Tuesday Tidbits

• I went 4-1 in the football pool this week! I'm officially tied for 6th. I'm also slightly obsessed.

• I'm disappointed in the Ray Donovan season finale. I like a badass Ray Donovan and this episode gave me a resigned and weak Ray Donovan. I guess I understand the reason why they chose to end the season the way they did-it's about absolution and redemption, OK, I get it. But in my opinion they over played their hand a bit here. They put too much focus on Ray's two weaknesses-the Catholic church and his family and I don't feel like it resolved anything for me. I'm thinking that's exactly what it was meant to do. I'll be waiting till next season Ray, don't you worry. 

• Scientists have discovered evidence of flowing water on Mars! Exciting news that some say could lead to the discovery of some form of life on the planet. I wonder-is this a ploy by Hollywood to promote the opening of Matt Damon's new movie "The Martian"? Just a thought.

• The Pope is the cutest man in the world. I love him. 

• Today I consider myself fortunate for all that I do have in my life and fortunate that I will not focus what I don't have....and I'm fortunate that I feel that way. 

• I'm going to see Frack this weekend in North Carolina. It's Parent Weekend at HPU and I can't wait! I miss my boy so much!! He is pledging a frat Pi Kappa Phi and he's rally excited about it. I'm loving the fact that this frat boasts the best GPA on campus and they take academics VERY seriously. So much so, that Frack has to log in 12 hours of monitored study time during the week as part of his pledge duties. Is this great or what?

• Babies are everywhere in my family. Lately there have been most joyous visits from 2 great nieces and a great nephew. I'm not going to even think about the fact that this means I am old..no, I am going to rejoice in the fact that my beautiful nieces and nephews whom I have enjoyed watching growing up are now becoming parents themselves. The love I feel for their children is so overwhelmingly satisfying. It's a beautiful lesson in the circle of life.

"Can We Talk?"

I'm devastated by yesterday's news of Joan Rivers passing.

She was one of a kind, an icon, a pioneer in the industry. She will be mourned and missed by all who loved and knew her. And I was one of them. Joan went before she possibly should have, the result of a routine throat surgery she probably didn't need. Tragic. I was fortunate enough to see her in person last November and I'm glad I did. She was spectacular! Pure Joan, uncensored and politically incorrect but nonetheless hilarious and heartwarming. I am a huge fan and today I'm sad she has left us.

The piece below debuted here on August 21, 2012. I was already Joan Rivers fan but gained a new found love/appreciation for the woman that was Joan Rivers when I watched the 2010 documentary on Joan, "Piece of Work".

The Joan Ranger's salute you. RIP Joan.

She Hates Everybody

I'm a Joan Ranger.

I love Joan Rivers. Yes, I know, she's crass, mean, insulting and mostly inappropriate, but she's hilarious and she always leaves me laughing.

She is currently starring in two shows; one reality show on WE TV called "Joan and Melissa" and "Fashion Police" on E.

On "Fashion Police", she is incredibly funny yet politically incorrect in her impeccably timed Joan Rivers way. She commands the floor with her panel of fashion "experts", but make no mistake, Joan is the show. It's well worth the watch.

I became a fan a couple of years ago when I came across the documentary "Joan Rivers. Piece of Work." It released in Jan 2010 and was filmed during one year of Joan Rivers life when she was 75 years old. It followed her through her crazy, schedule of appearances and performances.

This lady works. I gained an incredible appreciation for her work ethic. She was non-stop. Joan makes no bones about the fact that she has to work to support her opulent lifestyle, yet she admits to needing the work to boost her self esteem.

Notorious for her abuse of plastic surgery, Joan admits quite openly to being very insecure. She does it all too. At the time of filming, Joan was still working every day, attending several personal appearances, doing comedy shows and regularly traveling across country. A schedule that would have made even a younger person, question why. Yet Joan seemed to revel in it, and she hardly complained.

This lady is no dumb blonde, either. Fresh off her "Celebrity Apprentice" win in 2009, "Piece of Work" showed Rivers the business woman for the shrewd artisan she is. Her jewelry line is one of QVC's most successful sellers to date and that is just one of the many projects that Joan is attached to.

