Rush Limbaugh? Don't get me started...
Urghh like I needed another reason not to like him:

"Feminism is just a way for ugly women to get into the mainstream of America."
-- Rush Limbaugh

According to Dictionary.com the definition of fem?i?nism is: Belief in the social, political, and economic equality of the sexes.

By the traditional definition I would hope that everyone would be a feminist. Limbaugh like most, confuse feminism with extremist women's groups. Either way feminism does not equal ungly women, lol.

The Aviator

I just went to another advanced screening, this time to Scorsese's new film The Aviator.

It's about the oil man, film director, famous aviator, and Texan billionare, Howard Hughes, played by Leonardo DiCaprio. I love Scorsese's work and this film was as meticulous and beautifully shot as his other classics and a lot lighter than Raging Bull and with less blood. However, there is a rather bloody scene, just wanted to warn you.

At times the film reminded me of Citizen Kane. Both films feature brilliant creative men who go crazy while building their empires. Instead of whispering "rosebud," Aviator ends with a close up of the lead actor repeatedly muttering "the way of the future," with an eerie similarity.

The flight scenes are very beautiful but there are lots of them. Pilots and old Hollywood film buffs should really enjoy this film since it pays tribute to both.

Leo does such a good job as Hughes that it was painful watching the once lively playboy gradually dissent into madness and become a recluse with twitches and OCD.

I wanted to see this film as soon as I had heard about it, because I'm a huge Katharine Hepburn fan and have read about her relationship with Howard Hughes in her biography. It was interesting seeing Cate Blanchett playing Ms. Hepburn. She had the voice and laugh down pat, but her first scene on camera takes place on a golf course and it seemed like Blanchett was all over the place and just doing an impression of Kate and not really being her. However, as the film progressed so did Cate's portrayal of the Hollywood legend.

Despite what the film shows, Kate did not meet Spencer right after being with Hughes, but a few years later in 1942 when filming Woman of the Year. It would have helped if they but more dates and locations at the bottom. They started doing this at first but stopped midway, so it was hard to tell how long they were together and when exactly World War II started in the film.

I was surprised they didn't include that even after they broke up, Hughes still gave Hepburn the script The Philadelphia Story Especially since the 1940 movie helped re-launch Hepburn's career and let her escape the label "box office poison," which Hepburn in the film declares she is being called. It would have provided more closure.

Gwen Stefani in her brief appearance looked amazingly like Jean Harlow. Although, I wasn't really impressed by Kate Beckinsale playing Eva Garder, for me she was just there. Meanwhile, Jude Law appears in the film too (seriously how many movies did this guy do this year? he's everywhere) he plays the swashbuckling playboy Errol Flynn. Alan Alda and Alec Baldwin also stars.

Scorsese, the film, Cate Blanchett and DiCaprio have already been nominated for Golden Globes.

The picture releases in NYC and LA on Dec. 17 and Christmas weekend through out the country. Beware, buy food and pee first, because the film is almost 3 hours long but definitely a must see. Check out the official website HERE. Also check out the New York Post review, which gave the new film 3 stars.

Just One Of those Days
I hate those days when you think you are looking pretty good, you have a new outfit on and you're smiling, feeling pretty confident. In my case, I'm sort of strutting out of the subway. Then you trip on the uneven pavement because you were too busy looking up at the sky and fall to the ground. Not one of the business commuters around me in Times Square even stopped to take notice of me and there went the good mood.

My knee is scraped and I scuffed my boots. At my main office's entrance on the 16th floor I quickly look at my reflection in the glass doors and I mentally think "That's what I look like? Shoot, I thought my hair was doing something better and I swear that shirt looked better in the dressing room, ah f*$# it."

The opposite days are of course better. You know, the days when you think you look like crap and everyone around you keeps saying how good you look or that your skirt is amazing, yada yada. LOL those days are rare but precious and so far it's not one of those days.

Continued...later that afternoon...

OK it is soo not one of those days! It got even better when I came back from grabbing some fries from the dollar menu at McDonalds (you gotta love the $ menu). When I returned to my desk to eat the yummy fries, I couldn't remove my white knee-length bubble coat. The zipper was snagged on the lining again and it would not budge. The snag was right below my neck so I couldn't really look at where it was caught or how to fix it. So I had to sort of crawl out of the massive thing and of course that is when the cute guy from work walks by and says "Good afternoon Tara." At least I assumed it was his voice from what I could hear from within my coat cave. I felt like an earthworm crawling out of that thing. lol

Red Red Wine, You Make Me Feel So Fine
(According to the Journal of Substance Abuse)

*Wine drinkers are college educated and drink in moderation, usually with meals.

