If your'e a fan of TNT's The Closer, only 18 days until the new season premieres. Or, if you're like me and have never seen the show, only 18 more days until the mini Kyra Sedgwick quits popping up in the corner of my television and interrupting Law & Order reruns.
I'm not sure why I felt the need to watch last night's premiere of Hidden Palms, the new teen soap from Kevin Williamson (Dawson's Creek). But I did, and now I want that hour back.
The show is sort of a dramatic-TV-formula mashup. There's the teens-who-talk-like-35-year-old-screenwriters style perfected in Williamson's past projects, mixed with the premise made popular by Desperate Housewives -- that something sinister's lurking beneath the surface.
Rockin' Dallas soul singer Montrose will be at Absinthe Lounge. Man, I'm lovin' that "Eureka" track. He'll share the stage with fellow local Rhonda Nicole. There's only one song on her page, but it's a good one.
For weekend recommendations, including a Beatles-related lovefest and the big, free SHQ bash, check out my Liner Notes.
Some good DVDs are coming soon. Start saving your pennies.
Ugly Betty The Complete 1st Season: The Bettyfied Edition arrives Aug. 21 with six discs and all 23 episodes. Amazon.com has a pre-order price of $41.99.
Desperate Housewives The Complete 3rd Season: The Dirty Laundry Edition is arriving Sept. 4, on pre-sale at Amazon.com for $41.99. Extras include a behind-the-scenes look at the season finale, a conversation with Eva Longoria about her favorite bloopers; Marc Cherry's favorite scenes, and deleted scenes.
Grey's Anatomy The Complete 3rd Season: Seriously Extended is hitting the shelves Sept. 11. Pre-order is for cheap on Amazon for $41.99 (listing price is $59.99). The seven discs have 25 episodes plus bonus features like visits with Ellen Pompeo and Patrick Dempsey at the race track.
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The seventh season is releasing Dec. 4 and includes six discs with bonus material and it's listing for $59.98. No Amazon discounts that I see.
Lost The Complete 3rd Season: The Unexplored Experience lands in our eager hands Dec. 11; like the others above, Amazon has a pre-order price of $41.99 (it'll go for $59.99 later). Sounds like a Christmas stocking stuffer to me--seven discs, 23 episodes, a featurette, a documentary chronicling 24 hours in production, and new flashbacks. Ten episides have behind-the-scenes audio commentaries.
Bears defensive lineman Tank Johnson is a big boy. So when he was thrown in jail earlier this year for violating his probation on gun charges, he decided that three meals a day weren't enough. Among Tank's purchases over 60 days, according to the ChicagoSun-Times: 162 beef sticks, 40 sweet rolls, 35 summer sausage blocks and 35 bags of chips. Guess he didn't like the cupcakes though, because he only purchased one of those.
+ The Spurs are back in the NBA Finals. ... BOR-RING!
+ Perhaps we should dress Michael Vick up with a suit made of raw meat and throw him in with a couple of the dogs he's "breeding," then wager on the outcome. (Charges probably won't stick in this thing -- if they are ever made -- but the whole situation is disgusting.)
+ Mark Cuban is usually a genius, but this pro football venture is complete lunacy. Demand might well exceed supply for pro football -- but not for subpar pro football. And it definitely won't work during the NFL's regular season. To quote one of my favorite movie lines: "Sometimes Goliath kicks the s*** out of David -- but nobody bothers to tell that story."
The NFL is Goliath. All the slingshots in the world won't slay it.
I doubt anyone gets into this as much as I do, but the national spelling bee is really grabbing my interest! Check out this photo from when Samir Patel of Colleyville, considered the favorite to win, was knocked out in the fifth round:
Poor Samir! He went out on clevis, spelling it clevice. "The first thing I thought was clevis, and if I had been slow and cautious like I always am, I would have got it right," he said.
What is a clevis, you ask? According to Wikipedia (and we all know how reliable that is), it's a "fastener that will allow rotation of the connected parts about the axis of the pin."
There's still something to be happy about - Amy Chyao of Richardson, sponsored by The Dallas Morning News, is one of the top 15 and will compete in the finals tonight at 7.
It was recently released that YouTube video would be available for view on Apple's iTV. Now RealPlayer announced that you'll have the capacity to save your internet video with their newest version of its digital music player.
What's next? Zune, live together, die alone.
Opus has opened right next door to Purgatory, in the former Wake Energy Lounge spot. (I think that place was only open for a month.) It's a tiny place, but they've got some interesting stuff lined up this week.... "Punkstarz Revolution" tonight (w/ DJs Inzo, Phinatik and a few others) seems totally unlike Purgatory's usual Thursday-night college crowd.
On Saturday there's a grand opening party that's being promoted by Partychaser.com and Dallas Peeps. Geminis are free before 11 p.m., so bring proper ID.
Now that Rosie O'Donnell has left The View, she's free to watch birds, chill with the kids and go on tour with Cyndi Lauper. Lauper's got something going called the True Colors Tour. It comes to Smirnoff on June 23 and we hear Rosie will be "performing" at that show (press release here). Here's hoping it's comedy and not music (did you see that "Rehab" video blog?).
As completely unshocking as this will be to you, dear readers, a publicist yesterday confirmed to blog AfterElton.com that actor David Hyde Pierce is gay.
Pierce is best known for his 11-season stint as the famously effeminate Dr. Niles Crane on NBC's hit comedy Frasier, which won him four well-deserved Emmys. But he's also a TV and theater veteran, starring recently in Spamalot and the Kander and Ebb's newest musical Curtains.
The announcement comes on the heels of this CNN.com article that--many, many paragraphs in--mentions his longtime life partner, actor-writer-producer Brian Hargrove.
This sexuality bulletin should be far less shocking than if, say, Pierce told CNN that he was pumping iron and readying himself to compete for Mr. Universe in 2008 while negotiating part ownership in an all-girls nudie club. Which is to say, it's not really shocking at all. His sexuality has been an open secret in Hollywood for years and I'm a little amused by the OH MY! aspect of it.
According to AfterElton.com, Michael Musto, author of the firestorm of an article in Out magazine The Glass Closet: Why Stars Won't Come Out and Play, Pierce once said, 'My life is an open book, but don’t expect me to read it to you.'"
A recent report from Associated Press and E! Online quotes Lindsay Lohan's dad as saying his daughter is hooked on alcohol and the painkiller OxyContin. If that's true, the poor girl needs serious help. I'm no expert, of course, but I watched an episode of Intervention on A&E (good show, on Fridays at 9 p.m.) that profiled a young man hooked on Oxy. They had their intervention and he went to treatment, but it didn't stick (Episode 35 -- Ryan). The show said that one of the side effects of extended Oxy use is increased apathy. So if the user isn't concerned about themselves or how he's hurting others, why would he stick with treatment? It's sad. Bad drug. Stay away.
Oxygen and Bunim-Murray are looking for seven unknown "bad girls" to star in season two of the reality series The Bad Girls Club, and their casting search is bringing them to Dallas. If you're interested, and you're 21 or older, stop by Frankie's Sports Bar and Grill, at 3227 McKinney Ave., from noon to 5 p.m. Saturday. Bunim-Murray is the team behind MTV's The Real World.
The Bad Girls Club is Oxygen's highest-rated original series ever. What makes these girls so bad? I don't know -- I've never seen the show. In fact, I think it might be illegal for men to watch Oxygen. (Wait, I take that back. I've seen that kinky senior citizen Sue Johanson a few times.) But if you're bad to the bone, here's your chance at quasi-stardom.
American Idol Season 5 castoff Kellie Pickler has started dating the Nashville Predators' Jordin Tootoo, who is from central Canada. She's apparently headed up there this summer, and she's excited about building an igloo. Yes, she really said that.
Apple today finally released music free of digital rights management on iTunes. At $1.29, the iTunes plus tracks (which can be played on any player ... did anybody ever actually buy a Microsoft Zune? ... and on an unlimited number of computers) are 30 cents more than the copy-protected iTunes downloads. You can upgrade previous purchases for 30 cents a song, or about $3 an album.
Paula Abdul ran her mouth for the benefit of OK! Magazine, and here are some of the quotes (courtesy of AP):
-- “I knew since I was a little girl that I had this profound way of touching people. My purpose is bringing out everybody’s best and being that cheerleader to other people’s success. Being a judge on American Idol overshadows being a Grammy Award winner and selling millions of records."
Cowboys fans won't want to miss tonight's One Shot Wonders on NFL Network. There's sure to be a mention of cornerback Larry Brown, the MVP of Super Bowl XXX after his two interceptions that led to 14 points against the Steelers. Brown, of course, was never heard from again on the gridiron. So who else fills out the top 10? It airs at 8 p.m.
In the show, due to be broadcast on Friday, a woman identified only as Lisa, 37, will select a recipient based on their history, profile and conversations with their families and friends. Throughout the 80-minute show, viewers will be invited to send Lisa text messages to advise her.
So it's sort of like voting on American Idol but with organs and death instead of trendy pop singers. Really, this makes shows like Big Brother and The Bachelor seem positively genteel and refined by comparison, yes?
Have the local cliques of progressive house and hip-hop finally merged? Just checked the 12 Inch Pimps website -- they're the local DJ crew who play at Obar, Mantus, and other trendy clubs -- and noticed that they've got a new gig on Tuesdays that pits the Slip Inn against Sandy's.
The Slip Inn! And 12 Inch Pimps! In the same sentence. Sandy's I understand -- it's the new place across from the Slip Inn, and the vibe is apparently very pretty and clean, similar to the places the T.I.P. usually visit. But the Slip Inn? It's a dive. I think they once served their mixed drinks with those little bottles you get on airplanes. (I adore the Slip Inn, btw.)
Anyway, look for yourself. They've got some interesting DJs lined up.
