POGO GOT IT HALF RIGHT One cliché says a picture is worth a 1000 words. Frankly, I’ve seen pictures, especially in fashion magazines, which could use 1000 words to explain what they’re selling or what the image intends to project. Of late, I’ve noticed the models in these publi
BEATLE BABIES I’ve been invited to a baby shower. My gardener of the last 8 years has finally left me to begin a new life as a mom and I’m happy for her. I’ve not doubt I’ll be the oldest one at the party, old enough to be the mother of all those in attendance. When my gardene
THE CURRENT OF DREAMING When I was in my 50s and at the height of my political life, I began to have a reoccurring dream that was so disturbing, I sometimes awoke with tears in my eyes. The dream revolved around a pet — a cat or a dog or many cats and dogs — which I had ab
CURIOUS ABOUT VOLDEMORT II I take my 94 year-old mother to lunch once a week. She likes to mix with people of different ages. The local Mall is a good place for that so we sometimes stop for a hot fudge sundae and to do a little people watching. Last week she was swirling her chocolat
LIFE AS A VOYEUR I saw a photograph the other day of Grace Kelly when she was attending a premier of “Rear Window,” the Alfred Hitchcock film (1954) in which she co-starred with James Stewart. Anyone who has yet to see the film should remedy the omission as soon as possibl
AN OLD DOG HOWLS It’s almost a month away, but I can feel autumn in the air. Mostly the reminder comes in the form of magazines chock full of information about sending youngsters back to school. Advertisers are busy too. I guess they’re hoping for an uptick in sales as parents thi
A TEACHER CALLED HUMOR I love James Thurber. “My Life and Hard Times” is one of the funniest books I’ve ever read. In fact, Heart Land is set in Ohio as a subtle tribute to the author. I’ve read Thurber’s book several times and still can’t get through the pages w
ALLEGORIES OF GOOD AND EVIL A few years ago, I wrote an allegory. I don’t mean to appear immodest, but it’s one of the most satisfying pieces of writing I’ve have ever done. Unfortunately, I found no market for it. Allegory, a moral tale told with symbols, has gone out of style.
THE ONLY SECURITY OF ALL IS A FREE PRESS – Thomas Jefferson Last Friday, I received an early phone call from a former student I taught while I lived in what’s now called Zimbabwe. Today she’s 62 years-old and runs a travel agency out of South Africa. She’d like to sell the
WRITERS OF MISINFORMATION For the most part, advertising is misinformation I don’t need, though occasionally, it has its amusement value. Ellen DeGeneres, actress and TV talk show host, has recently become the advertising face for Cover Girl cosmetics. She’s part of a campaign for