Suprise Me

I am nostalgic for many things but not all.  Here is a quick take on some of the items from the 50s and 60s I don’t miss. Women’s clothing:  Panty girdles, with their tourniquet-like grip on my thighs. I’ll spare folks the details of feminine hygiene products and accessories of the 60s, but suffice it… Read More

Marching with thousands of other people, chanting "This is what democracy looks like!" at the top of our lungs, felt great! Read More

I never asked to be a movie critic. And yet it happened. People don’t believe me when I say this; they assume movie reviewing is such a plum job that I must have scrambled and hustled to get there. Not really. In 1991 I’d been working at the San Francisco Chronicle seven years when the… Read More

I’ve never been big on sin. Sin belongs to a god thing full of good, evil, and punishment, straight-jacketing people with shame, and excommunicating so many nice things. Regardless of my godless stance, at age 11, I helped myself to three temptations. First, I sought out pictures of naked women in magazines, stolen from my… Read More

After buying our first used car, a 1960 Dodge Dart with push button transmission, we learned the value of having a good mechanic. Read More

We spotted three girls across the street. When they saw us they giggled, whispered among themselves, and waved shyly. Read More

I have done a lot of volunteer work in the last 32 years, since retiring from paid employment. I divide that work into two categories: working on behalf of places that benefit my children and giving back to places that helped me become the person I am. I grew up in a household where my… Read More

Eager to join the ranks of the outre, we wore maxis to elementary school. Read More

My message to my grandkids and their peers is to stand up for what you believe in and then to go out and make some noise. I will always be proud of you for any “good trouble” you create along the way. Read More

It was introvert heaven! For a couple of months. Read More