Cheers to you and yours! We’re navigating the season of gratitude, giving, and hope — the extended wintertime celebration that starts when we give thanks around a turkey, c... Read More
‘Tis the season. Can’t miss it. Can’t avoid it. You can try to secularize it in a generic way (“Happy holidays!”), recalibrate your festive winter solstice focus to Hanuk... Read More
So there I sat in the friendly confines of Club Fais Do Do — the Los Angeles venue where regular burlesque shows, courtesy of the Peepshow Menagerie production company, invariabl... Read More
As the holiday season approaches, those of us who cover the movie industry can be thankful the quality of the releases increases. It’s that time when we see the bulk of contender... Read More
Russian Hill is the only neighborhood I’ve called home in San Francisco. Consequently, I take a proprietary interest in the people, the businesses, and even the buildings tha... Read More
The anticipation of the fall network television season has been diminished in part by the year-round premieres of shows on cable and, in a relatively recent wrinkle, streaming serv... Read More
I recently had the opportunity to see one of my favorite rock bands in the world — one that, amazingly, has existed for roughly a half-century. That band is San Francisco’s... Read More
It was a temperate evening on the Barbary Coast. The meet-up was on the corner of Grant and Vallejo Streets. He was a little on the flamboyant side in his orange hat and scarf, but... Read More
For many years, a chain restaurant used the advertising slogan, “When you’re here, you’re family.” That’s canny salesmanship for a business eager to p... Read More
There’s a certain brand of talent laced with eccentricity, humor, and sometimes genuine beauty that seems specific or, better yet, peculiar to the Bay Area — a place where a co... Read More
I wear a beret. Pretty much all of the time. In fact, it’s become kind of a trademark over the years. Some may think of it as an odd affectation. I mean, who wears a beret? S... Read More
Some astute fellow from back in the day said, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” If only I could recall who that was. Just kidding. The quote come... Read More
Those of us who live in San Francisco or Los Angeles (or both) know all too well that we’re flying headlong into tourist season — or we’re already there. Actually, so... Read More
The now-prevalent year-round barrage of television premieres assures viewers will receive another selection of new and returning programs throughout the summer, whether riches or r... Read More
As I write this, I am sitting in my San Francisco office — the Royal Ground coffee shop on Russian Hill. It’s evening, and I’ve got a few hours to crank out a column,... Read More