The Police opened up their 100-date tour Monday night in Vancouver to 20,000 screaming fans (Read the review here), a first for them since they disbanded after the Synchronicity tour in 1983.
They're arriving in Dallas for two concerts June 26 and 27 at the American Airlines Center; if you can't afford the $50, $90, or $225 tickets (plus $12.75 for S&H, $20 for parking, and limitless twenties for food and beverage), tune in later in the summer. Sting, Stewart Copeland and Andy Summers have announced they'll be performing an MTV Unplugged set July 13 in Miami.
According to a source, it'll be an all-acoustic set. Perhaps like other Unplugged performances, we'll get an album out of it. Sting's solo appearance in March 1991 brought us this one which sits on my shelf at home.
{Le sigh} All of these men are old enough to be my father, and yet, they are still so sexy. The Police would rock out even if they had to balance their guitars and drum sticks on walkers and canes.
While some folks ponder how much steam NBC's Law & Order: The Original has left as it gears up for season 18, at least one actor is already angling for a post L&O job – President of the United States of America.
Fred Thompson, who plays fictional district attorney Arthur Branch, has told USA Today that he plans to run. Unlike a certain actor-turned-California governor, Thompson actually has some political experience: he’s a former senator from Tennessee.
Do you think he could get Ice-T to be his running mate? How about Sam Waterston as attorney general? Or Mariska Hargitay as secretary of whatever she wants?
If you're like me, you've often seen photos of Prince and said to yourself, "Man, I wish I smelled like that guy."
OK, not really. But if you have, now's your chance. He's putting out a new fragrance called 3121 (the name of his last album). His official site describes it this way: "White floral scent that opens with a refreshing sparkle of crisp bergamot, opulent jasmine and gardenia." It goes on from there, with Prince Show phrases like "subtle, mysterious blend" and "sexy scent with an almost surreal draw that tugs at all senses for total captivation."
Crazy. I was just telling a friend how I was jonesing for a refreshing sparkle of crisp bergamot.
Sarah Silverman is already looking like a kickass awards show host, if there is such a thing. Go here to see some of the teasers for the MTV Movie Awards, airing Sunday.
My favorite is the one where she's talking on the cellphone and gets shushed by a "beardo."
Dallas dwellaz, head to the Cavern for McKinney folkster Brooke Opie, whose songs are sufficiently eerie but will probably sound better with a beerie. She opens for Dallas' the Couture. And there's always the option to make out with somebody upstairs if you don't dig the music.
If you have the time and gas money to go to Denton, do, cuz Fort Worth's the Theater Fire will take over Hailey's. Bring a washboard and join in! Actually, don't. But do study up on San Francisco's the Dodos, also on the bill.
Last week's Ear Candy podcast subject, Jonathan Tyler, has scored an opening slot for Heart on Thursday night at Nokia Theatre. Not a bad gig for a newcomer. Look for more big things from Tyler soon.
The release of this week's new comics has been delayed 24 hours because of Memorial Day.
Invincible No. 42: This discount-priced issue features the beginning of a new story arc and a recap of the entire series that's billed as "probably the best superhero comic book in the universe."
52 Vol. 1: DC's weekly series about a year without Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman is being collected in four volumes. In this one, you get to see a powerless Clark Kent throw himself out of a window while chasing a story.
New Avengers: Illuminati No. 3: This miniseries tells how a cabal of superheroes secretly shaped the history of the Marvel Universe. If you read Secret Wars back in the mid-80s, you may want to pick up this issue.
Spider-Man Fairy Tales No. 1: This series mixes the fairy tales you know and love with the lore of Marvel's friendly neighborhood wall-crawler.
Details magazine did an interview with Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, complete with photo shoot and video, that makes me yearn for the days of the ugly, down-n-dirty NFL quarterback.
Call me crazy, but something doesn't sit right with having the quarterback of my favorite team be such a ... pretty boy. Believe me, I wouldn't trade him and the three Super Bowl titles he brought to New England for anything, but for God's sake ... he's dated Gisele Bundchen and he's the father of Bridget Moynahan's baby! You'd think being a football player, he'd have broken his nose or something to mess up that perfect face.
What the hell - as long as he keeps winning, I can live with him giving interviews about his fashion sense. Sigh.
Think you're in debt? It could be worse. ...Much worse.
According to a USA Today article, the federal government actually lost about five times more than the official deficit figure of $248 billion last year because it "hid" the losses through a different set of accounting rules.
I'll let you read the article to get into more specifics, but if the government used general corporate-style accounting standards, taxpayers would be on the hook for $1.3 trillion -- or an amount equal to $516,348 for every U.S. household. By comparison, U.S. households now owe an average of $112,043 for mortgages, car loans, credit cards and all other debt combined.
Every U.S. household would have to pay about $31,000 a year for 75 years to pay off that debt. Ouch!
50 Cent's new album "Curtis," will be delayed until Sept. 4. 50 Cent wants more time to complete tracks. I guess all that promo time on MTV Jams was wasted.
Wayne Smith, Dallas’ own revered Cher impersonator, is about to get a much bigger audience. Smith will appear on ABC’s The Next Best Thing, which debuts tomorrow night. Smith said he can’t say much about the show, other than it comes on tomorrow night. But we do know this much – his audition has already made it to the promos for the series. In a quick clip, Wayne belts out “If I could turn back time” before judge Jeffrey Ross says, “Here’s the thing. No, where’s the thing?”
The show will whittle down everyone who auditions into a pool of 30 semi-finalists. From there, 10 finalists will perform for viewers, whose votes will determine the winner of $100,000.
Lindsay Lohan, who recently topped Maxim's Hot 100 list, is in the news again. No, not an Academy Award or a Nobel Prize. Fresh off her weekend DUI/cocaine arrest, the actress was photographed slumped in the passenger seat of a car. Another photo shows her kneeling on the ground, apparently before struggling into the vehicle.
So click here to have a look, and see Maxim's hottest woman alive.
When I was 12, I went to Wal-Mart and plopped down a week's allowance to purchase Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814 tape. Ever since, I've been nursing an addiction to slick pop music. The overproduced kind, with dizzying programmed beats, synthesizers and random sound effects ... heavily workshopped song lyrics ... 15-second intros and outros (that would prove problematic in the iPod age) ... hell, even the plastic smell of the packaging. It all brought me great joy.
Janet led to Madonna, with Prince, Michael Jackson and a few boy and girl bands thrown in along the way. While kids in big cities were getting into grunge and alt-rock, I was in small-town East Texas obsessing over the intricacies of "Vogue" and "Diamonds and Pearls."
It takes skill to please the masses while retaining some semblance of artistic integrity. Thanks to a recent willy-nilly episode at Target (No more Wal-Mart for me!), I've come to the conclusion that Adam Levine and Maroon 5 possess such skill.
Fans of David and Amy Sedaris, the weirdest/funniest brother-and-sister satirist team I've ever encountered, have reason to celebrate. Bootstraps Comedy Theater has added two performances of their scream-of-a-play Book of Liz.
It was originally scheduled to end last weekend, but Dallasites have apparently been digging the wacky tale of Sister Elizabeth Donderstock and her secret cheeseball recipe.
Basic plot: Sister Donderstock lives in the Squeamish religious community of Clusterhaven. But when Brother Nathaniel Brightbee swoops in and starts making the cheese himself, she get if a huff and decides to move outside the compound.
She ends up working with the cantankerous Ukrainian couple Oxana and Yvone Kolobko; later, she waits tables for a detoxing gay Duncan Trask at his Plymouth Crock Family Restaurant.
The outside world makes Sister Donderstock realize the special nature of her cheese balls and motivates her to return to Clusterhaven to spread the love.
The last two shows are this Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. Tickets are $10 for MySpace friends (myspace.com/bootstrapscomedy) on Thursday and $15 for everybody on Friday.
Bath House Cultural Center on White Rock Lake, 521 E. Lawther Dr. Call 214-642-4253 for reservations.
I went to the Sasquatch Music Festival in eastern Washington state this weekend, and I gotta say, the Texans really represented. My favorite shows (with the exception of Bjork and Two Gallants out of San Fran, CA) were all from bands from our lovely state.
Here's who we saw:
1. St. Vincent. The much-buzzed-about Dallas singer/songwriter/indie-rocker woman put on an amazing show, despite being put in a horrible time slot. (Noon on Sunday, first band of the day.) Unlike her recent tour w/ John Vanderslice, where she played a bunch of instruments at once, she had a band here... trombonist, violinist, etc. I liked it -- the music had a really full sound, and allowed her to do cool things like rock out with her guitar and knock over her bird cage. (The bird cage was on the stage as a decorative element. I don't believe an actual bird was harmed.) She sings with the emotion and hurt and pain of someone twice her age, and it's mesmerizing. You gotta see her.
Over at the Cavern, the Frontier Brothers (with members from Fort Worth and Austin) will play to celebrate the release of its new electro-pop EP Solar Power Struggle! The three-piece gets an opening-slot assist from another three-piece, Fort Worth's Stella Rose.
Japan's Riyo Mori won last night's Miss Universe pageant, but the real fun was when Miss USA Rachel Smith, who reportedly was heckled and booed by the Mexico City audience, bit the dust in her evening gown. She's an aspiring journalist, by the way. Not that that has anything to do with anything.
Somebody is still trying to be relevant in this world. Look, it's Jose Canseco. USA Today reported that Canseco was trying to pitch a reality show called A Day With Jose. Maybe he'll go bowling with us? This report says it's all a hoax. It really doesn't matter who's right here, can't we just put him on that island with Paris and Lindsay so he'll never be heard from again?
So, we all had a long Memorial Day weekend here at Quick. But since it was rainy (and no one would hang out with me, damn them), I was forced to watch the endless-mindless entertainment on VH1. My favorite mood-booster? Celebrity Fit Club. The girls are great this season -- very empowering -- and Dustin Diamond (a.k.a. Screech/nasty porn star) will make anyone feel like a winner. Go me! Now pass the Cheetos.
