August 25, 2022
Random Acts… Focus on what unites us
When it comes to watching old TV shows, it’s amazing how the themes of yesteryear continue to be relevant today.
I wish everyone could watch the finale of “The Young Riders,” a show on ABC that ran from 1989 to 1992. In the two-part episode titled “Til Death Us Do Part,” the young riders of the Pony Express must find common ground as the Civil War begins to spread across the land.
When one of the riders is killed by Southern sympathizers, a former Texas Ranger gives the eulogy at his funeral. He urged mourners to think about this:
“In a nation that’s being divided – family against family, friend against friend – it’s all leading to the same place. And that place is here — to the cemetery — with grief-stricken friends and family… We’re allowing ourselves to be ripped apart. If we don’t start thinking about healing, instead of killing, we’re going to lose everything – our homes, our friends, our families.”
Those sentiments were written about America at the start of the Civil War, but they could just as easily be about today’s America.
Partisan politics are inflamed daily by misinformation and the stubborn unwillingness to listen to anyone whose views differ from ours. Blame social media, the news media, anyone you want – but the fault lies with each and every one of us.
When did we forget that the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness belongs to everyone? When did we stop believing in a common truth, and instead turn to whatever “alternate version” of the truth appealed to us? When did we stop caring about others as much as we care about ourselves?
War is never civil. Yet talk about another Civil War coming in this country is discussed casually, debating its possibility without ever believing it could become reality. Don’t be fooled by such talk. The war has already started.
People are killing those they disagree with every day. Some politicians tell lies and half-truths, just to stay in office, yet people keep re-electing them. We are letting those who promote fear and hatred dominate the headlines, and lead our political discourse. In other words, “We’re allowing ourselves to be ripped apart.”
What can we do?
* Stop listening to lies. Fact check what you read on social media.
* Don’t watch the news on TV — or listen to it on the radio — constantly. Unless you’re worried about a natural disaster, just check it once a day.
* Meet new people. Help your neighbors.
* Do something meaningful for someone else. It will lift your spirits..
* Focus on what unites us, and practice gratitude.
It’s not 1861 anymore. Live your life, heal with loving deeds, and bring peace to the fore.
December 10, 2021
Random Acts… A plug for Heartmob and holiday movies
As a journalist, I rarely plug specific causes. Instead, I write stories and columns, in hopes of moving people’s hearts. But I’m going to make an exception today…
If you, or someone you know is being harassed online, sign up to stress-test the updated Heartmob, Hollabeck’s platform where those experiencing online abuse can share their stories and get help. This stress test is being held to tweak the platform before it officially re-launches, with design changes made possible by Craig Newmark Philanthropies.
Newmark, the founder and creator of Craigslist, says, “I’ve seen a lot of pointless online abuse, harassment, over the last 30 years, and it really pisses me off. I’ve been and am being targeted by professionals, and really wish Heartmob was around to minimize ongoing damage.”
In addition to the relaunch of Heartmob, the Coalition Against Online Violence’s Online Violence Response Hub was set up to support women and gender-expansive journalists who are especially targeted for their gender, and just for doing their jobs.
I hope you’ll support both efforts.
And last, but not least, here’s a plug for my new movie. Yes, in addition to my journalism work, I write movies.
Hope you’ll watch “Christmas Takes Flight,” which premieres on CBS on Sunday, Dec. 19 at 8 p.m. Eastern/Pacific, and will be available on demand after that on Paramount+. “Christmas Takes Flight” is one of two new CBS holiday films, marking the network’s return to the genre for the first time in 10 years.
The other CBS holiday film, “A Christmas Proposal,” airs this Sunday, Dec. 12 at 8:30 p.m. Eastern/8 p.m. Pacific and stars an all-Latinx cast in a story that shares the joy of the season in a way that all families can relate to.
The stars and writers of both movies just participated in a Twitter Spaces conversation about holiday movies that you can listen to by clicking on the link below:
‘Tis The Season: A CBS Original Holiday Movie Conversation 🎄🍿 via Twitter Spaces
There will be silence at the beginning, but hang in there, and people will start talking after a couple of minutes. I had some technical difficulties with my microphone, and will chime in around the 20-minute mark.
You can also catch my holiday movie, “Christmas Inheritance,” on Netflix.
