I never got sucked into the Jodi Arias vortex. The four-month long trial had all the drama, sex and lies of a Lifetime movie. Maybe that's why it seemed so enticing to such a large and presumably mostly female audience. One friend of mine confided that watching the case unfold...

1,735 days and counting. That's how long our son, a sensitive, loving and talented 15-year-old boy, has been in the grips of debilitating, life-altering and totally consuming, neurological pain. That's about the best way to describe what he has. It's officially called CRPS -- complex regional pain syndrome....

What rights should a terror suspect have when taken into custody? Should it matter if the suspect is an American citizen (Suspect #2 -- I refuse to use his name here, so I shall simply refer to him by the number used by the media: #2)?

Too often, we take...

I was twelve years old the first time I picked up a guitar. I was at summer camp and the boy in my cabin had an acoustic guitar and a Beatles songbook. I knew immediately the instrument would become my lifelong friend. Within six months, I got my own guitar...

Sunday marked Super Bowl XLVII, which means it's the 47th time I have not watched the most popular single sporting event in the country. I realize I am somewhat an outcast in this regard but I couldn't care less about football. I was only reminded who was playing the in...

I'm not in the habit of writing concert reviews but I'm compelled to do so for Jackson Browne, currently on the last leg of his West Coast tour. His performance this week at the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Center was before a crowd of 1,800 but he made it feel...

Spin n: A distinctive interpretation (especially as used by politicians to sway public opinion); "the campaign put a favorable spin on the story." [also: {spun}, {spinning}]

Spin v: Twist and turn so as to give an intended interpretation; "The President's spokesmen had to spin the story to make it less...

The news is still profoundly, shockingly sad. It is nearly impossible to process, even days later. At Sunday evening's prayer vigil for the victims of the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School, President Obama solemnly read aloud the first name of each child gunned down in Friday's massacre. As the...

"Have you heard the one about two disc jockeys who call a hospital pretending to be the Queen of England and Prince Charles?" It sounds like the beginning of a silly, if not stupid, joke, but it took on a serious and somber tone this week. The apparent...

I admit it. I was among those who considered TLC's surprise smash hit Here Comes Honey Boo Boo a train wreck, signaling the beginning of the end of western culture. But I have finally come around and with a stunning realization that maybe, just maybe, we have seen this before.

There are certain conspiracy theories that seem to endure, despite all evidence to the contrary: The moon landing was an elaborate hoax, Bigfoot is real, and Los Angeles police officers planted the "bloody glove" at O.J. Simpson's estate. I was CNN's chief anchor throughout Simpson's entire criminal proceedings, from the...

I don't know much at all about sports. I watch the Olympics, the World Series, the Indy 500 and an occasional football game. I have never seen much of the Tour de France and I doubt I have ever paid much attention to Olympic cycling. But Lance Armstrong was a...

The Today Show just went through a divorce. Based on statistics, the scene which played out on our television screens was familiar to more than half the viewing audience. It was to me.

I was the child of divorce. My mother and father split when I was...

Is Rock of Ages timeless or just tired? Maybe both. With its stellar cast and equally great performances, you'd think all would be well. You'd be wrong. Rock of Ages reminds me of a real rock opera, Tommy, which was made into a movie 37 years ago. Tommy was ground-breaking...

I love being a dad. If I am remembered for anything, I hope that it will be for being a good father. It's the one job for which you can never call in sick. There are no vacation days. It is the job of a lifetime and it lasts just...

There are some things in life that you just know -- no deliberation, no doubts. That's how I felt the first time I saw my wife, Keri. We were both in college. I was a senior and she was in her third year, studying Art History. She was standing at...

Finally -- a book series for adults. I understand the appeal of Harry Potter. I appreciate the romance of Twilight and I even got hooked by the excitement surrounding The Hunger Games. But Fifty Shades of Grey is another animal entirely. The first book of the trilogy is already being...

Actually, the title is a bit of an exaggeration, True, I've dropped 27 pounds in nine weeks, but that is closer to a 13 percent weight loss than it is to 50 percent. Still, I didn't think that saying I'm "87 percent of the man I used to be" had...

I have often expressed my shock and dismay over the seemingly inexplicable success of the Kardashian klan. I have wondered aloud whether they have any talent beyond self-promotion and conspicuous consumption. Still, I find myself outraged by a new report that claims that Khloe is not the biological...

Death is inevitable. It is even anticipated, if not expected, to occur for a parent long before your own demise. Still, even when it happens well into one's adulthood, losing a parent can be an overwhelming loss. I am both witnessing and experiencing this in my own family. My wife's...