I hope to God that when I am her age, I have half the stamina that she has. And that's not something you can buy from a plastic surgeon. You gotta have hutzpah! Forbes has estimated Rivers net worth at $290 million, and that's a hell of a lot of hutzpah.

Say what you will about her.
She's probably already heard it and incorporated it into her act and made it ten times funnier. 

Black Mass

The great Johnny Depp is playing Whitey.

The notorious Boston gangster, Whitey Bulger, that is, and the people of Boston are curious. Beside Ben or Matt, I don't think there was a better choice for the elusive gangster. Depp is playing the title role in the movie adaptation of  the book "Black Mass: The True Story of the Unholy alliance between the FBI and the Irish Mob", written by Boston Globe scribes Dick Lehr and Gerard O'Neill. 

If you live in Boston, like I do, you would be hard pressed to find someone who does not know the story of the crimes committed by the Irish Mob for decades and the FBI men who allowed them the breathing room to commit them. It's an interesting story, and a book that I read with rapt attention.  Filming is going on now, and Johhny Depp filmed a scene yesterday In East Boston where he eerily resembled the aging, now incarcerated, legendary Boston gangster.  The scene, shot on the same street where a murder occurred just last week, was shot-quite literally-in Irish Mob fashion. According to the Boston Herald:

"in the scene shot yesterday Whitey/Depp and a couple of his henchmen walk with an unsuspecting victim near the water in Eastie. While Whitey shakes the man’s hand, he is whacked from behind by one of the aforementioned thugs. Whitey walks away and gazes out at the Tobin Bridge while the other two drag the body away."

Hollywood's take on this unbelievable story should be very interesting and the casting of Depp is brilliant. No one can take a character and make him believable, possibly even likeable, like Johnny can. (his portrayal of George Jung in "Blow" still remains one of my favorite Depp roles) Its a true crime story for the crime story lovers in all of us."Black Mass" is a best seller written by two Boston Globe writers who worked the beat and covered the Irish Mob during their horrific reign over the city which ends with the disappearance of Bulger in 1994 when he was tipped off by his FBI handler John Connley that the Feds were going to indite him on racketeering charges. He remained on the lamb for 16 years before being arrested in Santa Barbara, California in mid 2011. Bulger, at one time, was the FBI's most wanted man, right next to Osama Bin Laden.

Now he's getting the Holllywood treatment, albeit on screen only, but I wonder what old Whitey thinks of the casting of himself in his true crime story. These stories are the stuff that legends are made of. Lots of people died at the hands of these hardened criminals, and if justice is to be served, the families of the victims of the horrible crimes will share in the spoils of the movie's box office success. As for the real life cast of characters? Karma has taken care of them. And the rest is up to their maker, when they day comes for them to meet him. 

Fashion Perfection

Last night's Golden Globes marks the beginning of Hollywood's 2014 Red Carpet Season which stretches all the way thru to the big finale at the Academy Awards in March. There were many high's and a few lows, so here's how I saw it!

Breathtaking, stunning and absolute red carpet fashion perfection is how I saw Lupita Nyong'os red Ralph Lauren creation. She took my breath away and I LOVE it when a fashion does that. This girl has the body of a fashion model and I cannot wait to see what her next red carpet number will be. Stunning....

Poor Lena. She looks like a young girl crammed into a grown woman's fashion that she really feels uncomfortable in. This Zac Posen might have been better served on another star, but on the upside, she looks the part of a Golden Globe nominee. Points for that, but where she misses is the fit and the color. This color is stunning-just not on her- and that's ok. They just should have told her. And while I prefer a tight fitting gown on Lena over a large silhouette, she is jammed in here so tight I'm not sure Lena thinks she will make it through the whole night securely. And it shows...

America's sweetheart took a trendy turn in a Prabal Gurung color blocking gown. The gown is lovely on her. Well fitting and fresh, but not very memorable. The thing about Sandra last night that puts her on my best dressed list was her face.. Her makeup and hair was flawless which sets the tone here. She looked so beautiful and soft, she actually belies her advanced age in Hollywood standards.

The youth of Hollywood speaks! And I love what they have to say. Fresh and different, yet stunning and sexy is how I would describe Emma Watson's Dior creation. From the front, it covers fully but sports a gorgeous slit, and from the back it really packs a punch. The House of Dior really know their stuff and I spot a  new fashion trend coming! 

