Fresh out The Oven: Holiday Picks!

Yeah, yeah, yeah! It's the week of the Christmas holiday! (and other holidays!) When stores are cleared out and restaurants showcase Holiday specials and people try to hide their presents in the closet (cough cough me cough). The houses are all trying to outdo each other with crazy lights and inflatable Santas (you know who you are) and OH, WHAT A WONDERFUL HOLIDAY SEASON THIS SHALL BE!!!

But before I give you some recommendations, I first have to acknowledge the death of really quite a brilliant man. Whether you agreed with his opinions or not (and trust me, I've disagreed with him, too) you cannot deny that his refusal to hide his opinions and argue his point was truly admirable. I used to watch his appearance on Realtime With Bill Maher, and his attitude always amused and intrigued me. He was a real character, and will be missed. Rest In Peace, Christopher Hitchens.

Now, I thought I'd quickly fill you in on what's been going on this week. I'm attending a nice get together with family and friends for Christmas, and I printed my own homemade cards for each family member. I even bought my final gift for my younger sister, who absolutely LOVES Mindless Behavior. DO you know of them? They're like B2K for 2011. They're four boys with nicknames like Prodigy, Princeton, Roc Royal, and Ray Ray. You can see their MJ influences in their videos (I did a little research when I found out about them). Personally, I find them to be cute lil' things, and if you like the really pop mainstream stuff, they're for you. But anyways, their first album is out, called "# 1 Girl," and my sister hasn't gotten around to buying it yet, so hey, I did it for her! Something tells me she's going to love it! If you know your younger sibling or relative likes boy groups, buy them this album. 

In other news, I want A Book by Desi Arnaz and Love, Lucy by Lucille Ball for Christmas. Yes, I'm still gushing over The Lucy-Desi Era. Or, in particular, DESI ARNAZ. 

Don't look at the screen like that, I'm serious.

Can you deny how amazing he was as a musician alone? Since he was a very young man, he led his own band and performed songs that he turned into hits, like "Babalu," and even on I Love Lucy, he made even more classics, like "Cuban Pete," and "The Lady In Red." And he was an exceptional actor. Sure, he couldn't contain his laughter at  times, but that was part of the charm for him. His expressions when he knew something was about to go down, his laugh (AHHH-HA-HA-HA), and of course, his accent, all made him one of the best TV husbands in TV history! And don't deny it; without the accent, it just wouldn't be the same.

What's more, he was the one who invented the anatomy of the sitcom: the three cameras, shot in front of a live audience. Yes, he was the reason we have our favorite form of comedy shows today. He ran Desilu Productions, directed a few episodes himself, made and performed music with his own band, starred with his wife, and then came home to play with his two children. The man was a real worker. And for that, we should applaud him, for he never got the kind of recognition he deserved until after his death. Which pretty much sucks. So I'm doing my part now. BRAVO, DESI ARNAZ, FOR YOUR LEGENDARY CONTRIBUTION TO ENTERTAINMENT!!!!!!

And now, for some good holiday entertainment you can indulge in!

Starting with books:

• Anna Karenina
• A book of betrayal, passion, romance, and insanity in nineteenth century Russia. Couldn't put it down once I picked it up.

• Harry Potter (yes, Harry Potter)
• First thing you must be thinking is, "What?" but these books, especially the first one, always gave me the desire to snuggle up in a comfy sweater on the couch near the window where the snow would fall outside, sipping some hot cocoa as I read. Maybe you will, too…..or is it just me?
• My Sister's Keeper
• Not really for those looking for a feel-good story. It's about two sisters, and one of them has cancer, so the other one (a designer baby) donates her organs to her. Until that designer baby decides to sue her parents. Riveting tale with a shocking twist at the end. 
• Sing You Home
• This is a little more light-hearted than the previous book, but it still touches of controversial issues. A woman who recently divorced her husband falls in love with a woman and wants to inseminate herself with the…er…donation that her husband gave (he never wanted children). But her husband, who is against gays, sees this an unacceptable and tries to legally get the….donation…back. I'm not doing it enough justice, so you'll have to read it yourself.
• House Of Silk (A Sherlock Holmes)
• This is actually a NEW book that came out recently. I am a huge fan of the Sherlock Holmes series, and when I saw this, my eyes bugged out. Turns out, the Arthur Conan Doyle Estate approved this ONE AUTHOR to write another Sherlock Holmes novel. I started reading it in a bookstore, but I didn't finish it. I assure you, I will, and by the time I do, I hope you have too, so you'll know what I'm gushing about in later posts.
• Alex Haley's Queen
• Ah, the glorious story of Alex Haley's family. I truly love this book. As long as it was, I finished it in one day and then went to read it all over again. It's too much to explain here, but knowing that it is all based on research Haley did himself is absolutely amazing! READ IT!

