Just The Sort Of 'Feel Good' Story We Love!

This Pennsylvania barbershop boosts kids' confidence by paying young customers $3 to read stories aloud during haircuts, deserving endless retweets. pic.twitter.com/GmrhueHkiV

— Wholesome (@wholesome_X_) July 10, 2026

Exactly What IS Going On Here, Huh?

Pride month may have (mercifully) ended but we're still left to wonder about this display at the entrance to the children's section of the Camden County (NJ) Library. It remained up throughout the month at the library's main branch in Vorhees and this is at least the second year we've encountered it. Similar displays were the norm at many area libraries -- some of which have no such displays or recognition of America's 250th birthday this month.

Take a look at the titles of some of the books -- all placed conveniently at eye level for children. It does give one pause, and might make one wonder exactly what's at play here -- information, or vigorous advocacy, if not outright grooming. 

Just something to think about -- especially if you're a parent of grandparent.

Mammoth Hit From The UK Is Headed Our Way

NYC Public Library To Recognize Italian Americans

From the Order Sons and daughters of Italy in America (OSDIA):

The Commission for Social Justice (CSJ), the anti-defamation arm of the Order Sons and Daughters of Italy in America (OSDIA) is pleased to announce that in October 2026, the New York Public Library (NYPL) will display official OSDIA Italian American Heritage Month materials.

This development follows claims from OSDIA members in late 2025 that the NYPL was refusing to display Italian American Heritage Month materials from OSDIA due to its support for Columbus Day.

Following this claim, CSJ President John A. Fratta wrote a letter to the New York Public Library on November 7, 2025 to condemn this decision and to implore the institution to display materials from OSDIA the following October.

“Thanks to the tireless efforts of Councilman David Carr, this issue has been successfully addressed,” said Fratta. “Carr engaged in numerous discussions with the CEO of the NYPL system, Dr. Anthony W. Marx, and remained steadfast in advocating for our community.”

In appreciation of Councilman Carr’s successful efforts to allow OSDIA Italian Heritage Month materials to be displayed at local library branches throughout New York City, Fratta will present a certificate to him in the coming weeks.

“On behalf of this organization, I would like to sincerely thank Councilman Carr for his commitment, persistence, and leadership in correcting this, and ensuring fair representation of Italian American heritage,” said Fratta.

For more information on this matter and to read the letter sent to the NYPL on November 7, 2025, click here. 

Usha Vance Visits Olympians, Paralympians

On Thursday, May 28, 2026, Second Lady Usha Vance visited the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado, to promote childhood literacy and her Summer Reading Challenge. 

At Team USA’s world-class training venue, the Second Lady was joined by two-time Olympian and six-time World Champion wrestler and mom, Adeline Gray, in reading “If You Can Dream it, Be It” by Team USA Bobsled Pilot Riley Tejcek to a group of local students.
 
“What an honor it was to visit such an incredible space and meet the Team USA athletes who are representing our country so well. Team USA fosters excellence and inspires children to fulfill their potential – something I also hope to cultivate by encouraging childhood literacy,” said Second Lady Usha Vance.
 
“It was great to welcome the Second Lady and a group of local children for their first experience at the Olympic & Paralympic Training Center. As a mother myself, inspiring kids to be curious, dream big and develop a love for both sport and reading is incredibly important,” said Adeline Gray.
 
The Second Lady is an avid supporter of Team USA and traveled to Milan with Vice President JD Vance in February for the 2026 Olympic Winter Games.
 
As part of her efforts to combat summer learning loss among students, the Second Lady recently visited AcadeMir Academy Charter School West in Doral, Florida to read to students and collaborate with faculty.
 
Additionally, the Second Lady launched a new podcast called “Storytime with the Second Lady,” where celebrities and special guests read children’s stories. Recent guests include Paralympic medalist Brent Poppen, NASCAR driver Danica Patrick, actor Cheryl Hines, Inter Miami CF Soccer Player Ian Fray, and her mother, Dr. Lakshmi Chilukuri.  

