An oil painting of a lit candle.

Sight Unseen

A blind expat's musings on life, death and the Trump era

April 25, 2026 | Rome, Italy
The beheading of James Foley is a provocation but a different set of worries prevails.

War games

The "Game of Thrones"-loving West still has a hard time reckoning with real war.

On the male side, the desired look is "emaciated, pale, and lanky."

Look at me!

A Manhattan modeling event offers insight into ambition and the age-old craving for a breakthrough.

My father picked up national newspapers daily.

August

Memories of a long-ago summer bring back a father's deep worries in a world of strife.

Between them, China and India have more than two billion in use.

Outlier

Coming late to digital trends can leave you on the outside looking in.

Moscow will have to decide how far it wishes to go.

Motherland

Understanding the depth of Russian territorial nationalism is vital in assessing Ukraine options.

My mother was depressed, so I guess I inherited it.

Blue genes?

The many and intricate reasons for depression make the remark "I inherited it" almost useless.