The world turned upside down: A look back at 2020

In 2020, Donald Trump was impeached by the United States House of Representatives and later acquitted by the United States Senate; The United Kingdom formally withdrew from the European Union; COVID-19 wreaked havoc on world health and economic systems; Massive protests erupted in the US in response to police brutality against minorities, particularly the death… Continue reading The world turned upside down: A look back at 2020

The year before the world turned upside down: A look back at 2019

In 2019: Pope Francis became the first pontiff to visit the Arabian peninsula; The Republic of Macedonia renamed itself the Republic of Northern Macedonia; Donald Trump and Kim Jong-Un met for the second time in Hanoi, Vietnam; Disney bought 21st Century Fox; Robert Mueller concluded his report into possible collusion between the Trump campaign and… Continue reading The year before the world turned upside down: A look back at 2019

The wall came tumbling down: A look back at 1989

In 1989: The Nissan Infiniti and Toyota Lexus debuted; George H.W. Bush was sworn in as the 41st President of the United States; Ayotollah Khomeini issued a fatwah against author Salman Rushdie; The Exxon Valdez ran aground and spilled 240,000 barrels of oil; Chinese students began massive protests in Tiananmen Square; Nintendo released the Gameboy;… Continue reading The wall came tumbling down: A look back at 1989

Mr. Holland smoked some locusts in the park with Adaline; now he’s departed

  Mr. Holland’s Opus (1995) Musician Glenn Holland (Richard Dreyfus) takes a temporary job as a music teacher, but, as his idol John Lennon once sang, “Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans.” After thirty years in this temporary job, Mr. Dreyfus is forced to retire. On his last day of school, a… Continue reading Mr. Holland smoked some locusts in the park with Adaline; now he’s departed

Dumbledore sings!

  The Singing Detective (1986) When mystery writer Philip Marlow (Michael Gambon) is hospitalized with debilitating psoriatic arthritis, a fever sends him into a delirium inspired by his novel The Singing Detective. As his condition deteriorates, he loses the ability to distinguish between his delirium, his memories, and his current life. Characters from his fictional mystery interact with characters… Continue reading Dumbledore sings!