For more information about the Second Lady’s Summer Reading Challenge please visit www.wh.gov/read. To tune in to “Storytime with the Second Lady,” visit  Spotify and YouTube.

Usha Vance Champions Literacy Effort

On Friday, May 15, 2026, Second Lady Usha Vance visited AcadeMir Academy Charter School East in Doral, Florida to showcase her Summer Reading Challenge and share her love of reading with students and faculty.

During her visit, the Second Lady read Ada Twist the Scientist by Andrea Beaty to students, spoke about why reading is so important to her, and answered questions asked by the students.

“It was such a joy to meet so many amazing kids in Miami and share the gift of reading with them. I loved telling them about my upcoming Summer Reading Challenge and the fun updates we’ve made since last year’s challenge. I’m excited for children all over the country to learn and grow through stories this summer,” said Second Lady Usha Vance. 

“Today’s visit is especially meaningful as we unite in support of literacy, learning, and the transformative power of education through the Second Lady’s Summer Reading Initiative. At AcadeMir Charter Schools, we believe reading opens the door to imagination, opportunity, and lifelong success. We are proud to support this important initiative and remain committed to inspiring our students to become lifelong readers, critical thinkers, and future leaders," said Olivia Bernal, Chief Operating Officer, AcadeMir Charter Schools. 

As part of her larger childhood literacy initiative, the Second Lady recently launched a podcast, "Storytime with the Second Lady," where she hosts various guests and celebrities to read children’s stories aloud. Recent guests include former Nascar driver Danica Patrick, actor Cheryl Hines, Inter Miami CF Soccer Player Ian Fray, and her mother, Dr. Lakshmi Chilukuri. 

For more information about the Second Lady’s Summer Reading Challenge please visit www.wh.gov/read. To tune in to “Storytime with the Second Lady,” visit  Spotify and YouTube.

A Fascinating Story From My Hometown

 

Walt Whitman died on March 26, 1892, in Camden after years of declining health caused largely by strokes he suffered beginning in the 1870s. 

By the end of his life, Whitman had become something unusual in American culture: a living literary icon. Admirers, writers, artists, and curious pilgrims regularly visited his modest home on Mickle Street to sit with the aging poet. Interesting to note: Whitman designed his tomb himself and he reportedly visited it while it was being completed. 

 Whitman’s funeral drew hundreds of mourners, including laborers, intellectuals, artists, politicians, and ordinary readers, a remarkably diverse crowd that reflected the democratic ideals Whitman held dear. His coffin was displayed in his Camden home, and people reportedly passed through to pay respects before burial. 

Whitman’s brain was removed for scientific study by the American Anthropometric Society to analyze his genius. However, the brain was accidentally dropped and destroyed by a laboratory assistant before it could be properly examined. The remains were discarded, making it a "spectacular failure" in early brain studies. 

What makes Whitman’s burial site in Harleigh Cemetery so powerful is that it feels deeply connected to his character and poetry itself, rough, rooted, public, imperfect, democratic, intimate, and strangely alive more than 130 years after his death. "The powerful play goes on..."

Sondheim's Life: Struggles, Demons, Triumphs

The brilliant Broadway composer and lyricist, Stephen Sondheim, was every bit as difficult, complicated, and sometimes frustrating as the puzzles that he collected and so enjoyed over his lifetime.  

Sondheim's many quirks, squabbles, grudges, demons, peaks and valleys  are richly detailed in the new biography, Stephen Sondheim, Art Isn't Easy, by Daniel Okrent, for the Jewish Lives series from Yale University Press.

