Get Your 15 Minutes....

"Dirty Oil" Movie Review...

2010-08-15T22:37:00.000-04:00

Where do you think the United States gets their oil from? This was the opening question of the movie “Dirty Oil” that I got a chance to see at the Hamptons International Film Festival. Many people think we get it from the Middle East or Saudi Arabia or somewhere very far from here. Wouldn’t you be surprised to know we get it from Canada? Yes right from our neighboring country. About 75 percent of our oil comes from the tar sands in Alberta, Canada. Every day they move huge amounts of sand and use heated water to separate the oil from the sand. There is a lot of manpower required and more and more people are headed there to join this oil rush. You can see the traffic lined up on the two lane highway, known as Hell’s Highway, which starts about 100 miles north of Edmonton and ends at Fort McMurray. The locals came up with the name Hell's Highway because every day at least one person dies along this road due to recklessness of the drivers who can drive up to speeds of 140 miles per hour.
The boreal forest which is the size of Florida, is having its lakes and wildlife sacrificed by becoming full of toxic waste and having clouds of greenhouse gases emitted into the air all for black gold. Trees that are being knocked down give danger to the songbirds and woodland caribou. Contaminated water that the wildlife are drinking cause problems like tumors that have been seen on fish. The Mikisew Cree have always lived off of the land and now they are being directly affected by the tar sands. Water has always been a natural resource for them and now they have to buy bottled water. They have hunted fish and duck to feed their families and now when they have eaten fish or duck that has ingested the water that’s toxic, they in turn have experienced illnesses like leukemia, lymphomas, auto-immune disorders and very rare cancers. These illnesses have been documented and even more permanent, the bodies that they have had to bury leave a hole in the families and the community. I sat there in my chair watching so many of the people in this community talk about the affect that the tar sands have had on their families. I watched their faces and I listened to what they had to say. I saw the animals with problems, like the fish that had a tumor on it, and thought who would eat that? I saw the burial markers of the graves of people who had died from the cause and effect of the tar sands. As I watched and listened to these people, it sunk into my head that they are human beings just like you and me. Yet the government and the big companies that are being funded to get this oil say there is nothing wrong with the water, nothing wrong with the animals, nothing wrong with anything. They can care less how their operations are affecting this community. In fact they had even sent some representatives there to listen to the concerns of the people and as one woman spoke her truth of what was happening and the fact that they are burying so many people, the camera panned to the representatives that had facial expressions that seemed to show their time was being wasted listening to this.

It’s mind boggling to me how they could stand there in a room with people who are upset, who are crying and who are pleading their case and not be affected. I live in the United States not Canada, my family is not being affected by the tar sands so why should I care what happens to these people who are in another country? I should care and do care because we are talking about human lives at stake with serious conditions that no one is doing anything about. What if that was their child or their sibling or their spouse that died from those conditions? I suppose that since it’s not, it doesn’t have an impact on them. I was so disgusted by their behavior and reactions that I honestly didn’t even feel like driving home in my car that uses oil that comes from the same place that is not taking care of people and just letting them die. I don’t understand how someone who is standing in the same room as these people could feel nothing. I sat in the movie theater watching this and became so overwhelmed with emotion, that tears started to roll down my face.
This world has become so selfish and so self serving and the almighty dollar rules over everything. When we are putting gas in cars, we don’t think of where it comes from. That has changed for me since seeing this movie. I am still in disbelief at how these people are being treated and no less by another HUMAN BEING. You could sit there reading this feeling that you don’t care because it’s not in your country. Well, I have news for you, it is.
There was a part in the movie that talked about the company BP Amoco getting permission to dump over 1,500 pounds of ammonia and roughly 5,000 pounds of suspended solids into the Great Lakes from their Whiting Refinery in Indiana. All I could think was that I loved the irony of a supposed “green” company that advertises "Beyond Petroleum" saying they are a global leader in producing the cleanest burning fossil fuel, does the exact opposite of what it promotes. I think in the future when BP Amoco advertises how green they are, they should show how green the lakes are from them dumping all their toxins in it and hey, while they’re at it, change the green in their logo so that it glows! This had so many people outraged and one of the people who was loudly against this was Eddie Vedder of the group Pearl Jam. During their concert at Lollapalooza, Eddie informed the fans that he had just been told by “a couple of reliable sources” around town that the oil companies were “sitting on 40 million acres” of land that they planned on drilling for oil and that these lands are federal lands so they can keep the supplies low and the prices and profits high. The crowd’s reaction was clear that they stood against this with Eddie and the rest of the band. I was floored when I saw this because I couldn’t think of a better venue than a concert where you already have everyone’s attention and they’re already hanging on your every word. Way to go Eddie! Now as if that wasn’t enough, the band started playing an impromptu song “Don’t Go To BP Amoco”.

