American Idol Results, March Madness, and Truckin'

Backup singer Brandon Rogers was given his walking papers on last night's American Idol, as I expected. Sanjaya will live to whisper-sing another week, though he was thankfully in the bottom three, NOT in the top three as those robo-dialing freaks at Dial Idol predicted.

March Madness games started today and this clueless blonde lit a $20 bill on fire by joining in the Pauly's Pub Pool. If I had no knowledge of NFL football last fall, I have even less knowledge of NCAA basketball. Of course me and my empty head have thus far gone 7-1 10-1 in picks, my only misstep lying with Oral Roberts, whom I naturally picked because of their spiffy name.

My trip to Florida turned this into a very overdue pimp... but I wrote a piece for this month's L.A.-themed issue of Pauly's literary blogizine Truckin'. I get a lot of my road rage out in a piece called "Everything You Ever Needed to Know about Driving in Los Angeles." I'm in sickly talented company in this issue, which has contributions from Wil Wheaton, Joe Speaker, Dan Keston, Pauly and Tim Lavalli. Check it out and if you like what you read, pass it on to your friends.

1. Slices by Paul McGuire
I'd spent most of my time partying hard doing blow with C-List actors while avoiding the daylight and roaming the city late at night during one of the most rowdy benders I'd undertaken in the past few years. We were vampires, sleeping during the days and partying every night until sunrise. I would not crash until 6 AM and by the time I'd wake up, everyone on the East Cast was leaving work for the day... More

2. The Next Block by Joe Speaker
The crowd was a stew of unwashed urchins. My kind of people: musicians, writers and hustlers. Feast or famine in this town; the middle class doesn't pass the velvet rope, or lead the newscasts. Sally from Chatsworth is home making fucking meatloaf... More

3. Killing Independent George by Wil Wheaton
We played on for another few levels, the clatter of shuffling chips frequently interrupted by the TD announcing the exit of famous actor after famous actor. I will admit that it felt good to be outlasting them., though I will also admit that it was the most Pyhrric of Pyhrric victories: where it really counts in Hollywood, they all have their names on call sheets, while I have mine on a blog... More

4. Everything You Need to Know About Driving in LA by Change100
In order to become a true L.A. driving warrior, you will sometimes have to be the asshole. This doesn't mean you're a bad person -- it only contributes to your overall savviness. By understanding that this attitude is just an unfortunately necessary part of your own survival, inner peace will come much easier... More

5. 15 Seconds by Dan Keston
With minimal experience and a microscopic budget, I found a way to make a movie about kids and guns that was not only interesting enough to be one of sixteen selections out of five-thousand entries at the most prestigious festival in the world, but also the topic of a story on NPR and the lovechild of the largest gun lobby in Washington... More

6. Three Strikes and You're In by Dr. Tim Lavalli
It was then that I realized I may have made a mistake trying to have a 'break-up' dinner here. Becca's gastronomic creations always put me at ease but ease was not the best place for easily ending a relationship. Besides the vaunted 'do it in public break-up' was a cowardly way out... More