IT'S COMPLICATED
Yet it isn't... go see this movie!

Christmas Day 2009 is no different than any other year in terms having lots of tantalizing new movies on offer... the cinema beckons us as does ostentatiousness beckon the Haus of Gaga.

Equally, last night me and muh fam damily couldn’t resist the appeal of going out to see It’s Complicated the new film starring Meryl Streep and Alec Baldwin. The first thing I’ll say is I love, love, LOVED this movie. It’s really terrific.

It’s a comedy and a love story with a lot of heart, not to mention an objective to show how hearts and minds work, specifically the hearts and minds of those who are divorced.

It’s Complicated is the story of Jane and Jake Adler (Meryl Streep and Alex Baldwin, respectively) who have been divorced for 10 years after having been married for 19. They share two daughters and a son. Jane is single while Jake is married to Agnes, the much younger woman with whom he had an affair and for whom he left Kate.

The Adler family is brought together in New York City for Jane and Jake’s sons graduation from college. After bumping into each other in their hotel lounge, Jane and Jake get to talking, get to drinking and dancing, and - before anyone knows it - get to jumping into the sack together and embarking on an affair.

The family returns to their home town (a beautifully portrayed Santa Barbara, California) and thus begins the “complicated” path Jane and Jake find themselves on. Jake has realized he never fell out of love with his ex-wife and wants her back, while Jane is enjoying their revisit but isn’t so sure what it all means.

Meanwhile, an architect named Adam (played by Steve Martin who does well here with a fairly bland character), who is working on Jane’s home renovation project, takes a shine to her and they pursue some extra-curricular “activities” together, further complicating Jane's situation with Jake.

The performances in It’s Complicated are absolutely excellent. As always, Meryl Streep hits nothing but perfect notes as Kate.

Remember, this movie is a comedy and as Streep has proven time and time again (The Devil Wears Prada, Postcards From The Edge, Julie & Julia) she is as much a master of comedy performance as she is of serious drama (Kramer vs. Kramer, Doubt, Silkwood).

Not to mention that Meryl Streep can accurately and believably portray pretty much any accent she tries… one day I’d like to hear her do a thick Scottish brogue. I digress… Meryl Streep can do no wrong as an actor, in my eyes. And doesn’t it just seem like she’s been in about a zillion movies lately? A very prolific actor she is.

Her performance in It's Complicated as Jane Adler is the kind that is just a pure pleasure to watch. There’s nothing to prevent you from wanting to climb inside Jane’s life and experience it with her – the second guessing of the end of her marriage, the joy she derives from her post-divorce entrepreneurial success, the devotion to her kids, the authentic laughing fits among she and her gal pals… it’s all good because Meryl Streep is just such a natural performer and truly a pleasure to watch on the screen.

Alec Baldwin is also very fun in his role. Although his character Jake is a self-centred adulterer, he’s also an open book and totally willing to show his own genuine surprise, an authentic caught-off-guard quality about wanting his ex-wife back. Jake is flirtatious, mischievous and charming.

And together, dare I say it, Baldwin and Streep are sexy. It’s not often in Hollywood a woman who has just turned 60 is given a role where she can be as sexy as all get out, but like everything, Streep pulls it off without flaw.

All in all, I really loved It’s Complicated. I must admit, it was an interesting feeling to watch this movie – about a divorced woman and mother of three – with two of my siblings and our mother because our family too is the “product” of my parents divorce when us kids were very young. It was not at all uncomfortable for me to see this particular story play out on the movie screen. Mayhaps it just goes to show how easy it is for anyone to relate to and enjoy It’s Complicated. The movie is just plain great storytelling.

And on a related note, the movie made me recall how beautiful some parts of California are - such as Santa Barbara where this film’s story is situated. Kinda makes me wanna go back for a loooooong visit :)

The sole unfortunate quality of it though is that it shares the name of that horrible Denise Richards’ reality tv show “It’s Complicated” which inexplicably found a home on E! for two seasons. Thankfully it’s no longer airing here in the Great White North.

Last thing I wanna say about It's Complicated (the *film*) is that while I was watching it my mind occasionally flashed to another film, Something’s Gotta Give, because I kept noticing strong reminders of the storyline from that film – another one which I love and have seen several times.

Turns out that familiarity occurred for a reason which somehow escaped me in the marketing of It’s Complicated… it’s written and directed by Nancy Myers (also 60 years old) who not only is responsible for Something's Gotta Give (2003) but also other great films about likeable women and their relationships such as Private Benjamin (1980) and Baby Boom (1987).

It’s Complicated is actually very simple after all, simple to enjoy and simple to recommend as a must-see for this holiday season and beyond.