Anybody have ideas for who should be on the next season of Fit Club? How about Perez Hilton? Or how about Celeb Fit Club: Cartoon Edition? Optimus Prime and G.I. Joe would totes whip Homer into shape. But Dr. Katz would be there to make everybody cry.
I saw something new over the weekend -- or maybe it's just new to me. I was at Stonebriar Centre in Frisco, along with seemingly everybody else in North Texas, and noticed this new vending machine not too far from the ice rink. All you have to do is swipe your credit card, and you can buy iPods and all kinds of related accessories -- speakers, cases, earbuds, etc. I was curious to see how the items came out of the machine, but I didn't want to plunk down a few hundred bucks to find out. Hopefully they don't fall down like my always-fizzy Coke bottles at work.
Check out the new video from 50 Cent, "Straight to the Bank". It's from his upcoming cd, Curtis, which drops June 26. If that's not enough, the self-proclaimed "Sound Scan Killer" also has a second video, "Amusement Park," that's kinda "Candy-Shop"-ish to me. But it has a nice beat.
Kanye West's new video, "Can't Tell Me Nothing," is available as a free download on iTunes. Better grab it while it's free. It's my Memorial Day present to you. Thanks, Kanye.
Anybody watch Bury My Heart on Wounded Kneelast night?
How was it?
I wouldn't know. When I turned on HBO at 8 p.m. and found out the second to last episode of the Sopranos was moved back a week I threw my dinner plate through the screen, effectively ending my evening of TV viewing.
OK, maybe that's a bit of an exaggeration. But I was NOT happy.
I was out of the country much of last week, so I guess I never realized the show (and Entourage) was on a week hiatus. Sad part is, Wounded Knee is playing again TONIGHT. Couldn't HBO have just premiered that tonight and kept its regularly scheduled Sunday programming???
OK, I admit that I'm completely obsessed with the Rosie O'Donnell-Elisabeth Hasselbeck feud and the shakeup at The View. But it's the Internet's fault for feeding this obsession. I've spent way too much time on Rosie's Web site, which features video blogs containing Rosie's thoughts on everything that went down. The blog entries even have a name -- JaHeRo, a combination of the names of Rosie, her fast-talking stylist Janette Barber and her hairdresser Helene Macaulay (who has a disgusting habit of wolfing down food on camera.) Barber is the one who was escorted from The View's set last week after drawing a mustache on a picture of Elisabeth. It's all very exciting.
But wait. I'm wondering how they propose to start the cameras rolling when not one of the four stars--Sarah Jessica Parker, Cynthia Nixon, Kristin Davis, and Kim Cattrall--has given any indication that she has much interest at all in the reviving her role from SATC. Cattrall in particular has seemed disinterested in reviving sexy Samantha.
A movie has been discussed since SATC went off the air and nothing has been resolved. At the time, Parker said, "It's very important to me that we are dignified and graceful in our exit from the (current) series...After that, if we hear a cry from the public, I think we have to respond to that, if we can do right by them."
Has there been that cry? I dunno.
The series had a spectacular run of it from the premiere on HBO in June 1998 to its Big-and-Carrie-sitting-in-a-tree ending in February 2004. I adored it; all six seasons line my DVD shelf and I frequently pop one in for a soothing dose of the foursome chatting over frittatas or dishing their latest relationship drama.
That said, I am ambivalent about a movie version of my beloved show. So often, these kinds of projects end up completely missing the point and creating exaggerations of the very character traits that made the women lovable. And honestly, I don't know if I want to see Miranda and Steve in wedded Brooklyn bliss or and Charlotte and Harry with their new daughter, fresh off the plane from China. I'd rather imagine it at this point (especially the cancer plot line with Samantha).
If they can't do it exactly right, I'd hope they have the grace to just back away from the camera and let fans live with their happy memories.
Leave it to the brilliant minds at The Onion to perfectly portray the plight of LeBron James and his merry band of scrubs in the NBA Eastern Conference finals. Here's the headline:
Rolling Stone teases us with some insight on the next Kanye West album. It's called Graduation, which continues the scholarly theme of The College Dropout and Late Registration.
Five bucks says his fourth album will be The Student Loan From Hell.
This long weekend, head to Addison for ArtFest with its new theme "Art for Everyone."
There'll be performance arts and activities, and more than 250 fine artists will be selling their pieces.
There's a wine stroll preview party tonight from 6-9 p.m. with $15 admission and free tastings.
Hours are Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m.-7 p.m.; and Monday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Tickets are available at Tom Thumb stores, $5. They're a buck more at the gate and kids are free (as is parking). Addison Circle Park, 15650 Addison Rd.,.
Don't say you've never thought about it. OK, maybe it's never crossed your mind, but you can vote to determine the world's sexiest vegeterian in PETA's seventh annual contest. I was interested to see the long list of celebrities who swear off meat - Common, Andre 3000, Naomi Watts and Carrie Underwood, to name a few. It surprised me to see that the men's list is bigger than the women's.
I cast a vote for Erykah Badu on behalf of Dallas and Damien Marley on behalf of ... well, nothing really, he's just good.
Barbie Cummings on her way home in Tennessee when she was pulled over for speeding and ticketed. The state trooper found alcohol and prescription painkillers in her car, but let her go with just a speeding ticket. Barbie, who just happens to be an adult film star, was so moved be the trooper's generosity that she did him an oral favor before she got back on the road. Pictures and video were involved, and the trooper bragged to coworkers, landing him in hot water. Hear Barbie talk about the encounter.
Remember best buds Kenneth and Jonathan from earlier in the Idol season? Buggy eyes ring a bell? They were on with Jimmy Kimmel last night and had their own red carpet segment. Wonder if they got to hang out with Hunter? As Kenneth might say: "Awwww yeeeeeeah!" Here is a classic clip from their trip to Super Bowl media day.
If you find yourself intrigued by Brazil -- the music, the culture, the beautiful people -- you really should go to Kismet on Wednesdays. Because it will make you want to hop on a plane and go to Rio NOW. Some friends and I went last night and it was crazy. They played lots of samba, everyone was line dancing (who knew dancing samba was actually like the electric slide and the macarena in one?), and then someone pulled out a limbo pole. It was all over after that.
I'll have a review on Kismet next week if you want to read more.... obrigado y adeus.
CAIRO, Egypt – Customs officers at Cairo's airport on Thursday detained a man bound for Saudi Arabia who was trying to smuggle 700 live snakes on a plane, airport authorities said.
Said one customs officer, "You can't take those &#@* snakes on that &#@* plane."
God, that girl is beautiful. Her press conference comments:
“I’ve sort of been in a bubble so I haven’t heard any of the buzz. It was crazy. I love the love.”
“Blake is so encouraging. He squeezed my hand before the announcement and I knew everything would be fine.”
“I would love to do duets with other people on an album. On the album, I might be getting some material during the tour, but I don’t know the timeframe on it. I hope that I can write some of the songs.”
“I’m still working on graduating high school. I’m only a junior. This whole process, I’ve had to do three hours of school. I’d do school, then I’d sing. I’d do school, then I would get fitted into amazing dresses.”
“I have no idea what my favorite performance was. I tried to top myself every time.”
“Simon was like, ‘Congrats Jordin, you deserved it. Then he gave me a hug, and I was like, ‘Oh my god, Simon is hugging me.’”
“The other winners [Carrie, Taylor, Kelly] were all so nice. Taylor said, ‘It’ll go fast, but enjoy the ride.’”
“I’ve been watching this show since I was 12, and I’ve told my mom every year at the finale, ‘I want to do that, Mom.’ And now I’m doing it, and I know she’s proud of me.”
“Last night, I looked at my parents during the last song and realized that I was doing what I’d said I was going to do, and my emotions just took over.”
I've said enough. Here are his quotes from the press conference:
“Doug E. Fresh … dope … pioneer … hip-hop. That moment tonight was one of the best experiences I’ll have as a performer. … We talked about doing a track. I’m in New York next week --- we’ll probably get together and lay something down.”
“This experience has been so amazing … I can’t explain it in words. It’s bittersweet right now because it’s over.”
“I told Jordin a few things [before the announcement]. I said, ‘I love you, and if it comes down to me singing this song, will you do a duet with me?”
“The song ['This is My Now'] is not my thing, and I knew Jordin would kill it. It’s not my cup of tea. I think it’s beautifully written, and Jordin made it hers. If I could have remixed ‘This Is My Now’ I would have, but we had to keep the song true to form.”
“I put a lot of work into the Bon Jovi song. At first I didn’t think I’d get that song, because everybody was fighting over the same ones at that point.”
“I was actually going to wear a ‘Vote for Jordin Sparks’ T-Shirt last night, but they wouldn’t let me do that.”
Still waiting for Jordin and Blake to come and answer questions, but here are press conference quips from a few special guest stars to tide you over:
Doug E. Fresh on Blake: “He’s not a novelty. I keep telling people that. I created beatboxing as an element in hip-hop. But when I heard Blake do his thing, I became a student.”
CeCe Winans on Melinda: “When Melinda sang back-up, I didn’t realize how great she was. I knew she was great, but what she’s done the past few months is spectacular.”
BeBe Winans on Melinda: “I told Melinda the other day – I’m gonna sing background for you now.”
Members of the African Children’s Choir on their favorite contestant: “JOR-DAHN!”
Joe Perry on Sanjaya: “It was almost like performing with my little brother.”
Joe Perry on American Idol: “It’s almost like when the Beatles hit. There’s an energy behind it. It’s more than music.”
Smokey Robinson, introducing his granddaughter, Lyric: “She’s the American Idol 2012.”
Even those of us who aren't Yankees fans can appreciate this.
