its been a while since i blogged.. i've had some personal health problems and the last thing i wanted to do is write... now that i'm the road to healing i feel the time is right to begin again.
LAW AND ORDER has been cancelled ! this might not mean much to the general public but to me it's very personal.
twenty years ago, when i was working and travelled for work every week and wasn't able to see much tv my sister told me about a new show that started on tv called Law and Order. there was no tivo or dvr's back then so seeing the show on a regular basis was impossible for me.. when i finally saw an episode, i fell in love with the show. the stories were based on actual news headlines. the formula for the show was simple but always interesting.
the cast changed with regularity and frankly i never noticed the change. the show was never character based but story based so it didn't seem to matter who the actor was or wasn't.
every week when i was on the road and couldn't watch Law and Order, i would call my sister from whatever city i was in and we'd talk about what i missed..
who in those days thought that every show would be re-run constantly? i recall one particular episode with Burt Young, which still remains one of my favorites. i was in my hotel room watching the show when the power went out.. i freaked out but the next day, first thing in the morning, i called my sister and she told me the ending.. we had the deepest conversation about this episode but ended up laughing about how addicted to Law and Order we'd become.
every week for many years judy and i discussed each and every episode of Law and Order as though it was the main part of our lives. as deep as our relationship was, it reached a deeper level because of a tv show. be assured we both knew how idiotic we were.
judy died almost 9 years ago and as ridiculous as it might sound, the death of Law and Order makes her death sadder and more real for me than i'd ever could imagined.
i miss my sister terribly and will miss Law and Order.
be back soon
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Sunday, April 4, 2010
LIFE
"The Awakening" author unknown.
A time comes in your life when you finally get
it...when, in the midst of all your fears and
insanity, you stop dead in your tracks and somewhere
the voice inside your head cries out...ENOUGH!
Enough fighting and crying and blaming
and struggling to hold on.
Then, like a child quieting down after a tantrum, you
blink back your tears and begin to look at the world
through new eyes.
This is your awakening.
You realize it's time to stop hoping and waiting for
something to change, or for happiness, safety and
security to magically appear over the next horizon.
You realize that in the real world there aren't always
fairy tale endings, and that any guarantee of "happily
ever after" must begin with you... and in the process
a sense of serenity is born of acceptance.
You awaken to the fact that you are not perfect and
that not everyone will always love, appreciate or
approve of who or what you are... and that's OK. They
are entitled to their own views and opinions.
You learn the importance of loving and championing
yourself... and in the process a sense of new found
confidence is born of self-approval.
You stop complaining and blaming other people for the
things they did to you - or didn't do for you - and
you learn that the only thing you can really count on
is the unexpected.
You learn that people don't always say what they mean
or mean what they say and that not everyone will
always be there for you and that everything isn't
always about you.
So, you learn to stand on your own and to take care of
yourself... and in the process a sense of safety and
security is born of self-reliance.
You stop judging and pointing fingers and you begin to
accept people as they are and to overlook their
shortcomings and human frailties... and in the process
a sense of peace and contentment is born of
forgiveness.
You learn to open up to new worlds and different
points of view. You begin reassessing and redefining
who you are and what you really stand for.
You learn the difference between wanting and needing
and you begin to discard the doctrines and values
you've outgrown, or should never have bought into to
begin with.
You learn that there is power and glory in creating
and contributing and you stop maneuvering through life
merely as a "consumer" looking for your next fix.
You learn that principles such as honesty and
integrity are not the outdated ideals of a bygone era,
but the mortar that holds together the foundation upon
which you must build a life.
You learn that you don't know everything, it's not
your job to save the world and that you can't teach a
pig to sing.
You learn that the only cross to bear is
the one you choose to carry and that martyrs get
burned at the stake.
Then you learn about love. You learn to look at
relationships as they really are and not as you would
have them be. You learn that alone does not mean
lonely.
You stop trying to control people, situations and
outcomes.
You learn to distinguish between guilt and
responsibility and the importance of setting
boundaries and learning to say NO.
You also stop working so hard at putting your feelings
aside, smoothing things over and ignoring your needs.
You learn that your body really is your temple. You
begin to care for it and treat it with respect. You
begin to eat a balanced diet, drink more water, and
take more time to exercise.
You learn that being tired fuels doubt, fear, and
uncertainty and so you take more time to rest. And,
just as food fuels the body, laughter fuels our soul.
So you take more time to laugh and to play.
You learn that, for the most part, you get in life
what you believe you allow, and that much of life
truly is a self-fulfilling prophecy.
You learn that anything worth achieving is worth
working for and that wishing for something to happen
is different than working toward making it happen.
More importantly, you learn that in order to achieve
success you need direction, discipline and
perseverance.
You also learn that no one can do it all
alone, and that it's OK to risk asking for help.
You learn the only thing you must truly fear is fear
itself. You learn to step right into and through your
fears because you know that whatever happens you can
handle it and to give in to fear is to give away the
right to live life on your own terms.
You learn to fight for your life and not to squander
it living under a cloud of impending doom.
You learn that life isn't always fair, you don't
always get what you think you deserve and that
sometimes bad things happen to unsuspecting, good
people... and you learn not to always take it
personally.
You learn that nobody's punishing you and everything
isn't always somebody's fault. It's just life
happening.
You learn to admit when you are wrong and
to build bridges instead of walls.
You learn that negative feelings such as anger, envy
and resentment must be understood and redirected or
they will suffocate the life out of you and poison the
universe that surrounds you.
You learn to be thankful and to take comfort in many
of the simple things we take for granted, things that
millions of people upon the earth can only dream
about: a full refrigerator, clean running water, a
soft warm bed, a long hot shower.
Then, you begin to take responsibility for yourself by
yourself and you make yourself a promise to never
betray yourself and to never, ever settle for less
than your heart's desire.
You make it a point to keep smiling, to keep trusting,
and to stay open to every wonderful possibility.
You hang a wind chime outside your window so you can
listen to the wind.
Finally, with courage in your heart, you take a stand,
you take a deep breath, and you begin to design the
life you want to live as best you can.
A time comes in your life when you finally get
it...when, in the midst of all your fears and
insanity, you stop dead in your tracks and somewhere
the voice inside your head cries out...ENOUGH!
Enough fighting and crying and blaming
and struggling to hold on.
Then, like a child quieting down after a tantrum, you
blink back your tears and begin to look at the world
through new eyes.
This is your awakening.
You realize it's time to stop hoping and waiting for
something to change, or for happiness, safety and
security to magically appear over the next horizon.
You realize that in the real world there aren't always
fairy tale endings, and that any guarantee of "happily
ever after" must begin with you... and in the process
a sense of serenity is born of acceptance.
You awaken to the fact that you are not perfect and
that not everyone will always love, appreciate or
approve of who or what you are... and that's OK. They
are entitled to their own views and opinions.
You learn the importance of loving and championing
yourself... and in the process a sense of new found
confidence is born of self-approval.
You stop complaining and blaming other people for the
things they did to you - or didn't do for you - and
you learn that the only thing you can really count on
is the unexpected.
You learn that people don't always say what they mean
or mean what they say and that not everyone will
always be there for you and that everything isn't
always about you.
So, you learn to stand on your own and to take care of
yourself... and in the process a sense of safety and
security is born of self-reliance.
You stop judging and pointing fingers and you begin to
accept people as they are and to overlook their
shortcomings and human frailties... and in the process
a sense of peace and contentment is born of
forgiveness.
You learn to open up to new worlds and different
points of view. You begin reassessing and redefining
who you are and what you really stand for.
You learn the difference between wanting and needing
and you begin to discard the doctrines and values
you've outgrown, or should never have bought into to
begin with.
You learn that there is power and glory in creating
and contributing and you stop maneuvering through life
merely as a "consumer" looking for your next fix.
You learn that principles such as honesty and
integrity are not the outdated ideals of a bygone era,
but the mortar that holds together the foundation upon
which you must build a life.
You learn that you don't know everything, it's not
your job to save the world and that you can't teach a
pig to sing.
You learn that the only cross to bear is
the one you choose to carry and that martyrs get
burned at the stake.
Then you learn about love. You learn to look at
relationships as they really are and not as you would
have them be. You learn that alone does not mean
lonely.
You stop trying to control people, situations and
outcomes.
You learn to distinguish between guilt and
responsibility and the importance of setting
boundaries and learning to say NO.
You also stop working so hard at putting your feelings
aside, smoothing things over and ignoring your needs.
You learn that your body really is your temple. You
begin to care for it and treat it with respect. You
begin to eat a balanced diet, drink more water, and
take more time to exercise.
You learn that being tired fuels doubt, fear, and
uncertainty and so you take more time to rest. And,
just as food fuels the body, laughter fuels our soul.
So you take more time to laugh and to play.
You learn that, for the most part, you get in life
what you believe you allow, and that much of life
truly is a self-fulfilling prophecy.
You learn that anything worth achieving is worth
working for and that wishing for something to happen
is different than working toward making it happen.
More importantly, you learn that in order to achieve
success you need direction, discipline and
perseverance.
You also learn that no one can do it all
alone, and that it's OK to risk asking for help.
You learn the only thing you must truly fear is fear
itself. You learn to step right into and through your
fears because you know that whatever happens you can
handle it and to give in to fear is to give away the
right to live life on your own terms.
You learn to fight for your life and not to squander
it living under a cloud of impending doom.
You learn that life isn't always fair, you don't
always get what you think you deserve and that
sometimes bad things happen to unsuspecting, good
people... and you learn not to always take it
personally.
You learn that nobody's punishing you and everything
isn't always somebody's fault. It's just life
happening.
You learn to admit when you are wrong and
to build bridges instead of walls.
You learn that negative feelings such as anger, envy
and resentment must be understood and redirected or
they will suffocate the life out of you and poison the
universe that surrounds you.
You learn to be thankful and to take comfort in many
of the simple things we take for granted, things that
millions of people upon the earth can only dream
about: a full refrigerator, clean running water, a
soft warm bed, a long hot shower.
Then, you begin to take responsibility for yourself by
yourself and you make yourself a promise to never
betray yourself and to never, ever settle for less
than your heart's desire.
You make it a point to keep smiling, to keep trusting,
and to stay open to every wonderful possibility.
You hang a wind chime outside your window so you can
listen to the wind.