Here's the trailer to whet your appetite:

BRITTANY MURPHY DIES AT 32
Cardiac arrest is cause of death

A shock this morning as reports circulate of the death of actress Brittany Murphy, 32. TMZ has the still developing story of Murphy's early morning death today:

Brittany Murphy died early this morning after she went into full cardiac arrest and could not be revived, multiple sources tell TMZ. She was 32. A 911 call was made at 8:00 AM from a home in Los Angeles that is listed as belonging to her husband, Simon Monjack, the Los Angeles City Fire Department tells TMZ. We're told Murphy was taken to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center where she was pronounced dead on arrival. Murphy starred in such films as "Clueless," "8 Mile," and "Don't Say a Word." (tmz)

This is just really sad news today, and it certainly reinforces 2009 in my mind as a particularly notable year for entertainers who have lost their lives.

First time I saw Brittany Murphy was in the 90s classic "Clueless", but my favourite role she played was Alex in 8 Mile.

Aside from acting though, I friggin' LOVED "Faster Kill Pussycat", the club single she released a few years ago (2006, I think?) with Paul Oakenfold. Damn we used to rawk out to this one on the dancefloor... good times :)

This video clip of the song features clips from one of my all-time fave cult-films "Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!" directed by the great Russ Meyers.



Thank you Brittany for leaving behind something everyone can enjoy forever!

My heart goes out to her family and friends and loved ones... may Brittany Murphy be in peace.

'Extract' some Hollywood goodness
Unless you hate good times, go see this movie

Somehow, I hadn't heard too much about the new movie EXTRACT until Jason Bateman was on Late Show with David Letterman last week.

He's the star of the movie and certainly was on Letterman's show to promote his latest film (release date: Fri Sept 4). Bateman is totally classic story-teller. See for yourself:

Back to EXTRACT, we went to see it on Labour Day and can I just start by saying that if you hate laughing, skip this movie.

Directed by Mike Judge (Beavis & Butthead, Office Space), EXTRACT is great big 'ol slice of fun at the movies the movies with countless laugh-your-head-off moments thanks to a script that practically sparkles with hilariously everyday dialogue enlivened by a nearly perfect cast of actors who all possess the ability to fire off their lines with just the right amount of bang.

Jason Bateman is Joel, owner of "Reynolds Extract" who is thirsty for relief of his sexual drought shared with his wife Suzie, played by the understated and still-underappreciated (she should be a household name by now) Kristen Wiig (currently of Saturday Night Live).

To make matters worse, a hot new temp (Family Guy's Mila Kunis) at Joel's office has him realizing he's starting to get a wandering eye.

Joel complains to his bartender-buddy Dean - played by Ben Affleck with longer, wavy-ish hair and a full-beard making him semi-unrecognizable - about his sexless marriage.

Dean concocts a ridiculous scheme to hire a gigolo he knows named Brad played perfectly by Vancouver's Dustin Milligan.

Brad's "V8-slap-to-the-forehead" dumbass-ness is a far cry from Milligan's 'Ethan' character on last year's first season of 90210.

And Milligan best be careful because his adroit pursuit of portraying an utter moron with convincing hilarity could pigeon hole him as the hot himbo going into the next decade. But I have a feeling he's too bright to let that happen (a recent article helped me draw that conclusion - to read it, go here).

Dean's scheme calls for Joel to "hire" Brad as the new pool cleaner, but actually he'll attempt to seduce Suzie. If he succeeds, and Suzie has an affair, then according to Dean, Joel will be in the perfect position to have his own affair with Cindy the hot temp. Thanks to a semi-unitentional ingestion of horse tranquilizer, Joel finds himself agreeing to go ahead with the scheme.

EXTRACT is very, very funny as it follows both the painful reality of a tanking marriage and is quite keenly balanced by a secondary story line involving Joel's company with its yappy employees who become disgruntled upon learing of Joel's plans to possibly sell his company.

If you haven't seen it yet, here's the EXTRACT trailer:

Even though I regularly watch Family Guy, I need to give myself a bit of a "V8 slap-to-the-forehead" because somehow... somehow... I just didn't realize until the end of the film that the gorgeous actress playing the hot temp Cindy was Mila Kunis who voices Meg Griffin on Family Guy.

It's just so hilarious to me that a character like Meg is voiced by such a lovely young lady. She's a great choice for EXTRACT.

Here she was, on the set of EXTRACT... love her T-shirt:

Jason Bateman continues his adroit ascent to becoming one of Hollywood's funniest leading men. From Arrested Development to State of Play to Extract, even just the past few years or so of his work shows us he is one damn funny guy.

And he's been consistently working with superb material to showcase his talent.

Looking back to Bateman's role as Derek on TV's Silver Spoons in the 80's, I do think now (and I thought it then) that he had an edge and a certain "Je ne SASS quoi" that has allowed him to appeal on TV and movie screens for quite a long time now. Tu d'accord?

PLEASE DO(n't) STOP THE MUSIC
Charo Say, Charo Saw, Charo Ma Coo Sa

It figures that the ONE year I would skip watching homophobe Jerry Lewis’ annual telethon for the Muscular Dystrophy Association would be the same year Charo appears to let us see her do her own special brand of justice to a great Rhianna song (which itself was made great by borrowing from one of Michael Jackson's greatest songs).

Have y’all seen this yet? I have no words…

Kootchy-kootchy-koo!!!