According to the Associated Press, the Yanks have made a $1 million contribution to the Virginia Tech "Hokie Spirit Memorial Fund." The fund covers things such as grief counseling, memorials and other costs for the shooting victims and their families.
And get this: the Bronx Bombers are planning to play an exhibition game on or near the Blacksburg, Va., campus in 2008. Way to go, George!
For those of you who missed it, Sanjaya Malakar let his mane fly in a duet with Joe Perry, guitarist for Aerosmith. And somewhere, Steven Tyler was nervously looking over his shoulder.
Seconds after Jordin Sparks finished her American Idol victory lap, "This is My Now," one of the reporters in the press room yelled out, "Yes! I have my life back!" I'm feeling the same relief that this Sanjaya-heavy season is finished, and that the right person won at the end.
I'm also elated at having seen the best Idol finale ever. Kelly, Ruben, Carrie, Gladys, Smokey, the Winans, Green Day and Doug E. Fresh all made it possible.
It may be over for you, but now I wait for a parade of performers to come through the press room and give us soundbites. If you're hungry for those, stick around and you'll get them.
We print journalists were kind of an afterthought in the whole red carpet layout, so we had to be the ones at the very end of the line, shouting out names in hopes of some quote gold. The carpet was open for arrivals two hours before the show, but the last thirty minutes gave us about 90 percent of the action.
Here's a timeline of my first (and probably last) red-carpet experience, in California time, of course:
3 p.m.: 30 minutes of nothing.
3:30 p.m.: A drag queen arrives in a feather-laden outfit. Everyone gets really excited that someone is actually on the carpet.
3:45: Another drag queen arrives and delights the crowd. Who knew Idol was such a draw for the faboo?
4 p.m.: Blake's family, including quick-to-cry dad Dallas, is hanging out near where all the fans are. I ask Mr. Lewis if he ever imagined the entire country watching his son perform. "When he started with Idol, I thought they might be," he says.
4:05: Season 2's Carmen Rasmussen stops by to chat about her new single, "Nothing Like the Summer." It's, of course, country music. I ask her what she thinks of this season. She says she was disappointed that she didn't get to know the contestants well enough. "In my season they had a whole episode where they followed us around the living quarters. I'd like to see them do that again." Her prediction is that Blake will win tonight.
4:10: This season's Jared Cotter talks to me about his new show on Fuse. The set is right across from Madison Square Garden. He got to interview Adam Levine the other day, and gets to talk to Jessica Alba next week. He's really excited about Jessica Alba: "If I get fired after that, I'll still be happy." I ask him what he was doing this time last year. "Waiting tables," he says.
4:20: Diana Degarmo zooms by, talks to nobody.
4:21: Paris Bennett zooms by.
4:23: Mandisa zooms by, but waves at least.
4:27: Some kid from High School Musical zooms by. Little girls' screams pierce my soul.
4:30: George Huff stops by. He thinks Jordin will win. I ask what he thinks is the common denominator for all the winners. "I think the voters just look for something new every year. What it is this year, I have no idea, but we'll see."
4:31: Jordin Sparks zooms by, looks beautiful.
4:35: Former contestant Jon Peter Lewis talks to me about his new album that he's writing and recording. "It's a pop-rock sound, with British influences."
4:40 to 4:50:
--Gina. Phil. Chris Sligh. Zoom by.
--CONSTANTINE! Constantine gone.
--Ruben Studdard zooms by.
--Melinda Doolittle walks over. I get out the word, "congratulations," and then her publicist suddenly yanks her away.
--Taylor Hicks! Zoom!
--SANJAYA! ZOOM! GREAT HAIR!
--Randy Jackson is led through the carpet by his security guard, who looks a lot like A-Rod.
--Simon Cowell walks up to me, but apparently can't stay long. I shake his hand, freeze for a second, and then say, "Simon, one question: Do you ever get tired of this?" He laughs. "Yeah." Publicist drags him away.
--Paula Abdul wanders by, in a daze. Seriously. Her nose looks normal.
--Jerry Springer stops by. The reporter to the right of me asks him what he thinks of the madness. "I don't know. I'm just here to get a cheeseburger."
I went there this past weekend, on the strip between Ross and Whole Foods, and I was really surprised at the number of bouncers hanging out in front of clubs begging women to come in.
"Hey, ladies! We've got shot specials all night..."
The inside of some of these spots reminded me of Mexico, too -- the cheesy Top 40 music, the spinning lights, the once-classy booths now faded and mended with duct tape. And the requisite older men staring at the women's... body parts.
Am I turning into an old woman, or was it always like this? Also, just for the record, charging a $5 cover but adding, "We have $4 you-call-its all night!" is NOT AN ENTICING DEAL.
Just before I go to the red carpet area, allow me to drop a few rumors about tonight's finale show:
-- I hear Gladys Knight might be performing with Melinda Doolittle and LaKisha Jones. All that divatude is bound to make something explode.
-- People are saying everywhere I go that they expect a couple of former Idol winners to take the stage. I'd bet on Carrie Underwood, and maybe even Kelly Clarkson. Maybe.
-- I took the wrong turn this morning in the hotel attached to the Kodak Theatre and heard music. It sounded like several of this year's Top 10 contestants rehearsing the song "You're All I Need (To Get By." I would have stayed to hear more, but some security guards started giving me the evil eye.
That's about all I got, yo. Keep your fingers crossed for a fabulous Britney lip-synching performance. I've taken a survey, and about half the people believe (and want) it to happen.
Look for me on the red carpet. I'll be the underdressed, overweight one. And they say the camera adds 20 pounds. Oy.
Former Cowboy Keyshawn Johnson is expected to announce his retirement today, about a month after being released by the Carolina Panthers. He's reportedly heading to the ESPN booth as an analyst, a job it seems he tried out for during this year's NFL draft.
Am I one of the few people who didn't know traffic.com existed? Here's a link to see roads in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and check out whether there's an accident or if they're just congested. With how bad traffic can be these days, it could be helpful if you want to plan the best route home before you head out of work.
Back at Idol central, although there's not much going on this morning. I hear lots of hammering and yelling over in the area where they're setting up the red carpet for tonight's finale. The TV Guide Channel set is a total wasteland, but a few feet over there's a Fox affilate tent with reporters from every major market taping their filler pieces.
Most of the coverage I saw this morning agreed with me that Jordin will probably emerge from tonight's festivities victorious, and that Blake probably doesn't mind. Can you really picture him singing "This Is My Now" after tonight?
I think I'm going to go look for signs of Britney Spears. All the Internet bloggers say she'll make a surprise appearance tonight. I pretty much doubt that, but I did hear that Aerosmith and Gladys Knight are more likely special guests. We'll see; we'll all see.
Billy Corgan's reformed Smashing Pumpkins -- featuring a whopping one other original member, drummer Jimmy Chamberlin -- made their first performance last night in Paris, according to Billboard. New stuff was played, including the new single "Tarantula," as well as the hits ("Cherub Rock," "Disarm," "Today").
As for the new members, Billboard says they are Jeff Schroeder, bassist Ginger Reyes and keyboardist Lisa Harriton.
Captain America No. 26: It's been so long since Cap was killed in issue No. 25, you'd think the book had been canceled. But no, the supporting cast is carrying on without him.
Doctor Strange: The Oath: As I wrote in last week's Fanboy column, this series was one of the best superhero comics I've read in years.
The Other Side: Jason Aaron and Cameron Stewart's acclaimed series about the Vietnam war is collected in one volume.
The Rangers haven't given us much to enjoy as spring turns into summer. But Sammy Sosa has been great. He hit his 598th career home run last night (only four players have reached 600). Sosa is now tied with Ian Kinsler for the team lead in home runs (10) and leads the Rangers with 36 RBIs. Not bad for a guy who was thought to be washed up.
Greg Oden or Kevin Durant. The NBA draft lottery tonight at 7:30 will determine the order for the June 28 draft. Bill Simmons of ESPN.com's Page 2 did a pretty interesting mock draft lottery from a karmic standpoint of which team most deserves to land Oden or Durant. The Suns are No. 4 in the order via the Hawks - imagine if they landed somebody like Oden?
Still at the makeshift Idol fest in the Kodak Theatre complex, taking it all in. Chris Richardson, Gina Glocksen, Brandon Rogers and Haley Scarnato just ran out of the California Pizza Kitchen, hand in hand like a group of school kids. They bolted across the mall, largely unnoticed by the fans standing around. Minutes later, Gina and Brandon were back, heading into a Victoria's Secret. They emerged later with small shopping bags. This is a weird experience.
On the way back to the hotel to watch tonight's Idol on TV (yeah, lame, but I only got into tomorrow's show), I noticed the line of lucky people with tickets wrapped all the way around the block. Some were holding signs. One had "SPARKLEMOTION!" written in glittery letters. Another read "Blake-tastic!"
I'll be bloggin' again after the show. Hey, there's Nadia Turner! I swear, there are more former Idol contestants here than there are fans.
And this time it's for real. The Kodak Theatre is buzzin' with people, and there's enough going on that one doesn't even need tickets to tonight's performance show to get a complete Idol experience.
This place (at the intersection of Hollywood and Highland) is more like a mall than a venue, with an auditorium tucked in among scads of stores and restaurants. It's perfect for rubbernecking, because it happens to be the place where TV Guide Channel tapes its weekly shows Idol Tonight and Idol Chat.
The small set is perched between a Starbucks and a California Pizza Kitchen, with a clear view of the Hollywood sign in the background. Hosts and former Idol contestants Justin Guarini and Kimberley Caldwell host the show, and when they are not getting pounds of make-up caked on their faces, they tape interviews with other former contestants.
