Some quick takes….

-Saw a guy walking around Valencia Street wearing a "Nixon/Agnew" campaign button. Could you BE more ironic?

-I used to be a bit of a chicken when it comes to amusement parks. Finally, after confronting my fears several years ago with a trip to Great America, I have grown to love roller coaster rides. I am now, in fact, not that much of a chicken anymore. However, after spending Saturday at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, I have realized that there's still one ride that scares the beejezus out of me- the Ferris Wheel.

Damn, fear of heights

-You know how with TiVo you can kind of pause something that's on TV and while the TV records something in real time, you can go off and do something else, then come back and fast-forward through all the real-time that you just missed? Wouldn't it be great if we could TiVo our way through life? Like when you know you're about to go through a rough, traumatic event and you know it'll be fine after three months or so, you could kind of put things on pause, wait for three months, then fast-forward through the rough parts?

-There's a cheap but really yummy Vietnamese restaurant on the block where I live. The past couple of times I've been there, there's been a new waiter working there. The waiter is a little too friendly and a little gay. Not that there's anything wrong with it. A couple of weeks ago, a male friend and I were there for dinner and the guy and besides being a little too flirty, made one too many wink…wink "you guys are a couple" jokes. Okay, a little annoying but still dealable. Today I went to go do carryout and the waiter was there. Once again a little overly-friendly but this time also a little touchy. When I gave him money for my meal, he grabbed my shoulder on the way over to the register. Then, when he gave me my change, he caressed his hand over my hand as he gave me my change. I was so icked out that instead of waiting for my meal at the restaurant, like I usually do when ordering take-out, I went outside, stood at a corner for fifteen minutes, and read the paper.

-It now looks like Target is selling those kabballa wrist strings. Is this the sign that mystical Judaism is about to jump the shark?

Poor Britney. Somebody better let him know before she goes through with her Jewish wedding?

Haven't my people suffered enough?