BOOK REVIEW: When you’re at work, you have some idea of the product or service your employer provides. Not so for “The Girls of Atomic City.” They had no idea they were helping create Fat Man and Little Boy, the bombs used at Hiroshima and Nagasaki in WWII.
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Book Review: Gadget Go Boom – ‘The Girls of Atomic City’ by Denise Kiernan
Book Review: Shabazz! ‘Malcolm X: A Life of Reinvention’ by Manning Marable
BOOK REVIEW: Malcolm X is still controversial nearly 50 years after his assassination. In examining his life from a multitude of perspectives, author Manning Marable brings the reader close to Malcolm’s thoughts, deeds, leadership, struggles, conflicts, contradictions, and presence — which even today seems to have been larger than life.
Book Review: Of Slavery and Freedom – ‘Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power’
REVIEW: When the United States of America was just a gleam in our founding fathers’ eyes, the country faced some fascinating dichotomies, including human equality versus inhumane captivity and popular will versus monarchal rule. These battles and several others play out in intimate detail in Jon Meacham’s excellent “Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power.”
Photons and Bosons and Quarks, Oh My! – Book Review: The Particle at the End of the Universe
BOOK REVIEW: As science reveals more about our place in the universe, sentient beings are ecstatic about Sean Carroll’s “The Particle at the End of the Universe” and its view of what might be called the blueprints of reality.
Book Review: ‘Rule and Ruin’ by Geoffrey Kabaservice
REVIEW: A newcomer to American politics would write off the Republican Party as a gang of xenophobic, racist, theocratic, misogynistic, fiscally irresponsible war-mongers. In “Rule and Ruin,” Geoffrey Kabaservice explains how and why this happened.
Deadly Spin: Propaganda Practices in the USA
ARTICLE: Wendell Potter, formerly a propagandist for various avaricious and venal corporations, ‘fesses up and reveals the prevarication, lying, deception, and obfuscation of the industries that pick your pocket every day. His ‘Deadly Spin’ opens the playbook used by corrupt companies, insufferable industries, and the GOP.
Opinion: Republican Town Hall Meeting
OPINION: People see the GOP as an out-of-touch, uncaring, heartless, backward, ignorant, and dangerous group of people who drape themselves in the flag as they pursue an ugly and vicious form of anti-Americanism. The GOP can’t figure out why.
Crazy is as Crazy Does
OPINION: We all know someone who is not quite “all there.” The normal human connections with the world are missing, twisted, or distorted. Interacting with these people is often tense or even disturbing because their reactions and statements are at odds with reality. But imagine if an entire nation had to interact with people like [...]
Book Review: ‘The Righteous Mind’ by Jonathan Haidt
REVIEW: Jonathan Haidt grabs onto the twin time-bombs of American punditry, politics and religion, and does so from an amazingly optimistic point-of-view. He combines his sunny disposition with a bit of psychology and a ton of research. Unfortunately, there are too many GOP-inspired missteps in an otherwise interesting book. You have to admire Jonathan Haidt [...]
Secret Sex – A Book Alive Online: Chapter 48 – Stardust
eNewsChannels BOOK SERIAL: “Secret Sex, A Book Alive Online,” written and lived by John Scott G: Chapter 48 – “Stardust” (conclusion). Previously on “Secret Sex” – Birth. Near-death experiences. Coping with stoopid. Encounters with evil. Sex (teasing), sex (real), and sex (secret). Marriage. Betrayal. Raising and learning from The Kid. Writing (hype), writing (beyond hype [...]
Secret Sex – A Book Alive Online: Chapter 47 – Say What?
eNewsChannels BOOK SERIAL: “Secret Sex, A Book Alive Online,” written and lived by John Scott G: Chapter 47 – “Say What?.” Q: Do you understand why some people think you’re crazy for writing “Secret Sex“? A: Different words come to mind. Q: Such as? A: Daring and provocative. And egomaniacal. Q: I see. Do you [...]
Secret Sex – A Book Alive Online: Chapter 46 – Wording for a Living
eNewsChannels BOOK SERIAL: “Secret Sex, A Book Alive Online,” written and lived by John Scott G: Chapter 46 – “Wording for a Living.” If you talk to members of the media, they are always trying to get the Full Story, which is roughly defined as “the way we can twist the facts to get the [...]
