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November 30, 2006
998: Spies like us.
I'm not sure why Alexander Litvinenko's being poisoned with radioactive material doesn't interest EVERYONE, but I'm pleased to discover that (of course) my brother also shares my fascination with the subject.
Alexander Litvinenko's wikipedia entry
On a related note, Mads Mikkelsen's poker skillz may not have saved him in Casino Royale but he reportedly won a poker tournament... with two jacks. The significance of that hand may be lost on those of you who didn't see Casino Royale yet, but perhaps that's just your punishment for not fulfilling your Bond obligation like a decent human being. Hmmm?
(And, yes, I did consider giving this entry the title "From Russia with love" but, you know, that's just kind of cruel.)
Posted by ashley at 09:10 PM | TrackBack
November 29, 2006
997: CELEBRITY SIGHTING: MALCOLM GLADWELL
I'm 99.9% sure I saw Malcolm Gladwell walking past Whole Foods in Chelsea the other day. I can't remember which day it was nor can I remember why, exactly, I wasn't 100% sure it was him given his distinct physical appearance -- perhaps because he seemed very small and despite the fact that I'd never given his height any consideration before, I doubted the authenticity of the sighting. I don't know.
For the record, I have absolutely no idea how tall I myself happen to be -- anywhere between 5'5 1/2" and 5'7" (according to my drivers license). I knew it for a brief moment -- I recall Pete once measuring me for my own personal clarification. Unfortunately, when he told me what I measured, I promptly forgot it. See, he'd also measured the span of my arms, which he said should be the same length as my entire height (I think). In reality, however, my arm span is actually longer than my height and that completely freaked me out -- resulting in my immediately forgetting both numbers. Understandable.
I've always been told I have long arms and people say that like it's a good thing. I guess on the scale of physical oddities, having long arms doesn't seem to be that bad. I think it might just be that I have long hands -- NOT "man-hands," thankyouevermuch -- just long ones. They add a certain charm to my Ed Grimley dance, you know? And while every girl gets periodically stopped on the street to hear that shady "You oughta be a model!" pitch, not every girl gets stopped with the even shadier "You oughta be a HAND model!" sell. (And the only girl I've ever known to get stopped in public to have her delicate feet admired by a stranger would be Shoshi -- congrats on that. You really should consider carrying Mace.) Anyway... long hands. Or something.
The fact that I don't know my actual height leaves me with the ability to guess at it based largely on whim. Generally, I assume I'm about 6'6" and I tower over other people, but those of you who know me personally know that's really not at all the case. If it were, I think the way people interacted with me would be different from the way they do and I wouldn't be nearly as good at hide-and-seek as I am.
In any event, I'm in no position to make judgments about Malcolm Gladwell's height.
Posted by ashley at 11:51 AM | TrackBack
996: Baby Bunny.
Sure, I like drug dealers getting tortured to death and movies where EVERY SINGLE THING ASPLODES. But I also like bunnies. I mean, I LOVE bunnies.
Watch this and tell me you don't love them, too:
(From CuteOverload.com)
Posted by ashley at 09:51 AM | TrackBack
995: I love this!
Assuming that you don't need MySpace access to read this, I'd like to direct your attention to a recent blog entry by The Dark Knight:
"Deceased Directors or: How I learned to cope with cabin fever and love snow days"
Posted by ashley at 09:29 AM | TrackBack
November 28, 2006
994: And now for something completely different.
Sure, maybe watching Danish people beat each other with baseball bats isn't your thing -- that's fine, whatever.
Maybe your thing is even a little more frightening.
Maybe your thing is watching Peter Andre and Jordan cover Disney songs... YOU FREAK!
Says Shoshi: "As an Anglophile, I feel that you may have seen Jordan's cover of "A Whole New World". If not, you really must. It really hits its stride around minute 3."
Agreed. Although about 1:10 in, when Pete Andre is in the shower (why?!), I thought I might get a little sick, having mistaken his little tribal tattoo for armpit hair that extended nearly all the way to his elbow.