Reece can do no red carpet wrong and last night was no exception! This aqua Calvin Klein design was like liquid paint on her, and her hair and makeup were right in line with the minimalistic beauty of her gown. Kudos to her.

It's a good thing Amy Adams is such a great actor, because this Valentino is just wrong...Naked. She looked naked from the side especially and it made me a bit uncomfortable. Didn't we see enough of this fashion on her on the big screen in American Hustle? I'm not sure why she felt the need to re-cycle the look for herself. It's just bad. Period. Note to Amy's Glam Squad: Her lipstick needed to be darker. I would have used Kevyn Aucoin's Blood Roses Lipstick which is a modern, fresh black cherry color that would have worked perfectly. 

Kate Blanchette-a gorgeous creature in general, this Armani Prive lace number just set her apart from the pack. Why? It's simple elegance showcased Kates own elegance in a way that made her look regal. Was she my choice for best dressed last night? No, but she's top 3 for sure.

Hmmmm. My first thought is why? Jennifer Lawrence wore white to last year's Academy Awards and why wear it again? This was not my favorite, but it was not altogether bad, just off for me. I would have expected more from her, Rachel Zoe and Dior. 

Who is this girl? She is BREATHTAKING. Margot Robbie is possibly one of the most beautiful women I have ever seen. Her Gucci creation is stunning and form fitting and perfect on this beauty. She's just perfection from head to toe. I think my girl crush is showing. 

A Sharon Stone moment this is NOT! Sharon Stone made a splash at the Oscars in 2009 when she paired her husbands white dress shirt with a Vera Wang skirt. This is not that. Ouch..Julia, this (pardon the expression) SUCKS. Bad. Not only is it terrible, ill fitting and WRONG, but that crystal belt? Oy Vey. What the hell is that? Dolce? Are you paying attention to what Gabbana is doing? Was anybody paying attention? Obviously not. 

And last but certainly not least, my favorite of the night! I may be wrong here but Diane Keaton stole the show. Diane came out to accept Woody Allen's Cecile B. Demille Award she was eloquent, reflective, endearing and stunning. I know that this gender bender suit is Diane's signature look, not anything we haven't seen before, but that particular suit with her stunning and perfectly sexy coiffed hair and glasses? She was gorgeous! I'm now looking for a suit like that for me. I LOVED IT!

Just one girl's fashion opinion here. What did you think?

Django Is Off The Ch-IZ-ain

Bad ass.

Those are the words that came to mind while watching Django yesterday. Quentin Tarantino is one bad ass Muther F*#ker. His entire Django world is bad ass and through all the gore, the blood and violence, twisted justice managed to prevail. The blurred lines in the battle between good and evil are at the core of the adventures of Dr. King Schultz and a black slave named Django.  Bounty hunting is their game and Django and Schultz form a profitable partnership in exchange for Django's freedom. These boys always get their man.





The all star cast: Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz, Leo DiCaprio and Samuel L. Jackson had me riveted from the opening seconds, and I seem to have a hankering to now watch Inglorious Basterds. Who is this Christoph Waltz? Where did he come from? Christoph Waltz is Badass. This academy award winning  performance lies at the center of the movie's moral conundrum with bounty hunting as a profession. This movie is no Midnight Run, although you will laugh at it's irony.

And shall we talk about Leo? and Samuel L?

Badass. Both of them.

And if you are in to bloody shootouts, then this movie is for you. I HATE violence, but the violence in Django was somehow necessary and brilliantly executed. Quentin Tarantino, in a cameo appearance, even blows himself up! Ingenious and fun and I can hardly believe I just typed those words. But I did. And that's what a gifted writer does for a story. We are fully vested in his characters and the world in which he creates. Unpleasantries like extreme violence become a vehicle to move the story along.

Talk about poetic justice. Django is one hell of a ride....

Into the smoke smoldering, last man standing, bloody sunset.

Trouble With The Curve

So I watched good old Clint last night and I gotta tell you it was troubling.

Dirty Harry is dead and gone and Eastwood has left us with a curmudgeonly old character who is a constant reminder that getting old sucks. Even A-lister Amy Adams, John Goodman and Justin Timberlake couldn't make this a sinker a go. I might have been seriously depressed after watching this one had it not been for the Hollywood hook; the happy ending.

