HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME--I'M CELEBRATING FOR THE NEXT 48 HOURS

IF I GAVE A LIST OF RULES TO MY 21-YEAR-OLD SELF TODAY, HERE'S WHAT I'D SAY.

 My dream paradise--Honfleur, France, 1989. Go there as often as you can


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Stay Away from your mother. She's going to try to "kill you" every chance she gets.

Be closer to your aunts, uncles and cousins.

In Hollywood, most people lie to your face.

Once a liar, always a liar. RUN!

Trust no one.

Be glad you never let go of God.

Develop a people detector to see immediately who's using you and who is real.

Try to develop your authentic self and stay with it as much as you can.

All that killing yourself for your career will be worth it.

You are right not to have children.

Pay attention to what you eat.

Don't give up tennis.

Don't ever sell your cars. They will be classics one day and worth a fortune.

Don't just drop people you love if there's a problem. Talk, talk, talk until it's resolved one way or the other.

Go back to the piano lessons or you'll be sorry later.

You're right. Music will be your salvation always.

USC will enhance your life forever.

Watch people's actions, not their words.

Follow the Golden Rule.

Watch and listen. People will always reveal who they really are. 

If you are lucky enough to experience the real "in love" once in your life, guard it forever and consider yourself blessed.

Only let people in who enhance your life.

You will realize that trig and chemistry (along with others) were a waste of time. You were right all along.

Learn everything you can about how money works so you aren't crippled in the world.

 

Travel everywhere you can, even if you think you don't want to go there.

Your friendships are like flowers. You must water them or they die---and your friends must do so in return.

Never settle for crumbs. You deserve the whole loaf.

Don't ever lose yourself in someone else's life

You must remember to take care of your own happiness first. That's not being selfish. It allows you to give to others without resentment.

I FELL IN LOVE WITH A BATHROOM LAST NIGHT

I AM ALL FOR FINDING PUBLIC BATHROOMS THAT ARE SANCTUARIES IN THE MIDDLE OF DAILY LIFE.

In Beverly Hills, my goto bathroom is at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel. However, if I'm trapped at an event, or even if I'm just nearby, the bathroom in the ballroom at the Beverly Hilton has wonderful lounge areas where you can rest.

BUT, MUCH TO MY SURPRISE, when I went to the "Wallis," the theatre at the Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in Beverly Hills, I found a modern bathroom that was truly divine. It actually shone from all angles, even if you were in a stall. It is tile, glass, opaque stall doors--all designed to play on angles, light, and textures. It is really beautiful. There are no couches or chairs (how I wish there were), but it is still well worth a visit.

UNIONIZING COLLEGE FOOTBALL???????

HAS SOMEONE GONE COMPLETELY INSANE?????

 Students are students, NOT employees. For the National Labor Relations Board in Illinois to rule that student athletes are employees is ridiculous and self-serving. Of course, the NLRB would see it that way. Students are children who go to school for education. If they are talented players, the probably have scholarships--i.e. the school is giving them A GIFT of an education; in return, they play football. THEY ARE NOT ORGANIZED LABOR. OMG.If they are standout players they will be scouted by pros, get drafted and then make millions. THEY WOULD NEVER GET THAT MONEY IF THE SCHOOL HADN'T GIVEN THEM THE SCHOLARSHIP IN THE BEGINNING. OMG. OMG.

LAST NIGHT AT "DANCING WITH THE STARS"

YOU ALL CAN IMAGINE HOW UNHAPPY I WAS ABOUT KARINA. LET'S JUST SAY THAT SEAN AVERY, IN EVERY WAY, RUINED EVERYTHING---AND MOVE ON

This season they get the entire audience up on the stage to dance "The Shuffle" before going live. It's a nice touch and really puts people in the mood. I resisted the urge.

Amy Purdy and Derek. She is amazing to see in person. You would never know she had any issues whatsoever, and she's quite pretty.

Maks is on very good behavior this season

I adore Emma Slater. She really has something special.

It was so wonderful coming back to the show after being there with Valerie Harper last season. The warm hugs (especially from VAL CHMERKOVSKIY) were so appreciated. I am taking all their well-wishes right to Valerie.

Nene Leakes in person is a giant vision to be reckoned with. She's very friendly.

THE BEST BOOK EVER WRITTEN ABOUT HOLLYWOOD HISTORY---PERIOD!

THIS BOOK ON BARBARA STANWYCK, by Victoria Wilson, will take you inside Hollywood history as never before. It's not so much that it's about Stanwyck, but wherever Stanwyck's story goes, Wilson takes the time to tell you about all the characters around her (you'll know them all); all the inside things about every movie (who didn't get the parts, who slept with whom, studio head fights, etc.) 

It's a gigantic book that looks daunting. You may say to yourself, "Barbra Stanwyck was a good actress, but am I going to take the time to read a book that's 1044 pages inclduing the appendix?"

THE ANSWER IS --YES YOU ARE. 

