About Me

MSM, or Mainstream Media, is all too often used in blog comments as a term of opprobrium. I'm proud of my MSM background. It means I'm trained to base my assertions of fact on research and to double-check facts before publishing. What's new for me as a blogger is that, at last, I can express my own opinions.
Born in New York City, I am an identical twin. At 14 I moved with my brother and mom to Los Angeles. At UCLA I became editor of the student newspaper, The Daily Bruin. Then came reporting jobs on the Los Angeles Examiner and the San Francisco Examiner, interspersed with six months U.S. Army service that was followed by six years in the National Guard and Army Reserve. I then attended Harvard Law School, graduating cum laude and ranking in the top 14% of my class. After passing the California bar exam it was back to journalism -- for 20 years at Newsweek, 10 at Newsday (including six years at the White House, 1991-1997) and the final 10 at USA TODAY, based in hometown Los Angeles. I briefly practiced First Amendment litigation law in 1986-1987 in Los Angeles and New York for the giant firm of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher.
My first marriage, to noted journalist Jeanie Kasindorf, ended in divorce. Since 2001 I've been the husband of psychologist, artist and yoga teacher Irma Hawkins. We live along the canals of Venice, Calif., 3 blocks inland from the Pacific beaches. I'm a distance-running devotee who has completed 23 marathons and more than 100 races of lesser distance. I'm a serious cat person.