What Do OJ and Obama Have in Common?

If you haven't heard by now, OJ Simpson was sentenced to up to 33 years in prison for robbery and such. ...Makes me think: oh how the racial tide has turned. Back in 1995, black Americans across the country cheered at a black man being acquitted for butchering his white wife. And just over a decade later, a black man becomes president and OJ is put behind bars. Karma (and justice) work in mysterious ways, right?

So what do OJ and Obama have in common (aside from the obvious)? Well, they are both litmus tests for racial progress. Once it became okay for white people to put a black man in the white house, it became okay for black people to put OJ in prison. And in terms of harmony and balance, well, they were hanging out with karma and justice, and they all said to each other, "Obama in the white house and OJ on a golf course? That can't be right."

And So They Break Our Hearts...Again

On a sadder note, this week's UsWeekly recently reported that Rachel McAdams and Ryan Gosling have, once again, split up. *Tear. *And a special tear for Canada. Good thing I saw the Notebook again during the few months they were back together. It's just that much sappier that way.

Finally! A RealityTVPseudoCelebrity Spotting

I'm a bit obsessed with celebrities, so I'm always on the lookout for them. Unfortunately, I have a funny knack for never spotting them. The problem in New York City is that they look just like your average, ordinary folk, just walking down the street...especially when it gets cold and everyone's bundled up and red-nosed. At least in L.A., when you see a regular-looking, skimpily-dressed girl walking down the street, but she happens to be swamped by photographers, you know she must be famous. Here, celebrities probably squeek past me on the street regularly, and I would never even know it.

Well, I think my curse may have been broken today! I could've sworn I saw McKey from America's Next Top Model Cycle 11 walking into a Starbucks on 56th St. this morning, as I was walking out of it. I did a double take, and I'm pretty sure it was her, as she has rather distinct facial features and she's obviously freakishly tall.

Okay, okay -- so she's not much of a celebrity. But what's really cool about today's realitytvceleb-spotting is that now, I have a reason to predict that McKey will win tonight's finale. (Okay, so she's kind of a shoe-in to begin with, but....) What does McKey walking out of a Starbucks in NYC have to do with her winning ANTM, you ask? Well, we ANTM fans all know that once you win ANTM you move to NYC, of course. Where else would you possibly go if Tyra Banks crowned you as being model fabulous (but not nearly as fabulous as Tyra herself)? Duh!

2012: A Political Prophecy

I keep hearing newsbits about Sarah Palin running in 2012. First off, if you didn't get a chance to see this before Election Day, apparently now is as good a time as ever to visit: http://www.palinaspresident.us/never/index.html. But seriously...Palin in 2012? When did the Republic Party get hijacked by the religious right? Okay, okay - so we know the answer to that one. Perhaps the question is why did the Republican Party get hijacked by the religious right? ...Because isn't it strange that such a thing would happen during the best economic times known to man? Was it September 11th that turned things backwards?

One thing's for sure: the Bible-thumping will only get worse when economic times are bad. As such, I feel a major rift coming on in the Republican Party. I, for one, am not hopeful for 2012. Perhaps it really is time for us Giuliani-philes to seriously explore shacking it up with those wacky Libertarians. ...They seem like the sane ones, comparatively speaking.

Sorry, but I AM a Miranda

So here's some more proof that I am, indeed, a Miranda: I have not had time to post on this blog since September because I was so busy at my big law firm job. Things have calmed down a bit now, so back to my musings.

Lifestyles of the Rich and Bratty

The CW got a head start on the Fall's season's premieres, giving teeny boppers and teeny bopper wannabes alike something to watch, while we awaited the season's more meaty shows from the grown-up networks. Here's my take on the three CW shows I'm watching, which (coincidentally?) share one common theme of: "Don't you wish you were this filthy rich? Ha ha, oh but you're not! Sucks to be you!" (I'm likewise -- coincidentally or not -- eagerly awaiting the season premiere of Dirty, Sexy Money...but that's a totally different future post.)

Gossip Girl: No matter what the writers throw at me with this one, I'll keep watching. It's like a train wreck on a glamorous fashion runway, and I just can't get enough. Right now, I'm torn between wanting Serena and Dan together v. wanting to see more of the old, bad-girl Serena. I think the latter will prove much more entertaining. (And anyway, who needs Serena and Dan together on TV when you can see the actors who play them holding hands in weekly tabloid pics?) I'm also hating on Vanessa right now for being so naive and stupid (with telling the Duke about his wife's affair with her stepson). Nevertheless, I would like to see the relationship between Vanessa and Nate develop. I love seeing the rich boy falls in love with poor girl plot. It gives us girls hope.

90210: I've been concerned that this one won't survive. Watching this remake made me remember just how cheesy the original was (with a clear lesson learned from each episode's teenage angst story -- i.e., don't do drugs, don't have sex) which made me realize how difficult it will be to remake such a show nowadays, when the competition is shows like Gossip Girl, which provide excellent entertainment without no societal benefit whatsoever (my...how far we've come since the innocent days of shows like Dawson's Creek). The new 90210 has been trying to walk a fine line between Gossip Girl and the 90210 of days yore, with the more recent episodes being better than the first. I think the show has great potential, if done right...let's hope they can make it happen.