Finally, with courage in your heart, you take a stand,
you take a deep breath, and you begin to design the
life you want to live as best you can.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
ON MY MIND
i know, i know. you haven't heard from me in a while. there's a good reason. SANDRA BULLOCK ! i've taken to my bed since the news.
now in the past, i've blasted sandy for not being a great actress and not deserving of the oscar.. i now believe she should get a nobel peace prize.
poor sandy has been faced with such public humiliation by that piece of garbage jesse james that she deserves a purple heart.
i don't have to go into details about jesses cheating, you all know everything i do but i seem to have an inappropriate emotional reaction.
i have never been cheated on and don't know anyone who has but i'm furious with sandy for marrying this piece of garbage.. from his past, she should have known better.. lucky for her, she married jesse after her mother died cause her mother would have dropped dead seeing sandys choice of a mate.
theres nothing much to say except sandy has a long road of healing and i wish her well.
and now another situation . ricky martin has come out and declared he's gay ! what a shock ! that must be the worst kept secret in the music industry and every other industry for that matter.. good luck ricky.. nobody really cares if your gay or not.. you're a good father to those boys and thats all that counts.
some of you worry about the economy, the war, the problems in the middle east so i know you're all covering that..
i on the other hand let you all worry about the world, while i worry about sandra bullock and ricky martin... and thats only today.. you should only know what i worry about on a daily basis!!!
be back soon
now in the past, i've blasted sandy for not being a great actress and not deserving of the oscar.. i now believe she should get a nobel peace prize.
poor sandy has been faced with such public humiliation by that piece of garbage jesse james that she deserves a purple heart.
i don't have to go into details about jesses cheating, you all know everything i do but i seem to have an inappropriate emotional reaction.
i have never been cheated on and don't know anyone who has but i'm furious with sandy for marrying this piece of garbage.. from his past, she should have known better.. lucky for her, she married jesse after her mother died cause her mother would have dropped dead seeing sandys choice of a mate.
theres nothing much to say except sandy has a long road of healing and i wish her well.
and now another situation . ricky martin has come out and declared he's gay ! what a shock ! that must be the worst kept secret in the music industry and every other industry for that matter.. good luck ricky.. nobody really cares if your gay or not.. you're a good father to those boys and thats all that counts.
some of you worry about the economy, the war, the problems in the middle east so i know you're all covering that..
i on the other hand let you all worry about the world, while i worry about sandra bullock and ricky martin... and thats only today.. you should only know what i worry about on a daily basis!!!
be back soon
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
BLIND SIDED
the luther vandross memory made me remember something else.
years ago there was an airline called mgm grand air. it was a luxury plane that had only 31 seats in a huge plane.. there was a chef on board who made you whatever you wanted . many flight attendants to meet your every need.. the seats on board were all lush leather reclining chairs.
i heard that mostly celebrities fly on this airline and in those days one got dressed up to fly. these were the days before i knew any celebrities so it was thrilling to me.
i was so excited at the prospect of flying on this airline that i ran out and bought myself a 3 piece fancy schmancy outfit. i remember it cost me $500.00. for those days it was a small fortune. i bought myself earrings to match my outfit, new shoes, of course a new purse and the day before i flew, i had a manicure, pedicure and had my hair done.
the morning i was to leave, i carefully put my makeup on and blended it so it looked natural. i did the eyes and blended, i did the base and blended.. i did the blush and blended.. i was always good at applying makeup but that day i wanted to look like i was a celebrity myself so i was ultra careful about everything i did.
i arrived at jfk and mgm grand air, had its own terminal and lounge area. i walked in looked around and didn't see anyone famous but i figured, the famous ones board last. thats the general rule.
i was so excited and yet wanted to appear calm and casual about the whole experience. over the p.a. system it was announced we were about to board the plane. i wanted to be on first since there were no assigned seats and i wanted a seat in the front so i could see all the famous people boarding..the excitment inside of me was overwhelming.. i can remember my heart racing.
i took my seat in the front and waited for the string of celebrities to board.. i checked my makeup carefully.. my outfit looked stunning, my earrings gorgeous and i was just so ready for this experience.
people began boarding and i didn't recognize anyone. finally, the last person to board was JOSE FELICIANO ! the blind singer !!
i started to laugh to myself and thought, what a pretentious ass i am.. dressing up for none other than jose feliciano..
the plane took off and everyone was walking around and i went over to jose and his lovely wife linda and introduce myself. i proceeded to tell them my story.. jose lovingly said.. it didn't go to waste my friend, you look gorgeous.
i've loved him since.
years ago there was an airline called mgm grand air. it was a luxury plane that had only 31 seats in a huge plane.. there was a chef on board who made you whatever you wanted . many flight attendants to meet your every need.. the seats on board were all lush leather reclining chairs.
i heard that mostly celebrities fly on this airline and in those days one got dressed up to fly. these were the days before i knew any celebrities so it was thrilling to me.
i was so excited at the prospect of flying on this airline that i ran out and bought myself a 3 piece fancy schmancy outfit. i remember it cost me $500.00. for those days it was a small fortune. i bought myself earrings to match my outfit, new shoes, of course a new purse and the day before i flew, i had a manicure, pedicure and had my hair done.
the morning i was to leave, i carefully put my makeup on and blended it so it looked natural. i did the eyes and blended, i did the base and blended.. i did the blush and blended.. i was always good at applying makeup but that day i wanted to look like i was a celebrity myself so i was ultra careful about everything i did.
i arrived at jfk and mgm grand air, had its own terminal and lounge area. i walked in looked around and didn't see anyone famous but i figured, the famous ones board last. thats the general rule.
i was so excited and yet wanted to appear calm and casual about the whole experience. over the p.a. system it was announced we were about to board the plane. i wanted to be on first since there were no assigned seats and i wanted a seat in the front so i could see all the famous people boarding..the excitment inside of me was overwhelming.. i can remember my heart racing.
i took my seat in the front and waited for the string of celebrities to board.. i checked my makeup carefully.. my outfit looked stunning, my earrings gorgeous and i was just so ready for this experience.
people began boarding and i didn't recognize anyone. finally, the last person to board was JOSE FELICIANO ! the blind singer !!
i started to laugh to myself and thought, what a pretentious ass i am.. dressing up for none other than jose feliciano..
the plane took off and everyone was walking around and i went over to jose and his lovely wife linda and introduce myself. i proceeded to tell them my story.. jose lovingly said.. it didn't go to waste my friend, you look gorgeous.
i've loved him since.
LUTHER VANDROSS
one memory triggers another memory.. after writing my last blog i remembered a story that in hindsight is delicious.
i was on a plane from new york to los angeles. as i mentioned before, the first class cabin was always abuzz with people making deals and exchanging business cards.. most of these flights had famous celebrities. i've sat next to al pacino and froze during the flight. he scared me.. he's a very small man and i suppose i confused him with the characters he played. as i was sitting frozen, i was trying to glance at the script he was reading.. the title on each page was SCENT OF A WOMAN.
i just digressed..
on another flight, i got on the plane and the last person to enter was luther vandross..under normal circumstances, i wouldn't have gotten excited but i did.. the reason was, a dear friend of mine was so crazy about luther that she named all her cats luther.. there was luther 1.. luther 2. luther 3 and so forth.
my friend is an english woman who came to this country as a nanny and stayed in america. she is a real limey. her home was leeds, england and her accent was and is very cockney which she'll still deny.
her name is T.. yes just T.. it stands for tart! T is a beautiful blonde white woman who prefers black men. always has, always will. so to her luther vandross was god like. a black man with a gorgeous voice.
back to the plane.. luther got up to use the rest room and i decided to stand up so when he left the bathroom, i could tell him about T and her adoration for him. something i've learned, you just don't do. but i was new at this.
i told luther about T and just yapped away.. those days, each seat had a phone and i asked luther if he'd call T which he did.. he was a very gentle, kind, sweet man . i got T on the phone and said, hang on luther vandross wants to talk to you. she went crazy but was able to be coherant enough to have a conversation with him. luther suggested that T meet us at baggage claim when we arrived in los angeles and he'd give her an autograph and take pictures with her.. how lovely was that?
well, we landed and sure enough T was there and i introduced her to Luther. like i really knew him.. i am sure at certain times in my life, i should be locked up.
they took the pictures and luther gave her his autograph. he then asked her how she'd like to come to the Ebony awards where he was performing. the Ebony awards honor black entertainers. a perfect match for T.. luther asked for her phone number and said his assistant would be calling her to make arrangements.. sure enough, his assistant called and told T that a car would be sent to her and she could bring someone with her. she went with her friend Guy who happened to be a guy.. they were seated between mohammed ali and michael jackson. the girl almost died.. luther acknowled her from the stage and she was gaga over that.
after the show, they went to denzel washingtons restaurant, Georgia. she probaby was the only white woman there but T never noticed. when dinner was finished the car took them back to her house and as T says, a dream was realized.
its a memory she will have forever and i completely forgot about it until she reminded me of it yesterday.
it was almost like Make a Wish for the healthy.
i remember when luther had a serious stroke, i sent him a get well letter and told him how i wished he could have a night like my friend did. i wished him a speedy and full recovery. i never heard back. he died.
i'm sure people remember him for his beautiful voice. i remember him as a big teddy bear with a huge heart.
be back soon
i was on a plane from new york to los angeles. as i mentioned before, the first class cabin was always abuzz with people making deals and exchanging business cards.. most of these flights had famous celebrities. i've sat next to al pacino and froze during the flight. he scared me.. he's a very small man and i suppose i confused him with the characters he played. as i was sitting frozen, i was trying to glance at the script he was reading.. the title on each page was SCENT OF A WOMAN.
i just digressed..
on another flight, i got on the plane and the last person to enter was luther vandross..under normal circumstances, i wouldn't have gotten excited but i did.. the reason was, a dear friend of mine was so crazy about luther that she named all her cats luther.. there was luther 1.. luther 2. luther 3 and so forth.
my friend is an english woman who came to this country as a nanny and stayed in america. she is a real limey. her home was leeds, england and her accent was and is very cockney which she'll still deny.
her name is T.. yes just T.. it stands for tart! T is a beautiful blonde white woman who prefers black men. always has, always will. so to her luther vandross was god like. a black man with a gorgeous voice.
back to the plane.. luther got up to use the rest room and i decided to stand up so when he left the bathroom, i could tell him about T and her adoration for him. something i've learned, you just don't do. but i was new at this.
i told luther about T and just yapped away.. those days, each seat had a phone and i asked luther if he'd call T which he did.. he was a very gentle, kind, sweet man . i got T on the phone and said, hang on luther vandross wants to talk to you. she went crazy but was able to be coherant enough to have a conversation with him. luther suggested that T meet us at baggage claim when we arrived in los angeles and he'd give her an autograph and take pictures with her.. how lovely was that?
well, we landed and sure enough T was there and i introduced her to Luther. like i really knew him.. i am sure at certain times in my life, i should be locked up.
they took the pictures and luther gave her his autograph. he then asked her how she'd like to come to the Ebony awards where he was performing. the Ebony awards honor black entertainers. a perfect match for T.. luther asked for her phone number and said his assistant would be calling her to make arrangements.. sure enough, his assistant called and told T that a car would be sent to her and she could bring someone with her. she went with her friend Guy who happened to be a guy.. they were seated between mohammed ali and michael jackson. the girl almost died.. luther acknowled her from the stage and she was gaga over that.
after the show, they went to denzel washingtons restaurant, Georgia. she probaby was the only white woman there but T never noticed. when dinner was finished the car took them back to her house and as T says, a dream was realized.
its a memory she will have forever and i completely forgot about it until she reminded me of it yesterday.
it was almost like Make a Wish for the healthy.
i remember when luther had a serious stroke, i sent him a get well letter and told him how i wished he could have a night like my friend did. i wished him a speedy and full recovery. i never heard back. he died.
i'm sure people remember him for his beautiful voice. i remember him as a big teddy bear with a huge heart.
be back soon
Monday, March 8, 2010
I COULD'VE BEEN A CONTENDER
well, oscars are over and everyone looked gorgeous,there were no surprises.
sondra bullock won the oscar as predicted... when she was being introduced, Forest Whitiker did a homage to her and mentioned he directed her in the movie HOPE FLOATS.it brought back a memory that i had completely forgotten about.
in 1997 i was on a flight from new york to los angeles. in those years, first class was large and everyone was very friendly.. most of those on the flight were in show biz and i was then on the periphery.. very periphery of show biz. i was a faux celebrity.
my basic nature is to talk to anyone and everyone. i began a conversation with a lovely woman who i later found out was a high powered producer named linda obst. we chatted the entire flight and when we were leaving, we exchanged phone numbers and vowed to speak to each other again. i did a lot of exchanging of numbers in those days and never saw or heard from anyone.. thats very show biz !
