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I will be an ice dancer yet, even if I'm the oldest, fattest ice dancer there is. ;) I'm going to take lessons next winter, darn it!

I found this while looking for a different ice skating performance to "I'm Your Man" by Leonard Cohen. (I love Leonard Cohen, and I love this song of his.) Although I was seeking a different one, I like this one better. I find the skater's sense of humor amazing. I was transfixed. I stopped work and watched it repeatedly for like an hour. So I thought I should share it with you.

Well-meaning moms appear to be the target of a crackdown on crime throughout England. The nefarious crime in question? Littering. The mom of a 16-month-old was fined when the baby dropped a banana. The mom of a one-year-old was fined for feeding ducks in a park with her son.

Lennon Allen, of Grimsby, England, dropped a part of his banana. This resulted in a £50 fine for littering. Since he is 16 months old, the ticket was given to his mother, Kirsty Allen, age 29. Although Allen acknowledges that she saw the banana fall, she told the Telegraph, "I didn't really think of it as litter as I thought it would either be eaten by birds or just decompose."

Birds are also at the center of another notorious case of tot littering in the UK. The Daily Mail reported the story of Vanessa Kelly and her son, Harry. The two were at the park feeding bread to the ducks as usual, when a council warden came by. The warden told her that feeding the ducks was forbidden in the area.

Kelly immediately started to put away the bread, but it was too late; she was cited £75 for feeding the ducks.The council warden would have apparently gone after her son for a citation as well, except the warden called the one-year old “too young to prosecute.” The recently unemployed mother was appalled. She had no idea she was doing anything wrong. While one sign in the park warned against “overfeeding,” no sign directly forbid simply feeding the ducks.

The littering offenders should not expect apologies any time soon from the ticketing agencies. John Waite of the North East Lincolnshire Council, the agency issuing the citation to Allen, stated, “The stance of zero tolerance fines for littering will continue in a bid to improve public confidence and restore pride in our local communities and neighbourhoods.'"

I care deeply about the environment, but I think this is a bit extreme. What do you think? Did the moms of littering tots get what they deserved? 

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I twitter. A common question I hear is, "Do you twitter?" This social networking phenomenon is an easy and fun way of communicating, getting news and catching up. I have had friend requests on Facebook from people who bullied me in high school and from true friends who I was dying to hear from again; the same is true of followers on Twitter. All of the social networking sites--whether mainstream ones like Twitter, Facebook or MySpace--or smaller ones are really double-edged swords. They're great, and they can be maddening.

One fun thing about Twitter is that it allows you to see quick updates in real time. Since all of the posts must be 140 characters or less, it's pretty easy to wade through several updates at a time. If you are looking for some fun and entertaining people to follow on Twitter, it can be really fun to follow certain celebrities. Here are the top 10 celebrities that I think are work following on Twitter: 

1) Quinn Cummings, Twitter Name: @quinncy

Quinn Cummings has worn many hats in her career. She was a child star, and she was even nominated for an Academy Award for her breakthrough role in The Good-bye Girl. She's been a successful businesswoman, and she is a successful writer. Her book came out in the summer of 2009, and it's called Notes from the Underwire. I highly recommend following her hilarious tweets and equally funny blog.

2) Conan O'Brien, Twitter Name: @ConanOBrien

What can I say, I've always had a thing for the underdog. Of course, an off-the-charts funny and talented entertainer who is also a multi-millionaire is hardly an underdog. Even so, I feel bad for the raw deal Conan O'Brien got. I like Jay Leno, too. But Conan is really funny, and his tweets are oddly hilarious. I don't think one setback will define his career by any means, and he's on the road to exciting things.

3) Jewel, Twitter Name: @Jeweljk

Jewel is the successful singer of such hits as "You Were Meant For Me," "Who Will Save Your Soul?" and "Hands" (my personal favorite). She is originally from Alaska, and her life story is a rags to riches one. She currently tweets about her life adventures, her husband, her music and her fans. She gives back a lot to her fans, even offering tickets for those who couldn't afford them on Twitter. She's definitely a fun and uplifting celeb to follow.

4) Kevin Smith, Twitter Name: @ThatKevinSmith

Kevin Smith is the famous film director of such movies as Clerks, Dogma and Chasing Amy. He tweets quite frequently, so be warned if you don't want a lot of tweets from one person in your feed. However, his tweets are oftentimes hilarious, and he responds to a lot of fans on a regular basis. His tweets are often on the adult humor side, another thing you may need to know. Check out his feed, and see if it's for you. It probably will be.

