I had to admit some trepidation mounting the steps to the second level of the mini-mall which houses the Tres Stage Theatre in Hollywood. Not to maintain my balance, as the staircase is well-appointed with banisters and the like. But doing Chekhov is a risky thing in a modern age,...

I'm a fan of new technology and was among the first on my block to buy a VCR. I've also been surfing the Internet for many years and bought a cell phone not long after plans became affordable.

So, I'm far from a Luddite and, while I can appreciate those...

I don't write much about CBS' Survivor series, but I occasionally chime in on the finales, as I did a year and a half ago to blast Russell Hantz' utter lack of class and to cheer on Jud "Fabio" Birza's unexpected victory this past December.

However,...

Citigroup just sent me its annual statement and ballot to vote on suggestions from its Board of Directors, which, among other things, extends its flirtation with a reverse split that began two years ago.

For those unaware, a reverse split is the opposite of a split, which is when stock...

Celebrity Apprentice on NBC is an occasionally intriguing and amusing show wherein celebrities battle each other ostensibly to raise money for charity, but often boils down to whose ego will triumph.

It's also interesting what constitutes "celebrity," and while there have certainly been legitimate and significant ones in the past...

The Academy Awards on ABC opened very well. Okay, not so original, inserting Oscar hosts into nominated film clips, but it was fun. Plus, considering the question mark of having non-comedian movie stars James Franco and Anne Hathaway as hosts, it seemed to dispel the notion they weren't up to...

Heretofore, I have never been a Charlie Sheen fan nor have I disliked him. I've been disappointed as have many others with his apparent shallow lifestyle and risk-taking with his career. A career he was blessed to have entree to thanks to his father Martin Sheen's acting success, not to...

As I was leaving the Hallmark Of Fame reception at 20th Century Fox' commissary, a studio guard wished me a good night to which I replied, "I can die now, I've met Betty White."

You have to understand that I grew up knowing about Betty White, though my earliest recollection...

The Golden Globes awards show is reputed to be the most fun of all the industry events, because it mixes motion pictures and TV, focuses on glamour rather than technical categories and everyone is sitting at dinner tables, drinking and table hopping throughout the night.

The winners are often surprises,...

A recent Los Angeles Times article recounted the fact that coming out on TV has been portrayed in the lives of even younger characters than before. While this is true and in fact notable, wouldn't it be even better if the performances were by actors much closer in...

I don't go to the ballet and have only seen one a long time ago. Interestingly, it was Swan Lake performed, as in the film Black Swan, at Lincoln Center in New York City.

It is an art form that doesn't interest...

With Christmas coming, isn't it great when a miracle occurs? Judson Birza (aka Fabio on the latest edition of CBS' Survivor Nicaragua) managed to stay under the radar as a good-looking, generally perceived vacuous competitor, who no one really considered a threat until it was too late. And he won!

I'm not a boxing fan and have rarely looked at or listened to fights. I've never understood the fascination in watching grown men pummel themselves to a bloody pulp and sometimes death. However, when it's part of a good story my heart races as I join the cheering crowds and...

ASUS is a Taiwanese company that hit it big in the United States. It had been mostly known for computer parts, and in 2007 decided to build computers. The brand was recommended by a friend, so I bought a computer/LCD monitor package at Best Buy in February 2010.

I'm a big fan of Fox TV's Hell's Kitchen, and not because of any particular fascination with the preparation of food. Sometimes it's interesting of course, but the chief draw of this series is the often comical interaction of the chef competitors and celebrity chef/entrepreneur Gordon Ramsay, who sometimes is...

In the aftermath of the 2010 election and after digesting the analyses in print and TV, I can only conclude the media, in its zeal to keep our attention, has distorted the results.

Did Democrats lose significant ground by failing to control the House and by suffering a drop of...

Is it just me or does it appear that Shakespeare had it right when he dismissed the masses so effectively in Julius Caesar? Are we all just rabble, who twist and turn to emotional rhetoric without the capacity to think for ourselves?

Two years ago, our country was in a...

Recently, I bought a wide-screen TV and shopped for HD service. I've been with Time/Warner, wasn't thrilled and was intrigued by AT&T;'s Uverse. I already had AT&T;'s DSL and like the deals it makes to retain my business. I was also attracted by Uverse's lower price, which, combined with $150...

On a recent trip to Germany, I was cutting my pizza with a knife and fork, and as I brought the food to my mouth, my friend, German TV star Andreas Stenschke, said, "What are you doing?"

He'd previously criticized me for wanting to slice the pizza in sections, admonishing...

The Motion Picture Academy does an injustice not only to the recipients but to their worldwide fans by continuing its new policy of presenting honorary Oscars, the Thalberg and other special awards at a special function in November instead of the Academy Awards ceremony next February on ABC.