grace: July 2008

If It's Gonna Be That Kind of Party I'm Gonna Stick My (ummm) Whistle in the Mashed Potatoes!!

Quick Hitters and Random Thoughts

--How'd that taste Pachuca!

--CBS is bringing back The Streets of San Francisco?!

--I was at Las Vegas' McCarran Airport last Friday, but dammit if I didn't see Jerry Lewis getting busted for having a firearm in his carry-on and here I was sweating the hand sanitizer I had in mine.

--Tim Donaghy's gambling problem started when he was playing $500 a hole in golf?! Yeah, you might have a gambling problem if you're playing for $500 a hole.

--Kate Hudson and Lance Armstrong we hardly knew ye. Like I've said before wwtdd.com is the most hilarious daily stop I make each day and this is what he had to say about these two:
"Hard to believe the passion burned out, what with all those bike races and such. Those drive women wild. The sidelines are packed with hot chicks, and you’ll often hear, "if that guy rides his bike up this hill, I’m fu**** him. I'm not kidding, he makes it to the top, I’m fu**** him right here and now."

----Aaron McCargo Jr. is your Next Food Network Star...who you will never see because his show will be on very early once every other weekend. Oh and Lisa was robbed.

--Freddie Prinze Jr. is going to start working for the WWE?!

--Aussie Olympic swimmer Stephanie Rice broke up with her swimmer boyfriend. Just trying to give you reasons to watch the Olympics.

--It seemed like it was kinda taking a long time before someone dressed as The Joker started getting arrested giving us what I'm sure will be the Dumbass Joker of the Week. The wait is over. Spencer Taylor, 20, donned Joker makeup including a purple suit and green wig and headed to the cinema. Once there he thought he would be very inconspicuous and try to steal Dark Knight movie posters and other memorabilia. Yeah, he was arrested and didn't even get to perform the pencil trick.

--Popcrunch.com came out with a list of the 25 Greatest Game Shows and I have five minutes to write about them so....it works out. At #25 we get Love Connection and if we're considering that a game show that has got to be higher. C'mon who doesn't still bust out the "two and two" Love Connection gang sign every once in a while? # 24 is Name That Tune and then we get Double Dare being robbed at # 23. Also being robbed of a rightful position in the top 10 is Press Your Luck at 22. Ridiculous. I still scream "No Whammies....and....stop" for no apparent reason other than I was dropped as a baby.

Something called Queen for a Day was 21. Number 20 is The Mole and now I can see we're about to hit the blurred lines of game show and reality television. What's next? Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader? Awesome maybe this list is in reverse order. Never seen Cash Cab, which is next. The Dating Game at 17. Really, Remote Control deserves top 10 honors and it's 16. Pyramid at 15 is strong. Donnie Osmond hosted it several years back?! When Kimmel was on it, Ben Stein's Money was gold. Stein at 14. The Newlywed Game at 13. Family Feud went downhill with each succeeding host after Richard Dawson. Good luck with that curse Al Roker. On the outside looking into the Top 10 is Let's Make A Deal at 11. At #10 I liked me some Password. Never liked Hollywood Squares (except when Alf was a square) and it's 9. Deal or No Deal is 8 and I will never understood those who watch more than one episode. Wheel of Fortune at 7 and just because it gave us The Pat Sajak Hour it's fine by me. Who Wants to be a Millionaire next with Match Game at 5. I've never had the desire to watch Survivor which is 4th. Same for # 3 Amazing Race. Jeopardy is my personal # 1, but # 2 is hard to argue when I'd imagine most everyone's # 1 is Price is Right. Love my Plinko.

--I have no idea if I get Style Network. Judging by my closet I assume I don't, but it's going to come out with a Soup-type show called The Dish. Who cares, except that Topanga/Danielle Fishel is hosting.

--If you're old school and want to watch Jacqueline Kennedy's entire White House Tour, here ya go.

--Debris from Shia's crash is on eBay?!

--Our Sex Tape (be it rumor or not) of the Week comes to us from Bill Belichick.

--I've been to Atlantic City. If you've ever been then you know I'm not bragging. At the Borgata the other day a guy from Brooklyn was on a gambling bender going for 17 hours straight until he was told to get the F out. Why? Because he stank. I've never been to the Borgata, but believe me "stink" isn't enough to get you ejected from a Boardwalk casino.

--I hate when lazy newspeople or sportscasters toss "gate" at the end of something and I heard an ESPNer drop the first "Favre-gate" I've heard yet. Awesome. Not as awesome as Dave and Emily Kinsaul who named their twins, and I kid you not, Brett and Favre. No, their third one is not going to be named Interception or Retire the F Already!. Parents, when naming twins please consult Nuno who has the coolest names for his new little ones.

--In New York a guy won $5 million in the lottery, but for whatever reason wanted to continue his job as a doorman. Of course the guy was fired with the reason being he wasn't showing up to work each of his scheduled shifts.

Questions, comments or if you watch CNN's American Morning to see what songs they bump back...