Posted by ashley at 10:02 AM | TrackBack
993: "Take this and smash something in the next room."
We finished Pusher last night. Less than 24 hours later, looking at our Netflix queue makes me twitch with nervous excitement -- when will Pusher II get here? It's virtually impossible that it will arrive in our mailbox today but that doesn't stop me from hoping.
Although Pete has some reservations about the ending (which I won't ruin for anyone who hasn't seen it), Pusher blew us away. We might not have ever seen it were it not for Mads Mikkelsen's also being in Casino Royale, but OH MY GOD are we glad we did.
If you're at all uncomfortable with torture or rat poison, don't watch this:
Edited to Add: This just in -- "U watch alot of movies!" I do! I totally do! Or for the BMC friends in the audience, shall I say, YEAH, I do.
Posted by ashley at 09:49 AM | TrackBack
November 27, 2006
992: Pee-wee fans of the world unite.
Thank you, The Incredible Amoeba, for providing this ray of sunshine:
Pee Wee Herman Bike Crash
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P.S.: Thanks also to "Le Chiffre" who asked whether I was feeling better. No, not really but your weeping blood and Pee-wee's doing anything helps to ease the pain. So keep at it.
Posted by ashley at 12:18 PM | TrackBack
991: Brain completely asplode.
Thursday: Ran errands, cleaned the apartment, set animals up with food for weekend, ran to Hell's Kitchen in a torrential downpour, met Loren's parents (awesome), ate Thanksgiving next to Dave Attell and his family, took a train to CT with Mom and Dad, watched Topper Takes a Trip, and conked out.
Friday: Caught the train to Philly, met Pete, hung out with his family, held Mark and Erin's baby, met more babies, talked about Disney, and conked out.
Saturday: Drank a lot of coffee, ate brunch at Morgan's apartment, watched Morgan make a cheeseball with Amy Sedaris, learned how to do Sodoku (thank you, Katie), attempted to catch the train back to NYC, opted for the Acela as our intended train was running an hour late, took the exceptionally hot Acela (not in a good way) back to NYC, unpacked, comforted pets who thought they'd been abandoned, watched The Station Agent, attempted to watch Pusher, woke Pete up because he fell asleep to the soothing sounds of Pusher, and conked out.
Sunday: Ran errands, did laundry, cleaned apartment, hung out with bunny, fell asleep, woke up, went to the grocery store, hung out some more with the bunny, watched Spinal Tap, ran up the phone bill, read everyone else's blog, caught up on emails I should have sent prior to Thanksgiving, wanted to make a second attempt at Pusher but ended up with a new episode of ATHF, avoided conking out just long enough to be awake when Pete came home, and then conked out.
TRAVEL TIME: Roughly 5 hours on various trains.
CELEBRITIES SPOTTED: 1, Dave Attell. Again.
DISTURBING ACTS OF VIOLENCE MENTIONED OVER FOOD: 5
MOVIES WATCHED: 3 1/2
SUDOKUS COMPLETED: 1
CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THAT KGB GUY: 4.
REFERENCES MADE TO CASINO ROYALE: Approx. 23, 90% of which were mine.
SUGGESTIONS ON HOW I SHOULD BE CREDITED FOR MY PROMOTION OF CASINO ROYALE: 2. My favorite is Ashley "Thoop-Thoop" Saunders.
My work here is done.
Posted by ashley at 10:05 AM | TrackBack
November 22, 2006
990: I like.
Despite all the Bond in my life these days, I'm having a fairly crappy time lately. I've even managed to kill my second iPod, which is actually my third MP3 player, and the most recent of several dozen portable music device deaths for which I am responsible.
It's not that I can't handle technology; in fact, I do better with it than most. It's that I am cursed.
Oh well.
So in addition to scrambling to get myself together for Thanksgiving activities here in NYC, out in CT, and down in Killadelphia, I've got to run a series of errands and purchase a new iPod -- because, as luck would have it, all my protection for the recently deceased iPod just expired. Cursed, I say! CURSED!
