Mark Knows It All

While flipping around the television channels the other day, I came upon an old 1946 musical comedy entitled Two Sisters from Boston , starring a very young June Allyson and an even younger Peter Lawford. I kept it on just a few minutes as it was more than a tad cheesy. But in the part that I saw, Peter Lawford wooed his prospective girlfriend by saying “I come from good stock. My great grandfather was the first white man to scalp an Indian”. Did I hear him right? Scalping Indians? How politically incorrect is that? We live in an age where everybody is soooo sensitive. The latest flap over Michael Richards’ (Kramer of Seinfeld fame) off the wall comments, made after being heckled by some African Americans during his comedy act, is a case in point. The video of his racist tirade made the uncensored rounds on the internet, as well as the tamed down version on the television news shows. I don’t condone his racist rant. It was disgusting. Celebrities should know better. On the other hand,

Does anyone know where I can buy some cool? Has anyone bottled that certain “Je ne sais quoi” that allows some people to own any room that is graced with their presence? As for me, I am totally cool-less, and often consider myself lucky to get through the door let alone into the room. Yesterday I went to Barnes and Noble to buy a book and have a cup of coffee in the café. In the middle of the room was a woman with three screaming kids, totally out of control, yet she sat there and was “cool”, dressed in shabby chic and talking on her cell phone. Totally self absorbed, oblivious to everything around her, she completely ignored her whiny brats simultaneously reading a book and talking on the phone. It must be wonderful to be her. To avoid the lil darlins’, I walked around the corner to Panera Bread hoping to drink my coffee in peace. As I walked in, I spotted a young man sitting in an easy chair facing the door. He looked totally cool, and looked exactly like a younger version of Jim, on