Magic tells you two things, about practitioner and witness. For the practitioner, the indicator is obvious. A magician is inherently a geek. God knows where that DNA comes from, but that defective gene takes hold like Alzheimer’s and can’t help but make itself apparent to everyone — because magic requires that you publicly make a jackass …
It’s time to reinstate the draft. Not the traditional one, where we send kids to die in the name of suchandsuch in the middle of Whogivesafuckistan. Instead, the draft needs to reverse polarities; people would be drafted into political office. Think about it. You would decimate PACs, which should be as illegal as yellow-cake uranium. …
Aside from mom and sis, there’s little I miss about the East Coast since leaving there 15 years ago. Space and free time are as rare as plutonium. There’s a palpable tension and gruffness. East Coasters love to bitch about how out of touch California is with real Americans. But I defy anyone to …
It’s been a rough year for Breaking Bad junkies. First, we had to go cold turkey when the finest drama on television concluded its remarkable run. Then Aaron Paul starred in the abysmal Need for Speed. Bryan Cranston took a forgettable role in Godzilla (though he redeems himself playing a legendary screenwriter in Trumbo). And we …
One of the nicest things about returning to class is to see chalkboards again. And erase boards, bulletin boards, Post-It notes — basically any host to the hand-written word. Hell, even the (grammatical) graffiti and light posts doubling as billboards that dot the UCLA campus are a fun read. It’s like a paleolithic Craigslist. I’ve had memorable experiences …
Hey bro, It’s been too long since I’ve written you, but not a day’s length since I’ve thought of you. I can’t imagine you’d tolerate any place without Wifi, but, just in case reception is spotty, a quick update: I thought of you this weekend, kickoff of the NFL season. Why did we know …
Dedicated to K. Vonngut (11/11/22-04/11/07) So I’m sitting on the shower stall floor. Again. Hot water seems the only failsafe when nausea has me in Her viselike grip. But She hadn’t yet let go. So I sat and listened to music and looked at my toilet. I doubt I would have given it much …
I met the real E.T. last night. It was at a birthday party and barbecue at Anthony’s house to celebrate the sixth birthday of Audrey. Anthony, a friend, colleague and baker extraordinaire, had made a massive E.T. cake: a full moon with a chocolate profile of E.T. and Elliott biking through the the night …
Jon Stewart exits The Daily Show tonight aloft so many laurels you’d think he was being escorted to the farewell ship of The Lord of the Rings. But there are three groups whose reaction I await as much as I dread Stewart’s departure. * The first is Comedy Central. How do you replace a show that …
The Hollywood Bowles 