The Departed

I finally watched The Departed yesterday. I have to say that I really don't see what the big deal is. I think Martin Scorcese is one of the most over-rated directors out there. I'll admit that it is my favorite Scorcese film, but that's not saying much, and I definitely don't think it's worthy of a best picture nod. The acting was good, but I think Leo's best actor nomination for Blood Diamond is more deserved. Final verdict: 7 our of 10 stars.

Britney Celebrates Her Mama's B-day

This past weekend Britney Spears partied at 40 Deuce to celebrate her mother's birthday. My fabulous co-worker Charlones has a friend who was at the club and took some photos (he even sold them to a tabloid in London!). Classy, right?

First Lady's "Scare"

So as I'm watching What About Brian tonight, I keep seeing commercials for the news and they keep promoting some story about Laura Bush's scare with skin cancer and her minor surgery. I don't mean to be harsh, but I was honestly thinking, "Who the hell cares about Laura Bush?" You know what a real scare is? When you have a mole the size of Idaho growing on your face and you don't have health insurance. She has access to the finest doctors and treatment in the world. Her physicians would catch (have caught) it super early and treat it immediately with medicine that isn't even available to civilians. The news is such a joke.

The Weekend Update

Friday
After Allen got home, we went shopping so I could take advantage of a 15% off coupon at the Gap. I bought myself some new gray-ish straight-leg jeans (I know, very adventurous with my big booty), a thermal and a pair of flats; all for $75!

Earlier in the day, Allen had read some article listing some of the best places to get burgers. The Counter in Santa Monica was listed as one of them so we decided to try it. We both got turkey burgers (plus cheese and 4 included toppings), a shake and we split a 50/50 dish made up of onion strings and french fries. Sounds yummy right? My burger (the smallest they had) was so large I had to knife-and-fork it. I finished only half of my strawberry/banana shake and we barely put a dent in the 50/50.

I felt completely sick afterwards - like a bowling ball was sitting in my stomach. We pass out around 11pm and both wake up at exactly the same time, around 3.30am. Neither of us could fall asleep and both our minds were racing! We ended up watching a short film and then went back to sleep at 4.30am. Burger and fries? Okay. Burger and shake? Maybe. All three together - never again. I don't know how some people eat like that every night. I'm not a health nut, but geez, that really made me feel like crap.

Saturday
Allen and I went to pick up our new cell phones. I got so irritated because they didn't have all of the products we purchased, including the very-important memory card. Grr! I hate professional incompetence! Now we have to go back a THIRD time to pick up our memory cards and our car chargers. Ick.

We were so wiped out from our weird sleepless night that we didn't do anything except go to Target.

Sunday
Went to watch Blood Diamond. Personally, I'm not a big Leonardo DiCaprio fan, but (aside from his accent) he was pretty impressive in this film. In general the film was slightly depressing, especially for a diamond lover (aren't we all?). If you were planning on getting me diamonds for x-mas or any other gift, please consider a high-quality cubic zirconia instead. Conflict diamonds can not be tracked and therefore you can never be sure that you aren't funding terrorism or civil war.


Go watch it and give me your feedback on the film!

Rosie Apologizes (Kind Of)

I've embedded Rosie's weak apology on today's episode of The View. Here are some key points of the video:

1. She apologizes because Elizabeth brings up the topic - not because she's actually sorry.
2. She acts like she's very skeptical that "ching chong" remarks are almost as offensive as the n-word is to African Americans/blacks.
3. She warns us that it's very likely she'll make similarly offensive comments in the near futher because "that's just how her brain works."
4. The entire cast writes if off as if it's not a big deal, that it was just a joke. As if making a joke at the expense of an entire culture is acceptable.

I strongly dislike Rosie O'Donnell now - and I definetly lost what little respect I had for her to begin with. Everyone makes mistakes and if they're truly ignorant about the issue at hand, it's understandable. The point is that you learn from your mistakes - not cast them aside and make excuses for them. She's not taking full responsibility for making such a hurtful 'joke' and she's acting like everyone is getting their panties all in a twist over nothing.

Thanks Mamazilla for keeping me updated!



UPDATE
AP Newswire and entertainment newssites like EOnline! have picked up on Rosie's lame apology. Please click here or here to read these articles.

The Holiday

VJJ and B dragged me to watch The Holiday last night as part of VJJ's going away-for-now party. I was already expecting a cheesy romantic comedy, but Nancy Meyers really pulled out all the stops for this one. It is very likely that The Holiday is the sappiest rom-com to ever exist - and in a not-so-good way. It's predictable, and while it has some funny moments (mostly courtesy of Jack Black), I had to try hard not to vomit for most of the movie.