The story line is predictable. Eastwood is Gus, an aging and angry baseball scout who is facing the end of a very long career. Amy Adams plays Mickey (named after Mickey Mantle), Gus's estranged daughter. Gus is loosing his sight and quite possibly his mind until long time friend and colleague, Pete (Goodman) asks Mickey to accompany her father on his possible last scouting trip to scout the number one prospect and make sure things go well.

Adams is convincing as Mickey, a career driven lawyer who has no time for anything, except climbing the corporate ladder at her prestigious firm. Enter Justin Timberlake, who I can't take seriously as an actor because I still see BOY BAND when I look at him, as a love interest for Mickey. Timberlake plays Johnny, a former standout who ruined his arm and is trying to reinvent himself in the game as a scout and broadcaster. The romance between them never really grows a set of legs and walks in this script despite the solid performances.

But it's Easwood who is the story here. Dang, he's old. And he keeps reminding us that Cowboys never really die, they just get put out to pasture. He's angry and he's loosing his sight and he's not happy. Its painful at times to watch Eastwood convincingly teach us about the aging process. Of course this is Hollywood and these scripts make sure that there is a brass ring to grab at the end of this ride. Gus proves that he's still got it and that his age and experience make him still a valuable member of the baseball organization he is employed by. Mickey proves that she's got her father's talent and finds a new career path in sports management. Father and daughter reconcile and even bond over a shared love, the game of baseball, and Mickey finally finds her place in her father's world.

Cute, but too freakin late for my liking. I needed to be cheered up by then.

Can't say that I would recommend it, even for the most ardent baseball fans. Unless you love seeing a chick spew forth baseball trivia question answers like an encyclopedia. I'd wait until it's the movie of the week on ABC and that there's nothing better on TV.

Heroine In Heaven

Nora Ephron has left the building.

And while I never knew the woman who would turn out to be the essayist, Oscar nominated screen writer and movie director of a generation, I knew her well. Or should I say she knew us well, the "us" being women everywhere. Norma had a unique gift. She could see it then she could write about it.

She could write the hell out of anything and she caught the attention of people in her profession early in her career at The Post. When she fell into Hollywood, quite by mistake, Ephron's prose was so real and funny that it was hard not to see her genius. She turned her divorce from Watergate journalist, Carl Bernstein into literary and Hollywood gold with her novel "Heartburn", which was turned into a screen play and she never looked back. Not bad when you have Meryl Streep and Jack Nicholson playing out your life story. Her many screen writing credits brought her the opportunity to direct and in 1993, she landed her first hit with "Sleepless In Seattle".

She continued to succeed as woman in the exclusive boys club in Hollywood and her credits are impressive. "When Harry Met Sally", "You've Got Mail" and "Julie & Julia" to name a few. Oh, to be a fly on the wall in the mind of Nora's genius. Today, as I read the articles and obits on this legendary lady, one specific essay stands out. Interesting that it was not written for Hollywood or for publication. It was written as a Commencement Address to the 1996 graduates of Wellesley College, her  alma mater. She talked about how upon her entrance to Wellesley, in the fall of 1958, there had been an article in the Harvard Crimson stereo typing women's colleges. Wellesley, it said, was a school for tunicata-(a fish who spend the beginnings of life swimming around exploring the ocean and the second part of life lying on the ocean floor breeding). Nora went on to recall how 25 years later, everyone of her classmates still remembered the definition of the tunicata.

Long story short, the world of Wellesley in those days so long ago, taught Nora and her classmates that they were in college attendance to marry success not achieve success. It would seem that Nora made a career out of proving them wrong. Be your own heroine.

And those words certainly resonate with me.

In closing her Commencement Address Nora said this, and I will remember this always and make it a mantra:

"Whatever you choose, however many roads you travel, I hope that you choose not to be a lady. I hope that you will find some way to break the rules and make a little trouble out there. And I hope that you will choose to make some of that trouble on behalf of women."

Hollywood's Lombardi Trophy

I can't confess to being completely celebrity obsessed and fashion crazed and NOT put my two cents in about last night's Hollywood party of all parties, the Oscars. This is the big kahuna, the Lombardi for Hollywood, the Holy Grail for most recipients and the only place to see and be seen if you are in entertainment.

