This sporting half-life

It’s been more than 100 days and counting since the last time a game was played in any of the four major American professional sports, and this loyal-through-thick-and-thin ... Read More

Television

The empress and the stranger

By Michael Snyder

Despite current production suspensions and slowdowns that have caused some of our go-to network and cable TV programs to shorten their seasons or postpone their upcoming returns, ... Read More

Coastal Commuter

Dining and dancing with myself

By Michael Snyder

From all the available evidence, we’ll be living under some sort of pandemic strictures for longer than any of us could possibly want. I’m not gonna say that a mask is... Read More

Films

Of alien invasions and aliens abroad

By Michael Snyder

With indoor theaters shuttered, summer movie blockbusters may be on hold or bumped to later in the year. Don’t despair. Exciting new releases are available to stream at home. He... Read More

Coastal Commuter

Managing the weight and wait of staycation

By Michael Snyder

It’s hard to reconcile the title of this column — “The Coastal Commuter” — with my current state of affairs. My car is tuned up and ready, the spirit is willing, the... Read More

A & E

‘Quarantunes’ and other live-streamed entertainment

By Michael Snyder

As we confront a global health crisis like none experienced in the United States in our lifetimes, the extreme measures that were necessary in response have walloped the entertain... Read More

Coastal Commuter

No time to be going viral

A people person’s lament

By Michael Snyder

Remember when “going viral” was a good thing? These days, it’s a phrase that suggests something much less desired than it did a few months ago when it was the fondest w... Read More

Coastal Commuter

What makes you stronger won’t kill you . . . usually

The case for occasional moderation

By Michael Snyder

I noticed the occasional discomfort in my left shoulder a couple weeks back, right after I returned to San Francisco from a stint at my place in Los Angeles. The ache went up the l... Read More

Television

Must-stream video

From showbiz comedy to crime drama

By Michael Snyder

It’s no longer a surprise to learn that a friend who you think might have ghosted you, fallen off the grid, or — oh no! — been kidnapped has instead become entranced by some ... Read More

Films

February film-fest frenzy

Local festivals offer films for a variety of interests

By Michael Snyder

Film festivals are a boon to any movie lover with the time, energy, and cash to spend day after day and hour upon hour in darkened theaters for the express purpose of drinking in w... Read More

Coastal Commuter

‘I love you — your devoted fan, Michael’

Redirecting love for Valentine’s Day

By Michael Snyder

It’s February — a month when the fancies of many turn to thoughts of love. An impending Valentine’s Day will do that, whether we have romance in our lives or not. But if my m... Read More

Coastal Commuter

Getting my January kicks from football

Rooting for the Niners — who else?

By Michael Snyder

It may not be kosher or even halal, but I do enjoy a regular diet of pigskin in the autumn and winter months from late August to February. For all of you who don’t jibe with the ... Read More

Films

From big screen to stream

The best movies of 2019

By Michael Snyder

From all current evidence, the seasons of the year have become subject to the whims of climate change, but there’s one annual time period that seems immutable to anything sho... Read More

Coastal Commuter

Family matters

By Michael Snyder

If you’ve ever been curious about the power of genetics in shaping offspring, survey the arts and professional sports. There are legacies on display wherever you look. And someti... Read More

Pop Culture

A multitude of carols

By Michael Snyder

Around Christmas, nostalgia amid good cheer is currency of the realm, and the entertainment industry counts on seasonal sentiment to capture your attention and dollars. You get hol... Read More

Michael Snyder