Privileged: I thought I liked this one...until I saw the second and third episodes, which just draaagged. They have to pick up the pace with this one. I'm already quite sick of the evil (but is she?) sister v. the angelic (but is she?) tutor plotline. Can we get on with it and get to something juicier happening? Something's missing with this show, and I hope they can fix it fast. I can only hold out for a handful more episodes.

Project Boring

Is it me, or is Project Runway just not so great anymore? While I still get excited every Wednesday to hear Tim Gunn's critiques and Heidi Klum's catch phrases, I find myself just not that into the contestants, or their fashions, for the most part. In fact, I can't say that I'm rooting for anyone. At the same time, I can honestly say that nearly every one of the contestants has annoyed me ... and those two blond Christian Siriano wannabes, Blayne and Suede, in particular. (And, for some reason, I constantly get those two guys confused.) All in all, the challenges are eh. The contestants are blah. And the fashions are okay. Perhaps the biggest problem of the show is that it's already been done ... four times. My prediction: Next season's switch to Lifetime will either kill the show or bring some new life into it. Either way, nothing's as bad as the slow death its dying right now on Bravo.

A Handy Guide to Our Favorite TV Shows

I know I've been really bad about writing, but with vacation and work, it's been hard to keep up. (Sorry.) Anyway, I've been meaning to post about a bunch of great topics that deserve posts, so hang in there...I promise I will do so very soon. In the meantime, I had to inform everyone about this handy-dandy calendar that TVGuide has created for all those TV fanatics out there (like me), to make sure we don't miss any fall premieres. Check out http://www.tvguide.com/special/fall-preview-2008/calendar.aspx and you won't be disappointed. I have the printed version hanging on my refrigerator. Seriously.

Targeted Musing About Something

On a more serious note, is anyone else concernced that the Russians are rolling in their tanks and taking over a sovereign, pro-west, democratic country (Georgia), while the U.N., as usual, is wrangling over the perfect words to use in a proposed resolution that will be vetoed by Russia anyway? This debacle in history is proving that 1) the Russians are too proud to ever live under democratic, peaceful rule; 2) in the post-Cold War era, with the European Union stronger than ever, the U.S. is no longer the superpower that it likes to still think it is (after all, France's Sarkozy is actively leading the mediation efforts with Russia on behalf of the E.U., while Condoleezza Rice is sitting in D.C., waiting for the phone to ring); and 3) Ukraine is probably next. Hmm...very reminiscent of the first half of the 20th century, don't you think? ...And just when we thought all we had to worry about were those darn Arabs.

Whew.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/29/science/29tier.html?em&ex=1217563200&en=4dbf31d7328e09a3&ei=5087%0A

Obama-mania Update: Obama to Rid World of Nuclear Weapons

Obama announced today that two goals of his administration would be to secure all loose nuclear material and to rid the world of nuclear weapons. I'm not making it up. See http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/politics/sns-ap-obama,0,5575263.story.

. . . Really? I would think that someone in the Obama camp would be familiar with post-WWII 20th century history or political science or common sense. But, I guess maybe you need a combination of all three to understand the silliness of Obama's statement.

Maybe Bono should run for president -- that way, we can finally get world peace. Oh, wait, Bono's British [correction: Irish]. Oh well, I guess Obama it is. Let's hold hands and sing as we go to the polls.

902010, Baby!

If there's one show I'm totally psyched to see this fall (well, I'm psyched about a lot of shows but that's another post...) it has to be the remake of 90210. A lot of people are booing the concept of this remake, but I'm welcoming it with open arms. How great will it be to relive one of the best shows ever made, but with an updated wardrobe and vocabulary, modern promiscuity, and all in HD? I can't wait! What do you think?

As for the juicy gossip of which of our old Beverly High friends will appear in the first few episodes, rumor has it that Shannen Doherty and Jennie Garth are in, but Tori Spelling is out (for personal reasons). I'm sure that the producers will also save some surprise cameo appearances as the show continues.

My prediction is that this show will be a huge hit...way bigger than the OC ever was. After all, 90210 ain't never broke (the show simply had to end because the kids grew up and started to all look the age of Andrea Zuckerman circa high school -- wait, I think that's how old I look now) ... so no reason to fix it. All it needs is a nice 2008 makeover a la Gossip Girl. ...Now if they'd only remake Melrose Place....

Kids, Don't Try This At Home.

These are actual signs I saw in a subway car. Apparently, the MTA has run out of ideas but never runs out of idiotic ways to spend money.

...Kids, don't take joyrides on the outside of subway cars. Only you can prevent forest fires.

The Celebrity Treatment (aka You Can't Make This Kind of Stuff Up)

I go to the Equinox gym in Columbus Circle. It's a huge and airy place, and it's considered to be one of the poshest gyms in Manhattan (certainly not the cheapest). And upon entering the gym, one passes a locked door to what appears to be an inner, secret room (see picture on left). From my investigation (basically my peaking through some glass areas around the pool and above the door that let you see part of this "inner" area), this is a secret (presumably celebrity) gym (see picture below of what my camera saw through the glass above this door).

