Bruce F. Lowitt

Bruce Lowitt

Bruce F. Lowitt is a freelance writer based in the Tampa Bay area of Florida.  He had a long career as a sports writer for the Associated Press and for the St. Petersburg (Florida) Times prior to his retirement.

Satire: Give the Gift of Grift

With the appointment by Donald Trump of prosperity theology televangelist and part-time Journey roadie Paula White-Cain as leader of his recently formed White House Faith office, the president has formally proclaimed the official United States religion to be Donationism, based on the belief that in order to be saved, one must give up one’s savings. [Bruce Lowitt]

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Bruce F. Lowitt, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Trivia, Humor & Satire, USA

Satire: Palestine Solutions, Then and Now

Partial transcript of a debate among King Farouk I of Egypt, President Shukri Kuwatly of Syria, President Bechara Khoury of Lebanon, King Abdullah of Jordan and King Faisal II of Iraq on the evening of May 14, 1948, minutes after David Ben-Gurion proclaimed the establishment of the State of Israel. (Bruce Lowitt)

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Bruce F. Lowitt, Israel, Middle East, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Trivia, Humor & Satire, USA

An “Interview” with a Groundhog

“I might add that it is quite a puzzling day for me too. You see, I have a little touch of rheumatism and, like everyone else, I want the warmth of spring to come early, too. So every year at about this time I get my sunglasses and consider putting them on. so I won’t see my shadow or be bothered by the snow. But then I start worrying, especially since I can never remember whether I’m supposed to stay outside or go back into my hole – er, house.” [Bruce F. Lowitt]

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Bruce F. Lowitt, Jewish Fiction, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Trivia, Humor & Satire, USA

Beatles Fan Turns His Hobby into a Museum

When he’s not Robert J. Entel, MD, MPH, FACR, practicing radiology at Mease hospitals in Dunedin and Countryside and Morton Plant hospitals in Clearwater and New Port Richey, he can often be found in Penny Lane at 730 Broadway in Dunedin, surrounded by an astonishing collection of Beatles memorabilia. [Bruce Lowitt]

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Bruce F. Lowitt, International, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, USA

Sports Satire: Classic Matchup — Congress vs. Washington Football Team

ongress, unwilling or unable to deal with legislation on voting, education, health, infrastructure or anything else of consequence, has now called an audible by deciding to investigate the Washington Football Team’s scandals. The criticism being showered upon the National Football League franchise formerly known as the Redskins involves, in part, the e-mails between Bruce Allen, its former general manager and president, and former Buccaneers and Raiders coach Jon Gruden. [Bruce Lowitt]

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Bruce F. Lowitt, Sports & Competitions, USA

Remembrance of a Covid Wedding

By the time Dr. and Mrs. Bernardo Stein of Seminole, Florida, and Mr. and Mrs. David Abelson of Oldsmar, Florida, had finished the guest list for the wedding of their children, the number had mushroomed well past 400. By the time Arlyn Stein and Adam Abelson walked down the aisle last Dec. 19, the list of “guests” had shrunk to, well, zero. The entire wedding party consisted of the bride and groom, their parents, three siblings and two grandparents. Oh, and Cooper, their 10-month-old mini-poodle. [Bruce F. Lowitt]

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Bruce F. Lowitt, Jewish Religion, Lifestyles, USA

‘Mostly Mishegas’ Satirizes Trump’s Jewish Knowledge

The idea that Donald J. (“John,” not “Jewish”) Trump would even consider converting to Judaism is, on its face, outrageous. Then again, Joel H. (“Hugh,” not “Hebrew”) Cohen, has plenty of outrageous thoughts about the 45th president of the United States and has, in the past, humorously and unapologetically expressed them in these pages of the San Diego Jewish World in his column, “Just Kidding.” [Bruce F. Lowitt]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Bruce F. Lowitt, Donald H. Harrison, Joel H. Cohen, Trivia, Humor & Satire

ADL offers a high school curriculum challenging bias

The Anti-Defamation League is offering to high schools and middle schools a curriculum designed to challenge biases and to encourage students to think critically, according to George Selim, ADL’s New York-based senior vice president of programs.  “With our powerful, new civics curriculum we’re cultivating the next generation of leaders to actively participate in their communities and champion social justice.  We’re especially excited about partnering with Bites Media with their carefully curated articles which lift up and highlight the relevance of our civics lessons.” [Our Shtetl San Diego County column by Donald H. Harrison]

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Bruce F. Lowitt, Donald H. Harrison, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, USA

COVID-19 separates couple, threatens Polish restaurant

Marcia Vineberg was almost packed and ready to rejoin her husband.It’s complicated. They had moved from Vancouver to this Tampa Bay community on Florida’s gulf coast 10 years ago to care for her mother, who had fallen. Harriet Rand, 95, died in December. And Gerald Vineberg a Canadian native who spent half of each year as a businessman traveling in Europe and Asia, wound up opening The Nosh Kosher Cafe in Tarnow, Poland, three years ago. Then COVID-19 arrived. [Bruce F. Lowitt]

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Bruce F. Lowitt, International, Travel and Food, USA

NHL’s Halpern a Jewish sports honoree

Halpern will become only the second hockey player to be inducted into the Jewish Sports Heritage Association, joining Mike Hartman, who played 58 of his 397 career games with the 1992- 93 Lightning during nine NHL seasons. NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman also has been so honored. The induction ceremony at Temple Israel of Lawrence on Long Island, New York., was originally planned for April 26, but the Coronavirus pandemic forced cancellation of the program until 2021, at a date to be announced. Among this year’s other inductees are former Boston Red Sox infielder Kevin Youkilis, former NBA Commissioner David Stern, author Mitch Albom, boxing analyst Al Bernstein, and the late Ed Sabol and his son, Steve, co-founders of NFL Films. [Bruce F. Lowitt]

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Bruce F. Lowitt, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Sports & Competitions, USA

San Diego gears up for 2020 JCC Maccabi Experience

The Lawrence Family JCC has been sending flyers to people throughout the county looking for athletes, artists, volunteers and donors for the 2020 JCC Maccabi Experience, in which over 400 San Diego County teen athletes and artists will become part of a competition among 2,200 teens from throughout the world from Sunday August 2 through Friday, August 7. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Bruce F. Lowitt, Donald H. Harrison, International, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, San Diego County, Sports & Competitions, Theatre, Film & Broadcast

Sports Astrology

By Bruce F. Lowitt TAMPA, Florida — Here’s an astrological chart for my fellow sports fans. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Tampa residents, you’re living in the only major-league market to have never hosted an All-Star Game. If the Rays don’t get a new ballpark, Montreal will host another one before Tampa Bay does. VIRGO (Aug.

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Bruce F. Lowitt, Sports & Competitions, USA