Should auld acquaintance (or old lyrics) be forgot…

Contrary to what you sometimes hear, Scottish poet and lyricist Robert Burns (1759-1796) didn’t create the song “Auld Lang Syne.” And, Canadian bandleader Guy Lombardo didn’t start the tradition of…

“Politics is not an exact science,” said Bismark. But is it an art?

On this date in 1863, the Prussian statesman Otto von Bismark made a famous remark about politics to members of the Prussian parliament. “Politics is not an exact science,” he…

The “shocking” quote by Dr. Joycelyn Elders that got her fired by Pres. Bill Clinton…

Dr. Joycelyn Elders endured a lot on her rise to becoming the first African American to be appointed Surgeon General of the United States. She was born in 1933, the…

“For every creature of God is good.”

Under a federal law passed by Congress in 1942, the date for Thanksgiving in the United States varies from year to year. It’s the fourth Thursday of the month. But…

The Top 10 Quotes about and by US Marines…

November 10th is the official birthday of the United States Marines, which were established by the Second Continental Congress during the Revolutionary War, on November 10, 1775. So, today, I’d…

The bridge between the living and the dead . . .

The Bridge of San Luis Rey is the second novel by the great American writer Thornton Wilder (1897- 1975). The first edition of the book was published by the Albert…

“Enjoy every sandwich.”

Warren Zevon’s sardonic views on life and death are apparent in many of the songs he wrote. An early example is “I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead,” which first appeared on…

“The Famous Quotes of October 8th,” a short film script by Robert Deis…

EXTERIOR. SMALL CAFÉ IN KEY WEST, FLORIDA – MORNING An old, gray-haired man is sitting at one of the tables at an outdoor café in Key West, sipping Cuban coffee,…

Mae West was very good at being bad…

Mae West (1893-1980) was like Marilyn Monroe, Madonna and Dorothy Parker all combined in one package. She was sensuous, smart and funny. She was a singer, actor, playwright and screenwriter…

A little tea and sympathy (and sex and censorship)…

Back in my college days, I tended to snigger at drug references in rock songs. So, I probably sniggered when I first heard Mick Jagger sing the lines in the…