HOCKEY IS #1 WITH CANADIANS
Summer's here, but ice is the focus

It makes no nevermind that a heat wave has been felt right across the land, and that very warm summer-style weather has been enjoyed a little earlier than usual this year. Nope, makes no difference at all because Canadians are still All. About. The. Hockey.

From the Canadian Press, here's the latest Top 10 TV ratings and, natch, the Stanley Cup finals top the list.

Here are the top 10 English television programs in Canada, with viewer numbers, for the week of May 25-31 according to BBM Nielsen Media Research:

1 Stanley Cup Finals (CBC, Saturday-Sunday)—1,803,000

2 So You Think You Can Dance 5 (CTV, Wednesday)—1,544,000

3 NHL Playoffs (CBC, Tuesday-Wednesday)—1,398,000

4 So You Think You Can Dance 5 (CTV, Thursday)—1,374,000

5 The Mentalist (CTV, Tuesday)—1,182,000

6 Bones (Global, Monday)—1,178,000

7 NCIS (Global, Tuesday)—1,127,000

8 Two and a Half Men (CTV, Monday)—1,122,000

9 Criminal Minds (CTV, Wednesday)—1,107,000

10 CTV Evening News (CTV, Monday-Friday)—1,097,000

As the Detroit Red Wings and Pittsburgh Penguins prepare for a death battle today in the NHL, I'm sure the next time we see the Top 10 shows in Canada there will be ZERO change in what's on top.

HAPPY WORLD OCEANS DAY
Wave of jubilation

As declared earlier this year by the United Nations, June 8 is World Oceans Day.

What are you doing to help keep oceans clean? If you litter, just knock it off. And don't butt out your cigarettes ANYWHERE other than an ashtray (or better yet, just don't smoke). Cigarette butts are the #1 most common litter item found on Canadian shorelines (followed by plastic bags and food wrappers).

If you use chemical cleaning products at home or work, stop it! Because when those products go down your drain, they go straight into the ocean and poison fragile marine environments and ecosystems. Human life depends on healthy oceans so do what you can to preserve ocean health.

I'm kinda thrilled that Canadians thought up the whole World Oceans Day thing. Here's what it's all about, from The Ocean Project:

The concept for World Oceans Day was proposed in 1992 by the Government of Canada at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro and it had been unofficially celebrated every year since then. Official designation by the U.N. is a significant step in conserving and protecting our world's ocean.

World Oceans Day provides an opportunity each year to celebrate our world ocean and our personal connection to the sea. The world's oceans:

*Generate most of the oxygen we breathe

*Help feed us

*Regulate our climate

*Clean the water we drink

*Offer us a pharmacopoeia of potential medicines

*Provides limitless inspiration!

Yet for too long, human society has taken the world's ocean for granted. It's up to each one of us to help ensure that our ocean is protected and conserved for future generations. World Oceans Day allows us to:

Change perspective - encourage individuals to think about what the ocean means to them and what it has to offer all of us with hopes of conserving it for present and the future generations.

Learn - discover the wealth of diverse and beautiful ocean creatures and habitats, how our daily actions affect them, and how we are all interconnected.

Change our ways - we are all connected to the ocean! By taking care of your backyard, you are acting as a caretaker of our ocean. Making small modifications to your everyday habits will greatly benefit our blue planet.

Celebrate - whether you live inland or on the coast we are all connected to the ocean; take the time to think about how the ocean affects you, and how you affect the ocean, and then organize or participate in activities that celebrate our world ocean.

Random Ocean Item: off the top of my head, the only song from the 80's I can think of that mentions the ocean is Ocean Blue by ABC. Go here to relive the joy that is ABC: Ocean Blue

Wondering what celebrities are up to help promote World Oceans Day? GO HERE for sexy evidence!

PRISON BREAK RETURNS (AGAIN? STILL?)
Is Wentworth Miller reason enough to tune in?

For anyone who is still a fan of Prison Break, TGIF is about to take on a whole new meaning.

Prison Break comes back to TV for a new season this Friday night (April 17) and will show on that night thereafter.

I'm hangin' in there, but just barely. After the extremely intriguing early days of this series, it all got to be a bit much when the focus turned to Panama.

Since then, I'm watching it mostly only because it's a case of "I've watched it this long, I may as well see how it ends".

And also because Wentworth Miller is, quite simply, a whole wide world of deee-lish!

That said, it's entirely possible that the following video is way more entertaining than Prison Break will be on Friday night:

WHAT HAVE THEY DONE TO DESERVE THIS?
Pet Shop Boys receive odd request from PETA

There's quite a hilarious story coming from the Pet Shop Boys today.

PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) sent a letter to Neil Tennant & Chris Lowe of Pet Shop Boys with a request they officially change their name to Rescue Shelter Boys.

Sounds like yet another in a long list of creative, guerilla tactics employed by PETA to get folks rethinking the ways humans interact with our friends from kingdom animalia.

But despite the urgency and significance of the PETA request, Pet Shop Boys didn't take long to ponder the unusual suggestion.

Check this out, it's from the BBC

Pop group Pet Shop Boys have revealed they have turned down a request by animal rights group Peta to rename themselves the Rescue Shelter Boys.

