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<\/a>My strokiversary calls continue!<\/p><\/div>\n
So, since then, I\u2019ve tried hard to call one friend, either an old one or a current one I haven\u2019t been in touch with for a while, a different one every day, and catch-up with them. It\u2019s been tons of fun for all of us, but I just haven\u2019t had time to do it every day during the holidays. I\u2019m planning on making sure I do every day now, but since this is my bday week, I want to wait and see just which pals call me<\/em>! I\u2019ll keep you posted on it all. (Yes, I have<\/em> been taking notes! Of course.) [Note: If you\u2019re a real friend of mine, please make sure I have your current phone number, by email or Facebook message, so I can call you soon.]<\/p>\n Akasha’s cookbook.<\/p><\/div>\n 2) Many foodies in LA, especially in Culver City, were sad to learn that famous longtime restaurant, Akasha, closed recently. Even though I had not visited them in quite awhile, having reviewed the eatery a couple of times several years ago, during my tenure as the Restaurant Critic for The Culver<\/em> City News<\/em>, I understand the feeling.<\/p>\n But, if you were a fan of Akasha\u2019s cooking, do not despair. You can always still buy her cookbook, which features over one hundred and fifty recipes.<\/p>\n 3) I recently noticed something really weird in the world of television, which I don\u2019t think has ever occurred before. Or at least not a lot. And that is: Why are so many major events, which are all televised and important-ish, being booked on the same day or night this year??? It\u2019s insane.<\/p>\n This situation happened before, in 2022, the NBC considered it to be “Once in a Lifetime.”<\/p><\/div>\n The Super Bowl will take place on the same day and time as the second day of competition at the Winter Olympics! That will torture sports fans, such as yours truly! I always watch not just the actual Super Bowl game<\/em>, but the all-day coverage, including all the after-shows. (How else can I tweet about it all?) On the other hand, I watch the Olympics<\/em> coverage almost twenty-four hours a day! So I\u2019m already tearing my hair out over that<\/em> conundrum. (And to add to the confusion, they\u2019re both on NBC!!!)<\/p>\n And then, just three weeks later, the Grammys and Actor Awards, (which is the new name of the former SAGs,) are on the same night and time frame. What if someone, or their spouse, is in both<\/em> worlds??? (For example, Timothee Chalamet is actually nominated<\/em> for both awards, which is a major<\/em> big deal! And, just as a possible guest, there is Lalisa Manobol, who is Lisa from the singing group Blackpink and is also in the much-nominated show The White Lotus<\/em>.) What are they<\/em> supposed to do? There are many<\/em> available industry planning calendars that come out a year or two before, which should be plenty of time for all of these<\/em> event organizers to figure-out how to avoid such tricky situations!<\/p>\n They were called the “SAGs” just a year ago.<\/p><\/div>\n 4) The Actor Awards<\/em> nominations came out last week, with few surprises. And this year, it seems that not many care about them, especially after that dumb and pretentious name change. I used to be so excited about all the screenings I was invited to, but this go-round, I haven\u2019t accepted any, even one with a reception at my favorite real theatre, the Wallis, which would have been fascinating.<\/p>\n It\u2019s actually all I can do to even force myself to watch the nominated performances on my own big screen TV, the links to which we SAG members receive.\u00a0 (If you missed my first batch of Mini Movie Reviews on Friday, here\u2019s the link: itsnotaboutme.tv\/news\/movie-reviews-mini-movie-reviews-2026-part-i<\/a>.)<\/p>\n What was up in the NBA in December 2025.<\/p><\/div>\n 5) I have never been a major fan of the NBA\u2019s Oklahoma City Thunder, but I do love their crazy commercials. And I am totally impressed with their amazing record so far this season. Right now they have thirty-three wins to only seven losses, which is possibly a record. But it was even better early on\u2014at one point, (on December 10th,) they were twenty-four and one<\/em>! Wow. I don\u2019t think I\u2019ve ever seen that before.<\/p>\n 6) Those previous musings are all well and good, even the slightly negative ones. But now I have to spare a thought about how sad this world has become, mostly driven by the insane power-crazy Orange Hitler. I always wonder how all of this evil could have happened, even a little bit.<\/p>\n What all normal Americans feel like right now.<\/p><\/div>\n But now, the murder of that woman in Minnesota by an ICE agent, sent by Trump, of course, has got me, and all normal citizens, in a special kind of rage. So much so that I can\u2019t even find the necessary words to express my supreme disgust and fear, for us all. I\u2019ll leave it at that for now, because the topic needs a much longer, and more thoughtful, column of its own down the line.<\/p>\n 7) To bring the room back up, let me end this column on a happy note. A friend of mine, fellow writer Libby Slate, recently said my favorite thing anyone has ever said to me in my entire life!<\/p>\n<\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a>