4 December 2025 This morning, I opened yet another box of a slasher-sale purchase.  When the ballet flats are 71% on sale, online, how do I pass them up?  They’re lovely, and they fit!  My naked feet are much less naked nowadays.   A second pair from this brand was in order.  (And the company and seller are still making a tidy capitalist profit, even at 71% off of MSRP.)   The box is comical, New York City has always been a circus.  Having elected its first openly Socialist M

21 November 2025 I will admit to having to catch up on Current Trends — periodically, regularly, routinely — since I was about twelve years of age.  It’s not been a Lather-Rinse-Repeat cycle, but it can feel that way a lot of the time.   During the summer of 2017, I encountered a hilarious online ad for Adobe software.  The satirically detailed, reality-focused marketing of the Hovering Art Director was perfect.  The acting was superb, the writing fantastic.  This selling-pro

August 2025 When I Fall in Love Music by Victor Young, with lyrics by Edward Heyman; French translation by Debra Milligan When I fall in love it will be forever   or I’ll never fall in love.   In a restless world like this is   Love is ended before it’s begun   And too many moonlight kisses   Seem to cool In the warmth of the sun   When I give my heart   It will be completely   Or   I’ll never give my heart   And the moment I can feel that   You feel that way too Is when I’ll

April’s End 2025 It’s Only Make Believe By Jack Nance and Conway Twitty People see us everywhere They think you really care   But myself I can’t deceive   I know it’s only make believe.   My one and only prayer is that someday you’ll care   My hopes, my dreams come true   My one and only you   No one will ever know How much I love you so   My only prayer will be Someday you’ll care for me But it’s only make believe.   My hopes, my dreams come true   My life I’d give for you  

January 2025 It’s Magic Music by Jule Styne, with lyrics by Sammy Cahn; French translation by Debra Milligan You sigh   the song begins   You speak   and I hear violins . . .   It’s magic.   The stars desert the skies and rush to nestle in your eyes   It’s magic.   Without a golden wand or mystic charms fantastic things begin   when I am in your arms.   When we walk hand-in-hand   the world becomes a wonderland   It’s magic   How else can I explain those rainbows when there i

December 2024 Santa Claus is Coming to Town Music by John Frederick Coots, with lyrics by Haven Gillespie You better watch out You better not cry   You better not pout   I’m telling you why:   Santa Claus is coming to town.   He’s making a list   He’s checking it twice   Gonna find out who’s naughty and nice Santa Claus is coming to town.   He sees you when you’re sleeping   He knows when you’re awake   He knows when you’ve been bad   or good   So be good for goodness sake!  

November 2024 You’re Nobody Till Somebody Loves You Written by Russ Morgan, Larry Stock, James Cavanaugh You’re nobody till somebody loves you   You’re nobody till somebody cares   You may be king You may possess the world and its gold   But gold won’t bring you happiness when you’re growing old   The world still is the same   You’ve never change it   As sure as the stars shine above You’re nobody till somebody loves you   So find yourself somebody to love   The world still i

Halloween 2024 Fever by Otis Blackwell and Eddie Cooley; changes and French translation by Debra Milligan I’ll never know how much you love me   Never know how much you care   But when you put your arms around me I get a feeling that’s so hard to bear.   You give me fever When you kiss me Fever when you hold me tight Fever in the morning Fever all through the night.   I listened to you, darling, heard each word you can say I know he can’t love me the way you do ‘cause his col

15 August 2024 My Imagination by Garry Goffin and Barry Goldberg; changes by Debra Milligan I’ve really got to use my imagination   to think of good reasons to keep on keepin’ on   I’ve got to make the best of a bad situation   ever since that day I woke up and found you were gone. Darkness all around me blocking out the sun   My friends call me but I don’t feel like talking   to anyone.   Emptiness has found me and it won’t let me go Go right on living   Why and how I do not

4 July 2024 Cry Me a River by Arthur Hamilton Now you say you’re lonely   You cried the whole long night through   Well, you can cry me a river, cry me a river   I cried a river over you.   Now you say you’re sorry for being so untrue Well, you can cry me a river cry me a river   I cried, cried, cried a river over you.   Yes, you drove me, nearly drove me, out of my head   While you never shed a tear   I remember, I remember, all that you said   You told me love was too plebe

