In the pop-culture memescape, he’s best known for predicting the eventual fusion of man and machine — at last, the belly-button USB port we’ve always wanted! — but there’s more to Ray Kurzweil than Skynet-friendly futurism. Dude’s in the National Inventors Hall of Fame.

Those torturous tax questions that keep you up at night, answered once and for allIt’s that time of year again — for procrastination, free-floating anxiety and pencil-chewing late nights at the kitchen table as you tackle the family taxes. It doesn’t have to be that way.

The blossoming of cocktail culture has given rise to many liquor trends. But sometimes the new sensation is an old tradition, like mezcal.

Sampling the culinary traditions of Israel, Iran, India and beyond reveals countless variations in the valley (usually with a kick of heat)I’m convinced there’s an art to skewering and grilling meat. Consider the care and thought that goes into a koobideh kabob, for instance.

Documentary filmmaker“I’m a provocateur,” filmmaker Stan Armstrong says, his soft voice bereft of self-satisfaction. It’s not a boast; it’s a statement of fact.

Tropicana delightOrbiting on an outer ring of the University District, the Trop-Eastern quadrant offers cheap clothes, cocktails and even haircuts — and a handful of delis and restaurants proving that authenticity comes in many flavors.Cuba Café1.

Get off the couch — and see these small-screen sightsIn this era of obsessive-compulsive Netflix viewing, travelers are looking to their favorite TV shows for inspiration. Want to relive a pivotal scene from your favorite drama? Start with these small-screen-inspired travel ideas.

Shops & Services Art & Culture Leisure, Family & Fun Outtakes Best coffee Grouchy John’s Maybe you get a little extra buzz knowing you’re supporting a homegrown biz instead of appeasing the all-powerful Starbucks fix. Fine.

At Echo & Rig, the stylish new steakhouse and butcher shop at Tivoli Village, steel-cut oatmeal is available near the host stand for $17 a tin. It’s hard to believe that anyone who would come here with a taste for prime rib would leave with an offensively priced breakfast staple.

1. “Heritage declares there is still something to be done with the American steakhouse,” wrote Brock Radke in our December issue, awarding Tom Colicchio’s Heritage Steak in the Mirage our coveted Restaurant of the Year Award.