This weekend, I didn't leave Pasadena

Look at what they did to this innocent,

time-honored rattan. I think they put this bench

out on the sidewalk here because any sane person

would imagine that a folding, two-person

bench made of dirt-cheap rattan cane

would fall apart the instant you sat on it.

But it doesn't fall apart. Not a bit of it.

Under the cheap, flimsy tinsel

of Hollywood is that steel, earthquake-resistant

tinsel.