Welcome

Welcome to I Had a Thought. I have been blogging politics for many years, but my main interests are science (my career), food (a passion) and history (my hobby). I also have been raising two kids who have taught me over the years how to be (I hope) a good parent. So I want to escape a bit from the world of political blogging and write on a wider range of subjects of interest to more people: health, parenting, genealogy, etc. Life is a wonderful thing, but it can also be hard. If we share our interests and our strategies for handling life's harder parts, we can do better. I hope you find this site useful.

See pages below for the categories I cover.

CONSUMER ADVICE PAGE

This page of I Had a Thought covers practical advice for consumers about how to keep your home and health intact and running smoothly. I will include exposing scams when I can and offer advice on what products are good and what aren't.

Click on topics below to learn more.

Pest Control Advice: Diatomaceous Earth Eliminates Crawling Bugs

Revisting: Preventing and Dealing With Bed Bugs

Shalom, Salaam, Peace: Coffee, Unity and Sustainability from Uganda

Cold Remidies: What Works and What Doesn't

Alternative Holiday Gifts to Match Your Values




Alternative Energy Options in Your State

PASSOVER MATZOH: My Family Agrees, It's Osem

Save Money, Create American Jobs and Reduce Your Carbon Footprint

Booze and Biofuels Meet: Making Whiskey and Fuel Side by Side

Break Up With Your Mega-Bank!...Green America's Community Investing Guide

The time is NOW for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency

100% Green Energy Plans

Better Banking and Better Credit Cards

HEALTH AND WELLNESS

This page of I Had a Thought covers a scientist's view of health and wellness, trying to dispel myths and emphasize key ways you can keep healthy and deal with problems when they arise.

Click on topics below to learn more.

Cold Remidies: What Works and What Doesn't


Preventing and Dealing With Bed Bugs


America's Asthma and Allergy Epidemic

Dealing with Mold and Mildew in Your Home


East African Mystery Disease: Nodding Syndrome

Your Health: Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria on the Rise

FOOD AND TRAVEL

Traveling the world and eating well along the way...

New York City:





MANHATTAN:

Five Guys Got Together to Make Some Burgers and Fries

NYC Restaurant Review: Manhattan Restaurant and Wine Bar: Reserve

NYC Restaurant Review: Great Sechuan

NYC Restaurant Review: Mia Chef Gelateria

NYC Restaurant Review: Stone Creek Bar and Lounge


BROOKLYN:

Five Guys Got Together to Make Some Burgers and Fries

Things to do in NYC: Brooklyn Heights Cinema

Things to do in NYC: Proteus Gowanus Art Space

NYC Local Business: Community Bookstore, Park Slope, Brooklyn

NYC Restaurant Review: Palo Santo; South American wines and cuisine in Brooklyn

NYC Restaurant Review: Cafe Steinhof, Austrian comfort food

NYC Restaurant Review: Dakar Senegalese Food in Clinton Hill




Los Angeles:

Five Guys Got Together to Make Some Burgers and Fries

Things to do in Los Angeles: The Watts Towers

Saving Money While Fueling Up in Southern California

Los Angeles Travel: Hipster Hotel and Swingers Diner

Los Angeles Restaurant Reviews: Umami Burger and Sake House Izakaya

Must Eat Los Angeles: Addcitive Mexican Food at Tito's Tacos



Germany:

Traveling in Germany


Turkey:

Traveling in Turkey

FAMILY, GENEALOGY and PARENTING

This page will cover my own family, parenting information, and genealogical info.


MY FAMILY:

Musical Discoveries: The Evolution of my Son's Tastes in Music

Family Videos: My Son Jacob Dancing in Brooklyn

Family Videos: My Son Jacob Singing the Elements Song

Musical Discoveries: The Evolution of my Son's Tastes in Music

Family History: Record of Adam Wasem's Death February 12, 1922

Saving Heritage: Jewish Roots and a Small Synagogue in Latvia

Meeting Judaism: Purim in Brooklyn


GENEALOGY:

Forced Mormon Conversion of Catholic and Jewish Dead

Ancestors: Who's your great great great great grandpappy?

In Search of Franconia: Wherein I Begin Looking at my German Roots

An American Tale: From Immigrants to American Icon

My search for my Jewish family roots

MUSICAL DISCOVERIES

Here I will post some interesting musical discoveries. Generally a bit out of the ordinary and often things that surprised me when I first learned of them.

The Late, Great Koko Taylor's Wang Dang Doodle...an early party song!

Musical Discoveries: The Evolution of my Son's Tastes in Music

Blues Roots: Leadbelly

Diverse Jewish Heritage in Music

Musical Discovery: The Music of Mali

Musical Discovery: Remembering Israel Kamakawiwo'ole

Challenging Apartheid: The Music of Juluka

Nina Simone: Powerful Blues Singer and Civil Rights Advocate

Sticking to the Union

Music for the Underdog: Paul Robeson

The Music of Nationalism...the Music of Immigration: Gogol Bordello's Gypsy Punk

Afia Mala, Royal Princess of Togo



CLICK HERE FOR MUSICAL DISCOVERIES PAGE

BOOK AND MOVIE REVIEWS

On this page I will post book reviews of relatively unknown books I find particularly interesting.

Best WW II Movie EVER: Kelly's Heroes

CHILDRENS' CLASSIC BOOK REVIEW: Watership Down and Tales from Watership Down

One of the Greatest Stories Ever Told...in Anime and Manga Form: Nausicaa (UPDATED)

Silly Christian Brawls, History and the Crimean War

Book Review: A Long Way Gone; Memoirs of a Boy Soldier

BOOK REVIEW: This Moment on Earth

BOOK REVIEW: Grief of my Heart

Book Review: "Dream in Color", by Loretta and Linda Sanchez

Book Review: The Yamato Dynasty (From the Meiji restoration to modern times)

BOOK REVIEW: The Political Brain



CLICK HERE FOR SOME BOOK REVIEWS.

HISTORY

I love history and archaeology...to me it is like the great story we all share. Here I will post some interesting articles on our past. I hope you enjoy and learn something about our shared past.

History in the Making: The Nation of Malawi Goes Progressive

Yes, Virginia, There WERE Gas Chambers

Ancient Culture and Technology: the near misses of ancient times

Passover and Jewish Origins

Thoughts on Language and Thinking

Khazars and Jews in the Middle Ages

In Search of Franconia: Wherein I Begin Looking at my German Roots

Columbus Day: Some Historical Perspective

Abraham Lincoln, Slavery and the Civil War

The Crimean War and the French-British Alliance

March 25th, 1911: A Turning Point in the American Labor Movement

Oct. 14, 1943: Jewish Rebellion at Sobibor Death Camp

The Yamato Dynasty (From the Meiji restoration to modern times)

Funny Flashback to the depths of the Bush years...

Evidence of the Holocaust