Sometimes ‘me, too’ is a positive concept
Peter Williams responded to a recent item about the “Ditto” sign on a Napa house next door to one with resplendent Christmas lights, noting there’s one in Danville, too. The snapshot he sent revealed that the two “Ditto” signs were identical.
This prompted further research, in which I learned that the signs are readily available for about $20, by online order. First off, apologies for thinking they were unique; my personal knowledge of Christmas illumination is, as this reveals, shallow.
Second, the concept of the word “ditto” expressing admiration — surely a purer form of respect than uncredited imitation — might be applied to other endeavors. To the folks, for instance, who work to make life better on the city streets; to the novelists, chefs, artists and musicians who transport us to worlds unfamiliar; to the athlete patriots who have stuck to their principles; and even to the opening nights’ dolled-up socialites whose financial support breathes life into cultural institutions: Ditto.
P.S. As to a response to a recent item about the lost shawl found by a homeless man who angrily refused to return it, it’s been all over the place. A woman who runs a nonprofit in the Tenderloin said the item painted a negative picture of the homeless, and there’s more to their story than that. Agreed. J.M. bemoaned as “sad” the aftermath, my friend and I rationalizing the loss of “an expensive shawl ... because you were intimidated by him.” And A.B., a man I’d more often seen in a tuxedo than a boxing ring, said that my husband “should have squished the guy.” Rejecting that recommendation is a no-brainer; we’re going squishless into 2018.
PUBLIC EAVESDROPPING “So I ended up just buying the plane. At least my dogs won’t have to fly commercial anymore.” Man at First Republic Bank holiday party at Sharon Heights Country Club, overheard by Bruce Berger
TV history buff Julian Grant notes that Jan. 22 will be the 50th anniversary of the debut of the TV show “Laugh-In.” Periodically, that show, satirical and slapstick all at once, honored people, institutions and government with a Flying Fickle Finger of Fate, honoring “Dubious Achievements.” (The actual finger on the pictured statuette was an index finger. Although the mood of “Laugh-In” was raucous, those were more dignified times when the middle finger was raised only in incidents of road rage.)
Grant suggests that he’d like to bestow a modern Fickle Finger to Donald Trump, for the amount of damage he’s inflicted on the presidency. Other awardee suggestions?
Allen Matthews noticed a lengthy obituary in The Chronicle a few weeks ago for a man identified as “III.” He was a management consultant, much beloved by friends and relatives, according to the obit, which concluded, “As the 3rd, the only part of his name that was truly his was ‘III.’ He longed for a name that was his own, legally just III . ... After 26 years of a tenacious Everest-uphill battle with the California courts and innumerable government agencies to stake out this precious territory, he ultimately prevailed. III was just like that.” Tom Brokaw was up at the Rumsey (Yolo County) ranch of former Congressman Pete McCloskey last week to shoot footage about the Korean War era, to be broadcast during coverage of the Olympics in South Korea. McCloskey is a veteran of that war. His wife, Helen McCloskey, a strong environmentalist and opponent of drones in general, objected to the film crew’s use of the devices, and Facebooked pictures of her barking dogs, with the caption, “Jake said, ‘No way!’ ” She said later she’d grabbed a rifle and pretended to aim it skyward.
The nonprofit Common Sense Media, which guides families through the briar patch of technology and the media, is challenging families to take a #DeviceFreeDinner pledge. Its partner on this project — intended to reinforce the value of conversation — is Evite, which describes itself as “the leading digital service for bringing people together.”
A stroll through the Evite website shows its emphasis on the nuts and bolts of that process, including tips on what to do when “you’re seated next to a stranger or forced to talk to someone by your mom” (which presumably covers what to do when you’ve been using devices during dinner and your mom is the stranger). The first conversation starter: “Ask how they know the host, then ask: Do you have any funny stories about him/her?” Bon appetit, Mom.