1981

It's January, it's in the 40s, and it's raining. Not extraordinary conditions for the middle of winter. Except that' this is Los Angeles. "Storm Track '97" is the top story in the news. People are hysterical. Crumpled vehicles litter the highways. Epithets are being hurled. I, however, remain safe and calm. I lived in New Hampshire for four years. I drive a Volvo.

Ran into Aaron Mendelsohn at my computer store. We're both Mac people. Aaron has a rich life in the performing arts. He's involved with the Shakespeare Festival LA as a performer and musician, recently appearing in Othello and Macbeth. He was in Twelfth Night for "A Noise Within," which I can tell you is a highly regarded theater company here in Hollywood. He teaches acting as well. "Will Power to Youth," sponsored by the National Conference of Christians and Jews, teaches high school students to mount Shakespeare, if you know what I'm saying. And Aaron's worked with kids in correctional facilities, directing some of them this year in an original play. I write insipid dialogue for a sitcom. Which one's the artist? Who has a nicer Mac?

Greg Burton was recently named the Francois-Xavier Bagnoud Fellow in the department of aerospace engineering at the University of Michigan. I'm happy for Greg, but concerned for Francois. If Francois is/was an American, how badly did he get his ass kicked on the playground every day of his life just for having that name? Parents, please use caution as you send your sons and daughters into a cruel world.

Lawrence Serrano is the new anesthesiologist at Wickenburg Regional Hospital outside of Tucson. Lawrence is a thirdgeneration Arizonan. He specializes in cardiac anesthesia and pain control. I think Lawrence was on the football team at Dartmouth. And thus began a lifelong interest in pain control.

Greg Slayton is president of ParaGraph International. ParaGraph is a world leader in the Internet VRML (virtual reality) software industry. Prior to joining ParaGraph, Greg served as president and CEO of Velocity Development, a publisher of Internet-enabled CD-ROM titles. He was also a co-founder of Worlds Inc., one of the first virtual reality "worlds" software developers. Greg was recently named to the board of advisers of Direct IPO Inc., a company, I'm guessing, that has something to do with the Internet. It's all out of my league. I know how to turn on my computer. I can get and send e-mail. And that's it. Greg, how do I down-load the naked women? The rain has stopped for the moment. People are, I'm sure, relieved. The rain does pose real dangers here. There are mud slides, there is flooding. The land here is not sturdy, and nor are its people. Lightweights, really. We need to stop all the whining, throw on a few more sandbags, and just see what the skies will bring. We could all use the rain.

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