By Alex Sundby

It seems fitting that Beth Brown made history, such as it was, on a Leap Day. On Feb. 29, 1928, under the headline “First ‘Gag’ Woman,” the show-business tabloid Variety noted that director William DeMille (older brother of famed director Cecil B. DeMille) had hired Brown as a gag woman for his film, “Tenth Avenue.”

By Christina Valhouli
Mumbai is one of the most dynamic and chaotic cities in the world. It is the center of the Bollywood film industry as well as the Indian Stock Exchange, but most visitors come here for one reason: to shop. Some of the best items to shop for include textiles (hand-blocked cottons as well as silks); shawls (from pure pashmina to wool and silk blends); and stylish housewares, all at a fraction of the price that they would cost in the West. To keep your sanity in check, hire a taxi for the day and take a targeted approach to shopping. Our Top Shops Mumbai guide highlights some of the best stores in the city, from silver at Ravissant to stylish hand -blocked prints at Anokhi. Our favorite shopping areas are Colaba, in the south of the city near India Gate, as well as the trendy suburb of Bandra, which is about an hour north of Colaba but well worth the drive because of its high concentration of boutiques and cafes.

By Christina Valhouli

If you want to have a celebrity sighting in L.A., there are a few guaranteed places to go, such as The Ivy, Hyde, and the Church of Scientology Celebrity Centre, as well as the city’s best shops. L.A. is one of the best shopping destinations on the planet, and for a primer on some of the city’s best stores, you only have to look at where the celebrities (and their stylists) shop. Any L.A. shopping trip should start with Fred Segal, the quirky department store where everyone from Katie Holmes to Barry Diller and Gwyneth Paltrow has been spotted. To do it right, make sure to dress the part, arrive in a gorgeous car, and stay for lunch. If your style leans more towards vintage, follow in the footsteps of Kate Moss and Charlize Theron and head to Decades. Or if you want to declare your allegiance to Team Jolie or Team Aniston with the appropriate T-shirt, stop in at the wonderfully kitsch Kitson boutique. Happy shopping, and don’t forget to tip the valet parking attendant well.

By nycnosh.com

If East Japanese Restaurant had a chance to choose its West 55th Street digs all over again, we bet it would not take the restaurant directly next door to Yakitori Totto, one of the city’s finest Japanese grills.

ED KOCH

The former mayor thinks the Academy got it wrong by passing over “The Diving Bell and the Butterfly” – though Julian Schnabel did score a nomination for Best Director. “Even though I don’t like his politics,” Koch chooses Johnny Depp’s performance as aggrieved, homicidal barber Sweeney Todd for Best Actor. For Best Actress, Koch – who moonlights as a film critic – goes with Julie Christie, who “tore my heart apart” in her turn as an Alzheimer’s-afflicted woman who embarks on a new romance in “Away From Her.”

By Heather Corcoran

This isn’t your average Oscars year.

Fears about a struggling economy, war and climate change may have spurred the filming of some of the best American films in recent memory, observers say.

Football season may be over and the baseball season is still months away, but that doesn’t mean that gambling connoisseurs don’t have a way to satisfy their fix. Online wagering presents an interesting substitute for gamblers who need to fill the void that presents itself in the sports offseason. “Survivor,” “The Apprentice,” “American Idol,” the presidential election and, yes, the Oscars are all options to bet some bucks on via Internet gambling Web sites. For those who believe they’re privy to the award night winners, here’s a list of odds from bookie Web sites if you dare to test your know-how.

Oscar Party Planning
Some Manhattan movie buffs who aren’t satisfied with watching the Oscars on their large-screen TVs are unfurling red carpets outside their brownstones and enlisting relatives to pose as paparazzi.

By Jeanine Zelkas

Executive chef and prolific restaurateur Laurent Tourondel, who made his first grand splash in New York several years ago at the beloved upscale seafood restaurant Cello, has gone on, after Cello closed its doors, to create his BLT empire. The BLT (an acronym for “Bistro Laurent Tourondel”) family includes BLT Steak, BLT Fish, BLT Burger and BLT Prime. And I love them all just as I loved Cello. Tourondel is one of those talented chefs with a passion and talent for creating memorable dishes using the best raw ingredients while maintaining a laid back approach often with a sense of humor and playfulness resulting in mass appeal.

By Christina Valhouli

In many ways I found shopping in Chiang Mai to be far more enjoyable than Bangkok. The city’s small scale and rich history of craftsmanship — minus the choking pollution and crowds — all chalk up to one stellar shopping experience. Chiang Mai may not have the glossy mega malls with aquariums and Ferrari showrooms that you’ll find in Bangkok, but what it does have is plenty of independent boutiques where it feels as if you’re shopping in someone’s home. We found ourselves buying way more items here than in the capital. Some of the best buys include ceramics, silks, lacquer ware and silver. Read on to find where to shop and what to buy in Chiang Mai.