The Ides of March
In March 2020, a major league baseball team, the Houston Astros, was caught cheating in two World Series, one of which they won. They probably practiced all season in order to get there. The punishment (there was no way of weaseling out of some punishment) was suspensions, a big fine (which to the Astros was … Continued
Bravo Tony!!
February is our Arts & Entertainment issue so I cannot think of a better way to start this missive than with a huge shout out to Tony Bennett. At this point in his life and career he is a more than just an icon of 20th century popular and jazz musical artistry. His still considerable … Continued
It’s a New Year! (and what are we going to do about it?)
It’s 2020 and I still am puzzled about what to make of it. On a certain level I am surprised that I even made it to the third decade of the 21st century! When I was very young in the 50s, whenever I heard a plane fly over our house in the middle of the … Continued
Staying Connected
I asked myself whether I should stay in the “60 Minutes Andy Rooney” mode of grousing, sniping and complimenting. After all, it is the holiday season and being positive about everything is the usual approach…. but, what the heck… I’ll just keep on being me. In the spirit of love for my fellow man and … Continued
Amazing!!
One of the most overused word in our modern American lexicon is “amazing.” I see it on social media and hear it in conversation or on TV. I think it started with Billy Crystal’s parody of the word, like so….Amaaaaaaaahhhhzzzzing! He is a really funny guy—been laughing at his humor since “Soap.” However, I blame … Continued
If the Bra Fits…
Happy October! Every month we enjoy producing a new issue full of informative articles about people, places and events in our little corner of the world. While each one is exciting, our annual Breast Cancer Awareness issue holds an extra special place in my heart. Having experienced the shock and scare of a breast cancer … Continued
Give Love & Compassion
Once again we are devoting much of our September issue to the people and organizations that support our communities. Call it giving back, philanthropy, generosity or just getting involved…they are all bright lights in what has become a rather divisive society that is increasingly lacking in bright lights. Bless them all. These days, everyone seems … Continued
A Great Summer
While no one really needs to tell me that our communities in the Conejo Valley and Malibu are really special, the past several weeks have been a cultural epiphany for me. The commute to Hollywood or downtown L.A. for quality music and theater has always been a point of frustration for us. However, the combined … Continued
The State of Things
More random and maybe even unorganized observations… I warned you about this when I “riffed” last month, so here goes. Will I be in the wrong if I run over a pedestrian when they carelessly cross in front of my vehicle with their nose buried in their iPhone? A batch of teenagers fumbled onto Lindero … Continued
“Riffing”
Since this month’s issue is our Men’s Issue, this department is always assigned to me. I will take the prerogative of doing whatever I please, which is riffing on whatever comes to mind. Kind of a jazz improvisation that becomes a momentary theme. While a riff often repeats itself, I will just ride on a … Continued
Celebrating Women
The women profiled in this month’s issue are truly remarkable. In the communities we cover with Conejo Valley Lifestyle and Malibu to Palisades Lifestyle, there are really more very special female professional, business, nonprofit leaders and “difference makers” than we could ever profile or acknowledge in a single issue. Our communities have the resources to … Continued
AI On the Horizon
Normally, my monthly missive is on topic for the theme of the issue. Please enjoy what our writers and Tracy, our editor, worked so hard on in order to make this month’s issue interesting and compelling. What I would like to talk to our readers about is how technology is advancing to the point where … Continued
Dedicated to Rescue Pets
In a speech in Cape Town in June 1966, Robert Kennedy said: “There is a Chinese curse which says, ‘May he live in interesting times.’ Like it or not, we live in interesting times.” It definitely is a curse, not a blessing. Looking at it from the perspective of how our community deals with these “interesting … Continued
Readers Chime In
While I know that our feature articles and locally focused content like Around Town and Locally Owned are very well read, I often wonder if anyone reads our Lifestyle Letter. I put a lot of energy and emotion into the ones I contribute. That was especially true with our December and January issues. We were … Continued
Strength From Adversity
Just about everyone in the communities of the Conejo Valley and Malibu have their story regarding the challenges they faced as individuals and as a community during the dark days that started on November 7 with the horrible mass shooting at Borderline Bar & Grill, followed the next evening by the Woolsey Fire. Of course, … Continued
We Need to Come Together
The following is entirely different from what I originally composed for our December issue. I am writing this on November 8, the morning after the violent tragedy at Borderline in Thousand Oaks. In many ways our communities will never be the same. Not just in Thousand Oaks, but throughout the Southland. There will always be … Continued
Thanks(for)Giving