It was great fun writing these films. If you like heartwarming, positive rom-coms, these movies are totally worth watching, if I do say so myself.
Happy holidays!
August 31, 2021
Random Acts… If 9/11 brought us together, why not COVID?
Twenty years have passed since 9/11, yet in many ways, it feels like just yesterday.
I was in Washington, D.C. when the planes hit the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and a field near Shanksville, Pa. Like many around the world, I watched the scenes unfold on television as the planes that al Qaeda terrorists had hijacked crashed, killing all on board and nearly 3,000 people on the ground.
In the days that followed, the shock of what had occurred could be seen on faces everywhere. Military tanks lined the streets of D.C., ready for ground attacks. When I was finally able to get on a plane back to Los Angeles, there was almost no one on the plane.
Before getting on the plane, an officer snapped off the tiny metal file on my nail clipper, removing what he thought could become a weapon. I ended up sitting next to a federal air marshal, who said we would never be the same again.
This week, National Geographic premieres “9/11: ONE DAY IN AMERICA,” an in-depth, emotional look at September 11, using archives and first-person interviews with survivors and first-responders. The six-part documentary series, done in collaboration with the 9/11 Memorial & Museum, honors those we lost, and the bravery of those who survived.
Watching the footage from 20 years ago is heart-wrenching. The fear felt that day is still palpable. Yet through it all, ordinary people rose to help others in need. Many sacrificed their lives to save strangers.
This week, the last American troops to leave Afghanistan leave behind an uncertain future for the Afghans who aided our military in the fight against Al Qaeda and terrorism. The Taliban, now in control there, seem intent on a never-ending war for the soul of their own country.
Here at home, fingers are pointing in every direction for who’s to blame for a chaotic exit and abrupt end to the U.S. war in Afghanistan.
Yet looking back at 9/11, all I can think about is… what happened to all the goodwill that emerged from that day? We pulled together as one country – indeed, as one world – to help the injured and mourn the dead.
Today, the enemy is COVID-19, and we are tearing this country apart with partisan rhetoric over wearing face masks and getting vaccinations that would save lives. Who benefits from that? Not the 631,440 people, and counting, who have died from COVID in the United States to date, according to the CDC.
Watch “9/11: ONE DAY IN AMERICA,” and maybe it will remind you of our vulnerability as human beings. Maybe it will awaken a sense of hope for the future. If we survived 9/11, maybe one day, we will see ourselves as one country again.
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“9/11: ONE DAY IN AMERICA can be seen on National Geographic and on HULU.
August 1, 2019
Random Acts… Power and responsibility don’t always go hand in hand
For a couple of weeks every summer, the nation’s television critics gather in Los Angeles to hear presentations from network, cable and streaming companies on upcoming offerings.
As I drove into the Beverly Hilton one day, where this year’s Television Critics Association (TCA) Summer Tour was held, the garage looked like it was full, with cars parked in every spot and in the fire lanes. But when I got to the roof, there were tons of parking spaces available.
Clearly, people didn’t want to bother driving up to the roof, and chose to just make a parking space for themselves in the fire lanes, even though signs warned that they would be towed.
I went to the front desk manager to complain, and she immediately said, “We don’t want cars parked in the fire lanes. I’ll go talk to the garage manager.” 
Inside the ballroom where the TCA sessions were held, one of the presentations put on by Starz was about the sixth and final season of its series “Power,” a show that’s steeped in hip hop culture and tells the story of James “Ghost” St. Patrick (Omari Hardwick), a successful night club owner who also runs a drug empire that serves only the rich and influential.
The producers of “Power,” Courtney Kemp and Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, noted that while the series, with a largely African American cast, is hugely popular with Starz audiences, it has not received mainstream award recognition.
Then again, as Jackson, a successful rapper, songwriter and actor, noted, “There’s a place for bad music, and it’s television.”
Jackson, who sold drugs at a young age during the 1980s crack epidemic, later began pursuing a music career that made him one of the world’s best-selling rappers.
Asked whether he has learned the most from success or failure, Jackson responded, “A little bit of both. Because when you have success, success is the biggest lesson. You can’t have success without jealousy, without envy or without entitlement. And those that change – the people around you — will change you regardless.