a few months after my meeting with linda obst, i got a phone call from her office. they said linda wanted me to appear in her movie, Hope Floats... starring, of course, sondra bullock.. i went to the meeting and they asked me to read for the part. i said, i'm not an actress, why am i going to read? but i did . everyone was fawning over me and i was laughing. all the sudden, i'm going to be in a movie.
i took none of this seriously. weeks after my so called audition, i got a call from linda obst and she said, you got the part and we begin filming in austin, texas on may 1st. i paused for a long time and said, linda i have reservations at canyon ranch for the dates you want me and i really want to go. she kept trying to convince me that this was a chance of a lifetime and i kept thinking, this has got to be a big joke.
well, i made the decision to go to canyon ranch, where i was not yet working at but i loved the place.
my movie career went down the toilet with that decision and the part was done by kathy najimi who did a much better job than i could have ever done.
last night after forest whitiker mentioned Hope Floats, i realized that sondra bullock was about to get my oscar !
i figured from a small part in Hope Floats for me, i could have gone on to bigger and better roles and given meryl streep a run for her money.. if you're not laughing, its ok, i am.!
be back soon
sondra bullock won the oscar as predicted... when she was being introduced, Forest Whitiker did a homage to her and mentioned he directed her in the movie HOPE FLOATS.it brought back a memory that i had completely forgotten about.
in 1997 i was on a flight from new york to los angeles. in those years, first class was large and everyone was very friendly.. most of those on the flight were in show biz and i was then on the periphery.. very periphery of show biz. i was a faux celebrity.
my basic nature is to talk to anyone and everyone. i began a conversation with a lovely woman who i later found out was a high powered producer named linda obst. we chatted the entire flight and when we were leaving, we exchanged phone numbers and vowed to speak to each other again. i did a lot of exchanging of numbers in those days and never saw or heard from anyone.. thats very show biz !
a few months after my meeting with linda obst, i got a phone call from her office. they said linda wanted me to appear in her movie, Hope Floats... starring, of course, sondra bullock.. i went to the meeting and they asked me to read for the part. i said, i'm not an actress, why am i going to read? but i did . everyone was fawning over me and i was laughing. all the sudden, i'm going to be in a movie.
i took none of this seriously. weeks after my so called audition, i got a call from linda obst and she said, you got the part and we begin filming in austin, texas on may 1st. i paused for a long time and said, linda i have reservations at canyon ranch for the dates you want me and i really want to go. she kept trying to convince me that this was a chance of a lifetime and i kept thinking, this has got to be a big joke.
well, i made the decision to go to canyon ranch, where i was not yet working at but i loved the place.
my movie career went down the toilet with that decision and the part was done by kathy najimi who did a much better job than i could have ever done.
last night after forest whitiker mentioned Hope Floats, i realized that sondra bullock was about to get my oscar !
i figured from a small part in Hope Floats for me, i could have gone on to bigger and better roles and given meryl streep a run for her money.. if you're not laughing, its ok, i am.!
be back soon
Thursday, March 4, 2010
ANGEL ON EARTH
in my other life i owned a casting agency that found real people for t.v. commercials and i interviewed those people.
in hindsight it was wonderful. i met some wonderful people. i worked on a free lance basis. i was like a hooker. i'd go from job to job.. i'd go to an ad agency.. do my work and then hopefully would be hired again for their next real people project. it wasn't the kind of work that allowed one to bond with anyone.
there's always exceptions to every rule and the exception came one day when i was hired to cast a commercial for wells, rich, green advertising agency. the product was alka seltzer plus cold medicine and the commerical was shot as i recall in chappaqua new york.
i got to the location and saw this beautiful creature who was my client. i sat next to her while we filmed and we began talking.. she was not only beautiful but smart and funny. a rare combination for certain. we laughed together with a certain familiarity that one only gets when they know someone a long time. she was truly a shiksa goddess.
i recall people fawning over her ,which although lovely, didn't seem the norm for someone who was an account executive at an ad agency. but i really didn't give it much thought.
as it turned out, her mother in law owned the advertising agency and was a very famous, accomplished woman in that industry.. she had homes in nyc, france and the island of mustique. her husband had owned an airline as i recall and i suspect it was the first time in my life i'd been exposed to that kind of wealth. everyone was up pamelas ass because of her mother in law.
none of this mattered to me cause i was just crazy about her. she was to become a huge player in my life and a dear, kind friend.
we kept in touch after the job was completed. we met for lunch on occasion and talked often on the phone. i was there for the birth of her son. went to her apt in nyc often and eventually when she moved to westchester went to her home.
i, at that time, was broke. i was just out of a horrific marriage . life was very difficult but the worse was yet to come.
sept 4, 1990 my son was killed in a car crash. i don't remember much of the days that followed but i do remember pamela being there. i recall thinking to myself, she sticks out like a sore thumb amongst all these jews.
after i sat shiva, i went home and went thru my bills. there was no way i could pay my bills. i got an amex charge of $1,500.00 which at that time seemed like $15,000,000.00. as i was going through my bills, my phone rang and it was pamela.. i began crying, maybe sobbing. i told her about my financial woes and that i also couldn't remember how to write a check.. after you've suffered such a shock like your child dying.... everything is confusing.
pamela asked if she could pay my amex bill.. i fought her about that but she did it anyway. i recall saying to her, i can't pay you back now.. she said, you're never to pay me back but one day when you're on your feet again and someone needs money, you'll help. it was paying it forward before anyone used that expression.
three months after my son died, pamela called me and said jim, her then husband, who also worked at the advertising agency, had a job for me. i said, pamela, i can't do it. i felt incapable of working. she said, you're doing the job, call jim.. i called him as instructed, since i was a robot then anyway. jim told me what the job entailed and that he needed a budget from me.. i called pamela crying and said, i can't do the job, i can't do a budget, i don't want to do it, i can't. she said, heres the budget.. just write it down.. get a group together to help you do the job and just do it !
i did the job and really don't recall much of it but it was my re-entry into the real world.
i remained close to pamela but life changed for me and changed for her. i moved to tucson.. she got a divorce and its all a blur to me now. we lost contact with one another but she was never far from my thoughts.
about three months ago, i thought about her and tried to find her to no avail.. yesterday i went on the computer and in seconds, found her and her phone number. i immediately called and left a message.
last night at 10:30 my phone rang.. i never answer the phone at that hour unless its my daughter.. but i saw caller id and it was pamela.. i grabbed that phone faster than i've ever done anything...
we stayed on the phone for quite a while trying to catch up. that will take much more time.. so much has happened in the years we haven't spoken to one another.
she was an angel in my life and didn't know it.. she just did what she did and gave it no thought.
when i go to new york, you better believe i'm going to see her. she's always been in my heart and she helped bring me back to life.
P.s. years after pamela gave me $1,500 and i was financially solvent, i got a phone call from someone i hadn't heard from in years. she asked if i had money to lend her or else she was going to lose her home.. i figured if shes calling me, she must have called 10 people at least who turned her down. i asked how much she needed, she said $1,500.00!
i paid it foward .
be back soon
in hindsight it was wonderful. i met some wonderful people. i worked on a free lance basis. i was like a hooker. i'd go from job to job.. i'd go to an ad agency.. do my work and then hopefully would be hired again for their next real people project. it wasn't the kind of work that allowed one to bond with anyone.
there's always exceptions to every rule and the exception came one day when i was hired to cast a commercial for wells, rich, green advertising agency. the product was alka seltzer plus cold medicine and the commerical was shot as i recall in chappaqua new york.
i got to the location and saw this beautiful creature who was my client. i sat next to her while we filmed and we began talking.. she was not only beautiful but smart and funny. a rare combination for certain. we laughed together with a certain familiarity that one only gets when they know someone a long time. she was truly a shiksa goddess.
i recall people fawning over her ,which although lovely, didn't seem the norm for someone who was an account executive at an ad agency. but i really didn't give it much thought.
as it turned out, her mother in law owned the advertising agency and was a very famous, accomplished woman in that industry.. she had homes in nyc, france and the island of mustique. her husband had owned an airline as i recall and i suspect it was the first time in my life i'd been exposed to that kind of wealth. everyone was up pamelas ass because of her mother in law.
none of this mattered to me cause i was just crazy about her. she was to become a huge player in my life and a dear, kind friend.
we kept in touch after the job was completed. we met for lunch on occasion and talked often on the phone. i was there for the birth of her son. went to her apt in nyc often and eventually when she moved to westchester went to her home.
i, at that time, was broke. i was just out of a horrific marriage . life was very difficult but the worse was yet to come.
sept 4, 1990 my son was killed in a car crash. i don't remember much of the days that followed but i do remember pamela being there. i recall thinking to myself, she sticks out like a sore thumb amongst all these jews.
after i sat shiva, i went home and went thru my bills. there was no way i could pay my bills. i got an amex charge of $1,500.00 which at that time seemed like $15,000,000.00. as i was going through my bills, my phone rang and it was pamela.. i began crying, maybe sobbing. i told her about my financial woes and that i also couldn't remember how to write a check.. after you've suffered such a shock like your child dying.... everything is confusing.
pamela asked if she could pay my amex bill.. i fought her about that but she did it anyway. i recall saying to her, i can't pay you back now.. she said, you're never to pay me back but one day when you're on your feet again and someone needs money, you'll help. it was paying it forward before anyone used that expression.
three months after my son died, pamela called me and said jim, her then husband, who also worked at the advertising agency, had a job for me. i said, pamela, i can't do it. i felt incapable of working. she said, you're doing the job, call jim.. i called him as instructed, since i was a robot then anyway. jim told me what the job entailed and that he needed a budget from me.. i called pamela crying and said, i can't do the job, i can't do a budget, i don't want to do it, i can't. she said, heres the budget.. just write it down.. get a group together to help you do the job and just do it !
i did the job and really don't recall much of it but it was my re-entry into the real world.
i remained close to pamela but life changed for me and changed for her. i moved to tucson.. she got a divorce and its all a blur to me now. we lost contact with one another but she was never far from my thoughts.
about three months ago, i thought about her and tried to find her to no avail.. yesterday i went on the computer and in seconds, found her and her phone number. i immediately called and left a message.
last night at 10:30 my phone rang.. i never answer the phone at that hour unless its my daughter.. but i saw caller id and it was pamela.. i grabbed that phone faster than i've ever done anything...
we stayed on the phone for quite a while trying to catch up. that will take much more time.. so much has happened in the years we haven't spoken to one another.
she was an angel in my life and didn't know it.. she just did what she did and gave it no thought.
when i go to new york, you better believe i'm going to see her. she's always been in my heart and she helped bring me back to life.