I know I’m preaching to the choir when I say we are so fortunate to live here in Southern California, as members of these vibrant, caring and generous communities that make up the Conejo Valley, Malibu, Pacific Palisades and the surrounding areas. Still, it’s worth acknowledging again—even if we already know how good we have … Continued
Keep Making Strides
As we prepared for our annual October “Pink” issues that are part of our ongoing campaign dedicated to Making Strides Against Breast Cancer, I began to reflect on what it all means to me as I finish my 4th year as a survivor. Once breast cancer attacks your body, even after you have been declared … Continued
Committed to Community Service
Last month we celebrated the third anniversary of publishing our Lifestyle magazines. I forgot, though. But here we are at the 37th edition of Conejo Valley Lifestyle and the 12th edition of Malibu to Palisades Lifestyle. That makes it a late 3rd and an early 1st—kind of mixed up, but then I usually am, so … Continued
Opening Doors in Education
Our Back to School issues in the Conejo Valley and Malibu to Palisades feature educators who have been recognized and honored as Teacher of the Year in their communities. Shannon Baranski and Madeline Walker have much to be proud of. They and their fellow educators help prepare the young people who represent the future of … Continued
United We Stand
Well here we are celebrating the second consecutive 4th of July in a very ununited state of affairs. Yes, it really bothers us. We love the communities we cover with Conejo Valley Lifestyle and Malibu to Palisades Lifestyle. We are ready to celebrate the 4th of July and our country with family, food, fireworks, flags … Continued
Men
In this month’s issue we profile some of the men in our communities who take the time, energy and effort to give something back to others. In our May issue we did similar profiles of successful women who also give back. Just to be clear, I am talking about being there and helping out…in addition … Continued
Heart of a Woman
I am truly awed and inspired by the amazing women in our communities. In this issue, you’ll find women doctors, lawyers, teachers, pilots, CPAs, realtors, dentists, mothers, wives, sisters, friends—all of them strong, confident, talented, empowered and powerful. We’ve heard the saying, “Behind every great man is a woman;” so what’s behind a great woman? … Continued
“Ben, I Just Want to Say One Word to You: Plastics.” “The Graduate,” 1967
Major themes featured in our magazines this month include ecology, clean energy, organic and healthy eating and sustainable living…basically “living green” as much as we can. Who is not for that? Hmmmm. The White House? The Interior Department? Unbelievable, but it seems to be true when an obsolete and filthy source of energy like coal is suddenly highly touted.
Home Is Where the Art Is…
We have lived in Westlake Village since 2004. As the years have passed, when it came down to easy access to performing arts and entertainment, we have found ourselves increasingly challenged by traffic on the 101. Anytime we wanted to go to Los Angeles for theater, music, museums, dining, sports or shopping, it was difficult. An evening of world-class jazz…
Moving Resolution
More than 15 years ago I made what for me was a very rare belated (in June) New Year’s resolution. It was one that thousands of middle-aged people make: “I’m gonna get back in shape.” The epiphany for me was when we were celebrating my daughter’s graduation from Brown University—what should have been a great time was a struggle. I…
Together We Stand
This year is coming to a close… By any measure 2017 has been a very uncertain and contentious year in our country. The communities that we serve, the Conejo Valley, Malibu and Pacific Palisades, are more fortunate and less impacted by many of the troubles swirling about the rest of our state, country and even the world. But what does…
Thanksgiving Is My Favorite Holiday
Those who know me well might think that the fact I like to eat and cook and enjoy a traditional roast turkey dinner (I’ll prepare it several times a year) is why I like Thanksgiving the best of all holidays. While this culinary preference might play a small role in my choice, the fact is I think it is very…
Giving Breast Cancer the Boot
Last October we devoted a major portion of Conejo Valley Lifestyle to the fight against breast cancer. Here we are a year later and the fight goes on. At a recent event in preparation for October’s month-long recognition of that fight, a good friend expressed a bit of impatience, exasperation and maybe some overload on the subject. In her words,…
A Community of Givers
In April 2015, Robin and I were trying to decide if we were going to publish Conejo Valley Lifestyle magazine. While the publishing business model upon which our magazine would be built made a great deal of sense, I still was not convinced that there was room for and, more importantly, a need for another magazine in the Conejo Valley.…
Back in Session
As we (reluctantly) kiss summer days of sleeping in and freedom goodbye and gear up for the new season, let’s preserve the happiness gleaned from a few months of relaxation from the daily grind. While my type-A friends may disagree, keeping perspective and balance this school year is the goal I’m setting for my family, as the overwhelm of competing…
Here’s To Our Lady
This month we will again be celebrating the 4th of July, the birthday of our nation’s founding. Frankly, I do not see it as a happy birthday. The discourse between everyday people all the way up to our country’s so-called leaders is more toxic than at any time in my lifetime. I include the Vietnam War era in that assessment.…
Happy Father’s Day!