Here are some of the things we learn in this biography which illuminates the life, struggles and triumphs of Sondheim in a way heretofore unavailable:

•  The author tells us that for all intents and purposes, Sondheim was an alcoholic. He drank almost every day of his life. Yes, there were periods when he went  off the bottle, but invariably he returned to his previous ways.  He enjoyed almost every kind of alcoholic beverage, including scotch, vodka, bourbon, martinis, champagne, wine  or whatever would do the trick and he resisted any efforts to get him into a program such as Alcoholics Anonymous.
•  Like many great artists, Sondheim was also a perfectionist who obsessed over his work and, even after he completed a composition, was often less than satisfied with it. He was known to return to previously "finished" works to correct what he still perceived as mistakes or oversights. And no, whatever natural talent he had didn't make the pursuit of his art any easier. Thus, the subtitle Art Isn't Easy.
• Sondheim was also a notorious procrastinator, either because he found it difficult to face a looming task or because he worked best under pressure. This often presented a difficult dilemma for his collaborators and the many others who depended on his output in the high-pressured theatrical world of Broadway.  Still, when the pressure was on, more often than not, he delivered mightily. But oh, the waiting!
• They called Sondheim a genius, and he certainly was significantly above average in intelligence. In school, he skipped both kindergarten and seventh grade and entered college at 16. In first grade he read aloud from the New York Times. But, like many high IQ people, he could be awkward in social situations and found such settings difficult. He was an enigma, difficult to get to know and not what you would call a "people person." 
• Yes, some might characterize him as a "tortured genius" as he also sometimes obsessed over small slights or things that were said or written about him and he was known to hold grudges, sometimes letting things fester for years or even decades. But, he could just as easily blow up, let off steam and then put his anger aside and act as if all was well again.  Friends learned to deal with his sometimes volatile behavior and treasured their relationships with him nonetheless.
• Drugs were another part of Sondheim's life, though apparently not to the point where he became an addict. The musical Sunday in the Park With George was written largely with the help of marijuana at a time when weed was not legal and Into The Woods was reportedly helped along with cocaine and even ecstasy. 
• Sondheim suffered two heart attacks, one just beyond the middle of his life and one a bit later and he did clean up his act a bit after each one, incorporating an exercise regimen and sticking with wine instead a variety of liquors. But, in both instances, he returned to his old ways and, incredibly, managed to live to the age of 91 -- still very alert, cogent, and still working on a new musical (Here We Are) at the time of his death. 
• Though he avoided sentimentality in all his shows, Sondheim himself proved to be a sentimentalist at times. He was deeply  moved by the mere mention of the word "teacher" because he felt that teachers had the greatest impact on his life and on the life of others. And though, he was an insular person, Sondheim was known to cry easily. In fact, he cried, whenever he played the song Someone In a Tree which was deeply personal to him.

In this book, the author gives us a Sondheim, who is characterized by three overwhelming traits -- alienation, ambivalence and revenge. 

The product of a fractured marriage (and a resulting deep personal animus toward his mother) Sondheim, according to Okrent, was motivated by a feeling of vengeance, and this unfortunately carried over into many of his dealings with others. Throughout his life, he also felt a deep sense of separateness and an inability to connect with others. On top of all that was a persistent ambivalence, which carried over into the lyrics of many of his songs. This ambivalence added to the mystique of Sondheim and was depicted in the tales disconnected prople, particularly in an urban setting. And this, of course, is most dramatically expressed in the musical Company.

Alienation. Ambivalence Revenge. These three run through some of Sondheim's greatest works. 

Alienation crops up in characters who often appear to be mere observers of the world around them rather than active participants and it is a frequent trait of artists who spend the bulk of their time observing and creating, often necessarily shutting themselves off from others. Think Sunday In The Park With George and Merrily We Roll Along. Ambivalence finds a home in a secular world devoid of moral underpinnings, guidelines or even any semblance of a road map. Think Company and Follies. Revenge often grows from past traumatic events, sometimes even criminal. Think Sweeney Todd.

As gruesome as Sweeney Todd was, the strong propulsion of revenge that characterized his macabre tale was something that Sondheim could understand. Asked once about the difference between himself and Sweeney, Sondheim didn't flinch. "I tuned it into art," he answered.

Though Sondheim may have passed on nearly five years ago, we remain abundantly grateful for the art he created which lives on among all of us. Or, as George Bernard Shaw once said: "You can lose a man like that by your own death, but not by his". 

