Phil Spector photographed in the 1970s, and a recent booking photo. I heard Phil Spector died and immediately thought of the end of “Fast Times at Ridgemont High.” That’s happened every time I’ve heard Phil Spector’s name since 2003, when he killed Lana Clarkson, the actress who played the…

In modern America, any holiday with profit potential gets a whole season, and those seasons last for an unbearably long time. Valentine’s Day decorations go up at CVS in early January, for example, and it seems like Christmas decorations go up sometime in June. The one holiday that actually…