“If a person says that they haven’t changed, they just didn’t make enough money. Because it comes with it. Like, you see the response from other people and you could buy them a car. And they say, ‘But you could have bought me a house, man. Look at how much money you make.’ And I go, ‘Well, when was I responsible for your entire life? I never was notified that.’ “
Success and failure can go hand-in-hand with differing expectations.
The racial/economic divide in our nation is at the heart of why shows like “Power” appeal to some and not to others. The success of “Power,” however, has led to the announcement of a prequel series titled “Power Book 2: Ghost,” featuring Mary J. Blige.
As for the parking situation at the Beverly Hilton? The next day, I returned to find the same situation – cars were parked in every fire lane on every floor. When I went back to the front desk manager to report it, she said, “We can put towing notices on the cars, and hope that guests will move them. But we can’t just tow the cars away.”
And why is that? “Well,” she said, “if the L.A. Fire Department comes, they can have the cars towed.”
Talk about passing the buck when you’re afraid that the privileged who park in fire lanes will get mad at you.
March 4, 2019
Random Acts… Don’t forget the hugs
There have been so many clouds on the horizon lately. Snow storms, rain storms, more snow storms, more rain… It’s enough to make you think global warming is real.
Wait, climate change isn’t happening? What planet are you on? Can I move there?
Humor and sarcasm have never been my forte´, but unremitting bad news is in the air – on TV, in newspapers, online, on the radio – so I look for laughs wherever I can get them.
Last summer, I found so much to laugh at on the wall of a ladies room in a Dallas restaurant, I took photos of the jokes so I could look at them whenever I needed a laugh.
If you’re a fan of “Walker, Texas Ranger,” you know the reputation of Chuck Norris, TV star, martial arts expert and businessman. On the ladies room wall of Twisted Root Burger Company’s Deep Ellum location, you will find these gems:
* When Chuck Norris was born, he drove his mom home from the hospital.
* Chuck Norris can hear sign language.
* Chuck Norris can speak French… in Russian.
* When Chuck Norris slices onions, the onions cry.
* Chuck Norris can drill for oil with a pogo stick.
The jokes make me laugh, while the memory of the family dinner we had at Twisted Room makes me smile. (The burgers are great there, by the way.)
But if you really want to save your sanity on a bad day, it’s time to talk to another human being.
Not just any human being, though. Only the ones that make you smile and laugh.
I was grateful that my microwave started giving off a burning odor recently… because the repairman who came made jokes the whole time he was here. He couldn’t find what was wrong with the darned thing, but he sure made me smile.
When my car started making creaking, moaning sounds in the undercarriage last week, I took it in to the dealership. Since I drive a 1989 Acura, everyone in the service department knows me. Over the years, they have become like family.
We talk about my car, our families, and I never leave without hugs from my mechanic and service advisor.
Hugs are something that will brighten any day. To make sure they’re available when you need them, you have to get in the habit of giving them whenever you can.
Yes, that means you have to look for ways to make other people feel good. Find a reason to compliment a stranger. Find a better reason to compliment a friend.
I sign my emails to friends and family with “hugs.” Business associates get “best” or “warm regards” until they become friends, then they get “hugs,” too.
So whenever it rains on your parade, take immediate action. Change the climate around you by making someone smile or laugh.
And don’t forget to give some kind of hug every day… because you can’t give a hug, without getting one in return.
January 10, 2019
Random Acts… Adventure awaits between these pages
Science, history, and romance come together in the wonderful novel, “A Discovery of Witches” by Deborah Harkness (Penguin, $18).
The book, the first in a series dubbed the All Souls Trilogy, has been made into an eight-episode drama for Sundance Now, AMCs Networks’ streaming video service, and Shudder, a streaming service for thriller suspense and horror shows.
The series, which debuts January 17, stars Matthew Goode (“The Crown,” “Downton Abbey”), Teresa Palmer (“Hacksaw Ridge”), Alex Kingston (“ER,” “Dr. Who”), Valerie Pickford (“Being Mary Jane”) and Owen Teale (“Game of Thrones”).
Set against the backdrop of Oxford academic life, Palmer plays historian and professor Diana Bishop, a reluctant witch who denies her heritage in favor of living a “normal” human life without magic. However, when she discovers a bewitched manuscript in Oxford’s Bodleian Library, the mysterious vampire and geneticist Matthew Clairmont (Goode) steps into her life, changing her existence forever.