And right by the locked door leading into this secret gym is a wall-mounted contraption that looks like one of those Sharper Image wall-mounted CD players (see picture of door above and pictures of the contraption itself below). ...But, get this -- it's actually an eye scan. Yes, an eye scan! As in, futuristic Star Trek wannabe eye scan!

Of course, I'm not creative enough to come up with an eye-scan conspiracy theory by myself. Leave that one to the hubby. He's been talking about it since we started going to the gym, and I was sceptical that there could possibly be such a thing at our gym. That is, until I stopped in front of the mysterious "eye-scan" and put my own eye to it. It immediately began blinking a green laser, trying to scan my eye (see picture below of my finger in front of it)! That's when I was convinced the theory had to be true and started telling the story at cocktail parties.

What's amazing is that the theory was finally confirmed the other day when, as I was leaving the gym, I actually saw someone walk up to the eye scan and put his eye to it only to have the secret door open! Of course, you're thinking (as I was), who was that guy??? I don't know; he was bummy and I didn't have my glasses on. But I can assure you that I will be bringing my glasses to the gym from now on and stalking the secret eye-scanning entryway until I spot my very own celebrity. ...You really can't make this stuff up. I will keep you posted.

Holy Morons, Batman!

"Two men, one a practiced French stuntman known for climbing tall buildings, the other a New Yorker who said he wanted to raise awareness of the dangers of malaria, scaled the 52-story New York Times Building in Times Square on Thursday just hours apart. Each was arrested when he stepped safely onto the roof." http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/06/nyregion/06climber.html?_r=1&oref=slogin What else is new?

THE Sex and the City Movie Post

If you couldn't tell by my name, I am a huge Sex and the City fan. I think it's safe to say that it's my favorite show, as I have seen, re-seen, and over-analyzed every episode ever made. So, like almost every other girl out there, I was way psyched about seeing the movie. I made a night of it -- fine NY sushi, cosmos at a Manhattan rooftop lounge, and then an evening showing at the Lincoln Center AMC. And let me tell you -- I have never seen so many girls in one, packed movie theatre before. It was like the antithesis of seeing Ironman (and apparently I'm not the first to compare -- very cleverly -- the two, see http://nymag.com/daily/entertainment/2008/06/sex_and_the_city_box_office_ex.html).

Okay, so make room for spoilers galore here -- meaning, if you haven't seen the fabulous Sex and the City movie yet, then 1) what's wrong with you?, and 2) you should stop reading this post now if you don't want to ruin it for yourself.

The movie is looong, and it feels long (in a good Sex and the City marathon way, though). And when closing credits rolled, I had many mixed thoughts. For one, why couldn't they have come up with something more original than "Carrie and Big break up again?" And did Samantha really have to break up with Smith?? And did they really have to make Steve's lovable character a cheater??? Something just didn't sit well with me about the movie immediately after it ended. But then, I had some time to absorb it, discuss it, and understand why they did the things they did.

As for the main plot, I expected something more than just another break-up. I was really waiting for Big to finally have that heart attack. But after I left the theatre and had time to think about it, I realized that because the whole show (from episode 1) is really based around the love story between Carrie and Big -- how quirky they are and how perfect they are for each other -- it made sense that the movie plot would revolve around Carrie missing the "big" picture (pun intended) and losing herself (again) in planning their wedding and life together. The wedding charade that unfolded wasn't "Carrie," and contradicted the show's main idea of Carrie being true to herself. After all, Carrie would have never picked out that pouffy wedding dress on her own (remember the Aidan wedding dress rash?). As I thought more and more about the concept of the movie from this perspective, I appreciated the plot more and more: Carrie stays true to herself through Big, rather than losing herself like she had with Petrovsky.

And what about Smith and Samantha? Well, I'm still somewhat torn on this one, but I can understand that, ultimately, Samantha is the type of character that needs to be free. She is the quintessential single girl, and while it was nice to see her find love, it's understandable that she lost herself in that, as well. Not every woman ends up with someone, and of the four girls, Samantha was the perfect one to stay single. After all, someone had to end up being the role model for all those 50-something women who are making it on their own out there with a dog or 10 cats.

Now for Steve. It broke my heart that Steve cheated on Miranda (maybe because I relate to Miranda so much that I married a Steve myself). And I think the fact that this plot line was so powerful that it broke my heart and made me feel so much, while forcing me to root for Miranda and Steve to still work it out (because Steve is such a good guy), proves that this was a good story. I'm mad at Steve (and the hubby got a talking to because of it), but I forgave Steve and I'm glad Miranda did too.

So I guess that's it. ...But I am quite sure the girls aren't done playing with our hearts. I am certain we'll see another installment of a Sex and the City movie, especially considering how well this one did at the box office ($55.7 million opening weekend, becoming one of the top five R-rated opening grossers of all time). Girl Power!