In the past thirty minutes, I've seen them interview flower-hair-girl Jasmine Trias, law-student-turned-belter Kimberly Locke, this season's Jared Cotter (who's not as handsome in person, but still better than the average bear), Scott Savol (shudder) and Anthony Fedorov. Oh, and that little Crying Girl is milling about somewhere. OH, and I just saw Chris Daughtry walking around the crowd with a couple of his band members. Geez, this place is crawling with Idols.
If I see Sanjaya, I think I might pass out.
I hear cheering around the corner. Must investigate. More later.
Apple just released a new game, Lost. One online review states "The graphics are very cool and it seems to hold true to the show." Well, that's one man's opinion. Try it and let me know what you think. Available for download on iTunes.
Well, Paula Abdul may be next in line for an award. American Idol's resident flake sacrificed her nose so that her Chihuahua could live. At least, that's the story her publicist gave. The broken nose isn't expected to keep her from appearing on Idol tonight.
Well ... not exactly. I just landed at LAX. No star sightings yet, but I doubt celebs hang out in the baggage claim area. I hear there's a bunch of Idol media madness going on around where the show tapes tonight, so I'll be making my way there as soon as I figure out how to get out of this massive airport. Wish me luck.
And to quote Taylor Hicks (whom I hope to see hocking his CDs on the street or something), "WOOOOO!"
Vue, the "global cuisine" restaurant in Addison -- it used to be known as "Veuve" but they had to change the name for copyright reasons -- apparently shut its doors on Sunday. It plans to reopen on Thursday as a nightclub only. Guess there's not much redecoration involved....
Not sure what events are on tap for the future, but I do think these promoters are involved.
Don't say we never did anything for ya. Yes, this is the site of his European record label. Yes, the U.S. will get his new album eventually. More details later.
The Cleveland Cavs just lost to the Pistons. The San Antonio Spurs beat the Jazz Sunday. Of the remaining teams, who is the best player? Of course, I say Tim Duncan. What do you think?
Apparently the desert, or relatively close to it, is where all the action is. First Tony visited the Vegas dunes after a taste o' peyote on The Sopranos. Then Drama from Entourage escaped to the Grand Canyon for some solitude and a nap. Now Hugh, the pompous-ass boss on The Riches, has fled to the desert on a suspected meth binge.
Sounds awesome. But I'm sure I'd miss this lovely May North Texas weather.
I've seen the Pastime Tavern a few times on the way to Lee Harvey's. Always thought it looked cool, in a dive-y sort of way. Turns out they're having a show tonight -- I believe it's the first one ever. The Willowz, out of Anaheim, and Denton's Sarah Reddington perform at 10 p.m.
The Willowz, incidentally, are on Dim Mak records, the label owned by frequent-Dallas-ghostbar DJ Steve Aoki.
Grand marshal Michael Jordan gave a pretty ho-hum "Gentlemen, start your engines" command for Saturday night's NASCAR All-Star race. But still, it was great to see him out there. MJ has been in the public eye quite a bit recently. The part owner of the Charlotte Bobcats played golf with Tiger Woods at the Wachovia Championship and, according to the Associated Press, bought a luxury suite for Carolina Panthers games next season. Word is Dale Earnhardt Jr. got MJ to autograph a pair of Nikes at the drivers' meeting. That's a superstar duo.
The New York Post's Page Six reports that Britney Spears threw a tantrum over the weekend and demanded to be let off a cross-country United Airlines flight minutes before takeoff. Her reason? The plane didn't have leather seats. A passenger said the captain accomodated the pop star and then apologized for delaying the flight.
It would be easy to blast Britney for her sense of entitlement, her refusal to tough it out like the rest of us. But I say give her a break. Given what we know about her wardrobe habits, it's entirely possible that she's more sensitive to seating materials than most of us.
This weekend I finally watched The Break-Up starring Jennifer Aniston and Vince Vaughn. And I realized why I had waited so long. It was a very good movie, but a little too real, if you know what I mean. Am I the only one who was bawling and sniffling and trying to hide it at the end? I thought the movie was going to leave pains of joy in my side due to laughter, but instead I was left with a renewed (yet completely subconscious) disgust of video games and the men who play them to avoid doing dishes or communicating with humans. Or maybe it was just the lack of a Will Ferrell cameo.
I was lucky enough to catch Brooklyn singer Ari Hest perform Friday night at the Granada, and I really wish I'd remembered to tell y'all about him beforehand. Oh well, spilt milk. Doesn't mean you can't check out his excellent new album The Break-In. "When and If" and "Bird Never Flies" (video here) were highlights of the Granada set, as well as Hest's perfect cover of Peter Gabriel's "Mercy Street," which I had forgotten was one of my favorite songs. Following Ari was another Big Apple act and the big draw of the night, the Damnwells. The band's look-at-me-I'm-clever lead singer kinda got on my nerves, but the tunes weren't too bad.
This is every urban dweller's nightmare: a woman in Midtown Manhattan FELL THROUGH A STREET GRATE! Every time I visit NYC or D.C. and walk over those creepy sidewalk grates, I have a little moment of fear and then chastise myself for being paranoid. But I was right! Arragh! Thank god we don't have them in Dallas. Or do we? DO WE? I don't remember seeing them here...
Skin's Sure Shot column today mentions the MJ vs. Prince party at Minc tonight. I'm always partial to the Purple One, for superior music reasons. Prince still rocks. Mike, not so much.
(Though I will admit to desperately wanting a Thriller jacket for a few weeks when I was in fifth grade).
Then there's the fact that Michael's extreme icky weirdness made Prince's eccentricities (yes, even the temporary symbol-name-change and all) look tame.
My favorite bit: The story of Quincy Jones and Michael trying to get Prince to collaborate/battle on "Bad." Since, you know, they were "rivals" and all. Prince later explained why he said no on The Chris Rock Show:
"The first line in that song is 'Your butt is mine.' ... Now who's gonna sing that to who? 'Cause you sure ain't singing it to me. And I sure ain't singin' it to you. ... Right there, we got a problem."
The film will feature "girls with closely twisted or curled hair (the dictionary definition of 'nappy'), who have sex for money (the dictionary definition of 'ho')." This promises to be a great leap for society.
In a press release, Kick Ass president Mark Kulkis said, "We see this as a free speech issue. As an adult media company, we're especially defensive of free speech. Don Imus is a loudmouth and perhaps a bigot. However, CBS Radio was hypocritical in hiring Imus to be blunt and outspoken, then firing him for the same reason. Fellow broadcast personalities Ann Coulter and Pat Robertson spew anti-gay slurs, yet they are not fired by their networks." Hmmm, porno with integrity!
Well, it is easily the most creative retirement plan I've ever encountered — never heard of it in the Fidelty Investment booklet.
Hilary Clintonhas a problem. No, this one doesn't involve Bill. She needs a theme song for her presidential campaign. U2, Smash Mouth, the Dixie Chicks and Jesus Jones are among the lucky candidates. Go here to vote. What are your nominations?
Yes, I'm a geek. That said, I love the Sat-Go by DirecTV. If only I had an extra $1500 laying around. It's housed in a brown briefcase. Check out the story on USA Today.
HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — Zimbabwe’s annual inflation rate surged to an unprecedented 3,714 percent at the end of April, the official state newspaper reported Thursday, as the government set up a commission to try to bring prices down. Prices more than doubled last month.
That's my highly intellectual interpretation of the sound the Transformers made when they were up to their transformin' on the old cartoon.
I was concerned that the sound would not make it into the new live-action Transformers movie. Then I saw the new trailer. Optimus Prime rolls up, the old sound kicks in, and all is right with the world again.
The buzz at the Cannes Film Festival today was all about Jerry Seinfeld, who showed up wearing a fuzzy bumblebee suit and black tights.
“You know, one thing I hate is any kind of movie promotion that smacks of desperation in any way,” the 53-year-old comedian said, before jumping from the roof of an eight-story luxury hotel, arms and legs flailing, and heading down to the beach on a cord.
Check out the whole story and a description of his animated film Bee Movie here.
Madonna has recorded a song and made it available for download here to mark the upcoming Live Earth concerts on July 7. Not a bad tune. It's produced by Pharrell Williams, but strangely has no Neptunes beat or annoying rap. If there's a video, I'm sure he'll figure out a way to dance in the background.
"It was traumatizing, really," says Winky, who now owns a holistic healing center and makes occasional appearances on British TV. "I'm a very private Teletubby. I just wanted to get away, go over the hills and far away. But when you're 7 feet tall and purple with an antenna on your head and a TV screen in your belly, where are you going to go?"
Check out the second episode of Movie Time With Pikahsso and Tahiti, in which our hip-hop heroes take on the bloodthirsty zombies in 28 Weeks Later. Don't miss Tahiti's zombie conversion at the end.
I enjoy drag shows in Oak Lawn on a fairly regular basis. There are some seriously lovely and talented ladies crooning in gowns at clubs in Dallas.
But more broadly, the media representation of men (or women) in drag is pretty spare. (And I think we can all agree that Patrick Swayze was one fugly drag queen in To Wong Foo Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar.)
One notable exception: the role of the mother in John Waters' Hairspray, recently played brilliantly on Broadway by Harvey Fierstein.
Now, another movie version of the musical is coming out and Queen Latifah and John Travolta are dressed up as their respective roles on the current cover of The Advocate (better picture of the cover here). From the article:
Surreal doesn’t begin to describe the image of this erstwhile Wild Hog donning latex and a wig to play a role previously inhabited by such actors as Divine, Harvey Fierstein, and Bruce Vilanch. Though the idea of Travolta as full-figured housewife Edna Turnblad seems unlikely, director Adam Shankman says the actor was more concerned with overcoming the specter of Grease.
Looks like the movie is coming out this summer, but the article is not clear. Danny Zuko in drag...this will be worth seeing.
