(Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Muhammad Ali) I’ve come to that time of the year again. Tomorrow, Wednesday the 16th, I turn 61. My manager Deborah Morales asked me to name three wishes for this year’s event. I’m trying to keep it simple, so here it goes. I would like a quiet tropical vacation. Beach access is Read More »

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(Michelle and Barack with daughters Malia and Sasha) Barack Obama is my choice for president. I’ve already explained why in previous blogs. But if Obama isn’t elected, it would be hard to blame racism. Republicans aren’t going to vote for him, not because he’s black, but because, even worse, he’s a Democrat. And for the Read More »

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I was treated to some fine singing while doing a skit for “The Colbert Report.” None other than Carole King was the lady at the piano, and it was a treat to hear her perform some tunes from her venerable songbook. “Tapestry” was album of the year in 1971 and was awarded three other Grammys Read More »

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I am in the center of a campaign for the iPhone. It’s at the end of an odyssey for me, since I have come into the digital age drip by drip.  I was one of those parents who watched as my children became computer savvy and comfortable with a new technology that has changed the Read More »

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I have been answering questions for a long time, and I think it is time to ask you one: “Who would you vote for president? As you all know Obama is my choice for president for all the reasons mentioned in my past posts. Now, what is your choice? Who will have the privilege to Read More »

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(Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) Certain things are inevitable.  Death and taxes, of course.  A famous athlete will indignantly deny using steroids, then get caught.  An A-list actor will go on all the talk shows and brag about how proud he is of his new movie—and it will suck.  Reality shows will multiply like randy rabbits.  A politician Read More »

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I love mysteries.  I’m a huge fan of the Sherlock Holmes stories, as well as hard-boiled writers like Chester Himes, Raymond Chandler, and Dashiell Hammett.  Desperate criminals chased down mean streets by world-weary detectives, now that’s entertainment.  That’s why I’m especially excited that Raymond Obstfeld, my friend and co-writer of “On the Shoulders of Giants,” Read More »

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It’s easy to dislike Herbie Hancock.  The man is 67 and looks 40!  (Someone needs to check his attic for that hidden Dorian Gray portrait.)  But then you listen to his music and you are immersed in a variety of emotions—love, melancholy, desire, thoughtful introspection—but none of them are alike.  In fact, it’s just the Read More »

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Video Credit: Courtesy of UCLA My eyes were seeing it, but I couldn’t believe what I saw. I had stumbled across my grade school graduation – autograph book and saw in the “favorite college slot” UCLA. This choice was made by me at a time that I couldn’t recall. A time before I was an Read More »

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