Who does this guy think he is?

I firmly believe that when reading an opinion piece, the reader should know a little bit about the writer so his or her opinion can be put in context.

OK. Here are my labels: White. Male. 65. Born Jewish in the Bronx, N.Y. A retired journalist. Husband of a teacher. Father of a daughter with a PhD. Father-in-law of a computer whiz. And, finally, a liberal Democrat.

So that’s me in fewer than 40 words.

Why am I starting this blog? Why should anyone care what I think? And why should anyone read it? Don’t really know. What I do know is that I’d rather write about what I’m thinking than have my thoughts constantly eat me up inside. I figured if I share my thoughts and ideas, we can all eat together.

So what’s on the menu? First, what’s with the name “my3centsworth”? Coming up with name for this thing that was available online was no easy task. Of course, I tried “my2centsworth,” but it was taken. So I tried 3 cents, and it worked. I don’t know how high I would have gone, but I can’t imagine writing a blog called “my$10worth.” No one would get it. Fortunately, I got lucky and 3 cents is as high as I had to go.

As for what you can expect, your guess is as good as mine. I will comment on everything from politics and journalism to grammar and silly stuff. I might even try my hand at simple observation and maybe even some fiction.

Not everyone will agree with me, and that’s what I’m hoping for. I’d love my comments to spark some thought and conversation, so feel free to respond.

Well, there’s my plan in a nutshell…the USAToday version, as journalists call it.

OK. Let’s go.