By Judi Markowitz / Detroit The regulars at Lakeview Bar and Grill belting it out on a recent Friday night If you like to sing, karaoke just might be your thing. Karaoke, which originated in Kobe, Japan in 1971, means singing without music in Japanese. The word translates to “empty or missing orchestra.” New York, California, and Illinois have the largest number of karaoke establishments in the U.S. and Asia is the karaoke capital of the world. Superstars such as Taylor Swift, Mary J. Blige, and Arnel Pineda, the new lead singer in the legendary rock band Journey, all jump-started their careers by singing karaoke. My husband Jeffrey and I recently visited Lakeview Bar and Grill in Novi, Mich. and witnessed the joy and passion as patrons sang their hearts out with the assistance of a DJ and a karaoke machine. The excitement in the air was palpable as people mingled and ate a satisfying meal. It’s definitely an upbeat atmosphere. Jeffrey and I sat at a table with a clear view of the dance floor and the karaoke participants. Frieda Igol is the owner of this well-known establishment. Her husband Jay bought the bar and grill 31 years ago, in 1992. When asked what motivated Jay to make this purchase, Frieda tells me, “He liked the bar business and was a people person. The customers loved him.” Sadly, Jay passed away in 2021 after a prolonged illness. When Jay’s health began to decline, Frieda, who was retired and never had worked at a restaurant before, took on the challenge. She grew to love the customers and became close friends with many of them. Says Frieda, “they are like family.” It's not surprising that Lakeview has a solid reputation for its food — trout, steak and burgers are its specialties. Adds Frieda, “It’s a difficult business. It’s hard to find reliable help and keep the employees happy.” But she certainly knows how to keep the patrons engaged. There are activities three times a week — Juke Box Bingo, Trivia, and of course Karaoke. Frieda says that the customers love to sing karaoke and dance too. Friday nights are dedicated to the regulars, who enjoy performing in front of a crowd. Bobby Rutherford, her close friend and a builder, knows all the intricacies of the business. He’s been part of its fabric for 30 years and ensures that everything runs smoothly when it comes to repairs and maintenance. Frieda tells me, “Bobby is my work husband.” I watched as Bobby and Amanda Nelson, the night manager and bartender, sang together. When I caught up with them, Amanda tells me, “Fridays are a bit crazy — it’s a full house and the regulars are loyal.” Bobby, who lives down the street from the bar, tells me he started coming to Lakeview as a customer. He explains that Lakeview was special and says, “There aren’t too many good corner bars left.” Right from the start, Bobby’s longstanding relationship with Jay, the owner, was forged. Bobby recalls, “I saw him spending too much on repairs, so I started to help out. I saved them money. Jay and I became very close.” When Jay’s health was declining, he asked Bobby to look after Frieda and the bar. “He knew he was dying and promises made are promises kept.” Says Bobby, “I will do anything for Frieda — Jay’s soul lives on at this bar.” After this conversation, all I could think of was Cheers, the popular sitcom that ran from 1982 to 1993. I’ve probably watched every episode and some reruns as well. The camaraderie and welcoming atmosphere at Lakeview is unmistakable — the words from Cheers theme song reverberate in my mind. “Be glad there’s one place in the world Where everybody knows your name And they’re always glad you came You want to go where people know People are all the same You want to go where everybody knows your name.” There are three names the patrons of the bar are well acquainted with — Tricia (Pat), Peter and Kevan Shink. They heard about Lakeview through word of mouth and have been joining in the fun for nine months straight —every Friday night. Tricia comments, “My voice isn’t the same as it used to be, but when singing I feel accomplished — I’m a serious participant.” Her husband likes to perform with their adult son Kevan, who is disabled and uses a walker to get around. Tricia and Peter both beam with pride when they declare,” Kevan has the best voice in the family.” Peter confides that he’s usually an introvert and karaoke makes him feel free. He tells me, “I like to take on the alter ego of the actual musicians recording when I sing — it’s fun.” He reminds me of Mick Jagger when I watch him sing. The dancing duo; Suzi Wiener and Fran Parker Dancers also take the stage as the karaoke singers perform. Suzi Wiener, dubbed “that 70’s hip chick” and Fran Parker, known as “Jumping Bean,” have been coming to the bar for Friday night fun for years. Fran says “I’m in my element at the bar. I feel exhilarated dancing and singing.” Suzi adds, “My mom used to sing ‘Young at Heart’ and that’s how we feel coming to Lakeview.” David, Suzi’s husband is a dedicated performer—at a karaoke bar or any other musical event, he takes center stage. They are longtime customers of Lakeview Bar and Grill—over a decade of rock ‘n’ rolling and singing to the beat of their favorite tunes. Suzi tells me, “We originally came for the trout, and it was delicious. And then we found out that they had karaoke and it’s been our favorite to come here with other couples on a Friday evening. It’s a nice, comfortable bar atmosphere.” David’s bother Jack has joined in the experience ever since he moved back from California a few years ago. Having to make new friends isn’t easy and Jack explains, “The people I have been introduced to at Lakeview are very welcoming. I’ve made some nice connections.” A bar story wouldn’t be complete without a bit of romance. Linda and Phil have been patronizing Lakeview for over eight years — it’s a karaoke love story. According to Linda, “We had just broken up with our respective partners and came to the bar for a fun night out. I had to push myself to leave my house. I met Phil and we’ve been together since.” Larry Bliss performing I made my way to a table at the front of the bar. I couldn’t help but marvel at two performers who were quite accomplished. Larry Bliss has been frequenting the bar for over five years. When I ask why he started coming to Lakeview, Larry has an interesting story: “A group of my childhood friends saw each other, after many years, at a funeral. We had lost one of our own. The group agreed that our connection would not be broken again and came to Lakeview for some fun on Friday nights. We’re still here.” Larry sings and plays the harmonica. He’s a five-year regular and “loves it” when performing. Ironically, his third cousin, Henry Feinberg, can be found at the bar most weekends with his wife Lynn —Henry plays the harmonica too. Henry discovered that Larry was related to him through Ancestry.com. Henry Feinberg crooning "Rebel" and playing the harmonica They grew up in Oak Park, Mich., went to the same schools and didn’t know each other. When Henry contacted Larry and discussed their connection, Larry invited them to the bar — Henry and Lynn have been going since the fall of 2022. Lynn Feinberg singing "I'll Be Around" Henry and Lynn are professional musicians, and the bar provides them with an opportunity to try out prospective material. Henry is a teacher and confides, “I can’t believe I get paid for doing what I love.” Henry then adds, “The bar is in a beautiful setting — right across the street from Walled Lake. I feel alive with the music. I will perform any place, any time.” Lynn has been singing professionally since she was 18 years old. She tells me, “I’m game for most things. When Henry and I were younger we traveled around Europe and sang on the streets. This place is like no other. The friendly people, the music, and the wide range of performers, many 60- to 80-years-old,—absolutely amazing.” As I looked around the bar, it was refreshing to see patrons from all different walks of life — working, retired, young and old. Age is not a factor at Lakeview Bar and Grill. People come to enjoy a slice of paradise for the evening — “and to forget about life for a while.” The performers are in an environment where they can feel safe regardless of their singing ability. It’s a community of acceptance and the crowd applauds each participant. Larry Francis is no exception. After performing for 12 years, Larry is a seasoned veteran — he’s 84-years-young. He was the first performer of the evening and a hard act to follow. Larry is confident and animated as he grabs the microphone and belts out his tune. Says Larry, “It’s a nice rendezvous coming to the bar. I’m not nervous when singing and I feel part of the crowd. I look forward to Friday nights.” Ted Herkowitz sings "Can't Help Falling in Love" with gusto Larry isn’t the only one who likes to take a break from the mundane. Ted Herkowitz started coming to Lakeview last January. I ask what he enjoys the most about the bar and he replies, “ I like singing and karaoke gives me the opportunity I wouldn’t ordinarily have.” Playing the harmonica has been a pastime favorite and I started to take a few lessons since coming here. I like meeting new people as well. It’s just fun.” Gayle, Ted’s wife, comments about the atmosphere of the bar. She says, “It’s an exciting place and I have reconnected with many old friends.” When I inquire if Gayle participates in karaoke, her response is quick, “I’m just a watcher, but it’s amazing to see how many people like to sing, even if they can’t carry a tune.” My husband Jeffrey sat next to a patron I know well who enjoys people watching too. Ziggy Glaser tells him, “I came to Lakeview initially to mingle with my old buddies —that was the magnet that pulled me in.” Ziggy admits, “I’m a four-year regular and I have been holding back on singing. But who knows, I can dream on.” At the end of the evening, no matter how many people I chatted with— they all responded with the same song and dance — no pun intended. Everyone came to Lakeview Bar and Grill for unbridled fun, meeting up with old and new friends, and enjoying a solid meal with a few drinks. But the crown jewel of the evening was watching the performances — whether people had talent or not. Karaoke at Lakeview Bar and Grill — it’s the place to be on a Friday night! Judi Markowitz is a retired high school English teacher of 34 years. She primarily taught 12th grade and had the pleasure of her three sons gracing her classes. In addition, she taught debate, forensics, and Detroit film. Judi has four adult children and seven wonderful grandchildren. She is married to Jeffrey Markowitz, whom she met in high school. Judi grew up in Oak Park, Mich. which had a stellar school district, with excellent teachers. The city provided activities for all–and there were even sidewalks. Judi moved to Huntington Woods as an adult, which is a half mile from her childhood home. She wanted the same experience for her children as she had growing up, and Huntington Woods provided that. The View from Four Foot Two is Judi’s first book.