June 2024 Till I Can’t Take It Anymore Written by Clyde Otis and Ulysses Burton; revisions by Debra Milligan I won’t fight it anymore Unpack my bags and close the door I’ll never leave you   Yes, I lied right from the start Can’t convince your foolish heart Not to believe me   There are other loves I’ve known who quickly got outgrown and there are others I simply ignored   But you do your thing so well I’ll dream of heaven and live in hell Till I can’t take it anymore   If I

April 2024 I’ve not ever watched late-night talk shows, regardless of who hosted the gab-glitz-and-gossip fest.  Unless My Muse is keeping me awake past midnight, I aim to be sound asleep between 10 and 11 p.m.  New Year’s Eve for me tends to be a pre-midnight vigil over the turning of the clock and the calendar.   I have watched clips of the Johnny Carson Show, and rarely found myself in awe of the man or his guests.  Dean Martin was always a handsome hunk of a hoot there, o

April 2024 Cold, Cold Heart By Hank Williams I’ve tried so hard, my dear to show that you’re my every dream   Yet you’re afraid each thing I do is just some evil scheme   A memory from your lonesome past   Keeps us so far apart Why can’t I free your doubtful mind   And melt your cold, cold heart?   Another love before my time made your heart sad and blue   And so my heart is paying now   For things I didn’t do.   In anger, unkind words are said   That make the teardrops start

February 2024 They Can’t Take That Away From Me Music by George Gershwin, with lyrics by Ira Gershwin The way you wear your hat The way you sip your tea The memory of all that   No, they can’t take that away from me   The way your smile just beams The way you sing off-key The way you haunt my dreams   Oh, no, they can’t take that away from me. We may never never meet again on that bumpy road to love   Still I’ll always always keep   the memory of . . .   The way you hold your

November 2023 During this past summer, reading through the local real estate listings online became my morning pastime, a form of Monopoly — without the board game. Ideally, four players are needed for optimal dynamics at Monopoly; I presently lack the adequate number of players at this game. Games, in particular, are a dire commodity in the USA. The Boob Tube dismally dissolved into the Woke Wide-Screen, thereby depriving millions and millions of Americans of what used to b

October 2023 Sixteen Tons Written by Merle Travis Some people say a man is made out of mud A poor man’s made out of muscle and blood. Muscle and blood Skin and bones A mind that’s weak and a back that’s strong. You load sixteen tons and what do you get? Another day older and deeper in debt. St. Peter don’t you call him, ‘cause he can’t go He owes his soul to the company store. He was born one morning when the sun didn’t shine. He picked up his shovel and walked to the mine Lo

October 2023 As Time Goes By Written and Composed by Herman Hupfeld You must remember this A kiss is just a kiss A sigh is just a sigh The fundamental things apply as time goes by. And when two lovers woo They still say I love you On that you can rely No matter what the future brings As time goes by. Moonlight and love songs never out of date Hearts full of passion jealousy and hate Woman needs man and man must have his mate That no one can deny. It’s still the same old story

October 2023 All the Way Music by Jimmy Van Heusen, with lyrics by Sammy Cahn When somebody loves you It’s no good unless he loves you all the way Happy to be near you When you need someone to cheer you All the way. Taller than the tallest tree is That’s how it’s got to feel Deeper than the deep blue sea is That’s how deep it goes If it’s real. When somebody needs you It’s no good unless he needs you, all the way through the good or lean years and for all the in-between years

December 2020 Recently, I received promotional materials from The Colonel, Colonel Littleton in Tennessee. I was stunned at the savvy quality of the marketing of superb merchandise. The Colonel has found a new recruit! One of the more tempting items for sale is Col. Littleton Cologne. I immediately yielded to temptation — once I’d read the reviews. I decided that this subtle scent of citrus and manly spices just might replace the Old Spice cologne that I’d loved, since child

November 2020 Despite my dislike of the music of the 1970s, I occasionally find a nugget or two, mostly among the country-music repertoire, that transcend that ghastly era. One is a gem, penned and composed by Kris Kristofferson. It became a number-one hit by Ray Price in April 1970. This wistful song of parting established Kristofferson as a serious, award-winning songwriter; and it provided musician, songwriter, guitarist and innovator Price with his first smash country-and