"Peta Europe has written to Pet Shop Boys with a request they are unable to agree to," reads a post on the band's official website.

But the band admits the request "raises an issue worth thinking about".

Peta's letter requests the name change because of the cruelty it alleges takes place in the pet trade.

If the band were to agree to the name change, it continues, it would "encourage your millions of fans to consider giving a home to an abandoned or unwanted animal from an animal shelter".

In her letter, Peta's special projects manager Yvonne Taylor admits that her request "may at first seem bizarre".

It goes on to list a series of criticisms against the way pet shops obtain, maintain and house their animals.

Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe were inspired to call themselves the Pet Shop Boys by friends who worked in a pet shop in west London.

Originally named West End, the electronic pop duo won a Brit award for their outstanding contribution to music earlier this year.

The group - whose hits include West End Girls, Heart and It's A Sin - released Yes, their 10th studio album, last month.

HA! Love it. PETA has a very unique way of getting attention. And I appreciate Pet Shop Boys decency in acknowledging the issue raised by PETA's query.

It'll never ever happen, but you gotta give props to PETA for having the cajones.

Bee-tee-double-u, have you heard/seen the new Pet Shop Boys single, Love Etc.? It's from their new album "Yes" and ya know, it's not too shabby at all.

U-F-Ok
Monsters vs. Aliens = Good vs. Times

What better way to spend Thank Goddess It’s GOOD Friday than a matinee of Monsters vs. Aliens 3D.

I’ve been kinda dying to see this movie since it came out a couple weeks ago, so this afternoon Me and M-dub went down to the old Paramount to check it oot.

The film has a great cast which had me looking forward to the voice work; Reese Witherspoon, Seth Rogen, Will Arnett & Hugh Laurie voice the four main characters. But it wasn’t until after the film that I also realized my lover Paul Rudd is in it, too! He voices Derek, a self-absorbed TV anchorman wedded to Susan at the film’s opening.

Monsters vs. Aliens follows the classic good vs. evil theme and is teeming with imaginative animated effects and clever dialogue. There’s quite a good amount of LOL-worthy scenes, especially Stephen Colbert’s synthesizer-playing U.S. president who gets down with his bad self in a hilarious music sequence set to Harold Faltermeyer’s gem Axel F.

Another great, funny scene is with the high school kids on a date, making out in the front seat of a car, the boy portrayed as a jock – a gymnast to be exact – with a personalized license plate which reads GYM-NASTY who would rather sing along to an old Journey tune on the radio than get hot n’ heavy with his girl.

Despite laughs and wit, me and M-dub later agreed that Monsters vs. Aliens is forgettable.

That sentiment doesn't result from a lack of enjoyment in watching this film. The movie is quite good, and it’s a whole lotta fun to watch while it’s on the screen in front of you (playing out in Intel’s gorgeous InTru3D technology).

But as soon as it's over, so is the feeling generated by watching it. Methinx it just kinda lacked some depth, some heart, some relatable elements that let you connect on an emotional level.

Movies like Shrek, Monsters Inc., Finding Nemo, The Incredibles… all those films live in my memory as among the greatest animated films I’ve ever seen. And it’s not just the pleasure of the creativity of those films I recall, but also the lasting feeling I have from having basically fallen in love with those films when I first watched them.

As for Monsters vs. Aliens, I can definitely say that my favourite character is B.O.B. voiced by Seth Rogen. B.O.B. is just so funny, so cute, so totally dumb... ya can't help but love him. He's described in the film as 'goop that somehow gained consciousness', a description portrayed perfectly hilarious by Seth Rogen.

We were interested to note in the end credits something I’ve never seen before... which was Dreamworks (the studio which produced the film) preferred processor is Intel. I think the credits also included that HP is the preferred hardware or something like that, but I could be wrong on the specifics of that one.

Overall, Monsters vs. Aliens is a good film and well-worth seeing, but for me it’s already come and gone and I’m on to the next one.

Which in this case I think will be “Partly Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs”, coming out this Fall. Seriously, this move looks GREAT! Check out the trailer:

TWEETS & TWITS & TWATS... OH MY!!!
Twitter gets skewered like souvlaki

If you're on Twitter (like I am), or you know someone who's on Twitter, are curious about Twitter, couldn't care less about Twitter, hate that thing called Twitter, hooked on Twitter like a whore on crack or any combination of the above, well then...

This Vid's For You!

L to the O to the L!

Interestingly enough, it was the "Twitter nation" today which informed Madonna's manager Guy O'Seary of the plea from an Italian mayor for Madonna to help the victims of the Italian earthquake with a financial donation.

MADONNA DONATES $$$ TO ITALIAN EARTHQUAKE VICTIMS
"Rescue me, your love has given me hope"

This'll show the haters who think that Madonna doesn't deserve to be allowed to adopt a child.

Madonna today responded to a call from the mayor of Pacentro, Italy for financial assistance to aid in the recovery efforts after Tuesday's devastating earthquake in Italy.