P.s. years after pamela gave me $1,500 and i was financially solvent, i got a phone call from someone i hadn't heard from in years. she asked if i had money to lend her or else she was going to lose her home.. i figured if shes calling me, she must have called 10 people at least who turned her down. i asked how much she needed, she said $1,500.00!
i paid it foward .
be back soon
Saturday, February 27, 2010
REFRIED BRAINS
i woke up this morning to news that Chile had a devasting earthquake.. i found myself questioning how bad the quake was. i figured if george clooney shows up, its really bad..
can you imagine that george clooney is now my barometer for how bad things are in any country! seems like george shows up when things are bad and brad pitt shows up to rebuild. the media has destroyed my brain cells.
after listening about the quake i put on cnn to hear Dr. Drew Pinsky assessing american idol.. what has this world come to? between dr. drew and dr. oz who was dancing on his show, i'm convinced the world is going to hell in a handbasket.
i'm sure dr. drew at one time was a well respected doctor. and now he's doing an assessment of american idol. lord, help me.
when i lived in new york city and you had someone in your life who needed heart surgery, the go to guy was dr. memet oz. everyone knew his name for the brilliance of his ability. now he's showing intestines on his own show and dancing on occasion.
i had my 15 minutes of fame and it was fun for a short while.. then i began to hate it. the advantage of my fame was that nobody knew who i was by sight. only my name was famous. that was easy enough to change.
i was given opportunities which i'm grateful never came to fruition.. i did a pilot for a tv show and gratefully it never sold.
i'm thrilled i wrote a book and sold so well.. but the book was about the work i was doing to help people.
i can't wait to read a book by dr. drew on american idol or a book by dr. oz called OPRAH BOUGHT ME !
i'm not done with this subject so i'll
be back soon.
can you imagine that george clooney is now my barometer for how bad things are in any country! seems like george shows up when things are bad and brad pitt shows up to rebuild. the media has destroyed my brain cells.
after listening about the quake i put on cnn to hear Dr. Drew Pinsky assessing american idol.. what has this world come to? between dr. drew and dr. oz who was dancing on his show, i'm convinced the world is going to hell in a handbasket.
i'm sure dr. drew at one time was a well respected doctor. and now he's doing an assessment of american idol. lord, help me.
when i lived in new york city and you had someone in your life who needed heart surgery, the go to guy was dr. memet oz. everyone knew his name for the brilliance of his ability. now he's showing intestines on his own show and dancing on occasion.
i had my 15 minutes of fame and it was fun for a short while.. then i began to hate it. the advantage of my fame was that nobody knew who i was by sight. only my name was famous. that was easy enough to change.
i was given opportunities which i'm grateful never came to fruition.. i did a pilot for a tv show and gratefully it never sold.
i'm thrilled i wrote a book and sold so well.. but the book was about the work i was doing to help people.
i can't wait to read a book by dr. drew on american idol or a book by dr. oz called OPRAH BOUGHT ME !
i'm not done with this subject so i'll
be back soon.
Sunday, February 21, 2010
KWAI
i'm watching my all time favorite movie, the bridge on the river kwai. i can never figure out why i love the movie so much. i only own one dvd and the river kwai is it.
the performance of alec guinness, is in my opinion, a perfect performance. he is utterly brilliant in this movie and won a much deserved oscar.
i watch this movie twice a year and marvel at his performance. an anagram of his name is GENUINE CLASS ..how perfect.
so, of course i have a alec guinness story to share with you.
i worked at canyon ranch in tucson and as an employee there, you are warned never to go up to a famous person. we were told they were there for rest and relaxation and to be left alone. i saw julia roberts, brooke shields, will smith and so forth and so on.. i never even thought of approaching them.
one day i was in the dining room and freaked out.. sir alec guinness was there.. he was quite elderly at that time and by now had been honored by being knighted in his country. i paused and thought to myself, he's old, he should know from a mere mortal, how brilliant i thought his performance was. so without regard of being fired i went up to him and introduced myself.
i told him exactly what i've just told you about his brilliant performance and i thanked him for making a movie experience one i would never forget.. being me, i didn't shut up for a second.. he was so touched that he invited me to join him for dinner in the diningroom.. having no fear of being fired, i went to dinner with him. we talked for quite a while without me fawning over him..
we dicussed the meaning of the movie, the location, the other performances.how he found his character and on and on. at the end of the dinner, he thanked me for joining him and i thanked him for enriching my life.. (i do get dramatic at times)he kissed my hand, which is very english and i hugged him and thanked him.
after i left the diningroom, the owner of canyon ranch came up to me and said, i see you had dinner with alec guinness. i said of course i did.. he's an old friend !
the owner looked at me and said, you're lying but what the hell, he is old and now he's you're friend !
end of story.
be back soon
the performance of alec guinness, is in my opinion, a perfect performance. he is utterly brilliant in this movie and won a much deserved oscar.
i watch this movie twice a year and marvel at his performance. an anagram of his name is GENUINE CLASS ..how perfect.
so, of course i have a alec guinness story to share with you.
i worked at canyon ranch in tucson and as an employee there, you are warned never to go up to a famous person. we were told they were there for rest and relaxation and to be left alone. i saw julia roberts, brooke shields, will smith and so forth and so on.. i never even thought of approaching them.
one day i was in the dining room and freaked out.. sir alec guinness was there.. he was quite elderly at that time and by now had been honored by being knighted in his country. i paused and thought to myself, he's old, he should know from a mere mortal, how brilliant i thought his performance was. so without regard of being fired i went up to him and introduced myself.
i told him exactly what i've just told you about his brilliant performance and i thanked him for making a movie experience one i would never forget.. being me, i didn't shut up for a second.. he was so touched that he invited me to join him for dinner in the diningroom.. having no fear of being fired, i went to dinner with him. we talked for quite a while without me fawning over him..
we dicussed the meaning of the movie, the location, the other performances.how he found his character and on and on. at the end of the dinner, he thanked me for joining him and i thanked him for enriching my life.. (i do get dramatic at times)he kissed my hand, which is very english and i hugged him and thanked him.
after i left the diningroom, the owner of canyon ranch came up to me and said, i see you had dinner with alec guinness. i said of course i did.. he's an old friend !
the owner looked at me and said, you're lying but what the hell, he is old and now he's you're friend !
end of story.
be back soon
Sunday, February 14, 2010
AH SWEET MYSTERY OF LIFE
i just finished watching The Mirror Has Two Faces, starring barbra streisand. she plays a homely girl looking for love but at no point do i buy that shes homely. in my eyes, that woman is beautiful.
as i was watching the movie, i realized i was at the premier. i went with rosie o'donnells then girlfriend kelli.. at that time rosie and kel weren't ever seen together so kel went with me.
the reception was held at tavern on the green and i asked someone where i should sit..the someone was barbras assistant. she said sit here and don't move. i didn't move. after sitting for about 15 minutes, barbra and jim arrived and walked directly to the table i was sitting at. barbra kissed me hello and i wondered to myself, IS THIS MY LIFE ! then came donna karan who kissed me hello also.. we had met in vegas. meeting donna meant WHOLESALE to me. but babs, well that's a different story.
tonite as i was watching the movie, i wondered why in gods name do i adore that woman so much. is it her talent? her fame? the fact that she came from a poor jewish family and became an icon? i think its some, if not, all the above.
i really would love to anaylze this. isn't it a mystery of sorts?
i've haven't been in therapy for a long time now and i think if i called my dr. dan, he would have me committed.
i've worked through so many issues of my life. my childhood.. the death of my father, my mothers mental illness, my marriage, my children, the death of my son, the death of my sister and more. can you imagine me calling dr. dan and asking, why do you think i adore barbra streisand?
i suspect it will just remain one of lifes mysteries. but hell, i'd like to know.
thats all for now..
be back soon
as i was watching the movie, i realized i was at the premier. i went with rosie o'donnells then girlfriend kelli.. at that time rosie and kel weren't ever seen together so kel went with me.
the reception was held at tavern on the green and i asked someone where i should sit..the someone was barbras assistant. she said sit here and don't move. i didn't move. after sitting for about 15 minutes, barbra and jim arrived and walked directly to the table i was sitting at. barbra kissed me hello and i wondered to myself, IS THIS MY LIFE ! then came donna karan who kissed me hello also.. we had met in vegas. meeting donna meant WHOLESALE to me. but babs, well that's a different story.
tonite as i was watching the movie, i wondered why in gods name do i adore that woman so much. is it her talent? her fame? the fact that she came from a poor jewish family and became an icon? i think its some, if not, all the above.
i really would love to anaylze this. isn't it a mystery of sorts?
i've haven't been in therapy for a long time now and i think if i called my dr. dan, he would have me committed.
i've worked through so many issues of my life. my childhood.. the death of my father, my mothers mental illness, my marriage, my children, the death of my son, the death of my sister and more. can you imagine me calling dr. dan and asking, why do you think i adore barbra streisand?
i suspect it will just remain one of lifes mysteries. but hell, i'd like to know.
thats all for now..
be back soon
Thursday, February 11, 2010
LOST AND FOUND
last night i got a phone call from my ex-husbands nephew who i haven't seen or heard from in 19 years.. i found his sister on facebook and sent her a message but she never answered, he did.
seems his sister is angry with me cause when her father died i didn't send a card..the fact that i had no idea where they lived didn't matter to her. that was typical of that family.
this nephew is now 44 years old, married with a 19 month old baby.. he reminded me of a labrador.. so sweet and gentle and kind.
he, his sister and my son jordan were very close cousins. after jordan died, as is expected, people fall out of your life for various reasons and this is what happened here.
peter is his name and he seemed to have held onto every good and bad memory of my son. my daughter and i discuss my son with ease but we don't have the same memories peter had. they shared a childhood in that cousin kind of way and were very close.
we talked for three hours, sharing our memories not only of my son but of that entire dysfunctional family.
he talked about the love and adoration he had for his grandfather, a man i had nothing but distain for.. but for once, i kept my mouth shut.. everyones reality is different. i chose to let him have his good memories. we both agreed the rest of the family were some of the most disgusting people both of us ever knew.. it validated everything i ever felt. not that i needed that validation.
we talked about his father, a man that was one of the angriest people i ever met. but that was my reality.. he agreed that his father was tough but he said he was very kind to others. i kept my mouth shut again.
peter is desperate for a connection to family and although i'm not a blood relative, he said, you're still my aunt.. i felt like his aunt last night.
i have very peculiar ideas about family. usually only my own blood relatives do i have deep feelings for and everyone who knows me, knows that.. there is one exception and thats a child i helped raise, my daughters friend stacy. shes my family and theres no doubt about that in my heart.
last night was very wistful for me.. peter and i made a promise to keep in touch with one another. for me he holds the delicious memories of my son and theres nothing better than that.
i usually go for a joke by this time but my funny is on hold right now.
be back soon
seems his sister is angry with me cause when her father died i didn't send a card..the fact that i had no idea where they lived didn't matter to her. that was typical of that family.
this nephew is now 44 years old, married with a 19 month old baby.. he reminded me of a labrador.. so sweet and gentle and kind.
he, his sister and my son jordan were very close cousins. after jordan died, as is expected, people fall out of your life for various reasons and this is what happened here.
peter is his name and he seemed to have held onto every good and bad memory of my son. my daughter and i discuss my son with ease but we don't have the same memories peter had. they shared a childhood in that cousin kind of way and were very close.
we talked for three hours, sharing our memories not only of my son but of that entire dysfunctional family.
he talked about the love and adoration he had for his grandfather, a man i had nothing but distain for.. but for once, i kept my mouth shut.. everyones reality is different. i chose to let him have his good memories. we both agreed the rest of the family were some of the most disgusting people both of us ever knew.. it validated everything i ever felt. not that i needed that validation.
we talked about his father, a man that was one of the angriest people i ever met. but that was my reality.. he agreed that his father was tough but he said he was very kind to others. i kept my mouth shut again.
peter is desperate for a connection to family and although i'm not a blood relative, he said, you're still my aunt.. i felt like his aunt last night.
i have very peculiar ideas about family. usually only my own blood relatives do i have deep feelings for and everyone who knows me, knows that.. there is one exception and thats a child i helped raise, my daughters friend stacy. shes my family and theres no doubt about that in my heart.
last night was very wistful for me.. peter and i made a promise to keep in touch with one another. for me he holds the delicious memories of my son and theres nothing better than that.
i usually go for a joke by this time but my funny is on hold right now.
be back soon
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
YOU GOTTA HAVE FRIENDS!
i have a new friend and i'm thrilled about it.