5) Olivia Newton-John, Twitter Name: @Olivianj

Olivia Newton-John is my favorite singer. I'm a bit partial here. Her tweets aren't frequent, but they're always fun or informative. Listen to her much under-publicized, deep album called "Gaia." It's one of the most positive and uplifting albums ever written, and she wrote it while recovering from breast cancer. I recommend listening to that and following her on Twitter.

6) Michael Moore, Twitter Name: @MMFlint

Michael Moore is a liberal documentary filmmaker most people either love or hate. I'm of the former opinion. I've loved all of his documentaries, although I still can't watch and cry at a certain rabbit scene in "Roger and Me." His films are unlike any others, and they teach and wake people up. His tweets are generous and informative. If you like Michael, he's definitely someone that you should follow on Twitter.

7) Bill Cosby, Twitter Name: @BillCosby

Bill Cosby is a hilarious comedian whose career has spanned decades, and he'll always be immortalized by The Cosby Show. His tweets are eclectic and fun, and he responds to people frequently. He posts on things such as the fact that he has an iTunes playlist, fun facts and sometimes more serious issues. He is a great person to follow on Twitter.

8) Alyssa Milano, Twitter Name: @Alyssa_Milano

Alyssa Milano is an actress who is currently filming Romantically Challenged. She was the star of one of the delights of my childhood, Who's The Boss? I was also once devoted to working out to her fitness video titled Teen Steam. She has a career longevity and consistency that's really rare for actors. Her tweets are frequent but always welcome, fun and funny. They are also often done with a purpose. She was able to encourage businesses to match her generous Haiti earthquake relief donation by challenging them on Twitter.

9) Dolly Parton, Twitter Name: @Dolly_Parton

Dolly Parton is the famous singer with the famous body. Her hits include "Islands in the Stream," "9 to 5" and "Two Doors Down." She is one of the first singers I knew of as a kid, and I remember the cassette of her greatest hits that was frequently played. I can still sing most of them by heart. Dolly herself is franky and funny, as well as kind and generous. She gives back to her fans more than almost any other entertainer, and her tweets reflect all of this.

10) John Stamos, Twitter Name: @JohnStamos

Actually, this should be a group follow. John often interracts with his former Full House castmates with hilarious results. Yet, as I sent him those marriage proposals through the mail in fifth grade, I feel a certain loyalty to naming John Stamos. Also, he is very generous to his Twitter followers, on a medium where many celebs simply use it as a promotional tool. He posts all sorts of interesting things and positive, uplifting statements and more. His feed is a must-read.

Well, there are more that didn't quite make the list. It was harder to narrow it down to some of the more interesting and generous Twitter user celebs than I thought.

What do you think? Did I leave out your favorites? Do you have any recommendations? I'd love to hear about them.

My heart feels broken over the suicide of Andrew Koenig. A wonderful human being with great ethics, sensitivty and talent has passed away. Another child star is gone. As there has been an intense search for him for the past week, it made me incredibly anxious. I hoped for the best. I had a lot of empathy for his parents and friends as they searched.

Andrew Koenig was a part of my childhood. He starred as Mike Seaver's best friend Boner in "Growing Pains." I used to watch "Growing Pains" in reruns after school every day for years. Kirk Cameron as Mike Seaver was the first poster of a boy on my walls in junior high. Along with "Who's the Boss" and "Full House," the show was important to me and a source of laughter.

Andrew was a great part of the humor on "Growing Pains," but he was not someone to brag on his show business accomplishments. In fact, according to Jane Velez-Mitchell, on her show "Issues" on CNN Headline News, although she was friends with Andrew for years, he never mentioned his role on the show. She only learned it when he casually mentioned something about when he used to film the show when they were on an outting together, years after she met him.

In Hollywood, the town of extreme nepotism, Andrew also didn't rely or use the success of his father, Walter Koenig, who played Chekov on "Star Trek." He never mentioned this claim to fame to anyone, and he even asked a friend to never do that again, when the friend introduced him as Boner. He was his own person who worked in different aspects of show business, including working on VegTV alongside Jane Velez-Mitchell and continuing to act.

The worries started when Andrew did not catch a February 16 flight to Los Angeles from Vancouver, Canada, where he had gone to supposedly relax and see friends. There has been a frantic search for him ever since, and his parents, Judith and Walter Koenig, flew to Vancouver to see if there was something they could do to help. His friends and family members have since made public pleas for him to make contact.

Disturbing stories emerged, such as the fact that Andrew had closed up his Los Angeles apartment before going on his trip and that he had given up important possessions. It's a heartbreaking effort of thinking of others, not leaving things for others to deal with. Grabs my heart and breaks it.

