Are orgasms overrated?
(sorry for the abrupt heading, but you knew it was only a matter of time til I addressed something sexual)

From January 2005 issue of Redbook:
90% of women are still satisfied even if they don't have an orgasm every time they make love, according to a study at Sheffield University in England. The research also revealed that the vast majority of women find the sensuality of cuddling, kissing and touching every bit as fulfilling as a climax, says Paula Nicolson, lead researcher and professor of health psychology at the university. "We found that women's sexual pleasure occurs on many levels other than simply orgasm alone," says Nicolson.

Talk amongst yourselves ;)

The Future of the Cinema...

Last night I went to a panel discussion at NYU about independent films and their impact on Hollywood. It was moderately interesting, but during the Q & A near the end, New York Times movie critic A.O. Scott was asked about the future of movie theaters now with the popularity of DVDs, Netflix, and streaming videos. He responded that sleeper films can now have extreme success in home theater, take Napoleon Dynamite for example. He responded that "Movie's released in theaters are now like long trailers for their later DVD release." He went on to say that in 10 years ago, home theater might replace movie theaters, which can start to seem antiquated to new generations. Of course people will still want to see films on the big screen, right? However I know because of time and money I have not been able to see many films in the theater as of late. What do you think?

Magnolia Cupcakes---my Kryptonite
It is a blessing and a curse that I live near the famous Magnolia Bakery. I have to pass by the little shop on the corner of Bleecker and Eleventh Street in Greenwich Village each time I walk to campus and back home again.

The smell of their cakes made on the premise lure me in and usually you can even see the cakes being laden with icing by employees in front of the passing windows, taunting me. Worse still, is that when ever my friends come to visit they insist we walk to the bakery for their delicious butter cream cupcakes and I find I'm accompanying some out-of-towner friend of mine twice a week, especially since they are open till midnight, damn them.

The bakery opened up in the West Village in 1996 and their cupcakes were made famous to non New York residents after an episode of Sex and The City showed its stars eagerly consuming them. Now, tour buses dock on the corner and bring groups of tourists to delve upon the shoebox-sized shop.

I usually know better and try not to visit on the weekends because starting on Fridays and lasting through Sunday there is literally a line around the block. When my friend stopped by on a Saturday night, we waited for 20 minutes in the cold, lined up 11th street. In line we spoke with a gay couple who also live nearby and have been coming here for years for the German Chocolate Cake. In front of us were two groups of young women from DC and California, posing for photos underneath the blue awning marked Magnolia Bakery.

Inside the demand for cupcakes makes it necessary for the staff to constantly make more cupcakes in a side room and an employee to steadily fold take-out cardboard boxes. There is a sign on the window that says "Limit: One Dozen Cupcakes Per Customer." The store itself is really small, but they manage to cram and I mean "cram" at least 15 to 20 people inside the old-fashionably decorated store. Another employee mans the door and allows more customers in, only once others exit. That's how tiny and popular the store is.

When you are waiting with cupcake boxes in hand to select these divine eats, sometimes they run out of the vanilla cupcakes, which are better and more moist than their chocolate ones, and that's when things can get a bit ugly. But the quick working staff usually bring out two new trays within 5 mins.

This most intriguing part is that although the bakery is a big hot spot and included on NYC tours, it remains true to its unpretentious roots. The store doesn't even have a website, yet has published two cookbooks that are ranked #3,847 on Amazon. The inside of the store has a 50s dinner appeal with Formica counters and wallpapered walls.

If you plan on visiting the city or the area soon, this bakery is a must ... hey, and I'll go with you.

The Magnolia Cookbooks:



My other magnolia cupcake post, yes I am obsessed.

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Look Flirt In A Skirt , gave me a button for my blog. Do feel free to link me now! ;)

The Devils Candy
I'm reading "The Devils Candy" (1991) by The Wall Street Journal reporter Julie Salamon who chronicles the making of the film version of The Bonfire of the Vanities, one of Hollywood's all-time biggest flops. So far it's an absorbing read, mainly because I'm a film buff and the name dropping that goes on is very interesting.

BUT...on the back flap a reviewer writes the following description to talk about how powerfully this book chronicles the destruction of what should have been another great picture by Brian DePalma:

"Like watching a World Trade Center tower topple onto Wall Street." --Kirkus Reviews

What a weird metaphor to have used, but how could Kirkus Reviews possibly have conceived that 10 years later the world unfortunately could very easily picture such devastation in a less figurative way. In hindsight the quote also makes the title of the book "The Devils Candy" take on new meaning.

Here's a photo of the back cover

Are they expensive?
(Looks at price tag)

My mind screams "Yes" in answer.

I have a theory, if a shoe goes by two names--it is expensive! EG: Monlo Blanicks, Jimmy Choos, Franco Sarto, Kate Spade, etc.

Do I own any of these? No. Well, actually I do have a few pairs of Franco Sarto's, they just fit my feet so well and I got them at DSW so they were in the $50 range. Thus, a steal!

And although I love shoes, I would never bring myself to spend the big bucks for the famous designer shoes and plus I'm a baby when it comes to uncomfortable shoes.

I have small feet, size 5, which makes finding "grown up" shoes difficult. I actually end up getting a size bigger and I've gotten so used to sliding in my sneakers and boots that now, when I find a shoe that fits I'm not used to having my toe so close to the edge.

One Tree Hill Signing
Last night I was given the assignment to cover the One Tree Hill soundtrack CD signing in the city. I had never watched the show, but I recognized one of the stars, Chad Michael Murray, from the movie "Freaky Friday."

Since I wasn't able to call the PR contact in advance, my name was not on the press list, so I flashed some credentials and was able to talk my way into the press junket.

I met each of the cast members, all of them seemed very down to earth and friendly. Tyler Hilton was especially talkative and animated. Bethany Joy Lenz was very pretty and sweet. Chad, also nice, admitted that he has OCD, but declared that he was not a neat freak. After they left the crowd he was holding his fiance's hand, she's also from the show, but I actually didn't get to speak to her, which is why I can't recall her name.

Again, I've never watched the show, so I didnt ask any questions about it, lol. I was like "What's your fav song on the album?" But that was OK since my story was about the CD being released and the commotion it caused.

I had to give a draft of my story to my "editor" by 9:45 that night, so I only had an hour to write it, but here's what I had: One Tree Hill CD Signing

Here are some phtorazzi pics from the event.