Secret Sex – A Book Alive Online: Chapter 45 – Strife of the Party
eNewsChannels BOOK SERIAL: “Secret Sex, A Book Alive Online,” written and lived by John Scott G: Chapter 45 – “Strife of the Party.” The bash was a success, meaning no one died and the two very nice policemen waited patiently just outside the door while the music was turned down. Plus, when they warned us [...]
Secret Sex – A Book Alive Online: Chapter 44 – Assignment: Weirdsville
eNewsChannels BOOK SERIAL: “Secret Sex, A Book Alive Online,” written and lived by John Scott G: Chapter 44 – “Assignment: Weirdsville.” Meeting a reptile in human form is startling, to say the least. Sure, there are people who enjoy lizards (the clowns who do that annoying gecko advertising, for example), but a real-life human snake [...]
Secret Sex – A Book Alive Online: Chapter 43 – The Others
eNewsChannels BOOK SERIAL: “Secret Sex, A Book Alive Online,” written and lived by John Scott G: Chapter 43 – “The Others.” There are things that go bump in the night. Strange, alien, otherworldly things. They’re big, bad, bold, and sometimes icky, these nocturnal creatures. Oh sure, they can also appear in the daytime, but they [...]
Book Review: ‘As Texas Goes…’ by Gail Collins
REVIEW: The litany of deceit, stupidity, outrage, and perfidy from the lone-brain-cell state is remarkably terrifying, yet Gail Collins is such a good writer that she makes you laugh about it on nearly every page. Her book is witty and insightful while regaling you with true tales that are funny in both senses of the [...]
Secret Sex – A Book Alive Online: Chapter 42 – True Friends, Few Friends
eNewsChannels BOOK SERIAL: “Secret Sex, A Book Alive Online,” written and lived by John Scott G: Chapter 42 – “True Friends, Few Friends.” You may have a ton of acquaintances who use the f-word to describe each other (the word is friend; what were you thinking?) but at any given time you have only one [...]
Secret Sex – A Book Alive Online: Chapter 41 – Perfectly Poetic Poisons
eNewsChannels BOOK SERIAL: “Secret Sex, A Book Alive Online,” written and lived by John Scott G: Chapter 41 – “Perfectly Poetic Poisons.” Everybody uses drugs. You don’t agree? Aspirin is a drug. So is caffeine. So are vitamin supplements, nicotine, codeine, alcohol, tranquilizers, diet pills, birth control pills, artificial sweeteners, mood enhancers, antacids, pump inhibitors, [...]
Book Review: ‘The Republican Brain’ by Chris Mooney
REVIEW: Rational people have always wondered about the anti-fact and anti-science positions of republicans, conservatives, RWNJs, birthers, and morons in general. Turns out there are psychological factors at work. In his great new book, Chris Mooney gathers data from numerous studies to explicate what is wrong with the Right. “Reality has a well-known liberal bias,” [...]
Secret Sex – A Book Alive Online: Chapter 40 – Touched Off
eNewsChannels BOOK SERIAL: “Secret Sex, A Book Alive Online,” written and lived by John Scott G: Chapter 40 – “Touched Off.” Anybody can buy a clerical collar, so it’s not absolutely certain that it was a clergyman who molested me when I was a kid, but you know the old joke: if it looks like [...]
Secret Sex – A Book Alive Online: Chapter 39 – Hits
eNewsChannels BOOK SERIAL: “Secret Sex, A Book Alive Online,” written and lived by John Scott G: Chapter 39 – “Hits.” As a distraction from my divorce, I had a date with my hairdresser. It should be noted that I once had longer hair and therefore knew an expert stylist. As for the “date” part, well, [...]
Book Review: ‘The Fox Effect’ by David Brock and Ari Rabin-Havt
REVIEW: A fact-packed and smoothly written work, “The Fox Effect” demonstrates how Fox News chairman Roger Ailes operates from the Joseph Goebbels playbook by running an anti-informational distortion network over the public airwaves. The book is extremely valuable, but those with weak stomachs may be disturbed. There is a breathless writing style to The Fox [...]
Secret Sex – A Book Alive Online: Chapter 38 – Outrageous Behavior
eNewsChannels BOOK SERIAL: “Secret Sex, A Book Alive Online,” written and lived by John Scott G: Chapter 38 – “Outrageous Behavior.” My outburst of violence was swift, sudden, and unrelenting. I lashed out with as much force as possible, delivering severe blows with my left and right hands. Without pause, I spun my body around [...]
