1. My favorite pizza topping is…Green peppers.  My writing partner says he hates them.  How can somebody hate green peppers? 2. My most despised celebrity is…Donald Trump. 3. Because…He's petty, small, vindictive, and completely humorless. 4. The best book I last read…was The Postmortal by Drew Magary.  Clever, engaging, thought-provoking. 5. The worst book I…

Please complete the following: 1. My favorite pizza topping is... 2. My most despised celebrity is... 3. Because... 4. The best book I last read... 5. The worst book I last read... 6. My hidden useless talent is... 7. The weirdest thing I ever ate was... 8. My favorite crappy chocolate is... 9. If I…

I like it when Akemi bakes, but I LOVE it when she "experimental bakes".  By that, I mean when she decides to try out a new recipe or compare slightly different versions of the same dish.  This morning, for instance, she made three different types of cookies: white sugar and whole egg chocolate chip cookies,…

Today, while cleaning out one of the kitchen drawers, Akemi came across a photo of a young boy.  "It's you,"she said. "That isn't me,"I corrected her.  It was, in fact, a photo of my ex's nephew. "Of course,"she said, apparently realizing her mistake.  "Yours are black and white." Hey, check it out.  Perfect timing!  Our…

Artist John Picacio, who joined us for an edifying Q&A back in July of 2008 (July 25, 2008: With Special Guest – Award-Winning Artist/Illustrator/Designer John Picacio) has been busy: last month scoring his second Hugo Award for Best Professional Artist AND winning two Chelsea Awards in the same weekend for Best Paperback Cover Illustration and Best…

Late Friday afternoon, I received a very interesting email.  It was from someone who works with someone who knows someone I worked with in the past (Let's leave it at that for now) who, apparently, had positive things to say about me (Go figure).  As a result, the individual sending the email wanted to inquire…

I never sleep well the night before I travel.  Even though I set my alarm clock, and the back-up alarm on my cell phone just to be sure, I always sleep fitfully and awaken at least an hour early.  Such was the case on Wednesday when I was out of bed two full hours before…

This morning, I headed downtown for the first of several pitches for this SF series Paul and I are developing for a local production company. In these situations, I like to wear a suit.  It's smart, professional, and helps people differentiate between me and my writing partner.  You may think it a little ridiculous -…

Hunh.  I spoke to soon.  My Snow Monkeys, who were going down to certain defeat in Stargate Fantasty League play, pulled off an improbable comeback last night, riding the arm of QB Andrew Luck to a rare win.  As a result, my Snow Monkeys are no longer alone at the bottom of the standings.  They…

No doubt spooked by threats of getting checked out by an MRI scanner, my back has been on its best behavior today.  While not totally pain free, it's a marked improvement from only a few days ago when I was staggering around like, well, my fourteen and a half year old pug, Jelly, who suffers…

I celebrated the day after my birthday by deciding to finally get that MRI.  After going on four weeks of this lower back pain, I figured it was about time.  So I had a choice: wait for the public health care system to "work" or just pay for an MRI myself.  The former is cheaper,…

Whew!  Crazy day!  No sooner did I wake up this morning, than I received my first gift of the day: Yes, that's NFL.com telling me that my waiver wire selection of New York Giants receiver Rueben Randle went through!  How's that for a pleasant birthday surprise? Then, after feeding the dogs (of course), I went…

Hey, check out what was on t.v. in the hospital waiting room.  Yes, SG-1 - specifically, season 9 episode Evolution II.  Right at the part where the bad guy is about to clamp the  booster cables on Daniel Jackson's junk, I get called in to see the doctor.  I explained the situation.  Lower back pain,…

Yes, I know.  Today was supposed to be the day I finally went to the hospital to get my back checked, but I ended up not going for several reasons: 1. The plan was to wake up early so that I could really make the most of my time in the waiting room.  Unfortunately, my…

Alrighty.  All set!  I picked up the turducken this afternoon.  Tomorrow morning, I'll be up at six a.m. to ensure it's roasted and ready for lunch.  I'll be serving the triple bird with a side of Joel Robuchon-style mashed potatoes (basically, 50% butter) and Ivon's homemade Brussel sprouts.  And, for dessert: PIECAKEN, a pecan pie…