L.A. Woman

The atmosphere of life in L.A. was captured perfectly in the 1969 edition of the Pirelli Calender. L.A. was the hippest and wildest place to be in the late sixties and seventies. For many musicians going to L.A. was a real treat. The popular hangouts: Rainbow Bar & Grill, the Whisky, Thee Experience, London Fog, The Troubadour, etc. I included some photos of some of the other colorful characters that haunted the strip.

L.A. Club

Jim and Pam

Pamela Des Barres

Gto's

Morgana Welch

Thee Experience

The Trip

L.A. nightlife

(photos from hollywoodhangover.com, and by Harri Peccinotti)

JOGUE O GAME DO FILME SPACE CHIMPS-MICOS NO ESPAÇO

Jogue o game do filme Space Chimps antes de ir ao cinema!
Aventura: Três chimpanzés da NASA, Ham, Lucy e Titan, são enviados pelo espaço para descobrir vida alienígena. Jogue este divertido game.

Redlands & the Aftermath

Redlands: was the infamous home of Rolling Stone Keith Richards. Keith bought the property in 1966. There were two incidents which made Redlands part of The Rolling Stones lore: the 1967 bust and the fire in 1973. The Bust: It began on a quiet Sunday in February when Redlands, the Sussex country home of Stone’s guitarist Keith Richards was raided by a force of twenty police officers. Richards was hosting a weekend party attended by Mick Jagger the Stone’s singer, a couple of the Beatles and other friends and notables of swinging London.The raid came after a tip off by a tabloid newspaper. Jagger and Richards were busted for drug possession. The raid became known as the Redlands Bust.When the case came to trial the police luridly played up the image of Marianne Faithfull as Miss X wearing nothing but a fur rug which she deliberately “let fall” from time to time during the raid. Jagger and Richards were convicted and sentenced to prison for three and twelve months. There were many protests by Fans and others in the Pop community. The fire occured six years later. In August 1973, sometime in the early morning, the house burnt down. It was a desperate scene, with the dry thatch quickly going up in smoke above their heads. Keith and Anita managed to escape to the garden, where she apparently berated him while police and fire engines clanked up the lane. "Fucking hell, Keith! Fucking hell! the only reason for coming down here was so we could get some rest, and now look at it! Go on. Look at it!" "Not too good," Keith was forced to concede, as the roof fell in, sending up a shower of sparks, just as Spanish Tony managed to lug the huge refectory table out onto the lawn. Everyone spend the rest of the that night giving statement, and then dozing fitfully in the guest cottage. It would take three years to rebuild.
Keith with his dog Ratbag

Marianne's innocent image before the bust.

The day of the bust

Terry Southern: "Morning after the Redlands bust is what I make of this shot." Keith: "So it would appear." Terry: "I can just make out the headline: Naked Girl at Stones Party. And that girl was, correct me if I am wrong, a certain Ms. M. Faithfull. Keith: "Well, I believe it's a matter of, how do you say, public record. Actually she was covered with a fur coat" . Terry:" She may have flashed. Flashed the coppers." Keith: "Marianne? Not bloody likely." Terry: "Flashed the coppers to craze them, you see. She fabulously endowed by all accounts." Keith:"But it wouldn't be like Marianne to flash the coppers, or anyone else for that matter. Too much class. In fact, I think she had gone to bed and had the coat over her." Terry: "As a simple coverlet." Keith: "Exactly."

Girl in the Fur Rug collage

Anita and Brian visit Redlands

The Fire

Anita yelling at Keith

among the ruins
..among the things saved: the fur rug Marianne was wearing during the raid

Redlands now

(photos by Michael Cooper, from Faithfull, rollingstones.net, www.geocities.com/Heartland/Woods )

Suit-able for Dietrich

Marlene Dietrich was a major factor in making menswear looks popular for women. She wore a tuxedo and top hat in her first American film Morocco, made in 1930.

She continued to wear trouser suits off screen as well as on. Travis Banton designed many of them, which she would wear with a man's shirt and tie and a fedora style hat. No one but Marlene could manage to look so feminine in such severe styles.

We just listed this 1940's tuxedo style suit at our site. Certainly Dietrich worthy, it will look great with or without that shirt and tie!

See this suit and more at Couture Allure Vintage Fashion.

But For Now, I'd Like To Ask You How You Like The Feel of Ron Artest In Our Crowd!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ron Artest?! Really?!

Yeah, I was just a little bit excited when I turned to the monitor saw John in Humble's text that read "Breaking News - Ron Artest a Rocket." As calmly as I could I looked at the Chron's web site and saw Feigen with the details. Cooly I interrupted Adam Wexler jabbering about something or other and explained to him why July 29th, 2008 was the first day of the rest of our lives. I'm so excited it's ridiculous. Look I know Ron Artest has had his piece of crap moments and domestic violence charges are very bothersome. But he has been better lately, which may not be saying much, but what I am saying is that he's going to be just fine here. The Rockets are going to be just fine and now are serious, legitimate title contenders. F'n unbelievable the magic that Morey weaves (now head to Union Station and talk some sense into Ed Wade). I love Donte Greene and he's going to be great, not just good, but great. And yet I do this trade every day of the week. Ron Artest is a Rocket. Holy F'n Sh**!!!!
Seems nice enough.