Secret Sex – A Book Alive Online: Chapter 37 – Asunder
eNewsChannels BOOK SERIAL: “Secret Sex, A Book Alive Online,” written and lived by John Scott G: Chapter 37 – “Asunder.” When I tell people that my marriage turned into an extended episode of “The United States of Tara,” some of them just smile. One reason is the poor job that TV program did in presenting [...]
Secret Sex – A Book Alive Online: Chapter 36 – The Kid
eNewsChannels BOOK SERIAL: “Secret Sex, A Book Alive Online,” written and lived by John Scott G. Chapter 36 – “The Kid.” My son launched himself head-first into a bigger kid’s face. It seemed to have the desired result and so he returned to what he had been doing, which was playing catch with a smaller [...]
Secret Sex – A Book Alive Online: Chapter 35 – Little Humanity
eNewsChannels BOOK SERIAL: “Secret Sex, A Book Alive Online,” written and lived by John Scott G. Chapter 35 – “Little Humanity.” Before giving birth, a woman goes through something called “labor” and that word doesn’t really go far enough because the process is like a few years of suffering crammed into a few hours of [...]
Secret Sex – A Book Alive Online: Chapter 34 – Vows
eNewsChannels BOOK SERIAL: “Secret Sex, A Book Alive Online,” written and lived by John Scott G. Chapter 34 – “Vows.” Warning, severe plot twist coming. Here we go: I got married. “WTF?” I hear you saying. Yup, it was a shock to many people. This is probably where we should cue up some eerie and [...]
Secret Sex – A Book Alive Online: Chapter 33 – Professor G
eNewsChannels BOOK SERIAL: “Secret Sex, A Book Alive Online,” written and lived by John Scott G. Chapter 33 – “Professor G.” That chapter heading is a lie. I was never a Professor but I did teach college for a few semesters, and students don’t say, “Guest Lecturer G, I have a question about the reading [...]
Kill the Bill: Congressional Lawmaking, Down and Dirty
eNewsChannels COLUMN: You have probably rolled your eyes while watching members of Congress argue about important legislation and then vote to kill it using the new GOP filibuster process. But have you ever wondered about the bills that are being voted on in the back rooms, out-of-sight and away from public view? My work in [...]
Secret Sex – A Book Alive Online: Chapter 32 – Career of Fear
eNewsChannels BOOK SERIAL: ‘Secret Sex, A Book Alive Online,’ written and lived by John Scott G – Chapter 32: Career of Fear. For a few years, I worked as a creative director or copywriter in ad agencies specializing in recruitment advertising, a truly funny period of my professional life, and by funny I mean disturbing and borderline illegal.
Secret Sex – A Book Alive Online: Chapter 31 – Cheating Death in Cars, 2
eNewsChannels BOOK SERIAL: ‘Secret Sex, A Book Alive Online,’ written and lived by John Scott G – Chapter 31: Cheating Death in Cars, 2. ‘Dad, can I borrow your car?’ That was the start of my second Brush With Death By Automobile. My own car was in the shop for routine maintenance, which should have been no problem except that I suddenly needed to see a client or attend a press conference or something that now seems completely insignificant. Someone would have to give me a ride or I needed to borrow someone’s car.
Book Review: ‘Drift’ by Rachel Maddow
eNewsChannels COLUMN: Wisdom and wit make a devastating combination, which is why The Rachel Maddow Show is steadily charming its way into the hearts of progressive thinkers all across America. Now, with Maddow’s examination of how the USA has altered its ways of war, she has upped the stakes considerably with a book that can [...]
Secret Sex – A Book Alive Online: Chapter 30 – Word Nerd
eNewsChannels BOOK SERIAL: ‘Secret Sex, A Book Alive Online,’ written and lived by John Scott G – Chapter 30 – Word Nerd. Even when working full-time, I always accepted freelance writing gigs because of my deep and abiding love of writing and my deep and abiding love of receiving multiple paychecks. I’d work nights, weekends, lunchtime, breaks, whatever.
Book Review: ‘Among the Truthers’ by Jonathan Kay
eNewsChannels COLUMN: Some of them believe in reptile overlords and all of them are seeking non-existent data about secret cabals in government. Members of the so-called Truther movement would be a hoot if they weren’t so dangerous. Jonathan Kay strides quietly through their midst and exposes the reality of their delusions. When I explained to [...]