I figure I deserve some cadeaux for my troubles. Luckily for me, I recently received some online shopping suggestions from friends and family who are acutely aware of my likes and dislikes. Among my likes...
Anything related to my beloved Helmut Newton:
So, I'll be adding all these to my cart and wishing you all a Happy Thanksgiving.
Edited to add: Thank you, Chris, for the Helmut Newton link. And as for my iPod (which has since been replaced)... that's a long, long story and not nearly as funny as the one where I threw an MP3 player into Park Avenue at rush hour. Good times.
Posted by ashley at 11:45 AM | TrackBack
November 21, 2006
989: Gawrsh!
Thanks for your concern, everybody.
I'm down but you guys make me smile -- especially "Le Chiffre" who wrote in to say that I shouldn't be sad because he loves me. Oh! Well, on Thursday, I'll count that among the things for which I am thankful. It's really every little girl's dream to be loved by a man who weeps blood.
Now, if you need me, I'll be in my underground lair preparing for the launch of that rocket-that-totally-destroys-the-whole-planet I've been tinkering with on the weekends. Everyone needs a hobby.
Oh, and I was wrong when I said seeing Casino Royale again wouldn't cheer me up BECAUSE IT TOTALLY WOULD!
Posted by ashley at 12:44 PM | TrackBack
988: Robert Altman
Director Robert Altman dead at 81 (from CNN)
LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- Robert Altman, the caustic and irreverent satirist behind "M-A-S-H," "Nashville" and "The Player" who made a career out of bucking Hollywood management and story conventions, died at a Los Angeles Hospital, his production company said Tuesday. He was 81.
The director died Monday night, Joshua Astrachan, a producer at Altman's Sandcastle 5 Productions in New York City, told The Associated Press.
The cause of death wasn't disclosed. A news release was expected later in the day, Astrachan said.
Posted by ashley at 12:20 PM | TrackBack
987: Not-So-Happy Feet.
Considering how anxiously we'd been waiting for Casino Royale (particularly since October 2005 when Daniel Craig was announced as the next Bond), it's understandable that we felt a little low once the initial high of finally seeing it faded. Well, "understandable" if you can appreciate our level of excitement about Casino Royale -- which, obviously, not all of you do, and which probably bordered on the semi-obsessive. But who doesn't have things they get worked up and excited about? Dead people and robots, that's who! Well, maybe robots get worked up, too...
I forgot where I was going with this.
In any event, we and everyone we brought to opening night enjoyed Casino Royale enough to commit to seeing it again. And when have you ever known me to decline a movie-watching invitation? Well, I'll admit that when Shosh and I went late one night to see Crossroads*, I wasn't entirely stoked about it so much as procrastinating with the only available, unwatched movie option presented to us. But we still went. In our pajamas. With contraband Pringles. Which I accidentally spilled... I've lost my train of thought again.)
Oh.
So, when the prospect of waiting TWO YEARS for "Bond 22" failed to comfort us sufficiently, we turned to our pledge to see Casino Royale again. (And given my commitment to see it with Pete and his friend on a much larger screen, I'll most likely be seeing this movie at least 3 times before it leaves theaters.) We worked ourselves into a lather again and decided to relive the magic ASAP. Doing so wouldn't change the embarrassing win of Happy Feet over Casino Royale in the box office but it would make us feel better. (Damn you, babies!)
And if you can't understand the sentiment, there's probably not much any of us could that would explain it. Our Casino Royale Christmas is over. The tree is leaning to one side and looking pitifully bare underneath. We're falling asleep in piles of ripped giftwrap paper and unable to muster up the energy to clean the place. The prospect of writing all those Thank You notes looms over us, and we ruined our appetite with too much egg nog. What can we do? We drag ourselves in front of the TV for... the BOND MARATHON!
Sniffle.
I know, I know. If I sound irrationally bummed today, it's because I am but it's nothing to do with this. I'm not in a very good mood,** but I do have some much-needed R&R time coming up for Thanksgiving. I hope Little Richard can make it this year...
