Best Phrase Ever
As I approach my 65th birthday, I’ve been trying to figure out what to do about Medicare. After struggling a bit, I finally reached a customer service person who helped by uttering the best phrase I’ve ever heard. Here’s the story.
“Jeopardy!” Masters And Not
A few observations from catching up on two weeks’ worth of both the syndicated “Jeopardy!” and the primetime “Jeopardy! Masters.”
Vacation Leftovers
Here are a few more stories from our recent vacation in Greece and Italy, including the oldest pizzeria in the world in Naples and a favorite food of the locals in Palermo which will never be one of mine.
Doyle Brunson
Though I never interviewed him, I can share a few stories about Doyle Brunson, the poker legend who died over the weekend at 89 — including his response to an outrageous hypothetical wager.
Ascending Etna
That’s a picture of me next to a five-foot diameter “lava bomb” on the side of Mt. Etna, a still-active volcano in Sicily I climbed last week. Here’s the story.
It’s Greek To Me
I’m just back from a couple of weeks on vacation in Greece, where the baffling alphabet didn’t keep us from having some great experiences — like these.
Best Thing I’ve Read Today
What a shocker! It turns out all those warnings by conservative economists about the damage raising the minimum wage would cause were completely wrong.
Showbiz Stuff
A few thoughts about a “Beetlejuice” sequel, supersized reality shows, a useless “Jeopardy!” innovation, the game show spinoff no one’s been waiting for, the wrong Renaissance tour, and more.
Tweety Tucker
Some thoughts on Tucker Carlson claiming he’ll reboot his TV show on Twitter, where he’ll fit right in with conspiracy-spreading liar Elon Musk.
“Let It Ride”
From my Movies You Might Not Know list, here’s my review of “Let It Ride,” a 1989 comedy starring Richard Dreyfuss, David Johansen, and Jennifer Tilly in the greatest red dress in film history.
Shep Gordon, Supermensch
Here’s a 2016 conversation I had with Shep Gordon, who managed stars like Alice Cooper, Groucho Marx, Raquel Welch, and the Pointer Sisters.
Florida Man Is Poker Putz
A guy won a small poker tournament in Florida. Why am I writing about this seemingly trivial event? Because it was a ladies tournament.
Writers Strike Back
Just because members of the Writers Guild of America are on strike doesn’t mean they aren’t creating comedy, as these picket line signs prove.
Two Noir Classics
Before directing “Rounders” and other really good movies & TV shows, John Dahl made two noir classics that are on my Movies You Might Not Know list. Read about them here.
The Price Is Wrong
Here’s a piece I wrote in 1998 about why I’ll never be a contestant on “The Price Is Right.” Still true 25 years later, even with a different host.