I was part of an odd disagreement earlier this year.  I told a woman—a former Ms. Pennsylvania, successful model and definite winner of the “Genetic Lottery”—that Ingrid Bergman was as beautiful as beautiful can be in Casablanca.  The disagreement arose... Read More

This is a common essay assignment for high school and college students.  I had unique writing assignments in high school (through A.P. English), CCAC, and Duquesne University but never had to write about who I would like to share a... Read More

It’s been 25 years.  Hard to believe that much time has gone by.  But the calendar doesn’t lie.  There has been talk that 100 million Americans were either not born or too young to have specific memories of that day.... Read More

I’ve written about meditation before.  The piece was about the minimal value of Mindful Meditation vs the ongoing value of learning Transcendental Meditation.  You can read that piece HERE.  I referred to a physician being paid by a local healthcare... Read More

Irish musician and actor Glen Hansard died on July 29th after a motorcycle accident.  He was 56 years of age. Glen was a talented songwriter and singer.  When I told people about his passing, most didn’t know who he was. ... Read More

I was not aware of the term “Bucket List” until the movie with that title was released in 2007.  Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman made a highly entertaining movie and had great chemistry on screen. After watching the movie, I... Read More

When I grew up, it was easy to catch a bus from my neighborhood to downtown Pittsburgh.  We had the 51D, 51B (a.k.a. Spencer), 51C (the Carrick) and, if you made your way to the bus turnaround on Brownsville Road,... Read More

As a person who writes, I have an allergy to typos, mistakes of grammar, and improper punctuation.  I have worked with a great editor.  She lives in the large metropolis of Helena, Montana. Her lessons in editing have made me... Read More

I’ll be attending a high school reunion this summer.  I’m going to provide insight into how to prepare for a reunion and how to act when you’re at the event(s). What are my credentials for writing such an essay?  No.... Read More

There have been some good—and some not so good—movie remakes.  Al Pacino’s Scarface (1983) is the only movie with that title that many people know.  Howard Hawks’ Scarface (1932) was the original version—minus the Cuban and Miami and drug connections.... Read More