* I should also probably admit that I made everyone watch Gia that one time -- I accept full responsibility for that one. I'm sorry.
** In fact, seeing Casino Royale again doesn't even cheer me up.
Posted by ashley at 10:20 AM | TrackBack
November 20, 2006
986: Post-Bond Depression
We saw Casino Royale on opening night and despite how high our expectations were, it was -- quite frankly -- better than we'd ever dreamed. I'm not kidding. THIS IS THE BEST BOND MOVIE OF ALL TIME.
Some people wore tuxes to the theater, but not us because we run with the villians (obviously). As enthusiastic as the tux-wearing fans were, the trembling excitement of our sizable army far surpassed theirs and our hord beat them into the theater like the champs we are. The crowd was completely pumped, and unlike our most recent Star Wars experience, that excitement didn't do a 180 and shift from genuine giddiness into full-out scoffing. Rather than being disappointed by the film we'd been waiting for, we were rewarded. In fact, we're seeing it again ASAP. On an even bigger screen. If you haven't seen it yet, drop what you're doing. Put a martini in your left hand and a gun in your right (unless you're left-handed, in which case, switch these); then meet me outside the nearest theater because I'm going to help you make up for this lapse in judgment.
Truthfully, coming down from high of opening night -- after months of frantic anticipation -- has sent me into a small depression. Although you may be starting from a less precarious level of excitement (which I'll forgive), you'll be needing that martini I gave you to numb the sadness you'll feel once the closing credits begin to roll. Jon tries to comfort me with the knowledge that we've got "Bond 22" in our future, but when he sees the pain in my eyes, he whispers, "Let's go see Casino Royale again."
In the meantime, I'd like to introduce you to my new BBF, Mads Mikkelsen.
Mads Mikkelsen talks about playing the role of a Bond villain
(from MI6.co.uk)
You'll be relieved to know that both of Mads Mikkelsen's eyes are normal. In Casino Royale, his villain, Le Chiffre, a money launderer who bankrolls international terrorists, has one eye that's scarred and cloudy and occasionally weeps tears of blood. He's also a very dour fellow, unlike Mikkelsen himself - reports EW.
The Danish actor, who turns 41 on Nov. 22 and will soon be seen in After the Wedding (Denmark's submission this year for Oscar consideration), was all smiles and laughs as he spoke to EW.com last week at a Manhattan hotel.
How did the filmmakers rig your eye to bleed?
Pretty simply. They just stopped the film and placed a little drop there. I had a contact lens covering the whole eye. It didn't hurt at all, but I must have been the most clumsy Bond villain in history. I couldn't see anything. All my depth perception was gone, so I just kept knocking things down.
What is it about you that you think led to your casting as the Casino Royale villain?
The funny accent? I don't know. There's a lot of interest in Danish film these days, so we are luckily in a position where casting directors are watching us.
Did you have ambitions to work outside Denmark and make a Hollywood blockbuster?
I was pretty happy working back home. But I got the offer, and it's a Bond film, a legendary thing, and my son would have killed me if I'd said no. It's a small country, so if you become what you would call a star over here, you can only make, like, one film per year because people would get fed up with you pretty soon. So in order to actually live from what you're doing, you have to work abroad as well.
Who's your favorite Bond villain?
The one I remember most was Jaws, but that's because I was very small and he was just an enormous man. And then, of course, Christopher Walken [in A View to a Kill] because I really love him as an actor.
Was it a relief to play a realistic bad guy instead of the usual Bond movie megalomaniac?
We tried to make it more human. This villain is under pressure, not only from Bond. And the more pressure he's under, the more dangerous he becomes. It's not a guy who's taking over the world. It's not a mad scientist. So he's more recognizable. I really liked the script, and I was glad I didn't have to do the pirate laugh when he did something evil. If you leave him alone, he'll leave you alone, so he's not pure evil.
He's not too nice to his girlfriend.
