On this day in 1943, Robert de Niro, one of the greatest actors of all time, was born in New York City. I've called De Niro my favorite actor ever since I saw him in the 1995 crime thriller Heat, which I consider my all-time favorite movie. After seeing him play mobster Paul Vitti opposite Billy Crystal in 1999's Analyze This  and the uptight ex-CIA operative Jack Byrnes in the 2000 comedy Meet the Parents, I realized just how versatile and talented De Niro really is. Not every actor can deftly switch from gun-shooting assassin to funnyman like he can. You know an actor is great when he's likable even as a villain. Other memorable roles include the boxer Jake LaMotta in Raging Bull,  for which De Niro won the Oscar for Best Actor; the young Vito Corleone in The Godfather: Part II , for which he won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor; and creepy loner Travis Bickle in Taxi Driver, where his signature line was "You talking to me?" And that's just ...

It's appalling to see so many reports in the news of parents leaving their babies in their cars. How in the world do you forget to get your own kid? In the most heartbreaking cases, the kids are left in cars so hot that they end up dying. Parents who do this should undoubtedly be charged for murder and remain behind bars for the rest of their lives. Such utter carelessness is unacceptable. If people are not ready to shoulder the immense responsibilities of parenthood, they should not have children. I am on the fence about having kids, but I know that should I choose to become a father, I will never let my child out of my sight. A child is not a sweater, wallet, or some other object that you can get away with accidentally leaving behind. Such a careless mistake places the child's safety -- and life -- in grave danger. Not only might heat, a lack of oxygen, and no access to food adversely affect the child, but someone might break into the car and kidnap the infant...

How do you know an actor or actress is phenomenal? That's easy. His or her performances should elicit intense emotions in you. You know the person has put in a sensational performance when you find yourself rooting for him or her all throughout. And, if they're playing the role of villain, you know they've done a brilliant job when you hate their living guts and can't wait for the character to pay for what they've done. However, a couple of actors and actresses take this a step further. Some play the role of villain so well that you still admire the character despite his or her evil deeds. Here are two examples: Robert De Niro : There's a reason I call this guy my favorite actor of all time. His uncanny ability to play a mobster or thief in serious action thrillers (e.g. Goodfellas, Casino, The Score, Heat) and play a mobster, cop or agent in comedic flicks (e.g. Analyze This, Meet the Fockers, Showtime) shows how remarkably versatile he is. He is suc...

I live in South Florida, which is widely known for its scorching summers and relatively warm winters. Most people would agree that it feels like summer year-round here. One common complaint among South Floridians is that it never quite feels like Christmas, as people generally associate the holidays with cold weather. I would surmise that most people throughout the country yearn for whatever kind of weather they get little of. New Yorkers and Bostonians surely get tired of being inundated with snow, while heat-loathing Floridians like me yearn for the opportunity to dust off their sweaters and coats once in a while. Granted, I'm all for light snow, but heavy snowstorms -- the kind that keep people holed up at home and force them to shovel snow from their driveway for days on end -- are something I'd rather not deal with. If I have to choose between this and a blistering South Florida afternoon, I'd opt for the latter. (At least I can find respite from the heat in an air...

Over the past few weeks, I've asked 12 women whether they prefer men with facial hair or without. The result? Eighty three percent (10 in total) said they'd choose stubble over the clean look. I find this interesting because, from what I remember, plenty of girls I went to college with swore by the clean, boyish look. It could be that as a woman gets older, she begins to lean in favor of a more manly look. With exception to so-called cougars, it seems most women don't want a partner who looks, say, ten years her junior. Facial hair, after all, makes men look older and more mature. My wife has told me countless times that she prefers I leave my goatee. She actually whines each time I shave it off, but I remind her she need only wait a couple of days for most of it to grow back. I liken this preference to men who prefer that women have long hair. In case you didn't know, most of us do, as it makes women look more feminine. If you haven't noticed, actors who ...