First off, the video isn't for kids. It's crazy, O.J. as a black Homer Simpson in The OJ Simpsons - If I Did It (Director's Cut). Fox is upset. Duh. I didn't watch the last two episodes. Check it out before they yank it.
What, you thought we were talking about Tony Romo? The Cowboys quarterback got plenty of camera time along with his main squeeze — can we say that? — Carrie Underwood before last night's Academy of Country Music Awards in Las Vegas. The former Idol winner won album of the year for Some Hearts and was top female vocalist. Tony didn't win anything. He just smiled a lot.
I probably appreciate the WNBA a little more than your average person (mostly because I wrote about women's college basketball for a couple of years in the mid-90s and developed an interest), but I had no idea that many of the top players in the league STILL have to go overseas to make a decent living.
I'm a little late on this news, but there's a banner across the former Standard restaurant space announcing the opening of Strong's Everyday Tavern. It's on the corner of Cedar Springs and Fairmount in Uptown, next to the Goss Gallery. It's supposed to open in mid-summer as a "casual-chic eatery." I don't know, the word "chic" doesn't really go with "everyday" for me. Everyday is jeans and beer. I wish my neighborhood had more everyday places and less places striving for the casual-yet-sophisticated thing. Or maybe I just need to move. I'm curious to see what Strong's vision of an everyday tavern is.
What a great idea. The Women's Museum at Fair Park is having a closet swap next Thursday benefiting the Genesis Women's Shelter in Dallas, an organization that helps local battered women and their children.
Bring five or more items from your closet (clothes, shoes and accessories) and check out the good from other women around town. There's free food and drinks, mini-spa treatments and complimentary beauty tips from the folks at Bliss, Lash Lounge, Sephora and others. There's even a raffle and goodie bags.
All unclaimed clothes will go to Genesis.
Swap is from 6-9 p.m. May 31 at the museum, 3800 Parry Ave., 214-915-0860.
Anti-censorship activist and record label owner Jello Biafra, former lead singer of the Dead Kennedys, is in Dallas today for a spoken word performance. According to a press release, he'll "speak on many topics in a humorous and candid way, such as the Bush regime, MySpace, New Orleans, voting rights, voting fraud, election rigging, homeless rights and more." (Also, it says he's now the lead singer for the Melvins -- I had no idea. Is King Buzzo still around?)
Tickets are $15 and are available at CD World, 214-826-1885, or online. Doors open at 7 p.m. for the show at the Granada Theater, 3524 Greenville Avenue.
Hey, I'm a Spurs fan, you already know that. I love Avery Johnson, he's a former Spur. I was reading an article about Dirk Nowitzki on espn.com. It asked was he the lamest MVP ever? I don't think so. But check out the article. Mavs fans, don't be too mad at me. It'll get better.
Debbie Fetterman had a good story in the DMN today detailing the upgrades to the Katy Trail. It's worth a read to see all the work being done to make it a better place to exercise.
The story was done in advance of Thursday's Katy 5K and picnic, a fun evening race where local restaurants serve free food to participants. It's sponsored by Michelob Ultra, so you can enjoy a post-run beer and some great food in Reverchon Park, where the race starts and finishes. Visit katytraildallas.org for more info. Registration is $25, $30 race day.
Because they are not big enough jokes, the Long Island Lolita and Buttafuoco have teamed up with producer David Krieff (the brilliant mastermind behind a plan to get $20 million to send N'Sync singer Lance Bass aboard the Soyuz rocket to the International Space Station). Apparently, they're going to tape romantic dates with each other and attempt to get someone, somewhere to buy them.
Both Fisher and Buttafuoco are in the midst of divorces from their respective spouses and he's recently out of jail, so why the hell not? Bring on the two-headed calves and snake handling tattooed lady. This is going to be a total freak show.
In an unusual move, novelty Swedish pop outfit Rednex has put itself up for sale via the online auction site eBay. The Stockholm, Sweden band, best known for the international 1994 hit “Cotton Eye Joe,” is listed with a starting bid price of $1.5 million.
The buyer will get 100% of the shares to the Swedish company Rednex AB, which is currently owned by the band's founders and producers Janne Ericsson, Vrjan “Vban” Vberg and Pat Reiniz. Rednex AB controls the trademark, all recordings, all contracts and negotiating rights and is in full power of the artistry, the band writes in an official message online at Popbandforsale.com. The trio could not be immediately contacted for comment."
Sounds like a sweet deal, but can they throw in La Bouche and Snap! as well?
An Associated Press story on today’s death of the Rev. Jerry Falwell notes the loss felt by many religious and right-wing leaders. That includes Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary President Paige Patterson who said, “Only once in a generation will a man of his stature arise. We all owe him a debt of eternal gratitude.”
But the passing of Falwell, who claimed children’s television character Tinky Winky was gay and blamed gays and lesbians among others for inciting the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, is drawing a different response from gays.
I agree with Keith. And let me just say – this is a load of crap.
Just yesterday some guy gave me the finger because I had signaled to get into his lane. I didn’t actually get in his lane - he all of a sudden sped up so I couldn’t. I merely put my blinker on, indicating I wanted in the lane.
Then he flew on and a bit later was stuck behind someone else as I passed him. As I was exiting from one highway to the other, I noticed he was behind me. He started flashing his beams because he apparently wanted me to go faster. I wanted to go faster, too, but couldn't because I would have had to just plain run over the cars in front of me.
When he finally got around me, he didn’t just give me the finger. He swerved into my lane all action-movie style, acting as if he wanted to force me off the road.
I'm demanding the Associated Press retract this story. And I want a recount.
Check out this week's episode of Skin Flix, and see our man Skin on the red carpet at the premiere of The Wendell Baker Story. He talks beards with Andrew, fan appreciation with Luke, and yes, the infamous scene of Owen rooting for Golden State against his hometown Mavs (above).
It sounds like Terrell Owens isn't going to miss ex-Cowboys coach Bill Parcells. When asked if he had learned anything under Parcells, the receiver said, "nothing, really." Which makes sense, when you think about it. I never learned anything when I was sleeping in class.
Somebody put together a list of the rudest drivers in America and Dallas couldn't even crack the top 20? Having narrowly avoided a car accident last night because another driver wasn't paying attention, this list has to be bogus. And, by the way, Miami wins again.
I don't buy the "Spurs are a dirty team" theory, but there isn't much defense for Robert Horry's love tap against Steve Nash at the end of last night's game. It was too rough, obviously. All Horry had to do was hold onto Nash to foul him and stop the clock. An unfortunate ending to the game.
Just to show the other side of the coin, though (and I'll admit to being a Spurs fan): If the roles were reversed, and Amare Stoudemire did the same thing to Manu Ginobili, Suns fans would be crying hysterically about Manu flopping.
Not saying it was justified, and Horry will surely be suspended, and rightfully so. But Nash is pretty great at "accentuating" contact.
Just saw the three American Idol finalists on The Tonight Show. What a nauseatingly PC bunch -- they all claimed to have voted for their fellow contestants but not themselves. And two of them even say they voted for Sanjaya. Gimme a break ...
But it got better when Jay Leno took the stage and performed ... oh, wait. Never mind. That was Taylor Hicks.
The Dallas Museum of Art is rockin' out. As part of their once-a-month Late Nights at the DMA, they're having a listening party of Björk's new album Volta from 8:30-10 p.m. this Friday in the sculpture garden. There will be performances by Mission Giant and Black Tie Dynasty and a screening of Matthew Barney’s Drawing Restraint 9 (with a soundtrack by Björk). As always, there will be free Starbucks drinks and a line to match the price.
Tired of hearing how all the sports teams in town are losers? Well, KTCK-AM 1310 The Ticket gave Dallasites something to hang their hats on today.
In a bit called Homeless and Away, Donovan Lewis asks two players from a visiting pro sports team playing in town (the Away team) and two homeless people on the streets of Dallas (the Homeless, duh) 10 random questions to see who's "smarter." Today's Away team captains were Jered Weaver and Chone Figgins of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. They matched wits with Homeless players, "Willie" and "Clyde."
Behind four points going into the last round, the Homeless team staged a dramatic comeback to win by two and prove that Dallas teams are not a bunch of heartless choke artists ... or perhaps it just proves that baseball players are really self-absorbed dummies.
Some highlights of the epic matchup:
* None of the four contestants could name the capital of Texas or who Barack Obama was.
* However, everyone knew J.J.'s favorite saying on Good Times.
* Homeless people know their fractions. Baseball players do not. Only Willie and Clyde correctly answered what is 1/10 of 100.
* And no, despite the consensus, Bill Parcells is NOT the coach of the Cowboys.
MLB issued a report today that the World Series will start on a Wednesday instead of Saturday to boost ratings. That avoids a Friday night game, the second-least watched night after Saturday. A Game 5 would go head-to-head with Monday Night Football, and a Game 7 would be the first time baseball extended into November.
I'm not sure the day the Series starts is the problem with low ratings. It's the time. Why don't they try making the games earlier? East Coast viewers are up close to or past midnight even if a West Coast team isn't involved. The late start times make it hard to stay up for a game if your team's not involved.
Check out our latest PodQast, in which Paul Salfen discusses music and fashion with Cory Watson of Black Tie Dynasty. And you'll get to hear some good BTD tracks, too.
Have you heard about the movement to boycott gas stations tomorrow? If so, don't believe it. I got an email about this yesterday, from a source who typically does not email me (and who I thought was rather apolitical), urging me to skip the gas station on May 15 to protest gas now being more than $3 a barrel.
I thought it sounded like a good idea. (Plus that source made me want to believe him!) But as Snopes so helpfully points, out in one of their classic "no-duh" entries, not buying gas one day but buying it the next makes absolutely zilch difference in gas prices. Gotta go for long-term boycott. Like, if we can get all MySpace members to start riding bikes.