Secret Sex – A Book Alive Online: Chapter 29 – What Do You Do?
eNewsChannels BOOK SERIAL: ‘Secret Sex, A Book Alive Online,’ written and lived by John Scott G – Chapter 29: What Do You Do? Sooner or later, everyone has a bad job. Usually sooner, because first jobs can be a bitch. My first employment, unless you count mowing lawns, was at a mall where I worked in a Pickwick Bookshop. That chain of book stores is now defunct but I am almost eighty percent positive it wasn’t because of hiring me.
Secret Sex – A Book Alive Online: Chapter 28 – Dazed and Amused
eNewsChannels BOOK SERIAL: ‘Secret Sex, A Book Alive Online,’ written and lived by John Scott G – Chapter 28: Dazed and Amused. High as a kite, that’s what I was. More expressively, I was as high as a helium-filled balloon that had just escaped the grasp of a perplexed five-year old kid who was now wondering why gravity wasn’t bringing back his rapidly disappearing toy.
Book Review: ‘The Last Testament’ by God (with David Javerbaum)
eNewsChannels COLUMN: God has quite a sense of humor, once you get past all the smiting, tormenting, and killing. Whether setting things straight, settling old scores, or showing humankind what horrors are coming if we don’t buy enough copies of this book, the one-liners and stories in The Last Testament will have you ROTFL (which [...]
Secret Sex – A Book Alive Online: Chapter 27 – College Daze
eNewsChannels BOOK SERIAL: ‘Secret Sex, A Book Alive Online,’ written and lived by John Scott G – Chapter 27: College Daze. ‘What’s your major?’ At various times in my college career, I was able to give at least four authoritative and definitive replies: ‘Theater Arts,’ I said. ‘Filmmaking.’ I said. ‘Art,’ I said. ‘English,’ I said. None of these responses were lies; I just kept switching my major.
Mom is Wow Upside Down: A Mother’s Day Appreciation
eNewsChannels COLUMN: Everyone has a mother, and every mother has the capacity to be magical, magnificent, and magnanimous. Too often, the celebration of these amazing creatures called Mom is limited to just one day in May. When my mom was first diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, I started writing her a love letter. I remember that it [...]
Secret Sex – A Book Alive Online: Chapter 26 – A First Kiss
eNewsChannels BOOK SERIAL: ‘Secret Sex, A Book Alive Online,’ written and lived by John Scott G – Chapter 26: A First Kiss. So there I was, out on a date with a girl who was the personification of beauty. The splendor of her presence was so powerful that later in life I would keep her in mind when writing certain song lyrics, such as ….
Fuller Understanding: Modern Solutions from Design-Scientist Buckminster Fuller
eNewsChannels COLUMN: Recognition of R. Buckminster Fuller’s genius is not as widespread as it should be, which is understandable given his near-total lockout from mainstream discourse and a fundamental quake-in-their-boots reaction by today’s politicians. Inventor, writer, and futurist R. Buckminster Fuller was called “Bucky” except when he was receiving his dozens of patents, his 47 [...]
Secret Sex – A Book Alive Online: Chapter 25 – Dating Tips
eNewsChannels BOOK SERIAL: ‘Secret Sex, A Book Alive Online,’ written and lived by John Scott G – Chapter 25: Dating Tips. She was beautiful. She was lovely. She was alluring. She was desirable. The lady was more intoxicating than absinthe. A gorgeous and stunning woman, she was at the same time a vision of incomparable girlish deliciousness. More importantly, she was living testimony to the existence of a higher power.
Secret Sex – A Book Alive Online: Chapter 24 – Cheating Death in Cars, 1
eNewsChannels BOOK SERIAL: ‘Secret Sex, A Book Alive Online,’ written and lived by John Scott G – Chapter 24: Cheating Death in Cars, 1. As soon as I was legally able to drive, the Southern California freeway system became a total delight. In my car, I was free! Put on some music and head on over to any part of the city at any time of the day or night. Pure joy!
Secret Sex – A Book Alive Online: Chapter 23 – Mouthing Off
eNewsChannels BOOK SERIAL: ‘Secret Sex, A Book Alive Online,’ written and lived by John Scott G – Chapter 23: Mouthing Off. Some of my previous odes to self-pleasure are having an influence in the world, starting with the FookMovie production of the ‘Free Nude Photos’ music video and continuing in this caprice…. Please join us now in celebration of one the greatest contributions America has made to world culture: The Talk Show!