Here's what Eddie said and a video clip you can watch of this amazing moment.
“And with all of you here, I think you should hear it. They’ve been passing out information that uh, and it seems to be factual that they’re leading us to believe that there’s this company, and they’re called BP Amoco. ….But it’s apparently financially beneficial to them to dump their waste into your beautiful Lake Michigan”. The crowd boos at this injustice.
“So I would just suggest…that we all have choices as a consumer, that if you drove right by an Amoco and went somewhere else to get your gas...so don’t show BP Amoco any kind of love until they clean up their act”.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bUAD7OPwjg

The tar sands project uses significantly more energy in their process than the energy that is used to produce regular crude oil and in fact, the tar sands project has been called “the most destructive project on Earth” by the Natural Resources Defense Council. I stated previously that it seems as though the Canadian government isn’t really doing anything about this and I posed the question of why should we care here in the United States. Well we should care because the problems in Alberta actually extends to southern Illinois, from Lake Michigan as I told you regarding the BP Amoco company and then into the sky. So now it’s here and do you think we’re going to sit back and just accept this? No we’re not because we have a President who gets involved. In fact, President Obama took a trip to Canada in February of this year to meet with Prime Minister Stephen Harper of Canada. Obama is in favor of using clean energy which affects not only our economy and people but the planet as a whole.
Both countries agree on technological development and research, however, expanding the tar sands oil production has no place in this clean energy plan and it also poses an unacceptable risk to the climate as pointed out by President Obama. This is one of the things that I love about Obama is that he makes people accountable. If you remember early on when the car companies were pleading their cases that they needed to be bailed out, President Obama didn’t have a problem with this, but the car companies needed to show him what they were going to do with the money. He was making them accountable. When the staff said they couldn’t figure out ways to save money, he said yes you can. He told them to sit there and figure out. He is not letting anyone be lazy anymore and he is not putting up with anymore excuses. The same goes here with this situation. I’ve heard and read so many things that people have said against the President of how come things haven’t changed yet in some areas or they don’t like the changes that he is proposing. Here’s the thing people, things do not change overnight. It takes time to get all your ducks in a row and many meetings to get through it all. I caught Obama on Letterman awhile ago and he talked about how things do get presented but then get turned down so they go back to the drawing board and find another way. He is definitely not one to give up the first time he gets a “no”. He just goes back and finds another way to get the “yes”. Here is a quote from our President on this situation:
“We are very grateful for the relationship that we have with Canada, and Canada being our largest energy supplier, but I think that increasingly we have to take into account that the issue of climate change and greenhouse gases is something that’s going to have an impact on all of us and as two relatively wealthy countries, it’s important for us to show leadership.”
Before Obama got into the leadership role he has today, he was pushing for a safe environment and I wonder how many people really know this? He was the co-sponsor of the Global Warming Pollution Reduction Act while he was still in the Senate. This act would reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the United States by 80% by 2050 and even though he was ahead of his game, Congress still has to vote on this bill. Then there’s the Clean Air Act in Illinois that required 10% of electricity in the state would come from renewable sources such as wind and solar power by 2012. Obama was preventing Bush from rolling back this act while he was a Senator by introducing a bill that required more pollution controls at coal plants. Obama is committed to protecting the Great Lakes because they make up 1/5 of the world’s surface water and he doesn’t want to disrupt the balance of the lake’s ecosystem. So he ensured that Illinois would get adequate federal funding to operate a barrier that will prevent Asian carp from entering Lake Michigan.
These are things that Obama was already working on so for him to make the trip to Canada was no surprise. We are a country that I feel looks after one another and we have our finger on the pulse of humanity in this country. If the tar sands were located in this country, I believe the voices of the people that it was affecting would be heard.
This movie is a must see whether or not you're into documentaries. I wasn't sure what to expect from the movie. I thought it was going to be something on oil that wasn't too exciting or that I would be bored with. The way the movie opens has you wanting to know where it's going so you pay attention. As the movie continues it's almost like layers are being peeled off until you get to the core. Each time another layer got peeled off, I kept thinking this problem is getting bigger and bigger and the domino affect kept spreading out further and further. Academy Award Nominee Director Leslie Iwerks really did quite a job on keeping your interest and at the same time bringing you into this other world that you never knew of.
I don't want to spoil too much but you'll also see a portion of the movie where a doctor comes in to help these people that are getting sick and dying and when he realizes what it's really from, he is harassed to keep quiet. He does everything to get the attention from the right people but the media slams him and makes him seem not credible in what he's saying. I was very proud of this man for not giving into being quiet and really trying to go to bat for these people and the environment.
You really must see this movie because now that I have seen it, I really want everyone here in the United States to go see it to understand my passion of how wrong this is and how it is affecting us here in our country and we don't even know it. We need to take a stand for our environment and for our own lives. I don't want us ordering fish with a side of tumor and I certainly don't want to attend a funeral daily.
One last thing I might add is that ironically Director Leslie Iwerks was born on the original Earth Day when it was founded and I find it interesting that this is her second project regarding environmental issues. Do you think someone bigger than us is trying to tell us something? I don't know but what I do know is that this is something Leslie is very passionate about and after seeing this movie I feel the same way. I guarantee you will too. You can log onto www.leslieiwerks.com or www.babelgum.com/dirtyoil for more info and the trailer on this movie. This is Babelgum's first feature film and they had approached Ms. Iwerks on directing this film. I give two thumbs up to both Babelgum and Leslie Iwerks for this incredible movie.