Every news show, from entertainment and celebrity shows to CNN and "The New York Times," covered his missing status, and officials and concerned others in Vancouver made every efforts to find him. It ended in a tragic find in a heavily wooded area of Stanley Park. According to The New York Times,  Andrew's body was found only 30 feet from a popular foot path. His time and exact cause of death (other than the fact that it was a suicide) was not released.

After his body was found today, his mother and father spoke at a press conference. Walter Koenig stated, "My son took his own life. Obviously, he was in a lot of pain." He confirmed that, in the 1,000-acre Stanley Park, which Andrew considered a second home, Andrew had ended his life.

CNN and E! reported that Walter went on to say, "I have received hundreds of emails from people who said they are depressed and considering the same course of action or showed signs of the same behavior. The only thing I will say is if you are one of these people and feel you can’t handle it anymore, I hope you learn from this. Know that there are people are out there who really care. It may not be enough, but before you make your final decision, check it out again, talk to somebody."

Celebrity friends have already started speaking out on their heartbreak. As many celebrities have done with recent deaths of other celebrities, such as Brittany Murphy, they take to Twitter to express at least a bit of their grief. Alyssa Milano announced the tragedy and went on to say, "If you know someone suffering from depression, please do everything in your power to get them help. R.I.P. Andrew."

Candace Cameron, who currently stars on "Make it or Break it" and formerly starred on "Full House," also spoke out. She stated on Twitter, "Heartbreaking. Our prayers go out 2 his family." Candace's brother Kirk starred opposite Koenig in "Growing Pains."

The tragedy was most effectively put into perspective by Andrew's mother, Judith. She stated, ""He was much loved, and he had lots to contribute to this world."

I'm thankful for all of the laughs that Andew gave me growing up, and it really touches me to learn about the person he was. He was a vegan and a committed activist. He was even arrested a few years ago while protesting the United States participation in the United States Olympics. He protested because of the human rights abuses of China. He had deep convictions. What is it about such sensitive souls that lead us to such dark thoughts sometimes?

If you have dark thoughts, they do pass. Life does get better, no matter how dark it has seemed and how insurmountable the problems. Please consider reading this if the dark thoughts have come into your mind and heart: Read This First, Please. Call 1-800-273-TALK (8255). It's open 24/7 and confidential.

It's silly that I should write a blog with such a title in the first place about someone who seems about as harmless and kind as a person can be. Chloe Lattanzi, a very talented singer and musician, has been attacked in the media lately for...much ado about nothing. Exaggerated reports of her out in Hollywood with her friend were twisted into a few odd and untrue stories.

You can hear Chloe's music of her official MySpace Page. I feel protective of Chloe, although I've only met her once to do an interview of her. I found her to be a refreshingly real and kind person, not at all like the unfortuately all-too-often-true Hollywood kid stereotype. I really appreciated her respect and consideration after waiting tables in Beverly Hills and dealing with the most obnoxious children of celebrities in the world. Perhaps members of the media are picking on Chloe, because their experiences with other celebrities left them bitter? Even so, that's not fair.

I first saw Chloe when she acted in "Christmas Romance" when we were both kids; she starred in the movie alongside her real-life mom, Olivia Newton-John. I thought Chloe was very talented, and I also saw her act in "Paradise Beach" and "The Wilde Girls," in which she first displayed her great singing voice.

Later on, as a reporter for "The Malibu Times," I was given a story to do on Chloe. She invited me to her home in Malibu, and I found her to be very frank, fun, funny, and kind. Unfortunately, when I played back my tape to write the article, I realized I giggled through the whole thing. I worried she must have thought I was an idiot. (Giggling is a nervous tick that I have. haha See?) I was nervous doing the interview, as I wanted to befriend her, as I much admired her. She was very kind in the follow up of the interview and has been kind since then when we've communicated; I even later went to see her model and premier a great song of hers at a fashion show in Los Angeles.

Unlike a lot of celebrities who are consistently engaging in all kinds of bad behavior, why is the media picking on Chloe? She's young and enjoying life, having overcome obstacles to be her own person. If she wants to have a drink, that's really her choice.

When it all comes down to it, I think it's the fact that someone who seems to have so much is an easy target. What 24-year-old wouldn't want to be her own person? That's something Chloe very much is; she's a unique and artistic individual.

One recent media story on Chloe was cleared up recently in an issue of "New Idea." Click on the three individual thumbnails to read the full article, provided for people who aren't able to get a copy of the magazine. Click on this New Idea page  for additional photos of Chloe from the shoot that didn't make it to the final article. As for the article itself, I think Chloe's answers are thoughtful, intelligent and given with patience and respect for others who may be impacted. I'll continue to be a Chloe fan.