Pro vs. Con: A Friendly Chat Between a Progressive and Conservative
eNewsChannels Column: The know-nothings really need to have a few facts presented to them, as you’ll find if you try to have a reasonable discussion with a Republican. I have overheard several discussions recently between conservatives and liberals, between corporatists and populists, between regressives and progressives, between troglodytes and modernists, and between Republicans and normal [...]
Secret Sex – A Book Alive Online: Chapter 22 – To Teach, One Must Know
eNewsChannels BOOK SERIAL: ‘Secret Sex, A Book Alive Online,’ written and lived by John Scott G – Chapter 22: To Teach, One Must Know. It has always been my feeling that school is a form of organized torment and cruelty. Yes! I hear every student say. But I also hear from parents: I don’t wanna hafta watch the damn kids all day!
Secret Sex – A Book Alive Online: Chapter 21 – Show-and-Tell
eNewsChannels BOOK SERIAL: ‘Secret Sex, A Book Alive Online,’ written and lived by John Scott G – Chapter 21: Show-and-Tell. Returning from a 3-week vacation in the middle of the school year is a disorienting experience. Everyone else had been attending class while I had been gallivanting around the country. It’s not like coming back from summer or Christmas break, where you’re all starting things over again on an equal basis.
Secret Sex – A Book Alive Online: Chapter 20 – Road Trips and Book Reports
eNewsChannels BOOK SERIAL: ‘Secret Sex, A Book Alive Online,’ written and lived by John Scott G – Chapter 20 – Road Trips and Book Reports. I have spent a lot of time in motel rooms. It’s not what you think. For my parents, a great vacation was a drive across the nation. So, from an early age, I was in a family that was devoted to the Road Trip. And since we didn’t sleep in our car, I learned a bit about Holiday Inns, Best Westerns, Econo-Lodges, Motel 6s, etc.
Secret Sex – A Book Alive Online: Chapter 19 – Cheating Death
eNewsChannels BOOK SERIAL: ‘Secret Sex, A Book Alive Online,’ written and lived by John Scott G – Chapter 19 – Cheating Death. Death has often come looking for me. The encephalitis. The emissions from the nuclear factory. The DDT. And there were a couple of spectacular automobile crashes. But in addition, I’ve gone through a whole bunch of near-death experiences, including elementary school, Catholic school, middle school, and high school.
Patriot Acts: Taking Pride in This President
eNewsChannels COLUMN: Too many times, the use of words such as ‘patriot’ and ‘patriotism’ comes from a highly politicized place. The terms become part of campaign speeches or commercials. Let’s examine some acts that can be accurately called patriotic.
Secret Sex – A Book Alive Online: Chapter 18 – Vengeful God
eNewsChannels BOOK SERIAL: ‘Secret Sex, A Book Alive Online,’ written and lived by John Scott G – Chapter 18 – ‘Vengeful God.’ As I was growing up, lots of people spent lots of time trying to get me into a cult. Unfortunately, my family was part of this effort. ‘Give it a try,’ they said, speaking about one group or another. If it wasn’t the Quakers, it was the Baptists. If it wasn’t the Baptists, it was the Lutherans. If it wasn’t the Lutherans, it was the Catholics. And so on.
Opinion: Local Politics or Loco Politics
eNewsChannels COLUMN: A guilty-as-charged politician gets advice about his court case. A campaign contribution is made to obtain more community service. This is how it works at the local level. Note: all names in this article have been changed.
Secret Sex – A Book Alive Online: Chapter 17 – ‘Secret Sex’
eNewsChannels BOOK SERIAL: ‘Secret Sex, A Book Alive Online,’ written and lived by John Scott G – Chapter 17 – ‘Secret Sex.’ When my family moved to Los Angeles, my dad went to work for a drink tank. No, that’s not right. Think tank. Yeah, that’s what I meant. Not a fake one like the Cato Institute or the Heritage Foundation. Those are ersatz ‘research’ groups funded by the Koch brothers. Fortunately, my dad worked at an actual think tank.
Secret Sex – A Book Alive Online: Chapter 16 – Behind the Screen
eNewsChannels BOOK SERIAL: ‘Secret Sex, A Book Alive Online,’ written and lived by John Scott G – Chapter 16: Behind the Screen. Art, music, literature, drugs, and alcohol were a big part of the curriculum at William Lovelace Binkley Academy High School. Admittedly, drugs and alcohol weren’t a part of the official curriculum. They were more of an informal thing. But because of the school’s emphasis on art, music, and literature, a lot of students were, as they say, self-medicating.
