The Writer's Life 3/30 - Around the Horn

RIP Patty Duke, 69. Born Anna in Queens, she had a remarkable career despite bouts of depression. She has 140 credits listed at IMDb, which does not include multiple appearances as the star of short-lived series or guest spots on other shows. In the 1950's, she was the youngest actress ever to have her name above the title of a Broadway play, The Miracle Worker, in which she played Helen Keller, a role for which she won a Best Supporting Actress Oscar several years later, the youngest ever at the time at 16. Along her journey she won three Emmys and was president of the Screen Actors Guild from 1985-'88. She co-wrote a bio, Call Me Anna, with Kenneth Turan, that was adapted to the small screen. She has a fond place in the hearts of baby boomers as the star of The Patty Duke Show, in which she played cousins, Brooklyn girls who looked like twins. It ran for 105 episodes from '63-'66. In an interesting bit of trivia at IMDb, she won the top prize on The $64,000 Question. Her last film is scheduled to be released in 2017. Here's a telling quote attributed to her: "I've beaten my own bad system, and on some days, most days, that feels like a miracle." Well done, madam. Here's a clip of the lively opening credits of her eponymous show:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dIzGzFmCVqM

Earlier in the week the FBI revealed that it had cracked the code of the San Bernardino terrorist's Iphone. In an article in today's NY Post, James Covert suggests, although it has not been confirmed, that an Israeli tech firm, Cellebrite, owned by the Japan-based Sun Corp., did the hacking. Last July its New Jersey based branch offered its services to any government agency, and was ignored. Just when it seemed confidence in the FBI had been restored, it has been dealt another black eye.

Ashley Thorne reports that there is good news from Stanford University, where more than 300 students have signed a petition to have a mandatory course on western civilization added to the curriculum. The school has not had one since 1988. By 2010, none of the top 50 colleges in the USA required it, 34 don't even offer it. WTF! Then again, why should students learn about those who brought freedom to the world? Kudos, kids.

In an op-ed piece, conservative pundit Jonathan Podhoretz offers another lament on the prospect of Donald Trump winning the Republican nomination. He is convinced the Donald will be routed because of the venom Hispanics and single women are showing him. Of the other GOP candidates, who would woo those constituencies? I suppose Cruz, because of his last name, might do better among Latinos, but I'm convinced he would lose the general election by a large margin. National demographics show it will be nearly impossible for any Republican to win the presidency, and it's not because of Trump. The nation has been trending toward socialism since FDR. Even Ronald Reagan, who successfully rallied the economy, failed to restrain the overall spending addiction of congress.

My thanks to the kind folks who bought books today, and to Herbie, who donated a paperback thriller.

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