1. It's almost Super Bowl Sunday in Glendale, Arizona, where it's been raining for the last 24 hours. Some fun facts to tide you over until kick off: Only the 4th of July rivals beer consumption on SB Sunday. A frothy $1.01 billion dollars is spent on beer in the 2 weeks surrounding the gridiron date. Hmm, evidently, people are falling under the spell of those corny chick-fil-a telly advertisements. Because approximately 1.23 billion chicken wings will be sucked up while watching the game. Last year, $119.4 million was wagered in the Nevada sports books. A pittance compared to how much $$$ has been illegally sunk in office pools across this great continent, from sea to shining sea. Here's another nugget for your plate: the most shared SB ad ever was VW's, 'The Force' from 2011. This year, deep pockets, $4.5 million buys you 30 seconds of air time on Sunday. But, my friends, if you're not one of the projected 112.1 million sitting in front of a flat screen besotted by food and drink, and dazed by spectacle, why, the streets, big box stores, and the malls are all yours. Gloat and enjoy.
2. Watched one of this year's best documentary, 'Finding Vivian Maier;' a chronicle of the life and work of a nanny, eccentric, and mysterious, leaving an amazing collection of 100,000 photographs some of which have been exhibited in numerous museums around the world.
3. Rod McKuen. Born in Oakland. Not a great poet. But a good song writer, flourished in the right decade and was prolific. His 'Stanyan St. and Other Sorrows,' is one of the all time great titles for a book of poetry. April 29, 1933-January 29, 2015.
4. Sleater-Kinney punk'd me. They will be touring California in May. Their new album, 'No Cities to Love.' Is the shizzle. Is fly. And we can't get enough.
5. Super Bowl prediction: Pats 27- Seahawks-23. Pass the nachos.
