The Mob, Vegas, and Tea

I'm excited to announce that the University of Nevada Press will be publishing my latest short story in a Science Fiction anthology put together by editors Jarret Keene and Todd James Pierce.

I mentioned this book once before here, but now we have more details. The book called "Doom Town: Tales of Near-Future Las Vegas" is slated for release in Fall 2010.

It was way back in 2008 in a bar in Vegas, when Jarret first mentioned this project. And now the idea is becoming reality. With Jarret and Todd editing, I know it will be a magical book.

xo.

Photo: A tiny part of a huge modern art installment near Champs Elysees. I recently took this photo in Paris.

I was surprised to get such a wonderful slew of responses to this interview I did with plant physiologist Jodie Holt of UC Riverside. She advised director James Cameron and others on the set of 'Avatar.' The real science behind science-fiction can be truly fascinating-- and extensive. In Holt's case, she created an entire encyclopedia of plant names called a "Pandorapedia."

Here's the full Q&A:
"Inventing the plants of 'Avatar'"

Recently, I met up with Max Blumenthal in Downtown L.A. to discuss his first book. 'Republican Gomorrah: Inside the Movement that Shattered the Party' is a culmination of his investigative reporting into the radical right wing of the G.O.P.

He is clear that the Republican Party has been taken over by extremists, calling it "the party of birthers, deathers, and Civil re-enacters."

Blumenthal gave a great interview with much insight into why he wrote what he did, and what he saw along the 2008 campaign trail.

He's also gained a huge following amongst the 18-25 year-old crowd, through his sometimes shocking YouTube videos.

Our full interview is here:
Q&A with Max Blumenthal, author of ‘Republican Gomorrah: Inside the Movement that Shattered the Party’

The other morning, I talked with the foremost documentarian of hipster culture worldwide. The 24 year-old photographer named Mark Hunter, who goes by "the Cobra Snake."

His website is full of partying celebs and happy hipsters from Brooklyn to L.A., Tokyo to Paris, and beyond.

He was a friendly dude, who isn't ashamed to wear what he wants (even Crocs!), use coupons, and generally be down to earth and accessible.

The full interview is here:
Cobra Snake is young, making money and still using coupons

Most recently, I wrote an article, in which I interviewed Chris Mooney--author of Unscientific America: How Scientific Illiteracy Threatens Our Future.

Mooney and his co-author Sheril Kirshenbaum explore how America has changed--becoming a place much less into science than it should be in order to prepare for a hyper-scientific future.

They write: "Americans built the bomb, reached the moon, decoded the genome, and created the Internet. And yet today this country is also home to a populace that, to an alarming extent, ignores scientific advances or outright rejects scientific principles."

Check out the entire interview here:
Bringing science back into America's sphere

I recently watched and wrote about a documentary about young people who are coping with the fact they have cancer at a tender age. Ranging from 19 to 29 years old, the subjects talk about their strategies for dealing with terminal illness. The film is called 'Chasing Rainbows' and I recommend it to anyone who has a friend in a similar situation. What is most striking about the film is that the entire group, for the most part, is positive about their lives--despite chemo, hair loss, and an unknown future.

A very hot topic in the news recently has been gender and sexuality. There couldn't be a better book to explain all the shades of gray. 'Between XX and XY: Intersexuality and the Myth of the Two Sexes' by Gerald Callahan sheds much needed light on a complicated topic. I reviewed the book for the Times.

Here are the full stories:
"Film: 'Chasing Rainbows' looks at young people living with cancer"

"Between XX and XY:Intersexuality and the Myth of the Two Sexes" by Gerald Callahan"

Most recently, I wrote about tattoo removal. Specifically, Dr. Tattoff--a Beverly Hills-based business, headed up by Dr. Will Kirby--specializes in tattoo removal by laser treatment.

The medical science behind the skin, the ink, and the laser is fascinating. The psychology behind the ink is even more interesting.

Read my chat with Dr. Will Kirby here, plus see a cool video (a live tattoo removal):
"Life in L.A.: Dr. Will Kirby, tattoo removal specialist"