Who can possibly forget the movie list?? Before I give you the list of classics, you have to get two movies out now that are holiday-friendly! Sort of!

First off is the new SHERLOCK HOLMES movie. Yes, the Sherlock Holmes movie. Robert Downey Jr? Jude Law? That girl from the original "Dragon Tattoo" movie series? Do this help you remember?

Good.

All three of them star in this sequel to the first one. Sherlock is as clever and paranoid as ever, and Watson, who is trying to enjoy a honeymoon but instead gets sucked into Sherlock's investigations, has had it up to HERE! Holmes is after a professor who has cleverly murdered many without leaving a single trail of evidence behind him. Sherlock is the only one to see through his games, but his issue now is proving it to the public. Also on the scene is Sherlock's brother, Mycroft, who is played by...wait for it....STEPHEN FRY! Oh, how I lot that man! Such a hilarious actor!
For more information, watch the trailer here:

Second off is the new Charlize Theron movie, "Young Adult."

Same writers as Juno, same director as Up In The Air...nuff said. I had to go. But it was even better than I expected. Theron plays mavis Gary, that "girl you hated in high school," who is a successful teen fiction writer who recently divorced from her husband Alan, who never shows up except in ONE PICTURE. While drinking and gobbling junk and watching reality TV and trying to finish the last novel in her teen series, she decides that the key to getting her life back together is going back to her hometown in Mercury and getting back her high school sweetheart (Patrick Wilson) from his new wife and NEW BABY. Yes, this woman is psychotic. But you feel for her in some way, because I'm sure many of us have felt a desire to relive what we may see as our glory days. Also in this movie is Patton Oswalt, who plays the nerd friend, the only source of logic and sanity in Mavis's life right now. Their dynamic is delicious on screen. When I left the theater, I was surprised. The ending didn't give some happy-go-lucky ending. it gave an unusual, understandable, realistic ending--some people just never change. A very well-done thought provoker for the holidays.
Again, check out the trailer if you need more convincing:

And now, the list of classics I think you will surely enjoy this week. Forgive my lack of description.

• A Charlie Brown Christmas
• How The Grinch Stole Christmas 
• The Holiday
•  Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street
• Harry Potter And The Sorcerer's Stone
• Kate And Leopold
• Edward Scissorhands
• Parenthood
• Home Alone
• Roxanne
• The Best Man
• Two Weeks Notice
• The Duchess

Finally, a list of songs and albums for the holidays as well!

(The ALBUMS are in Italics and the SONGS are in quotations.)

• Brown Sugar from D'Angelo
• All I Can Provide from Clara Hill
• "Thinkin Bout U" Diggy Simmons
• "Whispers In Bed" New Edition
• "Invention No. 13 in A Minor, BWC 784" Janos Sebestyen
• "Everything In Its Right Place" Radiohead
• "15 Step" Radiohead
• "Idioteque" Radiohead
• King Of Limbs From Radiohead
• "Tapes" Alanis Morissette
• "What Now" Aloe Blacc
• "Girlfriend" Bobby Brown
• "Before We Begin" Broadcast
• Kind Of Blue from Miles Davis
• After Hours from Jeanna Lee
• Take Care from Drake
• "Love Hangover" Diana Ross
• "Your Ex-lover Is Dead" Stars
• Simple Things Zero 7
• "I'm Ready" Tevin Campbell
• "Alone With You" Tevin Campbell
• "Don't Disturb This Groove" The System
• "Falling For Your Love" The Sylvers
• "Forever Yours" The Sylvers
• "Caramel" Suzanna Vega
• "Luka" Suzanne Vega
• Brand New Day Sting
• Stevie Wonder. Period.
• "Chasing Cars" Snow Patrol
• "You Could Be Happy" Snow Patrol
• "Somewhere A Clock Is Ticking" Snow Patrol
• "Kiss Me" Sixpence None The Richer
• "Red umbrella" Kostars
• Living With Owusu And Hannibal From Owusu And Hannibal
• Wounded Rhymes Lykke Li
• Sideways from Clara Hill
• Jose Gonzalez. Period.
• How To Save A Life The Fray

