PROLOGUE

Page one, May 30, 2005

Having no type-setting ability whatsoever, and little ability to follow all of the instructions, this is my umpty-umph attempt to create a blogsite, so bear with me. I like to write newspapering memoirs, political blurbs, shoptalk, and -- oh, yes -- probably a lot of just gobbledgook.

Having endured on this planet for 84 years, I have survived through childhood in North Dakota, adolescence in Albuquerque, four years of college (University of New Mexico), two marriages (one still intact), four newspapers (Albuquerque Journal 1937-1942 and 1945-1946 as sports editor); Los Angeles Daily News -- the original, --1946 until its collapse in 1954; Los Angeles Mirror, 1954-1962 - until its collapse, with two years in its one-man Washington bureau; Los Angeles Times, 1962 - 1967, with one year leave of absence to help Sargent Shriver as an investigator of programs.

While my personal war on poverty has continued unabated, I worked in the US government's version from 1967 to 1969, quickly abandoning the battle upon Richard Nixon's election to the Presidency. (He didn't like me either, and I've always been disappointed that I wasn't on his blacklist.)

In nineteen years of mostly happiness and some horror as public info director for The RAND Corporation, think tank in Santa Monica, there were highlights and lowlights. For instance, release of a report on alcoholism that found some alcoholics could return to modest drinking was enough to drive me to (more) drinking. I finally persuaded the CEO to give me a parking space after he lent me his company car and left his golf clubs in it. He chased me down, determinedly removed the clubs, departed without a word.

The management invited me to stay two years after retirement age, but I escaped into what I thought was retirement in 1988. But I still shake my computer like an obstinate child while doing some freelancing and writing a monthly column for the Stockton (CA) Record's Vintage section. (See www.recordnet/columnists).

OK. Now I hope to hear from you, too, occcasionally (if you've perservered to reach this far).
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