A line from one of my 1997 columns - 'Do one thing every day that scares you' - is now widely attributed to Eleanor Roosevelt, though I have yet to see any evidence that she ever said it and I don't believe she did. She said some things about fear, but not that thing.

Be nice to your siblings. They are your link to the past and the people most likely to stick with you in the future.

Don't expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you'll have a trust fund. Maybe you'll have a wealthy spouse. But you never know when either of them might run out.

The Hunger Games' isn't for everybody. But neither is 'Anna Karenina.

One thing you might want to learn before you attend the world's largest ukulele lesson is how to say ukulele.

Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard. Live in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft

The secret to happiness, at Thanksgiving or any time, is to find pleasure in imperfection.