“Years ago in Saigon, a story went around about a wire service reporter who received an urgent cable from his home office: “AP man shot. Why you unshot?”

A Cal journalism professor writes about how the fear of getting scooped sometimes interferes with good judgment.

Moderates who traffic in objective truth have become the radicals of the day. Such is the legacy of post-modernism, I guess. I’m ready to move on to reality-based narratives, myself.

I love this time of year. Even though seasonal changes in California are subtle, they’re still distinct. There’s a richness in the air, as if the very molecules grew larger overnight. We’re poised to enjoy the best of both seasons: the warmth of Indian summer leading into the coziness of autumn. I’m still wearing sandals, but when fall arrives I always feel like switching to a darker shade of lipstick and a heavier fragrance, and adding more generous amounts of spices when I cook. Time to start thinking about having fires in the evening, as well…