Famed NFL defensive lineman Reggie White and I had a lot in common. Not the part about being called pro football’s “Minister of Defense,” being twice selected as the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year, being elected to the Pro Bowl a record 13 straight times, and being a first-ballot… Continue reading
If you’re a fan of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice you probably love the heroine, Elizabeth Bennet, admire the hero, Mr. Darcy, and detest the villain, Mr. Wickham. And if you’re like most who read about him in the novel or see him portrayed in any of its numerous screen… Continue reading
Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn: A Legendary Jazz Partnership Duke Ellington is widely acclaimed as the greatest composer and orchestra leader in the history of jazz. In a career that spanned more than 50 years, his compositions, arrangements, and recordings helped propel American jazz to the status of an internationally… Continue reading
Martin Mayhew was angry. It was almost dinnertime, and he was very hungry. But his wife Gloria had just phoned to say that her friend Sally was under the weather, and for the next several nights she’d be stopping by Sally’s house after work. Martin would be on his own… Continue reading
Having a dog in your family isn’t just a joy, but also a great responsibility. Our dogs love us, but they also depend on us to keep them safe from dangers they can’t understand for themselves. One of those dangers is excessive heat. Heat Can Kill Even we humans underestimate… Continue reading
The Dick Van Dyke Show: A Standard of Excellence in an All-White TV World The Dick Van Dyke Show was one of the most popular and well-loved programs of mid-20th century American television. It was also one of the whitest. For the first half of its network television run, the… Continue reading
Note: This article was originally published on HubPages and has been migrated here to ronelfran.com. This updated version gives the full story of Keisha’s transformation, with the most up-to-date details and insights. When she turned 19, Keisha Austin decided she had to do something about her name. So, she asked… Continue reading
The Indispensable Della Street It was 3 o’clock in the morning, and Perry Mason, in defense, as usual, of a client wrongly accused of murder, was hot on the trail of the real killer. But he couldn’t do it alone—he needed help. So, who could he call on at that… Continue reading
What to Do if You Hit a Dog It was a beautiful day in the neighborhood as I drove toward the house where I used to live. At the intersection where I was about to turn onto my street, a group of youngsters was happily playing on the sidewalk. Suddenly,… Continue reading
Were Perry Mason and Della Street in Love? From the very first Perry Mason novel (The Case of the Velvet Claws, published in 1933), fans of the world’s most famous fictional attorney have displayed an intense interest in one all-consuming question: Are Perry Mason and his secretary, Della Street, romantically… Continue reading