Out on a limb at Mike Lief.com
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Musings on an ever more worrisome worlden-us2014-02-02T23:16:52-08:00Under Construction
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Mike Lief2014-02-02T23:16:52-08:00Scientific proof that dogs are better than cats
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Roscoe is perplexed that it took a scientist to figure out that dogs are better for kids than cats -- and even more puzzled that anyone would think that cats were even in the running -- notwithstanding the angry...DogsMike Lief2012-07-11T07:12:37-08:00Automotive Dreams: Mercedes 300SL
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The Mercedes 300SL has long been one of my favorite classic cars, not just because of the gullwing doors that gave it its nickname, but also thanks to its timeless, sensuous lines. I've seen them at high-end auctions, where...AutomobilesMike Lief2012-05-31T07:21:18-08:00The glory that was Hollywood: Soundtracks
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I'm Hollywood's worst nightmare, which is ironic, given that I'm a lifelong film buff, a lover of film, someone who grew up in and surrounded by the movie business. Neighbors, classmates' parents, Dad's golf buddies; they were all part of...MoviesMike Lief2012-02-20T11:21:35-08:00Talkin' food with the dog
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Dear gawd, "the maple kind? Yeah?" just slays me. The more people I meet, the more I like my dogs. Courtesy of Rachel Lucas who doesn't blog much anymore (more's the pity)....Mike Lief2011-10-28T17:01:40-08:00Rainy Day Ensemble
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It rained yesterday in Ventura, the first cold storm of the Fall, which meant it was time for my Rainy Day Ensemble: My old Navy trenchcoat and a fedora, much more useful (and stylish) than umbrellas -- which I...PhotographyMike Lief2011-10-06T07:08:33-08:00It seemed a good idea at the time
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A C-130 Hercules festooned with 30 rockets -- firing down, forward, and back -- to enable it to land in and take off from a soccer field. What could go wrong? The slow-motion footage of that last landing is...AviationMike Lief2011-09-17T09:16:37-08:00Bogie's looking distinguished
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Bogie and I look at each other; I notice the grey in his eyebrows, his muzzle, frosting the tips of his ears. I wonder if he notices the grey in my fur. Bogie is almost 11 years old, a...DogsMike Lief2011-07-11T07:10:26-08:00Put me in, coach! Baseball dreams from centerfield
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FIrst base coach Babe Ruth sings with Brooklyn Dodger outfielders Tuck Stainback, Buddy Hasset and Kiki Cuyler during the '38 season. When was the last time you saw the video that accompanies John Fogerty's 1985 hit, "Centerfield"? This is...BaseballMike Lief2011-06-23T17:39:32-08:00I have seen the aliens ... and we are horrifying
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I was a fan of science fiction from the time I first learned to read; Robert Heinlein and Isaac Asimov were my favorites, and they both published in John Campbell's Astounding Science Fiction during the '30s and '40s -- hell,...Science fictionMike Lief2011-06-22T22:19:54-08:00Andrew Gold: 1951-2011
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Andrew Gold died Friday, only 59 tears old. He was most famous for this song, which takes me back to the '70s and junior high school every time I hear it. According to Wikipedia, Gold played guitar on Linda...MusicMike Lief2011-06-05T20:57:26-08:00Is there nothing an iPhone (or Droid) can't do?
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Neo-luddites are fond of dismissing the latest technological gadgets and innovations as little more than time-wasters and toys, but many of us are finding them indispensable, especially our smartphones. As it turns out, they're not just convenient -- they...MedicineMike Lief2011-03-13T11:23:00-08:00Tsunami!
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The West Coast of the United States, from Point Conception in California to the Oregon-Washington border, is imperiled by a tsunami, with residents advised to move away from the shore and to higher ground. Those of us between the...DisastersMike Lief2011-03-11T02:42:31-08:00"Southland" captures the grit of policing
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I've been watching "Southland," the TNT drama about cops patrolling the mean streets of Los Angeles; it's one of the best depictions of policing I've seen, at least from my perspective as a prosecutor. The Wall Street Journal calls it...TVMike Lief2011-03-05T18:02:51-08:00Those eyes! That lip!
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Roscoe gazes into the camera for a brief moment before closing his eyes to bask in the morning sun, his lower lip characteristically thrust forward -- this time in enjoyment, I'm guessing. The pup is a true sun worshipper,...DogsMike Lief2011-02-21T20:23:30-08:00