I keep a copy of a poem by Dorothy Parker above my desk. It�s called Fair Weather, and I like it because a line that reads, �They sicken of the calm, who knew the storm� allows me to think of chaos as a romantic notion, and pretend that the absence of drama is not peace, but boredom.

Using the ocean as a metaphor for love, she wishes for a romance in the form of a �million desperate breakers,� even as she acknowledges the manner in which all such romances end: in shipwreck.

It�s easier for me to ignore relationships capable of landing me a guest spot on Jerry Springer if I think of my attraction to chaos as a philosophy, with Dorothy Parker its gin-swilling spiritual leader.

The other day, I came back to my desk and found this note from one of the women I work with:

�Yesterday, when I was putting your copies of the agenda and minutes in your office, I saw a beautiful poem on your wall. Is she local?�

Star of the day. . .George S. Kaufman