CohenConnect.com, Honest, accurate & outspoken: Lenny's thoughts on this world of ours
"These are the times to remember" (Billy Joel lyrics pluralized)
Tomorrow will be a month since my last actual blog post. I’ve been very busy working and also spent a little time in Florida to welcome my new niece, and say “good-bye” (lehitra’ot) to her and the others in my brother and sister-in-law’s family, who will be moving to Israel in two-and-a-half weeks. During the … Continue reading Pre-election politics in Israel, and where I’ve been
Sometimes, interesting things happen when you read friends’ Facebook pages. I’m not talking about going to look on purpose, which I’ve done before. I’m just referring to seeing something on your news feed and clicking on it. That got me, as the title clearly says, banned from Facebook pages twice in 2 days! The one … Continue reading Banned from Facebook pages twice in 2 days!
My interest started when I was looking at my Facebook feed over the weekend and saw this post from a former coworker. Obviously, we’re Facebook friends. Otherwise, his post wouldn't have come up. He’s a former Marine. We’d always worked well together and even though he is the most right-wing person I know, he’d never … Continue reading Exposing hate, close to home (as if acceptable anywhere)
THANK YOU! I don’t know what else to say. There’s nothing special about hitting 20,000 blog page views except that it’s a big round number. The blog is a hobby and will be four years old next month. It’s just a way for me to practice writing, learn better use of the web in blog … Continue reading Blogging better in 2019 after hitting 20,000 views in 2018
Philadelphia is a great place to live. It has so much, so close-by: history, museums, sports. It’s walkable, livable, has green space. No, it didn’t get Amazon’s HQ2 and yes, it’s often overshadowed by New York and Washington. Too bad it has people in charge who don’t care about serving the public. This goes along … Continue reading Level-headed moderation needed now in The Birthplace of America
I’ve known I had another blog post “due” before the election, if you know how I think, but too much on my mind and so much going on – personally and in the news – to actually do it. After this morning’s attack in a Pittsburgh neighborhood where I have family and have been to … Continue reading Not a good day for political thoughts, the USA as a whole
The “game” of politics is no fun anymore. Discussing anything having to do with it used to be educating and entertaining, and sometimes enlightening, among friends and on social media. Not anymore. These days, it’s all for the kill. Saturday, NBC Nightly News showed skirmishes in New York and Portland, Oregon. As correspondent Matt Bradley … Continue reading Political pondering, 3 weeks before Election Day
I try not to go more than a week without posting something. Unfortunately, it has been 11 days dues to holidays that won’t be letting up anytime soon, and also my IT support specialist classes. (Last night, I finished Course 2, Week 1, out of 5 courses.) I just don’t like blogs that give a … Continue reading Eric Trump and his shekels
There are just 69 days until the midterm elections (for those of you who really explored all around this all-around great blog to see what's new and what it has offered for so long, like relevant countdowns) and Florida held its primary yesterday. The ballot was packed and perhaps the biggest race was for Democratic … Continue reading Ron DeSantis didn’t learn from Roseanne Barr
It’s either coincidence, karma or a higher power when things come together in ways previously thought impossible. This weekend, Jewish people around the world read the Torah portion Shofetim (שֹׁפְטִים, or “Judges,” comprising Deuteronomy 16:18–21:9). The best-known line in it is the third, “Justice, justice shall you pursue” (צֶ֥דֶק צֶ֖דֶק תִּרְדֹּ֑ף, Deut. 16:20). Shofetim also … Continue reading Sanctions against Sinclair? Sounds justified
It’s a great day in broadcasting, or as great as things can get in this day and age. There will be no merger between Sinclair Broadcast Group and Tribune Media. Today, according to Axios, Tribune announced it “terminated its $3.9 billion merger agreement with Sinclair Broadcasting and that it has filed a lawsuit for breach … Continue reading Tribune to Sinclair: Judge’s gavel instead of merger’s handshake
There’s something to be said for waiting before starting to write. That’s not my nature. I want to get things out first. I type very well but nobody can do it as quickly as my brain, so I often dictate into a phone and email myself. Then, I make any corrections and additions, and create … Continue reading Sinclair sinks, Trump’s temper, Cox’s cash value
This was starting to get a little hard to keep track of, and I wrote most of this last night. Good thing I waited to publish, because I had to really rewrite today! It’s looking like the big media merger I’ve been writing about so frequently may not happen! Even better, it looks like one … Continue reading Big merger, big problem, big surprise!
I’ve had a lot on my mind lately. There’s too much going on, between job stuff, the news and that last blog post I wrote. It was about being attacked on Facebook by someone who was angry I don't think Barack Obama is my favorite president and made nasty knee-jerk comments when I simply asked … Continue reading More moderation in politics, not so in casting calls
I tend to stay away from politics that I really, really care about -- simply due to my background as a journalist and the habit it created over all these years. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Ncv7QZqwxc But yesterday, while waiting for the final Bastille Day celebration at Eastern State Penitentiary which we ended up not even waiting for because … Continue reading You may be right but don’t let some on the left know (and vice versa)!
