For me, one of the greatest hurdles I faced as a candidate for public office was getting through election night.  Take the last time I ran.  The counting machines broke down and supporters who’d joined me in the musicians’ labor hall milled around, clutching cups of cold cof

The daughter of a friend came down with strep throat, recently, and her temperature rose to 104 degrees.  Naturally, her parents were worried, so they scooped her off to the doctor.  There, she received a dose of antibiotics and a prescription before returning home.  Happily, she c

When she signed Alabama’s near total ban on abortion, recently, governor Kay Ivey, noted the law testified to the state’s “deeply held belief that every life is precious and that every life is a sacred gift from God.” Again, another religious zealot with the power of the gavel

When does life begin?  That’s the question roiling the abortion debate, and one which society must decide.  Unfortunately, the  decision will be arbitrary, with no more science behind it than the one ascribed to setting the voting age.  Arguably, life thrives in

Stop by any department store cosmetic counter and you’ll see why the female of the species has mystified men for centuries. The number of eye creams, alone, climbs past double digits, if we count private labels along with national brands.  Prices range from a few dollars to over $2

Cultural differences can have humorous consequences. Others may be surprising.  Still others depict differences that are endearing, as does the video on  same-sex marriage I encountered one cultural difference I never forgot was while traveling by train somewhere in east Africa.  A

The new series for Just Read It, begins May 1.  That’s the 10 minute YouTube program where I discuss New York Times Best Sellers with local writers. To give the program a facelift, I’ve  been working with two new cameramen, three cameras and bold lighting.  The improvements are

Sometimes the difference between fantasy and reality is the difference between a Gucci designed duvet and a lumpy mattress.  The cosmetics can be eye-popping but it won’t result in a good night’s sleep.  Sitting down to thumb through the latest edition of Town & Country, I o

Sometimes, the good old days were just that: good. Doctors made home visits — a blessing when the weather was frightful and you had a temperature of 102.  In the good old days, when the thermometer hit triple digits, a kid like me could grab shards from the back of an ice truck

The future of Roe v. Wade, a woman’s right to an abortion, in most people’s minds, is hanging by a thread. A recent Supreme Court ruling on a Louisiana law, one that severely restricted abortion clinics, was decided on a 5-4 split. Chief Justice John Roberts joined the more libera