Secret Sex – A Book Alive Online: Chapter 15 – Switch On, Switch Off
eNewsChannels BOOK SERIAL: ‘Secret Sex, A Book Alive Online,’ written and lived by John Scott G – Chapter 15: Switch On, Switch Off. Having access to the high school auditorium public address system proved to be quite beneficial for the drama students. We attached a switch to the snipped wires so we could use the P.A. when we needed it for play production.
Secret Sex – A Book Alive Online: Chapter 14 – Backstage Pass
eNewsChannels BOOK SERIAL: ‘Secret Sex, A Book Alive Online,’ written and lived by John Scott G – Chapter 14 – Backstage Pass. My parents liked going to the movies, so I was introduced to lots of different kinds of films when I was a kid. (Yes, this is a bit of a flashback — we’ll be doing that from time to time, but don’t worry, I’ll try to warn you.)
Super Bowl Personal Politics
eNewsChannels COLUMN: A sporting event where it doesn’t matter who wins. A sixty-minute game crammed into four hours of television programming. An exercise in organized hype. An excuse for overeating and excessive drinking. Yup, it’s Super Bowl time again. Yay! But there are battles brewing outside the game.
Secret Sex – A Book Alive Online: Chapter 13 – Hi, School
eNewsChannels BOOK SERIAL: ‘Secret Sex, A Book Alive Online,’ written and lived by John Scott G – Chapter 13 – Hi, School. You may not believe it, but the powers-that-be at middle school allowed me to move on to high school. Go figure. I believe they said something like ‘After in-depth deliberation, it is our judgment that it will be to the reciprocal mutual advantage of all concerned parties that John Scott now move forward with the next stage of his educational pursuits.’ Translation: get this guy the hell out of here.
Secret Sex – A Book Alive Online: Chapter 12 – Numbers Game
eNewsChannels BOOK SERIAL: ‘Secret Sex, A Book Alive Online,’ written and lived by John Scott G – Chapter 12 – Numbers Game. Jeanne was a quiet flirt. Whether she was in a classroom, out on the quad, or in the lunchroom, she didn’t say much but people gathered around her anyway. Attractive women can achieve this. It’s called the ‘moths-to-a-flame’ phenomenon.
Hate and Fear, Inc.
eNewsChannels COLUMN: Politics is sometimes the art of perception. If you can define the way people discuss a topic, you are a few steps closer to influencing how they vote on it. All political parties attempt to do this, of course, but some teams are better at it than others. A man named Frank Luntz [...]
Secret Sex – A Book Alive Online: Chapter 11 – Get on the Bus
eNewsChannels BOOK SERIAL: ‘Secret Sex, A Book Alive Online,’ written and lived by John Scott G – Chapter 11 – Get on the Bus. A school bus might seem like a personal injury lawyer’s wet dream. A long metal tube on wheels. Very high center-of-gravity. No seat belts for the passengers. Often over-crowded, with three kids in seats designed for two people.
Secret Sex – A Book Alive Online: Chapter 10 – Boss Angeles
eNewsChannels BOOK SERIAL: ‘Secret Sex, A Book Alive Online,’ written and lived by John Scott G – Chapter 10 – Boss Angeles. There are two possible openings to this chapter. Here’s the straight-to-the-point version: Our family had enough of Fort Richland and moved. And here’s the arty-as-hell version: After a few years in the richly rigid and unintentionally Dadaistic city of Richland, the entire family was ready for a saner lifestyle and a more cultured existence. But we didn’t get it because we moved to Los Angeles.
Secret Sex – A Book Alive Online: Chapter 9 – Playing in the Poison
eNewsChannels BOOK SERIAL: ‘Secret Sex, A Book Alive Online,’ written and lived by John Scott G – Chapter 9 – Playing in the Poison. My dad was speaking on the telephone. Well, mostly he was listening intently on the telephone. From what he was saying, it sure seemed like it was a Very Serious Conversation. Which was no big deal to me as a kid except for one thing: this Very Serious Conversation was about me. I wanted so much to be in on both sides of the discussion but of course could only catch one-half of it.
Book Review: ‘The Daring Spectacle’ by Mark Morford
eNewsChannels COLUMN: Ideas and opinions come flying at you non-stop in Mark Morford’s essays. His eye-opening concepts are presented with slashing images and hyperbolic language. This results in delightful shock waves for the brain and jarring karma for the soul.