This will most likely be my last post of 2011 unless I can push out a quick pre-New Year post and.or a XMAS eve post, but there is a slim chance of that. So I'll do the well wishes now: Have a HAPPY HOLIDAYS and an even HAPPIER NEW YEAR!

Peace Out 2011!

-CDM

Stirring Up A Lucy

Picture it: a silver screen portraying an apartment. A floral couch with a confutable in front. A piano in the far back. A desk next to the right wall. THe door opens. A handsome man in a suit walks in, throws his coat on the couch, places his things on the desk.

"Lucy! I'm Home!"

"Oh, Ricky!" says a beautiful woman who runs into the living room, wearing a pink dress and patting her flaming red hair. RIcky turns around, smiles, and kisses her.

"Hi, honey! What've you been doing today?"

At that, her faces goes blank, looking at the audience in worry, and you know there is something to hide. Ricky does, too, and his lips purse.
"Lucy.....what have you done?"

Welcome to the start of another episode of "I Love Lucy," one of the most famous comedic shows in TV history. Starting in 1951 and ending completely in 1960, it depicted the life of Ricky Ricardo, cuban bandleader, and his wife Lucy, the beautiful redhead who always tried to get in his acts, despite his constant efforts to stop her. Together, with their landlords and fiends, Ethel and Fred Mertz, they would go on some wild, crazy escapades, like when Lucy thought the new neighbors were trying to blow them up, or when Ricky thought he was going bald, or when Ethel thought Fred and Lucy were courting, or she Fred accidentally gave Lucy cement instead of spirit gum to glue on a fake mustache. Oh, how well we remember those moments of truth when Lucy would realize her mistake and make that "eehh" face. Or when Ricky gets pissed off and starts yelling in spanish (And don't act like you didn't ever try to guess what he was saying.) 

Now, I mention this show because during a late night hair session with my mom--in which my mother and I prettied our hair for the next day--we came across a documentary called, "Finding Lucy." Very insightful, and very funny. We laughed until we grid watching some of our favorite pieces from the I Love Lucy show, like "Vitameatavegamin," and "Lucy Goes To The Hospital." After it was over, mother asked if we still had the season 1 box set. We do, but some of the CD's are misplaced. "Oh, I never got a chance to see them," she said wistfully. 

And into my mind popped the perfect christmas present; Season 2 of "I Love Lucy."  And I can declare this publicly because she'll never read it, and if she does, it'll be AFTER I give it to her. Guaranteed. 

But now, I've gone Lucy-crazy and everyone knows it, except you guys, so I thought I'd share with you some of my favorite Lucy clips that I can find, including the songs and skits from Ricky's nightclub.

                                           

And someone made this hilarious compilation of Ricky/Lucy moments that I have to share with you (it made me cry laughing)

Is anyone else puffy-eyed?

Till' Next Time!

-CDM

The Yule Log Of Treats (Bill, George, Pablo and Westville)

...Ah, December. The last month of the year. The month we all know and love for its glorious snowstorms, hot cocoa and holidays. I took a nice break during the Thanksgiving holiday (and obviously onward) to indulge in my cravings, like movies, books, food, and so on. But I have to come back, because 8 days is more than enough to find wonderful treats to share with the world. 

First and foremost, I have to turn you all on to Westville Restaurant in NYC. lately, my mom has been taking me out with her to her kind of places, and she told me the food was to die for. Westville's got headquarters all over New York, but this particular store, a small adorable shop-like haven, is on 210 West 10th Street. Be warned; the place is usually packed around nighttime, so you better get there a little early if you want any seats.

