CohenConnect.com, Honest, accurate & outspoken: Lenny's thoughts on this world of ours
"These are the times to remember" (Billy Joel lyrics pluralized)
If you want to do something well, watch someone else do it. That’s the way to improve in most skills in life. That’s one reason I read Scott Jones’ blog, FTVLive.com. Say what you want about him or his spelling, but he’s usually right on the money when it comes to facts, and won’t make … Continue reading Reports: Nexstar says no to WPIX-NY, WSFL-Miami
It’s Jan. 11 and that means today marks four years since my very first blog post at http://www.CohenConnect.com. Back then, when I started, I was still in Florida. Being new in Bristol & the Tri-Cities March 8, 2015 Getting settled at home March 14, 2015 Getting settled at work March 15, 2015 Getting settled in Bristol March 16, 2015 I hadn’t yet moved … Continue reading Anniversary means time to start something new
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!
It was 20 years ago tonight. Not exactly. It was actually four days off, on Nov. 25, but what really matters is it was the night before Thanksgiving in 1998. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AuVRhuk8kmQ I had been producing the 11pm news at CBS affiliate WFSB-3 in Connecticut. It was my last newscast there, before moving to Philadelphia – … Continue reading The end of an era, and beginning of this one (Part A of this one)
I don’t remember a seven-day period like the time since last Saturday. That’s when I woke up, turned on the TV, and saw what was happening in Pittsburgh. I got very angry and couldn’t stand to hear anything about it after two hours. It took until Wednesday for the anger to turn to sadness. I … Continue reading Difficult week, from anger to sadness, as election approaches
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
Today, I found out some news about someone who went to school with me, pretty much since kindergarten. In fact, I think he lived two blocks away. I probably haven’t seen him since junior high, which is what we called middle school in those days. He was very smart and probably could’ve done anything. Eventually, … Continue reading Thinking about teacher’s child porn trouble and my old school’s website
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
Several times a year, before elections, a man in Florida emails me about who to support in elections down there. The goal is to receive money (Isn’t that everyone’s?) for private schools. In this case, it’s Jewish religious schools. And that’s despite public schools being free for everyone – Jews too – and paid for … Continue reading The case against us all paying for private schools
It’s a happy moment at CohenConnect.com. (Online definition of moment: “a very brief period of time.” The italics are mine.) September’s blog numbers were high with more than a thousand views, despite the fact I only published four posts. (I know. I have to do better on that. And I can’t complain about the time, but … Continue reading News starting out good but going downhill fast
President Trump's Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh will be giving the Senate Judiciary Committee calendars from 1982 to back up his continued denial of sexually assaulting Christine Blasey Ford. That’s according to The New York Times, late Sunday afternoon. The year 1982 was 36 years ago. Do you have your calendar from back then? Heck, … Continue reading Clarence Thomas, Brett Kavanaugh, justice and becoming a Justice
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
I don’t know, but I’m pretty sure you’ve had a busy week, between getting used to having your kids in school or planning what to do on this long holiday weekend. Sorry for the folks in “sunny Florida” with plans ruined while dealing with Tropical Storm Gordon. (But you're welcome for this souvenir to help … Continue reading Labor Day weekend leftovers
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
What a morning, and I hadn’t even gotten to the vet’s office! It was time for Frisky’s first annual physical. That’s not counting the office visit she had a year ago, after I adopted her from Morris Animal Refuge on Clear the Shelters Day. Frisky has always been a tough one. She was only four … Continue reading Not the typical pet, not the typical vet appointment
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
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)!
The Federal Communications Commission has a very important mission, but it’s not being fulfilled. In fact, the opposite has been happening over the past few days and it’ll likely lead to less children’s programming – and less attention when you complain about your TV, phone company or internet service provider. The FCC says its mission … Continue reading The FCC’s war on American children, adults
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
Aug. 26, 2018 UPDATE: Grave marker raised and leveled, in early August. I may be back in a few weeks. I don't go on many vacations and didn't plan to write a blog on this one, but the most unusual thing happened while trying to visit my grandfather's grave at the cemetery in Royal Oak, Michigan. … Continue reading Grave situation for hours outside Detroit
I hate lazy people (and stupid ones, but that’s a blog for another time). I can understand being sick. Last year, I showed up to work sick for three weeks since I wasn't contagious and learned two lessons. First, I wasn't appreciated and second, going to the doctor instead of assuming the bug would go … Continue reading The lousiness of laziness and liars
First, I want to thank you for all your reading. This is my 99th blog and so far there have been more than 14,100 page views. Dozens of you are reading and clicking more than once, even when I don't post anything, and the numbers have really been going up. Reading above what's above would good … Continue reading Follow-Up Friday, plus David Hogg defeats Publix
Most of us strive for perfection. Some of us do it too hard, and it can affect our well-being. On the other hand, there are people who just don’t know any better, or worse, don’t care. I don’t watch TV nearly as much as I used to, especially newer shows, shows not on network TV, … Continue reading The Big Bang Theory’s wedding episode succeeded where Publix failed
There's never a good time to write a story like this. We know there has been a school shooting in Texas, apparently between Houston and Galveston, and at least eight people have been killed. It's a tragedy. We can blame security, gun laws, the National Rifle Association, and so on. That's not my point right … Continue reading It happened again, and again
I don’t know about you but yesterday, I couldn’t stop “hearing” about what the people who listened to a certain audio file heard. Most insisted it was one thing: just not the same thing. That became the Yanny-Laurel debate. What you think you heard became the side you were on. Sometimes listeners even switched teams. … Continue reading Forget Laurel and Yanny. Did Cecily call Adam a moron?
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
