Category Archives: Entertainment

December 8, 2010 · 11:23 pm

Remembering John Lennon

I can’t believe it’s been 30 years ago today since John Lennon was killed.

I still remember being at college at Washington and Lee. I was on the phone with my friend Van at Randolph-Macon Women’s College when her roommate came rushing in to tell us he had been assassinated.

I can’t say I was a big Lennon fan, but I did – and still do- love “Imagine” and a lot of what John Lennon stood for….

But, I still can’t stand Yoko Ono’s “music”….

Here is a little tribute to John Lennon.

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Filed under Entertainment, Media, Music, My Journey, New York

December 6, 2010 · 10:04 pm

Which Kind of Booze Is Best for the Planet? | Mother Jones

For all our environmentally concerned drinking friends….

Murder in Detroit, overworked immigration judges, bruisers-for-hire on Indian reservations: If you’ve been reading Mother Jones lately, you’re probably ready for a stiff drink. Not so fast! In terms of greenhouse-gas emissions, US booze manufacturers release the annual equivalent of 1.9 million households. How’s that for a buzzkill? The good news is that you have choices. Here are a few tips for drowning your sorrows sustainably.

WINE: Fruity bouquet? Tastes like pencil shavings? Environmentally speaking, none of that matters: According to a 2007 study (PDF) commissioned by the American Association of Wine Economists, the majority of wine’s carbon footprint comes from shipping. You can minimize your wine miles by using the handy map below. In short, New Yorkers should buy French, while Iowans are better off drinking California wines. If you’re concerned about water use, go for bubbly wines made with early-harvested grapes. TRY: French Rabbit wines. They come in recyclable Tetra Paks, which reduce packaging weight by 90 percent over bottles. For reasonably priced organic wines, try Frey Vineyards—if the map allows.

MORE: Which Kind of Booze Is Best for the Planet? | Mother Jones.

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Filed under Entertainment, Food, Holidays, Politics

December 6, 2010 · 7:34 pm

My Favorite Things: Christmas Music

My partner Steve and I love Christmas Music.

I’m almost embarrassed to say we have several hundred Christmas CD’s. Almost….

Our tastes are also rather eclectic. From classical to cabaret to new age to famous vocalists…

Most of these are on Amazon.com or the website I will list the website with the entry…

Here are some of the favorites:

Spencer Lewis: “Calling in the Winter“- available at his website: http://www.spencerlewismusic.com. This is really part a Christmas album and part a Winter Album. You can listen to it online. I play it almost all year.
Sting: “On a Winter’s Night”– I blogged about this earlier and posted a link. Again, more of a Winter Album that you can listen to all winter…
Nancy LaMott: “Just in Time for Christmas”– the late, great modern cabaret singer made many great albums. This is one of the best….
“A Cabaret Christmas“- a collection by some of the best cabaret and Broadway singers
“Cabaret Noel”– from Broadway Cares/Equity fights Aids- This has a lot of really fun holiday songs on it done by some of the best performers in the New York theater and Cabaret worlds.
John Trones: “Holiday”– Another great cabaret Christmas Album.
The Carpenters: “Christmas Portrait”– beautifully arranged by Richard and beautifully sung by Karen. This one is one of my all time favorites.
Linda Eder: “Christmas Stays the Same”– a great album by a real Broadway Diva. Great for upbeat background music at Christmas parties.
Gary Morris: “Every Christmas”– out of print and hard to find, but just wonderful. If you try eBay or his website you might find a copy…
Sarah MacLachlan: “Wintersong”– on sale cheap at Amazon now. One we play over and over…
Liz Story: “The Gift“- another one we can’t get enough of and play all through the Holidays. Great piano versions of Holiday classics
Doris Day: “The Doris Day Christmas Album”– A true classic.
Johnny Mathis: “Merry Christmas“- Another Classic
Andy Williams: “The Andy Williams Christmas Album”– a childhood favorite….

I’ll stop there…for now.

Here are a few other very special single recordings that are priceless.

Original songs by the original performers…

These stars truly own these songs…

Judy Garland: “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas”

Eartha Kitt: “Santa Baby”

Bing Crosby: “White Christmas”

Nat King Cole: “The Christmas Song”

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Filed under Broadway, Entertainment, Holidays, Movies, Music, New York

Tagged as broadway, Cabaret, Christmas Music, Holidays

December 5, 2010 · 3:02 pm

For ABC, a Win-Win With ‘Dancing With the Stars’ – NYTimes.com

Just like her Moma….one hard, tacky little wench…

ABC got everything it wanted out of its “Dancing With the Stars” finale Tuesday night: a huge audience, up about 25 percent from last year, and a winner that most of the show’s legion of fans will most likely feel is worthy.