By Judi Markowitz / Detroit MUNICIPAL MEMORIES: Jerry Naftaly served as Mayor of Oak Park, Mich. for 20 years London has Charles Dickens. Paris has Victor Hugo. Rome has Virgil. And Oak Park has Jerry Naftaly. He has become the personification of this 30,000-citizen suburb of Detroit. If you asked a hundred people, both current residents and expats, who has earned the moniker Mr. Oak Park, a goodly number would answer ‘Jerry Naftaly.” He has given his adult life to the city. I had the honor of graduating with the future mayor of Oak Park in 1970. Sitting in the auditorium of Detroit’s Masonic Temple, waiting to receive his diploma, did Jerry already know that politics would be in his future? He would soon go on to become a 14-year council member, Then, at the age of 39, he would become the youngest person ever elected to the office of mayor. Jerry’s long electoral winning streak–20 years, to be exact–couldn’t last forever and it didn’t. But as a result of his tenacity and civic dedication, he has continued to be the face of the city for many people. Through public service, good deeds and creative projects, Jerry has remained the colorful embodiment of his beloved hometown How much did Jerry love growing up in Oak Park? Let me count the ways. When we got together at Zoe’s House of Pancakes a few weeks ago, Jerry shared fond memories of sledding down Hamilton Hill and ice skating on the outdoor rink in the winter, and playing T-Ball and Little League baseball, and swimming in the community pool when the weather got warm. He also has sharp recollections of the many programs for children and teens offered at the community center as well as at the library. Says Jerry, “There was rarely a time when my friends and I lacked for an activity to join. The sports, the schools, the people—Oak Park was the full package.” Jerry was on the march early. When he was still in high school, he started a stock club. The members were told by the directors of the National Association of Investment Clubs that they were the youngest stock club in Michigan and beyond. The club was a natural fit as Jerry, at 16 years old, was then employed at the Geller, Naftaly C.P.A. firm in Oak Park. It was his brother Bob and Uncle Sam Geller’s business and Jerry’s interest in finances was becoming serious. He was considering a career in accounting. Jerry began attending Wayne State University in Detroit in 1970. At the time, there was an energy crisis with gas shortages and soaring prices—like today. Jerry thought there had to be a solution for his immediate problem — commuting back and forth to college without breaking the bank. That’s when his political interests first surfaced. Jerry contacted Southeast Michigan Transportation Authority (SEMTA) and discussed the idea of making Oak Park a drop-off point, park and ride, so that students could commute to Wayne State for a reasonable fare. But that wasn’t the end of Jerry’s plan. He took it further by contacting WSU officials for support and the Provost appointed Jerry to a transportation committee. After much hard work on Jerry’s part, SEMTA created more pick-up routes and even provided a bus shelter in Oak Park. Bingo! Jerry was now in his element. He was awarded a certificate by the mayor and council for his efforts. In 1975, Jerry received a BS in Business Administration, with a major in accounting from Wayne. He was still working at his family’s accounting firm when he decided to apply to several brokerage firms and was hired on the spot by Paine Webber — the firm of his choice. At that point, though, politics was coming to the forefront. Due to his exemplary work with the transportation project, Jerry was encouraged to run for city council in 1975 at only 23 years old. Unfortunately, he met defeat. Says Jerry, “Even though I lost the election, the mayor and council appointed me to the Bicentennial Commission in 1975. This continued my interest and involvement in the city government.” Governance was in the genes in the Naftaly family. It began with his grandfather, Emil Kahan, after whom he was named. Says Jerry, “I attribute my career to my grandfather. He was a true leader.” Emil was the president of Congregation Beth Moses, an Orthodox synagogue in Detroit, as well as the treasurer of the Jewish National Fund Council of Detroit. Jerry’s mother Grace continued in her father’s footsteps. She was elected president of Northern High School, class of 1931, and served on the student council. Jerry’s dad, Bill, was the supervisor for the Dodge truck division. Older brother Bob served as the budget director under Governor Blanchard. Jerry’s sister, Janice, used her managerial skills as an art teacher in Ferndale and West Bloomfield. Still determined to make his municipal mark, Jerry decided to run again in 1977 after a council member passed away. No one gets to their desired position in the government without help. Jerry had a village of supporters. With friends and family by his side, he was determined to succeed. Jerry’s mother Grace campaigned with her large network of friends from the city, aided by her group of bingo players. His dad Bill was also on Jerry’s team. He was part of the Seniors program at the Community Center and the card players rallied for Jerry. Bill was well-connected, and friendships became a focal point in support of the campaign. He was also considered a “council watcher.” Bill would sit at the back of the Oak Park council meetings because he was a concerned citizen. Bill wanted to ensure that the best interests of the city were always a priority. Jerry won this time and was the youngest council member elected to this office . Bill passed away in February, 1978, just three months after Jerry’s first election for city council . After 14 years as an Oak Park city councilman, Jerry stepped up his game and decided to run for mayor in 1991. He had the support of the current mayor and the council. His village of supporters was summoned once again— they kicked up their game and it worked. When Jerry took office as the mayor of Oak Park on November 7 1991, he entered the field with a great deal of knowledge and enthusiasm. After all, he had been on the city council for many years and was aware of the inner workings of the office. Among his many duties were appointing residents to the planning commission, with the approval of the city council, attending planning, recreation, ethnic advisory meetings, and everything in between to ensure the safety and future of the city. As mayor, Jerry was also empowered by the State of Michigan to perform wedding ceremonies — 306 took their vows in Oak Park. In 1995, the City of Oak Park celebrated its 50th birthday. Jerry wanted a vibrant, fun-filled experience for the citizens, and he barnstormed to get it. To begin with, he approached Mel Farr, the owner of a popular Ford dealership in Oak Park, with a superimposed picture of Farr presenting a $25,000 check to the Oak Park City Council. Farr laughed at the sight of the picture— then he wrote a check for that exact amount for the city’s birthday bash. Plans were underway. MOTOWN MAGIC: (clockwise from top left) actor/comedian Tim Allen; The Smothers Brothers; Tiger Pitcher Mark Fidrych and Jerry; mega auto dealer Mel Farr and Jerry with Motown stars Martha and the Vandellas; entertainer Tiny Tim and Jerry; President Bill Clinton and Jerry, Tiger Pitcher Mickey Lolich, Jerry and Flutist Alexander Zonjic; Frank Foster, leader of the Count Basie Orchestra; President Clinton and his campaign entourage; President Clinton and Jerry; Jerry and poet Gwendolyn Brooks; signed Gwendolyn Brooks announcement; Tiger legend Willie Horton and announcer Ernie Harwell As 1994 wound down, Jerry was ramping up the schedule for the coming months. Winterfest was the theme to kick off the party in January 1995. Hayrides, petting farms, reindeer, s’mores over a bonfire, and carriage rides in the snow were just a few of the activities. There were events every month. Jerry worked tirelessly to make it happen along with the help of each city department. Before the summer bash began, car magnate Farr requested that Martha Reeves and the Vandellas, from Motown, perform for the celebration. Jerry’s magical wand made them appear. The crowd was elated and so was Farr. Jerry also had the Smothers Brothers at the celebration. The popular comedic duo had a television show from 1967-1969 and were considered controversial at the time. Over 250 of the city’s volunteers came for dinner and a show — there was no charge for this or any other event. Sha Na Na, a rock ‘n’ roll doo-wop group, performed. So did Tiny Tim, who sang a few high-pitched songs for the crowds. Tim Allen, of Home Improvement fame, was also a part of the festivities, but from a distance. Jerry sent Tim several of the Oak Park 50th birthday T-shirts, with a request that he wear one on his show as a tribute to Oak Park. Tim complied and later appeared on the show with the coveted shirt. Jerry knew how to engage people and bring them center stage to learn about Oak Park. The key to the city was the ticket. In 1996, Jerry presented a key to candidate Bill Clinton as he made his way on a train through Royal Oak during his second presidential run. Hillary also received a key when speaking at the Yeshiva Beth Yehuda annual fundraiser dinner in Detroit. Another lucky recipient was Mark Fidrych, a Detroit Tiger, who was famous for talking to the baseball before he pitched. Jerry also presented the key to Willie Horton and Mickey Lolich. Tommy “The Hitman” Hearns, who was known for his boxing prowess, received a key as well. Even award-winning author Mitch Albom was given a key to the city at one of his book signings. To top off Jerry’s celebrity streak, a noteworthy event occurred when a concert was held in the Oak Park High School auditorium. Frank Foster, the former leader of the Count Basie Orchestra, performed and Jerry introduced the band — the key to the city, of course, was a token of appreciation. A prestigious Michigan State Police Post came about in 1996 , after five years of hard lobbying by Jerry. Michigan Gov. James Blanchard , a Democrat, was approached and he okayed the post. But when he lost to Republican John Engler in 1991, Jerry reached across the aisle. Visibility was Jerry’s weapon of choice. He went to innumerable meetings and rallies and lobbied for Oak Park . He was determined and Gov. Engler finally knew him by name. They became friendly and the project was awarded to Oak Park — Jerry’s persistence was key. Next came the new city hall and public safety building. Jerry held 36 town hall and resident meetings explaining the complicated bond issue, which would repair the community center and library, in addition to placing new playground equipment in two parks. The District Court would benefit as well through expansion and as a result security would be improved. But there was one problem with this plan — it required an additional $6 million to adequately fund the project. Jerry began to plan at warp speed. He lobbied the Obama White House, got the names and numbers of staff who then helped Jerry find the “Build America” bonds for projects that were ready to start. The plan was put in motion. The buildings were constructed some $400,000-$500,000 under budget and on time. Jerry was honored when the city council named the project after him — the Gerald E. Naftaly Municipal Complex in 2013. The dedication ceremony was emotional — it was standing room only. Jerry was clearly moved by this honor, and his mother, who at 100 years old was often referred to locally as “the First Mom,” watched the dedication from her home on cable. It was a triumphant moment for the Naftaly family, Jerry’s friends, and work associates One of the continual sources of annoyance in Michigan is the deteriorating roads. In Oak Park, one of the main thoroughfares was in dire need of repair. The city’s voters approved of the road project, but there was a problem — finances. The road was shared by the city of Berkley and Huntington Woods. Jerry talked to the mayors of both cities, and asked for their cooperation. Jerry then called Senators Carl Levin and Debbie Stabenow. As a consequence, Congress allocated $4 million. But it still fell short. Jerry then spoke with Governor Jennifer Granholm. Through a Build Michigan Bond, another $1 million was secured. The roads were repaired in three cities —it was a win-win. I asked Jerry about his most difficult times while in the office. One incident stood out. The Nazi Party demonstrated on Hamilton Hill when Jerry was a councilman. They didn’t obtain a permit and timed their appearance during a Yiddish concert in the park. Residents began to throw rocks and shouting matches ensued. The Nazis were then surrounded by public safety officers who were trying to preserve the peace. At this point, the group took off in an awaiting van. Antisemitic literature was tossed at a local resident. When Jerry walked back to