Here's a photo from BBC of a road near Fasso, Italy clearly showing the effects of the earthquake.

Reports estimate the donation to be in the half a million dollar range which is about 376,480 Euros. Here's more from People Magazine on Madonna's donation:

When a devastating earthquake struck the Abruzzo region of Italy on Monday, the mayor of the hamlet of Pacentro made an appeal for help to the granddaughter of two former townspeople. The following morning, that granddaughter responded in a big way.

Madonna, whose paternal grandparents lived in Pacentro until 1919, made a "substantial donation" for the relief effort following the 6.3 magnitude quake that left more than 200 dead, says her publicist Liz Rosenberg. The rep wouldn't give the amount, but a source says it's about $500,000.

"I am happy to lend a helping hand to the town that my ancestors are from," Madonna tells PEOPLE. "My heart goes out to the families that have lost loved ones or their homes."

I, for one, am impressed by Madonna's responsiveness to the disaster in Italy. I'm not at all surprised that she has offered some financial aid to the Italians in her grandparent's home town.

After all, for a long time now Madonna has demonstrated deep pride in her heritage:

You go, Madge!

In an interesting related story, an Italian geophysicist continues to stir the scientific pot by claiming in media interviews since the earthquake struck that he predicted its occurrence.

There's a story from Reuters about this, check it out...

Earthquakes like the one that killed more than 200 people in Italy this week are still impossible to predict, and a local scientist's claims to have done so should be treated with caution, geophysicists say.

Gioacchino Giuliani is at the center of a debate about the limits of seismology after Italian officials shrugged off his warnings last month that a devastating earthquake in the central Abruzzo region was imminent.

In fact Giuliani, who works at the National Institute of Physics, was even reported to police for spreading panic.

You can read the rest of that story right about here

One last thing... I just came across a photo of Madonna from her most recent trip to Malawi. I hadn't seen this one before.

Not only does her jacket look like a Hefty Hefty Cinch Sack with zippers, but I swear the woman to her left is a dead ringer for Whoopi Goldberg circa The Color Purple.

Keep on reading... here's the link to Madonna's RAISING MALAWI website.

MADONNA REJECTED! LIKELY FEELS TRULY BLUE
Founder of Raising Malawi gets no Mercy

In a surprising development, the BBC has reported that Madonna has lost her bid to adopt a 4 year old girl named Mercy, in Malawi:

A Malawian court has ruled that US pop star Madonna has failed in her bid to adopt a second child from the country.

"I must have to decline to grant the application to Madonna," judge Esmie Chondo said in a ruling following a closed-door hearing on Friday.

According to reports, the application has been rejected over residency rules.

The 50-year-old singer flew into the southern African state on Sunday and applied to adopt four-year-old Chifundo James the following day.

The Associated Press news agency said Madonna's application had been rejected because of a requirement that prospective parents be resident in the country for 18 to 24 months.

It is not clear if Madonna was in court to hear the ruling or whether she plans to appeal against it.

Had Madonna's application been successful, the 14-month-old baby would have been a sister to David Banda, the first child Madonna adopted from the African country.

Chifundo, whose name translates into English as Mercy, is in the same orphanage that previously housed David, now three years old.

This is really shocking news! Can't wait to hear Madonna go on the record about THIS!

I wonder if this will affect her plans to build a learning academy for children in Malawi... it's a major new project funded by the charity she founded, Raising Malawi

VANCOUVER'S NEXT GAY TOP MODEL
And The Winner Is... CALAN!!!!!!

Calan is the winner of 2009's Vancouver's Next Gay Top Model!

That's right kids, it's time to give ginger snaps to somebody who I'm thinkin' is the happiest redhead in Vancouver :-)

Here's the look on Calan's face at the very moment his name was announced as the winner (he's in the middle with Joel and Adam on either side of him):

There must be a good reason the old saying, "May the best man win" rings true through the ages. Tonight was proof.

We had a great time at the show and I'll be posting a complete wrap of the event later today. Check back for that... in the meantime if you're interested in getting to know a little more about the winner of Vancouver's Next Gay Top Model 2009, here's a bit about Calan- in his own words - from the official Gay Top Model website

Age: 22
Ethnic roots: Scottish
Height: 6' 2.5
Weight: 175lbs
Shoe Size: 12
Hair Colour: Auburn/Red
Eye Colour: Hazel
Education: Completed High School
Vancouver… is the best city in the world - travelling tought me that!
Favourite place: the view from Grousse Mountain on a crystal clear day, or night.
Favourite quote: "Freedom is just another word for nothing left to lose." - Janis Joplin

Not satisfied with that? Need to know more about Calan, winner of Vancouver's Next Gay Top Model 2009? Here's more about the man, again in his own words, but this time from his MySpace page

