I have a whole bunch of things I need to post here and I'll get them out of the way in one item…
- An attention-getting topic on this website some time ago was my encounter with a crooked tow truck driver. I got an awful lot of e-mail from folks who said they'd had experiences not unlike mine and had come to the same reluctant conclusion: That there was very little a swindled person in that situation could do. I'm happy to report (and to direct you to an article that Dana Gabbard sent me) that something is finally being done about this racket. Read all about it. The company that ripped me off is not among those named in the article but it's among the indicted, as I found out today by calling the office of one of the detectives who'd advised me at the time of the offense. I am quite happy about this and am rethinking my reservations about the Death Penalty.
- Since I haven't been to New York in a couple of years, I have limited interest in this Sunday's Tony Awards ceremony. But the TiVo's set and I look forward to a nice sampler of what's currently playing on and around Broadway. As you can see here, there doesn't seem to be a lot of doubt as to who will win, so the big suspense may be whether the broadcast will be any good. I suspect its producers are erring by not having a central host this year. In the immortal words of Rocket J. Squirrel, "That trick never works."
- My pal Joe Bevilacqua has been doing wonderful things with audio comedy for XM Satellite Radio. Now, he's making the inevitable transition to video. You can see a promo at this link.
- In the text accompanying this morning's video link, I made reference to a very old Van Johnson. Actually, he wasn't that old at the time. He was 69. Some of you may be surprised to learn that the actor in question is still with us. He's ninety years old and is now a very old Van Johnson.
- A very public thank you to Tom Stewart, whose keen articles have appeared in a number of TwoMorrows magazines lately. Tom sent me one of the nicest gifts I can recall receiving — a hardcover copy of Moss Hart's Winged Victory, autographed by the author. Tom is a fine scholar of comic book history and I'm glad to see his reputation has survived the accusation, once made by a primary industry figure, that he was just a pseudonym for me.
- Lastly, speaking of people giving me things: After a long drought, this site is again receiving donations. This comes just in time because I'm just starting to receive the bills for the Gastric Bypass Surgery I had two weeks ago today. The first bill was for $73,282.87 and this does not (repeat: NOT) include doctors. That's just for the operating room, the room in which I spent two nights and so on. Additional fees, including the tests I had to have to qualify for the procedure, will kick the whole thing over the 100 Grand mark…and while insurance will take care of most of it, I'm still going to have to come up with a fifth to a fourth of it. Given how good I feel, it may be the best bargain I've gotten in my life but it's still nice to log in and see that a reader of the weblog has sent a gratuity. So thanks to those of you who have and if you'd like to kick in, this link will gladly accept your PayPal contribution. If you're attending this year's Comic-Con International, you might want to show your gratitude for the fact that the convention hall will seem less crowded with a skinnier me in it.