i was in the elevator of my building and a young stunning black girl got in. she was carrying a gorgeous purse and i told her i thought the purse was absolutely gorgeous.. i asked if i could feel it. she said sure.. i asked where she bought it and she told me. we got off the elevator and began talking incessantly about this purse and purses in general.. shoulder purses vs. the clutches and so forth and so on...
for those who know me, know i have one purse for day and one for evening.. that's it.. i don't like changing bags so i stick with one purse.
we talked for about a half hour and she told me she just moved into the building. she had been living in new york and her husband got an opportunity here in fla so they decided it was too good to pass up...we talked about the advantages of having a restaurant and coffee shop in the building and we just chatted away.
i then asked her name and told her mine and i said to her, i want you to be my new best friend. we both laughed and she said, i could use a friend.. i said, we all can.
i then told her how i can't really handle old people never thinking i'm an old person to her. i kinda went overboard on this one.. i started pointing out the 80 and 90 year olds so i could appear younger to her.
it was then she said what is music to my ears. well you're not old.. i said , honey, i'm old ! she said.. what are you 50-52? i said, i'm not telling but we are going to be the best friends ever !
so i'd like you all to know that my new best friend is named tamara and shes a model and i love her right now.
be back soon.
i was in the elevator of my building and a young stunning black girl got in. she was carrying a gorgeous purse and i told her i thought the purse was absolutely gorgeous.. i asked if i could feel it. she said sure.. i asked where she bought it and she told me. we got off the elevator and began talking incessantly about this purse and purses in general.. shoulder purses vs. the clutches and so forth and so on...
for those who know me, know i have one purse for day and one for evening.. that's it.. i don't like changing bags so i stick with one purse.
we talked for about a half hour and she told me she just moved into the building. she had been living in new york and her husband got an opportunity here in fla so they decided it was too good to pass up...we talked about the advantages of having a restaurant and coffee shop in the building and we just chatted away.
i then asked her name and told her mine and i said to her, i want you to be my new best friend. we both laughed and she said, i could use a friend.. i said, we all can.
i then told her how i can't really handle old people never thinking i'm an old person to her. i kinda went overboard on this one.. i started pointing out the 80 and 90 year olds so i could appear younger to her.
it was then she said what is music to my ears. well you're not old.. i said , honey, i'm old ! she said.. what are you 50-52? i said, i'm not telling but we are going to be the best friends ever !
so i'd like you all to know that my new best friend is named tamara and shes a model and i love her right now.
be back soon.
Monday, February 8, 2010
DENIS O'HARE
i saw the movie the proposal last night with sandra bullock and ryan reynolds.. i will stop bashing sandy ( i now call her sandy,) as for ryan reynolds, i never saw anything he was in before i saw this movie.. i know he's married to scarlett johansson, woody allens muse. i found him to be very generic in looks.. he looks like every other young actor today and there was nothing special about him . the movie was a dud to me. as i have mentioned, i dislike most movies.
there was an actor in that movie that most of you won't know but would recognize him if you saw him.. his name is denis o'hare..i discovered denis when he was on law and order, playing a crazy assed schitzophrenic.. he was nothing less than brilliant. i began following his career. he was on law and order.. all of them, several times and each time he was riviting.
i went to see the broadway show TAKE ME OUT. denis i believe won a tony for his performance. he's just brilliant in everything he does.. i've seen him in some crappy
movies but he always shines. there are many times that he's just better than the movie he's in.
denis has appeared on broadway and off broadway and i'm always there to watch him. i'm his oldest stalker.
when he was in Take me Out, i went backstage to meet him..i was with a famous person who could make that happen for me.. i had never asked this famous person to meet anyone but i wanted to meet denis.
well, last night i went to his website and he lists his email address.. i wrote a fan letter to him, something i never do. he wrote back with a lovely note of thanks for knowing someones watching him.
i have met, i believe, every big star in hollywood.. but i was more thrilled to hear from denis o'hare than i was of meeting anyone.. go figure !
now i'm going back to my real life..
be back soon.
there was an actor in that movie that most of you won't know but would recognize him if you saw him.. his name is denis o'hare..i discovered denis when he was on law and order, playing a crazy assed schitzophrenic.. he was nothing less than brilliant. i began following his career. he was on law and order.. all of them, several times and each time he was riviting.
i went to see the broadway show TAKE ME OUT. denis i believe won a tony for his performance. he's just brilliant in everything he does.. i've seen him in some crappy
movies but he always shines. there are many times that he's just better than the movie he's in.
denis has appeared on broadway and off broadway and i'm always there to watch him. i'm his oldest stalker.
when he was in Take me Out, i went backstage to meet him..i was with a famous person who could make that happen for me.. i had never asked this famous person to meet anyone but i wanted to meet denis.
well, last night i went to his website and he lists his email address.. i wrote a fan letter to him, something i never do. he wrote back with a lovely note of thanks for knowing someones watching him.
i have met, i believe, every big star in hollywood.. but i was more thrilled to hear from denis o'hare than i was of meeting anyone.. go figure !
now i'm going back to my real life..
be back soon.
Sunday, February 7, 2010
A DAY IN THE LIFE OF LINDA
i notice i have 15 followers of this blog.. i want more !
i'm going to california in march to spend some time with my daughter.. i love my daughter but oh god do i hate los angeles. the traffic is horrific, the smog, hideous. last year i moved to california and got the hell out of there after only 5 months. my apartment was gorgeous but in a very conjested area.. my apartment faced the HOLLYWOOD sign. because of the smog i never saw anything more than OLLYWOOD if that.
i do love the restaurants. so many to chose from. i always look forward to having dinner with a certain couple, the Steinbergs. i can listen to him talk the entire time. his wife is lovely but i think i have a mild crush on him. maybe crush isn't the right word.. he's just charming and i suspect everyone falls in love with him and his story telling.
i am loathe to fly to los angeles.. 6 hours from ft. lauderdale. i'm flying virgin atlantic which is suppose to be a great airline.. the seats recline and there are foot rests.. ME AND MY ANKLES !
i love the Saks fifth avenue in los angeles and hope to drop a few sheckles there.
i'm listening to the music of FUNNY GIRL. i just love that barbra for those who have been living under a rock !
i left this blog for a while and went to the supermarket.. usually i never go.. i have a housekeeper who bless her, does my shopping. but i wanted to see if i needed anything that i haven't thought of.. BIG MISTAKE ! today is super sunday and the store was jammed packed. the shelves in this huge store were practically empty.
as i was leaving the store, i saw someone go into the handicapped parking spot without a handicapped sticker. i became inappropriately incensed. instead of confronting the people, i called the police. i said, i'm going to sit in my car til someone from the police dept. comes here and cites these people and tows their car as is posted on the sign. i sat for 5 minutes and the cops showed up. they walked around the car and CLEARLY posted on the dashboard was a handicapped sticker!
now i'm going to watch the law and order marathon and forget what a putz i am at times.
be back soon
i'm going to california in march to spend some time with my daughter.. i love my daughter but oh god do i hate los angeles. the traffic is horrific, the smog, hideous. last year i moved to california and got the hell out of there after only 5 months. my apartment was gorgeous but in a very conjested area.. my apartment faced the HOLLYWOOD sign. because of the smog i never saw anything more than OLLYWOOD if that.
i do love the restaurants. so many to chose from. i always look forward to having dinner with a certain couple, the Steinbergs. i can listen to him talk the entire time. his wife is lovely but i think i have a mild crush on him. maybe crush isn't the right word.. he's just charming and i suspect everyone falls in love with him and his story telling.
i am loathe to fly to los angeles.. 6 hours from ft. lauderdale. i'm flying virgin atlantic which is suppose to be a great airline.. the seats recline and there are foot rests.. ME AND MY ANKLES !
i love the Saks fifth avenue in los angeles and hope to drop a few sheckles there.
i'm listening to the music of FUNNY GIRL. i just love that barbra for those who have been living under a rock !
i left this blog for a while and went to the supermarket.. usually i never go.. i have a housekeeper who bless her, does my shopping. but i wanted to see if i needed anything that i haven't thought of.. BIG MISTAKE ! today is super sunday and the store was jammed packed. the shelves in this huge store were practically empty.
as i was leaving the store, i saw someone go into the handicapped parking spot without a handicapped sticker. i became inappropriately incensed. instead of confronting the people, i called the police. i said, i'm going to sit in my car til someone from the police dept. comes here and cites these people and tows their car as is posted on the sign. i sat for 5 minutes and the cops showed up. they walked around the car and CLEARLY posted on the dashboard was a handicapped sticker!
now i'm going to watch the law and order marathon and forget what a putz i am at times.
be back soon
Saturday, February 6, 2010
OSCAR, OSCAR, WHO WILL IT BE !
i'm watching the movie TIME TO KILL. its a wonderful movie. i have to apologize to sandra bullock. i've inferred that she's an ok actress who was very one dimensional.
in this movie she was excellent.. was she better than Streep would be? no ! but she was damn good. i haven't seen the movie where she was nominated for an oscar but i suspect she might be worthy of an oscar. nobody will be more surprised than sandra bullock i suspect.
i personally would like to see gaby (whatever her last name is), who starred in precious, win the oscar. that performance was amazing.. and let's be honest, only an obese black girl could do that part. can you imagine jada pinket smith in that role ? hell no !
this year there will be few surprises.. it will be jeff bridges for best actor,
best actress i hope will be meryl streep just because shes meryl streep. but i suspect sandy's gonna go home with oscar.
best supporting actress..there is no even playing field here.. the oscar goes to the brilliant and heart wrenching performance by MONIQUE.. who ever thought that a comic would win an oscar for a drama.
oops.. i forgot about robin williams who won for Good will hunting.
best supporting actor will be Christof walz for inglorious basterds. he's got a lock on this award.
best director will go to james cameron. it would be nice if his ex-wife katherine bigelow won for Hurt locker.. but chances are very slim.
i don't know all the other catagories but precious will win for best screen play based on a book, if there's such a catagory.
i really, truly, sincerely love the oscars. i love to hate them and complain about them but i really do love them.. i love the pre-show and love the gowns.
i'm writing about the oscars because its saturday night and i wished something good was on tv.. if the oscars were on, i'd be thrilled.
the oscars will be hosted by alec baldwin and steve martin. i miss billy crystal.
i made cauliflower au gratain today.
i'm so freaking bored right now.. but..............
be back soon
in this movie she was excellent.. was she better than Streep would be? no ! but she was damn good. i haven't seen the movie where she was nominated for an oscar but i suspect she might be worthy of an oscar. nobody will be more surprised than sandra bullock i suspect.
i personally would like to see gaby (whatever her last name is), who starred in precious, win the oscar. that performance was amazing.. and let's be honest, only an obese black girl could do that part. can you imagine jada pinket smith in that role ? hell no !
this year there will be few surprises.. it will be jeff bridges for best actor,
best actress i hope will be meryl streep just because shes meryl streep. but i suspect sandy's gonna go home with oscar.
best supporting actress..there is no even playing field here.. the oscar goes to the brilliant and heart wrenching performance by MONIQUE.. who ever thought that a comic would win an oscar for a drama.
oops.. i forgot about robin williams who won for Good will hunting.
best supporting actor will be Christof walz for inglorious basterds. he's got a lock on this award.
best director will go to james cameron. it would be nice if his ex-wife katherine bigelow won for Hurt locker.. but chances are very slim.
i don't know all the other catagories but precious will win for best screen play based on a book, if there's such a catagory.
i really, truly, sincerely love the oscars. i love to hate them and complain about them but i really do love them.. i love the pre-show and love the gowns.
i'm writing about the oscars because its saturday night and i wished something good was on tv.. if the oscars were on, i'd be thrilled.
the oscars will be hosted by alec baldwin and steve martin. i miss billy crystal.
i made cauliflower au gratain today.
i'm so freaking bored right now.. but..............
be back soon
Friday, February 5, 2010
SHAMELESSLY SHAIMAN
i just want to give marc shaiman and his ego a shout out.:) for those of you who don't know marc, below are some of his accomplishments. i have nothing more to say about this man, what you will read explains him.. he also is extremely cute and funny. how am i doing marc? this blog may be your big break!