Oceana Interview With Sam Waterston...

2010-07-07T00:35:00.001-04:00

Oceana is an organization that was founded in 2001 and is the largest international organization that is focused only on the conservation of our beautiful oceans. They have offices in North America, South America, Europe and Central America. I had an opportunity to interview one of the Board of Directors, Sam Waterston. You may know Mr.Waterston best from his role on “Law and Order” as Jack McCoy. He has a real passion for our oceans and it was quite apparent throughout our interview.

Sam Waterston, Actor and Activist

I asked Sam how he originally got involved in this wonderful organization and he said that Chairman Keith Addis and Actor Ted Danson had approached him. Both men serve on the Board of Directors as well and it was not a difficult task to convince Sam to join. He grew up on the East Coast in New England playing and enjoying the ocean around him. Now we see bad things happening and people don’t know what to do about them. Once such thing is the current oil spill that has been all over the news. I asked Sam what his take was on this. “It’s a horrible thing within itself”, he explained,” and the effects will be seen for years and years and years.” He is indeed correct as this oil spill has caused so much tragedy in so many directions. I’m personally saddened at the fact that I think this entire spill could have been avoided in the first place. I shared with Sam that last year I saw a movie at the Hamptons International Film Festival called “Dirty Oil”. It was a documentary and really opened my eyes as to what is going on out there. We all know oil and water don’t mix but this movie made that statement even more real. It even mentioned in part about how BP had a part in our own country to cause a similar situation on the Great Lakes by getting permission to dump over 1,500 pounds of ammonia and roughly 5,000 pounds of suspended solids from their Whiting Refinery in Indiana. What is going on with this country that our world is made up of about 71% water yet we can care less? Oceana will bring in a remote vehicle to the oil spill to study what’s going on and what happens regarding the damage being done.

Sam believes this is an opportunity for us to wake up and change course and change the way we do energy. “These spills happen around the world but we should be moving as fast as we can to try to get energy elsewhere and in effect, it would create new jobs, help with the economy and avoid these spills”, states Sam and I have to agree with him. He acknowledged the opportunities that are all around us right here on Long Island. A good example he pointed out were the windmills out here. The winds are steady blowing and the energy created by the windmills would be a lot cleaner.

It’s not just the energy issue but the fact that the ocean bottoms are being wiped out and no one really has a clue as to what is going on with the sea beds. In the past few years, about 2 percent of all money for environmental causes goes to our oceans yet we are made up of about 71% water. Sam pointed out how people may not pay so much attention to the oceans since they seem far out whereas they pay more attention to things like our forests because those are closer to us. The forests are more on a national level but the oceans belong to all of us.

He has noticed that there are more and more people becoming aware of the ocean but most people tend to think they can’t do anything about it. The oceans can actually respond quite well and if you think about it, it’s a crazy concept if we just sit back and do nothing about what’s going on.

