Aug 5, 2021The WonsieThe baby who determined the outcome of Super Bowl XXXVII — It was Monday, November, 4th 2002, and the Oakland Raiders had lost the last four games in a row after winning the first four games of the season. To make matters worse, the Raiders lost — in overtime — to their rival, the San Francisco 49ers the day before. The…Sports6 min read
Published in The Startup·Dec 25, 2020The Software ProgrammerIt was a Sunday morning in June 1995. David’s head was pounding from too many drinks. He’d attended a few college graduation parties the day before. Copious amounts of booze were consumed this time of year, and a twenty-one-year-old like David still had much to learn about self-control. He was…Programming10 min read
Dec 7, 2020The Nana Dome (Part 4)“Hello?” I answered the hotel phone, trying to sound awake and certainly not hungover. “Man, you’re still sleeping?! It’s 2pm,” Sharon snickered on the other end. “Hey, I didn’t think it was kosher to make phone calls on Shabbat,” I said, understanding that observant Jews turn off their phones and…Family10 min read
Jul 15, 2020The Nana Dome (Part 3)Helen and I grabbed our bags and scampered through the front doors of the hotel. A broad-shouldered, average height man with impressive pearly whites stood behind the front desk. “Welcome to the Bell Boutique Hotel. My name is Moshe. Are you checking in?” asked the man with the good-looking teeth…History10 min read
Jun 15, 2020The Nana Dome (Part 2)Our flight to Israel was as comfortable as a four-hour flight could be. Helen read every magazine and newspaper she could get her hands on — she even flipped through a couple newspapers written in Hebrew. As for me, I relaxed with a couple Gold Star beers. The extra TLC…War6 min read
May 31, 2020The Nana Dome (Part 1)I was furious. I yelled, “I want to speak to your supervisor right now! I demand a full refund for our flights!” A female Iberia Airlines customer service agent, who was just doing her job, responded, “Sir, the Federal Aviation Administration has not issued any travel restrictions from the U.S…Travel8 min read
May 10, 2020Miracles Are a Girl’s Best FriendDay 1 (Wednesday) I was showering when my wife barged into our master bathroom screaming, “I lost it! I lost it! I can’t find it!” “What, Lori, your sex drive?” I responded sarcastically. “No, I lost that a long time ago!” she responded. “Marc, you are such an asshole sometimes…True Story9 min read
Published in The Startup·Apr 27, 2020My Software Codyng SecretI have been a software developer for 40 years. I started out as a VAX Macro programmer in 1977. Software development has been my life’s work, and it has brought me admiration from my peers. I have won numerous programming awards, and have written several books about Java multithreading and…Software Development6 min read
Apr 27, 2020PurritoI grew up in a small countryside village outside Guadalajara, Mexico. I was three years old when I started helping my mom in the kitchen. She desperately needed assistance in the kitchen to cook for our family of eleven children. I was the third-youngest and I instinctively knew my mom…Cooking10 min read
