Any reasonably thoughtful person will progress as they grow in knowledge and maturity into a greater and greater state of uncertainty. With youth, one often has an unshakeable sense of being right, and of understanding the world, and of being certain. Experience has not yet shaken off misconceptions like leaves from a maple tree in Autumn, scarlet ( Read more... )

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There is a universe. A thing that exists, rather than nothing existing. This is a miracle, the greatest miracle in the history of the universe. No wait, it's not, not quite ( Read more... )

If you live in the Venice area, please don't be alarmed. That shuddering you felt was not a low grade, quickly repeating earthquake. The rattling of your windows from out front was not some gargantuan jet plane, like a galaxy class strato-lifter, buzzing your neighborhood. And the horrid, death-rattle and wheezing you heard was not the last gasps ( Read more... )

They were undercooked, and kind of fatty, and a little cool by the time I got to them. But they were the best two pieces of bacon I ever had, because they were for Father's Day. For me, on Father's Day ( Read more... )

Weird. This is just about the first time I've ever had any occasion to celebrate Father's Day for any reason, and especially because I'm somebody's father. Growing up with a single mother, the only masculine figure in my life was my grandfather, who was remote and unsentimental. Since I married into the N*** clan, there's at least been my step- ( Read more... )

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I am very excited about having a baby tomorrow. I mean, I'm not having it, but all the evidence point towards her being my actual daughter. Listen, I'm not very good at many things, and I certainly haven't set the world on fire with staggering success and works of sheer genius. Or even set the world moderately warmed-over ( Read more... )

Many moons ago, after dropping out of college, but before joining the Army and before going back to school, I waited tables. It was a McJob, to be sure. (Though it was Bennigan's, not McDonald's, but whatever.) Have you seen Office Space and the "thirteen pieces of flair"? Yeah, it was that ( Read more... )

Yesterday the various mothers in the family assembled, like the Avengers, only friendlier. We had a pleasantly long day on "A" Dock in Long Beach. There was a pall of fog hovering just off-shore, but it never made landfall. The day was hot and sunny, with the backing breeze occasionally delivering a bit of welcome coolth ( Read more... )