The VCR Connection

As I looked through an advertising circular recently, something caught my eye. I didn’t particularly need the item, but knew I had to share the information with the rest of the family. Someone – I don’t remember the store – had a DVD player on sale for $20. I drifted into old man mode and […]

Dressing for Success

I might not always give off this vibe, but I like to dress up. I had to wear a coat and tie all through high school and have spent a good number of my professional years in a tie, so it kind of makes sense. These days, however, I don’t get many opportunities. I do […]

Saving America

I know what America needs. I don’t mean I can solve our myriad political and social problems. That’s an impossible task for anyone to challenge. But I know what to do so we can all smile again, as long as we forget all those political and social problems. This may sound ambitious, but I know […]

The Gravy Train Has Ended

As the youngest of eight children, I grew up with a bunch of perks. Some recent developments, however, make me think the gravy train has started to slow down. My siblings remind me all the time how easy I had it growing up. They joke that I was my parents’ favorite. I don’t deny that […]

Questioning “Community”

The NBC comedy “Community” returns tonight, against all odds. The wacky sitcom has seemed headed for the graveyard every year, but has enough of a cult following to make it hard for the network to completely cut the cord. I have read that these new episodes are pretty funny. But will we ever really know […]

Music to My Ears

Americans have very few opportunities these days to band together with one singular purpose. A couple of weeks ago, however, that happened when NBC aired a live production of “The Sound of Music.” Unfortunately, I did not get to take part in this exercise because of a work function I had to attend. I could […]

Shelf the Elf

One of the guiding principles for writers is the “rule of three.” Basically, using three examples for something tends to work better, especially in comedy. But as Mike, my oldest nephew, recently pointed out, the theory also applies to parenting. You see, Mike has three kids with a fourth one on the way. He and […]