I also have another bone to pick. I know Cameron Diaz and Jude Law are the "hot" actors in the film, but do they have to tongue each other every other minute? Eww! And I think it's very rude of the filmmakers to give Kate Winslet and Jack Black only ONE scene where they smooch (and no tongue was involved at all). I found Jack Black much more attractive than Jude Law, who defines smarmy-ness.

My favorite thing about the movie was Cameron Diaz's wardrobe! She's dressed for winter weather most of the film and she gets to wear the cutest sweaters and dresses. She has the body for it as you can see here in this photo taken for one of the premiers:

Yet another reason to dislike her.

PS - I really, really do hope that I didn't annoy or offend B because I'll readily admit that I was often throwing my hands in the air or making gagging noises. Even though it wasn't my favorite film, I wouldn't want to ruin a moviewatching experience for someone else, especially a friend. Sorry if I bugged you and I'll rein it in next time.

Angelina Opens Up About Brad

In an interview with Vogue, Angelina finally speaks up about her relationship with Brad Pitt and how it all began.

"Brad was a huge surprise to me," she says of their 2003 meeting during preproduction on what would become the blockbuster spy picture. "I, like most people, had a very distant impression of him...from the media. I think we were the last two people who were looking for a relationship."

She goes on to say that they remained "very, very good friends" after they wrapped up shooting for Mr. and Mrs. Smith. She admits that they became close while filming, but doesn't mention whether or not they acted upon those feelings while he was still married to Jennifer Aniston.

"I didn't know much exactly about where Brad was in his personal life. But it was clear he was with his best friend, someone he loves and respects. And so we were both living, I suppose, very full lives."

Angelina goes on to explain how their friendship progressed after they had stopped working with each other every day.

"It took until, really, the end of the shoot for us, I think, to realize that it might mean something more than we'd earlier allowed ourselves to believe," she says of her relationship with the Hollywood heartthrob. "And both knowing that the reality of that was a big thing, something that was going to take a lot of serious consideration."

After Brad and Jen's marriage fell apart, Angelina said things just came together,

"And then life developed in a way where we could be together," she continues, "where it felt like something we would do, we should do."

I really like how she's trying to be very diplomatic in saying that life "developed in a way where we could be together" - as if it just happened and Brad didn't make a conscious decision to end his marriage in order to pursue a relationship with Angelina.

She says they have no plans to get married. They are tied by "their" children - not each other. Intersting way of looking at things, right? Either way, I think they make a good couple and hope that it lasts.

Rosie Update

A blogger nicknamed Mamazilla has a fantastic post updating everyone on the Rosie O'Donnell incident. Please visit http://mamazilla.blogspot.com/2006/12/i-wasnt-hallucinating.html to read up on some of Rosie's comments.



Basically, Rosie (and her reps) don't think what she said was offensive at all. Remember the incident where Rosiel accuses Kelly Ripa of being homophobic because Kelly reacted negatively to having Clay Aiken's hand over her mouth. Dude, I don't even want Allen to touch my face, much less some random stranger, even if he is a "celebrity." And now she's saying it's just a joke, that Asians are too sensitive if they were offended. What if someone did an impression of her eating and made pig noises? Would she take it as a joke or would she be offended? As an activist and suppose social role model, she really should know that 'ching-chong' is highly offensive to Asians and Asian Americans. It's a school-yard taunt and completely unacceptable as joke material. I still stand firm in the belief that Rosie needs to apologize publicially on The View.

The Weekend Update (And Then Some)

I haven't updated since Thursday so this is an extended version of my weekend update. Here goes:

Thursday
After work we all went to Naraya to exchange gifts from our Secret Santa thing & to celebrate B's birthday. It was super fun and really one of the best gatherings we've had. (Perhaps I'll add pictures later). I learned my Secret Santa was Spam and she bought me a hilarious, yet practical, gift from my wishlist.
Now, this image really doesn't do Spam's gift justice because she got me the bright red pair, but you get the idea.

Friday
I joined Allen and his co-workers at Disneyland for their holiday party. It was a fun-filled day, but also very tiring. Poor Allen got so sick on Space Mountain. We left at 4pm to try and make it back for my holiday party. Needless to say, my holiday party wasn't quite a luxurious as Allen's. At Allen's party, the raffle prizes ranged from $500 travel certificates to 23 inch flat sreen TVs. At my holiday party, our raffle prizes ranged from a $5 gift card to Starbucks to a hand-delivered cup of office-coffee. Oh well, it's the company that counts and I still had fun hanging with my work buddies.

Saturday
A somewhat stressful day spent first at Old Navy, then at four different cell phone stores attempting to renew our contract. I eventually got us a great deal at this Asian place and we're picking up our new LG CU500's next Saturday. I hope I like this phone b/c I signed a two-year contract with Cingular. The phone is one of the new 3G phones (3G is supposedly some new technological breakthrough for cellies), is also an mp3 player and has a 1.3 mega pixel camera. We'll see if it's all that.