This is where you come in. You can definitely make a difference even if you think you can’t. If you tell me one person can’t make a difference, I will throw names at you like Rosa Parks. If each person thinks they can make a difference, all of a sudden we have hundreds and thousands that are all helping to make a difference. One thing you can do that is immediate is to attend the fundraiser this July 10 at the Watermill home of Lois Robbins and Andrew Zaro. Many celebrities will be in attendance and some of the more prominent figures that will be there are Susan Cohn Rockefeller, Vera Wang, Arthur Becker, Ellen and Dan Crown, Andrew and Sandi Farkas, Tom and Lori Florio, Senator Frank Lautenberg and Bonnie Lautenberg, Lizzie and John Tisch just to name a few. You can get your ticket by logging on to www.oceanasplashparty.org and if you cannot attend this event, please log on to www.na.oceana.org and donate what you can or become a wave maker and see how you can help save our oceans.

Church Lounge Restaurant Review...

2010-06-02T17:20:00.003-04:00

TriBeCa,short for "Triangle Below Canal", is home to first class art galleries, restaurants and boutiques. The Tribeca Grand Hotel was the first New York luxury hotel to arrive in TriBeCa. The Church Lounge, located in the atrium of the Tribeca Grand, is sure to seduce you upon your entrance into the hotel. The soft glow of candles and the relaxed yet upscale lounge feel pulls you in where you can enjoy a delectable meal or flavorful cocktail.
I have been to the Tribeca Grand many times before but this time I took a friend for dinner as I've been meaning to do many times. Last Thursday, February 18, I decided it was a good opportunity to have dinner at the Church Lounge prior to going to a closing night party for Fashion Week. We were greeted by Sal Monaco, the Food and Beverage Manager. I met Sal a few years ago when he managed another restaurant and from the first day I met him, he has been a very hospitable host. The Grand family is very fortunate to have him at the helm.

Sal Monaco, Food & Beverage Manager and Annemarie Davin, FameHampton

We were seated at a cozy table with plush banquets that were very comfortable. There were a good amount of people at the tables and sitting at the bar. I've always noticed that people are always smiling and having fun when I've been there and this night was no exception.
We received our menus and each ordered a glass of Pinot Grigio which is my favorite wine! I had no idea what to pick to eat because everything on the menu looked so appetizing. I decided to try the Shrimp and Avocado Sandwich which came with arugula and lime mayonnaise. My friend tried the Seared Salmon that came with pink grapefruit, avocado and beet salad with a pomegranate vinaigrette. For sides we had Truffle Creamed Spinach and Baby Carrots with Butter and Thyme.

The service was pretty quick. Before we knew it our plates were set before us and it all looked so delicious. As I took my first bite, the combination of the shrimp, avocado and lime mayonnaise blended so perfectly together it made my taste buds dance! This was a dish I was definitely glad I ordered. I kept eating and didn't stop to have a conversation like I normally do. This was too good! My friend commented how perfect her salmon was and she continued on eating just like me. Two plates that were made to perfection by Chef Max Bartoli. Sal came back around to ask us how we liked our meal and the first words out of my mouth were "Oh my God! This is so good!" He smiled and was delighted that we were enjoying it. I went on to try the baby carrots and of course as I suspected, they were quite mouth watering and again just the right blend of butter and thyme. The truffle creamed spinach melted in my mouth as I tried a sample of that as well.
If you've ever gone to the Church Lounge just for drinks, you really must try dinner there. I promise you won't be disappointed. In the summer the Soho Grand opens up their restaurant, The Yard, and I can't wait to try a meal there as well. Sal manages The Yard in the summer as well and both hotels boast the terminology "The Grand Life". The word grand certainly is a word I would use to describe the service, the atmosphere and the food. If you think of how many choices you have in Manhattan alone, it's no wonder why many people choose the Church Lounge.

Annemarie Davin and friend, Lanka Dupont

Dinner is not the only thing served. They also serve breakfast and lunch and on Sundays you can have the Grand Brunch which is served from 10am to 3pm and comes with a wide array of choices. Breakfast is served daily from 6am to 11 am, lunch is served from 11am to 4pm and dinner is from 4pm to 11pm.
If you are planning a weekend in the city, you should take advantage of the special offer they have right now which is a two night weekend stay from $450 and includes a complimentary $100 food and beverage credit. Also keep the Tribeca Grand in mind if you are attending the Tribeca Film Festival.
If you're looking to book an event or want to book reservations in the Church Lounge, be sure to ask for Sal Monaco and tell him I sent you!