So much about last night was noteworthy, but here are my observations and in no particular order:

The Awards:

Meryl- How can you even question it? Everybody thought Viola Davis was a lock and then the Iron Lady sweeps in and steals the statue. Meryl (looked stunning for once) is Hollywood royalty and everyone should be in agreement that the Oscar is exactly where it should be. I love her casual elegance. The fact that she is one of the most celebrated and awarded actress today not withstanding, she has managed to have what seems to be, it all. A long marriage, family and a fabulous career. Kudos for a job well done.

Christopher Plummer-The 82 year old accomplished actor finally captured the brass ring. He was quite elegant in his acceptance, and I'm happy that the father from The Sound Of Music can now add Oscar winner to his resume.

Billy Crystal-While I think he played it safe on the telecast, it felt like an old friend was taking us through the motions. His opening sequence, a visual homage to each nominated picture, was comfortably predictable and enjoyable. Billy may not have the pipes to pull that off on Broadway, but it didn't matter. It's Billy and the Oscars. Best line of the night, "There's nothing better than watching millionaires award each other gold statues."

The Fashions:

Gwenneth-It's not that frequent that I have such a visceral reaction to fashion, but she literally took my breath away. Then I learned that her stunning white ensemble was Tom Ford and I understood why I was so touched. He's the King. Pure perfection. I cannot say anything else. Simply stunning.

Jennifer Lopez-No. No, just no. Why? Really? She was the street walker of the night and I hated her hair. Her only redeeming aesthetic was the Scott Barnes Body Bling (which The Candy Bar sells) that she is famous for. Her glow was pure J Lo.

Angelina Jolie-Hmmm, I'm not quite sure here. It was ok, but her ridiculous pose, with her hand on hip and her leg exposed most purposefully was a huge turn off. Ok, so she is the most beautiful woman on the planet and she was beautiful last night for sure, but the problem for me was that the whole pose thing, on stage, made he think that she takes her self and her sex appeal WAY TOO SERIOUS. Huge turn off.

Misc:

Ryan Seacrest-Speaking of taking themselves way too serious, Seacrest beat out Angelina. Sacha Baron Cohen, dressed as his latest movie role, The Dictator, dumped, what was suppose to be the cremains of King Jong II all over the Burberry tuxedo jacket of E!'s Red Carpet host Ryan Seacrest. Ryan just couldn't roll with it. Bizarre, yes. But Seacrest's reaction was embarrassing and down right depressing to witness. Seacrest can probably see to it that Baron Cohen NEVER steps within 500 feet of him again, and that he gets black balled from whatever he wants. Baron Cohen has zero chance of ever hosting ABC's New Years Eve Count down or his own reality TV show on the E! channel. Zero. The whole thing was egg on Seacrests furious face, to say the least.

The Parties-

Wolfgang Puck fed 1500 people at The Govenors Ball and wore a custom designed chef jacket for the event. Rumor has it that his chicken pot pie with truffles was TO DIE FOR.

Miss Piggy was flawless.

I woke up with the name Octavia Spencer on the brain. I guess this lady has arrived.

Hugo won alot of awards. I have had more than a few peole recommend this film to me, so I will now prioritize it on my movie queue. And Scorsese? Not one recipient of a Hugo oscar that did not comment on the great director and what a privilege it was to work with him.

And finally, Cirque du Soleil never disappoints, and they didn't last night. I loved their acrobatic artistry.

It was a great Oscars. Not so boring that I only caught the major awards,and entertaining enough to stay up till 11:30. Then I went to sleep and Hollywood went on to party like a rock star.

Clark And Ellen's Big Comeback

That wonderful holiday season is upon us and I just can't help but use Clark Griswold's name as an adjective. Goofy, accident prone and lovable, Chevy Chase and National Lampoon created a holiday, Hollywood icon in the Christmas classic, "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation".

This Christmas movie serves as my family's annual Thanksgiving night tradition. It kicks off our holiday and we can be found quoting movie lines throughout the season. It soon got me to thinking about why they never made a sequel. The movie's cast, released in 1989, reads like a who's who in Hollywood. Click here for complete cast info.

Chevy Chase, Beverly D'Angelo, Julliet Lewis, Johnny Galecki make up the Griswold Family and Randy Quaid, Dianne Ladd, Doris Roberts, Brian Doyle-Murray, and Julia Louis-Drefyus round out this all star cast. A quick Google check reveals that they did make a sequel to the Christmas Vacation movie(which is in fact a sequel to the Vacation movie), but without Chase and D'Angelo this one fell flat. Centered around Cousin Eddie (Randy Quaid), titled "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation 2:Cousin Eddie's Island Adventure", even the National Lampoon endorsement couldn't save this one.

Now would be the time for a real sequel. Don't you think?

Clark and Ellen, both aging but still hot for each other, and their grown kids and grandchildren converging on the Griswold family homestead for, as Clark puts it, "a fun, old fashioned, family Christmas". It would need to be comic gold, and the cast would have to be all the originals, but if done right, this one could spur holiday magic.

Chevy's not as young as he used to be, so we'll leave the physical comedy to the kids. Beverly's smoked one too many cigarettes and gotten harsh, but I bet she could still put on a mean Ellen Griswold. Julliette Lewis is one step away from a crack addict, perfect for her story line and Johnny Galecki has proved to have 9 Hollywood lives, now starring in one of TV's hottest sitcoms. Give Julia Louis-Dreyfus a bigger part, throw in Randy Quaid and some bathroom humor and sign me up! I'm not walking out on this one.

Like my favorite quote from the movie,

"Where do you think you're going? Nobody's leaving. Nobody's walking out on this fun, old-fashioned family Christmas. No, no. We're all in this together. This is a full-blown, four-alarm holiday emergency here. We're gonna press on, and we're gonna have the hap, hap, happiest Christmas since Bing Crosby tap-danced with Danny fucking Kaye. And when Santa squeezes his fat white ass down that chimney tonight, he's gonna find the jolliest bunch of assholes this side of the nuthouse."

Cmon now, I couldn't have been the only one to think of this?

Hollywood Came Calling

I love this story.

Seems this average Joe, Bob Gray, and his girlfriend moved from Cleveland to LA earlier this year. When Bob signed up for a local cell phone number, he got one that changed his life. Bob inherited an old number of a famous and well connected Hollywood insider.

"The next day I get a text message," says Gray. " 'Hey man, I just saw your sh*t on TMZ.' " Surprised, he text back, "Whose number do I have?"

Gray quickly realized he had hit A List gold. He says he got a text from none other than Paris Hilton herself, inviting him to her celebrity birthday party and dozens of offers for Hollywood premiers and parties. He explained who he was and the situation to Paris, who immediately put them on her guest list. Gray says he and his girlfriend "rolled up" to the Hollywood Hills mansion where the party was in their rusted, old Dodge mini van. Security, ready to pounce, asks him for his name and then checks the list.

"He goes, 'Hang on.'

"We're wondering if we're really on the list.

"The guy comes back: 'Yeah. You're on the list.' I think he was amazed."

The phone, with all it's Hollywood connections, belonged to none other than Nick Swardson, and through the phone he has connected with Kathy Griffith, Andy Dick, Kevin Nealon and none other than Adam Sandler. Bob says a call came through with a distinctive voice her recognized to be Sandler. They had a few chuckles and then discussed writing a screenplay about the whole thing. Gray now has a talent manager and a screen writing partner and are hard at work on just that; this unbelievable story of fate.

Only in Hollywood can you make a dream materialize from a cell.

You're Killing Me

So this is precisely why I am in love with Hollywood.

Leave it to them to give me a LOL moment in the middle of all this.

Wikid Pissah

I interrupt my self imposed moratorium on pics of myself because I promised to show you in all my Brunette-ness. I even have the balls to leave it up all weekend.

So I'm reading my paper this morning and I spy an article about a local casting company that offers a class that helps Boston raised actors get rid of their Boston accent.

So I think, "That's wikid pissah!"


Not really, but you get the idea. Then I think that this is pissah for all Bostonians, not just Boston bred actors because the Boston accent makes you sound like a wikid big moron. Seriously, My Tommy could be presented before me, tied up with a gold ribbon (tied up? meowww) and if he opened his mouth and spoke with a Boston accent, I would be out the door, pronto. I mean it.


Nothing makes me cringe more than hearing one of my beautiful children speak in the vernacular of the locals. I will admit to occasionally revealing my region of origin in my speech, but being a journalism major with a concentration in TV, it gave me the discipline to articulate the words the way they were meant to be spoken. I do slip up. After all, I was born and raised here, but mostly I only slip when I'm with my family or friends who speak with the accent. It's very easy to slide into it when it's all you hear. Or heah.


I jacked this from the Boston Herald article because it's so true:

Unless you are going to be cast in a Ben Afflek or Matt Damon, both serious hunks of men, movie, or a movie about the Kennedy's, I see absolutely no reason to EVER sound like one of us. EVER. It's just downright appalling and it deduces the speaker to trailer trash upon first impression.

And that would just be a wikid shame.

Marry The Geeks

So if the old saying is true, "Be nice to the geeks in high school because one day they will probably be your boss," would it be WRONG to tell my daughter, "Honey, you can date the jocks while you're still young, but you want to marry the geeks."

Heck, geeks are chic! They even have their own fleet of pimped out, black and white "Geek Squad" Volkswagen's and are the savvy, technological superheroes who make house calls! The super geeks even make serious bank, like the dude who pioneered Facebook. With the dawn of the movie which tells the story of the mega-social networking-vehicle that changed the world, "The Social Network", which opens this Friday, Geek Chic, is certainly in the main stream.

Mark Zuckerberg, the whiz kid at the helm of Facebook, co-founded the billion dollar conglomerate from his Harvard dorm room on February 4, 2004. According to wiki":

"The idea for Facebook came from his days at Phillips Exeter Academy, which, like most colleges and prep schools, had a long-standing tradition of publishing an annual student directory with headshot photos of students, faculty and staff known as the "Facebook".

There are those who would disagree. Many of those, claim that Zuckerberg stole the idea for Facebook from them. Many who filed law suits and received multi-million dollar settlements. But the one thing they all agree on is the irony that Zuckerberg, who was known to be more than socially handicapped, created the vehicle that revolutionized the way people interact with one another, and the world. And it has made him a ridiculously wealthy man at the young age of 26.

Geek's tend to stick together too. Like the guy who co-created Napster, Sean Parker. Napster is arguably one of the reasons that record companies are no longer rolling in the dough, which arguably signaled a new era of how we buy and share music. After the Fed's shut down Napster, Parker went on to become VP of Facebook. See how geek attracts geek? Which leads me to the point of my post here, which is; geek is chic. I tell my daughter all the time: date the football players but marry the crew guys.

Seriously, and even though she looks like a mini-movie star and acts and sings like one too, she's got the brains and the grades to be a geek with the best of them. I tell her to embrace her inner geek. Who knows? She just could end up piloting her own media empire, all by her geeky, little self.

Pulling Out The Weeds

A few years ago I was sick with a terrible cold and left to bed for a few days. While channel surfing I discovered this thing on my cable system called On Demand. I quickly realized that I could watch full episodes of TV shows anytime I wanted. While scanning the menu I picked up on a show about a widow with two boys from a wealthy suburb, just in the throws of life after her husband had died. It was called Weeds. It chronicled the life of Nancy Botwin, a California housewife who was left in financial ruin by her husbands demise. Nancy, needing the steady flow of cash that it took to keep her idyllic suburban home running, teamed up with some ordinary people like herself and began running a successful pot dealing operation.

The show had me mesmerized. As you can imagine, being a pot dealer in suburban California, was never quite what it seemed. Nancy got herself into some sticky and dangerous situations and she got herself out of some dangerous and sticky situations. I have watched through 5 seasons of Nancy and her crazy family as they navigate through the life of a drug dealer. Tonite begins Season 6 of Weeds and I can't help wondering what will happen now that seemingly every bad thing that could happen to this crew has already happened. I wonder if the show jumped shark too long ago and I was just too "stoned" by the allure of the plot to notice.

But the show has yet to bore me. As a matter of fact it has done the complete opposite; it has shocked me and left me wanting more. Mary Louise Parker is the herione/villian, to which she plays to perfection, and her boys have grown into little villians in those past 5 years also. I am anxiously awaiting tonite's premier because I can't envision how this season could possibly play out. When we last left the Botwin's, Nancy had married a big Mexican drug cartel, politician man, who would have killed her but for the fact that she was pregnant with his son. So instead of killing her he married her.

Nancy's boys took to the family business like ducks to water. Her oldest boy, Silas, became a pot growing legend, creating his own chronic strain of dope and opened a medicinal marijuana joint only to be strong armed by some dirty cops. Younger brother Shane, we have watched morph from a young, super intelligent child who brilliantly helped the family navigate through a few on the run moments, to a school drug dealing, sex with 2 whore-y girls at once having, teacher threatening, killer. That would be Mr. Killer, because he successfully killed Nancy's nemesis in the season finale of Season 5.

So tonite begins the biggest pot of sh*t stew I have seen this crew in and I'm wondering where it will play out from here. The casting is superb, with Kevin Nealon, Elizabeth Perkins, Justin Kirk and a slew of shifty characters to round it out. If you haven't seen the show I highly recommend you start from the beginning seasons and work your way up to the present. You may find that you are just as enamored as I was. It certainly makes for interesting TV viewing, if nothing else.

I am cautiously optimistic about tonite's premier and looking foreward to getting caught up in the crazy drama of Weeds.

Blogaholics Anonymous

I'm a big fan of the TV show House. I watch it almost every Monday night and if I miss it, I record it so it's ready for me when I can watch it. Monday night was a typical crazy night, so I missed the episode and caught it last night.

Did anyone see Monday's episode? About the Blogger???

It was freakin ridiculous.

Seems Dr. House and his team's new patient was a "blogger". The show starts off with the woman on her computer typing on some pseudo-blogspot web site, a blog journal. The camera scrolls down as she is typing things like,"Ryan and I just had a fight. He's gone to bed and I am here typing."
Ryan (or whatever his name was) comes out and says to her, "Are you coming to bed or what?"
To which she replies some garbage about how 8 out of 10 commenter's on her blog think he is wrong. They then have a mini argument over how she wrote about the fight on her blog and what about their privacy and yada, yada, yada. She says, "I write about my life and my readers want the truth." Then she starts bleeding profusely from her mouth and her medical drama ensues.

If you don't watch the show, it usually takes place in the hospital and it usually takes House and his team the entire hour to figure out what's wrong with the patient. This story, "the blogger" hit way too close to home, so I was riveted. And I was embarrassed. For Hollywood. Cuz they so got this one all wrong. The first scene in the hospital is of the woman in her hospital bed with her laptop in her lap and a visitor with a laptop in her lap. She is writing her blog and the visitor is reading it. And we know this because they have just told the doctors as much.

Yeah right, like all bloggers live blog from the hospital...(so what if I did here, and here, that's not the point) Then the docs gave her some serious news and she has to make a choice on which course her medical treatment will take. So what does she do? Yup, you guessed it! She asks the bloggersphere what to do, and her boyfriend has a fit. Now I ask you-do any of you have a "problem" with obsessive blogging?? Have your loved ones told you you have changed since you started blogging? Do you consider your blog an integral part of your life, like you couldn't make a serious decision without checking in with the sphere? Do you over share the intimate details of your life with the world?

The story then takes this dramatic turn about how no one values privacy in our society anymore because we are sharing everything on the Internet. The boyfriend even goes as far as to tell the blogger that their lives have been turned into a performance, a show, because she shares everything. Really? Are we that stereotypical? Just because some enjoy the creative process of writing something, anything, everyday to share with whomever decides to read it does that make them "blog-a-holics"? Are we obsessed with sharing every intimate detail for the purpose of validation from a bunch of "strangers"? Cuz that's what the show was aiming for.

Hey Hollywood, save the drama for your dramas! And that's just what this was, a drama. Not real life and not true. I have been on both sides of the blogger dilemma, too much time/not enough time, and I can tell you that most bloggers blog for the love of the written word and sharing it with a few who love it just as much as they do. It's great when you connect with some great people and yes, when you ask for their advice and they give it to you. It's nice to know you've got a blogger friend and even a small blogger family, but most of us are not addicted to posting. And most of us are scrambling to fit blogging into our lives. Get real Hollywood. Unless a blogger is making some serious bank blogging daily, you can bet that it's just a fun pastime for most and a body of work they can be proud of. Do you agree?

Now if Showtime would just come and option my blog for a mini-series, I'll get as intimate as they want. For the benefit of the art, of course.