About me:
Hey I'm Calan, welcome to my page. I like going out with my friends and having an all around good time. If you look up the work "Aquarius" you will find my picture right next to it. I’m usually the one who randomly walks off and then you find me 10 minutes later talking to some random about almost anything. I’m a pretty confident guy but I have my shy moments around people I like, it’s rare but it happends. I’m not afraid to speak my mind when I feel strongly about something or when it comes to defending my friends. Friends and family mean the world to me and I would do pretty much do anything for them. I’m pretty laid back and easy going doing just about anything, bad drivers is the only thing that really gets me going. I feel comfortable in my own skin and in knowing who I am, not everyone will get the chance to find out who they really are so I’m glad I have. I’m nowhere near naive but I always believe the best in people and in second chances, people make mistakes, change and move on. As long as you learn from it that’s all that matters. I’m not into drugs and I’m only a social drinker, meaning once ever month or two and most of my friends are the same. I like to surround myself with people who have the same philosophy on life as I do, we’re only on this Earth for so long and I don’t want to waste anytime on pointless drama or being emo. Life is about enjoying it and being your own personal best, you only have to live up to your own standers and not everyone else’s. Coquitlam is my hometown and I love living here and so close to Vancouver, it’s one of the best places in the world. I'm currently traveling all over Europe for 2 1/2 months but after I will be living in London for about 2 years! Anyway, Peace!

I'm definintely happy for Calan - it's really great for him that he won this contest. Danny and I had the pleasure of meeting him back in January at Score and he is quite the charmer. Let's go back in time a few months, shall we, and remember our first meeting with Calan, the new winner of Vancouver's Next Gay Top Model.

The grand finale at Celebrities was a packed house (at least for most of the night) so I'm hoping that translates into alot of money raised for Friends for Life, the beneficiary of VNGTM.

I look forward to hearing what the numbers are once Mr. Costa's had a chance to get a little shut eye ;-)

Way to go, Calan! You worked hard and totally deserved to win. Besides, it only stands to reason that anything "made in the 80's" will do well ;-)

WELCOME TO NEW TORI AMOS MUSIC
Yahoo! for Welcome To England video premiere

Aaaaah, that's better ... I can now move slightly back from the the edge of my seat because I've just watched the NEW Tori Amos video for her NEW single "Welcome To England" from her NEW forthcoming album ABNORMALLY ATTRACTED TO SIN (Oh Tori, aren't we all my dear!?)

But I can only move slightly back, because truth be told I'm still all kinds of anxious and a whole wide world of excited for Tori's new disc to drop like manna from heaven.

But that's not until next month....

In the meantime, I'm pretty darn happy with what I've heard - and now seen - so far. So go on ahead and check it out for yourself. Here it is, the new Tori Amos video ... behold the goddess:



YEE to the HAW! Love Love LOVE it! I really like that song a whole lot. It is absolutely classic Tori. Although watching this video for Welcome To England could easily lead one to believe it should perhaps be re-titled as Welcome to London since there are so many great shots of jolly old London town in the video.

Ya just gotta totally dig the old school camera Tori (that would be blonde Tori) is using to take photos in the sequences filmed from inside one of the London Eye modules. Even the way she's holding it, she just drips from another era. But then again, Tori always did do that which is part of why I love her music. She's not only a timeless visionary, but she's also... era-less! (if that's even a word which I'm sure it's not but who cares I like it anyway ;-)

This video and song gets a Grade A from me.

Matter of fact, so does the Tori Amos co-founded RAINN - Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network. It's there to help people who need the help, so check 'em out at RAINN.org

VALERIE BERTINELLI GOES GREEN
Yup that was trendy in the 80s, too

Nothing to see here, folks except the most LOL-worthy photo I've come across in a while:

Image: Steve Harvey/Shooting Star

Best. Photo. Never!

And by Never! I mean I'll betcha anything there's a small part of Valerie Bertinelli - even somewhere deep inside her charming, deprecating self - which kinda wishes this photo was never published.

Not me though, no siree, I am tres glad to see this pic. Not to make fun of her, but only because it's a great way to wrap up a Sunday.

FERGIE FERG GOES DARK
Bye-bye, Blondie bye-bye

As Fergie Ferg got ready to turn the big THREE-FOUR a couple days ago (March 27), she showed off a new look for a new number, back on March 12, at the March of Dimes Ball in NY.

SEE YA to the blonde... HOW 'DO to the brunette:

Gotta say, I kinda love it. I think she looked great before, but I really think this is a nice improvement for Fergie. Plus, it really sets off her shoes quite nicely, don't you think?

To be (blonde), or not to be (blonde)... that is the question

Or...

To be (brunette), or not to be (brunette)... perhaps THAT is the question.

Either way, the look was captured by the folks over at wireimage.com during the March of Dimes 34th annual Beauty Ball at Cipriani 42nd Street in New York City.

March of Dimes is dedicated to improving the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality.

They do good work! Check 'em out, eh? And, while we're at it, one last look at those rockin' shoes:

ALANIS MORISSETTE'S BIG TURN OFF
She brings the funny/gross for Earth Hour

Whether she's nude yet subtle on a city street, or taking the piss outta Fergie Ferg's lady lumps, Alanis Morissette's innate sense of humour is a big part of her work.

