Monday night, Iowans cast the first votes in the 2016 presidential election. Sen. Ted Cruz won a clear, if somewhat small, Republican victory. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton beat Sen. Bernie Sanders by a razor thin margin to take the Democratic win. The vote tally, however, has only a small role in determining a…
While I am a huge fan of the Coen brothers, I must acknowledge that they make some odd decisions that produce some ambiguous if not totally perplexing moments: The off-screen death of a major character in No Country for Old Men, the tornado that ends A Serious Man, the lack of any plot in Inside…
This past weekend, I attended the first annual Finding Freedom LGBTQ Symposium in Palm Springs, sponsored by Foundations Recovery Network. A wonderfully diverse group of professionals from across the country gathered together to explore best practices in addiction treatment for co-occurring disorders. We met and contributed our insights and observations to the unique issues facing…
Wine country is closer than you think! “Happy Valentine’s Day. You’re being kidnapped,” I said. “Where are you taking me?” he asked. “Lestat” looked good in tight jeans, flannel shirt and down vest. Beard trimmed short, neat. Cap cocked, all attitude. “Just get in the car,” I insisted, and he did. I had a surprise…
The Realish Housewives of San Diego is a parody of the many versions of The Real Housewives that has inundated Bravo TV since 2005. The show is the brainchild of two Chicago Second City alums Kate James and Tim Sniffen. The San Diego version of the show is at the Balboa Theatre this week for…
“Casual contemporary,” he said. I had asked “Pierce” to describe the ambience of Café Bleu; the red walls, white stamped tin ceiling, blue-lit bar, the mix of dark wood tables and overstuffed sofas. A cozy neighborhood bistro in the heart of Mission Hills perfect for a romantic Valentine’s Day dinner. “A little bohemian?” I suggested….
dvr this FX, Tuesdays, 10 p.m. Ryan Murphy’s second anthology series, after American Horry Story, is focused on one major crime story a year, and he has started with OJ Simpson being accused and tried for the murder of his ex-wife and her friend. Without even watching the non-stop coverage of the events when they…
dvd of the week Steven Spielberg’s by-the-numbers spy suspense film stars Tom Hanks as James Donovan, a respected lawyer who is assigned to defend a Soviet spy in the late 1950s. Despite occasionally violent opposition to his treating Rudolf Abel (Mark Rylance) as deserving of due process and legal assistance, Donovan soldiers forth, the pinnacle…
It is well known in political circles that I was a longtime supporter and friend of Bob Filner – from School Board, to City Council, to Congress and to the Mayor’s Office. “Team First Lady” was indeed my idea and civic leader Nancy Chase was my co-chair. In past columns of mine, I have stated…
Looking back there were many times when we came to a fork in the road and, willingly or not, we chose a path which changed our plans, our dreams and for what it’s worth brought us here. Some choices, part of becoming adults, were expected like college, job, where to live, whom to marry, etc….