A fragile peace has existed for centuries between witches, vampires, and daemons, who seek to hide themselves in a world increasingly run by humans. When the three species via to obtain the book Diana has discovered, Matthew and Diana must go on a perilous journey to discover the secrets of the ancient manuscript.
“A Discovery of Witches” book cover. Courtesy of Penguin Books.
Along the way, the vampire and witch fall in love, breaking a covenant that has always separated the three species.
The books, which are filled with historical references and scientific knowledge, make for fascinating reading. Harkness weaves an insightful tale of humanity’s search for its origins against the backdrop of its constant struggle against fear and prejudice.
The trilogy is a wonderful exploration of this struggle throughout history, with characters who are intriguing and delightful. The writing gives insights into times and places that that makes you want to learn more about the history cited.
Sadly, the same cannot be said of the streaming drama, produced by Bad Wolf, the creative team behind “Dr. Who,” “Torchwood,” and “Da Vinci’s Demons.”
While Goode gives a stellar performance as the vampire-geneticist, Palmer’s portrayal of Diana Bishop is wooden and totally unbelievable. Unfortunately, the adaptation of the book is so truncated, the series feels like a superficial treatment of the original material.
The All Souls Trilogy offers lessons about the dangers of complacency, the value of each moment, and the power of love.
Don’t bother with the streaming series. Read the books, and savor the story in your imagination.
That, after all, is where all stories really take root.
May 30, 2018
Random Acts… Kudos for doing the right thing
So I heard this joke recently…
When Mark and Isabelle got to a certain age, they decided they would write everything down that was important, so that they would remember it. One day, Mark wanted some ice cream, but when he looked in the freezer, there was none. So he told Isabelle he was going to the store to buy some.
She reminded him to write it down, and he disagreed, saying, “Don’t be silly. It’s one thing. I can remember ice cream.” When he returned, he put his sack of groceries on the table. Isabelle looked inside and saw… two cans of chicken soup.
Irritated, she looked at Mark, and said, “I told you to write it down! Now look at this… you forgot the crackers!”
Forgetting what is important happens to all of us, every day. We often forget to say please, thank you, I love you, to the people who matter most to us. In our haste to tell people what we think, we forget about the impact our words may have on those who don’t think the way we do. There’s a lot of unintentional hurt in the world.
Roseanne Barr probably had no idea that her tweet referring to former President Obama aide Valerie Jarrett as the offspring of the Muslim Brotherhood and the “Planet of the Apes” film franchise would get her fired. She forgot that words have power, and power comes with responsibility.
The comedienne whose controversial views were the object of both adoration and disdain forgot that tweets may be heard around the world, but life always moves toward balance. Attack someone unfairly, and you will be attacked in return.
That doesn’t mean we should all shut up and keep our opinions to ourselves. It means if we speak, we should also listen.
Executives at ABC listened to Barr’s words, and immediately fired her, a decision that cost the network a lot of money. Just two weeks earlier, ABC had been touting “Roseanne” as the season’s No. 1 hit, appealing to an average of 17.9 million viewers who watched a family grapple with partisan political views.
ABC’s decision to stand up and say racism is not acceptable — by sacrificing profit in favor of promoting human decency — deserves loud kudos. It sets a moral compass that we all can follow because jokes that promote stereotypes and create hurtful divisions between people are not funny.
If we could manage to remember that one thing, we’d really bring home the ice cream.
December 16, 2016
Random Acts… Finding “My Christmas Love” a Joy
When it comes to holiday movies, Hallmark Channel’s Countdown to Christmas is a sure bet for films that convey the nostalgia and true meaning of the season.
This weekend, a sweet tale about a children’s book author who’s always searching for – and never finding — the perfect love, unfolds in “My Christmas Love,” which airs Saturday, Dec. 17 at 8 p.m. Eastern.
In the movie, author Cynthia Manning (played by Meredith Hagner) returns to her family home for her sister’s wedding, and invites her illustrator and best friend Liam Pollak (Bobby Campo) to join her for the holidays.
When a series of presents, reflecting each day in “The 12 Days of Christmas,” is delivered to her father’s doorstep, Cynthia is convinced that one of her former boyfriends is behind the deed.
