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The Power of Guest Stars

Forget about Michael Phelps sinking or swimming during his stint as host of this week’s “Saturday Night Live,” I’m more interested in the rumor that “SNL” alum Tina Fey may be returning to the popular comedy sketch show to play Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin. I have been a fan of Fey’s since she made her debut on “SNL” (she left to head up NBC’s “30 Rock”) and would be thrilled to see her back on late-night TV. “SNL” head honcho Lorne Michaels wouldn’t confirm Fey’s temporary return; rather all he would tell reporters is that whoever plays John … Continue reading →

Epcot Flower & Garden Festival Kicks Off This Week

This week the Epcot International Flower Garden Festival officially opens.  It’s one of Epcot’s longest events, in the length of time it’s going on at the park.  So from year to year it might not seem like a lot changes.  This year, though, it’s got something special up its sleeve. One of Disney’s big films of the year is “Oz: The Great & Powerful,” which tells the story of how a man from the American Midwest became the wonderful, terrible Wizard of Oz.  It opens on March 8, two days after the kickoff of the Flower & Garden Festival, and … Continue reading →

Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival 2012

Disney fans have one big sign for the coming of spring, and it has nothing to do with a certain ceremonial groundhog. Nope, it’s something much more floral. Once the Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival has kicked off, we know that spring is coming. Of course this is a bit of a cheat; as I said last year, the festival takes place in Orlando. That means it’s nice and warm for them year round. Oh, I know that some Orlando residents complain of the chilly 50-degree weather they sometimes get in the winter, but the rest of us living … Continue reading →

Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival

While some of us are still shivering in the cold, being blown about by frosty winds, or sighing glumly at the piles of snow in our yard, spring is in full swing in Orlando. Yup, it’s that time again; Wednesday is the kickoff of the Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival. I have multiple family members that for whom coming to see fanciful hedges trimmed to resemble and adorned with flowers to represent multi-color Disney characters would be enough of a reason to visit Epcot this spring. The living rainbows sure to be on display at Bambi’s Magnificent Butterfly Garden … Continue reading →

Buy My Daughter—PLEASE!

I’ve met dads who squander their blessings on a regular basis, but the father of “Slumdog Millionaire” child star Rubina Ali, takes the cake. When it comes to epitomizing bad parenting, 36-year-old Rafiq Qureshi is in a league of his own. Parents around the planet have been buzzing about the recent report detailed in Britain’s News of the World, which maintains that the poverty-stricken father planned to place his 9-year-old movie star daughter up for adoption for $300,000-400,000, so he could escape the squalor of Mumbai and find happiness elsewhere. For the record Qureshi claims that the entire story is … Continue reading →

Rihanna and Chris Brown Take a Break and Liam Neeson Mourns His Beloved Wife

Could it be that Rihanna is actually heeding Oprah Winfrey’s advice? The talk show queen devoted an entire show to domestic violence last week and followed up with another episode yesterday. Now, according to reports, the “Umbrella” singer, who was allegedly assaulted by her boyfriend Chris Brown last month, may be taking a break from her tumultuous romance. Winfrey, along with a litany of her celeb guests, urged Rihanna to take a cooling off period from Brown so they could “heal themselves.” While there’s no evidence that Rihanna actually watched Oprah’s shows, it appears that she is heeding Winfrey’s advice. … Continue reading →

A TV Special about the Real Spirit of Christmas

Tuesday night, December 23, you can hear your favorite celebrity musicians and learn about helping kids. Faith Hill, herself an adoptee, will host the 10th annual “A Home for the Holidays” TV special. This event blends star power and music with adoption information. Dave Thomas (the Wendy’s “Where’s the Beef” guy) was one of the originators of the show, which aims at increasing awareness of the need for parents for children who wait in foster homes. I wrote last year of my experience watching the show and finding it less intrusive and tear-jerking that I had feared. There was lots … Continue reading →

Getting Tickets to Barack Obama’s Inauguration Parties

On January 20th, history will be made when Barack Obama is sworn in as the first African American president of the United States. As United States citizens who elected him, we should be able to attend some of the celebratory events in person, right? Eh, well, maybe not. (This United States Congress image is in the public domain.) There will be many events, but your chances of getting tickets to one is probably slim and none. Don’t let anyone on eBay fool you by saying they have one of the “New Path to Freedom” inauguration ceremony tickets for sale because … Continue reading →

Sarah Palin’s Hollywood Job Offers

If things don’t work out in the world of politics Sarah Palin can always cash in on the myriad of job offers coming her way from Hollywood. The 44-year-old Republican governor of Alaska turned vice presidential candidate has been the recipient of dozens of recent high profile job offers, including one from Playboy boss Hugh Hefner, who has repeatedly asked the mother of five (and soon-to-be grandmother) to strip naked in the famous men’s magazine. I’m pretty sure the famous hockey mom put that offer on ice… at least for now. Another offer on the table for Palin comes courtesy … Continue reading →

“Saturday Night Live” Season Premiere: Fey Swims Phelps Sinks

It was all down hill after the first 5 minutes… at least that’s what the critics are saying today after the much hyped season premiere of “Saturday Night Live” aired on NBC. It was sink or swim for first time host Michael Phelps and by the looks of the reviews the gold medal winning part man part fish sank like a rock. Despite Phelps’ desperate doggie paddle to the finish, the late night show soared in the ratings. According to Nielsen Media Research, “SNL’s” 34th-season premiere logged a 7.4 rating (which roughly translates to 6 million viewers) to score the … Continue reading →