Well, she's expendable.
Did you enjoy torturing James Bond with a whip?
I had great fun. I don't think he had a great day. It was very exhausting for him. He had to hit that certain level of energy for eight hours. But I seemed to enjoy it pretty much. With the eye thing, I did have a problem. Once in a while, I heard a scream down there that was slightly different. ''Oh, that means one step back, okay.''
How did Craig and the rest of the team take all the bad press he was receiving?
It was difficult to see and feel it in him, but I'm sure there was a lot going on inside. It wasn't something we went around talking about a lot on the set because that wouldn't benefit anyone. I'm sure he felt the love and respect for him as an actor on the set all along. The only thing he could do was to focus on the work and do his best. Listening to all the gossip about being blond, it's hard to take that seriously. But if I went to work every day reading in the paper that I'm really crap at it, that's a hard thing. And it was all over the place all the time. He's breathing much easier now, I guess.
In real life, are you good at poker?
I've played a lot of Texas Hold 'Em. This time, happily, I got a teacher who took me out to teach me the hard way, left me in a couple casinos to see what happened. I was sitting with a couple of old Chinese who didn't give a s--- about money.
And did you play a lot during your downtime on the set?
Every time we had a break, we played poker. Every time there was a wrap, we played poker.
What were the stakes?
Our per diems, the food money. So some of the guys didn't eat that day.
Who won?
That's a good question. If you asked Daniel, he'd have one answer. No, I won.
What was Craig's poker-table ''tell''?
Actually, he didn't play that much. He was very disciplined. He had to get up at 5 every morning, while the rest of us might have a couple days off. But he smiles when he has a good hand.
Posted by ashley at 09:36 AM | TrackBack
November 17, 2006
985: Let me tell you something
BUSTIN' MAKES ME FEEL GOOD!
Maybe if I'd had more than 4 minutes of sleep last night, hearing Ray Parker Jr. on Virgin at the office today wouldn't have sent me into such a giddy frenzy. But, you know what, I did have 4 minutes of sleep last night.
Posted by ashley at 03:27 PM | TrackBack
984: By the way...
There's a little movie coming out tonight you may be interested in seeing.
Posted by ashley at 09:58 AM | TrackBack
983: Just the facts, Ma'am.
On the subject of cryogenic freezing, the ever-lovely Aili sends me this...
FYI, it’s wicked expensive to cryogenically freeze yourself – ESPN.com (from some AP Q&A) has the following to say (when discussing the fate of the famous baseball guy, whose family fought over his frozen body):
Q: How much does it cost?
A: The least expensive labs charge about $30,000 to freeze a body; some charge more than $100,000. While, the Canadians think that … “Companies in the US will cryogenically freeze human bodies (at an initial cost of $120,000.00).”
Hmm... I can think of better ways to spend $30,000 - $120,000. Assuming I'm starting closer to the latter, I'll do the traditional Elvis-style gifts-for-family-and-friends. Then I'll add to my collection of rat-like pets.
And then I'll start my own business...
Posted by ashley at 09:50 AM | TrackBack
November 16, 2006
982: ONE DAY UNTIL CASINO ROYALE!
We're barely holding it together, containing our excitement for the sake of not appearing completely out of our minds. At 9:15 PM tomorrow, there will be no need to hold back and we will be COMPLETELY BATSH*T CRAZY!
(Well, maybe that's already happening a petit peu.)
Posted by ashley at 02:44 PM | TrackBack
981: "You're such a helmet sometimes."
Jon shook the foundations of everything I hold to be true when he informed me that if you're going to be cryogenically frozen, you've got to get decapitated.
"How do you think they'd keep the body alive?!" He asked, when this piece of information floored me.