Here he is helping Rip keep his mask on.

That's right we're # 1!!!!

Quick Hitters and Random Thoughts

--How 'bout my man Antonio Margarito!!! What a performance! Love both of those guys, but Margarito's heart and chin are an extremely difficult combination to defeat. Not even the great and undefeated Miguel Cotto could do it. Thanks Antonio and thanks public for making Antonio +200 on the money line.

--Always a great trip to Vegas and this one full of celebrity sightings...such luminaries like Lou Ross from Hell's Kitchen and other less famous people like Johnny Chan, Jamie Sharper, Paul Pierce, O.J. Mayo, and the hottest blonde prostitute in Vegas. Oh and Stephen A. Smith who sat waaay behind us. Thanks HBO. Best. Boxing Trip. Ever.

--Nice job X-Files movie. It's one thing to have your opening weekend not top Dark Knight or a Will Ferrell movie, but damn your opening weekend was behind Mamma Mia's second weekend?! You know maybe waiting all these years before finally doing a movie wasn't the right way to go.

--The Emmys are going to be hosted by the five nominees in the Reality TV Host category. Which means Heidi Klum!!!...and also Seacrest, Jeff Probst, Tom Bergeron and Howie Mandel. Ummm, Deal or No Deal is a reality show?

--Shia LaBeouf is finally making it. Arrested for DUI over the weekend.

--First, I didn't know Mobile, Alabama was home to the nation's oldest Mardi Gras celebration since 1703. Second, I didn't know Mobile has two distinctly separate celebrations. One for white people and one for black people. The Order of Myths is a new movie exploring that story. Note to Mobile: It's 2008.

--I am so down for Jurassic Fight Club on History. By the way, if you haven't been paying attention it's Shark Week.
Love Air Jaws.

--It really is kinda messed up that the Olympics has to set up a sex determination lab.

--Even though I've barely dug into NCAA '09 I can't wait for Madden so I cannot play that either!!!

--Nice job Army. How f'n ridiculous is it that Army jerked around 7th round Detroit draftee Caleb Campbell? Look whether or not you agreed with the "old" policy allowing him to get out of active duty to serve as a recruiter if he made the Lions, it's just ludicrous that the Army months later sends Detroit a letter saying there's been a change in policy and now Caleb has to serve. Seems to me that each of the service branches should have the same policy when it comes to this, but that does seem logical so that's out.

--It's always nice to have people to root for come Olympics time even if they aren't American. Simeon Williamson will rep England in the 100m. His grandmother Pearline is 78-years-fast. It seems a woman snatched Pearline's purse not knowing who she was messing with. Grandmothers tell stories better than I can:
"The thief must have thought I was an easy touch because I'm elderly. When she took my purse I had to do something so I ran after her and grabbed her as hard as I could.
She said she hadn't taken it at first, so I shook the life out of her until she finally gave it back.
It makes me so mad when people try to take your things, back in my day you had to work so hard for every penny."

--Welcome back Mad Men and ladies of Mad Men...

--How awesome was that WNBA fight last week?! Manu Ginobili thinks Lisa Leslie flops. I love when Rick Mahorn started getting blasted from behind by Delisha. Hilarious. Good times to see Mahorn and Laimbeer throw down one last time. Then 50-year-old Nancy Lieberman joined Detroit on a 7-day contract. Oh boy! WNBA is must-see TV!

--No, Carl Landry you're not going to Europe.

--Eastern Kentucky wide receiver Davin Walker was busted earlier this month for shoplifting at Wal-Mart. He was seen on surveillance throwing items into his backpack. When confronted he ran and in the process lost his shoes and his backpack. For good measure he ran into an old lady who ended up almost losing the tip of her thumb. So what was Davin stealing? A cell phone battery charger (okay, that's understandable). Anything else? Oh yeah, a box of douches and a bottle of female hygiene spray. Yeah Davin, the only thing more embarrassing than having to buy that stuff is getting busted stealing that stuff.

--You know when you hear about South Los Angeles you mostly think of violence. Well it seems the violence is committed by fatties. A proposal has passed the first hurdle that would place a moratorium on new fast food restaurants from opening up in the area.

--Fantasy football alert! Roger Goodell this week will announce any discipline for Broncos WR Brandon Marshall for all his run-ins with the law.

--A Hairspray sequel?!

--Start hoarding your psychadelic drugs as Tim Burton has found his Alice for the aptly named Alice in Wonderland. Mia Wasikowska is young Alice. I think Alice was the last non-related sports book I've read and that was a year ago, but that is one crazy ass book.

--Finally the NCAA is addressing the key issues. That's right, the NCAA is going to take a long look at adding women's beach err, sand volleyball as a sport. Go ahead and give Brazil the gold now.

Questions, comments, or if you saw that girl go to the airplane lavatory barefoot and automatically assumed she was a Titans fan...