Hey, Jerry Brown has taken out papers to run for governor of California.

But wait, it seems he’s actually only exploring.

So I guess it’s still too early for him to hit me up for money.

Tickets are now available for that extra-long, extra-wide one-act festival that opens (or, begins opening) next week here in Los Angeles. (The one that has me out at rehearsals and tech rehearsals and dress rehearsals and so forth at all hours.)

My play “He Said She Said” is part of “Passions,” which is a “Keystone” event; I’m directing “Move” by Trey Nichols on the same night; I’m directing “The Incident Report” by EM Lewis as part of the “Special Presentation” called “Flight”; and word has it I’m writing one of the segments of the “Spotlight” event “Arachnatopia” at the Natural History Museum. (Which means I’d better start writing it.) Can’t follow all that? Go to this link and… just buy all of it.

Hope to see you there.

How Star Trek effects used to be done — with papier mache and masonite.

Today’s LA Times features a full-page sales ad from Borders, one of the surviving chains offering books, music, coffee, and other things aimed at people who like books, music, and coffee. The sales ad promotes “educator appreciation week!” (Exclamation point theirs.) “Current and retired educators save on purchases for personal or classroom use.” Cool.

That discount equals “30% off list price of almost everything!*” (Asterisk theirs.)

So of course my eye tracked down to the spot the asterisk points to. In type so small that I doubt most book readers can read it, I found this:

Yes, it’s too small for my iPhone to capture it well either. Here’s what it says:  “…Excludes previous and online purchases, special orders, gift cards, newspapers, magazines, comics, coupon books, eBooks, digital downloads, self-publishing programs, Smartbox products, Rosetta Stone software, shipping, and all electronics, including but not limited to the Sony Reader and the Zune. Also excludes all Dean & DeLuca and Starbucks cafe items and products….”

I count at least 17 product categories excluded above.  So… what does “almost” mean?

The link to our previous listing seems to have been rendered inoperable. We will keep you apprised of this exciting opportunity.

Business for sale.

Famous public school located in scenic Los Angeles seeks new operator. Situation presents great business opportunity for right operator. Estimated annual revenue of $27.6 million with simplified accounts receivable. (Single large client supplies all revenue.)  New management strategies, customer-service processes, and the right rebranding could yield significant results. Success will require a nuanced communications strategy with local customer base and key stakeholders. Current management unlikely to provide transition assistance.

The LA Times’ Geoff Boucher on Jack Kirby’s legacy and the inevitable forthcoming lawsuit.

The recent demise of all those record stores like Tower Records and Virgin Records and The Wherehouse has been very good for some other people:  the stores that remain. Like Rockaway Records here in the Silver Lake District of Los Angeles, happily near my theatre, which I’ve visited many times over the years. They’re doing just fine because they stock things you can’t find at Best Buy or Target, and because they know what they’re doing. Here’s a great profile in the LA Times that explains their success. Any store offering Frank Zappa collectibles and doing this well must be run by very smart music fans.

Last week, Pere Ubu guru David Thomas kindly emailed me to say he’d make sure that I got the new Ubu disk, as well as the recent CD he produced for 15-60-75 (the Numbers band), in the mail.

The Numbers’ disk arrived two days ago and I’ve just started to explore its deep soulful blues.

Today in my mail, there was the new Pere Ubu disk. In a hand-addressed bubble mailer. With the hand-written return address of… Steve Mehlman, the drummer.

This has just gotten better and better.