My friend Jody Powell, one-time presidential press secretary, suggests that columnist are the people who go on the battlefield after the smoke has cleared and shoot the wounded. That is probably not far off, though I doubt he was the first one who said it.

For much of my professional life, I have written a column, sometimes two columns.

My very first was as country music column written while I was a reporter for United Press International in Nashville, Tennessee.   It was called by the obvious name "Nashville Music Beat." I interviewed every shit-kicker from Dolly Parton to Johnny Cash to Tex Ritter. Once, the only time the Grammy Award show was held outside of Los Angeles-this time Nashville-I interviewed three fifths of the Fifth Dimensions. On the same occasion, the actual awards show, I had the opportunity of taking a whiz backstage next to Ringo Starr, which, I guess, shouldn't be listed as a milestone.

For the last decade, or nearly so, I have written a column called "Random Notes" for The Ukrainian Observer. Additionally, from time to time, I contribute a "Workplace" column and from time-to-time write a column called "Basic Instinct" for our marketing website, Prschik.

These columns vary from professional, to political to -at times-an attempt at humor. I have included a few of them for your perusal.