Yesterday, I ordered three of their sides: Pesto Mashed Potatoes, grilled salmon, and asian style baby bok choy. Oh, my GAWD it was delicious. If you like baby bok choy, then you're going to  love this! And their salmon is cooked so perfectly! It's crusty on the outside and soft in the inside (without being too mushy).

Not to mention the amazing service. There are two servers, male and female, who are instantly at your service when you ask for it. The food comes instantly, and you're never ignored for a long period of time. Moreover, whenever you have to go to the bathroom, which is at the back of the kitchen, all the chefs will stop what they are doing and part for you. One will stand in front of the bathroom door until you come out, and they part for you again. The manners and kindness of these people are astounding, and if you're like me, you'll end up chatting with the waiters all through dinner.

As for movies? I just came back from watching "The Descendants" with George Clooney, and trust me, whatever praise it has received from critics and fans is well-deserved. Its plot alone should make you want to see it; based off a book, it's about a middle-aged man with two girls (one of whom is a drug addict) whose wife is in a coma from an accident. When he finds out s he cannot be saved, he also finds out she was having an affair and was planning to divorce him.

The acting was really well done, especially by George Clooney, who has always been perfect in white-collar suave agent roles, but pulls off the exhaustion and helplessness of a normal hardworking father whose life is falling apart spectacularly. And yes, the girl from the American Teenager movie was solid as well.

I left the theater thinking about what I would do in their situation, and how I would handle it, and if I could forgive my own spouse if they were cheating on me and I never had the chance to confront them. This movie makes you think, and that is its biggest accomplishment.

Finally, have any of you watched "Politically Incorrect" or "Realtime With Bill Maher?" Bill Maher is one of my favorite people to see on TV at night. His panel, his sarcastic comments, his "New Rules" segments at the end of every show--I love him. And while you and I may not agree completely with everything he says, and while he may cross the line for some people, he makes a lot of good points that deserve hearing. 

Basically, the New Rules segment of his show? He's extended that into a book.  It's not the first he's written, but it's the first I've actually bought, and for me it was SO worth the money. In between the alphabetically placed rules, he's got a couple final monologues from past shows that we know and love, while the actual rules alone includes many new additions we have never seen before. If you like Bill's sarcastic, dry humor, then a couple New Rules a day is just what you need.

To get an idea of what you can look forward to from The NEW New Rules, you'll have to acquaint yourself with some of his live New Rules segments. Like this one, in which he talked about the Tea Party. With a Tea Party Hat on. :)

**BE AWARE: BILL MAHER CURSES. IN THE BOOK AND ON TV. AND IN THIS SEGMENT.**

FInally, I want to leave you all with a small tribute to a boy I saw on an episode Law And Order: SVU (the season four episode was called, "Angels"). You can find it on youtube. He played a Guatemalan child who was abused by his caretaker, an acclaimed businessman, and then tried to escape with his fellow captive and friend, Jose. When Jose doesn't make it, the other child, named Ernesto, breaks down and tells Benson and Stabler every sordid detail of his experience with his abuser. Let me be the first to say I never cry and at movies, shows, , or books. The worst that happens is a lump in my throat or my face heating up (which can happen when I'm emotional). NEVER has a tear slid down my cheek for a fictional character. And yet, watching Ernesto cry his way through hi story, I couldn't help but get wet-cheek syndrome. I watched the clips with him over and over again, astounded by his ability.

The boy's name was Pablo Santos, as I found when I frantically searched for any other works where I could find him. He's been in a few movies and a couple of TV shows, including a one-season long WB show called Greetings From Tuscan. He was even in a movie with DL Hughley called "Shackles," playing an illiterate inmate.

And he died in 2006, at 19 years old, from a plane crash.

I don't know why it matters to me so much, a boy that i never knew, and will never know, but I think it's worth mentioning that child actors show a lot of potential to be something greater. Pablo Santos's potential from that episode alone was tangible to me, six years after his death, and I wonder what could have become of him had he been alive today.

An actor's goal is to touch the hearts of the people who watch, long after they've left the theater. It is a testament to the impact an actor leaves that I can sit and be moved to tears by the performance of a 14 year old boy, even after he is long gone from us.

R.I.P. Pablo Santos (1987-2006)

Tune In Soon, More Treats From Art Batter On Their Way!

-CDM