NOTE: Shortly before publishing, Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy announced he'll retire effective July 31. According to Axios, that'll give President Donald Trump “a chance to pull the court significantly to the right for decades to come. This is seismic — for politics as a whole, for the court and, ultimately, for the millions of Americans … Continue reading The necessity of public unions, now no chance for compromise
First, happy Mother's Day to everyone to whom that applies. I hope you're having a great day! Second, today is also the celebration of Yom Yerushalayim, or Jerusalem Day. It's the Hebrew anniversary of when the Israelis recaptured the eastern/holy part of the city in the Six-Day War of 1967. It's where no Arab country's leader … Continue reading In defense: The good Facebook can do when used by the right people
I hope you’ve had a terrific Tuesday! I have a few thoughts (just a few) I figured I’d get out today. This morning, Axios reported several news websites “launched new paywalls within the past year.” Sorry! (But not this one.) It named Bloomberg, Vanity Fair, Wired, Business Insider and The Atlantic, and added, “Legacy institutions like The New York Times, The Wall … Continue reading Paying for news, one candidate’s free airtime and asking for your comments
I've avoided writing much about Sinclair Broadcast Group trying to buy Tribune Media because I’ve been busy and I don't want to jinx any possibility the merger will fall through. But there has been some news, and the biggest for a local TV market could be Miami/Fort Lauderdale (of course!). You’ll remember, one of the … Continue reading Media mega-merger may be moving closer, impacting Miami
I’m actually going to start optimistically and thank you for reading. The blog is getting very close and may have 12,000 hits after this post. (It's at 11,927 as I start formatting at 7:11pm). Please, if you haven’t, subscribe with your email address or WordPress account. There are places on the right side of your … Continue reading Salaries, senators and a spat between a Fox News host and the A.P.
Listen to this. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJbGCZuB0rM&feature=youtu.be Ever heard anything so absurd? It’s not “Follow the Leader” because there is no leader. There are local TV news anchors. I don’t think one of them wants to be on the air reciting the crap their corporate bosses ordered them to do. Not even their managers on the job site. … Continue reading My urge: Follow your conscience, despite the cost
It's nice when Americans exercise their First Amendment rights (freedom of religion, speech, the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances) with good intentions, and that should be encouraged. Last Saturday, many in the country were shocked after March for Our Lives rallies were … Continue reading Tiffany Trump’s trouble, what unions could do to Amazon and the media
People who know me can never, ever say I’m not loyal to people I like and respect. You’ll see that in a moment, along with an example of the opposite. (Is your mouth watering yet?) Yesterday, one of Philadelphia’s daily newspapers published an article called “Is the morning news format that fuels Mike Jerrick's 'weird … Continue reading Be nicer to Mike Jerrick, and other thoughts on what’s making news
They haven’t been “Fair and Balanced” in a while but stating Monday, Fox News will be marketing itself as “Real News. Real Honest Opinion.” Yesterday, Ad Age magazine made the announcement. It’ll start with Fox’s own properties and then perhaps go elsewhere. The change follows the huge “revelation of sexual harassment allegations” that got Fox … Continue reading Fox News: Really ‘Real News. Real Honest Opinion’?
First, I want to go thank and apologize to everyone who read my last post. It was way too long. Yes, it contained what I think was good information on several subjects. It happened to be on a snow day and I had nothing better to do then let out some of what I was … Continue reading Call to action: Help stop Sinclair from taking over Tribune
Gotta love a snow day if you don’t have anywhere to be. Yes, I have a busy week ahead and things to prepare, but they don’t require going out. The TV people were right this time. It’s almost 1pm and I’m supposedly getting 3 inches of snow an hour, which should end up as 6-10 … Continue reading Flakes and facts, lots on my mind
Did I just write that headline? There's lots on my mind (too often, and that's between me and my medical professional, and I'll get to the rest another time), but I'm going to limit myself to what just happened in southern and northern Florida over the past few days, since last week's massacre at Marjory Stoneman … Continue reading Parkland now, but North Miami Beach proud!
Time for the obvious, yet again. News organizations post their news on Facebook and other social media sites. Those articles, videos, slideshows, etc. also get picked up on search sites like Google, Yahoo and Bing (Microsoft). If they use the correct SEOs (Search Engine Optimization words) and have a little luck (or pay a … Continue reading Don’t post your content on Facebook if you don’t want readers getting it for free!
Last night, I did something I rarely do: open a Facebook post to the public, rather than just friends. Today, I'm blogging about the online battle that followed, something I hadn't planned to do. The story was about one of the hosts of a show on the DIY Network -- part of Scripps Networks Interactive … Continue reading Sad stereotypes too strong to silence (for now)
By now, I'm sure you realize I'm a fan of the underdog. Fly, Philadelphia Eagles, fly! I also strongly believe in holding people in high positions accountable for their acts, even off the clock. Can’t deny that after the recent string of sexual harassment allegations and confessions from some of the smartest and most talented people in … Continue reading The rights of TV station owners vs. the public