You Asked For It, So Here's THE LIST!

We're already a week into 2026 and we're thirsty for positive vibes in the year ahead. And change is on the way -- much of it driven by Gen X (people born between 1965 and 1980) who are now manifesting peak influence. Here are 26 Big Things (clear trends, if you will) to look forward to as the year proceeds:

1. The United States’ 250th anniversary, with nationwide celebrations, museum exhibits, documentaries, and local events reflecting on the country’s past and future. Let's all join in and gather together as one. Let's unite again, America!

2. A less intense political climate than the presidential election years, allowing more focus on governing and problem-solving. Well, we can hope and pray, can't we?

3. Younger leaders continuing to gain influence in politics, business, media, and activism, bringing new priorities and styles of leadership. Think new young journalists like Nick Shirley and emerging, fervent  conservative leaders like Jack Posobiec. 

4. Increased bipartisan cooperation at state and local levels on practical issues like housing, infrastructure, and disaster preparedness. This will be necessary as potent challenges hit home. Of course, this doesn't always apply in states like NJ where one party currently holds a huge legislative advantage and doesn't see the need to reach across the aisle..

5. A more stable and thoughtful release schedule from Hollywood after years of disruption, leading to better-developed films. Finally, we'll begin to sort out films for theater release vs online fare with a clear schedule for both.

6. A continued comeback of original movies that aren’t tied to major franchises, supported by audiences seeking fresh stories. We pray for a return to real, true-life stories and compelling, authentic narratives tied to everyday life in these United States.

7. Another strong year for high-quality television, especially limited series that value storytelling over endless seasons. Think The Pitt.

8. Greater creative control for diverse writers, directors, and producers, shaping more authentic and varied entertainment. And even if they get a little help from AI, so what?

9. A new wave of breakout musicians experimenting across genres without being constrained by traditional industry rules. Wouldn't this be refreshing?

10. Live music remaining popular as people prioritize shared experiences, with festivals and tours continuing to thrive. And let's pitch them to all demographics and at all price points.

11. A gradual shift away from overly algorithm-driven pop culture, as audiences actively seek out niche and regional scenes. Plus, a hoped-for return to real, live, face-to-face interaction.

12. The 2026 FIFA World Cup hosted in the United States, bringing global attention and a rare unifying sports moment. A Big WOW moment for our nation!

13. Continued growth and visibility for women’s sports, with more stable fan bases. AND, the end of the intrusion of biological men into women's spoprts.

14. As some big names retire, a new generation of NFL stars fully taking center stage, creating fresh rivalries and storylines. This will really be refreshing!

15. Growing excitement and infrastructure improvements tied to the upcoming 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. 

16. A strong year for American fiction and nonfiction as writers move beyond immediate crisis narratives into deeper reflection. Let's see the return of the Great American Novel as well as some real life history and compelling biography!

17. Independent bookstores and libraries continuing to survive and serve as community cultural hubs. And this will be especially apparent as small towns and local businesses thrive again.

18. Increased investment in public art and cultural projects, especially in mid-sized cities building local identity. A welcomed return to accessible culture!

19. More practical and less gimmicky uses of AI, quietly improving productivity in fields like medicine, education, and design. 

20. Greater public awareness of digital privacy and modest but meaningful improvements in regulation and norms. 

21. Clean energy technologies becoming more common and less politically charged as costs drop and adoption grows, proving that both traditional and new energy sources can coexist and work hand-in-hand to the betterment of all.

22. Hybrid and flexible work arrangements stabilizing and becoming more predictable for many workers, including a significant return to on-site work environments and greater real, live interaction. Finally, we'll begin to achieve a balance.

23. Mental health conversations remaining mainstream, with reduced stigma and more realistic expectations around care. This could actually save lots of lives!

24. A renewed interest in community through local clubs, volunteer organizations, sports leagues, and faith groups. Let's balance high tech with high touch!

25. Increased domestic travel, with Americans rediscovering national parks, small towns, and regional food scenes.

26. A growing sense of resilience, as people adapt to uncertainty while still finding ways to connect, create, and enjoy life.

