Articles by Susan diRende

SOCOM U.S. Navy Seals:Confrontation - Review - Essentially a Coaster

I pre-ordered this game months ago. I played the beta version. I made constructive comments on the SOCOM U.S. Navy Seals CONFRONTATION website and hoped for the best. And yesterday I plopped down $60 for what is essentially, a coaster

When Gamers Cheat Online - Commentary - Circuit Interrupters

There are cheaters online. People who spend hours learning how to cheat in online games just to get a better score. Knowing whatever game you get could be glitched or interrupted for the other team's advantage makes playing the game pointless

Nintendo Wii - Review - Games for the Whole Family

The younger you are, the more likely you are to use, enjoy and, yes, learn from whatever video game system you own. But there's a huge swath of us who do not want to sit on the couch and twiddle our thumbs

Feast of San Gennaro - Come for the Cannoli, Stay for the Camaraderie

Says Jimmy Kimmel, "The feast isn't only about diving head-first into a stack of zeppoles, it is about coming together to celebrate Italian-American culture, and more importantly, making time for family and friends." This annual event, held as a benefit for local children and families in need, opened Thursday evening, September 25 and runs through Sunday the 28th

Il Trittico at the LA Opera Review – Triple-Terrific

Giacomo Puccini's three one-act operas, Il Trittico, opened the 2008-09 LA Opera season this year, and G&G think it's the hottest ticket in town

The Fly at the LA Opera Review - Unexpected Consequences

Georja and Gerald went to see The Fly. Oh, my!

Mariage Frères - The Best Tea in the World

If you asked me where to find the best tea in the world, I would know where to send you. I wouldn't tell you to go to China, or Japan, or England. I would send you to Paris, to a company by the name of Mariage Frères.

Le Méridien Montparnasse Hotel Review - Sleek Left Bank Paris 4-Star Hotel and Conference Center

The hotel, Le Méridien Montparnasse, rises sleek and modern on the Left Bank of Paris

Mariage Frères Tea Room Review - Paris' Best Restaurants

Fine cuisine is one of the cornerstones of French culture, and travelers looking for a rare and satisfying meal can do no better than lunch as Mariage Frères

Velib - Bike Freedom in Paris

Paris has a cheap and easy bike rental system that lets you ride everywhere in Paris so long as you make your rides in half-hour jumps. The system is called Velib - a mash-up of the French words for bike and freedom

Broad Humor Film Festival No-Budget Shorts Review

The Broad Humor Film Festival, which took over Venice, California for the third year June 13-15, is the only film festival anywhere that puts the spotlight on the art of comedy written and directed by women

Alt Build Expo - A Day of Good Green Fun

Even if you don't have a home improvement project, the Alt Build Expo is a great event that will inspire you with all the ways people have devised for making our lives more healthy and more earth-friendly without sacrificing beauty or comfort

Justine Restaurant Review - A Beautiful Buffet in Paris

Justine, a Paris restaurant with a marvelous buffet frequented by locals

Starhotels Castille Paris Review - Deluxe Hotel de Charme in the 1st Arrondissement

The Castille Paris hotel wraps you in its elegant embrace the moment you pass through its doors on the rue Cambon in the 1st arrondissement of Paris

The Restaurant at the Hotel Bel Air Review - Metro Magic in Los Angeles

Not far from the bustling pace and invasive clamor of modern Los Angeles, lies a culinary oasis, The Restaurant at the Hotel Bel Air

Hilton Evian-les-Bains Hotel Review - 4-star Spa Resort

The new Hilton 4-star resort hotel in the sleepy spa town of Evian-les-Bains is an idyllic lakeside getaway at the foot of the French Alps

Paris Marriott Rive Gauche Hotel & Conference Center Review - Left Bank 4-Star Style

You walk into the lobby of the Marriott Rive Gauche Hotel & Conference Center and say, “Wow!” The space is gleaming white and immense, and gives the impression more of a resort than a hotel in town - this is what Marriott calls "business chic"

Air Tahiti Nui Nonstop to Paris Simply the Best

Air Tahiti Nui nonstop service to Paris from Los Angeles is the preferred airline for travelers in the know

Air Tahiti Nui Business Class to Paris Review

Air Tahiti Nui Business Class to Paris gets your vacation started the minute you step on the plane

Le Meridien Etoile Review - 4-Star Paris Luxury Hotel

The Le Meridien Etoile Hotel in Paris is a sophisticated standard-bearer of European-style

AFM Profiles: A Visceral Experience

For indie producers like Visceral films, coming to this year's American Film Market lays a groundwork of relationships that will pay off in next year's

The Sounds of Silence Moving - Review

The Sound of Silence Moving performance at the Barnsdall Gallery Theatre was a spectacular display of free improvised music and dance

The American Film Market 2007 in Santa Monica

Walking into the AFM is like walking into the human equivalent of a jet engine: high-octane ignition where money's the spark and movies are the fuel

Indie Season in LA with AFM and AFI Fest

For ten days in November, Los Angeles becomes indie film central with the American Film Market in Santa Monica and the AFI Film Festival in Hollywood

LA Opera Luxury Bus Service from Westwood

Going to the opera in LA on a weeknight does not necessarily mean struggling through rush-hour traffic to get there

Dog Beach? Not in Los Angeles - Dog Owners Denied Their Fair Share of Play

The beach, any beach, is the closest thing to heaven on earth for dogs. But for most of us with dogs in Los Angeles, the beach is like the waters in Hades under Tantalus’ chin

Virgin Atlantic's New Upper Class Wing for Business Travelers

Virgin Atlantic opens a special wing at London Heathrow on November 2, 2007 for its business class flyers and Flying Club Gold members

Gaillon Opera Hotel Paris - Review - Where to Stay in the Second Arrondissement

If you are looking for a small three-star hotel in Paris that has the old-world charm of a continental hideaway but all the modern comforts of bed and bath in a prime location, the Best Western Gaillon Opera is your hotel.

The Boneyard - Culver City’s Off-Leash Dog Park

The Boneyard, an acre-sized off-leash park for dogs, is part of the much larger Culver City Park grounds, and is an ideal setting for dogs to run and play