There were a number of noteworthy sports-related quotes late last week and over the weekend. Here's a sampling:
Donald Trump about Mavs owner Mark Cuban: "He's the owner of the team, and as the owner of the team he puts so much pressure on those players that they choke. And they choked."
Cuban: "Hopefully he will sell enough Trump steaks, Trump perfume and Trump dolls to save some money and buy a team. Then we can see how he does. Until then, he is a wannabe."
Cowboys running back Julius Jones: "Maybe I listened to Coach [Bill] Parcells a little too much and was kind of running like a robot."
Butch Harmon, swing coach for Phil Mickelson: "You're just seeing the tip of the iceberg. He's going to get a lot better."
Spurs forward Robert Horry of teammate Manu Ginobili's swollen left eye: "It makes him look tougher. I guess now with the black eye he looks even dirtier."
Looks like Oprah tops the list with $58.3 million given in 2006 to the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy, Oprah's Angel Network, and other groups. Other celebrities in the big-giver group include Geoffrey Beene, Barbra Streisand, Tiger Woods, Rosie O'Donnell, Martha Stewart, Bradgelina, Nicholas Cage, Paul McCartney and Bob Barker. Good to see that they do more with their millions than buy expensive pants and cars.
A friend passed along this link for long-suffering Brewers fans: http://peeyourpantsforthebrewers.com/ I love how they ask what your favorite brewer is when you sign the petition.
Good news for fans of Erykah Badu: She'll be headlining a free concert at the Dallas Museum of Art on June 15. She'll start at 8 p.m. on the museum's Ross Avenue plaza, in a show expected to draw more than 18,000 fans. The museum and Starbucks are sponsoring the event, part of the museum's Late Night series -- the museum is open till midnight the third Friday of each month.
Queue the bookstore, folks. Guess whose memoir hits the shelves Tuesday? That's right, Mr. Knight Rider himself, David Hasselhoff.
With a title I first thought was a joke, Don't Hassel the Hoff, it's 304 pages detailing his "phenomenal career, from his earliest childhood role in Peter Pan to his latest adventure, starring in Mel Brooks’s Tony award-winning musical, The Producers. There is no better time to celebrate Hasselhoff’s life and a career that continues to grow and thrive."
Given his spate of recent personal difficulties, including an L.A. judge temporarily suspending his visitation rights with his two teenage daughters, I might say they need to rewrite the press release, but whatever. Here's an entertaining little preview for you to savor after the cut, about his Baywatch days, big boobs on the set and his romance with the hotel minibars.
Legendary producer Irwin Winkler (Rocky, Raging Bull, Goodfellas) and actor Brian Presley (Borderland) are preparing to meet potentially their toughest critics – veterans.
Winkler directs and Presley stars in Home of the Brave, a post-war film that deals with soldiers returning to normalcy after feeling the effects of war, physically and mentally. Winkler says, “Some of these soldiers come back and they can’t get jobs that are satisfying. They’re having problems not being able to communicate in the same ways with family and friends. And there are those that don’t ever really get over their combat experience, so this is a cross-section of all of them.”
Tonight through Sunday, head north to Taste Addison where you can stuff your face with food from almost 60 restaurants, including Genghis Grill, the Melting Pot, Texas de Brazil and Truluck's. There are also carnival rides, dancers, clowns, magic shows and live music from the likes of Los Lonely Boys, The Valentines and Slaid Cleaves (schedule is here).
Tickets are $5 for adults before 5 p.m. and $10 after with kids under 4 free. Discount tickets are available at local Tom Thumb stores.
This Saturday, 1,200 tiny legs will scramble with the third annual Petco search for the fastest Chihuahua in America. Other regional races will be held around the country and winners will compete at the National Petco Unleashed 2007 Championship in San Diego. Runners-up at the Dallas event might win prizes like a Chihuahua race coupon book (which is...?), a year's supply of Royal Canine Chihuahua Dog Food and gift cards.
You can preregister here (only 200 spots available—100 more on Saturday morning).
The race is at 10 a.m. at the Prestonwood Petco, 5301 Belt Line Rd. #106, Dallas, 972-788-0460.
I was wondering if anyone has anything to say about the venue itself. Is it going to change the Dallas music scene in a positive way, or are we just going to have to pay more to see bands who would've otherwise played at Granada or the Gypsy Tea Room? And what about the GA area vs. the upstairs seats? I prefer general admission, but what's the vibe like in either area? Just curious if anyone has any insight before I see the Old 97's tomorrow.
Make sure you check out Movie Time With Pikahsso and Tahiti, and witness our fearless rappers taking on Spidey, Venom, the Sandman and Mary Jane in Spider-Man 3.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. made huge NASCAR news this morning, formally announcing he was leaving the race team his father built more than a decade ago, Dale Earnhardt Inc., at the end of this season.
Immediate speculation is that he might go to Richard Childress Racing and drive the No. 3 Chevrolet that his father made famous. But Junior said he's not comfortable with that scenario at this point in his career. But never say never. He said he wants to do a lot of listening and weigh all his options as a driver. Junior isn't the smoothest talker in the world, but he handled himself and this emotional decision well.
If you're a fan of The Onion, try downloading the new Onion News Networks podcasts, two-minute spoofs in the vein of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, The Colbert Report, etc.
The ONN does fake news just as funny as the print version, with headlines crawling across the screen and sober-faced anchors who deadpan announcements like, "I'm Julianna McKannis. I'm sitting in today for Clifford Baines, who had some s**t to take care of."
Not to mention the hard-hitting reports, such as "Protecting America's Borders With a Moat" or "Study Finds 70% of All Praise Sarcastic."
Some highlights of this year's Austin City Limits Music Festival, to be held Sept. 14-16 at Zilker Park:
Bob Dylan & His Band(OMG OMG OMG OMG) Björk
The White Stripes
The Killers
Wilco
Arcade Fire
My Morning Jacket
Queens of the Stone Age
Bloc Party
Arctic Monkeys
Joss Stone
Blue October
Indigo Girls
Regina Spektor
Amy Winehouse
Crowded House
Ben Kweller
Peter Bjorn and John
Yo La Tengo
Midlake
I've spent a lot of years trying to figure out the best way to make working out a regular part of my life. Gyms get boring. It's too hot in the summer. I’m busy. I'm lazy...
But when I saw the shovelglove Web site, I was intrigued. It's a man, a sledgehammer and a plan for getting fit.
Seriously, check it. It looks way better than the standard gym routine: Fourteen minutes a day, weekends/holidays off, equipment from the local hardware store and an easy routine. Call me Paul Bunyan!
Jon Gries (a.k.a. Uncle Rico in Napoleon Dynamite) appeared on Lost tonight. I'm highly disappointed he didn't boast of throwing a pigskin a quarter mile.
Keri Russell's new comedy, Waitress, is due out Friday. But Quick is distributing free passes so you can see it a day early. It looks like Russell is sporting long locks for this one, so it may avoid the Felicity hex brought on by her tragic haircut.
Get the free passes, while they last, at Movie Trading Company, 5809 Greenville Ave., beginning at 10 a.m. The screening is at 7:30 at the Magnolia, 3699 McKinney Ave. in the West Village. And for an interview with Russell, check out Thursday's Quick.
"Akon, under fire for doing a sexually explicit dance onstage with a 14-year-old girl, has offered an apology to the teen and anyone else who was offended by the display. He ... was videotaped simulating sex with a girl invited onstage as part of his act during an April 12 concert in Trinidad. After the video was circulated widely on the Internet, it was revealed that she was 14. Since the incident, Verizon has pulled out as a sponsor of his tour with Gwen Stefani, for whom he wrote the hit 'The Sweet Escape.' "
Lighten up, Verizon! What was he supposed to do, stop the song and check her I.D.?
Tonight Green Lemon, based out of Fort Collins, Colo., takes the stage at Lakewood Bar and Grill. They're getting somewhat of a national following after shows at Wakarusa and 10,000 Lakes, but this is the band's first exposure to Texas.
Here's more from their Web site, http://www.greenlemonband.com: Merging pumping electronica beats with smooth reggae melodies and some shredding guitar solos, Green Lemon inspired Relix Magazine to declare that they “could very well lead the next generation of jambands.”
Dallas' Fatty Lumpkin, a self-described funk-R&B-reggae-blues band, opens at 8. Tickets are $7. 6340 Gaston Avenue.
On MacRumors.com, it states that Electronic Arts, EA Sports, will be publishing 4 new games for the iPod this year. Cool huh? Let's hope there's a iPod version of Madden '08 in the works.
Reason No. 246 why it must suck to be O.J. Simpson:
According to the Associated Press, the owner of a steakhouse in Louisville, Ky., refused to serve Simpson after he and a group of friends came into dine the night before the Kentucky Derby.
"I didn't want to serve him because of my convictions of what he's done to those families," Jeff Ruby said.
The AP reported Simpson told Ruby he "understood" and would take his friends and leave.
"It was the first time since 1994 he has ever shown any class," Ruby said.
Daaaaaaamn. Simpson totally got served. And yet, he wasn't.
So what do we know about Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo, besides his apparent interest in Carrie Underwood and the fact he won't be holding footballs on field goal tries next season? The guy loves to compete. He was at Hackberry Creek Country Club in Irving on Tuesday, taking the first step toward qualifying for the U.S. Open. Romo, playing from a flooded fairway bunker, fell short of the next qualifying round despite shooting 72. "I never put forth the effort to get really, really mad if I didn’t do well at this whereas with football it would hurt,” he said.
On the heels of gossip that Kelly Clarkson’s third studio album, My December, had been pushed back, RCA has confirmed the set will arrive as planned July 24. “Never Again” debuted last week at No. 8 on the Billboard singles chart. The North Texas native is scheduled to hit American Airlines Center on Sept. 5.