Us Weekly Mad Musing

What the %*$@!?! Heidi Montag is on yet another cover of Us
Weekly?! ...And just weeks after being on the May 7th cover!? And just months after being on at least four other covers that have made us want to scream, "who cares??" Have the people at Us Weekly lost their minds (and their pull)? While People Magazine snaggs photos of Ashlee Simpson's and Mariah Carey's weddings, all Us Weekly can give its readers is Heidi Montag in a fake wedding veil?! You've gotta be kidding me!

For this, I have downgraded my "Weekly Us Weekly Musings" posts to just an ordinary, random, once-in-a-while "Us Weekly Musing" that I will post only when Us Weekly deserves mention. I am very disappointed in you, Us Weekly! Baah! I will have to think twice before renewing my subscription.

Finale-land

Spotted! Gossip Girl's season finale, leaving us wondering: Is there any hope for Serena and Dan? How long will it be before Lilly cheats on Bart with her first true love? Will Blair ever forgive Chuck (again), and will Chuck ever grow up? Why did Nate and Vanessa break up? What will Jenny Humphrey's role in the cool-girl-clique be after working with Blair's mom for the summer? And, of course, will Serena and Nate and Vanessa and Dan hook up? One thing's for sure -- this is the best new show of the year. The writing is great, with very believable dialogue (even though the Upper East Side brattiness may sometimes seem a bit much). Ultimately, I love that Dan can call Serena for what she is -- crazy -- without going into a long SAT-word-filled rant like they would have on Dawson's Creek.

As for the season finale of Grey's Anatomy, well, it left us viewers just as unimpressed as the rest of the season has. Grey's is just getting more and more boring. And as soon as you think something interesting might happen, Derek and Meredith get back together...or Derek and Meredith break up. How about a new plot line for a change? The hubby predicts that Derek will get into a car accident on his way to tell Rose that he's still in love with Meredith. We'll see....

The season finale of The Office certainly did not disapoint. Is it really not Michael's baby? Or is Jan lying? Hmm.... I can't get enough of Michael and Jan's craziness. Soo excited about next season.

The finale of Desperate Housewives takes the cake, however. We get to zoom five years forward and see where the girls all end up (and strangely enough, Eddie is missing from the montage). Does this mean that the new season will start five years in the future? Or was that just a glimpse, with the show continuing in the present? Either way, the show is finally back on track, with the most satisfying finale of the year.

A toast to seasons gone, and seasons to come! ...But do I really have to wait a whole 3 months now for my stories??? Oh, the agony!

China Had Birdflu, France Has Sarkosis

I loved this New York Times articles about the identification of a new illness among the French: obsessive Sarkosis, an unhealthy fascination with the French president, Nicolas Sarkozy. It explains a lot about the French...oh la la. Thought I'd share: A Passion for (and Against) Sarkozy.

Conan for Leno and Fallon for Conan

NBC has announced that Conan O'Brien will be taking over as host of Jay Leno's Tonight show, starting in 2009, and Jimmy Fallon (formerly of SNL) will be taking over Conan's time slot. Finally, late night might actually get fun. This begs the question: What will Conan's shtick be, now that he can't pull the "woe is me, my time slot is so late that the only people we could pull together as guests for you tonight are Al Roker and the masturbating bear?" This also makes me realize that I'm getting old because I'll finally be able to relate to a late-night host. Sad, but hopefully the funny will make up for it.

And the Mirror Ball Trophy Goes to...

Kristi Yamaguchi!

And if it hadn't gone to her, I would've been very mad at Dancing With the Stars. Kristi totally deserved to win. In fact, I think she's the best dancer they've ever had on the show. I can't see how anyone can top her next season, unless they start picking celebrity dancers as the "the Stars." Congratulations, Kristi. You've made future seasons of Dancing With the Stars, well, kinda pointless.

Weekly Us Weekly Musings

So, yes, I've skipped a few Us Weeklys here and there (don't sue me). I'll try my best to keep up, but no promises. This week's Us Weekly begs the question: Will any man ever be able to stand Jessica Simpson? It also presents as fact, the unconfirmed rumor (or so I thought to be unconfirmed) that Ashlee Simpson is, indeed, pregnant.

So, according to UW, Jessica Simpson is distraught that her ex, John Mayer, has found happiness with someone else (Jennifer Aniston) so soon (a year) after their breakup. Meanwhile, Jessica has been referring to her boyfriend of a half year or so, Tony Romo, as her future husband, though rumors are now swirling about a possible break-up...adding to her despair. Jessica is especially upset that John Mayer seems to be so much more into Jennifer Aniston than he ever was into Jessica (who even became artsy and brunette to please him while they were together -- hmm...shocker that this didn't work).

And so, this proves that Jessica should have stayed with Nick, the only man who could stand her for longer than a year (no offense, Jess -- I personally loved you on Newlyweds, but I gotta tell it like it is). I truly hope that Jessica can find lasting love, but as the days pass and she grows older and adds more notches to her bedpost (a far cry from her virgin until marriage act of days past), she grows less and less appealing. Sorry, Joe Simpson. But at least it seems you'll be granddaddy soon!

