Local journalism is still a good bet

he had forgotten to zip up his pants.

The moral of the story: When tempted to think you’re the toast of the town, make sure to check your zipper.

2. Couch conundrum

Years ago, when moving out of my college apartment, I found myself facing a bit of a conundrum. I had packed up most of my possessions and loaded them into the back of my car, and almost everything that wouldn’t fit had been either given away or sold. By the time moving day arrived, the only thing that still needed to be dealt with was my couch. I had dragged my feet on what to do with it, knowing I really loved it but also that I had no place to put it (I was moving back home). Even if I had a place for it, there was virtually no way it was going to fit into the back of my car and I didn’t know anyone with a truck. Even when the two very kind Vietnamese men who had offered to help me move it down the rickety back staircase of the third-floor walk-up arrived, I still wasn’t sure exactly what I was going to do. Seeing the task they had ahead of them, they quickly decided it would be a better idea to use some rope and gently lower the couch down. A few minutes later, I heard them both yelling something in Vietnamese, followed by a tremendous crash. The couch had fallen three stories and was now in a splintered heap of wood, fabric and springs. The moral of the story: Sometimes, if you put off a decision long enough, life will step in and decide for you.

3. It’s my party, and I’ll sigh if I want to

I promise this story is not made up. A good friend of mine has owned a small bakery for years. One summer day a couple of years ago, just by happenstance, a movie star she’d admired since she was a teenager came into the shop while he was in town filming. It just happened to be my friend’s birthday, so she and her staff and the movie star ended up laughing, pos- ing for pictures and eating cake for the better part of an hour. It was, she told me later, simply magical. Cut to one year later, and my friend was once again celebrating her birthday at work. Only this time the HVAC unit in her shop had broken down, and the back of the store was flooded. The temperature inside the shop was soaring, the repairman was telling her he couldn’t get there for at least two days (unless she wanted to pay the “emergency fee”) and a well-meaning staffer had slipped and dropped her birthday cake onto the floor… right into a puddle of water. I asked her how she managed to keep her composure that day, and she just laughed. “It’s all part of it,” she said. “You don’t get to have the highs without the lows.”

The moral of the story: Some days you’re going to get to hang out with movie stars and some days you’re going to eat floor cake. Since you never know which kind of day it’s going to be, you might as well get up and make the most of each and every one.

JIM RIDOLPHI

Contributing Columnist

It’s hard not to cringe when you hear continuing details emerge regarding George Santos, newly elected House of Representative member from New York.

Now, Long Island is a long way from Richmond, but the implications of poorly vetted candidates has the potential to affect every election held in the United States.

Like many, I am astounded at the extent of deception uncovered regarding Santos’ biography and finances, but I was also surprised that some media commentators attributed that failure to reveal those potentially damaging details on local newspapers and news outlets.

While thorough research is essential to effective and accurate journalism, truth be known, few local outlets have the staff, time