Hillary Flowers at Amnesia...

2010-02-16T23:12:00.025-05:00

The Official Hillary Flowers Fashion Week Runway Show took place on Monday, February 15th at Club Amnesia in New York City. This President's Day Celebration had a special performance by Axixs. Axixs is a group that was formed by Pras Michel, formerly of The Fugees, and Selina Carrera, one of the groups vocalists. The other vocalist is Stefi Nova and she also plays bass guitar.

Hillary Flowers, in the middle in the silver shining dress, with some of her models.

Selina Carrera and Stefi Nova take time out to strike a pose

Selina Carrera, Pras Michel and Stefi Nova of Axixs

The fashion show was sponsored by Hampton Daze Magazine and many people came out for this fun evening. There were even goodie bags on the tables which included scarves courtesy of Hillary Flowers and a special gift courtesy of Hiipuss V.

Hillary Flowers and Annemarie Davin, Publisher, FameHampton.com

Melanie Anne, Joe Cipro and Jessica Mackin, Hampton Daze Magazine

Lanka Dupont, Hiipuss V and Annemarie Davin, FameHampton.com

There were many dresses and many designs that were showcased that evening. Here are the models and the dresses they presented.

At the end of the show, Hillary Flowers came out to take a bow with her shining smile on a successful evening. I've also included a video clip of all of the models as they paraded their beautiful dresses.

Thanks to everyone who came out and showed their support.

Tru Renewal Launch Party...

2009-10-22T23:24:00.023-04:00

This past Tuesday, October 20th, I had the pleasure to attend the launch party for Ramona Singer's Tru Renewal Skin Care line. It was held at the Equinox Spa on 2nd Avenue in New York City. I entered the Equinox Gym and was greeted by the friendly staff at the front desk. There was music playing and so much going on that I thought that was the launch party but it was actually their own party celebrating their one year anniversary at that location. I ventured down three levels to the spa where the Tru Renewal launch party was being held. There was a display table with the Tru Renewal products on it that you could sample. The bubbly girl who asked if I wanted to try it was Ramona's assistant, Melissa Klein, who was doing a great job of getting people to let her put some of the cream on their hands to sample.

Melissa Klein and the Tru Renewal Products for sample

I entered into the room where the other guests were and saw the Bravo TV camera crew already rolling. I didn't want to interrupt so I held back a bit until I could go up to say hi to Ramona and congratulate her.

Ramona and friend, Melissa, conversing while cameras were rolling

There were plenty of appetizers for everyone and for drinks they had ice cold water with lemon and what kind of wine do you think they served? Well, Pinot Grigio of course! That's Ramona's favorite wine and I must say she has good taste because that's my favorite wine too! Massages and Tru Renewal facials were available and a percentage of all the spa treatments that evening were going to benefit the foundation "You Can Thrive!" which supports breast cancer survivors. It's great that Ramona could share with others on her big day.

Luana DeAngelis-Halpern, Founder of "You Can Thrive!", Annemarie Davin, FameHampton.com

Tru Renewal Anti Aging Skincare is a line developed by Ramona that has been 15 years in the making and I must tell you that it has been worth the wait! The Ultra Repair Cream with Algae Enzymes is to be used morning and evening. I can only imagine the results of long term use because just trying a sample sent my skin back to its youth. I have never tried anything that worked that fast! This cream repairs and protects your skin. The Oxygenated Algae Boost has many layers to it that when shaken all together, gently exfoliate the skin and regenerate the cells while at the same time smooth out expression lines. Stimulating collagen synthesis, toning and firming are other tasks this formula performs and there are no preservatives or chemicals.

One thing I'm finding more and more with myself and other older women is the puffiness, fine lines and dark circles around and under the eyes. Well I'm happy to tell you that the Ultimate Eye Repair with Retinal will help with these problems as well as firming the skin in the area. The liquid oxygen and micronized pearl for healing are two things that made me really want to try this product. The one complaint I have on my face is my eyes. I'm not 20 anymore but I don't have to look like I'm in my 40's either. I'm so glad Ramona made this one because I was really starting to think of alternatives that I didn't want to try. The great thing about this is that you pat just a little around the eye area. The Gentle Gel Cleanser with Algae Extract is a mild, foaming cleanser for all skin types and I'm even talking about those of you with irritable or sensitive skin. Some people use it once a day and some use it twice a day. It's all up to the individual. Testers were available and this really is a great product. I get complimented all the time!