Sunday

Another fun-filled day, this time spent mostly at Ikea. We bought a new bathroom shelving unit and a new six-piece bathroom organization set. I love this stuff! So the rest of the day was spent re-organizing our bathroom. I must say, it looks quite nice now.

As a short side-story, on our way to Ikea, I spotted a large man wearing plaid shorts and Ugg boots. I can safely say that we all hate Ugg boots and I know now from first hand experience, that they manage to be even more disturbing on a man. They should be banned in the name of public safety. I tried to snap a picture of him with my phone, but couldn't get a clear shot w/o being totally obvious (we were driving, he was walking), but just to give you a general idea please see the image below. Keep in mind, the guy in the photo is old (he gets some slack for being old), he's not wearing plaid shorts and he doesn't weigh 300 lbs.

Rosie O'Donnell Needs To Apologize

On yesterday's episode of The View, Rosie O'Donnell thought it would be funny to perform an impersonation of what The View must sound like in Asia. Her bit went something like this, "Ching chong ching ching chong..."

There's been relatively no press coverage of her offensive joke and the only reason I happened to find out about it is because Allen heard Guy Aoki (founder of MANAA: Media Action Network for Asian Americans) on the Adam Carolla morning show. You can hear a clip of Rosie's statements and Aoki's interview on the show's Website - just click on the "Guy Aoki" link.

Aoki makes a very good point that "ching chong" jokes are almost/as offensive as the n-word to Asians. It's obviously derogatory and really, for someone who is supposedly a champion of equality and anti-discrimination, it's very disappointing to hear Rosie O'Donnell resort to school-yard chants just to get some laughs. I believe she owes everyone, not just Asian Americans, an apology for her stupid, thoughtless comments.

Wanted: Private English Tutor

Here's some breaking Lindsay Lohan gossip/news for you folks:
1. She is supposedly addicted to Oxycontin among other narcotics (not to mention alcohol, but she's getting help for that - kind of), which is causing some slight bloating.

2. She can not compose an e-mail to save her life. Here is the extremely long and rambling e-mail she sent to countless "industry" folks via her Blackberry:

Subject: The way of the future-Howard Hughes once said.

I am willing to release a politically/morally correct, fully adequite letter to the press if any of you are willing to help.

Simply to state my oppinions on how our society should be educated on for the better of our country. Our people.

Also because I have such an impact on our younger generations, as well as generations older than me. Which we all know and can obviously see.

People are just mean.

I am going to proceed with putting LR to court if need be for what she's done to me. Its my life. I want to live it. People cannot lie and think that it is okay to continue on having done so. Simply because they will do it again to someone else, and that is not alright with me. I have had many ups and downs, as do we all.

But to make false accusations to one girl is unjust in my oppinion.

Having said this, I am willing to do anything I need to get my life the way it should be and the way I work for it to be.. And have thus far in my career.

Let's sue the tabloids for saying the things they say.

Defamation of character. Amongst other illegal accusations, I will repeat this over and over to make my point.

I am not fully aware of what these, again, accusations are, but I am fully and eagerly prepared to learn them.

Have harvey and all lawyers help me please. If he is willing.

Al Gore will help me he came up to me last night and said he would be very happy to have a conversation with me. If he is willing to help me, let's find out.

Hilary Clinton, Bill Clinton, and Evan metroplis, and John Daur who works with them would be willing, if we just ask.

If we just ASK.

I'd really like to fix things and refuse to stop on any account for these unintelligent, vulgar people who like to hurt other people. Not just me, but everyone.

I'm willing to hold a press conference and I will do anything necessary to do so. In putting an end to 'these people' trying to put an end to me and belittle me as well as try to be the demise of me after all I've gone through and done at such a young and tender age in a womans life.

Its enough already, I've had enough and I am going to be the one to make a change.

For all of my fellow actors, friends, people I admire and for those I've lost in the recent days, years, months.

I do believe the focus in the world has misplaced and directed in the wrong directions and I am willing to be the one to help change that and use my celebrity status to move the focalpoint /(s) of the press to the real issues that we have going on as we speak.

Anyone that is willing to help and has a family member or friend, even co-worker that is in a position to be involved in any way, shape or form, please contact me, Jenni Muro, Leslie Sloane, Michael Heller, Jason Sloane, Jason Weinberg as soon as you can or are willing.

Just ask them, it doesn't hurt to ask.

So let's start now, rather than waste time. Do you agree? Because I'm doing it either way. The way of the future.

Thank you for your time.
Your Entertainer,
Lindsay Lohan

Sent wirelessly via BlackBerry from T-Mobile.

Love Spam

For those who do not know, my lovely friend Spam must walk by my desk each morning to get to her own desk (which has a great window view btw). This morning, as usual, she stopped by and we chatted in our own special way, and then she walked away to her desk. She walks by again a few minutes later with a mango and then a few seconds after that, I hear "OOH CHIPS!!"

