As an African-American boy growing up in South Central L.A., Willie McClinton Jr. wasn't interested in becoming the next Tupac, Michael Jordan or Deion Sanders. Starting as early as age 4, McClinton just wanted to be one thing: the next Hulk Hogan."I remember Hulk Hogan talking crap about somebody he was going to beat up at a pay-per-view [event]," the 30-year-old professional wrestler known as Willie Mack says as we peer over the crowded New York Comic Con floor from the El Rey Network booth.

Any denizen of San Francisco knows that it's annoying as hell to get to the Valley. Sure, if you're a tech bro you get a sweet door-to-door shuttle, but everyone else has to deal with Caltrain or a traffic heavy commute - that is, if you're one of the few people who own a car in SF. Otherwise, a one-way Uber trip can cost anything from $40 to $80, and that's using Uber Pool (where you share the car with someone).

Given a choice between the two — “normal” and “not normal” — when it comes to the amount of fear I live with, for now I have decided that I’m probably normal. Sure, for other reasons, I am decidedly not: trauma as a child, depression in my 20s, a sex scandal at the age of 30 that became a national news story that cost me my career. But the last 10 years have been relatively quiet.

Every morning, we profile the people, places, trends and technology that are ahead of their time and worthy of yours. A SpokenEdition transforms written content into human-read audio you can listen to anywhere. It's perfect for times when you can't read - while driving, at the gym, doing chores, etc. Find more at www.spokenedition.com

Every morning, we profile the people, places, trends and technology that are ahead of their time and worthy of yours. A SpokenEdition transforms written content into human-read audio you can listen to anywhere. It's perfect for times when you can't read - while driving, at the gym, doing chores, etc. Find more at www.spokenedition.com

Zona Spray Starks was born in a village above the Arctic Circle. There, food was an expression protected by the frozen tundra, preserving the culture in a way that became difficult for southern Alaska neighbors to match. "To me, Alaska is in the bush - that's Alaska, period. And all of the rest is pretty much tainted. It's become very white.

I wound up under a bridge after being unceremoniously booted from a residential treatment facility in Asheville, North Carolina, following the revelation that male staff members and administrators were regularly fucking the female clients with absolutely no repercussions, while the male clients were relentlessly and loudly told to "KEEP AWAY FROM DA WIMMINZ!"The staff using the female clients as their private harem curdled my stomach.

As told to Andreas HaleI was 16 when we met in a Las Vegas lounge that I was definitely too young to be in. A girlfriend of mine said that there was a dude with a whole bunch of money who wanted to meet me. I asked if he was a pimp, and she said she didn't know anything about him. I went over to meet him anyway."Hey, how are you doing?" I asked."What's up?""What's your name?""My name is Shaheed."I introduced myself, and we talked before he asked for my number. A week later, my phone rang.

I have a very strange, possibly self-destructive idea. I want to spar with Gastón Bolaños.At 24 years old, the Peruvian is an exceptional pro fighter in three sports, but he couldn't care less about his official record. He is an artist of the martial variety, and performance is his concern.Bolaños' first love is Muay Thai, a violent and majestic sport I've practiced for four years.

Major League Baseball clubhouses are filled with clichés, at least when swarms of microphones are present.The 162-game season is a grind, we're just focused on keeping this team together.Every day, every game represents a fresh start. We can turn this thing around.These are just two of the many accepted platitudes repeatedly hurled at hordes of reporters, but reason exists for the regurgitation of clichés in baseball.