Sherman R. Frederick/Properly Subversive This may seem like a minor writing point, but it’s significant, and it is happening right now in the mainstream media. News organizations have taken to substituting the president’s name for what would generally be called actions taken by the federal government. Consider the alleged civil rights violations at Columbia and the … [Read more...]
Abortion: Debate with clarity
If it takes a comedian to get us talking in clear terms about abortion, then so be it. On April 13, Bill Maher on his HBO show Real Time said this about abortion: “Pro-lifers think it’s murder, and it kind of is. I’m just okay with that. I am. I mean there’s 8 billion people in the world. I’m sorry. We won’t miss you. That’s my position on that.” Thank you, Bill Maher. … [Read more...]
What happened to us?
Did we do something when we should not have? Did we do nothing when we should have? Anyway you slice it, this world is the result of its dominant species, at once both awesome and awful. Immersing myself in media the past few days, I generated enough notes for three or four columns. Love, hate, reason, superstition -- all well-represented. Then I saw the photo of … [Read more...]
Dear Abby: Workplace crush leaves woman struggling to move forward
DEAR ABBY: I am a lesbian who recently experienced heartbreak by falling in love with my mentor and boss. I didn’t want it to happen, but it did. The time we spent together was a balance of bliss and fear. My heart and soul feel that she feels the same way about me. I left my job because my feelings for her became so overwhelming, I could no longer cope. She knows how I feel … [Read more...]
Astro advice
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Put your energy where it counts on the 1st and 2nd. Lend a helping hand and make contributions that encourage saving, lowering your overhead and bringing in additional cash. Don’t put pressure on yourself or those around you. Time is on your side, and a well-thought-out plan is in your best interest. Put your plan in motion on the 3rd and 4th, and the … [Read more...]
May Day Labor Day: Start Packing
Ah, ‘tis Spring when a young man’s fancy turns to thoughts of creative seduction, satyristic dancing, nubile wenches, fertile frolicking -- and riots in the streets. Forgotten in the mayhem of these times is the painfully obvious: The ayatollah and Putin have won this round, having created worldwide chaos, advancing their dreams of conquest. Chaos, the best friend of … [Read more...]
Dear Abby: Two daughters make clear whose side they’ve taken
DEAR ABBY: I have been divorced for nine years. Before that I was a stay-at-home mom raising four children. I had an in-home business, and most of the money went to our family’s needs. My husband became an alcoholic 20 years into our 28-year marriage. After we divorced, my two adult daughters abandoned me because I receive spousal support from their father. Whenever I let … [Read more...]
Raw bits, base hits, old bits and obits
GREATEST HITS. Art Schallock turns 100 on April 25. In addition to joining the fastest-growing demographic in America, he is the oldest living major league baseball player. In recent years, I’ve been starved for baseball news here in the High Desert Outback of the American Dream. Apparently the San Francisco Giants are no longer relevant given the expensive transplantation … [Read more...]