Top Gun was one of those movies that I grew up watching way too often. I was only three years old when the film came out and it was a favourite of the men in my life, my dad and my uncles who were all in their 20s at the time. It, along with TheContinue reading ““Top Gun: Maverick” Reminds Us Why We Love Sequels”
Author Archives: nickrafter
The Top 10 Songs That Bring Back Happy Spring Memories
Thinking back on my life, some of the happiest moments happened in the Spring. I was, after all, born in the Spring, though to be specific, late Spring. Graduations, birthdays, new jobs, vacations, many of them happened between March and June. Attached to those happy memories are songs that spark those nostalgic feelings and emotionsContinue reading “The Top 10 Songs That Bring Back Happy Spring Memories”
France Elects: A Post Mortem
Macron Won Reelection, But The Race Was Narrower And The Results Showed Some Surprises All the votes have been counted in the presidential election last Sunday in France and the results brought some surprises, but not much drama. Emmanuel Macron won a second term fairly easily, becoming the first French president to be reelected sinceContinue reading “France Elects: A Post Mortem”
Election Watching: What To Look For Today In France
Le Pen Is Polling Closer To Macron Than In 2017, That Means Results Might Be More Interesting And Telling Today, French citizens go to the polls to either reelect President Emmanuel Macron, or replace him with National Rally-leader Marine Le Pen. Either way, the result will be historic. Either Macron becomes the first French presidentContinue reading “Election Watching: What To Look For Today In France”
The Speech Biden Should Give Today
The President Must Signal It Is Ok To Return To Normal If That Is Your Choice My Fellow Americans, When I took office eleven months ago, I had hoped that this Christmas would be one in which we are back to normal, with the pandemic and the disruption it caused to our lives behind us.Continue reading “The Speech Biden Should Give Today”
How The World Failed India
By Relying On Unsustainable Measures, We Ignored Both History And Reality In The World’s Most Vulnerable Nation In June, 1918, in a crowded apartment block in the port city of Mumbai, India – then called Bombay – a crackling chorus of coughs echoed through the halls and streets. Several young people had fallen ill withContinue reading “How The World Failed India”
The Academy Rarely Rewards An Actor Who Has Died
Producers Bet On A Chadwick Boseman Win, And Were Left With Egg On Their Faces I admit there were only two reasons I sat through the #Oscars last weekend. One was to see if Chloe Zhao would become only the second woman to win a Best Director Oscar, which she did, and the second, toContinue reading “The Academy Rarely Rewards An Actor Who Has Died”
The Biggest Side Effect Of Vaccination: A Sense Of Relief
They Say ‘Nothing Changes’ After You’re Vaccinated, But For Me, Everything Changed It felt like a hangover. The day after I got my second Pfizer shot last Thursday at Aqueduct Racetrack in Queens, I didn’t work and slept in, sleeping until almost 3 p.m. I felt like I had been pounding tequila shots all night,Continue reading “The Biggest Side Effect Of Vaccination: A Sense Of Relief”
The Legacy Of Prince Philip: A Reformer With Mixed Success
Traumatized By His Own Childhood In Exile, Philip Dedicated His Life To Protecting The Monarchy It’s hard to believe knowing the reputation Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, had in his final years as a staunch defender of “traditional values,” and an institution marred in racism and colonialism, but the consort of Queen Elizabeth IIContinue reading “The Legacy Of Prince Philip: A Reformer With Mixed Success”
The Benefits And Rewards Of ‘Manipulating Your Qi’
This past Sunday, I appeared on Joanne’s Healing Within, the weekly show hosted by Queens, New York-based personal trainer, Reiki healer and life coach Rev. Joanne Angel Barry Colon. I regularly appear on her show to take part in some new and often ancient exciting healing and spiritual development rituals. Last summer, life coach andContinue reading “The Benefits And Rewards Of ‘Manipulating Your Qi’”
Nick Rafter Writes 