Got a call from an old friend, we used to be real close Said he couldn’t go on the American way Closed the shop, sold the house, bought a ticket to the west coast Now he gives them a stand-up routine in L.A. Lately, I’ve been humming Billy Joel’s inspiration lyrics in my head a … Read more
I had every intention of following last night’s Emmy awards telecast with the diligence of the reporter I once aspired to be. I fixed a healthy salmon salad, I settled into the recliner, and even found my way to the Peacock feed that allowed me to see the lame red carpet interviews in glorious 4K. … Read more
For decades I was blessed with the opportunity to help one of the most prolific sales and marketing teams in television history with providing ammunition for aggressive negotiations with cable and satellite providers. When we’d conduct objective consumer research, we’d frequently be faced with the reality check that, time and time again, they’d clamor for … Read more
I listen to podcasts and news almost constantly, one of the “fringe benefits” of living in a city already obsessed with self-indulgence that has reached new heights of isolation in the era of the ENdemic. My algorithm has me alternating between both extreme progressive and extreme alt-right viewpoints, as well as plenty in between. My … Read more
Thirty years ago Penny Marshall produced what she would later describe as her most satisfying film, a poignant look at the World War II era All American Girls’ Professional Baseball League called A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN. With the likes of the imposing and stunning Geena Davis and a vulnerable Tom Hanks as leads, not … Read more
I got some disturbing news this week about a good friend’s sister, who was fighting for her life and undergoing emergency surgery to replace her spleen as well as to treat many other injuries. Sadly, as it turned out the cause of those injuries was this woman’s, for lack of a better word, boyfriend. As … Read more
As my former research lab buddy Norman Lear wrote earlier this summer when he celebrated his 100th birthday, “Well, I made it”. I’m nowhere near Mr. Lear’s age today, but I’m closer than I was 24 hours ago. Just to reassure you, I share the sentiment of the second line of his op-ed: “I wake … Read more
I am NOT a racist. In fact, I’ve experienced prejudice, persecution and bigotry many times over, personally and, especially now, professionally. I’m short, still technically obese, Jewish and financially challenged. And once people with larger egos and muscles discovered I was far more intelligent than they could ever dream of being, I became their literal … Read more
Vin Scully was such a master of the spoken word, the one time I heard him say “f-ck”, even that word sounded eloquent. Once upon a time, I had a big enough job at a company that actually owned the Los Angeles Dodgers to warrant VIP treatment. One of the only true perks I tried … Read more
My BFF and I have had a nasty habit of falling back on what can only be described as gallows humor as a coping mechanism whenever we’d hear news of the passing of someone famous, or famous to us. We’d usually wait until at least two such instances had occurred, as we know, death often … Read more