I guess it never occurred to me that the process would be anything unlike, say, Austin Powers. Don't you just go to sleep in a plastic tube until it's time to wake up... IN THE FUTURE? Besides, I wouldn't be down for that anyway. The world's only going to get worse, isn't it? Although Pete is hell-bent on living forever, I don't know if he'd be racing to the front of the cryogenic line if he knew it meant getting his head lopped off. Or maybe he knows that already and, unlike me, he's OK with that. Presumably your brain gets stuffed into another head when it's time to wake up -- does that mean you can pick whose body you'd like? (I'll take any one of the following -- Angelina Jolie, Dita Von Teese, or "Anyone who's not ugly.")
But I'm a smart girl, how did it never occur to me that the process would involve head-removal? Jon's right -- how would they keep the body alive all the while?
"Science?" I replied dubiously.
I don't know. I studied Art History -- give me a break!
Edited to add: Jon did a little research to ease my mind and found that "new techology" could be employed in my hypothetical cryogenic freezing, saving me from having to be decapitated -- which is nice. While having your head lopped off remains the "cheapest option," I'm willing to splurge and keep my body attached to my lil' bean head. The only snag is that we'd have to move to California, where all of this seems to be legal -- and that's fine. It means that before we get cryogenically frozen, we can visit with all you Left Coasters that we never, ever get to see any more. Isn't that nice?!
Posted by ashley at 11:08 AM | TrackBack
November 15, 2006
980: TWO DAYS UNTIL CASINO ROYALE!
MI6 photos from London's Casino Royale Premiere
Posted by ashley at 10:25 AM | TrackBack
November 14, 2006
979: THREE DAYS UNTIL CASINO ROYALE!
From CNN:
Bond is back: 'Royale' premiere gets royal visitor
LONDON, England (AP) -- Fans lined up in the London rain Tuesday to catch a glimpse of the new blond Bond, as sandy-haired Daniel Craig made his screen debut as suave secret agent 007.
"Casino Royale," the 21st James Bond film and the grittiest to date, was receiving its world premiere before an audience including Queen Elizabeth II. The movie opens in Britain and North America on Friday.
Posted by ashley at 02:31 PM | TrackBack
978: So, when will God cut some of these people down?
Have I gotten too soft lately? Here's some venom for those who've missed it...
It's fairly obvious why some of the people in this video were asked to participate in its making, but the decision to include others remains completely baffling to me. Last season's inoffensive songstress flavor-of-the-week Corinne Bailey Rae? Sharon Stone? The Butterscotch Stallion? (And with a cowboy hat, nonetheless!) What the crap is going on here?!
Does Chris Martin still wear his made-up Talk-to-Me-About-Fair-Trade accessories? He doesn't seem to have them on (praise be) as he claps heavenward with childlike wonder. Screw him. And -- you know what -- screw Bono, too. Is he capable of doing anything sincere and heartfelt any more without muddying it with his own boundless ego or thirst for public adoration? How did they manage to put together a tribute for a man who symbolized humility and earnestness by assembling a crowd of stars who never knew the meaning of the world "humble"? KANYE WEST?! He wouldn't know humility if it were storming the stage when he won an award!
Whatever sincerity some of these people have, it's severely outshined by a few disingenuous fools -- and that's a shame. According to Roget's online Thesaurus, "humility" is "the lack of vanity or self importance" and the opposite of "attitude" and "self-love." How many of these people fit that description? Doesn't Johnny Cash deserve better?
But the most obvious question is... WHERE IS NICK CAVE?
Posted by ashley at 10:20 AM | TrackBack
November 13, 2006
977: CELEBRITY SIGHTING: NAOMI WATTS
We saw Naomi Watts walking her dogs down Lafayette, just below Astor Place, this past weekend. We were running like crazy people to get to what I thought was the 4:20 showing of Harsh Times and what Pete thought (and was ultimately correct in assuming) was the the 4:25 showing of Stranger Than Fiction. She is teeny-tiny and super-cute. I heart Naomi Watts.
Posted by ashley at 11:57 AM | TrackBack
976: FOUR DAYS UNTIL CASINO ROYALE!
Daniel Craig on Letterman...
I'm so excited for this movie, I can barely concentrate. In fact, I just dumped a cup of tea on my face when attempting to drink from it. I'm not sure I can hold it together until Friday.
