“Punishment Cuts?” That’s an old term from the Pre-Prop A days of school millage votes. If a school district put out a millage vote and it failed, the next move would be to cut stuff that hurt.  Inevitably varsity sports, art, music, and bus service got the axe. When people howled, the School Folks would cluck sympathetically, and put the tax proposal back up. This...

So, I was walking along my neighbor’s yard and his Schnauzer was barking. “Dammit,” I said, “this oughta be illegal. Oh, look, there’s a bottle!” I kicked it, it spun, spouted smoke, and out came a man!   “Greetings, effendi,” he said and bowed.  “I’m the genie of the lamp, and you got three wishes.”   “Okay,” I said. “I want to be the Supreme...