Where's Bare Breast-o?

Did you know that Where's Waldo -- that lovable book from the '90s with the funny looking guy in a striped hat -- is one of the top controversial and often banned books in libraries and schools? In fact, it ranks 88 on the American Libarary Associations list of the 100 most challenged books of the last decade.

Why, you ask? See if you can figure it out on your own in the picture to the right. Or did the title of this post give it away? Okay...yes, it's because of an exposed breast in the scene where Waldo goes to the beach. Oh no! Make sure to keep the kiddies away...while you look for the nipplege yourself.

Didya Know?

Did anybody know that Mila Kunis (of That 70s Show and Family Guy fame) and Macaulay Culkin ('nuff said) have been dating for 6 years?

Yeah. Seriously.

...I didn't know Macaulay Culkin was still around, let alone dating anyone seemingly normal (and Russian). Wow.

Oprah and Tom: Take Two

So who caught the Oprah interview of Tom Cruise last Friday? If you didn't, this about sums it up: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/02/AR2008050203945.html?hpid=topnews. Pretty weird, but sorta nice. I'm glad to see Tom and Oprah patch things up and have it out on Tom's turf. And I must say, this interview does make him seem a little more sane and normal, and it certainly makes one think that his marriage to Katie Holmes might actually be real. In fact, Oprah did such a good job making Tom look sane, that at one point I actually wondered if the media might be the crazy ones (at least I did when Oprah brought up accusations that Suri isn't really Tom's baby -- come on, the kid looks like a clone of Tom Cruise! How could anyone possibly think that?). But then Tom mentioned Scientology, and that sanity stuff pretty much flew out the window -- at this point, Tom seemed nice, and perhaps genuine, but not so much sane. One issue that Oprah didn't touch on, of course, is why Tom didn't invite Oprah to his wedding. Oprah must be pissed about that...at least a little. Come on...it was in a villa...in Italy...and it was the talk of the town. Everyone who's anyone was there...except Oprah. I'd be just a little upset if I were Oprah.

Countdown to Sex and the City!

The countdown has begun. Sex and the City, the movie, hits theatres May 30th.

Four weeks to go....

THIS is Seinfeld?

I recently watched the first season of Seinfeld on DVD...and wow, what a snoozer. Has anyone even seen the early Seinfelds anyway? Or did NBC refrain from airing repeats of those out of fear that it would make the rest of Seinfeld look bad? The first season is really quite awful. In fact, it's so awful that I wonder how Seinfeld ever got renewed for a second season. Perhaps viewers and networks simply weren't as picky and short-tempered in the late 80's/early 90's as they are now? These days, if your pilot is a stinker, they might pull you off before you get to air your third episode (case-in-point: the American version of Coupling), and even a Golden Globe won't save your show (case-in-point: Geena Davis's Commander in Chief).

Well, I'm glad Seinfeld got through that first bad season to give us one of the greatest TV shows in history. (Makes me think of all the other shows with great potential that were cancelled prematurely by those greedy networks heads ... imagine all the great TV we may have missed out on because of them.) Regardless, if you're ever in the mood for renting Seinfeld, trust me -- just start with Season 2.

Weekly Us Weekly Musings

So this week's Us Weekly cover celebrates the birthdays of Shiloh and Suri, those adorable celebri-tot clones of their famous parents. Though I expected that Angelina Jolie (or her direct offspring) would make the cover soon, simply because she hadn't been on the cover for quite some time now, I was surprised that Jordin Sparks didn't make it onto the cover this week...or anyone interesting for that matter.

After all, Jordin's reps just announced last week that she was struck with an acute vocal cord hemorrhage, forcing her to cancel tour dates and rest her voice. This is the kind of stuff that ends singing careers, and this case is especially heartbreaking because Jordin is only 18 years old and worked so hard to win American Idol. Now, just as her career began taking off with the single "No Air," it's unclear what will happen to Jordin's career. I hope she recovers, and I predict that next week's Us Weekly will turn to the allegedly pregnant Ashlee Simpson or back to the usual go-to girl, Britney Spears. Happy Birthday, Shiloh and Suri, but come on, Us Weekly -- can we get some real stories next week?

Star Jones Files for Divorce from Al Reynolds

What else is new? I called this one way back in 2004, after Oprah aired her "down low" episode, right around the time that Star got engaged. But I guess Star either didn't catch that Oprah, or she chose to simply ignore it. Either way, there's no denying it...if it quacks like a gay duck, it's a gay duck. Sorry, Star.

On a More Serious Note...

A story in today's New York Times posed the question of whether the dragging out of the Democratic primary is hurting the Democrats. The story's premise is that Hillary's attacks on Obama, particularly the racially-motivated ones, are taking a toll on his electability. After all, results of a Pennsylvania exit poll show that 16 "percent of white voters said race mattered in deciding who they voted for, and just 54 percent of those voters said they would support Mr. Obama in a general election; 27 percent of them said they would vote for Mr. McCain if Mr. Obama was the Democratic nominee, and 16 percent said they would not vote at all." (http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/23/us/politics/23assess.html?_r=1&th&emc=th&oref=slogin.)