Secret Sex – A Book Alive Online: Chapter 8 – Don’t Look, Don’t Count
eNewsChannels BOOK SERIAL: ‘Secret Sex, A Book Alive Online,’ written and lived by John Scott G – Chapter 8 – Don’t Look, Don’t Count. The amount of plutonium produced at the plant each day was Pop Secret. Wait, no, that’s a microwave corn snack product. It must have been Top Secret. Yeah, that’s the term we want. The information was protected by a very official classified classification, something like: super ultra-magnificent big important clandestine hotstuff. Or SUMBICH.
Secret Sex – A Book Alive Online: Chapter 7 – In Security
eNewsChannels BOOK SERIAL: ‘Secret Sex, A Book Alive Online,’ written and lived by John Scott G – Chapter 7 – In Security. Spooky. That’s what it’s like to move into a town that hadn’t existed until the government put it there. For one thing, the entire place was what might be called utilitarian.
Book Review: ’19 with a Bullet’ by Granger Korff
eNewsChannels COLUMN: On the surface, this is a book about combat, both personal and professional. But while there are plenty of scenes with bloody battles, all of which are shocking and gripping to read, you will also find humanity, philosophical questioning, and ultimately the cleansing elation of personal redemption.
Secret Sex – A Book Alive Online: Chapter 6 – Mr. Radioactivity is Your Friend
eNewsChannels BOOK SERIAL: ‘Secret Sex, A Book Alive Online,’ written and lived by John Scott G. Chapter 6: Mr. Radioactivity is Your Friend. Bulletin: Warning! This is a test of the emergency government -to-citizen communication system. This is only a test. Of course it’s only a test. Had this been an actual emergency, you can bet your ass I would still be sitting here typing at you.
Secret Sex – A Book Alive Online: Chapter 5 – Beautiful Downtown Nowhere
eNewsChannels BOOK SERIAL: ‘Secret Sex, A Book Alive Online,’ written and lived by John Scott G. Chapter 5 – Beautiful Downtown Nowhere. Some of you have been wondering about my sarcastic attitude towards the center of our nation. It’s not so much the geographic center that bugs me as it is the ‘middle of the road.’ I am quite sarcastic about that.
Book Review: ‘One Ring Circus’ by Katherine Dunn
eNewsChannels COLUMN: A collection of articles about boxing, Katherine Dunn’s ‘One Ring Circus’ covers a lot of road: defense of the sport, call for reforms in the sport, two-fisted literary revelry in the sport, and just plain beautiful writing about the sport.
Secret Sex – A Book Alive Online: Chapter 4 – Ooh, That’s a Big One
eNewsChannels BOOK SERIAL: ‘Secret Sex, A Book Alive Online,’ written and lived by John Scott G. Chapter 4 – Ooh, That’s a Big One. To save you the trouble of looking it up online, the encephalitis did not kill me. Although there were times I wished for death, like during the torture. Oops, I mean during what the healthcare community describes as ‘a procedure.’
Book Review: ‘Acid Christ’ by Mark Christensen
eNewsChannels COLUMN: Two monumental novels, one phenomenal idea to save America, and a river of lysergic acid diethylamide. For some people, that is the legacy of Ken Kesey, but in the hands of neo-new-journalist Mark Christensen, the tale takes on mythic proportions and is One Hell of a Great Ride.
Secret Sex – A Book Alive Online: Chapter 3 – Ten Least Wanted List
eNewsChannels BOOK SERIAL: ‘Secret Sex, A Book Alive Online,’ written and lived by John Scott G. Chapter 3 – Ten Least Wanted List. The FBI regularly puts out the Ten Most Wanted list. And it is a fun read, let me tell you! You can find it here if you’re interested in killing some time. Or whatever you’re into killing. I don’t know who composes the entries but in some of the descriptions of the guys on the lam, it often seems you can sense just a hint of a chatty tone creeping into the write-ups
Secret Sex – A Book Alive Online: Chapter 2 – Open Wide and Say Ahhh
eNewsChannels BOOK SERIAL: ‘Secret Sex, A Book Alive Online,’ written and lived by John Scott G. Chapter 2: Open Wide and Say Ahhh. Sex is fun, recovery is not. Unless your doctor orders you to get lots of bed rest and gives you a big wink while saying it. Which didn’t happen to me, but I’m just saying.
