Aaron Sorkin’s getting a bum rap for his acceptance speech at Sunday’s Golden Globe Awards. In his remarks, the screenwriter encouraged his daughter to emulate the many well-educated actresses in the room*, saying I want to thank all the female nominees tonight for helping demonstrate to my young daughter that elite is not a bad…
We had the most divine meal this evening: –Quinoa salad with mint, lime and cherry tomatoes –Roasted shiitake mushrooms –Arugula with dried cranberries, crumbled goat cheese, pistachios and balsamic vinaigrette –Steamed brussel sprouts marinated with olive oil, red wine vinegar, garlic and honey –Thick slices of La Brea Bakery whole grain bread SO YUMMY!
My friend and college classmate Michelle Sherman is special counsel in the Government Contracts and Business Trial Practice Groups in the Los Angeles office of Sheppard Mullin, where she specializes in complex litigation matters and white collar/criminal defense. She posted this very useful article on the firm’s Cover Your Ads blog today, and graciously agreed…
One of my favorite tv commercials ever. Done by Ogilvy & Mather, from the late 90s. The music is “Female of the Species,” by Space, from their album Spiders.
“Responsibility,” my teenaged son opined recently, “means being the person everyone yells at.”
Kevin Pollak’s Chat Show, which recently celebrated its 1-year anniversary, continues to impress me with its no-b.s., conversational, audience-participation format. Writer / actor / comedian / Late Late Show host Craig Ferguson sat down with Pollak on June 20. The resulting 90 minutes must surely be Ferguson’s most personal, frank, revealing interview ever. Sure, he…
Those following this blog for some time know that my husband and I try to follow a predominantly animal-free diet. We do this for health reasons. We occasionally and selectively enjoy cheese, ice cream, and very occasionally some seafood, poultry or meat. But our preference is for fruit, veggies, legumes and grains. Our college-student son,…
… when you and your spouse are trying to remember the name of an obscure place in New York, but can’t, so you give up. And hours later, one of you remembers the name, calls out just one word across the house, and the other answers, “right!”
Everyone has his or her own policy about following people on Twitter. Here’s mine: I follow accounts that speak to my personal and/or professional interests. They can be news feeds; fellow entertainment and media types; punsters; those who share my hobbies and passions; public figures I admire; friends of friends. But there’s always a specific…
One of my favorite cartoons, ever:
Whales have calves, Cats have kittens, Bears have cubs, Bats have bittens, Swans have cygnets, Seals have puppies, But guppies just have little guppies. Amazon.com: The Best of Ogden Nash.
The recent earthquakes in Haiti and Chile have spurred many to update (or establish!) their home quake preparedness kits. That’s good thinking. While you’re at it, make sure you have a plan for the members of your household to communicate with one another in case you’re not all home at the time. For many Southern…
I’ve attended a number of professional social media conferences in the past six months. Each delivered value in its own way, but each could also have done better. If you’re organizing a conference, or thinking about doing so, please consider this my feedback in advance: 1. Power Up People who attend your social media confab…
Sober (and in the light of day), she realized that…. With thanks to Miss Whistle for leading me to the site.
My brilliant, brave and beautiful friend Mary Herczog lost a rare battle today, and to an especially unworthy opponent: breast cancer. She fought it heroically, and with great humor and style, for a dozen years. It finally got the better of her this morning. I met Mary through an AOL message board, not long after…
For those following along at home: I had my six-month post-op visit with Dr. Friedman (my oncologist) yesterday. “You look perfectly normal,” be pronounced upon examining me for any signs of recurrence. Pause. “Well, actually, I can only speak for your vagina. Whether YOU are normal or not I’m unable to vouch for.” Gotta love…
My favorite new iPhone app is PhotoTropedelic by Larry Weinberg ($1.99). I’ll say upfront that v1.0 auto-adds a credit to your photos – BOO for a paid app – but the developer heard the cries of his public and has submitted a 1.1 revision which he promises will eiminate this annoyance. Here are a few…
… and how you can, too. I received this email late on Saturday from Lee Kagan, our personal physician and longtime friend: Dear Friends: The photo below was taken today (Saturday, Jan. 16) at the hospital in Jimani, Dominican Republic, where a medical team from the International Medical Alliance (www.imaonline.org) is now working. The town sits…
A dear friend, who’s three years my junior, learned yesterday that the breast cancer she’s fought fearlessly for a dozen years will soon have the last laugh. She sent a typically wry email around to announce this news to her “Best Beloveds.” In it, she muses about how best to use her remaining time. “Does…
A welcome, perhaps even necessary, bit of perspective as we ring in the New Year, this short film vividly depicts the Universe as scientists best know it. Produced by Michael Hofman and directed by Carter Emmart, it’s well worth six minutes of your time. Click left or below to view. The Known Universe Scientifically Rendered…
On the Sunday after Christmas, we (Tom, Steve, Sims and I, accompanied by Jefferson, S&S’s chocolate lab) hiked the lovely Shelf Road Trail in Ojai. Below, some iPhone photos from our walk: