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February 28, 2005
Oscars© Rundown:
ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
Jamie Foxx
RAY
ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Morgan Freeman
MILLION DOLLAR BABY
ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE
Hilary Swank
MILLION DOLLAR BABY
ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Cate Blanchett
THE AVIATOR
BEST PICTURE
MILLION DOLLAR BABY
Clint Eastwood, Albert S. Ruddy and Tom Rosenberg
The Ceremony: Accepting awards in the isles has got to be demeaning and I liked Chris Rock's joke about how next year they will give awards out in the parking lot. What about all those people that lost but had to go up on stage while the names were called? That has got to be really horrible. I understand they did that to save time. What was with all those empty seats?? Did people just not show up or is no one really interested in the Oscars anymore?
Fashion: I feel like none of the men were dressed correctly. A few men weren't wearing ties and there was that tuxedo jacket with straight tie situation that really took a lot of the glamour out of the awards this year. I like the really nice tuxedo'd men and the gowns on the ladies. I think this was ruined last year when Peter Jackson showed up as a complete mess. What happened to the class and old school Hollywood glamour? It's totally lost.Rant: This is susposed to be an elitist event. Yes, it's classist and probably politically incorrect but these people are on parade for us to see and judge them! It's a compeition! Maybe next year people will spend a little more of their money on the production of the awards show and a little less on the gift baskets. thanks girlhacker
- A Krups kitchen set including a toaster, electric kettle and a year's supply of coffee and tea ($700)
- A two-night stay at The Carlyle hotel in New York ($2,300)
- A red leather case full of Shu Uemura cosmetics, including mink eyelashes ($600) A DuWop cosmetic kit filled with a selection of products and a gift certificate for a session with a Cloutier makeup artist. ($740)
- A year's supply of Vonage broadband phone service ($500)
- A Sprint PCS Phone from Samsung
- A three-night stay for two at Palmetto Bluff Resort in South Carolina ($3,600)
- A two-night stay for two at Bernardus Lodge in Carmel Valley, CA($2,500)
- A three-night stay for two at St. Regis Monarch Beach Resort & Spa in Dana Point, CA (includes personal "surf butler") ($5,900)
- A dinner party at Morton's, The Steakhouse ($1,500)
- Kay Unger cashmere pajama bottoms ($500)
- An assortment of Manni Oils' extra virgin olive oil ($540)
- One day of services at Cornelia Day Resort in Manhattan ($3,500)
- A three-night stay at San Ysidro Ranch in Montecito, Calif. ($3,000)
- An 18-inch baroque Tahitian pearl necklace from PearlParadise.com ($3,200)
- A Dyson DC11 canister vacuum
- A T3 Tourmaline Hairdryer "100% crushed tourmaline gemstones infused into patented T3 components give it more ionic power than any other dryer" ($200)
- iXi collapsible bike ($1,289)
- Two nights in a Bellagio suite and Two therapies at Spa & Salon Bellagio and Dinner for two at Sensi Restaurant and Dessert at Jean-Phillipe Patisserie and Two tickets to "O" and a $1,000 shopping spree for Jurlique products
- "A Catherine Original" jewelry by Cathy Jordan: sterling silver choker/bracelet/earring sets made of pearls and Bali beads ($500)
- Mr. Handyman gift certificate redeemable for one full day of Mr. Handyman service, presented in a confetti-filled paint can with an upscale black, red and gold design featuring the Mr. Handyman logo. The lid's label reads, "Your Handyman is Inside."
- From Portland's Moonstruck Chocolate Co, 15 handcrafted truffles in a hand made Thai Silk Truffle Box and a certificate for a year's worth of chocolate.
- $10,000 package for a three-night stay at the Opus Hotel in Vancouver, three nights at the Four Seasons Resort in Whistler, lift passes, helicopter transfers, limo transfers, numerous meals, Pilates session, spa treatments, and two OXIA oxygen personal canisters
New Nickle: The new design will be of President Jefferson still but this time a little sharper and close-cropped. The back of the nickel will be either a buffalo roaming the wild suburbs of our great nation or the coast line with the words, "Ocean in view! O! The Joy!" inscribed. Those words are from the journal of William Clark, who wrote down his emotions upon reaching the mouth of the Columbia river. Coin collectors, the geeks that they are, might immediately see a problem: The words on the coin are not precisely what Clark wrote. In his journal, Clark spells it "Ocian," with an 'i.' Now isn't that the most interesting thing you've ever heard? I knew it was. *snort*
SAVE TOBY: malibu sent me this today.
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February 25, 2005
♥F-R-I-D-A-Y♥
XANAX is a palindrome
9 peacekeepers killed in Congo
Binge-drinking (in the U.K.) blamed for rise in rapes
"He wanted to leave on top of his game. I wish I could have been more supportive of his decision," Hunter S. Thompson's widow said. "It was a problem for us." Thompson killed himself while on the phone with his wife with his son, daughter-in-law and 6-year-old grandson in the house. His ashes may end up being cannon fodder.
Drug Companies Seen As 'Villain' In Rising Health Costs (We need a poll for that?)
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February 24, 2005
I'm busy, girl: Today I'm a little busy at the office so I won't be able to post anything quite yet. I have a few projects that are coming to a head so .. you know how it is. For now go check out DEVA, the female fronted DEVO cover band, I think they have another show coming up and they are playing with another cover band, Violator, the all-girl Depeche Mode cover band. And drop by Rififi tonight where the old, new DJs "Secret Squares" will be spinning all night. Brit pop, 80s and disco. my fotolog - back to top - home
February 23, 2005
Pope calls gays "evil": Did you know that Karol Józef Wojtyla better known as Pope John Paul II, is the first non-Italian pope in 455 years and the first pope of Slavic origin in the history of the Church? I didn't know that either. The Pope calls gay marriage "a new ideology of evil" in his new book which sounds a lot like "the axis of evil" only more religious. You know what's evil? Calling people evil.
Finding God and music news: Korn guitarist Brian "Head" Welch has parted ways with the hard rock band citing a recent "religious awakening." Welch will appear at a church in Bakersfield to explain how he "got to this place in life". Moby shows his true colors in his new song "Beautiful" where the lyrics ("I love you, baby/Look at us, we're beautiful") poke fun at MTV 'Newlyweds' celebrities Nick Lachey and Jessica Simpson. "As I was writing it, I was thinking of two not very bright celebrities singing it to each other," he said. "I had this vision of Nick and Jessica sitting around just in awe of how beautiful they are." Sounds a lot like the scene at his tea restaurant in the Lower East Side.
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February 22, 2005
Earthquake rocks Iran, 270 people dead: A 6.4 magnitude earthquake hit Iran killing 270 and injuring over 950. The quake was centered in the city of Zarand which has a population of about 135,000. The Iranian government declared Wednesday a national day of mourning. The quake struck at about 5:55 a.m. local time (9:25 p.m. Monday ET). Literary Suicide: Hunter S. Thompson, the author who became an "anti-establishment" icon with his 1972 book "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas," fatally shot himself in the head at his home outside Aspen, Colorado, Sunday night. He was 67.
Iraq's next Prime Minister almost certain: Ibrahim al-Jaafari, a leader of the Islamic Daawa Party, is almost certain to win the post of Prime Minister in Iraq. The Islamic Daawa Party is one of Iraq's main Shi'ite parties. The IDP began in the 1950's by a group of Shi'ite leaders. It was created to "combat atheistic communism and Baathist Arab socialism" which were then very real situations in Iraq. Saddam Hussein, once the subject of a planned assasination by the Daawa party, was a member of the Ba'ath Party, which "espoused secular pan-Arabism, economic modernization, and socialism". It seems the political landscape of Iraq is about to take a complete 180º.
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February 18, 2005
It's Friday and NO WORK MONDAY!!
President's Day weekend! The first day off in over a month. Enjoy yourself!
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February 17, 2005
Internet access over electric lines: I heard about this on a news program awhile back. The FCC recently agreed to allow internet companies and electric companies start working on getting internet flowing with electical wires. One day soon, getting a broadband connection at home could be as easy as plugging a cord into an electrical outlet in the wall. This is how that would work:
Because electricity courses over just the low-frequency portions of power lines, there's room for data to stream over higher frequencies. For years, utilities have sent basic network-maintenance data across their lines at relatively low data rates. Now, by installing more sophisticated computer chips into the network, they can send and receive fast data streams for more high-bandwidth applications, such as real-time, always-on meter reading. (Say good-bye to the friendly meter reader.) And for the first time they can offer new customer services, such as voice-over-Internet or even video on demand.
Oooooh. Think of the computer viruses you can get from that!
The "Gates".. from hell: Let's go over the "Gates" that are in Central Park. I think they are dumb. They are dirty because of the pollution and wet because of the rain. There have been instances of graffiti on them which I think is awesome. (see right). I am sure some woman in Connecticut is saying at a cocktail party, "See Madge, I told you New Yorkers wouldn't appreciate this. They are such neanderthals!" Most of the media is calling it "beautiful" which I can wholeheartedly disagree on. They are not beautiful. I am happy that they have brought about $100 million to the city. I do agree with people who do such things on a large scale - "for humanity". The reality of it all is that we are at war in Iraq (and probably about to attack Iran), there are people dying of disease in South Asia from the tsunami and Mayor Bloomberg is going to have a stroke if he doesn't get his way with the damn west side stadium (Have you noticed the advertising campaign for that thing?? It doesn't even exist yet and you'd think it's already there). The "Gates" have changed nothing. They may have effected 2 of 10 people who have visited them. New York is not a showcase for your art. I think it's making people think that this is a nice place to live and work- well, I know from experience, It's not. Go home. Stop clogging up my subway, stop littering in my park, stop eating at TGI Fridays and Olive Garden and for god sakes.. STOP COMING TO TIMES SQUARE! How'd they do that? Today I'm going to be searching for an answer to: "How do they make baby carrots?" Malibu once went over the process for us by saying that they take a bunch of carrots and put them in this metal thing and spin it around. That's why some are larger than others and that's how they get their shape. It's since been a debate with me and the Secretary of Spousal Affairs. This is what I found from the Reno-Gazette Journal:
"The "baby" carrots we buy in the supermarket are not really babies but a variety bred to ripen faster and grow longer so that they can be peeled and cut into three pieces. These "baby" carrots contain only about 70 percent as much beta carotene by weight as regular carrots because the older the carrot when harvested, the more beta carotene it contains."
That gives us half the answer. I'm not sure how they are actually produced. Anyone have any ideas?
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February 16, 2005
Metro Natrual Gas = Trés Expensive: Winter gas bills are coming out and I'm feeling the sting of the higher gas prices. Keyspan bills every two months for gas charges around Brooklyn, Long Island and some parts of New Hampsire. During the winter months of December and January I personally used 351 therms. Presently the cost of gas in New York is $0.89320/therm. Gas delivery is a little more complicated but it's basically the first 24 therms is $.7665/therm the second 72 therms is $.6020/therm and the next 250 therms is $.4617/therm. You see, they give you a little discount as you use more and more natural gas. My point is that I've been charged $199.94 for natural gas delivery and $313.51 for the actual fuel for 62 days of heat, hot water and cooking heat. That's around $535.00 with state and federal taxes. For those of you with heat included in your apartment's rent you should be feeling very grateful to your landlords at this point. I'm considering getting an electric heater in the next couple of months to balance the costs. The good news in all this is I can pay a flat fee ($147) for the whole year (which they check and will adjust according to your usage every 3 months - this is called "level billing") and I won't get huge $535 gas bills. Looks like I'm not going to afford cable next year. my fotolog - back to top - home
February 15, 2005
Visiting the President - be back tomorrow
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February 14, 2005
♥ Happy Valentine's Day! ♥
Cards, chocolates, romantic dinners, candy with witty comments on them, flowers.. once again it's Valentine's day. Valentine's day is the holiday that we've made up to go with the word we attach to the feelings we get when we are with those we care about. Love. Here's a short history of Valentine's day.
Friends star Matthew Perry has a seziure: I learned over at Pagesixsixsix.com (new design you should check out) that Matthew Perry was admitted to the hospital this week because he was suffering a seizure after taking prescription drugs. Perry was in rehab a couple times for his addiction to vicodin. Vicodin, which is part narcotic, part acetaminophen, is one of the country's most popular painkillers used by famous people like Courtney Love, Eminem, Brett Favre and Cindy McCain. Vicodin is sold over the counter in Mexico.
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February 10, 2005
It's f♥cking Friday!
Ikea Riot!! Five people are in hospital today after hundreds were crushed as the opening of England's biggest Ikea store turned into a riot. Security guards said they were put "under siege" by customers who attacked them, leaving one guard with a dislocated jaw.
Baby thrown from moving vehicle.. survives! A newborn baby boy who was tossed from a moving vehicle Thursday in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, is in remarkably good shape, authorities say. Besides being very pink, the baby doesn't have any scratches or bruises. "The baby had a plastic bag over its head," said Broward County Sheriff Ken Jenne, "a plastic bag like from a food store ... wrapped around the head of the baby." That quote.. is like, amazing! He said the umbilical cord was still attached. In my personal opinion we're going to be seeing more and more of this kind of thing as society slowly outs abortion.
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February 10, 2005
Product Review - Tide© with a touch of Downey©: Up until I was about 10 years old, my mom used to do my laundry (obvs). When she did my laundry it would come out smelling fantastic and have no static cling. I knew this because I wouldn't get little electrical shocks when I walked around on our wall to wall carpeting and sat down to play with my Nintendo (Karate Champ was my favorite game). What I learned as I got older was that the fantastic smell was in fact, Downey fabric softener. I love the smell of Downey. It has this freshness to it. But I've always found it a bother to put the fabric softener in after the washer had started. Now all my prayers have been answered and my favorite detergent Tide comes with a *touch* of Downey!! I bought the product at the Bargain Bizarre ($8.99 for a 200 oz) last weekend and did a load of laundry and I am very pleased. My clothes are not too conditioned so that they have a greasy feel but they are conditioned with the perfect "softness level"... and I smell fantastic. SO there!
Corey Feldman gets all up in the Michael Jackson case: Not sure how this all happened but somehow Corey Feldman, known for his roles in our favorite childhood movies "Gremlins," "The Goonies" and "Stand by Me," is speaking out about his relationship with Michael Jackson. You see, when Corey was a young boy he used to hang out with Michael Jackson and his pet monkey. The reason I remember this so vividly is because I remember wanting to be Michael's friend at the time. "I started looking at each piece of information, and with that came this sickening realization that there have been many occurrences in my life and in my relationship to Michael that have created a question of doubt," Corey states in an exclusive interview with "20/20's" Martin Bashir. You can watch Martin Bashir's exclusive interview with Corey Feldman on "20/20" this Friday at 10 p.m. ET. Maybe Corey will come out and tell us all why he is coming out so late in the game? Is it the money or does he need work? I'm taking bets now. Look here for a cool artists rendition of how Michael Jackson would REALLY look if he didn't get all that plastic surgery.
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February 9, 2005
Iran... you're next!: Just days after saying that the question of using military force against the Tehran regime "is simply not on the agenda at this point in time", Condoleezza Rice said today that Iran must live up to its international "obligations" to halt its nuclear program or "the next steps are in the offing." "And I think everybody understands what the 'next steps' mean," Rice told reporters after a meeting with NATO foreign ministers and European Union officials. What does that mean Condolee? Rice threatened to tell the U.N. Security Council on Iran which were the first steps before we invaded Iraq. I think they figure it'd be cheaper to keep the soldiers in the middle east for another war instead of flying them home. Those in the Bush administration say that this is just intended as "chatter" to get Iran to do our bidding. Remember: Israelis still hates Iranians. [jer]
Weight Watchers recipe cards from 1974: Malibu sent me a nice treat this morning. Weight Watchers recipe cards from 1974. What is so funny about that? Well first of all there are dishes called "Frankfurter Spectacular" and the "Chilled Celery Log". The "Frankfurter Spectacular" (left) is a pinapple that is circled by a halved hotdog. Each of these recipes have some sort of paste on them and they all have onion flakes. Who would have thought that by eating something called "Frankfurter Spectacular" you could lose a few pounds? Click here to start the tour.
Movie Review: my fotolog - back to top - home
February 8, 2005
PEEK-A-BOO!!! Come to LIT on Friday, February 11th and get all freaky with DEVA! The line up includes: 9 PM - Shirt; 10 PM - The Creamsicles; 11 PM - DEVA... playing all of your favorite DEVO songs!
LIT LOUNGE
93 Second Avenue / downstairs
$5.00 cover
21 and over
New Chapter: Condoleezza Rice has decided that everything will be ok. She'd like to send the message: Hey, let's have peace between ourselves. We're all European afterall. It's "time to turn away from the disagreements of the past." Imagine this: you're in the school yard at recess... the biggest, meanest bully who's been bullying you all year comes over and says "hey, let's forget what happened in the past. I'd like to be your friend. Would you like a piece of this gum?".. what's your first reaction? If you say, "Take the gum" you are in for a very big surprise.
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February 7, 2005
J-Lo's engagement ring 4/S: The engagement ring Ben Affleck bought for Jennifer Lopez is now up for sale. The 6.1-carat pink diamond ring has been "re-acquired" by Harry Winston and is again on sale but the price was available only to serious buyers. Lopez reportedly returned the $1.2 million solitaire to Affleck -- who bought the ring in 2002 -- when they split at the beginning of last year, reports IMDb.com. Lopez went on to marry salsa star Marc Anthony in June, while Affleck is enjoying a romance with his Daredevil co-star Jennifer Garner.
Ellen given wedding ring: Portia De Rossi has given comedienne Ellen DeGeneres a Tiffany wedding ring and bought herself a matching band to symbolise their commitment. Meanwhile, De Rossi is having laser treatment to remove a tattoo of the initials "FG" from her wedding finger, which was meant to signify her devotion to former partner Gregorini.
Man recovers wedding ring from sailor fish: On Dec. 28, 2002, Eric Bartos, fishing with two friends, caught a sailfish off Fort Lauderdale. Bartos was in a melancholy mood because he was on the verge of a bitter divorce. In a symbolic act of closure, his friends persuaded him to slip his gold wedding band over the bill of the fish before he released it. His friend, Jamie Artzt, took a picture before they released the fish. Two weeks ago, the three buddies were fishing again. Finally, late in a fishing competition they got a bite. As Bartos reeled in a sailfish, Blake Liebeskind noticed something shiny on its beak. "Oh my gosh!" he shouted. "It's the ring fish." - I think he may have had something like "Holy Shit!". Twenty-five months later, the ring was still on the fish's bill. Bartos decided to remove the ring and keep it. They set the fish free. I saw him this morning on television and he wondered why he wasn't getting the press he thought he deserved and at the end of the segment said "watch eBay.com!". Sounds fishy. He passed lie detector tests.
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February 4, 2005
F-F-F-FRIDAY!!
The best news comes last!
New York Court Rules Gays Must Be Allowed To Marry
The cover: On the left is the cover of the new issue of The Nation. You can click on it to enlarge.
Jet missing: A search and rescue operation has been launched for an Afghan passenger jet with 104 people aboard that went missing during a snow storm a day earlier. The last time it was seen on radar was when it was about 3.1 miles from Kabul. Wonder where it could be?
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February 3, 2005
Courtney, Courtney, Courtney: Many of you may know her from her famous days as the wife of a famous indie rocker who killed himself with a .22 to his head. Those of you who really know her probably know that she was in a famous band called Hole. She used to be very thin now she is a little chubby and I am beginning to think that someone is impersonating her. This is NOT the real Courtney Love. The real Courtney is somewhere with her daughter singing ballads. This, my friends, is an impostor! [via pagesixsixsix]
Brilliant! Please check out this animated soap opera if only the first 5 seconds. It's rated R but it's brilliant! From Perez Hilton of Pagesixsixsix who I think you'll be hearing more of in the very near future.
Please: "Please God ... let the Eagles win the Superbowl, Amen."
Hopstop.com: My Aunt Brenda just told me about this website that gives you directions to any loction in the New York city area via subway, buses or by walking in any bourough. Neat!
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February 2, 2005
(groundhog's day)
The Trouble With the West 43rd Street Deli: I was dicouraged this morning when I walked into a deli – which also seats people in a diner type environment in the back – when I asked for two pieces of wheat toast with peanut butter. The russian woman behind the counter cackled at me and said "we have no 'peanut butter'" as if it didn't exist in her reality. What is so funny about peanut butter and why do you think I'm crazy for asking for such a delicious spread on my bread. There are certainly worse things to spread on toast like, for instance, thick chicken liver paté. On reflection I should have just made my toast at home with my organic, all natural peanut butter that, "Needs sugar" according to Jeremy.
U.S. hostage is really a toy: A picture posted on an Islamic website appears to be that of an action figure and not a U.S. soldier being held hostage. A group calling itself the Al Mujahedeen Brigade, posted a photograph of a man it claimed was a captured U.S. soldier named John Adam, and it threatened to behead him if Iraqi prisoners are not released by U.S. forces. Military analyst James Marks, questioned its authenticity saying that the flak jacket in the picture had a kind of trim along the edges that he'd never seen before, and that the open-legged pants, as opposed to gathered hems, struck him as odd. I'm under the impression that the average age of the "Al Mujahedeen Brigade" is 14. 
The rodent says it all: Punxsutawney Phil, the groundhog, predicts 6 more weeks of winter after he sees his shadow, tries to scratch the hell out of "official Groundhog Handler Bill Deeley", and runs back into his den. Does anyone think that maybe the groundhog is tired of being abused and is now so afraid of humans he spends EVERY WAKING MOMENT IN THAT HOLE. Pennsylvania needs a new mascot. There are whispers this year that Punxsutawney Phil may be gay.
Update: Staten Island Chuck did not see his shadow. NOW WHAT DO WE BELIEVE!!?
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February 1, 2005
Miami Vice ... the movie! I was just looking up things that Jamie Foxx has done besides "Ray" to figure out why he doesn't really "do it" for me as an actor. I watched "Ray" last night and it was horrible. The acting was awful and the only reason I got the chills was because they would play Ray Charles songs. Back to Miami Vice the movie... did you know that Jamie Foxx will be "Tubbs" and Colin Farrel will be "Sonny". That's the funniest thing I've ever heard.
Lower East Side killer, caught: The teenager who killed Nicole DuFresne in the Lower East Side last weekend has been caught by the New York City police. Rudy Fleming, 19, "was whining like a little girl," a law-enforcement source scoffed. "I don't feel good," the hood complained, lolling his head and pretending to be dizzy as detectives tried to question him. Fleming was released from prison on parole last June after serving more than two years for pointing a gun at four cops who had picked him up for truancy in 2001.
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