. "You know that I know that you know that I have done nothing."  I said.  "You're holding me because your country is strong enough to … Continue reading Guantanamo Diary and #blacklivesmatter →

I'm sure I'm not the only one whose mind went back to thoughts of watching HBO's The Wire after the recent events in Baltimore.  In fact, I know I'm not, because a student of mine shared a blog post from The Nation, by Dave Zirin, provocatively titled "'The Game Done Changed’: Reconsidering ‘The Wire’ Amidst the Baltimore … Continue reading Baltimore Real and Imagined →

In chess it can be very gratifying to weather the storm--i.e., to fend off an opponent's attack with precise, logical moves.  Even better if you can emerge from the skirmish with an advantage, something that happens often when players of my caliber, on the offensive, make mistakes or overextend themselves.  This is what I thought happened … Continue reading Weathering the Storm →

Chess is all about seeing the threats and possibilities that each new position affords.  That, it turns out, is an extraordinarily difficult thing to do.  Positions change constantly, and once you're through the 'opening' stage of the game odds are you'll find yourself in a position you've never seen before.  Seeing what to do--and what … Continue reading The Chess Project: Installment #7: The Back Rank Mate →

In chess the Queen is the most powerful piece on the board.  As the most powerful piece, it is, somewhat paradoxically, the most easily threatened, since it (usually) must flee when any other piece on the board (except for the Queen of opposing color, of course) threatens to capture it.  Because it's easily chased away … Continue reading The Chess Project : Installment #6 : The Overeager Queen →

Fred Reinfeld was a popular American chess writer in the second half of the 20th century, and a pretty accomplished player in his own right.  He wrote scores of books on chess, addressed primarily to players at the advanced beginning-intermediate level.  Unlike a lot of other chess books I've looked at which claim to be … Continue reading The Chess Project: Installment #5: Reinfeld’s Nine Bad Moves →