the concert, he received plenty of flack for allowing the Nazis to be at the hill — but Jerry says he had no prior knowledge of their intentions. Jerry wore many hats but his devotion to his aging mother Grace took center stage. He was her companion and made sure her life was full. Jerry reflected on the times he would take her to the Greektown Casino. He said, “my mom loved to play the slot machines and we had VIP parking..” He added that when shopping at Meijer, a well known Michigan chain market, he would pull up to the front of the store where his mom was greeted by employees. They would routinely bring out an electric cart for her to shop. Grace was an active woman. She passed away in 2015, just 22 days short of her 102 birthday. Jerry is like the Energizer Bunny. After serving 20 years as mayor, Jerry lost the race in 2011 to Marian McClellan. But he didn’t falter -—he kept going and has shown no signs of slowing down. Jerry’s next step was into authorship. His first book, Images of America: Oak Park was published in 2012. It chronicles seven decades of photographs and personal recollections. Next, he published Images of Modern America: Northland Mall in 2016. This book discusses the rise and fall of Northland — one of the world’s largest shopping centers, built in 1954. It’s filled with photographs and memories of this historic mall and a second edition was published as well. Then Jerry resurrected and updated a childhood favorite — The Hill That Grew by Esther K. Meeks. It was originally published in 1959 and tells the story of how Hamilton Hill came to be a source of enjoyment for the city of Oak Park. Jerry gave the book to Oak Park alumni at our 50-year reunion last summer (held two years late due to Covid). In December 2022, I read about a new venture that Jerry had just completed. The Detroit Jewish News highlighted his Oak Park Opoly game. Jerry had thought about this idea for 30 years, originally at the behest of a local citizen, Harriet Rich. It was finally time to dig in and create a Monopoly-like game of Oak Park. Jerry told the DJN, “I created Oak Park Opoly to pay tribute to businesses, people and activities and memories of cool stores and hundreds of others.” At that time, I contacted Jerry and bought the game. It’s truly a walk down memory lane and brings back fond remembrances of my childhood. Jerry continues with charitable work by sponsoring and supporting recreational activities. library concerts, visiting authors and youth sports are on his to-do list. Jerry was recently honored for his continued contribution to the Norup International School March Madness basketball tournament. When I reflect on those treasured days attending Oak Park High School, I can honestly say that I am proud of its No. 1 citizen from the graduating class of 1970 — Mayor Jerry Naftaly. He is a true superstar for all he accomplished during his 34 years of service to the city. Jerry’s term as an advocate for Oak Park has never truly ended, as he continues to preserve the memories of the city. Even though many from our graduating class are scattered around the globe, their attachment to the city is profound. As Jerry is fond of saying, “Once an Oak Parker, always an Oak Parker!” If you're interested in purchasing any of Jerry's books or Opoly game, please contact JerryNaftaly@gmail.com for details. Judi Markowitz is a retired high school English teacher of 34 years. She primarily taught 12th grade and had the pleasure of her three sons gracing her classes. In addition, she taught debate, forensics, and Detroit film. Judi has four adult children and seven wonderful grandchildren. She is married to Jeffrey Markowitz, whom she met in high school. Judi grew up in Oak Park, Mich. which had a stellar school district, with excellent teachers. The city provided activities for all–and there were even sidewalks. Judi moved to Huntington Woods as an adult, which is a half mile from her childhood home. She wanted the same experience for her children as she had growing up, and Huntington Woods provided that. The View from Four Foot Two is Judi’s first book.

By Andy Borowitz | The New Yorker April 28, 2023 WASHINGTON (The Borowitz Report)—Tucker Carlson announced that he has checked into a rehab facility after recently revealed text messages showed him telling the truth. In a heartfelt statement, the former television personality said that using the truth was “a problem I never thought I’d have. I always thought it was the kind of thing that happened to other people.” Carlson said that he would remain at the facility, Alternatives Malibu, until he is “a hundred per cent truth-free.” He also implored his fans not to judge him by the accurate statements that he made in his texts. “This is not who I am,” he said. “I’m going to beat this thing.” In what some close associates of Carlson’s have taken as a hopeful sign, he has not checked into a rehab facility of any kind. Andy Borowitz is a Times best-selling author and a comedian who has written for The New Yorker since 1998. He writes The Borowitz Report, a satirical column on the news.

By Steve Cash / Detroit The author selling the same clients' home more than 30 years apart; Left photo is from 1986; right photo is from 2020. I have been selling real estate for 45 years. As you might imagine, I have had some laughs with clients along the way, as well as some wacky experiences. Without further ado, let me recap a few of my greatest hits. Phony Listing In 1982, the real estate market was bad. Interest rates were approaching 15 percent, and nothing was moving. My associate and best friend Marc and I were working together at the time and trying desperately to drum up some business. We called a for-sale-by-owner we saw listed and the young couple invited us over. We did a presentation for them, and to our surprise, they listed with us right on the spot and immediately put up a FOR SALE sign. They mentioned that they had interviewed several realtors and were very impressed with us. We got back to the office and with some arrogance and lack of humility, bragged to each other about our great accomplishment. Twenty-four hours later, as we were inputting the listing into the multi-list, the phone rang. The man identified himself as Mr. Kanter, said he was an attorney and reference the home we had just listed. He told me that he had just seen the sign and wondered who had authorized us to list the house. With supreme confidence, I told him the sellers’ names. The attorney informed me that it was a vacant home and that the seller had not lived there for four months. That’s right–you guessed it. The listing I was so proud of and gloating about was given to us by squatters Not only had they snuck into the house, they had also attempted to scam their way into making some money with this farce. I was ordered to remove the sign at once and tear up the listing. Humiliated and mad, I called the squatters and let them have it. They admitted it was a farce and said a drug problem was part and parcel of their deception. They apologized and said they were sorry but wanted me to know that they were not lying about liking me and Marc, and had they really owned the house, we would have been their first choice to sell it. Call me ungrateful but somehow their compliments were not much consolation. Fashion Fool I have always been proud of my commitment to my clients. I try and look out for their welfare and do what's best for them. I consider myself an honest and good realtor in most areas. What I have never been, though, is a sharp dresser. I've sold thousands of homes and my lack of interest in proper clothing has never really hurt me...until two weeks ago. An attorney friend called me recently with a lead for a nice house in Novi, Mich. He set up a meeting with the owners. It was an estate, and I was to meet with the three children of the late owner. It was an informal meeting just to say hello and take a look at the property. We met on a Wednesday, and I thought things went well. We talked about the home, talked about sports, and talked about life in general. They had to do some repairs on the home and said they would call me to list when they were done. Two days later, I received a call from my attorney friend. They had decided not to list with me. I said, "I thought they liked me." He said they did like you, they thought you were knowledgeable, but they noticed the bottom of your pants were frayed and you looked disheveled. I was bewildered. I mean it was probably true, but as far as I knew, I had never been penalized before for my apparel indifference. I sent them a letter to try and rectify the situation. I told them that I had sold thousands of homes and many of them while I was improperly dressed. I documented the times I went on appointments unashamedly wearing two different socks, baggy pants, and once in a pinch my wife's girdle. I begged them to judge me on track record and accomplishments, but alas, they could not see past my lack of fashion sense. They listed with someone else. putting me out in the cold. I’m not bitter, though, and if I have a buyer, I will not hesitate to show the home. You damn well better believe, though, I’ll be wearing those same frayed pants and unpolished shoes during the showing. Perhaps if I bring the sellers a full-price offer, my frayed pants will look a little more stylish to them. The Times They Are A-Changin’ Anyone who knows me knows I am old-fashioned and to a degree living in the past. This fact became all too evident a few years ago. I was showing a young couple various homes for a few months. The man was the son of a client I had worked with 30 years earlier, and I came highly recommended. We all got along famously and after showing them several properties, we were able to find the perfect home for them. They applied for a mortgage, got approved and we set up a closing. The closing went well, and we all shared a glass of wine. Upon saying goodbye, I shook the young man's hand and as an aside, asked him if it would be “okay to hug his wife." He said that would be fine and I approached her with what I thought was an innocent gesture. "What do you think you're doing?” she yelled. “This is not 1957. You don’t ask my husband if you can hug me, you ask me. And incidentally, the answer is no,” she said emphatically. I was dumbfounded and hurt. I thought I was showing appreciation for the home buying experience. Instead, I was now feeling like a 68-year-old pervert. I pulled back and apologized profusely. In a semi-kind manner, she lectured me on how the world has changed and how I should not be so presumptuous in the future. I was blindsided but let me tell you–her words hit home. I haven't shown any affection to a client since this incident, and I’m so snakebitten that I even hesitated to hug my wife on the occasion of our recent 40th anniversary. Sassy Seller In 1980, I listed a beautiful ranch home in Southfield, Mich. The owners, whom I’ll call Mr. and Mrs. Baldwin, were originally from Ilford Essex, England. Mr. Baldwin was an unbelievably articulate gentleman with a sly sense of humor. He called me one day soon after I listed his house and in his best cockney accent, he said, "Steve, some twit from your office just showed my house." I replied, “What's wrong, Mr. Baldwin?” he said "Well, she keeps restating the obvious She said to the buyer, ‘This is the fireplace.’ What did she think it was-–the entrance to Hades?” On another occasion, a cooperating broker, Mr. Smith, brought us an unacceptably low offer, but tried to convince Mr. Baldwin that it was a sweet deal. Mr. Baldwin looked at the agent and said, “I think I've seen you before.” The agent said, Really? Where? "In used car lots all over this country,” Mr. Baldwin snickered. Mr. Baldwin like to drink a little and eventually turned his wrath on me. The house was not selling, and he began criticizing my sales technique, His wife said scoldingly, “Leave Mr. Cash alone. He's a nice man.” Mr. Baldwin screamed, "Mr. Cash hides his devilishness behind sort of a boyish veneer." He had me pegged. When I mentioned to him that I was getting married, I showed him a picture of my future wife. I said to Mr. Baldwin, “Even someone as cynical as you cannot question her beauty. " It’s not her beauty I question” he replied tartly. It’s her judgment and eyesight.” I eventually sold their house, and never forgot his biting humor. It was an honor being humiliated by him. Steve Cash is originally from Oak Park, Mich. He is a longtime real estate agent who used to do stand-up comedy in L.A. His claim to fame was winning The Gong Show in 1977, and working at the Comedy Store with such greats as David Letterman, Jay Leno, and Michael Keaton. After watching those brilliant comics perform, Steve realized he’d better make a beeline back to Detroit and get back into real estate. Steve has had articles published in a number of publications and enjoys writing and trying to make people laugh.