Usha Vance Promotes Kids' Summer Reading Challenge

On Thursday, August 21, Second Lady Usha Vance traveled to Canton, Georgia, where she visited Cherokee Classical Academy as part of her nationwide Summer Reading Challenge initiative, which encourages young readers to strengthen their literacy skills and develop a lifelong love of reading.

During the visit, the Second Lady spoke about her Summer Reading Challenge and joined students and teachers for a special reading session. She took questions from the children and visited their classrooms to participate in their academic lessons.

“We want every child to know that reading opens doors—not only to education, but to imagination, opportunity, and achievement,” said Second Lady Vance. “By taking part in the Summer Reading Challenge, children are building strong foundations that will serve them for a lifetime and prepare them for the school year.”

Cherokee Classical Academy leaders expressed their gratitude for the Second Lady’s visit and emphasized their commitment to nurturing curiosity, critical thinking, and a deep appreciation for reading.

The Summer Reading Challenge has engaged students across the country through community-based events with the goal to make reading fun and accessible for children of all ages.

For more information on the Second Lady’s Summer Reading Challenge please visit www.wh.gov/read.

Usha Vance Boosts Kids' Summer Reading Effort

On Monday, July, 28, 2025, Second Lady Usha Vance attended the Ohio State Fair’s Family Day to visit with families and children from all across Ohio. She discussed the Summer Reading Challenge and co-hosted alongside Ohio First Lady Fran DeWine a scavenger hunt through books, highlighting Ohio’s expansive nature. Vance and DeWine shared their love of reading with the children and encouraged them to continue learning throughout the summer.

"It was a pleasure discussing the Summer Reading Challenge with First Lady of Ohio Fran DeWine and sharing our love of reading with kids at the State Fair. I am grateful for her support of my Summer Reading Challenge and encourage everyone to pick up a new book today," said Second Lady Usha Vance.

"Early literacy is so important to ensuring Ohio kids are ready to go when they reach kindergarten," said Mrs. DeWine. "It was so special to be with Second Lady Usha Vance today at the Natural Resources Park at the Ohio State Fair to read to kids and challenge them to explore nature and encourage a love of reading."

For more information on the Second Lady’s Summer Reading Challenge please visit www.wh.gov/read.

When All That Glittered Was Simply . . . Glitter

I've just finished reading a  widely anticipated book that turns out to be a tedious slog. Had I not had a rule to finish any book I started, I probably would have (and most likely should have) tossed it.

Graydon Carter’s When The Going Was Good positions itself as a gilded snapshot of a bygone era of glossy magazine power and celebrity culture. But beneath its highly polished prose and parade of glitterati lies a book that feels increasingly irrelevant, self-indulgent, and disconnected from the world we inhabit today. While Carter (pictured, above) may have once wielded significant cultural influence as the long-time editor of Vanity Fair, this current offering fails to justify one's time or attention. Sadly, it just reminds us that we live amidst a media landscape already overflowing with self-congratulatory memoirs and nostalgic retrospectives. 

A Book Stuck in the Past

The whole first part of the book takes you back to Carter's early years in his native Canada and sets up a pattern of feigned modesty and increasingly unwarranted claims of impecunity that characterize this journey. 

As Carter finds his way to New York, the book sets about romanticizing a media age that is not only over, but arguably deserved to end. He writes wistfully about the heyday of glossy magazines, three-martini lunches, and power cliques in Manhattan’s elite social scene. Yet this nostalgia rarely interrogates the deeper implications of that world—its exclusionary nature, its detachment from everyday realities, its destructive cynicism and its often superficial priorities. In the process, Carter seems increasingly superficial himself as he rarely opens up about his interior self. There is no heart or soul here nor is there any real insight into the shifting sands of media, journalism, or cultural commentary.

