There's a quote I saw somewhere a few years ago that has stayed firmly embedded in memory: "To the world you may just be one person, but to one person you may be the world." Think about it. There are roughly 7 to 7.5 billion people on earth. Unless you're Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton, Kim Kardashian, or some other famous politician or celebrity, you -- like me -- are merely a speck of matter on this vast, overpopulated planet. Luckily, each and every one of us has a special place in someone's heart. We're all the center of someone's universe, whether it's that of our kids, partner, friends, or all of the above. I don't know about you, but I'd much rather be loved by a few people and remain largely obscure to the general population than be in the shoes of celebrities and politicians, many of whom are reviled by people from all corners of the world. There's a reason why people go through an intense grieving process when they lose...

"Glee" star Mark Salling was arrested Tuesday on child pornography charges. Salling, 33, who starred in the hit Fox musical as a regular for four seasons and continued to appear through the series finale this spring, was arrested after the LAPD’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force procured a search warrant for his home in Sunland, Calif. Apparently, police officers found hundreds of images on Salling’s computer. This isn't Salling's first brush with the law. In 2013, he was sued by an ex-girlfriend, Roxanne Gorzela, for sexual battery. He denied the allegations and subsequently filed a cross-complaint, but earlier this year he settled the suit and was ordered by a judge to pay Gorzela $2.7 million. Salling’s bail is set at $20,000. First Jared Fogle, now this guy? What is going on with these Hollywood celebrities? They have the money and fame to be with whichever woman (or women) they desire, but choose to get off on child porn instead? This ill...

First, Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner announced they were splitting up. Shortly after, Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert called it quits. Then Gwen Stefani filed for divorce from Gavin Rossdale. As if that weren't enough, Reba McEntire and her husband of 26 years, Narvel Blackstock, also ended their marriage. It seems breakups are all the rage now in Hollywood. I presume that between shows, concerts, filming, and traveling, celebrities' busy schedules put an immense strain on their marriages. I could also see the more jealous types bristling at all the attention their partners might get from doting fans. Not helping matters is the fact that infidelity in the industry remains rampant.  Affleck and Shelton allegedly had affairs that ultimately led their respective marriages to crash and burn. Another culprit might very well be the media. These days, virtually everything a celebrity does is put under a microscope. Whether one is spotted hanging with a friend or play...

Remember the days when people could turn on the TV and find MTV playing music videos, the History Channel offering history-based programming, and the Discovery Channel airing science-oriented shows? It seems those days are long gone. Networks have greatly deviated from their original programming in favor of reality shows that pit washed-up celebrities against each other, feature strangers attempting to co-exist in an abandoned setting for an extended period of time, and -- get this -- follow people as they go on dates in the nude. If you're wondering why these shows have become the rage, there's a simple answer for that: they generate high ratings, which means that advertisers demand that their commercials be sandwiched between them. In other words, it's where the money is at, so networks refuse to cease producing them. An even bigger question, I think, is why people seem so interested in shows like "Keeping up with the Kardashians," "The Real Housewive...

Today's quote comes from Winston Churchill (1874-1965), who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1940 to 1945 and again from 1951 to 1955. A prolific writer, artist, and historian, he won the Nobel Price in Literature and was made an honorary citizen of the United States. "A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth  has a chance to put its pants on." - Winston Churchill What I feel Churchill was trying to say is that lies spread like wildfire, and even if the truth later surfaces, it isn't easy to undo the damage at that point. It reminds me of kids I went to school with who would spread rumors about their peers that were later discovered to be flat-out lies. Whether it was that one kid slept with another or that someone cheated on an exam, they had no basis in reality and often were started to undermine the target for a specific reason (they disliked or envied the person, etc.). We've also seen this play out in the media with poli...

You hear it time and time again: Looks don't matter; it's the inside that counts. Unfortunately, that's just a bunch of malarkey. If looks don't matter, why is it that: We flinch at the sight of a "disgusting" rat or roach, but we go gaga over kittens and puppies Employers generally choose better-looking job candidates for positions Studies show that good-looking people are perceived as friendlier and more intelligent than less attractive ones Women spend hundreds if not thousands of dollars each year on plastic surgery, makeup, and other methods of "beautification" Attractive individuals -- including models, athletes, and celebrities -- pervade all kinds of advertisements, including magazine ads and commercials When something -- or someone -- is pleasing to the eye, we naturally gravitate towards it. Saying that it's the inside that counts is true and certainly noble, but society has become far too shallow to really live by that mo...