August 22, 2002
 
So if you caught 30 Seconds To Fame, now you know: I didn't win the $25,000. Alas. But I had a total blast, and I felt like I made a good showing, which was my only goal going down there.
 
Thanks for all your emails of the "You wuz robbed!!" variety. The general consensus among you seems to be:
 
  1) I wuz robbed;
  2) What was up with that guy in the suit?!?; and
  3) I should have worn a halter top.
 
I'll have a video of my 00:30 up soon.
 
If you don't know what this 30 Seconds thing is, see my earlier story.
 
 

 
August 19, 2002
 
So I'm going to be on national TV this Wednesday night. Lots of y'all have emailed with questions; I'll try to answer them all here.
 
The show is called 30 Seconds To Fame. It airs this Wednesday, Aug 21, at 8pm (7pm Central), on FOX.
 
It's like a cross between The Gong Show and Star Search. 25 acts each get 30 seconds to do whatever they want. Whoever the studio audience likes best wins $25,000.
 
So you'll see at least 30 seconds of me vocal-percussing, and maybe more (I'm not allowed to tell you how I did).
 
Many of the acts will be on the weird side -- folks lighting themselves on fire and such (see my earlier story) -- but friends of mine who've been watching the show say it's surprisingly compelling and (unsurprisingly) brisk.
 
I myself don't have a TV, so I will be catching the show at the Little Shamrock, a cozy little neighborhood bar on 9th and Lincoln in the Inner Sunset. Join me, won't you?
 
 

 
August 14, 2002
 
I just signed up to be a literacy tutor through Project Read, the adult literacy program of the SF Public Library. Anyone want to do it with me?
 
The Library estimates that 80,000 San Francisco adults -- one in every five -- have some difficulty with basic reading and writing. Project Read provides free one-to-one tutoring, workshops, and ongoing instructional support to thousands of these adults.
 
The next set of tutor training classes starts just after Labor Day, so call right now -- (415) 557-4388 -- to sign up.
 
If you don't live in San Francisco, you can find other programs all over the Bay Area.
 
And of course, your donations -- either through individual contributions, United Way drives, or your business donating its services -- are vital to the program's survival.
 
 

 
August 13, 2002
 
For your puzzling pleasure: this fiendishly twisty James Bond puzzle, which I was commissioned to create as a pre-game hint for the upcoming YABA Treasure Hunt. Have fun.
 
Registration for the Hunt is still open, so sign up now!
 
 

 
August 7, 2002
 
Just returned from a fundraiser for 826 Valencia, the student writing lab run by Dave Eggers et al. It's a wonderful organization, infused with equal amounts of unflagging dedication, love, laughter, and goofy verve.
 
They need big gobs of money, of course, but they also need equipment: Apple hardware and software, office equipment, reference books, office supplies, and so on. So check out their site, then stop in with that old dictionary and a stapler, hmm?
 
 

 
August 6, 2002
 
I'm going to be in an anime! JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, the hugely popular Japanese animated film series, is being released in America by Super Techno Arts.
 

Yours truly.

I play Dio Brando, the immortal vampire supervillain. The kind of guy who'd just as soon rip off your head and inhabit your body as look atcha.
 
The 13-episode, 6-DVD set is slated for release this winter.