Frankincense and whirr

My friend Jack asked nicely — a year ago — to see this one again, an oldie from the archives, about the sacred synergy between Christmas and the electric shaver. I’m reprinting it here, not because I think it’s all that, but because of the top-notch headline that ran with it — “Frankincense & Whirr”…

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The worst fall TV season I’ve had to review

That’s right, I said it. Nevertheless, here’s what I’ve been up to since late summer — trying to find something, anything to say about the new crop of fall shows from the broadcast and cable networks. I didn’t give any A’s this year and a whole lot of D’s and F’s — and, yes, I…

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What kind of fool?

The One-Man Book Club has been meeting in secret for quite some time over at Goodreads, if you ever feel like following along. I’ve been slowly going back through my shelves and adding thoughts and reviews of books I read years ago. For some reason, all this time I’ve managed to never notice a neato…

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189 million breaths you’ve taken …

The Police album Synchronicity is 30 years old on June 1. And so is everything else about the summer of 1983. Mowing the lawn. Standing in line for Return of the Jedi. Mowing the lawn. “Every Breath You Take.” Mowing the lawn. The B-52s Whammy tour at the Oklahoma City Zoo Amphitheater (Red Rockers opened).…

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Heartbreak on the other side of town

Here’s a secret about Oklahoma City that I wonder if the New York Times and other national news outlets could ever pick up on while they cover the horrible aftermath of the May 20 tornado in Moore, Okla.: It’s a big place out there. Oklahoma City encompasses more than 600 square miles in all, including…

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I want my …

I am the worst blogger in the world, I know. But I return with some news and an exciting event to pimp, er, promote: I’ll be moderating a discussion with original MTV veejays Nina Blackwood and Mark Goodman at the Gaithersburg Book Festival on Saturday, May 18, at 2:15 p.m. Nina and Mark are promoting…

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