I beg to differ. Obama's electability was always in question, regardless of Hillary's attacks. And if anything, at this point, I've forgotten that McCain is even a candidate, as there is absolutely no attention given to him. Meanwhile, this looong Democratic primary is great press for both Democratic candidates. It seems to me, that the longer the focus is on them, the more electable and presidential-like they become, regardless of which one of them is ultimately chosen to battle against McCain -- the unknown candidate.

Furthermore, the airing out of Obama's dirty laundry now, so far ahead of the November election, shields him from identical attacks down the road. Race will continue to be a factor if Obama becomes the Democratic candidate, but Obama will have months to shape himself into the black candidate that doesn't scare white people, and that is an advantage for Obama.

Weekly Us Weekly Musings

So I missed a weekly Us Weekly post that would have been about the Beyonce-Jay-Z wedding cover story. Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Z, but we have to keep moving forward with the most recent Us Weekly, instead of getting caught up in what's old news at this point. This week, Mariah Carey graced the cover. The story is, of course, focused on Mariah's having lost 20 pounds, just in time for a new CD release, and right after Mariah's appearance on Oprah. Now here's the thing -- one of Mariah's Oprah segments was of Mariah in her NYC apartment, doing exercises in an in-door swimming pool. So I got to thinking: how many NYC residences have in-door swimming pools anyway? Am I just not with the program, or is it somewhat of a rarity? So, for a day, I was convinced, that Mariah must live in the Time-Warner Building, just a few blocks away from me. After all, the big selling point you always hear about with the Time-Warner penthouses are their swimming pools. And where else would you get an in-door pool in New York anyway? Well, today I googled it, and guess what, like every other celebrity in New York, Mariah lives in Tribeca. Yes, she has a three-story loft that, apparently, contains a swimming pool. Alas, Mariah Carey isn't my neighbor, in-door pools are seemingly not that hard to come by, and I obviously have to hang out in Tribeca more often if I'm ever going to spot a celebrity.

OJ on the Rocks: An Editorial

One thing I can't stand is when a waiter brings out orange juice with ice in it. Who the heck would want ice in their orange juice, anyhow? That just makes for watery orange juice. And once the glass with ice comes out, it’s just uncomfortable to deal with asking for a new one. One would hope that a restaurant can simply refrigerate the juice before bringing it out, for the outrageous price they charge per glass.

Because of the handful of experiences I've had with my orange juice being served with ice in it, I’ve decided to take action and preempt the situation. So, when I order orange juice, I immediately say, "no ice, please."

A month or so ago I went to brunch with the hubby and with my friend, NotanAnthony. The hubby and I both ordered orange juice, and I immediately specified to the waiter, “no ice, please,” without the waiter asking about the option of ice and before he had the chance to bring out anything with ice in it. NotanAnthony gave me a funny look and told me he’d never had anyone put ice in his orange juice, so why the clarification to the waiter? I explained. NotanAnthony scoffed (as usual), never having had the experience of getting orange juice with ice in it. As a result, I lost my boldness with my ice preemption plan.

Fast forward to last weekend. The hubby and I go for brunch to a decent place on the Upper West Side. We order orange juice. We mention nothing to the waiter about ice. Two glasses of orange juice with ice come out. We look at each other, thinking we should not have listened to NotanAnthony. We are forced to ask for two new glasses. Moral of the story: 1) Always preempt the ice when asking for OJ, and 2) Never listen to a NotanAnthony.

Ugged Out

Last December, Oprah once again unleashed her list of favorite things on the world. And on the list this year was the Ugg Classic Crochet Tall Boot (pictured above). This is the slouchy knit boot that keeps Oprah's feet comfy and cozy, with a sock lining that makes her feel like she's walking on a cloud. And, of course, the minute Oprah uttered the word "Ugg," these babies went like hotcakes.

I was hoping to get my hands on a pair right after Christmas, but my size in black was sold out everywhere. And I mean everywhere. I tried all the stores, all the websites. No one seemed to have it. I was even ready to get the Ugg Classic Cardy, which is actually a cute variation of the Classic Crochet with three wooden buttons on the side (pictured below). Still, nowhere could I find my size in any color I liked, even outside of black. . . . That is, until I randomly walked into a store called "David Z" on Brooklyn's Kings Highway two weeks ago. There it was, an Ugg Classic Cardy in black, staring at me. And guess what? They had plenty in size 7! And it was the real deal too -- regular price, brand new, packaged in a box, with the Ugg stamp on the back. The salesman informed me that both the Classic Cardy and Classic Crochet became limited edition boots and are no longer being made, thus the unavailability (or so he said).

I got the boots, and I love my boots. They're even better than the Classic Cardy because the wooden buttons allow them to be styled buttoned up, slouched down, slightly unbuttoned, or completely cuffed down. And yes, Oprah was right -- it's like walking on a cloud.