Poor Knut the German polar bear. First he was abandoned by his mother at birth, then came worldwide popularity along with an anonymous death threat. Now the Berlin Zoo says the 5-month-old Knut is growing up and losing his cuddle factor -- and marketability. So what will happen to this (still very cute) symbol of wildlife preservation? Check out this video at www.cnn.com.
An Austin band that plays shows in Dallas every so often, the Underground Township puts on a fun, energizing show that has wide appeal. I've seen them a couple times, most recently Saturday at the Bone, and it's always a good time. It's mostly original music written by Graham, the lead singer, but you never know when they might return from a break and bust out a cover of "Gimme some Lovin'." Sonicbids.com says: "Influenced by American roots, reggae, jazz and funk, the Township's music and Graham Wilkinson's lyrics consistently bring audiences to their feet."
I just downloaded the new Mike Jones track "64." It has Bun B from UGK and Snoop Dogg on it, and of course an Eazy E sample. I've heard it on the radio for a while, but it's worth an iTunes download.
Flexpetz is "for dog lovers who are unable to own a full-time doggy pal, but miss spending time with a canine friend." With their online reservation system, it's like Netflix, only no prepaid mailers and more fur.
But there are significant downsides, like the price. First, there's a one-time $150 fee. Then there's an annual account maintenance charge of $99.95. Next, we have a monthly $39.95 charge. If you rent on a weekday, the dog costs $19.95 plus tax. Weekends are $29.95. Oh, and if you're late with Fido, it's $75.
I've long joked about starting a rent-a-baby service for those considering the real thing or just looking for some cute entertainment, but the reality of passing a pooch from person to person seems unnecessarily disruptive to the dog. My pets are of the feline variety, but don't dogs generally bond to one owner?
How about just heading down to the SPCA and volunteering as a dog walker instead? Seems infinitely easier and cheaper. Perhaps like naked sushi, this is a trend that will stay West Coast.
Just got off the phone with House of Blues, where I was on hold forever trying to make dinner reservations for tonight. (The grand-opening is today.) Took me several minutes to even get through -- I kept getting a busy signal. Of course, I hung up and hit redial over and over, because at that point it wasn't even about me anymore, it was about proving a point. ("I WILL dine at the House of Blues tonight!!")
Anyway, I finally got through to a rushed-sounding rep, made the reservation and asked her about parking. She said valet is $12.
"Is there validation?" I asked. Not such a horrible question.
"Honey, ain't nothing free here!" she said. Hmmm. Ok.
On a bright note, HOB is only .4 miles from the West End DART stop. The Victory Park station apparently won't be running tonight, as there's nothing going on at American Airlines Center. Seems like something's wrong with that picture. The city is developing the hell out of Victory Park, but they're only going to provide public transportation.... sometimes.
Hyde from That 70s Show (real name Danny Masterson) is DJing at Ghostbar. He’s with LA scenester DJ Steve Aoki, who’s actually here quite often, usually on a Tuesday. They're calling themselves the Laverne and Shirley tour. Isn't that cute? I can almost see them with their chins on their palms, smiling as bottles whizz by on a conveyor belt. But you should go, because it’s free.
Dutch DJ Fedde Le Grand hits Mantus tonight too. It’s the only Texas stop — and the only Southwest stop — on his tour. You may have heard his song “Put your hands up for Detroit,” which was like, the club song of last year… and this year… Watch the weirdo -- and dare I say Robert Palmer-inspired? -- video here. It's a teensy bit NSFW.
Funny note from the Los Angeles Times: "The commencement speaker at Saint Louis University this year will be Yogi Berra, which has to make the English department a bit edgy. About 1,900 students are expected to graduate this year, though they better heed some advice: The semester isn't over 'til it's over."
We're all for teamwork, but isn't this a bit much? Carlos Moya (left) is wearing Rafael Nadal's duds during a doubles match in Rome. They won, beating Roger Federer and Stanislas Wawrinka, so more power to 'em, I guess.
This weekend, Dallas Hub Theater brings us the regional premiere of TOP GUN! The Musical, with “singing. Satire. Subtext. All at Mach 3!” The stories of Maverick and Goose, Cougar and Merlin (and of course astrophysicist and flight instructor Kelly McGillis) are told by Denis McGrath with music by Scott White.
OMG, this sounds rad—80s flashback! If they could throw in some elements from Sixteen Candles and Dirty Dancing, they’d have the prefect raised-under-Reagan musical.
The show runs Fridays and Saturdays May 11–26 at 8:15 p.m. Tickets $15-$20, reservations at 214-749-7010.
Mizrahi's past clothing designs for the chain have been brilliant; I love my yellow trench coat, cute black capris and sassy sandals. Good for them, bringing inexpensive design to weddings.
So when is a pair of pants worth $65 million? Apparently when you are a total wanker named Roy Pearson and you have an insane interpretation of D.C.'s consumer protection law coupled with an apparent belief in a person's "constitutional right to a dry cleaner within four blocks of [your] apartment."
According to court documents, the problem began in May 2005 when Pearson became a judge and brought several suits for alteration to Custom Cleaners in Northeast Washington, a place he patronized regularly despite previous disagreements with the [owners, the] Chungs. A pair of pants from one suit was not ready when he requested it two days later, and was deemed to be missing.
Pearson asked the cleaners for the full price of the suit: more than $1,000.
But a week later, the Chungs said the pants had been found and refused to pay. That's when Pearson decided to sue.
Manning said the cleaners made three settlement offers to Pearson. First they offered $3,000, then $4,600, then $12,000. But Pearson wasn't satisfied and expanded his calculations beyond one pair of pants.
British rap sassmaster Lady Sovereign is in town for two shows on Saturday. She'll open up for Gwen Stefani at Smirnoff, then she's set to appear later that night at 2505 (at 2505 Pacific Ave.). Ticket info here and here.
See her latest video ("Those Were the Days") here.
(Better yet, watch the older-and-better "Love Me or Hate Me" here.)
So what happens first in tonight's playoff smackdown between the must-win Mavericks and the Schmoes from Golden State?
a.) Baron Davis makes a 3-pointer with his eyes closed and his hands tied behind his back. (And he calls "bank.")
b.) Stephen Jackson pulls a handgun out of his shorts after being tossed for the third time in the series.
c.) Devin Harris gets so upset after being whistled for a foul that he pouts in the corner and takes the basketball home.
d.) Dirk Nowitzki plays another robotic game before burying the game-winning shot to force Game 7 back in Big D.
The tip is at 9:30 p.m. in Oakland. Channel 21 if you want to watch the local telecast. TNT is you want to watch it on HD and hear Reggie Miller invent new words.
Heard from Idol Records president Erv Karwelis that In Between Days, the new solo release from ex-Chomsky guitarist Glen Reynolds, is already available on iTunes. That means you don’t have to wait until June 5, the hard-copy release date, to start enjoying it. It also means you can learn the tunes by May 26, when Glen and his live band (including the ubiquitous Chris Holt on bass) play a release show at Fallout Lounge. If you’re too much of a cheapskate to do iTunes, you can preview a few tracks here.
Gus Klein -- fragrance designer AND entertainment host for the Dallas Voice's DVTV -- celebrates a year at his Garner Franklin Klein store's Cedars location this weekend.
(Gus also says to bring your mom -- or to have her in mind when you visit -- so you can get her something for Mother's Day. Please tell me you haven't forgotten about Mother's Day?)
Starts at 11 a.m. Saturday, 1112 S. Akard St. And did I mention that he'll have martinis there?
Isaiah Washingtonwill appear in PSAs for GLAAD and GLSEN. (Aside: Why do gay groups always have such long acronyms?)
Can't wait to see him saying how great we are. And how it's bad to use words like the one he did. And how we should all just tolerate each other. And that if you do say things like that, you'll end up in counseling and rehab.
Britney Spears performed for a whopping 15 minutes last night at the House of Blues in San Diego.
For those who care, here's AP's breakdown:
* She wore "nothing more than knee-high go-go boots with a short white skirt and a sparkly pink bra top that showed off her belly button ring — and no evidence of the weight gain that landed her on celebrity tabloid covers last year. A long brown wig completed the outfit, covering the head she shaved in February."
Sometimes, it's best to let the press release speak for itself. How could any of my commentary possibly improve upon this revolutionary parenting idea? It couldn't. So just check this out, matey:
EXPERT TEACHES MOMS AND DADS HOW TO BECOME “PARENTS OF THE CARIBBEAN” AND RAISE KIDS AS PIRATES
PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN movies are a thrill-a-minute. But if you really want to add some laughter and excitement to your life, consider becoming a “Parent of the Caribbean.”
Starting tonight, the Crow Collection of Asian Art is hosting another season of Tranquil Tuesdays yoga in the museum. It's a lovely setting to make your downward-facing dog and pyramid poses; the museum has some lovely galleries displaying the art from China, Japan, India and Southeast Asia. It is indeed calm and beautiful there.
The classes will be taught by yogis from BKS Iyengar Studio of Dallas and run Tuesdays from 5:45-6:45 p.m. through the summer. Free for members and $15 for non-members. Reservations required; 2010 Flora St., 214-979-6430.
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I'm not sure why I felt the need to watch last night's premiere of Hidden Palms, the new teen soap from Kevin Williamson (Dawson's Creek). But I did, and now I want that hour back.
Paula Abdul ran her mouth for the benefit of OK! Magazine, and here are some of the quotes (courtesy of AP):
Sarah Silverman is already looking like a kickass awards show host, if there is such a thing. Go 
When I was 12, I went to Wal-Mart and plopped down a week's allowance to purchase Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814 tape. Ever since, I've been nursing an addiction to slick pop music. The overproduced kind, with dizzying programmed beats, synthesizers and random sound effects ... heavily workshopped song lyrics ... 15-second intros and outros (that would prove problematic in the iPod age) ... hell, even the plastic smell of the packaging. It all brought me great joy.
