Note: This is a classic Retorts column from 2011, originally published in the old Garden Grove Journal. History is full of the exploits of great leaders, warriors and scientists. Society rewards them […]
Retorts: Wear your achievements proudly
Dear Mari: Just keep your gifts, please
Dear Marilyn, I am working as a classified staff member at a local elementary school. I am very grateful to have the job. I work very closely with the students, and every […]
“Megan Leavey” has heart and bite
By Jim Tortolano In the spirit of full disclosure, let me admit at the outset that I am a sucker for a movie with dogs. If they did a remake of “Casablanca” […]
Retorts: New birth in the old home town
A decade or so ago, the city launched a public relations campaign for the Big Strawberry called “Renaissance Garden Grove.” It was well-intentioned but clunky, and never really got much traction. But […]
Dear Mari: Let dad back in my life?
Dear Marilyn, My father left home when I was 13. When he left us, our family was devastated. Seven years have gone by, and now he wants to be part of our […]
Romance and rock at “Wedding Singer”
By Thom deMartino As the J. Geils Band once so eloquently stated, “love stinks” – or so wedding singer Robbie Hart (Devon Suraco) is about to discover, in the new musical comedy […]
Retorts: Cruising back into my history
One of the strange new cultural phenomena of the present day is the turning away of newer generations from the car culture, which had been a focus of Americana for nearly a […]
Dear Mari: Learn to live with snoring
Dear Marilyn, My husband and I have been married for 11 years. I am just now having a problem because of his snoring. Most nights, I go to bed before he does, […]
Gal Gadot is simply “Wonder”-ful
By Jim Tortolano Several actors have played Superman or Batman or Spiderman in films. Good performances, bad ones, it seems like these iconic superheroes are in some ways uniforms and myths who […]
Retorts: The up side of feeling down
All things considered, there are a lot of good things about feeling bad. I don’t mean a life-wrecking tragedy, or an arrow in your foot. I’m thinking more about your garden-variety stomach […]
