Lee Daniels’ The Butler One of the problems with starting a movie with the words “Inspired by a true story” written on the screen is that most people will focus on “true story” and not on “inspired by.” That phrase opens Lee Daniels’ The Butler – which I will refer to as The Butler from…
San Diego is a relatively small town when it comes to art, so I am always rather astonished to learn about a new gallery or art-oriented event that has been active for a while. I am even more surprised when the gallery and/or event in question are showing work that is very relevant to the…
More than 220 people showed up to see Alisan Rowland ordained Aug. 18 as a minister in the Metropolitan Community Church (MCC) in San Diego. “Ali, feel the love in this room,” said Senior Pastor Dan Koeshall as the service started while ushers put out extra chairs to accommodate the crowd. There was standing room…
The recent TV talent shows featuring elaborate and intricate displays of amazing abilities bring back fond memories of the less sophisticated, yet in many ways more enjoyable, local contests of long ago. Remember, seniors, the hard wooden chairs of the grange hall, lodge or auditorium and our home-grown stars; some appearing yearly and some nervously…
In more than 50 years of being involved with politics, I have never witnessed such a vicious and ugly smear campaign like the one recently launched against Carl DeMaio. About four years ago I got a call from someone who worked at City Hall who informed me that some City Council aides were having “fun”…
dvd of the week If you were offended by Zero Dark Thirty, and there’s good reason to be, you may find solace in The Reluctant Fundamentalist, which is as subversively anti-American and anti-imperialist as Zero Dark Thirty was pro-American and pro-fascism. Based on the novel by Mohsin Hamid, it is the story of how Changez…
DVR This: AMC, Available on Amazon.com and ITunes While a bunch of people stopped watching The Killing – the moody, slow and rainy series about murder detectives in Seattle – after they failed to reveal who killed Rose Larsen at the end of season 1, I suggest you return, either on TV or DVD. This…
By any measure, the costs associated with addiction and substance abuse in the United States are staggering. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the total costs of drug abuse and addiction due to the use of tobacco, alcohol and illegal drugs are estimated at $524 billion a year. Illicit drug use alone accounts…
So now we know. Mayor Filner will be succeeded by the winner of a “normal” special election, not a post recall free for all. That means the winner will have to get more than 50 percent, if not in the first special election then in the subsequent run-off. That likely narrows the slate considerably by…
