In TAE’s September/October 1999 issue, Ben Stein contributed his thoughts on fatherhood. Enjoy his insights as we approach Father’s Day this weekend. It is not easy to be a father in Los Angeles, and especially in Hollywood. There are no places to ride a bike, partly because it’s so hilly, partly because the traffic is so dense, partly because even on the boardwalk by the beach—which is cement—there are panhandlers, gangs, and skate-by shootings. The few public places that are safe and not disgusting are usually shopping centers, filled with things that compel Tommy to nag me to buy him...