December of 2016 was my father, Harold Malkin’s, Centennial. Since we timed our June Men’s Issue to coincide with Father’s Day, I thought I would take this opportunity to briefly celebrate his life. Reflecting on who he was in terms of measured achievement and what he “coulda, shoulda” been in some ways by using career, status and money as a…
Onward & Upward!
Last year, our May issue featured several leading women in our Conejo Valley community. It was so well-received by our readers that we decided to see if we could do an even better job this year. I believe we did. I hope you all agree. Many, many thanks to our wonderful Editor Tracy Marcynzsyn. She pulled it all together, interviewed…
The Cat’s Meow
Our readers may recall last year’s heartfelt tribute to our beloved cat Tuxedo, better known as Tuxie, in the March issue of Conejo Valley Lifestyle. Although he passed away a year ago in January, his spirit remains in our house…sometimes I see a shadow and think it’s him. But it was time to move on. By April, we were ready…
Forward Focus: Celebrating our Blessings
As I write this message just two weeks short of election day, I think we can all agree that this has been the most divisive and bitter election season any of us can remember. Being kind of a history wonk, I reviewed presidential election campaigns throughout our nation’s history—both those I have lived through and remember and the ones I…
Support & Rally
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. In this issue, you can read about the personal journey of Robin Chesler, my beloved life partner, and others in confronting and beating this dreaded affliction. For this brief treatise, I would like to take you through a man’s experience and outlook when dealing with breast cancer.
All Together Now
Conejo Valley Lifestyle is, as we regularly state, a community magazine. I thought it would be a good idea to pay a visit to what we mean by that simple statement. Why? Because there are so many divisive issues in national politics today and violence seems to dominate every news cycle. I came of age during the turbulent ‘60s and…
A Year of Healthy Growth
Just one year ago we launched the first issue of Conejo Valley Lifestyle Magazine into the community, showcasing the local jazz dynamo Bonnie Bowden and recognizing the Ronald Reagan library as a rich historical resource for all ages. Since that inaugural August issue, the people, places, businesses and events that make Conejo Valley the gem that it is have filled…
Celebrating Our First Year
It’s hard to believe that with this issue we will be one year old! Twelve issues under our belts and many more on the way. Robin and I owe a great deal to all of the wonderful people who have helped us accomplish what we have so far. Most importantly, our wonderful editor, Tracy Marcynzsyn, without whom none of this…
What It Means to Be a Dad
June is Father’s Day month. A whole lot less is made of Father’s Day than Mother’s Day in May. Not surprising, since who was it that gave birth to us and did most of the heavy lifting and nurturing during our early years? Mom did. Besides (and this may sound sexist, but who cares?), you better be nice to the…
Four Generations of Family
As you can see from the photo, there are four generations of Cheslers celebrating my birthday: great grandparents, Grammy (that’s me), a daughter, a son, their spouses, an uncle and even a cousin…and of course, the next generation: three toddlers and one in the oven. Wow! We had fun that evening enjoying each other’s company, some great food and most…