Instead of offering a critical lens or new perspective, Carter appears content to relive his own vaulted triumphs. In fact, the book often reads like an ego-saturated  greatest-hits compilation of long-faded influence, where the real message is: Weren’t we fabulous? OK, we grant this may appeal to Carter’s septuagenerian contemporaries or admirers of Vanity Fair’s glory years, but today, this stuff is mostly irrelevant. 

Name-Dropping Over Insight

One of the most frustrating aspects of When The Going Was Good is its incessant name-dropping. Page after page reads like a social register of Hollywood royalty, media moguls and political insiders. So, there’s a breathless recounting of dinners with movie stars, parties with presidents, and gossip about the powerful—but very little of anything else. And it all reeks of pomposity which in itself often masks deep-seated insecurities. Still, Carter seems to feel he had a front-row seat to major moments in American media and culture but honestly, in retrospect, how major and how meaningful were those moments? 

A Vanity Project 

Ultimately, Carter’s book feels like a vanity project concerned primarily with burnishing his own legend. There’s a smugness to the storytelling that borders on self-parody, and an absence of depth that makes the entire endeavor insufferable. The book doesn’t ask hard questions, it doesn’t challenge assumptions, and it doesn’t even try to bridge the gap between then and now. 

And Carter's recommendations on how to live your life are so trivial as to be laughable. Here's one: "Your time is valuable." Here's another: "You never learn from success, only from failure." OMG! Such astounding revelations! 

In short, unless you are a die-hard fan of Carter’s era at Vanity Fair, or have an appetite for superficial media insider chit chat, there’s no compelling reason to spend your time with When The Going Was Good. Because while the going may have been good for Carter and his crowd, the bottom line is -- who cares?

It's Amazing How Much Can Change, So Quickly

Eight Lessons From The Life Of J. D. Vance

The following is from Stories in Pages.

Eight lessons from Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis by J.D. Vance:

1. The Grip of Generational Poverty: Vance illustrates how poverty isn’t just financial—it’s cultural and emotional. Growing up in a world of economic instability, addiction, and broken relationships, he shows how these cycles perpetuate themselves, making upward mobility seem almost impossible. The book challenges readers to think about the unseen forces that trap people in poverty.

2. The Importance of Family and Mentorship: Despite his chaotic upbringing, Vance credits his grandmother, "Mamaw," for instilling values like discipline and the belief in education. Her tough love was a lifeline in an otherwise unstable world. This highlights how even one stable relationship can make a profound difference in a child’s life.

3. The Power of Education as a Way Out: Vance's escape from the cycle of despair came through education. From his time in the Marines to earning a degree from Yale Law School, he shows how education can unlock doors and change life trajectories, even for those from the most disadvantaged backgrounds.

4. The Invisible Weight of Social Class: The book sheds light on how class divides extend beyond income. Vance describes feeling like an outsider at Yale, where he encountered a culture so different from his Appalachian roots. His journey reveals how deeply ingrained social and cultural barriers are, even for those who climb the socioeconomic ladder.

5. The Complex Role of Community: While Vance appreciates the sense of loyalty and belonging in Appalachian communities, he also critiques their resistance to change. He points to how a mindset of hopelessness and distrust of outsiders can perpetuate stagnation. This duality makes readers reflect on both the strengths and weaknesses of tight-knit communities.

6. The Emotional Toll of Addiction: Addiction, particularly opioid abuse, is a recurring theme in Vance’s story. He doesn’t shy away from describing its devastating effects on his family and community. By sharing these raw experiences, the book humanizes the statistics and offers a window into how addiction erodes relationships and hope.

7. The Need for Personal Accountability: While Vance acknowledges systemic issues, he emphasizes the importance of individual responsibility. His story is a testament to how self-discipline, hard work, and taking ownership of one's choices can lead to transformative change, even in the face of adversity.

8. Understanding Cultural Identity: Vance reflects on the pride and pain tied to his Appalachian roots. He captures the love for the culture’s rugged independence but also its struggles with despair and self-destruction. His story challenges readers to think about how cultural identity can shape, and sometimes limit, our paths in life.