I don't know how funny it is to just read this story, maybe it's one of those things where you just had to be there, but I thought it was hilarious because Spam sounded so pleasantly surprised and overjoyed. You gotta love a person who is so easily made happy, right?

Break-Up Part II

Representatives for Jennifer Aniston and Vince Vaughn have confirmed that the couple has split up.

"Jennifer and Vince mutually agreed to end their relationship but continue to be good friends today," said representatives Stephen Huvane and John Pisani...

My question: did their reps ever confirm that they were dating? I remember them denying that they were a couple, then denying that they were engaged, then denying that they were having problems.

Now, this is purely speculation on my part, because I do not make any claim to know either of them. BUT, I think Jen is really needy AND I think her compulsive relationship with the media could get really annoying. She's always issuing statements and denials; why doesn't she just admit the truth and not answer any further questions? I think she loves it when she's at the center of the rumor mill because she craves the attention. Why else would anyone who is truly hurt and devastated after a supposedly sudden divorce agree to a Vanity Fair cover story?

Either way, hopefully she'll find a guy who loves attention as much as she does.

Deeelicious!

Peppermint Candy Kisses. Try them - I can't stop eating them. Seriously. Ask VJJ.





These make-your-own Kiss truffles look like turds though.

Beyonce & Jay-Z Tying The Knot?

Rumors are floating around that Beyonce and Jay-Z are gettin' hitched this weekend. Beyonce is throwing Jay-Z a lavish four-day birthday bash, but supposedly it's all just a ruse to fool the photographers and she's really planning their wedding. According to the gossip mill:

"Guests were told to have their passports ready by Friday for a party on a yacht in St. Barts. But then attendees will go to Anguilla for the wedding at tony resort Cap Juluca. No word from the rap mogul or the pop princess on their plans."

Rip Torn Tore Up

Dude, Rip Torn needs to lay off the booze. He looks completely jacked in this mug shot (courtesy of TMZ).

"...actor Rip Torn was arrested in North Salem, New York and charged with Driving While Intoxicated (DWI).

We're told Torn, who is 75-years-old, refused to cooperate with the cops and would not submit to a blood-alcohol test."

George Clooney Loses Another Pet

Condolences go out to George Clooney - his longtime pet pig, Max, has passed away.

Clooney once said that his longest relationship ever was with Max, his personal porker.

The pig had many health problems, so it's probably for the best that he's gone on to a better place.

Paris Quits

Paris Hilton has cancelled an appearance at 'next weeks' (it was already filmed this past weekend in Vegas) because she doesn't want to make fun of her peers. She was unhappy when she read the script and realized the writers had penned several jokes at the expense of her friends. She refused to deliver the jokes. Paris' camp and the producers of the show were unable to come to a compromise and so she cancelled her appearance.

"It is my understanding that some satirical references ridiculed some of her peers," her spokesman, Elliot Mintz, said in a statement. "Paris did not want to say anything that could appear hurtful or embarassing about people she knows."

Knowing that she can at least pretend to have principals, do you think more or less of Paris?

U C L A Fight! Fight! Fight!

I don't have much to say because I don't want to rub it in too much. The thing that makes us Bruins so happy is that we knocked USC out of the BCS title game. I'm completely satisfied with our standings and playing at the Emerald Bowl. It almost makes me happier to know that we pretty much ruined the dream of playing in the title game for 'SC - especially for the seniors. Haha!

Brad Bald?

Don't worry ladies and gents, it's just a bald cap for his upcoming movie, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. From the looks of it though, Brad pitt would be uber ugly if he ever went bald.

Perez Hilton Gets Served

The ugliest (inside and out) blogger in the universe is reportedly being sued for $7.5 million. TMZ doesn't mention which photo agency is suing the mean blogger, but I'm willing to bet it's X17. A few weeks ago, X17 published a few email exchanges between themselves and Perez (aka Mario Lavendeira).

And after using our images for free for years, check out what this ungrateful right-clicker emailed to me a couple hours ago after I ordered him to remove our pix from his site or face legal notice from our attorneys:

Don't threaten me bitch. I'm not scared!
I would have gladly put up a link to your site but you had to get all nasty.

Instead of wanting to have me as a friend or an ally you choose to be
a cunt! CUNT! And I don't wanna work with cunts. And liars. And
unethical people. And that's what you are!

You've tried to fuck me over. And you've only fucked yourself over.

I bet Perez is regretting that email now that it's going to be evidence in a lawsuit.

As a novice blogger myself, I'm a little torn as to who to support. I kind of agree with Perez b/c it is true that no one would know that x17 even existed if it weren't for the hundreds of bloggers that go to their Website and grab their pics. On the other hand, I understand that it's stealing copyrighted material blah blah. Oh well, I still grab that shix when I can.