Shaiman (born October 22, 1959) is an American composer, lyricist, arranger, and performer for films, television, and theatre.
Contents [show]
1 Personal life
2 Career
3 Filmography
4 Television
5 Theatre
5.1 Broadway
5.2 Off-Broadway
6 Internet
7 Discography
7.1 Bette Midler
7.2 Harry Connick, Jr.
7.3 Peter Allen
7.4 Soundtracks
7.5 Original Broadway cast recordings
8 Concert/cabaret work
9 References
10 External links
[edit] Personal life
Shaiman was born in Newark, New Jersey, the son of Claire (née Goldfein) and William Robert Shaiman.[1] He lives in both Los Angeles and New York City. Shaiman and Scott Wittman have been partners in life and collaborators in theater since 1979.[2]
[edit] Career
Shaiman started his career as a theatre/cabaret musical director. He then became vocal arranger for Bette Midler, eventually becoming her musical director and co-producer of many of her recordings, including The Wind Beneath My Wings and From a Distance. He helped create the material for her performance on the penultimate Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. His work with both Bette Midler and Billy Crystal led to his involvement on their films.
His film credits include Broadcast News, Beaches, When Harry Met Sally..., City Slickers, The Addams Family, Sister Act, Sleepless in Seattle, A Few Good Men, The American President, The First Wives Club, George of the Jungle, In & Out, Patch Adams, South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut, Team America: World Police and HBO's From the Earth to the Moon, and 61*. He frequently works on films by Billy Crystal and Rob Reiner. He has also appeared in many of these films.
Shaiman has earned five Academy Award nominations, a Tony Award and a Grammy Award for his work on the musical Hairspray, and an Emmy Award for co-writing Billy Crystal's Academy Award performances. He has also been Grammy nominated twice for his arrangements for Harry Connick Jr.'s recordings When Harry Met Sally... and We Are in Love and Emmy nominated for his work on Saturday Night Live. In 2002, he was honored with the "Outstanding Achievement in Music-In-Film" award at The Hollywood Film Festival, and in 2007 he was honored with ASCAP's Henry Mancini Award in recognition of his outstanding achievements and contributions to the music of film and television. He is the first recipient of the Film & TV Music Award for Best Score for a Comedy Feature Film.
Fans of Saturday Night Live may recognize Shaiman as Skip St. Thomas, the accompanying pianist for The Sweeney Sisters, a singing duo played by Nora Dunn and Jan Hooks. He began his professional relationships with Billy Crystal and Martin Short during his tenure at SNL. He wrote and sang a song for his agent's film Finding Kraftland; the song was called Yes.
To protest the passage of California Proposition 8 in November 2008, Shaiman wrote a satiric mini-musical called "Prop 8 — The Musical". The 3-minute video was distributed on the internet at FunnyOrDie.com beginning on December 3, 2008. It was written and produced in just a few days. The cast includes Jack Black (who plays Jesus), Neil Patrick Harris, John C. Reilly, Allison Janney, Andy Richter, Maya Rudolph, Margaret Cho, Rashida Jones and other celebrities. Shaiman plays the piano and appears briefly on the video. It received 1.2 million internet hits in its first day.[3][4]
Most recently, he has co-written (with partner Wittman) songs for Neil Patrick Harris for hosting stints on The 2009 Tony Awards and The 2009 Emmy Awards.
[edit] Filmography
Broadcast News (1987)
Big Business (1988)
Beaches (1988)
When Harry Met Sally... (1989)
Misery (1990)
Scenes from a Mall (1991)
City Slickers (1991)
The Addams Family (1991)
Hot Shots! (1991)
For the Boys (1991)
Sister Act (1992)
Mr. Saturday Night (1992)
A Few Good Men (1992)
Sleepless in Seattle (Oscar Nominee) (1993)
Heart and Souls (1993)
Life with Mikey (1993)
Addams Family Values (1993)
Sister Act 2 (1993)
City Slickers II (1994)
North (1994)
Speechless (1994)
That's Entertainment! III (1994)
Stuart Saves His Family (1995)
Forget Paris (1995)
The American President (Oscar Nominee) (1995)
Bogus (1996)
Mother (1996/II)
The First Wives Club (Oscar Nominee) (1996)
Ghosts of Mississippi (1996)
George of the Jungle (1997)
In & Out (1997)
My Giant (1998)
Simon Birch (1998)
Patch Adams (Oscar Nominee) (1998)
The Out-of-Towners (1999)
South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut (Oscar Nominee) (1999)
The Story of Us (1999) with Eric Clapton
Disney's The Kid (2000)
Get Over It (2001)
One Night at McCool's (2001)
The Wedding Planner (2001)
Bowling for Columbine (2002)
Down with Love (2003)
Alex and Emma (2003)
Marci X (2003)
The Cat in the Hat (2003)
Team America: World Police (2004)
Rumor Has It... (2005)
Hairspray (2007)
The Bucket List (2007)
Bob: The Musical (2010)
Hairspray 2 (2010)
[edit] Television
Bette Midler - Mondo Beyondo (1982)
Saturday Night Live (1984-1985)
Saturday Night Live (1986-1987)
Comic Relief (1986)
Billy Crystal: Don't Get Me Started (1986)
Billy Crystal: Don't Get Me Started - The Lost Minutes (1988)
I, Martin Short, Goes Hollywood (1989)
What's Alan Watching? (1989)
Billy Crystal: Midnight Train To Moscow (1990)
The 62nd Academy Awards (1990)
The 63rd Academy Awards (1991)
The 64th Academy Awards (1992)
The 65th Academy Awards (1993)
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (1993)
The 69th Academy Awards (1997)
Bette Midler in Concert: Diva Las Vegas (1997)
The 70th Academy Awards (1998)
Late Night with Conan O’Brien (1998)
The Rosie O'Donnell Show (1997)
From the Earth to the Moon part eleven (1998)
Saturday Night Live 25th Anniversary (1999)
The 72nd Academy Awards (2000)
South Park - Mr. Hankey's Christmas Classics (1999)
Get Bruce (1999)
Jackie's Back! (1999)
Bette (2000)
How Harry Met Sally... (2000)
61* (2001)
South Park episode - "Cripple Fight" (2001)
Greg the Bunny (2002)
Charlie Lawrence (2003)
The Score with Phil Ramone (2003)
The 57th Annual Tony Awards (2003)
Biography - Bette Midler (2004)
The 76th Academy Awards (2004)
The 77th Academy Awards (2005)
The 79th Academy Awards (2007)
The 63rd Tony Awards (2009)
The 61st Emmy Awards (2009)
Trivia note: He has co-written and performed with Bette Midler, Nathan Lane and Billy Crystal on the penultimate shows of Johnny Carson, Conan O'Brien and Jay Leno.
[edit] Theatre
[edit] Broadway
Peter Allen:Up in One (1979)
Bette! Divine Madness (1980)
André DeShield's Haarlem Nocturne (1984)
Leader of the Pack (1985)
An Evening with Harry Connick Jr. and Orchestra (1990)
Patti LuPone on Broadway (1995)
Hairspray (2002)
The Odd Couple (2005)
Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me (2006)
Catch Me If You Can (TBA)
[edit] Off-Broadway
Dementos - The Production Company
Livin' Dolls - Manhattan Theatre Club
Legends - Ahmanson Theatre
Trilogy of Terror - Club 57
Non Pasquale - Delacorte Theatre
[edit] Internet
Prop 8 - The Musical (2008) (Composer, Lyricist, Pianist) 2009 "Webby" winner-Best Comedy:Short or Individual Episode
[edit] Discography
[edit] Bette Midler
Thighs and Whispers
Mud Will Be Flung Tonight
Some People's Lives
Experience the Divine
Bathhouse Betty
[edit] Harry Connick, Jr.
We Are in Love
[edit] Peter Allen
Making Every Moment Count
[edit] Soundtracks
Beaches
When Harry Met Sally...
For the Boys
A Few Good Men
Sister Act
Sleepless in Seattle
North
The American President
South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut
Mr. Hankey's Christmas Classics
The Story of Us
Alex & Emma
Rumor Has It
Hairspray
The Bucket List
[edit] Original Broadway cast recordings
Hairspray
Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me
[edit] Concert/cabaret work
Peter Allen
Jack Black & Will Ferrell
Kristin Chenoweth
Rosemary Clooney
Harry Connick Jr.
Billy Crystal
Christine Ebersole
Ellen Foley
Whoopi Goldberg
Annie Golden
The Harlettes
The High-Heeled Women
Lauryn Hill
Jennifer Holliday
Allison Janney
Laura Kenyon
Nathan Lane
Jenifer Lewis
Ute Lemper
Darlene Love
Patti LuPone
Lypsinka
Ann Magnuson
Andrea Martin
Lonette McKee
Bette Midler
Catherine O'Hara
Sarah Jessica Parker
Zora Rasmussen
Ann Reinking
Debbie Shapiro Gravitte
Martin Short
Donald Trump
Tracey Ullman
Luther Vandross
Bruce Vilanch
Steven Webber
Robin Williams
Raquel Welch
drum roll please. MS. BARBRA JOAN STREISAND
Shaiman (born October 22, 1959) is an American composer, lyricist, arranger, and performer for films, television, and theatre.
Contents [show]
1 Personal life
2 Career
3 Filmography
4 Television
5 Theatre
5.1 Broadway
5.2 Off-Broadway
6 Internet
7 Discography
7.1 Bette Midler
7.2 Harry Connick, Jr.
7.3 Peter Allen
7.4 Soundtracks
7.5 Original Broadway cast recordings
8 Concert/cabaret work
9 References
10 External links
[edit] Personal life
Shaiman was born in Newark, New Jersey, the son of Claire (née Goldfein) and William Robert Shaiman.[1] He lives in both Los Angeles and New York City. Shaiman and Scott Wittman have been partners in life and collaborators in theater since 1979.[2]
[edit] Career
Shaiman started his career as a theatre/cabaret musical director. He then became vocal arranger for Bette Midler, eventually becoming her musical director and co-producer of many of her recordings, including The Wind Beneath My Wings and From a Distance. He helped create the material for her performance on the penultimate Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. His work with both Bette Midler and Billy Crystal led to his involvement on their films.
His film credits include Broadcast News, Beaches, When Harry Met Sally..., City Slickers, The Addams Family, Sister Act, Sleepless in Seattle, A Few Good Men, The American President, The First Wives Club, George of the Jungle, In & Out, Patch Adams, South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut, Team America: World Police and HBO's From the Earth to the Moon, and 61*. He frequently works on films by Billy Crystal and Rob Reiner. He has also appeared in many of these films.
Shaiman has earned five Academy Award nominations, a Tony Award and a Grammy Award for his work on the musical Hairspray, and an Emmy Award for co-writing Billy Crystal's Academy Award performances. He has also been Grammy nominated twice for his arrangements for Harry Connick Jr.'s recordings When Harry Met Sally... and We Are in Love and Emmy nominated for his work on Saturday Night Live. In 2002, he was honored with the "Outstanding Achievement in Music-In-Film" award at The Hollywood Film Festival, and in 2007 he was honored with ASCAP's Henry Mancini Award in recognition of his outstanding achievements and contributions to the music of film and television. He is the first recipient of the Film & TV Music Award for Best Score for a Comedy Feature Film.