*Beer drinkers have limited educations. They usually drink at times other than meal time.

*Whiskey drinkers hang out at bars.

*Wine cooler drinkers are usually single and have limited educations

*Wine drinkers are at lower risk for developing tummy pooch, while hard-liquor drinkers have the highest risk.

Phew, I'm very glad my favorite drink is red wine. Cheers!

Hey Big Spenders
We all tip, well, at least I hope we all do. But do you know what TIP stands for?
I never knew and now that I do, I thought I'd share the fun tidbit with ya'll.
TIP = To Insure Promptness.
After paying the tip and NYC sales tax my money is gone, and it's another week before I can dine out again :-/ Although the $12 cocktails might have something to do with it too, since they usually cost more than my food. Damn pricey New York!

Rain Rain Go Away
It's been raining so much lately that I was afraid I'd have to start building an arc. It's funny though, living in New York City, I never have to check the weather forcast because the street vendors always seem to miraculously appear an hour before it rains, ready to sell umbrellas at exorbitant prices. When I see there umbrella racks out, I know I need to bring mine along too because sure enough it always rains then. It's like they have a special radar or something or ... they simply watch The Weather Channel unlike me.

NYT Article of the Day: Christian Conservatives Press Issues in Statehouses

T	Timeless
A	Ambitious
R	Relaxed
A	Astounding

Name:

Beyond the Sea
Now Playing: Mack the Knife
I just saw an advanced screening of Beyond the Sea, a film about singer Bobby Darin's life. However, it might as well have been Kevin Spacey's story, since Spacey not only stars in the film but directs and produces it, as well as sings each Darin song and beautifully so at that. They say he waited 5 years to make this film so he could train his voice and get it up to par.

I don't have to tell you that Academy Award winner Spacey acted well, that's obvious he always does a great job. But they also did a good casting job by picking Kate Bosworth to play Sandra Dee. I had just watched the Gidget movie on TCM the week before and was impressed at how much Bosworth looked and acted like the wholesome teen idol.

The film started a bit weird with flashbacks but the camera angles and shots are impressive. Also at first it was odd that Darrin interacts with his younger self in certain scenes, but it became cute. The writing often pokes fun at the era and the industry, which is amusing. At times the film felt like a Broadway play, mostly because of the occasional showy dancing numbers, which is why I reccomend seeing it on the big screen. Overall I enjoyed it a lot and it was better than the similar fare, DeLovely.

When leaving the theater a few said that Spacey sang too many songs, but that didn't bother me, mainly because I like that era of music. It's amazing how much Spacey sounds like Darrin, but you can also hear him too, it's a nice combination.

I knew that Dee (made famous for a new generation with the song "Look at me, I'm Sandra Dee" in Grease) and Darrin were a hot Hollywood couple of the time, but I knew little about their lives.

Here are some facts about Bobby Darrin:
* Had a weak heart and was told by doctors that he would not live pass the age of 15.
* Campaigned for Robert Kennedy, was against the Vietnam war, became a hippie and participated in a 1965 Civil Rights march to Alabama.
* Scored his first hit at age 22 with "Splish Splash." Had many other chart toppers like "Beyond the Sea" and "Dream Lover."
* Acted in 13 films, won a Golden Globe and was nominated for an Oscar.

A major fact that the film glossed over was that Dee and Darrin legally seperated and he remarried for a few months in 1973. However, at the end there is a caption that reads: "Dee loves him to this day."

BTW- John Goodman also stars, and like usual the supporting cast helped make the film, especially Bob Hoskins and Caroline Aaron playing Darrin's Aunt and Uncle.

To view a trailer and get more info on the film, visit www.beyondtheseathemovie.com


I already ordered the CD for my mom (of course I'll be copying it to my ipod first):


PS: At an after party at APT Lounge on W13th ST, I met PC Magazine freelancer Matt Sarrel whose blog is Nina and Sonja Blog!

PPS: My b-day is in 5 mins. Dinner tomorrow at Sushi Samba!