The book is only Volume 1!!!! It's is from 1907 to 1940. And I can't wait until Volume 2.

SHAME ON YOU, ANNA WINTOUR. VOGUE REPUTATION AND IMAGE DESTROYED BY ONE PICTURE

 

ANNA WINTOUR SOLD HER SOUL FOR CIRCULATION.

VOGUE----No No No No No No

 

Cosmopoltian --yes.  Rolling Stone---yes  Vanity Fair---yes..

A DREAM COME TRUE----THE ART OPENING OF SIMON LUCKINBILL

Simon Luckinbill

The Luckinbills: Nick, Simon, Lucie, Larry and Kate

The very talented artist, Simon Luckinbill, son of Lucie Arnaz and Larry Luckinbill had his very first art show at the Archangel Gallery in Palm Springs. Huge congratulations are due because Simon sold over half of his paintings in about 90 minutes.

Simon's work is filled with passion, volatile energy, double and triple meanings, sweetness, and basically a view into what's inside his mind. They are always intricate and bold at the same time.
As a surprise, Simon's brother, Nick, and sister Kate, came from the corners of the world to cheer him on.

Nick, Kate and yours truly

And, don't forget Michael Childers' "One Night Only"

benefit at the McCallum Theater in Rancho Mirage

April 23rd.

Michael Childers and Lucie

Simon and Lucie with David Streets

John Jackson, Lucie and Kevin Carlisle

TO SEE MORE OF SIMON'S ART
AND TO PURCHASE ORIGINALS OR GICLEES
GO TO SY ART ON FACEBOOK

Michael and me

Alan Hamel, Lucie, Suzanne Somers, Don Amendolia

HAVE YOU NOTICED WHAT HAS BEEN HAPPENING WITH TOOTHPASTE?

THE GREAT TOOTHPASTE ATTACK


Today I went to a drugstore to get toothpaste.... theoretically a simple task. I must say that I have been noticing more and more types of toothpaste coming out, but as I stood in the toothcare aisle of Rite Aid, I saw this:

This is just the Colgate toothpaste section. I went online later and found out that Colgate has 33, yes 33 different types of toothpaste on the market.

H... gums.......white, not white........flouride or no....cavity guard..........sensitive...........it goes on and on. This is what makes people crazy. Will the toothpaste aisle become the new postal worker goers wild area????

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DONNA ANTEBI

DONNA ANTEBI CELEBRATED HER ST. PATRICK'S DAY BIRTHDAY with a warm, intimate party at her home. Some of us spent a lot of time in her new kitchen admiring the amazing design. It is gorgeous..........

Dennis, Donna, Sue and Sue

 Designer Sue Wong (pictured at left) wore a Chinese homage to St. Patrick's Day.

Sue, Donna, Jennifer  Perry and Diane Charles

Vanessa Sandin, Legendary attorney Ernie Del, Wendy Burch

KEEP VOTING FOR KARINA SMIRNOFF ON "DANCING WITH THE STARS"

 

I don't even care who she's dancing with. I always vote for her because she's the best.


 Yesterday we went to Susan Feniger's "new" restaurant Mud Hen Tavern on one of Karina's rehearsal breaks.. It was four o' clock in the afternoon and the bar was already crowded! The word has really gotten out about the re-do of this place and the new menu. By the time we left about 6:20 it was jammed inside and out.

Karina and I had the Shaved Broccoli and Kale Salad, the Chicken and Waffle Croquettes (I ate all of it without her and it is beyond any food dream you could ever imagine), and then we had Fig and Arugula Pizza with Blue Cheese. We promised each other we'd eat every dish on the menu, three at a time. This place is KILLER!!!! Karina loved it so much she's recommending it to the "Dancing" people for their after-parties.

Below is what happened when we left:

We were walking down the alley in back, and Karina stopped to show me a cartwheel move she was just about to teach her partner, Sean Avery. As she is demonstrating, an ambulance came down the alley (no siren). It screeched to a halt just in front of us, and the two attendants jumped out and said, "Karina? It's Karina!" It's a good thing they weren't on their way to an emergency. The whole thing was really sweet and she made their day, week, whatever.

SNACKS

GREEN EGGS AND HAM
spicy deviled eggs, green chile salsa, bacon bits  2

MEDITERRANEAN HUMMUS PLATTER∞
chickpea hummus, roasted garlic in grapeleaf roasted peppers,
marinated eggplant, yogurt and warm feta   12

FRENCH FRIES*
homemade, thin cut, spice mix, hot shot aioli  5

BEER BATTERED ONION RINGS*
bbq cracked pepper ranch  6

TUNA CEVICHE
avocado, tangerine, chipotle, toasted corn  10

SPINACH POTATO PIEROGI∞
roasted beets, mustard, horseradish cream  6

LAMB MEATBALLS
fresh mint chimichurri, yogurt sauce  8

CHICKEN & WAFFLE CROQUETTES
bacon, spicy maple sauce  8

 STEAMED MANILA CLAMS
garlic, andouille sausage, wine, butter, grilled bread 12

SOUP, SALAD & VEGGIES

TOMATO BASIL SOUP
grilled cheese panini bites  6

BLOOD ORANGE SALAD∞
mixed greens, pomegranate, goat cheese, pomegranate dressing 8

BUTTER LETTUCE WEDGE SALAD
oven roasted tomato, blue cheese, bacon, boils egg, roasted tomato vinaigrette 10

LATE HARVEST CORN∞
crispy pork belly, scallion,
lemongrass, 5-spice  6

SHAVED KALE AND BRUSSELS SPROUTS∞
lemon hazelnut picada 8

BABY RED MUSTARD GREENS*
sesame almond sauce  6

ROASTED ARTICHOKE*
oregano vinaigrette, olive aioli 10

PUMPKIN RAVIOLI∞
wild mushroom, kale, garlic, parmesan 10

PIZZA

ALL PIZZA 15 
add homemade sausage 3
substitute Daiya vegan cheese- no charge

THE MEDITERRANEAN∞
goat cheese, olives, grilled rapini and roasted peppers

THE BERLINER
gruyere cheese, bacon and braised leeks

THE CALIFORNIAN∞
blue cheese, fig and wild arugula

THE MARGUERITA∞
oven roasted tomato sauce, mozzarella, fresh basil

I NEED TO TALK ABOUT DIANA ROSS

I SAW "THE WIZ" OVER THE WEEKEND. It was an accident. I was flipping around the guide and saw that it had just started. Let me be clear. "The Wiz" is a terrible, terrible movie. The usually superb director, the late Sidney Lumet, had no clue what he was shooting. There were long shots where there should be close-ups; close ups for days on Diana's face when at least every once in a while there should have been a mid-shot. Many times there were no establishing shots and we saw a totally black background and just a head.

But there I was, looking at Diana with Michael Jackson and Richard Pryor, icons all......46 YEARS AGO.  Richard hadn't been burned. Michael wasn't on nightly propofol. They had futures and so much talent. It was hard to watch, knowing their fates.

Lumet on a happier note

DIANA ROSS, NOW APPROACHING HER 70TH BIRTHDAY, is a survivor. As I watched her work in "The Wiz," mostly in the ballad singing numbers, I was reminded once again of her acting talent that was smashed down by an industry that simply doesn't cast enough black actresses in films to give them a long career like a Bette Davis, for instance.

Diana should have won the Oscar for "Lady Sings the Blues." Period.

She had two things working against her---one visible and one just not talked about------The industry greatly resented Berry Gordy for spending so much money advertising for her Oscar that it turned into resentment for him and she paid the price, and, two, she was black. Yes, I said it and it's the truth.
In 1972 she was the Golden Girl, exactly the same way Jennifer Lawrence was when she won her Oscar. Jennifer was and is beloved and didn't have any seen or unseen negatives. Would Diana have won the Oscar if Berry had cooled it? Hard to tell, because of the immeasurable, insidious prejudice.
The Best Actress nominees that year were:

• Jane Fonda – Klute as Bree Daniels--winner
  • Julie Christie – McCabe & Mrs. Miller as Constance Miller
  • Glenda Jackson – Sunday Bloody Sunday as Alex Greville
  • Vanessa Redgrave – Mary, Queen of Scots as Mary, Queen of Scots
  • Janet Suzman – Nicholas and Alexandra as Empress Alexandra

They all were deserving, just the same way it is every year. But that not the point I'm making. Diana showed such talent in "Lady," and then there were no parts available for her to continue. That is disgusting. She did "Mahogany" and "The Wiz," both self-generated jobs. AND THAT WAS IT FOR HER MAJOR ACTING CAREER. Would that have happened if she'd been white? NO WAY.

IT'S 2014 and someone may counter with look at Halle Berry or Lupita Nyong 'o. OK, let's look. Halle Berry did win the best actress Oscar and it was thrilling. She's also half-white. And what's she doing now, just a few short years since her win? A TV series. Really? She was fortunate to have done a couple of movies as a romantic or strong leading lady, but I've noticed that women of color end up in gimmicky big movies like "X-Men.' 

Case in point, Lupita Nyong'o. This magnificent creature, who just won an Oscar, will probably follow up her big dramatic role in "12 Years" with the new "Star Wars"--another gimmick movie. We'll see what happens after that. Will she be cast as a romantic lead against George Clooney or Brad Pitt? We'll see...won't we. I'd hate to be right again. UPDATE: LUPITA IS PROBABLY NOT DOING "STAR WARS." HALLELUJAH. PLEASE LET HER HAVE AUDREY HEPBURN'S CAREER.

And as for you, Diana. Happy Birthday, and rest assured there are those who recognize how you got screwed by Hollywood. What a wonderful actress you are. Stay proud of yourself.