Fred Plotkin, a pleasure activist and passionate Italy and culinary expert, speaks each Friday with leading people in the arts FRED PLOTKIN is one of America’s foremost experts on opera and has distinguished himself in many fields as a writer, speaker, consultant and as a compelling teacher. He is an expert on everything Italian, the person other so-called Italy experts turn to for definitive information.  Fred discovered the concept of "The Renaissance Man" as a small child and has devoted himself to pursuing that ideal as the central role of his life. In a “Public Lives” profile in The New York Times on August 30, 2002, Plotkin was described as "one of those New York word-of-mouth legends, known by the cognoscenti for his renaissance mastery of two seemingly separate disciplines: music and the food of Italy." In the same publication, on May 11, 2006, it was written that "Fred is a New Yorker, but has the soul of an Italian."

By Emmy Serviss / Boston One month ago, our human resources director put a last-minute meeting on my calendar. I didn’t think anything of it, because I’d been working closely with HR on various employee engagement activities, so I assumed this was simply a meeting to check-in on my ideas for a #ThrowbackThursday photo contest. Imagine my surprise when my supervisor also joined the meeting, looking weirdly serious for 10 a.m. on a Thursday. The HR director asked flatly, “How are you doing?” Still oblivious to what was happening, I responded with a dry, “I don’t know, how am I doing?” When my joke fell flat and The HR director said to my supervisor, “Do you want to kick things off?,” that’s when I knew something was wrong. But I was still stupidly in denial. The denial wouldn’t last long, though. The next words spoken went something like this: “Due to restructuring within the company, your position has been eliminated and you are no longer an employee of [NAME REDACTED]. I immediately burst into tears. To say that I didn’t see it coming was an understatement. I had been at the company for over a year and had been given glowing performance reviews. I performed my duties diligently and professionally. My relationships with co-workers and external clients were all positive and collaborative. I was taking on additional responsibilities and working towards a promotion. I was totally blindsided. Additionally, there had been no hints of trouble within the company. On the contrary, we had been expanding and hiring like crazy. In the year I’d been at the company, my team had grown from two members (my managing director and I) to about 11 people, as well as opening a London branch of the team. Everything was fine. Or so I thought. I still don’t know what happened exactly. All I know is that about a dozen of us were impacted by the “restructuring,” and that seniority within the company meant nothing. The saying “Last one in, first one out” didn’t apply. An SVP who had been with the company for five years was let go, while an SVP who had just finished their second week at the company stayed on. On Tuesday the managing directors were alerted that layoffs would be happening. On Wednesday the names were released to the managing directors. On Thursday I had my 10 a.m. meeting and my employment ended at 10:23. There was no discussion or negotiation as to who would stay and who would be terminated. It was decreed from up on high, and it happened fast. My email was deactivated almost immediately, and I didn’t even have time to process what had just happened before I got locked out of my account. And that was that. I was in shock. All I could do was cry. Within the last three years, I have now been laid off twice. Once due to Covid, and now due to some mysterious “restructuring.” Both instances, I was reassured that it had nothing to do with me or my performance. I feel like that should make me feel better about being unemployed, but it makes me feel worse. When I was laid off in 2020, it was DuRiNg ThEsE uNpREcEdEnTeD tImEs so while it was awful, it was somewhat comforting knowing that I wasn’t alone. Granted, it took me a whole year to find a new job, so that sense of comfort was very short-lived. Hopefully it won’t take me so long to find a new job this time, since there aren’t an additional 16 million people also job searching. The thing that hurts the most about this layoff is that I honestly thought I was going to be with this company for years. I truly enjoyed the people I was working with, and I enjoyed the work I was doing. I felt valued and appreciated and respected…until I wasn’t. So now, I’m forced to reexamine my career aspirations. Again. And my résumé needs updating. Emmy Serviss is a Boston-based writer, actor and video editor. Once it is safe to return to live theater, you can find her performing with ComedySportz Boston and the sketch group SUZZY. When not on the stage, Emmy enjoys indulging in her new pandemic hobbies, laughing way too loudly and counting the days until Halloween.

By John Rolfe / Red Hook, N.Y. At the heart of the right wing’s book banning and interference in education is a massively funded, well-organized effort to roll back decades of liberal and progressive influence in America by creating a new generation of politically-active conservatives. Kyle Spencer spent four years exploring this movement for her disturbing 2022 book, Raising Them Right: The Untold Story of America’s Ultraconservative Youth Movement and Its Plot for Power. Ever since FDR’s New Deal in the 1930s, conservatives have been trying to reverse the tide of what they believe is anti-American socialism (basically, any government involvement in the affairs of citizens even if it protects them from harm). The hard-right, nationalist faction that now dominates the Republican Party was born in the 1960s in the wake of the Civil Rights Movement and has been battling feminism, LGBTQ rights, environmentalism and government regulations ever since. Essentially libertarian and fiercely for laissez-faire capitalism, the radical right’s rage was energized by the election of Barack Obama in 2008 and the passage of his Affordable Care Act in 2010. Bankrolled by an army of conservative billionaires such as Charles Koch, Peter Thiel, Sheldon Adelson, and the DeVos family (Betsy, the far-right daughter of a billionaire industrialist, served as Donald Trump’s controversial Secretary of Education), it has given birth to organizations like the Heritage Foundation, Federalist Society, and Leadership Institute, plus countless small, grass roots groups. Its goal is simple: take and secure power in every area of American life from the federal government on down to state capitals, town halls, election boards and, of course, public education. Its philosophy: Every person for themself and if you are suffering from poverty or deprivation, it’s your fault and your responsibility to pull yourself up by your bootstraps. If you can’t afford boots or none are available, tough. Figure out how to make them. The problem, of course, is that the radical right’s cherished ideas — dissolving the separation of church and state and slashing public assistance, health care, education, workplace safety, and consumer and environmental protection in the name of “liberty” — are about as popular with most Americans as kidney stones. Selling ordinarily idealistic, inclusivity-minded young people on things like materialism, a fully free-market (buyer beware!), ignoring climate change, and excusing racism, xenophobia, sexism and homophobia — is about as easy as peddling hot sauce in Hades. But that isn’t stopping the hard right from trying. In politics, each side ordinarily sees the other’s ideas as dangerous, so it’s only natural that a key part of the right’s strategy is limiting kids’ exposure to frank discussions of America’s troubled racial history and current conditions as well as LGBTQ points of view and the benefits of diversity. At the center of Spencer’s book are three brash young stars of the new right: Charlie Kirk, Candace Owens, and libertarian Cliff Maloney. Kirk’s group Turning Point USA, Maloney’s Young Americans for Liberty, and Owens’ multimedia stardom and status as a pop culture influencer have taken a page from Obama’s old playbook and gotten actively involved on the internet and on college campuses. They are working to lure students to the MAGA cause with propaganda blitzes, seminars on attracting voters to conservative candidates, and an appealingly hip “let’s party!” spirit of camaraderie. Activities include plenty of free food, booze, weed and a “hubba hubba, baby” attitude toward women. It’s no surprise that Fox News has been a notorious hotbed of sexism and sexual harassment or that Donald Trump’s infamous “grab ‘em by the p---y” Access Hollywood tape was shrugged off on the right as locker room talk or even admired. Recruits are taught they shouldn’t care about anyone or anything but themselves because being required to give any of your wealth to others is un-American. Thanks in no small part to Trump’s rise to power, reality and facts are what you say they are and being an in-your-face jerk is seen as a virtue. At Turning Point USA events on campuses, even when emotions are running high due to school shootings, Kirk brazenly displays slogans like “I’m Pro Choice. Pick Your Gun” and “Gun Control Means Using Both Hands.” Owens, who now ranks with Kanye West as a prominent Black ultraconservative, has also been scorned for praising Hitler. Owens also recently ignited outrage by complaining about the “ridiculous” presence of a physically disabled person in an advertisement for underwear — “inclusiveness” that is just too much for Owens to accept. The right’s young minions, like the right in general these days, can’t or refuses to grasp the wisdom in the old maxim “Honey catches more flies than vinegar.” Turning Point USA has become notorious for staging provocative events like its “Affirmative Action Bake Sale” at the University of New Mexico (Albuquerque) where Asians were charged $1.50, Caucasians $1, and Blacks and Hispanics 50 cents. Guest speakers like provocateur Milo Yanopoulos, Proud Boys founder Gavin McInnes, and even Trump-appointed Appeals Court Judge Stuart Kyle Duncan are self-defeating by calling out liberals and swapping insults with protestors on left-leaning college campuses. But that doesn’t matter when confrontation is the name of the game. Triggered liberals who get angry are portrayed on social media as unhinged. But while Kirk complains that campuses are “islands of intolerance,” today’s conservatives are not exactly known for tolerating dissent, especially in their own ranks, either. There is a growing weariness with the constant attempts by each side to shout the other down. Some colleges and universities are working to make sure diverse viewpoints are heard and shown at least a decent measure of courtesy. That works in the right’s favor. According to recent polls, about 25 percent of voters age 18 to 23 like Trump and 22 percent of high school seniors now identify as conservative. That’s far from a majority, but it’s not necessary to convert everyone, just enough people to take positions of significant power and influence. Mitch McConnell, Mike Pence, Karl Rove, Tucker Carlson, Laura Ingraham and Dinesh D’Souza are among the 200,000 alumni of the Leadership Institute that was founded in 1978 by Morton Blackwell, a disciple of hard-right icon Barry Goldwater. Many of the others are active in local politics. I have liberal views about many things, particularly social issues, but there are traditionally conservative principles I admire, particularly personal responsibility — whenever possible, not on an absolute basis. My problem with conservative politics in general has always been its kneejerk opposition to things that strike me as only fair and even necessary, like ensuring equal rights for all, environmental and consumer protection, and labor unions or at least safe, good-paying jobs. I thought right-wing stalwarts like Newt Gingrich, Dick Armey, Michele Bachmann, Pat Buchanan and Rush Limbaugh were odious, but then along came the likes of Marjorie Taylor Greene, Lauren Boebert, Matt Gaetz, Tucker Carlson and a host of others who are even worse in their sneering contempt for civility, decency, kindness and truth. Judging by the efforts of Kirk, Maloney and Owens and the seeds they are sewing, the next generation of conservatives is going to be even more obnoxious. Countering their influence in the public arena, particularly schools and civic affairs, is going to be one of the great challenges for anyone who believes that a collective, inclusive spirit that still respects the individual is essential to the well-being of a free nation. John Rolfe is a former senior editor for Sports Illustrated for Kids, a longtime columnist for the Poughkeepsie Journal/USA Today Network, and author of The Goose in the Bathroom: Stirring Tales of Family Life. His school bus drivin’ blog “Hellions, Mayhem and Brake Failure” is parked on his website Celestialchuckle.com (https://celestialchuckle.com) with the meter running.

