A Call for Revolution?

I don’t know whether to laugh or cry. Sometimes, I find myself shaking my head and chuckling at what appear to be mere antics of what surely must be just a few, confused, ignorant individuals. Then, I worry that these may really be well-meaning, otherwise intelligent people who sincerely believe in what they are doing. …

The Man Who Will Come – A Movie Review

The Man Who Will Come is a film of potent and disturbing contrasts—the breathtaking beauty of the Italian countryside and the innocence of childhood, set against unfathomable evil and the darkness of the human soul that is often brought to life in war. It is a tale created to depict an historical incident—a massacre of …

Never Means Never

It was appropriate that our nation collectively recognized the tenth anniversary of the September 11th tragedy. The official dedication of the Ground Zero Memorial and the many ceremonies that paid homage were befitting as well. It is important that the date of September 11 always be a date of remembrance. Yet, this is now October—so …

Autumn Spring

The Lamorinda Film & Entertainment Foundation Presents An Exclusive East Bay Premier Film Screening On the surface, the storyline of Autumn Spring seems simple enough—two older men, having some fun, being a bit naughty. A couple of pranksters with no intent to malign, they’re not quite careful enough as their high jinks sometime backfire, creating …

Welcome – September 2011

Return to The Golden Era When was the last time you experienced the thrill of going to the movies in a real movie theatre? I don’t mean one of those factory cut-out, black box rooms where you can hear the sound of the other four films showing on either side of, above and below you—I …

BEN ARRIVATO!

Welcome… to the “Italian Issue” of ALIVE, as this month our lead story chronicles the history and influence of Italian Americans in the East Bay. Our feature article (page 16), appropriately penned by Anita Venezia, was motivated in large part by author Rick Malaspina’s terrific book, Images ofAmerica—Italian Oakland. The photographs that give Anita’s story …

Welcome – July 2011

This month we have a great story of historical importance by Bob Fish about the Suisun Bay’s Mothball Fleet. Once home to Howard Hughes’ mysterious, CIA commissioned Glomar Explorer, while the fleet has diminished in number over the years, it is still home to a few intriguing vessels including the battleship, USS Iowa and the …

Invent Your Job

Several weeks ago, I had the privilege of attending the Tulane University Commencement—a proud uncle of my niece, Emily, who emerged from the event a doctor of medicine. The event’s keynote speaker was Pulitzer Prize winning author and New York Times columnist, Thomas Friedman. While I would consider myself some distance to the right of …

US Employers on Notice: The “ICE” Age is Coming

When most Americans hear about immigration policy or “undocumented workers,” a debate of some sort generally ensues. “They do the work most American’s won’t do,” you hear, or, “these are good people who have come here just to do their best for their families.” The debate is mostly framed by perceptions promoted by the media, …

A World With Walls

One of the more memorable dialogue exchanges of any movie takes place near the end of the 1992 film, A Few Good Men. If you’ve seen the film you certainly remember the “You can’t handle the truth” answer, so powerfully delivered by Jack Nicholson in his portrayal of Colonel Nathan Jessep, after Lieutenant Kaffee’s (Tom …

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