So if you're longing for a pair of your own in whatever size or color you can't find anywhere, have I got a tip for you! David Z sells the Classic Cardy online: http://davidzinc.stores.yahoo.net/ug5819-blk.html or in person in many of their Manhattan and Brooklyn stores: http://davidzinc.stores.yahoo.net/stores.html. You're welcome, reader. You're welcome, David Z.

Weekly Us Weekly Musings

It was a weak week for Us Weekly. Unfortunately, there's really nothing too interesting on the cover. You know, it's the usual: Britney's working on her mental illness, Heidi Montag's 15 minutes of fame are still going strong, and in a bit of a surprise, Carrie Underwood and Chace Crawford split up. But luckily, in a fascinating non-cover story called "Famous Family Trees," we finally find out why both stars and politicians are crazy: they're all inter-related. Yes, as Us Weekly reports, it turns out that Barack Obama and Brad Pitt are ninth cousins; Hillary Clinton is ninth cousin twice removed to Angelina Jolie and tenth cousin to Madonna; Britney Spears and John Edwards are seventh cousins thrice removed; and, well, poor John McCain gets no star power -- he's just related to boring ol' Laura Bush, sixth cousin. Don't you feel better about the future of our country now? Thank you, Us Weekly.

Food Wars: Battle La Focaccia

Which 'hood has better for food? In an ongoing feud between my friend (let's call him NotAnAnthony), I say Hell's Kitchen has better restaurant options (judging by taste, value, and variety) than the West Village. NotAnAnthony disagrees. Last night, in another attempt to resolve this war, we faced off on his turf: the West Village.

Place: La Focaccia.
Food: Italian/Dinner
Atmosphere: Romantic and quaint
Bill: About $50 per person (including tax, tip, and booze)

Review: Though there was quite a mix-up with my order (the waiter thought I ordered only an appetizer salad and no main course), it was quickly resolved, and I had my food within three minutes of alerting the waiter to the problem. After that, the manager kept coming up to the table and making sure everything was okay, so the restaurant redeemed itself in terms of service. As for quality of food, I was quite pleased with my main course of rigatoni with eggplant and mozzarella in a tomato sauce, though I can't say that it was anything spectacular. (I was very pleased with gnocchi I stole from someone else's plate.) However, I was disappointed with my salad. It was drenched in dressing and had no crunch to it. I've certainly had better. Overall, the atmosphere really snagged a win for this restaurant. Though the room was small and noisy, it felt very comfortable and quaint, and the windows overlooking the cute Village streets really helped.

One win for West Village.

A Tribute to the AARP?

Okay, so here's a quiz. Is this a picture of:

a) Barbara Walters with her family?
b) Barbara Walters with her bingo night buddies?
c) Barbara Walters with the new cast of the Cataractic View?
d) Barbara Walters with a bunch of really, really old people who are shockingly even older than she is?

April Showers Bring...Good Television!

It's taken months of watching agonizingly terrible reality TV and reruns and praying that it will soon stop...BUT, it's finally here -- REAL television!!! Yes, with the writer's strike over and those crews and casts back in action, our favorite shows are finally coming back to life in the next few weeks, and boy, am I excited! (Really. I am sooo excited! I have been counting down the weeks, waiting for my TV to mean something to me again. When shows like Cavemen and Carpoolers and Don't Forget the Lyrics seem appealing, you know television's in trouble.) So, without further ado, here is a list (in air date order) of when the REAL shows are coming back...[Drumroll, please]...:

Samantha Who: Monday, April 7

Boston Legal: Tuesday, April 8

30 Rock: Thursday, April 10

The Office: Thursday, April 10

Desperate Housewives: Sunday, April 13

Smallville:* Thursday, April 17 (*Okay, so you might be asking yourself, "Huh? This is what she considers to be a REAL TV show?" Well, no. I don't. It's in here for the sake of one particular reader of this blog who would, sadly enough, be interested. Hey, at least I didn't stoop low enough to include the air date for Battlestar Gallactica (April 4).)

Brothers & Sisters: Sunday, April 20

Gossip Girl: Monday, April 21

Grey's Anatomy: Thursday, April 24

Ugly Betty: Thursday, April 24

Lost: Thursday, April 24

Unfortunately, Dirty Sexy Money and Pushing Daisies will not return until next season.

As for Lipstick Jungle and Cashmere Mafia -- the shows that got me through the dreary, terrible-TV weeks of February and March -- I don't know when and if they will return. (And to tell you the truth, as long as Dirty Sexy Money and Gossip Girl are back, I frankly don't care about the other filthy rich people shows; they simply don't measure up.)

So, get your DVR's ready, get your feet up, and get back to being friends with your TV (oh, I've missed you so, TV)! ...April's never looked so good.

Weekly Us Weekly Musings

I've decided that every week I will have a post about a cover story in the latest Us Weekly.

Luckily, the stork brought my Us Weekly to me on Thursday instead of Friday this week -- giving me an extra whole day to read before I muse. And even better, this week Heidi Montag was finally not on the cover (whew) ...giving me a full good three stories to choose from. So, I decided to write about two (two!) stories at once!