By Bonnie Fishman / San Francisco Bay Area "If you find yourself having to tiptoe around others, you’re not walking amongst your tribe" –Tanya Markul Where are you most comfortable? In your own home, snuggled in your pj’s on your couch or in bed? Is it standing in the kitchen cooking up a storm for company? Or is it lying on a pristine beach under a palapa sipping a cold drink? Maybe it’s reading a book under a tree on a spring day. I’ve been giving this some thought. Me? Put me in my big easy chair on my porch, or in the kitchen, or swimming laps on a beautiful day. But I’m talking about something quite different than doing something or being somewhere. This past week, I had the opportunity to have a reunion with close, dear friends from childhood. We all flew into Phoenix on a Sunday afternoon. Our host, Debbi, an architect, invited me from San Francisco, as well as Renee, an OB-GYN from Detroit, Suzi, a psychotherapist and college career counselor from New York and Susan, an executive global convention planner from Chicago. We hadn’t all been together for 11 years, since we had met in Saugatuck, Mich. After an exchange of hugs as each woman arrived from the airport and we settled into some drinks and snacks poolside before dinner, the real fun and “comfort” began. We spoke excitedly as we shared stories about our lives, our families, our health, and how we had survived the pandemic. Two things immediately dawned on each of us. One, it was as if no time had passed in 11 years. Two, we were unbelievably comfortable with each other. Suzi and I have been friends for 64 years. We met Debbi a year later in second grade! In our early teens, we met Renee and Susan. Renee, Suzi, Susan, and I were on the same cheerleading squad in high school. It was a real bonding experience as sports teams usually are. Four of us went on to attend the same college. Three of us lived near our hometown at the beginning of our careers and early family life. The distance hasn’t mattered. We are there for each other during happy times and the bumps in the road. It is a wonderful feeling being supported by close friends. For me, the most profound discovery at this point in time is that I’m finally being my true self. Living in a semi-rural area away from hectic city life in a bucolic setting suits me fine. The other ladies all live in large metropolitan areas. I am the token “California hippie”: gray hair, no makeup and I actually wear Crocs. Nothing makes me happier. Since moving to the Bay Area, I have made new friends. What I will never have with these folks is history. We five women came from the same roots, growing up in a simple middle-class neighborhood where everyone seemed equal. Our homes were modest, our lives were modest. There were no pretenses and we were free-wheeling kids, biking all over, hanging out at the park, going out for burgers and fries after a basketball game. Coming back to the comfort zone was a boost to my soul. I was with my peeps. We all felt the same way. So much connectivity and love. Genuine. I posed the question to the group “What is most special about our reunion?” Almost in unison the response was “I can be myself.” No acting, no guardedness, no filters. I found this most liberating. We vowed to meet again next year instead of waiting 11 years. The next question I asked was, “What is your quintessential comfort food? We vacillated between hot bread from the oven, pasta, and soup. We did have a consensus with warm chocolate chip cookies and milk. Cookies and milk were a “thing” back in the day when they were served as a summer camp’s 4:00 pm snack or when friends walked home from school with you. Everyone hoped for cookies on the kitchen table. To give a nod to my comfort zone, I’m offering a chocolate chip cookie recipe today. You can vary it by changing the nuts or removing them, adding dried fruit, or altering the size. Important tips about making these: make the dough at least 1 day ahead and scoop it into cookies while the dough is still cold. Also, don’t flatten them too much before baking. Use parchment paper to line your cookie sheets. And for goodness sake, don’t over bake them if you want a gooey, chewy result! Tell us here at The Insider what your comfort zone is and what you want to eat when you get there! Chocolate Chip Cookies with Pecans Yield: : 2 dozen large cookies or 4 dozen small 4 oz. butter, room temperature 4 oz. margarine, room temperature 1 c. sugar 1/2 c. brown sugar 2 lg. eggs, room temperature 2 1/2 c. flour 1 tsp. soda 1 tsp. salt 1/2 tsp. powder 1 tsp. vanilla 12 oz. chocolate chips or chunks 1 1/2 c. pecan pieces Beat together the butter, margarine, and sugars until light and fluffy.  Add the eggs, one at a time, scraping down between each addition. Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl. Blend into the sugar mixture.  Add vanilla. Fold in the chocolate and nuts. Divide dough into 2 patties. Wrap each in plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight or longer. Preheat oven to 350°.  Line 3-4 baking sheets with parchment paper; reserve. Take one dough patty out of the fridge. Scoop into 1 dozen balls (use a 1/4 c. measure). Roll each ball quickly and place on the prepared baking sheets, allowing about 2” between each cookie. Press down the dough very slightly. Bake for @ 18 minutes. Cool on sheets. Repeat with remaining dough. Note: You can cut each dough ball in half to make smaller cookies, yielding 4 dozen. Bake only 15 minutes. Bonnie Fishman attended the Cordon Bleu Cookery School in London. Later, she owned and operated Bonnie’s Patisserie in Southfield, Mich. and Bonnie’s Kitchen and Catering in Bloomfield Hills, Mich. She has taught cooking for over 35 years and created hundreds of recipes. She is now living in Northern California.

The Insider: Thanks for talking with The Insider today. You sound like a busy man! Matt Nadelson: Yes, indeed–that’s putting it mildly! The Insider: Congratulations on your new son! When was he born? Matt Nadelson: Caleb Joshua Nadelson was born yesterday (April 27) at 8:36am. The Insider: Were you in the delivery room? Matt Nadelson: Yes, I was there from start to finish. The Insider: That must be a very powerful experience! Matt Nadelson: Yes! It was my second time. I did it for my son Daniel’s birth as well, though this time without a mask. The Insider: So the pandemic precautions are gone now? Matt Nadelson: They are. In fact, even most of the nurses, physicians, and other hospital staff no longer wore masks in the delivery room. That part caught me by surprise. The Insider: When did your wife Lev start to go into labor? Matt Nadelson: That’s a great question and we may never know the answer! Our original plan was to go to the hospital Tuesday to be induced into labor, since the baby was already two days past the due date. However, our older son Daniel got sick, so we didn’t wind up going to the hospital until Wednesday evening. Even then, the attending OB/GYN almost didn’t admit us because he wasn’t sure Lev was deep enough into labor. The Insider: Was that the doctor who eventually delivered the baby? Matt Nadelson: No, that was a different one. The one who had to sign off on her being admitted never actually saw Lev. He had her examined by his nurses and PAs on arrival. The Insider: Was it your wife’s regular doctor who delivered the baby, or a third one? Matt Nadelson: A third one. Sadly, my wife’s regular OB/GYN never made it in. The Insider: These guys must see a lot of babies coming down the pike, as it were! Did they seem blasé about it? Matt Nadelson: They definitely did even though Katz Women’s Hospital, where the baby was born, is a wonderful place to have a baby. The rooms are all private and the staff and physicians are all more attentive and warm than what you would expect in a hospital environment. The Insider: Does it feel a little like a factory line? Matt Nadelson: It does at times, only because everything is very delegated and time sensitive. For example, the OB/GYN only gets called into the room in the final 10-20 minutes before delivery. The Insider: Interesting! Who is in charge before that? Matt Nadelson: Before that, there’s a revolving door of different nurses who come in. And they rotate new ones in and old ones out during labor, depending on their schedules. The Insider: How long altogether were you in the delivery room? Matt Nadelson: We were there from about 1:45 a.m. until about 4 p.m. The Insider: That’s a long time! Is it tiring, or are you just running on pure adrenaline? Matt Nadelson: When I went through it with my first son, I felt like I was alert the whole time. This time I knew what to expect, and the delivery itself was a lot quicker and smoother so I was actually able to get a small nap in before the final labor process began. The adrenaline was still there though, just more muted this time around. The Insider: Were there any funny moments? Matt Nadelson: My favorite was when moments before delivery, I asked the “team” who was going to be the photographer. My wife cringed and the rest of the group flashed me a dirty look. I quickly realized that what they thought I meant was for them to photograph the baby as it exited, rather than afterwards! When I clarified things, they assured me they’d heard a lot weirder requests than the one they thought I made! The Insider: And the most frightening moment? Matt Nadelson: After the baby came out, the doctor was involved in a lengthy conversation with the nurse on how to stitch my wife up. My heart dropped for a moment because it sounded like she had a bad tear, but it turned out to be pretty standard. It’s a teaching hospital so I learned that these types of conversations are not necessarily a sign of trouble. The Insider: After all of the waiting and planning and hoping, what’s it like to finally have the baby here? And importantly, is there anything else you would like to reflect upon now about this experience? The floor is yours! Matt Nadelson: It’s pretty surreal. The moment my older son met his baby brother for the first time was one for the ages and something I’ll never forget. I think seeing the two of them in the same room made it really hit me that I’m not just a dad again but I’ve built a family now. It feels like just yesterday that I was playing the role of kid in a family and now suddenly my role is completely different and so very important and meaningful. At the same time, the exhaustion and practical challenges also hit like a sack of bricks once you come home and realize that caring for a newborn is 100 times harder when you also have a crazy high energy toddler running around. It’s two under two for us! Going to be some crazy times ahead, but I’m hoping to enjoy every moment even more this time now that I have some experience under my belt.

