Essays and memoirs - click here for latest column and complete archive


Political satire essays - click here for the latest column and complete archive


One Day on the F'in Bus (9/13/11)
This Mess Belongs to All of Us (6/22/11)
Public Service Announcement for Randall (4/28/11)
My Nemesis Revealed (4/19/11)
This Is Why I Say Hello (2/22/11)
The Dog Whisperers (2/3/11)



Unsolicited opinions on an industry I love and loathe


An Uncommon History of Common Things - book review (3/30/10)
Routledge Dictionary of Modern American Slang and Unconventional English (7/20/09)
Most memorable albums of 1999 (I penned Built to Spill's "Keep it like a secret") (6/22/09)
Make it Big! A 25th Annniversary Wham! Tribute (I wrote about "Freedom") (4/1/09)
Grammar Girl's Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing - book review (1/8/09)
Encyclopedia of Superstitions - book review (12/16/08)
Semantricks and The Daily Candy Lexicon - book reviews (9/19/08)
Confessions of a Falling Woman - book review (6/26/08)
PopMatters' "TV on DVD": The Wire (10/12/07)


Short bursts of mental activity