A friend called me on a Sunday, responding to a birthday message I’d sent. As friends do, we caught up on each other’s lives and then made suggestions about books to read and movies to see. I recommend the films, August: Osage County and Blue Jasmine, both of which are films with

WINNIE THE POOH AND THE UGLY AMERICAN Toys and fantasies about toys are the mainstream of children’s literature. “Winnie the Pooh” who loves honey and “Paddington Bear” who loves marmalade sandwiches are the huggable creatures of our youth. “The Steadfast Tin Soldier” or

Writing a memoir is different from writing fiction.  That may be obvious at first blush.  Memoir deals with facts.  Fiction has no obligation to the truth. Both tell a story, however.  A memoir is about a real person.  Fiction presents an avatar to stand for some aspect of the hu

My car insurance is due. Though I am driving less, I expect the premium will go up.  Nothing goes down these days except my bank account.  I don’t feel particularly misused. The pendulum seems to swing in the same direction for everyone’s clock.  Greater cost and lower service.

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

As the political season heats up, several candidates are vowing to end economic disparity by taxing the rich and giving the spillover to the poor.  So, now seems a good time to refresh our memories about the ways the superrich hide their assets. Today we review free ports.  Free por

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

I have no idea what generation would claim me. I’m not a baby boomer and the alphabet soup that follows – Xers, Ys, Zs, — are far too young.  Egads!  Some of these youth have never seen a landline.  Never mind, I don’t know the difference between emails and text mes

     Alex Trebek, longtime host for the popular television game show Jeopardy, after having been told he had stage 4 pancreatic cancer, announced, recently, his chemotherapy treatments have brought him near to remission.  More and more, people like him, are fighting their

Politics on the local and national spheres share one value in common. Voters expect their representatives to serve their constituents without seeking personal gain.  In Oregon, the feeling is so strong, that when I served in public office, I rejected a free lunch if it was offered.