China’s “Historic” Push for Multipolar World to End U.S. Domination Democracy Now! | April 25, 2023 Transcript with light editing for clarity: AMY GOODMAN: China is facing criticism in Europe after China’s ambassador to France questioned the sovereignty of former Soviet states under international law during a television interview. The Baltic countries Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia condemned the remarks and summoned Chinese envoys to explain Beijing’s official position. The Chinese Foreign Ministry walked back the ambassador’s comments, saying, quote, “China respects all countries’ sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity.” The diplomatic spat comes as China is making headlines across the globe, though maybe not so much in the United States, for its diplomatic efforts. In late February, China released a 12-point peace plan to end the war in Ukraine. On March 10th, Iran and Saudi Arabia announced they would restore ties as part of an agreement brokered by China. Days later, in mid-March, Chinese President Xi Jinping hosted the Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva to talk about Ukraine, trade and moving away from the U.S. dollar. Xi Jinping then met with French President Emmanuel Macron in Beijing. During Macron’s visit, Xi spoke about the roles of China and France in world affairs. PRESIDENT XI JINPING: [translated] The world today is undergoing profound historic changes. As permanent members of the U.N. Security Council and major countries with a tradition of independence, China and France, as promoters of the multipolarization of the world and the democratization of international relations, have the ability and responsibility to transcend difference and restraints; adhere to the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnerships between China and France with stability, reciprocity, development and progress; practice true multilateralism; and maintain world peace, stability and prosperity. AMY GOODMAN: While in Beijing, the French president, Emmanuel Macron, suggested France and European nations should not become a vassal of the United States when it comes to Taiwan. PRESIDENT EMMANUEL MACRON: [translated] France supports the single China policy and the search for a peaceful solution to the situation for that matter. It’s Europe’s position. It’s a position that has always been compatible with the role of an ally. But it’s precisely one stressing the importance of strategic autonomy. Ally doesn’t mean being a vassal. It’s not because we do things together that we can’t think alone, that we’re going to follow the people in — that are the toughest in a country that’s allied with us. When we look at the facts, France has lessons to be received from no one, be either in Ukraine, in Sahel or in Taiwan. AMY GOODMAN: China has continued its diplomatic outreach by offering last week to hold talks between Israel and Palestine. To look more at China’s recent diplomatic actions, we’re joined by Jeffrey Sachs, director of the Center for Sustainable Development at Columbia University and president of the U.N. Sustainable Development Solutions Network. He has also served as adviser to three U.N. secretaries-general and currently serves as a Sustainable Development Goals Advocate under Secretary-General António Guterres. His latest article published is headlined “The Need for a New US Foreign Policy.” Professor Sachs, thanks so much for being with us. All of the diplomatic gestures of China — you know, the meeting with Macron in Beijing, with Lula in Beijing, brokering this deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia, now offering not only to negotiate between Ukraine and Russia, but Israel and Palestine — this hardly gets attention in the United States media. But around the world, the headlines are far more — there are far more headlines about this. Talk about the significance of this, and if you see a direct parallel between all the headway that China is making and increasing U.S. hostility towards China. JEFFREY SACHS: Thanks, Amy. Very good to be with you. And indeed, this is a crucial topic. And as President Xi Jinping said in that meeting with Macron, this is a historic watershed that the world is living through right now. What China is after, if we view it from China’s perspective, is what was also said: true multilateralism. And what that means is that they don’t want a U.S.-led world, they want a multipolar world. The basis of that is that the United States is 4.1% of the world population, while China is 17.5% of the world population. China’s economy is comparable to the U.S. economy, and indeed China is the lead trade partner for much of the world. So, China is saying, “We’re there, too, alongside you. We want a multipolar world. We don’t want a U.S.-led world.” And while the United States sometimes talks about a rule-based order, the fact of the matter is that the U.S. grand strategy, if we can use that term, is that the United States should be the world’s dominant power. I often refer to an article that I think is very clear, succinct and revealing by a former colleague of mine at Harvard University, Robert Blackwill, an esteemed ambassador of the United States, who wrote in 2015 — and I’ll quote from the article — “Since its founding, the United States has consistently pursued a grand strategy focused on acquiring and maintaining preeminent power over various rivals, first on the North American continent, then in the Western Hemisphere, and finally globally.” Well, China doesn’t want the United States to be the preeminent power. It wants to live alongside the United States. Blackwill, writing in 2015, said China’s rise is a threat to U.S. preeminence. And he laid out a series of steps that the Biden administration actually is following almost step by step. What Blackwill laid out already back in 2015 is that the United States should create, and I quote, “new preferential trading arrangements among U.S. friends and allies to increase their mutual gains through instruments that consciously exclude China.” There should be “a technology-control regime” to block China’s strategic capabilities, a build-up of, quote, “power-political capacities of U.S. friends and allies on China’s periphery” and strengthened U.S. military forces along the Asian rimland despite any Chinese opposition. This has become the Biden foreign policy. China knows it. China really is pushing back. But what’s very important and interesting to understand, and we’ve seen it clearly in the dynamics involving the Ukraine war, is that most of the world also does not want the U.S. as the global preeminent power. Most of the world wants a truly multipolar world, and is, therefore, not lined up behind the United States’ sanctions on Russia and so forth. And this was also the message of President Lula visiting China, saying to President Xi Jinping, and I paraphrase, “We, as Brazil, also want multipolarity, true multipolarity, and we want peace, for example, in the Russian-Ukraine war, that is based not on a U.S. perception of dominance — say, NATO enlargement — but rather a peace that reflects a multipolar world.” That viewpoint is real. It’s a view that is shared all over the world. And the fact of the matter is, the reason why this historic watershed is occurring is that the underlying global economics and technological change have made it so. The U.S. is no longer the dominant economy in the world, and the G7, which is the U.S., Canada, Britain, France, Italy, Germany and Japan, is actually now smaller in aggregate output than the BRICS countries, which include Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. So, we really are, in fact, in a multipolar world, but in terms of ideology, we’re in a conflict. JUAN GONZÁLEZ: Jeffrey Sachs, I wanted to ask about that. You mentioned the BRICS. The BRICS bank, that is now in China — and President Lula has named [former Brazilian President] Dilma Rousseff as the head of the BRICS bank — its importance in terms of this multipolarity in the world economies, the potential for even the creation of alternative major currencies to the dollar as a result of the BRICS alliance, the impact of that on world affairs? JEFFREY SACHS: This is a big deal. And in fact, the United States is withdrawing — it doesn’t know it necessarily, our politicians don’t understand this, but our politicians are withdrawing the US from the world financial and monetary scene and opening up the space for a completely different kind of international finance. I’ll give you an example. The U.S. was the creator of the World Bank. But now the U.S. Congress won’t put new money into the World Bank. And because of that, the World Bank is actually a quite small institution. It’s got a big name, but it’s a quite small institution in the financial scheme of things. The U.S. won’t put more money in. The Congress says, “No. Why should we waste our money internationally?” and so forth, and we get a lot of hub-bub in Congress about that. So, China and the rest of the BRICS say, “OK, we’ll make our own development bank,” and they’ve established the New Development Bank, sometimes called the BRICS bank, based in Shanghai. And that’s just one of the institutions that is really changing the scene. There’s the Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank, AIIB, based in Beijing. There is, as President Lula said, and as is happening also in the context of the Ukraine war, a move away from the use of the U.S. dollar in global trade. The United States has thought, “Well, that’s our ace in the hole. You know, that is our ultimate hold on things, because we can use sanctions, we can use our financial control, to keep other countries in line.” But other countries are saying, “Eh, not so much. We’ll trade in Renminbi. We’ll trade in Rubles. We’ll trade in Rupees. We’ll trade in our own national currencies.” And they’re quickly setting up alternative institutions to do just this. The United States then doubles down: “We will confiscate your reserves. We will sanction you, if you don’t follow us.” And the other countries are saying, “You know, if you want to go through the U.N. and get really multilateral rules, we’re with you. But if you want to impose your own rules, we won’t follow along.” And so, we have this very funny expression called a “rules-based international order.” The United States government uses it every day. But what does it mean? Who writes the rules? What most of the world wants, in fact, are rules that are written in a multipolar or multilateral setting, not rules written by the United States with a few friends and allies. JUAN GONZÁLEZ: I wanted to ask you — you’ve been an adviser to the United Nations for quite often. The issue of how much longer the permanent members of the Security Council can keep the number to five? Because, clearly, Brazil and other countries of the Global South have been saying the U.N. needs to be reformed, and countries from Latin America, specifically Brazil, and Africa should have representation on the U.N. Security Council, permanent members. JEFFREY SACHS: Yes, you know, the P5, the Permanent Five, which includes the United States, China, Russia, France and the United Kingdom, was the group of victors in World War II. They wrote into the rules of the U.N. that they would be the five permanent UN Security Council members and also have a veto over any future changes in the U.N. Charter. So, it’s really a group that gave itself a lot of power. The other 188 UN members states look on and say, “What is this? We need change.” I would say the country that is most amazed and frustrated by this, in fact, is India. India is now the most populous country in the world. The United States has roughly 335 million people. Britain and France have roughly 60 million. India has 1.4 billion — yet is not on the UN Security Council. India is a nuclear power, a world superpower, and the President of the G20 this year. It’s not really not happy about not being a permanent UN Security Council member. Brazil, the largest economy of South America, similarly is not on the Security Council. So, this need to reform the UN Security Council has been an issue for more than 20 years. The P5, in various ways, have blocked particular countries. Essentially, the P5 have said, “You know what? This is our club. We want to stay as the Permanent Five.” But I think as we really face the reality of a post-Western world, not just a post-U.S.-dominated world. The so-called West means the U.S., Britain, European Union, and as honorary “Western” membership, Japan. But we’re now in a post-Western, as well as post-U.S., world. The international institutions need to change, or they won’t function in the 21st century. And if they don’t function, that’s actually a disaster for all of us. If these international institutions didn’t exist, we’d have to invent them, because we need them to function, so we also need to renovate them. AMY GOODMAN: I wanted to talk about China negotiating these various agreements. Let’s turn to Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva speaking before his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping. PRESIDENT LUIZ INÁCIO LULA DA SILVA: [translated] What does Putin want? Putin can’t keep Ukraine’s territory. Maybe we don’t even discuss Crimea, but he will have to rethink what he has invaded. Also, Zelensky can’t have everything he wants to demand. NATO will not be able to set itself up at the border. So, this is something we have to put on the table. … I think this war has dragged on for too long. Brazil has already criticized what it had to criticize. Brazil defends each nation’s territorial integrity, so we disagree with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. AMY GOODMAN: Because it looks like Ukraine is on the verge of a major counteroffensive against Russia, and, in order to do this, needs massive support from Western countries, meaning military weapons, can you talk about what China’s role is here, the peace plan it has put forward, but also these other deals that China is helping to negotiate, like the successful rapprochement between Saudi Arabia and Iran, and then what they’re suggesting about Israel and Palestine? JEFFREY SACHS: President Lula uttered, in a few words, the core of this issue, that most of our media dare not explain to the American people, and that is the expansion of NATO. This is a war fundamentally about the U.S. attempt to expand a U.S. military alliance to Ukraine and to Georgia. Georgia is a country in the Caucasus, also on the Black Sea. The U.S. strategy, going back decades, has been to surround Russia in the Black Sea, with Ukraine, Romania, Bulgaria, Turkey and Georgia, all NATO members, surrounding Russia and its naval fleet in the Black Sea -- a naval fleet that has been Russia’s Black Sea naval fleet since 1783. Russia has said about NATO enlargement to Ukraine and Georgia, “Don’t do it; this is our red line.” And it has said that for decades. President Putin said this clearly in 2007, before George W. Bush Jr. had — I’ll call it the harebrained idea to announce in 2008, and also force NATO to announce, that Ukraine will become a member of NATO. And this is what President Lula was saying and what President Xi Jinping of China has been saying: We can’t have a war that is essentially a proxy war between Russia and the United States over the expansion of the U.S. military alliance right up to a 2000-kilometer and more border with Russia, and which Russia views — and I would say understandably so — as a fundamental national security threat to Russia. Keep some space. Keep some distance. That’s President Lula’s meaning. That’s what China means when it says in its peace plan, “We want a peace plan that respects the security interests of all parties. That is code for saying, “Make peace. End the war. But don’t expand NATO right up to the border.” The American people have not heard an explanation of this NATO issue during the war. It’s shocking to me, because as a close observer of this for 30 years, NATO enlargement has been the main casus belli. And yet our newspapers won’t even report the background to the war. Yet this is why China, South Africa, India, and Brazil are all saying, “We want peace, but we don’t want NATO expansion as the meaning of a so-called peace. We want the big superpowers to give each other some space and some distance, so that the world isn’t on a knife edge.” That’s exactly what President Lula was saying, and it’s exactly what the meaning of the Chinese peace initiative is saying. “Yes, absolutely make peace. Protect Ukraine’s sovereignty and its security. But no to NATO expansion.” But the Biden administration won’t even discuss this NATO enlargement issue. That has been the major failing and the reason why we have not been able to get to the negotiating table, in my opinion. Even when Zelensky said in March 2022, “Maybe Ukraine will not join NATO, maybe we’ll find security guarantees another way.” Russia and Ukraine were in fact close to an agreement, and the United States intervened with Ukraine and said, “We don’t think that’s a good agreement,” because the U.S. neocons, so-called, have been pushing for NATO enlargement as a central US goal. But this goes back to the more general point for us, which is that what is at stake in Ukraine and Taiwan and on many other issues, from the point of view of China or Russia or other countries, including Brazil, now Saudi Arabia, Iran and others, is whether the U.S. does what it wants to do or whether the U.S. respects some limits based on what other countries also say. They want true multipolarity, not U.S. dominance alone, rules written by all countries, not rules written just by the United States.” JUAN GONZÁLEZ: And, Jeff Sachs, we only have about a minute left, but I was wondering if you could comment on the parallels between this expansion of NATO further and further east in Europe — this year marks the 200th anniversary of the Monroe Doctrine, of President Monroe declaring to all the European powers that the Western Hemisphere was off-limits to them coming, attempting to move their forces and their militaries into Latin America. And for these past 200 years, Latin America has essentially been the major sphere of influence of the United States. And yet, here we are, saying that Russia has no right to declare that countries immediately on its borders cannot welcome in NATO troops. JEFFREY SACHS: Well, yes, a little empathy would go a long way, and would have spared us, actually, a lot of wars. For Americans, it would be useful to think: Suppose Mexico made a military alliance with China. Would the United States say, “Well, that’s Mexico’s right. What are we going to do about it?” Or might there be actually a US invasion in short order or something like that? I would strongly advise to China and Mexico, “Don’t try this at home. Don’t experiment with this.” Yet the United States government refuses to put itself in the position of the other side. That’s the fundamental arrogance of thinking that the US determines the rules of the world. The problem with arrogance is not only the comeuppance from it, but you stumble into terrible crises after another. The US public has not been helped to think from the perspective of the other side. So, the analogy with the Monroe Doctrine is actually a very, very clear analogy. It is what China and Russia and others say all the time to the U.S. “Why do you have those double standards? Why don’t we actually deal with each other with mutual respect, not with the rules that you write?” AMY GOODMAN: We want to thank you, Jeffrey Sachs, for joining us, director of the Center for Sustainable Development at Columbia University, president of the U.N. Sustainable Development Solutions Network. We’ll link to your new article, “The Need for a New US Foreign Policy.” Professor Sachs was speaking to us from Córdoba, Spain. Jeffrey Sachs is director of the Center for Sustainable Development at Columbia University, president of the U.N. Sustainable Development Solutions Network, sustainable development solutions advocate under Secretary-General António Guterres, and former adviser to three U.N. secretaries-general.

