CAUGHT THE NEW Warren Beatty-Annette Benning remake of a remake, "Love Affair" about a romance on a plane that continued aboard a Russian ship; then I rented the 1957 version, "An Affair to Remember," with Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr, a classier version on a real cruise ship with almost no people - and I'm ready for a judgment.
I enjoyed both of them but thought the dialogue in the '57 version was much wittier and more interesting - except for the last teary scene, which was identical in both versions.My preference would be to have Cary Grant play it with Annette Benning.
- All presidents have to take an inordinate amount of abuse, Clinton in particular. That's why I love the thought-provoking statement from novelist John Steinbeck, who wrote in the mid-1960s that "we give the president more work than a man can do, more responsibility than a man should take, more pressure than a man can bear. We abuse him often and rarely praise him. We wear him out, use him up, eat him up . . . He is ours, and we exercise the right to destroy him."
- The surest sign you have told a bad story or retold a really stupid joke is this typical rejoinder from your steely-eyed listener - or victim, as the case may be: "I guess you had to BE there."
- Have you noticed that the campaign leaflets and the political signs on lawns all over the valley this year rarely mention the political party of the candidate? You know - "Dave Butterfield, State Legislature."
So you say, "Which party? Which house of the Legislature?" In a heavily Republican state, I always assume those signs that don't mention party affiliation must be Democrats.
- Hats off to Pat Shea. In an impossible election campaign against incumbent Orrin Hatch, some 30 points up in the polls, Shea, who has run out of money for TV advertising, found an ingenious way to get on the evening news on every TV channel. He held a press conference in front of the Delta Center during Hatch's annual women's conference to denounce Hatch's record on women's issues.
- Men and women who served in the military during four major wars of the 20th century can now display their branch of service and the war in which they served with VetSignia Window Stickers. They are 2-by-4 inches, black on silver, with an American flag background. Metalized polyester film assures a long lasting, bright, shiny appearance.
Twenty different stickers are available for four major wars - World War II, Korea, Vietnam and Persian Gulf - and five services, Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force and Coast Guard. The cost is $4.00 each or 3 for $10. Send requests to Bob Kline, P.O. Box 382, Blue Bell, PA 19422 or phone (610) 277-1171.
- Larry Echohawk, LDS Democratic candidate for governor of Idaho, could be the first American Indian to hold that office. I heard him explain the origin of his name. His grandfather was called Hawk, symbolizing bravery, he said, but he was soft-spoken, his friends talked about his good qualities on his behalf. Their conversation echoed from one end of the camp to the other. Thus, the current name, Echohawk.
The irony is that the candidate has to talk about his positive qualities himself in order to win votes.
- Bill Orton, running for re-election to the 3rd Congressional District, recently fractured the language in an interesting way. He said, "We should incentivize the grazing policy for the permittee."