As a spokesperson for EARTH HOUR 2009, she made this great public service announcement to raise awareness of tonight's global effort to reduce climate change:



Love it! Earth Hour started in Sydney, Australia is now 'round the globe. Here in Vancouver, BC Hydro will be calculating then publicizing the numbers showing the energy savings accumulated during one simple hour of turning off your lights. It'll be interesting to see how much nrg is saved.

The whole idea is to reduce the carbon footprint and relieve some of the climate change occurring on Earth.

I left my house so that I wouldn't be tempted at all... what did you do?

MADONNA IS A-
Queen of Pop takes to the Tweet-waves

While I was on Twitter tonight it became apparent that Madonna was online and tweeting with a few folks via her manager Guy O'Seary's Twitter account.

Un-fucking-fortunately for me, I missed it and came a little late to that particular party. Yup, by the time I got there the whole shah-mozz was already a memory for those who were lucky enough to get a chance to tweet back and forth with the amazing, fabulous, brilliant Madge.

So, because I'm a huge fan/geek, and I need a good excuse to avoid doing my taxes, I've managed to track what appears to be all exchanges tonight on Twitter between Madonna and a few other Twitter'ers. Here's the transcript. Keep in mind as you read this that anything under the heading "guyoseary" is Madonna (except for the first two tweets under that heading):

guyoseary
sitting here with madonna.. firstly she wants to say hello to all the iconers out there..
about 4 hours ago from web

guyoseary
madonna wants to thank all of you that took the time to send in their thoughts for g-hits album. we will be online for the next 10 minutes
about 4 hours ago from web

salonspotter
@guyoseary i've been supporting you since 1984 'm'...not going anywhere anytime soon!!! :p
about 4 hours ago from web in reply to guyoseary

@salonspotter supporting me in every way??????????????... –M
about 4 hours ago from web in reply to salonspotter

nickfirth
@guyoseary hello madonna honey am glad you are single again - you made your best music as a single woman! yeehaw!
about 4 hours ago from web in reply to guyoseary

@nickfirth NOT AS GLAD AS I AM! M...............
about 4 hours ago from web in reply to nickfirth

ehoesch
This person has protected their updates.

@ehoesch I'm right here. Tell me yourself::::::::::::::::m
about 4 hours ago from web in reply to ehoesch

FutureModel
@guyoseary OMG!!!!!!! U r really sitting with her rit now?!?! No way!!! Hiiii!!! :) love from Ohio :)
about 4 hours ago from mobile web

@guyoseary tell her I'm a HUGE fan! Even at such a young age. Props to u girl!!! :)
about 4 hours ago from mobile web

Why don't I ever get any love? Anyway I'm tired I got school tomorrow & gotta get up early. Unlike other ppl. Let's go!!!
about 4 hours ago from mobile web

@guyoseary why do u respond to all of the weirdos & not normal people like me?!?! Um I take my time 2 say somethin to u
about 4 hours ago from mobile web

@FutureModel i don't distinguish between normal and weird. stop feeling sorry for yourself. what did you want to tell me??????????????? M.
about 4 hours ago from web in reply to FutureModel

Futuremodel
@guyoseary I'm sorry if I am u mad!!!! I am really! SORRY! I was trying to get u to respond back to me. Is that so hard? I still love u M!
about 4 hours ago from mobile web

@guyoseary I really did not want to make any of u mad. & I'm not sorry for myself. Just trying 2 get some simple attention from Madonna! :)
about 4 hours ago from mobile web

Hahaha Madonna talked to me from @guyoseary. I just um... Died. LOL. Well I'm goin to bed. Tired! Forgot to study 4 science. Oops! Let's go!
about 4 hours ago from mobile web

really going to bed this time. Man I'm glad I stayed up for Madonna 2 talk me! Yeahhhh. Let's go!!!....to sleep. Lol
about 3 hours ago from mobile web

guyoseary
thanks for your love and support.. signing off.. i need my beauty rest.. -love mmmmmmmmmmmm.
about 4 hours ago from web

@perezhilton you obviously love Britney more cause you made an opening film for her show and not mine. i still love you, -going to sleep! –M
about 3 hours ago from web in reply to perezhilton

:-) :-) :-) :-) :-)

And there you have it... Madonna's March 25th "conversation" on Twitter!

Madonna's ALL CAPS tweet must be proof that she feels free and VERY glad to be single these days.

As for FutureModel, I can't believe Madonna wasted precious time on the Internets tweeting back to the individual responsible for that account. I mean, I get that FutureModel is a fan - so am I - but seriously... just pull yourself together. It's fucking Madonna on Twitter for goddess sake. Have some self-respect. Ah well, don't mind me, I'm probably just a wee tad green with envy that I'm not the one who got to tweet with Madge.

ANYWAY, I'm also somewhat troubled by Madonna's declaration of love for @perezhilton. To me, that's just a whole wide world of wrong. But ah well, to each their own... even Madge.

If you wanna know more about what Madonna is up to these days, check out the Raising Malawi website - big up to Madge for putting her heart (and cash) in the right place. A cool letter which she wrote is posted on that site. You can see it here.