First, Us Weekly sources say that Reese Witherspoon and Jake Gyllenhaal are close to tying the knot. Even Ryan Phillippe has given his blessing (as if!). Good for Reese and Jake! I think they're very cute together, and Jake seems to be such a nicer guy than Ryan (who still hasn't denied the cheating rumors, even when asked about it on the Howard Stern Show). And because Jake's career is so much more successful than Ryan's, I think there will be less conflict in this relationship. I see a cover story about a wedding coming soon.

And shocker, shocker, in our second cover story, Kevin Federline is thinking of reuniting with Britney Spears. Thing is, now that he realizes why she's crazy (bipolar disorder), he thinks it can work. Granted, now that she's medicated, I hope they can figure something out, for the sake of those boys and for Britney's sake. But of all the Hollywood relationships out there, I just don't see this one lasting. You see, it's a simple law of physics: trailer trash + trailer trash = divorce. And even when money is thrown into the equation, the values simply don't change.

Spanish Steps on the Hudson?

It was announced today that Tishman Speyer won the bid to redevelop the MTA-owned Hudson rail yards -- a 26-acre desolate site stretching from 30th Street to 33rd Street, between 10th Avenue and 12th Avenue. This would bring in a new Rockefeller Center-like vibe to the Midtown part of the Hudson Riverfront, currently a place no one would ever choose to visit.

The plan includes a green-themed, New York version of Rome's Spanish Steps leading to a plaza dubbed "The Forum," surrounded by four skyscrapers. The complex would include 10 million square feet of office space, 3,000 residential units, 550,000 square feet of retail space, a 200,000-square-foot cultural venue, a public school, and 13 acres of open space. According to http://www.tishmanspeyer.com/HudsonYards/ (which also contains a lot more cool pictures), "The Forum will become New York City’s next great meeting place, a new town square for the Far West Side."

Very cool! But by the time this actually happens, will I need a walker to get up those steps? They constantly talk the talk, but they never walk the walk. Weren't we promised something like this on the lower west side four years back? And what about the beach complex that's been in talks for years on the lower east side? Until they break ground, I ain't buying it. And let's just hope we already have some kind of version of the Freedom Tower by then. All in all, props for the ambition, but please, just build something already! If all this takes just over a decade, as some very hopeful critics suggest, we'll be lucky.

Le Lunch at Le Cirque

Le Cirque is back, and it's mmm mmm gooood. The original restaurant opened in 1974 at NYC's Mayfair Hotel (where restaurant Daniel is now located). In 1997 it relocated under the name Le Cirque 2000 to the New York Palace Hotel (where Serena VanDerWoodsen resides, for all those Gossip Girl fans out there). Then, in 2004 owner Sirio Maccioni announced he would be packing up the restaurant yet again. Alas, I never got to taste Le Cirque during its golden years. But in 2006 Le Cirque opened its doors again...right near my work. So today, I finally went, and let me tell you -- it's so worth it. Well, for lunch it is. In fact, it's a steal at just $42 per person for the three-course prix-fixe lunch. And let me also tell you, my arteries are deliciously clogged right now. I did have the salad Le Cirque to offset the delectably unhealthy braised short ribs (mmm). And then, my party of four shared four desserts. The best, by far, was the creme brulee, le Cirque's signature dessert. And all the while, one of the best parts of the experience was the gorgeous main dining room, with its tall, bronze, circus-tent ceiling. Very soothing. So, if you're in NY and looking to lunch somewhere fancy, this is the place to go.

If You're 62, Considering A Face-Lift, and Are Willing to Forgo Facial Expressions...

So I was watching Priscilla Presley on Dancing With the Stars last night, and I was mesmerized with her lack of wrinkles way more than with any of her dance moves. Yes, she's totally Botoxed-out and can't form a smile. Yes, she's probably had as many plastic surgeries as her former son-in-law. But go Priscilla -- you're the hottest 62-year-old I've ever seen, so who cares how you did it? And I have HDTV, so I see all the wrinkles, and she barely had any. What impressed me the most, though, was her neck -- I mean, that's one of those places that's a dead give-away to someone's age, and hers looks like a 30-something's. Screw the disco ball trophy, Priscilla wins the GILF award hands-down.

The Beginning

I'm not a blogger. But I guess every blogger said that before blogging for the first time. Everyone had to start somewhere. So this is my start.

The truth is that I've been reading more and more blogs and disagreeing with more and more of what I read, while still feeling the urge to keep reading. And honestly, that little comments section is just not enough for me to express my disagreement (or agreement). Sometimes, you just need your own full post. So why not try a blog?

So, some ground rules: This blog will be devoted to anything, everything, and nothing at the same time. Random musings will cover it all, in no specific order: pop culture, politics, relationships, health, societal observations, etc. We all know Seinfeld was a success, so I'm not about to reinvent the wheel when it comes to musing about nothing.

This blog will not be a personal diary or journal. (Though, of course, random musings will often be inspired by personal happenings.) It will be a thought-provoking, practical outlet for ideas and observations -- all open for your comments. So now that the rules are set, let's blog.