Imagine the talented love-child of Andr Previn and Lucille Ball.

Believe me, those great death bed speeches are written ahead of time.

Murder is easy. Comedy is hard.

Despite the reams of paperwork, obstacles worthy of a horse show, and a wait that can rival an elephant's gestation, adoption feels no different on the inside.

Reading will put you into the minds and hearts of others. It might help you understand why other people do what they do sometimes.

It's not the cost (although that pinches), or the time (though that grinds). After a while, it's the sheer galling indignity of being asked to prove, pay, and prove all over again that you're a worthy parent. Any true parent will tell you that that is impossible to prove in advance.

Janis Joplin didn't just sing a song, she took it over. She swallowed it whole, then sent it back through her gut and her heart.