JOEL & BENJI MADDEN'S 'TAP' DANCE
Good Charlotte twins promote World Water Week on Larry King Live

I never really paid much attention to Good Charlotte until they released their second album, The Young and the Hopeless.

Anyone who knows me knows that I'm a hopeless addict of The Young and the Restless so the fact that Good Charlotte riffed on the title of my fave daytime drama for their own album title made me take notice of the band.

Musically, however, they're not muh thang. Not that there's anything wrong with them, they're just not for me is all.

Anyhoo, tonight Joel (significant other to Nicole Richie) & Benji Madden from Good Charlotte made showed up on CNN (Celebrity News Network) for an appearance on Larry King Live.

As a result, Joel and Benji have now elevated themselves in my eyes from 'rock stars' (as identified on-screen during their interview) to 'human stars'.

They were on the show to talk about World Water Week, March 22-29 and Joel, specifically, as spokesmen for the TAP Project.

The TAP Project: "In 2007, the Tap Project was born in New York City based on a simple concept: restaurants would ask their patrons to donate $1 or more for the tap water they usually enjoy for free, and all funds raised would support UNICEF’s efforts to bring clean and accessible water to millions of children around the world." [where that came from]

So it mighta been born in New York, but it's now in Canada too.

During World Water Week, you can make your "One Doll Hair" (aka, $1) donation at these Keg Steakhouse & Bar restaurants (omg, I HEART The Keg - my favourite one is on Granville Island. Others here in Vancouver can also donate a loonie at Elixir in the Opus Hotel or at any of these other restaurants all across the Great White North.

Back to those cute Madden boys (and they R looking extra cute these days, n'est-ce pas?), they cited Green Day and U2 as bands they "look up to", which I think is pretty cool. Props to Green Day for surprising longevity, and lotsa props to U2 for not only longevity, but also relentlessly admirable philanthropy.

When Larry King asked Benji about dating Paris Hilton, Benji confirmed what we all knew is true... yes, they were recently an item. When Larry King asked Benji if Paris is a 'good girl' or something like that, Benji replied with a curt "yeah". It was a clear signal to Larry King to change the subject which, thankfully, he did.

But it kinda left me thinking that I think Paris musta really broken poor Benji's heart. I don't hate Paris Hilton the way many others seem to, but in this case it seems like Benji is the one who got effed over. Ah well, better luck to him next time.

Benji Madden said he's "married to (his) music", and is working out to get ready for Good Charlotte's 5th album coming soon (and a tour, perhaps?) so I'll bet there's a ton o' ladies virtually or literally lining up to get a piece of him.

Back to their TAP Project for a sec, check out this vid, it's cool:



Pretty inspiring, right? If the UNICEF figures are accurate - and 900 million people really don't have access to safe water - then that's just unacceptable.

Funny to think that by being enabled to enjoy the luxury of dining out, we are also enabled to think about what we can do for those who likely do not enjoy the same luxury.

The good kids over at Look to the Stars also have the story today, along with these fine words from Joel Madden:

“I’m going to be spreading the word throughout World Water Week on Larry King Live, People Magazine, E! News and more to let everyone know why the Tap Project is such an important lifesaving campaign. Just $1 provides a child with safe drinking water for 40 days! All you have to do is find a participating restaurant online at tapproject.org, dine out during World Water Week, and pay $1 or more for the tap water you usually enjoy for free. Every single dollar raised supports UNICEF water, sanitation and hygiene programs. Even if you can’t dine out, you can still donate online at tapproject.org or text the word TAP to 864233 (UNICEF) to make a $5 donation.”

So, remember, drink your 8 glasses of water a day... and think about those who maybe can't.

Follow Tap Project on Twitter, here

Get more here on the TAP Project

Get more here on the Larry King Cardiac Foundation

DON'T WANNA WEAR MY GLASSES,
I HAVE TO WEAR MY GLASSES
Is Lourdes Maria Ciccone Leon the new Carrie Bradshaw?

Came across a really great little story today on People's Style Watch page. Behold:

Don'tcha just love that pic?! Here's the blurb ... I just love this.

At 12, Madonna’s daughter Lourdes Ciccone Leon is already a budding fashionista. Like her mother, the tween has shown a flair for eye-catching ensembles — and loves a vintage look. Spotted in the Big Apple just last month the teen was sporting these familiar oversized glasses. Lourdes’ ensemble seemed to us like a true blast from the — televised — past: Doesn’t she resemble Sarah Jessica Parker’s character Patty Greene from 1982’s shortlived series Square Pegs? Call it geek chic, or just plain cool, but could Madonna’s daughter be inspired by one of fashion’s most playful characters, SJP herself? — By: Liz McNeil

Personally, I don't think the comparisons end with Lourdes Maria Ciccone Leon and Sarah Jessica Parker.

Especially since I think the comparisons in fact BEGAN with Lourdes' mother... Madonna! Yup, Madonna and SJP. Again, behold the similarities:

While Madonna's steadfast rep Liz Rosenberg wasn't able to respond by deadline, a reaction by Sarah Jessica Parker was, however, captured: