Straight from my mind to your screen—here’s a collection of my thoughts, from the heartfelt to the odd, and everything in between.
It’s Friday, January 31, 1975. I’m a hot-shot young senior manager for the Blueblood Madison Avenue Agency, Young & Rubicam, and just back from a V.I.P. trip to Tegucigalpa, Honduras, to visit the banana plantations of our newest client, Chiquita brand bananas. I’m having my first meeting with Eli M. Black, the... Learn More
DATE: Aug.05.2019 | CATEGORY: My Books
(Circa 1943: Russian Zebra Commander Maxim Chibisov’s US Navy identification card.) In 1943, a decorated Russian commander arrived in America under cover of night to lead 300 fellow Soviet aces on a “once-in-lifetime” mission that had no blueprints. America had built 185 state-of-the-art amphibious warplanes that no Russian had ever seen, much... Learn More
DATE: Aug.05.2019 | CATEGORY: My Books, On Russia & Ukraine
Vladdy proudly invites Donny to visit Russia Today’s news headquarters in the heart of Moscow’s financial district. Both men realize they love the use of technology to broadcast “honest news” instead of fake news. They also try to convince each other they are strong advocates of Freedom of the Press, although Donny mentions... Learn More
DATE: Aug.05.2019 | CATEGORY: My Books, On Russia & Ukraine
(Circa 1944. Russian and American pilots take a break from the war on a hill near Project Zebra headquarters in Elizabeth City.) Harry Truman refused to let the story of Project Zebra become public. He detested Stalin and everything Russian. But a young U.S. Navy Lieutenant by the name of Gregory Gargarin (second... Learn More
DATE: Jul.31.2019 | CATEGORY: My Books, On Russia & Ukraine
I was on the way back from a business lunch at Sal Anthony’s Restaurant near Irving Place and 14th Street. As a grizzled New Yorker, I knew the fastest way back to my office at Dag Hammarskjold Plaza near the United Nations was to hail a cab and head northbound on... Learn More
DATE: Jul.29.2019 | CATEGORY: My Books
(circa 1944: Russian and American pilots take a break from the war at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.) Russians have been fascinated with flight since the Wright Brothers first took to the skies. In fact, the first Russian flyer, built in 1912, was based on Wright Brother designs By the 1930s, Russian obsession with flight... Learn More
DATE: Jul.29.2019 | CATEGORY: My Books, On Russia & Ukraine
Donny and Vladdy Putin hold their first get-to-know-you meeting at a private breakfast in the Kremlin grand dining room, insulated from family, friends, advisors, and the media. It becomes quickly apparently both men share commonalities: their love of opulent rooms with lots of gold décor and indulgent foods like smoked whitefish and... Learn More
DATE: Jul.29.2019 | CATEGORY: My Books, On Russia & Ukraine
Imagine Donny and Vladdy sitting on the runway in chilly Nome, Alaska, aboard Vladdy’s Air Force One, nicknamed The Flying Palace because of its garish display of antique tapestries and a for-presidents-only bathroom splattered with gold accents? Imagine the two emerging friends negotiating a nuclear arms reduction agreement to replace the... Learn More
DATE: Jul.25.2019 | CATEGORY: My Books, On Russia & Ukraine
Who are Uncle Tip-Top and Tony Four? They are my enterprising uncles, long since passed. Uncle Tip-Top (real name Tom) was a fleet supervisor for Ward Baking, the company which manufactured a popular brand of highly-processed, empty-calorie white bread called Tip-Top. It’s an ironic slogan? “Tip-Top Bread Builds Bodies Eight Ways.” Tip-Top’s fleet of... Learn More
DATE: Jul.22.2019 | CATEGORY: My Books
Our wedding was a grand affair in Westchester County with over 200 family and friends. The best part? Our guests gave us over $4,000 in cash (which was a lot of money in 1964). It was off to island of Jamaica for our honeymoon the next day. So, the 22-year old... Learn More
DATE: Jul.15.2019 | CATEGORY: My Books
