television | Mostly Bright Ideas

Browsing All posts tagged under »television«

No Offense

June 27, 2014

When I was a kid, we called each other a lot of names. These names were not flattering, but neither did they reflect intense anger. Rather, they were meant to inflict momentary insult, often in response to a perceived slight, a physical injury, or an inconsiderate action. For example, if one of your friends smiled […]

Out of Nowhere

April 30, 2014

There are a lot of people in the world. You probably noticed this the last time you tried to go out for breakfast on a Sunday morning and had to wait ninety minutes for a table. The planet is crawling with human beings, all with their own unique personalities, quirks, and ways of thinking. It […]

Patently Ridiculous

April 19, 2014

I’m a natural-born inventor. In fact, one of my favorite activities is lying on the couch, staring into space, and dreaming up indispensable products that consumers won’t be able to resist. I do this all the time. It’s a grueling process, fraught with obstacles, delays, and setbacks. For example, occasionally while I’m lying and staring, […]

Exposure Control

January 6, 2014

There are these people called paparazzi. It’s a word that always makes me think of Italian police cars, or small deep-fried desserts. But, no, they’re actually human beings. They can also be thought of as punching bags with zoom lenses. The paparazzi would prefer to be called photo-journalists, I imagine, but that makes it sound […]

Probable Cause (Part 3)

May 21, 2013

I reach for a book in my office, and I get that weird tingly feeling, something like an invisible finger tapping me on the brain. I turn and walk over to another bookcase, pulled along as though I were a migrating insect, and not one of the smart ones either. I’m heading somewhere, but for […]

Thoughts, Words, and Deeds

April 12, 2013

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After pumping gas into my car while freezing rain pelts the back of my neck and a howling wind blows straight into my face, I trudge into the warm, dry station and locate the cashier. She’s seated behind a tall counter, drinking something hot and watching The Price Is Right. I hand her my money, […]

Where Has All the Magic Gone?

April 5, 2013

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Someone sends me a link to a video. I click on it, and within seconds I’m watching a man who seems to be striding on foot across the surface of the Thames River. Onlookers in the video are leaning over railings and peering from windows, pointing at him, astonished at the sight. I ignore the […]

How the Old Days Got Their Name (Part 2)

March 21, 2013

Grown-ups could never stop telling me what it was like when they were young, which always made me feel grateful that I wasn’t alive back then. They didn’t have television, so they had to listen to the radio, or read dull novels about horses and office workers and Californians. Even comic books tried to shove […]

The Land Before Hype

February 1, 2013

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It’s that time again: Super Bowl week. I know this, not because I follow football in even the slightest way, but because I’ve noticed the potato chip and Coca-Cola displays at the grocery store. Built like shrines to the gods, these stockpiles of snacks will be inhaled by a hundred million people in six hours. […]

Life Isn’t Fair

September 6, 2012

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My parents said a lot of things, and most of the time I had no idea what they meant. I was never sure if my inability to follow them was a reflection of my own ignorance, or if it was possible that what they were saying made no sense. “You can’t win for losing,” my […]