56. It’s just a number. But, man, did that number fuck with me this year. There is only a couple people I confide in to let them know why. Those few have watched me descend into…
I love Beethoven's 9th. Period. Always have and always will. I mean, we've all grown up humming that tune, right? It's like it's been put in our DNA somehow and we just know it. But I…
State Rep. Whoever stands there and the first thing out of this woman’s mouth is “I am shocked by this news this morning…” Holy shit, lady, you are an adult human living in the United…
Well, I mean, it's Pappy & Harriet's. All the myths and legends are true. Close quarters. Dirt roads. Joshua Trees. Great sound. Close enough inside to hear every excited out-of-key audience…
Ghetto bird on a fly by low Somebody got a little too high Associations of mass destruction A quiet weeping and a pent-up sigh Sirens northbound on Reseda tonight Red lights flashing on Sidewalk Sara Pushin’ her cart on down…
There's an old expression I grew up hearing. It is meant to invite quiet contemplation, perhaps breaking bread together or having a cup of tea or coffee. It is meant to invite someone into your intimate thoughts.Sometimes it is meant…
In today's world we make decisions that require circumspection and knowledge of motives; otherwise, we could find ourselves in a whole heap of trouble before we even know what hits us. What makes Miller's play such a masterpiece…
Let's be honest, sometimes the best classroom is not the classroom. You're not going to learn about the Spring bloom in the Yosemite valley by looking at pictures on a computer. A textbook will help you identify…
January 14-22, 2019. UTLA members went on strike. You know who was NOT a part of that? SEIU. Nor was AALA. Instead, they worked to cram the students into auditoriums for daily lessons and meals. They worked on…
DeSoto Avenue runs north and south in the 818, the San Fernando Valley. The San Fernando Valley is a 260 square mile bowl that was once under water. The 818 deserves its own identity, but we’re lumped…
“Some people when they have taken too much and have been driven beyond the point of endurance, simply crumble and give up. There are others, though they are not many, who will for some reason always be unconquerable. You meet…
I am sitting here at Starbucks listening to people and watching them be so serious and jovial and self-important. I set my rock on the table and opened my laptop. I am settling in for…
There you stand ready for the end of the world. Sometimes wishing it would just hurry the fuck up already because the pain and remorse of choices made for you, of an unforeseen rejection leaves you…
It is interesting to me the words people choose. "Riot" and "lawlessness" are powerful words full of connotation. Sometimes I think how I see this country is very different than how the state or the fourth…
Very smart people insist on comparing teachers to their college-educated counterparts in the private sector. Though I question the validity of such comparisons, I remain in the minority with my…
Antigone is canonical because its themes and characters transcends time. We see Donald Trump in Creon, both men willing to wreck their ships of state because he cannot be humble. Its themes fit as well in Modern America as…
Today, I want to tell you about baseball. Not baseball really, but how 23 seconds on a baseball field changed my life forever. It might help you understand why I am the way I am about certain things…