Posted by ashley at 11:31 AM | TrackBack
November 10, 2006
975: The Goth is strong with this one.
FJ posted this the other day, but after this difficult day I've had, I definitely needed to watch it again for intensive cheering up.
AVY's VISION THING
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And thank you, Chris, for sending this when I really needed it...
So, if you've got anything with animals taunting people in all caps or anything related to The Sisters... send it my way.
Edited to add: Some time after publishing this entry, it occurred to me that "Sisters <3" wasn't the best title for it and I've since updated it.
Posted by ashley at 04:58 PM | TrackBack
974: ONE WEEK UNTIL CASINO ROYALE!
Click here to watch Daniel Craig interviewed on the Today Show.
From MI6...
On the subject of how he approached the role, Craig said "What was important for me was that I wanted to show someone who was fallible, that fell down, that bled, that you don't think from the beginning of the movie that he will be successful."
So does Casino Royale show the evolution of an agent? "He’s learning, " said Craig, "I think there's a level of level of sophistication that he's got to get to. I didn't want to spring him straight in there. I wanted to discover how he comes sophisticated, and how through experience, he becomes the guy he is."
Posted by ashley at 12:31 PM | TrackBack
973: New favorite show.
Posted by ashley at 10:25 AM | TrackBack
November 09, 2006
972: EIGHT DAYS UNTIL CASINO ROYALE!
Assuming it arrives in time, we'll be celebrating Nov. 17th with... gun-shaped cookies.
(From CopperGifts.com.)
Posted by ashley at 10:08 AM | TrackBack
971: K-Fed becomes FedEx
I know I haven't commented on Britney Spears filing for divorce -- I've just been busy and distracted, but that doesn't mean it's totally slipped my notice.
At first I was surprised, and then I was a little tickled. As I mentioned to Liz, while I never had any affection/respect for Spears before, I certainly do now that she's chosen to dump her loser husband -- after having returned to star-level fitness for added oomph.
But the more I think about it, the more suspicious the whole thing seems. Doesn't it seem a little suspect that her filing a divorce comes just as she's poised to make a return to pop stardom? To appear on Letterman and skating around NYC right on the heels of filing? It could all be a PR stunt intended to scare some sense into F-Fed while earning herself some long-missed media support. Thoughts?
And while you think about that, here's K-Fed obliviously discussing the strength of his marriage on Much Music... and then getting a text message telling him he's just gotten dumped.
Posted by ashley at 10:06 AM | TrackBack
November 08, 2006
970: NINE DAYS UNTIL CASINO ROYALE!
We purchased tickets the moment they became available, so our gang will be be seeing Casino Royale on its opening night. Up until then, we will be COMPLETELY FREAKING OUT. Well, in all fairness, we've been COMPLETELY FREAKING OUT for, like, a year now -- but whatever. I'm just saying that our FREAKING OUT will reach a fever pitch over the course of the next nine days until it manifests itself in a series of explosions, car chases, and improbably survived scrapes with death.
From The Telegraph and MI6.co.uk...
"The paparazzi waiting outside Manhattan's Regency Hotel for Daniel Craig surge forward as a black SUV pulls up. But when the occupant emerges, they look disappointed. 'It's only Britney Spears,' says one. When Craig later hears the story he laughs at his sudden elevation to superstar celebrity status. 'That's incredible,' he says. 'I'll remember that.'"
Posted by ashley at 05:19 PM | TrackBack
969: I like this.
I mean, it's got everything you need -- music, puppets, someone hitting a turkey with a spoon.
I also like it when I open my inbox and it's chock-full-of emails from friends about Britney's divorce and a round featured Goth -- and absolutely nothing about politics. You know me so well!
Posted by ashley at 12:30 PM | TrackBack
November 07, 2006
968: "Bunnies are useless."
I'm tired of hearing that! They're totally useful. I mean, check out my new intern helping around the office...
