All too frequently I write a column and then, figuratively speaking, I put it on the shelf. In actuality, the column disappears into the depths of my computer until the spirit moves me, and I retrieve it and submit it to the powers that be at The Malibu Times. I probably have more than 20 pi…

There is nobody in the world I take after more than my father, David Ross, so it might seem a tad bit egotistical when I say Dad was a great man. Nobody has ever accused me of being humble, although I have eaten humble pie on more occasions than I would like to admit.

Yes, my sophisticated reader, you have figured out from the title of this blog that I have been elsewhere, although to be perfectly honest, nobody seemed to notice my absence. My bride and I just returned from a two-week trip to New York and France, and other than being discombobulated and g…

Many moons ago, when I lived back on the East Coast, my sister-in-law Barbara served me lobster bisque. It tasted awful, but none of the other diners seemed anything but delighted with their soup. I didn’t know what to say. I thought about remaining silent, but silence has never been my stro…

Even though I’ve had 75 years to practice, I am still having trouble figuring out what to say and when to say it. For instance, when somebody sneezes near me, I am the first person to belt out, “God bless you” or “Gesundheit.” Since I don’t know which is more appropriate, I tend to alternate…