Jeff Fisher, the director of the film, was hooked by the premise.
“I love romantic comedies,” Fisher says. “If you go on a journey with someone in the film, and they find love and happiness, you’re along for the ride. Romantic comedies make people happier when they leave the theater, their TV or their phone.”
Fisher, who has produced reality TV shows (“Keeping Up with the Kardashians”, “Flip It to Win It” and others), says “My Christmas Love” is a return to the genres he loves best – romantic comedies and musicals.
Bobby Campo and Meredith Hagner star in “My Christmas Love.” Copyright 2016 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: Fred Hayes
“My first short films were in those genres,” Fisher says. “To pay those films off, I got some reality TV jobs, then my first movies (“Killer Movie” and “Killer Reality”) were off issues from the reality TV shows.”
“My Christmas Love” is probably as far from horror and reality TV shows as audiences can get. The importance of celebrating Christmas with family is central to the plot, as Cynthia’s dad, Tom Manning (Gregory Harrison), is a new widower who must be encouraged to get out into the community to enjoy the spirit of the holidays again.
As Cynthia searches for her “true love,” her father reminds her that life’s answers are often right in front of our noses.
“I liked Cynthia’s Nancy Drew personality, looking for who sent the presents,” Fisher says, “and I loved the twist of who’s behind the gifts.”
The film, he says, was shot in various cities in Utah, which offered a good tax incentive to the filmmakers.
Shooting the film in Utah, however, may be the reason why the film lacks diverse casting. The only minority face in the movie belongs to actress Yolanda Wood, who had a brief speaking role in the beginning of the film playing Sandra, the hostess of a café that Cynthia often patronizes.
“There can always be more diversity in films,” Fisher says. “I don’t know how diverse Salt Lake City is, since a lot of our supporting actors came from there.”
Regardless, love is a universal language, and the holidays are meant to be celebrated. To see whether Cynthia finds her true love, tune into “My Christmas Love.”
February 1, 2015
Random Acts… Choices never easy, even in ‘Hindsight’
Decisions, decisions.
We make thousands of decisions every day, both major and minor, which affect everything from our health to personal relationships to our careers. Those choices, in turn, affect the people around us – both those we know, and those we don’t know.
Most of us probably spend a lot of brainpower parsing out the major decisions, analyzing problems to death, for fear that we’ll make the wrong choice. Yet the best choices are usually the ones that come instinctively from the heart.
Think of a really big moment in your life 10 or 20 years ago. Did you make the right decision? If you had to do it over again, would you make the same choice? If you chose differently, how different would your life be today? Would you still have ended up in the same place?
In “Hindsight,” a new drama on VH1, a woman named Becca (played by Laura Ramsey) explores those questions on the eve of her second wedding. Thinking about her former best friend Lolly (Sarah Goldberg), and the argument that ended their friendship years ago, triggers an out-of-this-reality trip to the past as Becca suddenly wakes up in New York City on the morning of her first wedding day in 1995.
Becca (Laura Ramsey) and Lolly (Sarah Goldberg) in “Hindsight.” Photo courtesy of VH1.
Will she still marry Sean (Craig Horner), knowing now that her artist fiancé was a man who never took responsibility for his own life? Will she continue working for the boss who never seems to recognize her talent? Will she make things right with the best friend who was her sister of the heart?
Life’s choices are never easy. We make decisions from limited points of view, hoping for the best outcomes. We never know how our decisions will affect others, so the best we can do is be gentle with our words and kind with our actions.
If we’re lucky, whatever our choices were, we won’t have to live with regret.
The choices Becca makes takes us all on an interesting journey of “what ifs.”
You can catch “Hindsight” on Wednesdays at 9 p.m. Eastern on VH1.
May 21, 2014
Millenial-minded Pivot seeks network niche
Nine months after giving birth to Pivot, an entertainment network aimed at inspiring Gen-Y viewers to push for social change, network president Evan Shapiro is one happy programmer.
While Pivot (like Netflix) is not rated, Shapiro says viewership is ahead of projections, and advertisers and cable companies are clamoring to get Pivot’s research findings on the coveted demographic every network wants.
To read the complete story in USA TODAY, click here.
Dinah Eng 