Posted by ashley at 12:37 PM | TrackBack
November 06, 2006
967: CELEBRITY SIGHTING: LAURA BENNETT
I forgot to mention that I saw Laura Bennett and her husband walking up 6th Avenue around lunchtime Friday. I also forgot to offer her some turtle poop.
Posted by ashley at 09:40 AM | TrackBack
November 03, 2006
966: Posh up your life.
Yesterday, Shoshi sent me this and said, "You've probably seen this already, being a Posh aficionado, but I must say that she is quite precious in this and I like her a lot more now that I find she is not a creey robot."
I love Victoria Beckham,* which I know will horrify some of you. I love her like I love Liz Hurley (and, periodically, Kate Beckinsale) which is inexplicable and more than a little irrational. But isn't that the very nature of love? Hmm?
In fact, I can see myself squeezing into a pair of VB's jeans in the very near future...
(And, yes, I'm feeling a little London-nostalgic today. Hello to all you UCL friends reading this.)
* Please note, this does not mean I like the Spice Girls.
Edited to add: Who will be the first reader to write in and say something to the effect of "You only like skinny, WASP brunettes who kinda look like you"? You know, because it's not like that's never occurred to me before or anything.
Posted by ashley at 09:42 AM | TrackBack
November 02, 2006
965: Make of it what you will
A random selection of in-bound text messages from my phone...
"That is what it's all about. Giving little bleeders nightmares."
"And it's human."
"The worm has turned."
"He is the new Don Johnson."
"I'd expect nothing less."
"I was going 4 the drill and applaud u 4 dropping me 2 the floor. Bravo my friend"
"Is (name redacted) ur secret killer? I thought I deserved 2 b killed by u"
"I think the girl was well stupid"
"Sounds like true friendship to me..."
"We need a plan b"
"Pls dont stab me"
"U r too popular 4 ur own good..."
"Not 2day. Time 2 bring back the fear"
"And then make him cry and call his mother"
"We're watching evil dead 2 and army of darkness"
"The hooker is in the park with her fella. It's hurling time"
"Do grown mean do sweet things for each other?"
"Will u ever learn?"
"FLAMES! ON THE SIDE OF MY FACE!"
Posted by ashley at 04:55 PM | TrackBack
November 01, 2006
964: "I KNOW WHO YOU ARE!"
From last night's parade...
The littlest bat ever!
In the dark (why was the parade route so DARK this year?) I messed up the settings on my camera and accidentally made a short movie of my conversation with this guy. Considering his obvious commitment to Halloween and G.I. Joe, I'm amazed we aren't best friends forever with this guy.
The crowd went nuts for Pete's costume, which -- I'd like everyone to know -- I sewed. I make Halloween happen, y'all.
Left to right: Mia, Pete, Loren, Chris, and some awesome chick.
The photo doesn't really do him justice. This robot was large and in charge.
While I was getting dressed and made up, I decided to commemorate my brief stint with supa-long hair.
Chris and Loren's costume was completely underappreciated, but one girl in the crowd jumped several feet in the air, over and over again, screaming "SID AND NANCY! SID AND NANCY! YEAH, I KNOW WHO YOU ARE!" which kind of made the night. I've never seen such costume-recognition excitement in my life.
We lucked out with abnormally warm weather last night, so David's costume was actually weather-appropriate. But what I like best about this photo is that Chris is drinking a freebie can of Fanta. Even if it tastes like tropical bathroom cleanser, Chris can't resist swag.
He's reaching for his camera to snap my picture as I snap his. I liked his enthusiasm for my costume almost as much as I liked the reaction of the guy dressed as Powdered Toast Man.
"You were born to wear that costume!" Totally! I rode the 6 down to meet up with everyone downtown before the parade and although I tried to make it as inconspicuous as possible, Thing made a little boy cry and upset a number of people on the train. "She got a hand in a box!" (I wish he'd said, "She a third Rottweiler! She crazy!" but no dice.)
Edited to add: Chris sends in this piece of awesomeness...