Much of the success of this “Dancing” season was thanks to Bristol Palin — the daughter of the former governor of Alaska and vice-presidential candidate, Sarah Palin — whose run to the finals was widely chronicled and debated because of her generally lower scores from the show’s judges.

Ms. Palin, who was identified on the show as a “teen activist,” was eliminated Tuesday night, but not before she got a chance to perform two final dances and be a presence for most of the show’s two-hour duration.

With the show’s hosts acknowledging this was the “most talked about” season in the show’s history, there was little doubt that interest in Bristol Palin — both positive and negative — had helped the ratings. She stoked the heat surrounding the show this season by saying on several occasions that she was defying what she called “the haters” who were denigrating her performances because of what she said was dislike of her mother.

On the finale she made that point again, saying that winning would mean a lot and would be like “a big middle finger to all the people out there that hate my mom and hate me.”

via For ABC, a Win-Win With ‘Dancing With the Stars’ – NYTimes.com.

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Filed under Entertainment, Media, Politics, Social Commentary, Television

December 4, 2010 · 11:59 pm

Sting: If On a Winter’s Night

I love this CD….

We have been playing it constantly since Thanksgiving…

Not really a Christmas Album, it’s a Winter Album….

We both really love this…

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Filed under Entertainment, Holidays, Music

December 3, 2010 · 9:31 pm

Mitzi Gaynor: The Ultimate Show Girl

Okay…I’m on a Mitzi Gaynor kick tonight…

I can’t help it. She’s the ultimate Showgirl.

And, I think, was a very good Nellie Forbush in the film of “South Pacific”.

I’m trying to singlehandedly resurrect her career and remind people how good she was…

And now at age 79…

Amazing…

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Filed under Broadway, Entertainment, Movies, Television

December 3, 2010 · 7:55 pm

My Favorite Things…

If you are looking for some special Holiday gift ideas for that special man in your life, I thought I would share a few suggestions….

If you are a Professional Shopper, you’ll be able to find “deals” on most of this stuff- if you truly know what you are doing.

My Mantra is: “There is no greater sin than paying full retail.”

And I’ve always said: “It’s better to have a few nice things than a bunch of crap…”

Ugg Men’s Bedroom Shoes- these are pricey, but they last forever. In the long run, it’s cheaper to buy one good thing than to keep buying several cheap ones. I’m on year three with mine and they still look almost new. I wear mine inside and outside to do things like take out the trash..They are also incredibly warm.
iPod Shuffle- I couldn’t go to the gym without this…I won’t share my gym music mix. Even I must have some secrets….
Amazon Kindle- I resisted this because I thought I liked the “feel” of a real book. Get the leather cover and it’s the same experience. I truly love this thing. And you can adjust the font so you can read without reading glasses!
Brooks Brothers shirts and sweaters- the best on the market and they last forever. If you are looking for quality, go to Brooks Brothers. Sign up on line and you’ll know about some great sales and get some deals.
Tumi Bags, Wallets and Luggage- Again, pricey, but lasts forever. These are also incredibly well designed. I was going through a cheap set of Samsonite luggage a year until I started buying this stuff…I’ve been around the world with my Tumi. Try eBay for some deals. I got a $500 computer bag for $100 on eBay. Avoid Hartmann! They have serious quality issues and won’t do repairs for free like Tumi does. And if Tumi can’t repair something, they replace it for free with a comparable item.
Bose Noise Reduction Headphones- again, pricey, but if you travel a lot, these are a necessity. I bought mine after having to listen to two drunken businessmen carry on for a 5 hour flight…
Joseph A Banks Merino Wool Sweaters- they have great sales and if you catch the right one, you can get these for $30 or less. I have about a dozen V-Necks and Steve loves the Mock Turtlenecks.
J Crew Cord Pants- nicer than jeans, but fit like jeans. I live in these when I’m not in the office in the Fall and Winter and even wear them to work on Fridays.
Clinque Skin Supplies for Men- I’ve been using this stuff since I was 17. Great shaving products…
Chanel Egoiste Platinum for Men- My signature after shave/cologne. Not well-known, but pure class. One of the most highly rated scents of all time. You usually have to ask for it at Macy’s or Dillards. Brooks Brothers “New York” and Bulgari are also nice.

Just my initial thoughts. I’ll try to add to this later as I think of other items….