Book: https://amzn.to/3PAbZDR

You can also get the audio book for freee. Use the same link to register for the audio book on audible and start enjoying it

Life's Trajectory: Is It Just A Moon Shot?

Al Pacino, 84, with three of his four children. Pacino has never been married and recently announced that he's fathered a baby boy, Roman Pacino with his former girlfriend, Noor Alfallah.

Al Pacino was wise to wait before publishing his memoirs. By some accounts, he's had a messy life with dizzying highs and lows including a hardscrabble upbringing, bouts with drugs and alcohol, big time rags-to-riches moments and four children by three different women. There's a lot to tell. Not that he tells it all but it's a helluva story nonetheless.

The book is called Sonny Boy and the title itself is one of the most revealing parts of this 363-page testament to life in and out of the spotlight. Sonny Boy was Pacino's childhood moniker and these are the meanderings of a gritty, enigmatic, irrepressible, seasoned octogenarian. 

In the book Pacino spends a lot of time recollecting his intrepid boyhood on the densely crowded streets of the South Bronx. Pacino was restless then and he's remained that way through most of his life -- restless, yes; but not rootless for the story always goes back to New York, to the Bronx and Manhattan.

This is a book filled with guttural street talk one moment and bits of Shakespeare and Strindberg the next. It's all over the place. But what it's really all about is an old man and his reminiscences. Because that's what old people do, they reminisce. And the simple truth is that it's hard for them not to reminisce because as you get older, the past comes back to you more and more vividly. The places, the characters and the moments all reappear. And the people of your past are once again vivid and almost as alive as if it all happened moments ago. 

So, after a certain age you reminisce because you can't escape the past in the present. It's simply an everyday fact of life. And you reminisce not to relive or relieve but to document, in some small way, that you've actually been here; that you've made some sort of mark. That you are and were. 

You don't necessarily expect anybody to learn anything from what you've been through -- certainly nothing momentous or profound. You're just setting down some markers, like pebbles on a rapidly diminishing road.

Pacino looks back and asks: Why did all this happen to me; why me and not someone else? He has no answer to the question other than dumb luck, or as the late Broadway star Carole Channing titled her memoirs, Just Lucky, I Guess.

But in Pacino's case we think that maybe it was more than luck. He took chances -- big chances. Again and again he risked a lot. He was daring and unconventional and brazen. Why? For one thing, he was never cosseted so he had to live by his wits. For another, it just seemed to become part of his disposition and his instinct. Still, was it simply necessity that made him a contrarian who doggedly charted his own path, or was it something else?

He was certainly blessed with incredible natural talent. And yet, he could just as easily have wound up in the gutter as did many of his childhood friends. In a sense, Sonny Boy's story is not unique. None of us know where we're headed. Or, as Pacino says: "My whole life was a moon shot."

This Should Frighten All Literate Loving People!

 

Keep This In Mind Lest You Be Deceived!

 

Yeah, It's Coming; And It's Gonna Be Yooge!

https://t.co/ZCTwZSqZND pic.twitter.com/Xvn7Q4gUpZ

— MELANIA TRUMP (@MELANIATRUMP) September 8, 2024

This SO Needs To Be Said, Right Now!

This, so beautifully expressed, from our dear friend columnist, attorney and radio host, the incomparable Christine Flowers:

A lot of cruel things are being said about JD Vance. A lot of angry single or married cat ladies are up in arms. A lot of folks who hate a lot of things they can’t explain are trashing his reputation. I’m reading his book. And I’m thinking of Ted Flowers, whose own grandmother, his beloved Nana, immigrant from Sweden, tough Lutheran-turned-Catholic was the buffer between a young boy and some major sorrows. Philadelphia is not Appalachia, but boys and sorrows are very much the same. I am saddened that some of my smarter female friends don’t understand that Vance has already won the greatest race of all. Like my daddy, he came from almost nothing to reach the pinnacle of social and professional success. And neither man ever blamed or complained. One more thing: they understood just how powerful women were. And they didn’t need to use the right words to prove it.

Let A Word To The Wise Be Sufficient