Fans of Saturday Night Live may recognize Shaiman as Skip St. Thomas, the accompanying pianist for The Sweeney Sisters, a singing duo played by Nora Dunn and Jan Hooks. He began his professional relationships with Billy Crystal and Martin Short during his tenure at SNL. He wrote and sang a song for his agent's film Finding Kraftland; the song was called Yes.
To protest the passage of California Proposition 8 in November 2008, Shaiman wrote a satiric mini-musical called "Prop 8 — The Musical". The 3-minute video was distributed on the internet at FunnyOrDie.com beginning on December 3, 2008. It was written and produced in just a few days. The cast includes Jack Black (who plays Jesus), Neil Patrick Harris, John C. Reilly, Allison Janney, Andy Richter, Maya Rudolph, Margaret Cho, Rashida Jones and other celebrities. Shaiman plays the piano and appears briefly on the video. It received 1.2 million internet hits in its first day.[3][4]
Most recently, he has co-written (with partner Wittman) songs for Neil Patrick Harris for hosting stints on The 2009 Tony Awards and The 2009 Emmy Awards.
[edit] Filmography
Broadcast News (1987)
Big Business (1988)
Beaches (1988)
When Harry Met Sally... (1989)
Misery (1990)
Scenes from a Mall (1991)
City Slickers (1991)
The Addams Family (1991)
Hot Shots! (1991)
For the Boys (1991)
Sister Act (1992)
Mr. Saturday Night (1992)
A Few Good Men (1992)
Sleepless in Seattle (Oscar Nominee) (1993)
Heart and Souls (1993)
Life with Mikey (1993)
Addams Family Values (1993)
Sister Act 2 (1993)
City Slickers II (1994)
North (1994)
Speechless (1994)
That's Entertainment! III (1994)
Stuart Saves His Family (1995)
Forget Paris (1995)
The American President (Oscar Nominee) (1995)
Bogus (1996)
Mother (1996/II)
The First Wives Club (Oscar Nominee) (1996)
Ghosts of Mississippi (1996)
George of the Jungle (1997)
In & Out (1997)
My Giant (1998)
Simon Birch (1998)
Patch Adams (Oscar Nominee) (1998)
The Out-of-Towners (1999)
South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut (Oscar Nominee) (1999)
The Story of Us (1999) with Eric Clapton
Disney's The Kid (2000)
Get Over It (2001)
One Night at McCool's (2001)
The Wedding Planner (2001)
Bowling for Columbine (2002)
Down with Love (2003)
Alex and Emma (2003)
Marci X (2003)
The Cat in the Hat (2003)
Team America: World Police (2004)
Rumor Has It... (2005)
Hairspray (2007)
The Bucket List (2007)
Bob: The Musical (2010)
Hairspray 2 (2010)
[edit] Television
Bette Midler - Mondo Beyondo (1982)
Saturday Night Live (1984-1985)
Saturday Night Live (1986-1987)
Comic Relief (1986)
Billy Crystal: Don't Get Me Started (1986)
Billy Crystal: Don't Get Me Started - The Lost Minutes (1988)
I, Martin Short, Goes Hollywood (1989)
What's Alan Watching? (1989)
Billy Crystal: Midnight Train To Moscow (1990)
The 62nd Academy Awards (1990)
The 63rd Academy Awards (1991)
The 64th Academy Awards (1992)
The 65th Academy Awards (1993)
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (1993)
The 69th Academy Awards (1997)
Bette Midler in Concert: Diva Las Vegas (1997)
The 70th Academy Awards (1998)
Late Night with Conan O’Brien (1998)
The Rosie O'Donnell Show (1997)
From the Earth to the Moon part eleven (1998)
Saturday Night Live 25th Anniversary (1999)
The 72nd Academy Awards (2000)
South Park - Mr. Hankey's Christmas Classics (1999)
Get Bruce (1999)
Jackie's Back! (1999)
Bette (2000)
How Harry Met Sally... (2000)
61* (2001)
South Park episode - "Cripple Fight" (2001)
Greg the Bunny (2002)
Charlie Lawrence (2003)
The Score with Phil Ramone (2003)
The 57th Annual Tony Awards (2003)
Biography - Bette Midler (2004)
The 76th Academy Awards (2004)
The 77th Academy Awards (2005)
The 79th Academy Awards (2007)
The 63rd Tony Awards (2009)
The 61st Emmy Awards (2009)
Trivia note: He has co-written and performed with Bette Midler, Nathan Lane and Billy Crystal on the penultimate shows of Johnny Carson, Conan O'Brien and Jay Leno.
[edit] Theatre
[edit] Broadway
Peter Allen:Up in One (1979)
Bette! Divine Madness (1980)
André DeShield's Haarlem Nocturne (1984)
Leader of the Pack (1985)
An Evening with Harry Connick Jr. and Orchestra (1990)
Patti LuPone on Broadway (1995)
Hairspray (2002)
The Odd Couple (2005)
Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me (2006)
Catch Me If You Can (TBA)
[edit] Off-Broadway
Dementos - The Production Company
Livin' Dolls - Manhattan Theatre Club
Legends - Ahmanson Theatre
Trilogy of Terror - Club 57
Non Pasquale - Delacorte Theatre
[edit] Internet
Prop 8 - The Musical (2008) (Composer, Lyricist, Pianist) 2009 "Webby" winner-Best Comedy:Short or Individual Episode
[edit] Discography
[edit] Bette Midler
Thighs and Whispers
Mud Will Be Flung Tonight
Some People's Lives
Experience the Divine
Bathhouse Betty
[edit] Harry Connick, Jr.
We Are in Love
[edit] Peter Allen
Making Every Moment Count
[edit] Soundtracks
Beaches
When Harry Met Sally...
For the Boys
A Few Good Men
Sister Act
Sleepless in Seattle
North
The American President
South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut
Mr. Hankey's Christmas Classics
The Story of Us
Alex & Emma
Rumor Has It
Hairspray
The Bucket List
[edit] Original Broadway cast recordings
Hairspray
Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me
[edit] Concert/cabaret work
Peter Allen
Jack Black & Will Ferrell
Kristin Chenoweth
Rosemary Clooney
Harry Connick Jr.
Billy Crystal
Christine Ebersole
Ellen Foley
Whoopi Goldberg
Annie Golden
The Harlettes
The High-Heeled Women
Lauryn Hill
Jennifer Holliday
Allison Janney
Laura Kenyon
Nathan Lane
Jenifer Lewis
Ute Lemper
Darlene Love
Patti LuPone
Lypsinka
Ann Magnuson
Andrea Martin
Lonette McKee
Bette Midler
Catherine O'Hara
Sarah Jessica Parker
Zora Rasmussen
Ann Reinking
Debbie Shapiro Gravitte
Martin Short
Donald Trump
Tracey Ullman
Luther Vandross
Bruce Vilanch
Steven Webber
Robin Williams
Raquel Welch
drum roll please. MS. BARBRA JOAN STREISAND
Thursday, February 4, 2010
CELL HELL
i had my carpets cleaned today.. the guy told me if you ever get stains use windex.
the above has nothing to do with anything but i thought it was a helpful hint.
todays rant.. and it is a rant.. is about cell phones.. i have a pay as you go cell phone which i ONLY use when i need to see if a driver is picking me up at the airport. otherwise, i have no use for a cell phone.
i went to bed, bath and BEYOND today. there was a woman who was talking so loud on her phone that i asked her to lower her voice. the look on her face was of distain. she hated me. its not the first time i've had a problem with cell phone users.
i was at my drs. office and there was only one other woman in the waiting room.. i always bring a book to read while i'm waiting for the dr.. i'm perfect as you can tell ..(don't comment)
she was bedecked with jewels and dressed like esthers pet horse. i of course was perfectly dressed (no comment please). well this women gets on her blackberry and said to whomever she was talking to, hello, this is mrs. shaiman, (her actual name)
i brought my masserati in for service and it's suppose to be ready today. she continued talking about what had been wrong with her car and i couldn't resist. i said, excuse me, mrs. shaiman, what color is your masserati? she looked at me as though i had ten heads and said blue. i then asked if the masserati was ready at the mechanics.. she said, why do you care? i said i don't care at all but i figured since you're talking so loud and mentioning your car, you might want to start a dialogue with me. she said, are you nuts lady? i said possibly but i'm not rude enough to be talking on a phone while others are waiting to go into the drs. office .
with that the nurse came out and said, mrs. shaiman.. and mrs. shaiman got up, gave me a dirty look and went into the drs. office
i was escorted into the drs. inner office and heard this.. there is some nut sitting in the waiting room listening to my phone conversation and commenting on everything i said.. my dr. said, it must be linda, she has an appointment today and i heard him laughing. he came in shortly thereafter and said, are you starting trouble with my patients? i said of course, if not me, then who.
the point of this story is, nobody needs a cell phone.. if people want to find you, they should call your house and leave a message. nobody has anything that important to say that they have to talk in offices, streets, even toilets which happened at bloomingdales while i was peeing.
this world of technology is pissing me off.
be back later
the above has nothing to do with anything but i thought it was a helpful hint.
todays rant.. and it is a rant.. is about cell phones.. i have a pay as you go cell phone which i ONLY use when i need to see if a driver is picking me up at the airport. otherwise, i have no use for a cell phone.
i went to bed, bath and BEYOND today. there was a woman who was talking so loud on her phone that i asked her to lower her voice. the look on her face was of distain. she hated me. its not the first time i've had a problem with cell phone users.
i was at my drs. office and there was only one other woman in the waiting room.. i always bring a book to read while i'm waiting for the dr.. i'm perfect as you can tell ..(don't comment)
she was bedecked with jewels and dressed like esthers pet horse. i of course was perfectly dressed (no comment please). well this women gets on her blackberry and said to whomever she was talking to, hello, this is mrs. shaiman, (her actual name)
i brought my masserati in for service and it's suppose to be ready today. she continued talking about what had been wrong with her car and i couldn't resist. i said, excuse me, mrs. shaiman, what color is your masserati? she looked at me as though i had ten heads and said blue. i then asked if the masserati was ready at the mechanics.. she said, why do you care? i said i don't care at all but i figured since you're talking so loud and mentioning your car, you might want to start a dialogue with me. she said, are you nuts lady? i said possibly but i'm not rude enough to be talking on a phone while others are waiting to go into the drs. office .
with that the nurse came out and said, mrs. shaiman.. and mrs. shaiman got up, gave me a dirty look and went into the drs. office
i was escorted into the drs. inner office and heard this.. there is some nut sitting in the waiting room listening to my phone conversation and commenting on everything i said.. my dr. said, it must be linda, she has an appointment today and i heard him laughing. he came in shortly thereafter and said, are you starting trouble with my patients? i said of course, if not me, then who.
the point of this story is, nobody needs a cell phone.. if people want to find you, they should call your house and leave a message. nobody has anything that important to say that they have to talk in offices, streets, even toilets which happened at bloomingdales while i was peeing.
this world of technology is pissing me off.
be back later
Monday, February 1, 2010
THE SHAMMYS
i watched the grammys last night and lord help me, i hardly knew anyone..
who the heck is zack brown, maxwell and what the heck is a lady gaga?
years ago i met beyonce.. she must have been 20 years old. she was beautiful but didn't seem like anyone special to me. i have a knack for not knowing talent.. her career has been amazing and she seems as sweet as sugar to me..
