Cloris Leachman

With a head line that reads "Fantastic at Eighty FUCKING Four", you know the evening was great!

Yep, darling Cloris Leachman is putting on quite the show over in San Francisco at the Hotel Nikko. You can read the review here. With her long career, the stories must be hilarious and I'd give anything to see it. A grand dame is worth the journey!


To refresh your memory, here she is as Frau Blücher with the funny line, "HE VAS MY BOYFRIEND!"

Renée Fleming "Dark Hope"

One of my favorite singers has a new CD coming out, only this time it's not opera but rather a bit of indie rock. At first blush I thought how could that be. I hate when opera singers use their full-throttle voices and try to sing loose pop songs. But when Renée put out her 2005 disc "Haunted Heart" which basically was jazz, I loved it. She let go of her high notes for more playful arrangements and introspective singing. Didn't feel as trained.

The "New York Times" has some fine articles on the subject.

Anythony Tommasini reviews it here. John Pereles reviews it here (John's a bit pretentious albeit a gifted reviewer, in my opinion). But their conversation together - here - is fascinating. They discuss is a record like this relevant today, how and if classical artists are successful in crossing over (and vice versa), or if Renée should have taken on this challenge to begin with.
I think an artist has every right to explore what they want. Paul McCartney and Billy Joel wrote classical, Sting did a classical CD, and even Elvis Costello did one. I say, keep the juices flowing, do what excites you. And with a good artist and true fans, we'll be here for the ride. In other words, um, yes, I'll be buying the disc.

U2360 at the Rose Bowl on BluRay

Release date is June 3, 2010. I thought it'd be delayed but the boys are putting it out there! Yep, the best fucking rock show ever will now be the best fucking rock show AT MY HOUSE - EVER!
Watch the trailer here for some cool clips. Makes me giddy.

I Voted Today

I voted (well, filled in my ballot by mail) today. Hope you do too!

9 Books I Bought But Haven’t Read Yet

I’m embarrassed to admit how long it takes me to read a book. Not that I’m illiterate (I did manage to get a bachelor of arts somehow), but I do blame my short attention span on my OCD or is it my ADD (look at the birdie - where’d she go?). Reading a book can take me a year, even a really good one. I get busy with watching too much TV or movies, or reading newspapers or magazines. A whole book? That’s a time commitment and I only seem to be able to read one during jury duty or a long plane ride.

I’m also embarrassed to admit that I buy books but never read them. Well, I won’t say “never” but with nine or so unread books on my shelf, it’s doubtful I’ll get to them soon. In a nutshell my favorite book topics are cooking, celebrity bios, and travel. The last books I actually did finish were “The Reach of a Chef” by Michael Ruhlman, a fascinating and funny look at cooking in today’s age of celebrity chefs, plus Steve Martin’s “Born Standing Up.” The guy is brilliantly funny and a gift writer. To succinctly explain the art of stand-up is miraculous.

I’ve started a couple of books in the last year, Rupert Everett’s “Red Carpets and other Banana Skins” (Is this pretty boy messed up, or what?), and “Last of the Donkey Pilgrims” by a guy named Kevin O’Hara. He gets a donkey and cart and circumnavigates Ireland - sweet, old-fashioned hilarity ensues. Sadly, I haven’t finished either.

Almost forgot, one of my requirements to buying a book; it has to be paperback. If I’m going to be reading in the jury office or in coach on a plane, I need portability.

With that in mind, here’s what’s collecting dust on my shelves (trust me, there’s more in reality):

“My Horizontal Life” - Chelsea Handler
I’m a huge fan of Chelsea Lately on E! and didn’t know she wrote books. Technically I didn’t buy this one but rather got it as a Christmas gift. It’s likely what I’m taking on my upcoming long vacation (Long plane ride - check. Reading about sex while in coach - check!)

“Are You There Vodka, It’s Me Chelsea” - Chelsea Handler
Yea, I bought her 2nd book and haven’t read the first one! Go figure.

“Alice Waters and Chez Panisse” - Thomas McNamee
Anthony Bourdain compares her to a Vietnamese dictator, which makes me laugh. But part of her earthly, Mother Earth crap I find charming and inspirational. In theory anyway, since I haven’t read the book.

“New Europe” - Michael Palin
The huge letters ‘PALIN’ on the cover make people think I bought Sarah Palin’s book (not a chance). Rather it’s a travel book through Eastern Europe. I’d seen a few of the TV programs Palin did which are chronicled in the book. Looking forward to it.

“Postcard from Europe” - Rick Steves
I’m a disciple of Rick’s travel books and thought I’d give his travel journal a whirl. Needless-to-say, it’s whirling up dust on my book shelf instead.

“Travel as a Political Act” - Rick Steves
I bought his TV special about Iran and loved it. As an added bonus to the DVD, he gives a lecture about how traveling abroad can change your views of the world and more importantly change how others view you and your culture (hear that LOUD AMERICANS?). This book is a compendium to that lecture (at least the jacket says it is).

“Berlin” - Various writers
One of my few hard back books (it’s tiny). Berlin is a city I loved visiting and fell it love with it’s complex charm. It’s not an easy city to endure; it’s loud and brash and non-stop. But something underneath the city’s surface makes me want to go back for me. I thought this book of short stories would be a good place to start learning about the city’s complexities. Now if I can just break the spine...

“The Daring Spectacle” - Mark Morford
I actually had a dream about this guy over the weekend. It was naughty, confusing, wet, spiritual, and utterly rewarding. I’m sure the book will be too (love his weekly columns!).

“Wishful Drinking” - Carrie Fisher
The dame is a hoot and a holler. I don’t fancy myself a Star Wars nerd, but am more interested in the recovering alcoholic side of her story. I finished Augusten Burrough’s “Dry” in just 3 days and I’m sure if I finally opened up Carrie’s book, I’d wiz thought it too.

There you have it. My fun, sad reading list. It’s nowhere complete and I’m confident the list will grow. I mean, once Kathy Griffin and Chelsea Handler’s new books are released in paperback, I’m screwed!