By Naomi Serviss / New York City As the royal spectacle approaches on Saturday, May 6, I’m suffocating beneath hyperbolic blather and gossip. Yes…I want to know! It fascinates me on a deep, childhood level. It’s make-believe come true! Yet...it’s a royal mess. The world has to stop because King Charles’ ship has finally docked? What is this, Downton Abbey? Aren’t monarchies slightly passé, perhaps? After all these years demonstrably honoring his (late) Queen mother, but perhaps secretly coveting her crown sooner than later! Nah. Charles disdained being Prince of Wales, constantly under the microscope. After all, he’s always been a nerdy, bookish type, reserved, self-absorbed (shall I continue?). Why would he look forward to a heavier public weight? Regardless, he’s been swamped by his to-do list since the Spare and his wife quit The Firm and ratted out to Oprah and auctioned their souls to Netflix. Charles should be worried. A YouGov (British) poll revealed that 64% of Brits surveyed felt meh about the celebrations. Under 10 percent cared greatly. Huh? And Americans are chomping on the proverbial bit, waiting for the fan to be hit! Funny thing, about the monarchy business (and it is a business). No other European monarchs go through traditional pomp and circumstances anymore. As in, being crowned, and all that entails. Which apparently, is a lot of dough. The last heavy-duty, razzle-dazzle coronation took place in Spain, 1555. Maybe bowing and scraping to actual royalty has run its course and stained enough history books. The honest ones, at least. Sweden, Denmark and Norway monarchies doomed the practice in 1906. It saved boatloads of money in many denominations. Around 100 million pounds for this year’s festivities. Billed to the taxpayers. Did you know there’s no legal need for a coronation? Me neither. Charles is already considered king with or without the fancy certificate. I mean, crown, et les accoutrements. That fact was sealed at the accession council, days after the Queen’s death. So why the hubbub? Could it be a cynical ploy for positive press in the midst of the Harry vs. William debacle? This coronation and the months leading up to it, have been huge tourist attractions. The public loves this real-life soap opera. Maybe the Princess will stroll over to where you’re standing (!) and share childcare tips or have an intimate “heart-to-heart!” Noblesse oblige to the max. But look! Golden coaches! Castles! Royalty! It’s Actual Reality! Maybe the coronation will help me forgive Camilla. It still burns me up that she had such a long game in mind. She and Charles fit together like worn-in leather mitts. They look like a proper (pinkie up) sun-loving senior couple, leathery and wrinkly. His lined face, product of years spent doing outdoorsy things. Like shooting animals. (Another notch against traditions for tradition’s’ sake.) Charles appears more thoughtful (probably his leather lines) and at least he’s trying (like I know) for a warm relationship with his first-born, William, and his family. Maybe he was a lousy father, (was he ever a dad?), an emotionally abusive husband to our Diana, but he seems to be appreciative of being a grandpop. Or whatever the in-bred, er, English, terminology. As long as he remains in their lives, he’ll provide a ballast against the crazy public adoration and trashy tabloid tales the royals inspire. Meghan and Harry are in the crosshairs of everyone these days. Rumor has it that Harry will be sitting ten rows behind the royal family, possibly instructed not to wear his military insignia. Remember when he mentioned how he considered his 25 military hits as “units” instead of people he killed with his sniper’s rifle? Now you will. Ouch, another tightening of the screw. More popcorn, please! What was Meghan’s excuse, er, reason for declining an invite?! Yes, her son Archie’s birthday was the same date as the Coronation but SO WHAT? It would have been the right thing to do, bringing the whole nuclear unit as a cohesive family, instead of sending Harry solo. Probably a relief to many, but what a selfish, stupid decision. Just saying! I admit years ago, before Meghan, I felt the sorriest for Harry--losing a beloved mother at such a tender age, then being the wild child and letting it all hang out. Literally. He did drugs, alcohol, weed, whatever was at hand. He dated around and lost his cherry behind a barn with an “older” woman. Unfortunately, for him, all of it had been tabloid-documented and irrefutable. He’s acting out,” I would tell myself. But his façade splintered. I realized this kid had no smarts about him. Coddled all his life by his parents when available, waited on hand and foot by caregivers, with a “ginger” personality trait to boot: fiery and unpredictable. I even forgave his stupid decision, maybe egged on by William (!) to wear a Nazi uniform to a costume party. A vile suggestion. When he married Meghan, I had never heard of her television show (Suits) but there was something off about her, beautiful but not poised, more like posed, and she didn’t pass the smell test. Learned personally from my friend, the late NYT photographer Dith Pran, (yes THAT Dith Pran!). He said he could tell if a person was of good character by their smell. Like an aura. He learned a lot in Cambodia’s killing fields. Couldn’t guess Meghan’s vibe, but she seemed to be acting. The Oprah confessional was informative, but when I learned the way Harry calms his stress, was “Tapping” I almost did a Danny Thomas spit-take. Tapping is a mind-body method of tapping acupuncture points on your hands, face and body with your fingertips I, too, dealt with major stressors and at one desperate point, Tapping was recommended. It felt better than inversion boot therapy. In theory, at least. Maybe silly, but mildly hypnotic and it kept time with my migraine’s pounding. Beyond that it did no earthly good to my psyche and it made my fingers cold. Still, I read Spare, Harry’s (and his ghost writer’s) dumb book (VERY dumb) and was not interested in how he almost froze his wienie off in an arctic plunge. But The Spare had to share. He cheerfully wrote about his various psychedelic trips and still supports the use of the drugs to deal with his PTSD. People showing up to watch the Coronation are to be part of a million-voiced chorus to swear allegiance to the King and his heirs. This public pledge (can you imagine doing that?) is one of several changes to the ancient ceremony, which includes female clergy. Religious leaders from other faiths will actively participate (another first). The Christian service will be the first to incorporate other languages spoken in Britain, with a hymn to be sung in Welsh, Scottish, Gaelic and Irish Gaelic. King Charles will be crowned by the Archbishop of Canterbury. Coronation regalia will astound: bracelets, the robe, the ring and the glove. Etcetera, etcetera, etcetera. After the religious service the King will receive a greeting by Jewish, Buddhist, Muslim, Sikh, and Hindu leaders. A screen will hide the sacred act of anointing a monarch with holy oil, a tradition traced to the seventh century, with a nod to God. William and Catherine are pitch-perfect young royals. They seem to have it together, raising their photogenic kids with insight and humor. Hopefully, it’s not a charade. When they smile at each other, their emotions seem plain-spoken. (When Meghan stares adoringly at her ginger man, she’s primed for a director’s “Cut!”) Traditions they’re upholding he exudes a genuine warmth, staged or not. But openly gushed when an admirer pointed to her sapphire ring. It had been one of Diana’s favorites and was now reportedly one of Catherine’s. Can we concentrate on the pomp and ceremony without fringe whispering? Afraid not. I’ve been invested in English royalty since falling in love with Diana, when she was innocent and unwise in love. She also had two children roughly the same ages as mine, born 19 months apart. I knew what she was going through as a hands-on mother. As much as she was able to be one. Diana was used and abused shamefully, exploited by The Firm without encouragement or mental health support. Ironic, in light of what we know now of food disorders and body dysmorphia. Mental illness is a hitchhiker. But I digress. This historic Coronation will to be a bombastic bash and my popcorn is ready. Yours? Naomi Serviss is a New York-based award-winning journalist whose work has been published in The New York Times, Newsday, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Highroads (AAA magazine), in-flight publications, spa and travel magazines and websites, including BroadwayWorld.com

The Insider: Last time we spoke, we talked about low libido in women. You mentioned that many women have trouble talking frankly about that. I’m guessing the same may be true about menopause, our topic today. Dr. Renee Horowitz: Menopause has been a taboo topic for so many years and is just now starting to be discussed. It is a medical condition that is common to all women and one of the phases of our reproductive life. It’s time for menopause to come out of the closet. The problem is that many women are not aware beforehand of the symptoms, when they typically occur, how long they last and the lasting impact of menopause. Unfortunately, many doctors now are not trained in menopausal medicine; many providers do not want to take the time to talk about it and thus they don’t bring it up. The Insider: What percentage of your patients would you estimate are currently going through menopause? Dr. Renee Horowitz: My practice is skewed because I specialize in menopausal medicine, so I would guess 60 percent. I believe that there are currently over 50 million women in the United States who are going or have gone through menopause. The menopause transition, perimenopause, can start as early as the 40s, while the average age of menopause is 51 years. The Insider: Briefly, what is the definition of menopause? Dr. Renee Horowitz: Menopause is defined as no menstrual cycle for one year. Symptoms typically start prior to the one-year mark. The Insider: Don’t doctors learn about menopause in medical school? Dr. Renee Horowitz: They do but during an OB-GYN residency, they get very little exposure to it. They may get one lecture on it. Since the Women’s Health Initiative came out, there are far less women being treated for it so most doctors really don’t understand the treatment and the nuances of the treatment. The Insider: What is the Women’s Health Initiative? Dr. Renee Horowitz: It was a study that examined the results from the use of estrogen with and without progesterone on the health of menopausal women. They primarily looked at cardiovascular disease, i.e. strokes, thromboembolic disease and breast cancer. The study was ended in 2002, several years earlier than anticipated, because they found that there was an increase in these diseases. Prior to the WHI, most menopausal women were put on hormone replacement therapy (HRT). Unfortunately, not only were there flaws in their conclusions but most people, including practitioners, overstated the risks. To this day I remember where I was when I saw the headlines. The Insider: Has there been a rethinking of this? Dr. Renee Horowitz: I think that the pendulum is swinging back again for women to be treated for the symptoms of menopause. One of the flaws of the WHI study was that they grouped women who were over 60 and had never been on hormones with newly menopausal women and found that there was an increased risk of heart disease. We have known for a long time that estrogen is cardio-protective and although heart disease is the No. 1 cause of death in women, we don’t often see women with heart disease in their 40s and 50s. That led to the recommendation that women should not start hormone replacement therapy if they are 10 years from their last menstrual cycle or over the age of 60. When we talk about the risks there is a 50 percent increase in thromboembolic diseases with women on HRT. But when you look at the statistics, 16 out of 10,000 women who are not on HRT will develop a venous thrombosis or pulmonary embolism and 32 out of 10,000 who take HRT will. The increase is 16 out of 10,000 and yes, that is a 50% increase, but the absolute risk is low. The Insider: What about the risk of breast cancer from HRT? The risk of breast cancer out of 10,000 women is 30 who do not take hormones and 38 who do take hormones. It is a little less than a 30 percent increase but again, there is an increase of 8 out 10,000 women. Another way that thinking has changed is the type of estrogen and progesterone that women were taking during the study. The estrogen was Premarin, which is a combination of the estrogens that we produce and is obtained through a pregnant mare’s urine. It was given orally. The progesterone component was a progestin, which is a synthetic progesterone. We now know that transdermal estrogen, generally estradiol, which is the most of potent of our estrogens, is safer as it bypasses the liver and decreases the risk for thromboembolic disease. We also give progesterone, not progestins. The Insider: Do you find your own female patients still gun-shy about using HRT because of its prior bad reputation? Dr. Renee Horowitz: Absolutely. Estrogen became a medication that no one wanted. Not all women will take it but it’s up to their practitioners to discuss the reality, the studies, the risks and the benefits and to dispel the myths that surround estrogen replacement. Just because your grandmother had breast cancer in her 70s and there are no genetic connections, does not mean that you cannot take it. It takes time to discuss this with patients and to acknowledge their concerns and to allow them to make an informed decision as to whether they want to use it or not. The Insider: Do all women get hot flashes or uncomfortable symptoms during menopause? Dr. Renee Horowitz: No, they don’t. Some women sail through the transition; some have hot flashes into their 70s and 80s but typically they are not as frequent or severe. The Insider: What advice can you give women who are having troublesome symptoms about getting appropriate medical help? Dr. Renee Horowitz: Bring up the topic. Do not let your provider downplay your symptoms. These are real symptoms that affect our lives in profound ways. There are treatments and if your provider is not aware or is not willing to discuss them, find a gynecologist who will. There are good websites to find accurate information, such as North American Menopause Society (NAMS.org) or American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG.org). The better informed you are, the better the outcome.