Wednesday, December 19, 2012
The classic romantic comedy film “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” (1961) is among the reported cinematic treasures selected for the National Film Registry. The Library of Congress today announced the 25 films picked for the registry in 2012. “Established by Congress in 1989, the National Film Registry spotlights the importance of preserving America’s unparalleled film heritage,” said Librarian of Congress James H. […]
Sunday, December 16, 2012
Sam’s piano in the movie classic “Casablanca” sold for $602, 500 last Friday according to Reuters. The 58-key upright hit the auction block for between $800, 000 and $1.2 million. The selling price fell short of Sotheby’s estimate, but still a huge gain over the previous purchase, which was $154, 000 back in 1988. The reason: this piano has been […]
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
The Los Angeles Times and its Times Community Newspapers, which include The Burbank Leader, are facing an uncertain future as 2012 wraps up. There’s a report out that the owners of the newspapers’ parent company, the Tribune Company, are quietly seeking advice from bankers about launching a fire sale after December 31, when the company is expected to emerge from […]
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
Friday, December 7, 2012
Oscar maker to axe a lot of workers It’s not going to be a ho, ho, jolly holiday season for some employees of the company that makes Oscar. The Wrap is reporting today that R.S. Owens, a Chicago-based company, will be laying off almost 100 workers by December 17. That’s more than a third of the staff. R.S. Owens is […]
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
A lot of chatter on the Internet about the huge Toluca Lake estate of Bob and Dolores Hope going up for sale. The legendary entertainer and his singer/philanthropist wife reportedly built their home at the corner of Moorpark Street and Ledge Avenue in 1939. The estate has an English-style mansion, guest house, private golf course and gardens. It sits […]
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
Netflix, the popular online movie service, has scored a huge deal with the Walt Disney Company. In a news release today, Disney announced a “… new multi-year licensing agreement that will make Netflix the exclusive U.S. subscription television service for first-run live-action and animated feature films from The Walt Disney Studios.” The deal begins with 2013 direct-to-video releases and 2016 big […]
Thursday, November 29, 2012
It is probably everybody’s wish to live a healthy long life without getting sick. So there are a variety of stories and secrets of health and longevity across the ages and in all the countries in the world. One of them is a story about Okinawa, Japan, where most of its residents live long. Especially, people in the village of […]
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
NBC Universal is showing signs of rising from the ratings cellar, but that has not stopped the cutbacks and layoffs by parent company, Comcast. (Disclosure: I am a former NBC employee). The Internet is buzzing with the latest reports of 500 employees getting the axe throughout the entertainment, news, and cable units. The first story I saw about this was […]
Monday, November 12, 2012
Popular TV host and six-time New York Times bestselling author, Dr. Phil McGraw, has a new book being released tomorrow. “Life Code: The New Rules for Winning in the Real World” is supposed to empower readers to deal with the real world and how it works. “Life is a game – and you will either be a player or be […]
Friday, November 2, 2012
Today the death toll from superstorm Sandy in the U.S. stands at 96 and could still go higher. Four days after Sandy slammed into the East Coast and began a slow march across the northeast, more than three million are still without power and there are reports of shortages of gasoline, food, and other necessities. On NBC tonight, “Hurricane Sandy […]
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Have a fright-fully good time, but be careful out there. Check out the Halloween safety tips from the Burbank Police Department.