Dan says "Come Clean"

OK, now I can never run for public office.!
When I was at the University of Washington I took a course in Political Science.

We would have a quiz on the chapter assigned to be read.

Although I might have scanned the reading, I really didn't study deeply.

It was a blue book exam.

The fellow next to me would list in his blue book the eight or ten points the instructor required.

I would look over his shoulder and write a paragraph incorporating the points he had listed.

Invariably I received a higher grade than he did.

This in response to reading a a really cogent paper Dan wrote for a legal publication on composing an appeal advising lawyers not to just list the facts but to "tell a story using the facts."

Reflecting on the passing of Cousin Jan Curran-

Cousin Janice came by her career as a reporter naturally. As a child she appointed herself spokesman for her more laid back brother, Stan. If someone would ask Stan how old are you little boy?, Jan would furnish his age before he could speak.

Every family has their inside laugh lines.

As my younger brother was three or four years old and going through the "no" stage, he refused to take a bath. My mother gave up and turned the job of disciplining over to my father.
My father appealing to Arnie's competitive spirit intoned, "Your Cousin Janice takes a shower EVERY day!"

Arnie jumped into the tub.

Each time Jan saw me she would report, "Tell Uncle Israel I had my shower today."

A few years ago in Rancho Mirage the columnist Helen Thomas was a featured speaker in a local series. The tickets were sold out immediately. The day of the talk I received a call from Jan asking me if my wife, Jean, would like attend with her.

I asked how she was able to get tickets at that late date. Her reply was, "I called Helen Thomas and told her that if she was speaking in the valley I wanted a ticket and I better have one for Todd as well. Ms. Thomas said that they would be at Will Call. Todd had a conflicting meeting so Jean and Jan were at the lecture and met with the scourge of presidents after to hear the latest dirt from the Beltway that couldn't be included in the presentation.

What an outstanding lady!