Returning from a leave of nearly two weeks, I found a lot to think and write about:

A new Page 1

Stars and Stripes launched a new front-page design two weeks ago. The page looks markedly different from what had been the predominant Page 1 design. Most of the time, that one had a large headline and a large, usually unrelated photograph, as well as "teasers," or references, to articles on inside pages. The design dated from the late 1990s and was intended to grab readers’ attention.

According to a letter writer, Stars and Stripes "hit an all-time low" with a May 22 story about a military spouse who posed for a sexy calendar. The model and spouse is Alessandra Bosco, who is married to an Army sergeant based in Katterbach, Germany. She says the calendar idea emerged when downrange soldiers, fans of her Web site, asked her to send photos of herself in military gear. That’s what she has on in the calendar shots, as well as lingerie.