One of my 5,000 or so pet theories is that every adult male has a scar on his chin. If not every male, then at least every one who was once a real boy, a “Look, Ma, no hands” boy, spelled B-O-Y. I have a doozy of one, but because it’s obscured by my facial plumage, I never think of it. ...

Traditionally, the informal and affectionate term for a mayor is Hizzoner. Unfortunately, there’s no equivalent term for an ex-mayor — at least not till now. Yes, that’s right folks, here’s an original honorific for former mayors, coined in My Home Town by none other than yers ...

To say I’m a creature of habit is world-class understatement. If I had to explain it by analogy, I’d say I can make a monastery chockful of Benedictine monks look like escapees from a Fantasy Faire. You don’t believe me? Well, here’s my daily schedule. Read it and tell me what you ...

The 80s introduced us to many wonderful new cultural fads. Among them were Cabbage Patch dolls, leg warmers, sickeningly-sweet hair gels, parachute pants and graphic novels. Mercifully, the first five died out, but graphic novels seem here to stay. If you don’t know, graphic novels are no ...

I think I took my first California Achievement Test in sixth grade, and then again in seventh or eighth. I don’t know if they still give them, but if they don’t it’s an educational triumph. The CATs were a multiple choice test that were supposed to measure out aptitudes for all ...

Last week’s column was about my first day in boot camp, at Camp Barry, which was the processing camp. It was an introduction to boot camp, a warm-up act for the main show. We’d be there for only a couple of days and then be formed into a regular company and moved to Camp Dewey, where we’d ...