then there's taylor swift.. i'm sure kids love her but to me shes a geeky kid and i can't figure out how she won anything let alone album of the year.
then there are groups. how do they get their names? blacked eyed peas, green day , kings of leon.. a story i recall is when i was in london iwas invited to lunch with chris martin and his wife.. he was totally adorable and charming but i was sure the name of his band was green day.. it was days later when i learned he was coldplay.. what idiotic names.
years ago, i had dinner with linda and paul mccartny, a beatle.. i never got that either.. why didn't they called the band the fab four or something that made sense. but being a beatle didn't hurt his career.i remember feeling like i should asked him why the beatles but i thought better of it.. after all, he was an icon. by the way, i never liked the beatles.. shoot me !
at the table that evening was a woman named chrissy hines. i had never heard of her either. my friend kicked me under the table when i asked what she did for a living.. she was part of a group called the pretenders. honest to god, i still haven't heard of that group and yet if i mention her name people go wild.
now that i'm dropping names like flies, i'll tell you about a dinner party i went to at mick fleetwoods home.. now some of you might know that name.. i suspect most of you know that name.. i had never heard of that man. did i know fleetwood mac? well, not really.. i spent the evening with him talking about the beginning days of fleetwood mac. he talked on and on about lindsay and stevie. i never asked a question since i didn't know who lindsay or stevie were. i later learned that stevie was a woman. stevie nicks to be exact.. someone i also never heard about. i'm an embarrassment to myself. last night stevie sang a duet with taylor swift and somebody was singing off key.. beats me if i know which one.
since i'm dropping names, i'm going the whole nine yards. i was at frank sinatras 80 birthday party.. it was at the kodack theater in los angeles. frank was out of it by then and i'm sure he had no idea where he was.. that evening i saw vic damone who i always thought his name was victor moan.. there were steve and edyie, tony bennet, salt and pepper..(whatever happened to them)and ms. patti la belle.. another fabulous singer.the list goes on and on with the best singers ever.
now, we must discuss pink.. i know its probably considered art to do what she did. i thought it was ridiculous. a singer sings.. you don't have to hang from the ceiling wet to sing a song.
they all should take a lesson from barbra streisand.. she sings.. she sings.. she stands in front of a mike and just sings..and shes the greatest singer of the last 40 years.. she must be doing something right.
this is what getting older feels like for those who enjoyed the grammys.. i'm disgusted.
be back soon.
who the heck is zack brown, maxwell and what the heck is a lady gaga?
years ago i met beyonce.. she must have been 20 years old. she was beautiful but didn't seem like anyone special to me. i have a knack for not knowing talent.. her career has been amazing and she seems as sweet as sugar to me..
then there's taylor swift.. i'm sure kids love her but to me shes a geeky kid and i can't figure out how she won anything let alone album of the year.
then there are groups. how do they get their names? blacked eyed peas, green day , kings of leon.. a story i recall is when i was in london iwas invited to lunch with chris martin and his wife.. he was totally adorable and charming but i was sure the name of his band was green day.. it was days later when i learned he was coldplay.. what idiotic names.
years ago, i had dinner with linda and paul mccartny, a beatle.. i never got that either.. why didn't they called the band the fab four or something that made sense. but being a beatle didn't hurt his career.i remember feeling like i should asked him why the beatles but i thought better of it.. after all, he was an icon. by the way, i never liked the beatles.. shoot me !
at the table that evening was a woman named chrissy hines. i had never heard of her either. my friend kicked me under the table when i asked what she did for a living.. she was part of a group called the pretenders. honest to god, i still haven't heard of that group and yet if i mention her name people go wild.
now that i'm dropping names like flies, i'll tell you about a dinner party i went to at mick fleetwoods home.. now some of you might know that name.. i suspect most of you know that name.. i had never heard of that man. did i know fleetwood mac? well, not really.. i spent the evening with him talking about the beginning days of fleetwood mac. he talked on and on about lindsay and stevie. i never asked a question since i didn't know who lindsay or stevie were. i later learned that stevie was a woman. stevie nicks to be exact.. someone i also never heard about. i'm an embarrassment to myself. last night stevie sang a duet with taylor swift and somebody was singing off key.. beats me if i know which one.
since i'm dropping names, i'm going the whole nine yards. i was at frank sinatras 80 birthday party.. it was at the kodack theater in los angeles. frank was out of it by then and i'm sure he had no idea where he was.. that evening i saw vic damone who i always thought his name was victor moan.. there were steve and edyie, tony bennet, salt and pepper..(whatever happened to them)and ms. patti la belle.. another fabulous singer.the list goes on and on with the best singers ever.
now, we must discuss pink.. i know its probably considered art to do what she did. i thought it was ridiculous. a singer sings.. you don't have to hang from the ceiling wet to sing a song.
they all should take a lesson from barbra streisand.. she sings.. she sings.. she stands in front of a mike and just sings..and shes the greatest singer of the last 40 years.. she must be doing something right.
this is what getting older feels like for those who enjoyed the grammys.. i'm disgusted.
be back soon.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
FIRE,FIRE, PANTS ON FIRE
i had a dream... me and martin luther king..
my dream was to have a wonderful time coming back from maui..WRONG.
i came home to find i need dental surgery again and have to have a new permanent bridge made.. i never get used to this but i'm always grateful to my dentist, dr. saul pressner. a king amongst human beings.
and then yesterday, a brand new experience for me.. let me just tell you, i've always had a fear of fire.. when i lived in a private house, i had a fireplace. i never went to sleep until that fire was burned out.. if it wasn't, i threw water into the fireplace which pissed off my family. i unplug everything in my house before i go to sleep. fire is always on my mind.
yesterday i decided to broil some chicken and i went to preheat my oven.. i never preheat my oven but did yesterday. what i forgot was i had aluminum pans in there with plastic wrappings.. need i say more? after 2 minutes of preheating, i heard fire alarms go off. i figured it was another false alarm in the building. i waited about a minute before i left my bedroom and saw black smoke in my living room and foyer and i ran to my kitchen.. flames were coming out of my stove and i was able to shut the stove off , remove the aluminum pans and opened all my doors and windows. the security squad in my building was here in a flash and went holy shit.! not what one wants to hear.. my stove, microwave and a cabinet above the microwave were all melted.. YES,MELTED.
what amazes me is i was as cool as a cucumber and did everything i was suppose to do without any fear.
today i went to sears to buy a new stove and microwave. i told the salesman i wanted something without too many dials and didn't want any fancy features.. in 10 minutes my purchase was made.
tomorrow the company i called to assess the damages, arrives to clean up everything.so all is well that ends well.
i do have a suggestion for all of you.. first, always keep a fire extinguisher in your house. something i didn't do.
and more importantly, when you go to buy a new appliance at sears, make sure you haven't taken a laxative the night before. 10 minutes to purchase the damn stove.. 25 minutes in the toilet !
be back soon.
my dream was to have a wonderful time coming back from maui..WRONG.
i came home to find i need dental surgery again and have to have a new permanent bridge made.. i never get used to this but i'm always grateful to my dentist, dr. saul pressner. a king amongst human beings.
and then yesterday, a brand new experience for me.. let me just tell you, i've always had a fear of fire.. when i lived in a private house, i had a fireplace. i never went to sleep until that fire was burned out.. if it wasn't, i threw water into the fireplace which pissed off my family. i unplug everything in my house before i go to sleep. fire is always on my mind.
yesterday i decided to broil some chicken and i went to preheat my oven.. i never preheat my oven but did yesterday. what i forgot was i had aluminum pans in there with plastic wrappings.. need i say more? after 2 minutes of preheating, i heard fire alarms go off. i figured it was another false alarm in the building. i waited about a minute before i left my bedroom and saw black smoke in my living room and foyer and i ran to my kitchen.. flames were coming out of my stove and i was able to shut the stove off , remove the aluminum pans and opened all my doors and windows. the security squad in my building was here in a flash and went holy shit.! not what one wants to hear.. my stove, microwave and a cabinet above the microwave were all melted.. YES,MELTED.
what amazes me is i was as cool as a cucumber and did everything i was suppose to do without any fear.
today i went to sears to buy a new stove and microwave. i told the salesman i wanted something without too many dials and didn't want any fancy features.. in 10 minutes my purchase was made.
tomorrow the company i called to assess the damages, arrives to clean up everything.so all is well that ends well.
i do have a suggestion for all of you.. first, always keep a fire extinguisher in your house. something i didn't do.
and more importantly, when you go to buy a new appliance at sears, make sure you haven't taken a laxative the night before. 10 minutes to purchase the damn stove.. 25 minutes in the toilet !
be back soon.
Sunday, January 24, 2010
HOLLYWEIRD
i love award shows. shoot me.. i'm an award show freak.. i love the fashions on the women, the glamour.. with some luck, someone will look like shit or be drunk or say something crazy.
it also delights me to see how hollywood honors themselves for just about anything.. they're the best or the greatest. they have awards for just about anything. it's narcissism at its finest.
last night i watched the Screen Actors Guild Awards which is so much like the Foreign Press Awards except the SAG awards are given by the industry to honor their own actors and actresses.. the Foreign Press awards are given by crazy assed foreigners who can be bought for a watch or a dinner.. it has little or no credibility but alas, they give out awards and the winners are thrilled and so am i.
last night sandra bullock was given an award as best actress in a movie.. god has a sense of humor.. she won the award over meryl streep. LORD HAVE MERCY !
then there was George Clooney.. i know everyone loves George.. I DON'T.. i didn't like him when he was on ER and i like him less as a movie star and he is a bonafide movie star. how that happens, i dunno..
i'm getting older and crankier i see.. most of the stars i don't even know and those i do know, are getting older and i wonder who their plastic surgeons are. NOBODY over 60 looks their age. sophia loren is 75. frankly she looks like crap to me but she doesn't look 75.
another thing that bothered me was the movie NINE.. i saw the show on broadway that starred my boyfriend Antonio banderas, who brought a sensuality to that part unlike anyone i've seen. so hollywood in its infinite brilliance, cast Daniel Day Lewis who has zero sensuality and the movie bombed. i'd like to know what the fuck they were thinking.
i'm still jet lagged. i should go back to sleep..
be back soon
it also delights me to see how hollywood honors themselves for just about anything.. they're the best or the greatest. they have awards for just about anything. it's narcissism at its finest.
last night i watched the Screen Actors Guild Awards which is so much like the Foreign Press Awards except the SAG awards are given by the industry to honor their own actors and actresses.. the Foreign Press awards are given by crazy assed foreigners who can be bought for a watch or a dinner.. it has little or no credibility but alas, they give out awards and the winners are thrilled and so am i.
last night sandra bullock was given an award as best actress in a movie.. god has a sense of humor.. she won the award over meryl streep. LORD HAVE MERCY !
then there was George Clooney.. i know everyone loves George.. I DON'T.. i didn't like him when he was on ER and i like him less as a movie star and he is a bonafide movie star. how that happens, i dunno..
i'm getting older and crankier i see.. most of the stars i don't even know and those i do know, are getting older and i wonder who their plastic surgeons are. NOBODY over 60 looks their age. sophia loren is 75. frankly she looks like crap to me but she doesn't look 75.
another thing that bothered me was the movie NINE.. i saw the show on broadway that starred my boyfriend Antonio banderas, who brought a sensuality to that part unlike anyone i've seen. so hollywood in its infinite brilliance, cast Daniel Day Lewis who has zero sensuality and the movie bombed. i'd like to know what the fuck they were thinking.
i'm still jet lagged. i should go back to sleep..
be back soon
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