Secret Sex – A Book Alive Online: Chapter 1 – Your Place in the Universe
eNewsChannels BOOK SERIAL: ‘Secret Sex, A Book Alive Online,’ written and lived by John Scott G. Chapter 1 Your Place in the Universe. Much like you, I came into this world unable to type. That skill was acquired later, allowing me to take part in the highly-paid ‘word nerd’ thing enjoyed by swanky novelists, playwrights, poets, bloggers, and writers of auto dealership advertising.
Book Review: ‘The Googlization of Everything’ by Siva Vaidhyanathan
eNewsChannels COLUMN: It is easy to say ‘Google it’ because that company has virtually defined the online experience of searching for, well, everything. But there are profound implications in turning over so much hidden power to one company and Siva Vaidhyanathan is not afraid to explore a lot of them.
Book Review: ‘Free Ride’ by Robert Levine
eNewsChannels COLUMN: Mounting well-reasoned attacks against those who seek to steal, degrade or destroy creative works is not an easy task these days but Robert Levine accomplishes it with wit, style and taste. That he also points the way toward some possible solutions just makes the book even more valuable. The marketing push sometimes seems [...]
Size Matters: The constructions of Roland Reiss
eNewsChannels COLUMN: A lot of us enjoy art while chuckling at the art scene. Let’s face it: they often have a ton of pretention piled up against an ounce of content. So when an exhibit comes along that can tickle your funny bone while causing you to question your own existence, well, ya gotta shout about that from a few rooftops.
In Loving Memory
eNewsChannels COLUMN: When you keep someone alive in your heart, it can make a difference in the way you act towards others. Looking back at the death of my dad nearly a decade-and-a-half ago helps me maintain my view of him while changing my view of others.
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Local South Bay Schools to Receive $2 million in Calif. School Construction Grants
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Assemblyman Mike Gatto’s Bill to Protect Small Businesses Unanimously Passes California Assembly
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Chicago Creative Coalition to present a Juried Fine Art Photography Show at 2013 Jeff Fest Arts and Music Festival
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Calif. Gov. Brown Joins Global Scientists to Call for Action on Climate Change
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Artist Daniel Edwards latest work, a Nude Pregnant Kim Kardashian ‘Fertility Statue’ to debut at LAB ART Gallery in L.A.
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idsDoc Mortgage Document Preparation System Improves Productivity and Delivers Custom Docs to Mortgage Network Inc.
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Leawo Software offers intro pricing on updated Blu-ray player for Windows 8
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Quandis Cloud Solution provides valuation system to streamline Bankers Asset Management entire broker price opinion (BPO) process
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Dance Prodigy and TV star from ‘Dance Moms’ Sophia Lucia will Attempt to Break Guinness World Record
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The National Inclusion Project, co-founded by entertainer Clay Aiken, announces it is recipient of JL Simmons NonProfit PR Grant
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Supporters take to Social Media to Promote Archbishop of Manila Cardinal Luis Tagle for Pope
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Could National ‘Snow Gratitude’ Ceremonies Extend Future of SnowSports?
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Calif. Assemblyman Gatto’s Resolution to Overturn Citizens United Decision Passes First Major Legislative Hurdle
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US Secretary of State John Kerry announces Ira Forman will serve as the Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism
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Viet Nam veteran and citizen tax reform advocate, John C. Garrison, decries IRS denial of U.S. Workers’ deduction of living expense
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Neotrope to assist Food Finders Inc to Redistribute Food Donated by California Hospitality Industry and Local Grocers to Fight Hunger
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Sarah: Who is Kerry going to appoint to combat the worldw...
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neotrope: We're very pleased to help this great nonprofit i...
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april: This is wonderful news! Congratulations to the Nat...
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Linda Davidson: I will pass on and encourage people to "Thank Mot...
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Michael Farris: The process for proposing and ratifying a constitu...
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Devany: In order to enforce a judgment against you the she...
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college textbooks: It's a huge contribution indeed! The book written...
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Good Golly Miss Molly: welcome to the writing of Molly Ivins
ARTICLE: Sense, sensibility, sarcasm, and spot-on skewering of political blowhards and buffoons: welcome to the writing of Molly Ivins. Beginning as a staff writer for the scrappy Texas Observer before moving on to the major-market New York Times, Molly Ivins enjoyed a brilliant career that raised the collective consciousness about US politics.