-
Smoking
I recently rediscovered Barry Manilow. I bought a “greatest hits” compilation of his on iTunes called Ultimate Manilow, and found I knew the words to every song! The arrangements, the melodies, the build to the moment of maximum drama: these were really good songs. I mean really, really good. The sentiment in the lyrics was…
-
The Acme Corporation
It’s one of the most anticipated film releases of recent memory. At least for me. And no, I’m not talking about Michael, the Michael Jackson biopic that launched this weekend with a $97 million dollar opening in North American theaters and an unprecedented $217 million dollar worldwide box office – shattering the record for the…
-
Oryctolagus Cuniculus
What do Cher, Madonna, Beyoncé, and Rihanna have in common? Besides all being mononymous? Ok, add Diana Ross and Lady Gaga. Girl singers? Well yah, thank you Captain Obvious. What if I add Elton John, Freddie Mercury, and Lil’ Nas X? Gay singers? Sure, but Cher’s not gay. I’ll throw in Divine and RuPaul. Gay…
-
Where’s my flying car?
The 1960s were an amazing time to be born, if only for the television programs. And growing up in the 70s meant those programs found their way into syndication and were a kindof “life primer” for a young boy like me in the suburbs of Los Angeles. Flipping between channel 11 (KTTV) and channel 13…
-
Remember The Captain and Tennille?
I have always said I “grew up” in the 80s. But chronologically that’s not entirely true. I “came of age” in the 80s, but the boy to teenager progression – what we typically mean by “growing up” – took place in the 70s; in fact, I became a teenager just as the decade was changing:…
-
The Killing of Georgie
Life and culture are full of milestones by which we measure progress, and nowhere is this more obvious than the LGBTQ+ community. I was 3 years-old when the Stonewall Riots kicked off the modern push for gay rights and I have had a front row seat for many of the “firsts” in that movement. I…
-
The ultimate insider’s guide to Palm Springs
You all know I live in Palm Springs, and you may think you know “what” Palm Springs is. A city in the desert. Yes. Renowned as a getaway for the rich and famous. Yes. Winters like the mildest Spring in other parts of the world. Yes. Summers like the surface of the sun. Yes. A…
-
There’s a Seinfeld for that
Philosophy, my field of study as an undergraduate, has fallen on hard times of late, and I don’t understand why, given that it is the foundation of every academic discipline; it is the ‘Ph’ in PhD (which stands for “doctor of philosophy”). So your professor with a doctorate in Chemistry actually is a “doctor of…
-
I outwitted AI using Phil Collins!
Okay, let’s just get this out of the way right at the start. I am a Phil Collins fan. And I’m not going to justify it by claiming it’s because he’s such a talented drummer and invented the technique of gated reverb which revolutionized how drums are recorded and defined the sound of rock and…
-
I’ve turned to crime
Contemporary television viewing is decidedly different than in years gone by due to “on demand” streaming services and the modern practice of binging, wherein the viewer watches several “episodes” of a show in one sitting, sometimes without bathing or eating (Doritos, Slim Jim’s, or a big bowl of popcorn don’t count). This means the tales…
Your mileage may vary.