When your government, employer, landlord, merchant, banker and local sports team gang up to picture, digitize and permanently record your every activity, you are placed under unprecedented control.

The wonderful thing about being a New York Times columnist is that it's like a Supreme Court appointment - they're stuck with you for a long time.

Never assume the obvious is true.

Never put the story in the lead. Let 'em have a hot shot of ambiguity right between the eyes.

I welcome new words, or old words used in new ways, provided the result is more precision, added color or greater expressiveness.

Cast aside any column about two subjects. It means the pundit chickened out on the hard decision about what to write about that day.

Give your main clause a little space. Prose is not like boxing; the skilled writer deliberately telegraphs his punch, knowing that the reader wants to take the message directly on the chin.