I really think Ramona hit on every spot and every age with her product and I'm so glad she came out with these products. Throughout the evening you could try the products there and even purchase whichever ones you liked. I think if you're going to buy one, you should just buy the whole line since they all work together. That's how most ladies purchased the product.

And speaking of ladies, all the other New York City housewives were there to support their friend and castmate. Countess LuAnn de Lesseps and Kelly Killoren Bensimon walked in and were not hard to miss since they are both so tall. Jill Zarin floated in with a big smile as she always has on her face and Alex and Simon McCord were on hand as well and I really liked Alex's top that she was wearing. The Bravo TV film crew were there taping for the show and it all ran so smoothly. You would expect some chaos but everything was under control and I was happy to see that.

Kelly and Jill discussing the Tru Renewal products while cameras capture it all

There was one part where all the girls were talking and then someone had brought over a gift wrapped bottle of wine and presented it to Ramona. It was from Bethenny Frankel and Ramona called her to thank her. That's when Bethenny told her she was pregnant and of course that is why she could not attend but everyone was so happy for her.

Countess LuAnn and Alex having a discussion...hmmm...guess you'll have to watch the new season to hear what it was about!

Lots of people showed up for this great event and had a great time! If you want to purchase the line, you can log onto http://www.ramonasinger.com/ and click on the tru renewal link.

Mario and Ramona Singer, a fun and energetic power couple!

Laurie Lombardi, Dr. Sharon Giese, Annemarie Davin

Ramona Singer, Annemarie Davin

"Speed Grieving" Movie with Alysia Reiner...

2009-10-22T23:22:00.012-04:00

Every day we hear of someone in the news who has passed away. It could be someone who’s a celebrity or just an average citizen that had a tragic death. We comment how sad it is and move on. We do this because we don’t really know these people and it’s just not close enough to us. But when someone very close to us dies like a family member or good friend, we have a different reaction. Each person is affected in their own way. We wonder who to go to talk about how we’re feeling and what we’re going through because grief and dying have always been subjects that aren’t widely discussed in our culture. It’s avoided when it can be and then we’re left feeling alone and hopeless.

Alysia Reiner, the actress and producer of the movie short “Speed Grieving”, lost her father when he was in his early fifties. To lose her father at such a young age was devastating but then to lose him so quickly within ten days of finding out he had cancer, sent an even stronger shockwave to her soul. Through what happened following his death led her to the idea of making this movie because the issue of death and grief should be talked about and dealt with.

Alysia Reiner in the movie "Speed Grieving"

I had the opportunity to talk with Alysia about the movie and was excited about this because like her, I feel this subject is not addressed enough in our culture as it is in others. She found out that her father had cancer and ten days later he died. She told me that the quickness of it all gave her no time to process what was happening. I really understood first hand what she was talking about. When I was sixteen, my mother had to take my father to the emergency room because he wasn’t feeling right and wasn’t sure if he was having a heart attack. The next day my mom said he was doing great and they wanted to keep him for observation. Later that evening, my mom called me at home to tell me that my father had gone into cardiac arrest and they were working on him. This was his second heart attack in ten years and the outcome wasn’t looking good as forty percent in total of his heart was damaged which is fatal. The helplessness I felt was overwhelming. I wanted to stop the clock and start bargaining with God to save him. I knew there was nothing I could do, so I gathered my sisters together and we started to pray for our father and for strength for all of us to get through this. Alysia and I spoke about our experiences with our fathers and what we felt at the time. You really don’t have time to prepare mentally or emotionally and you can’t process it fast enough. It’s not really happening yet it’s happening too fast. Things that seemed so important become petty. Who do you go to for advice and help?

Alysia Reiner and James Naughton in a scene from "Speed Grieving"

Alysia shared with me that her original idea for this film came to her in a dream with specific ideas of what to talk about. I don’t know about you but when she told me that, I was wondering if she realized that it was divine intervention at its finest that was happening. When something bad or dreadful happens to someone and they turn it around into a positive that will help other people, I believe this was in part the purpose of why they had to experience that situation. I believe that her experience had the purpose to make this film. You cannot understand what it’s like to lose your parent unless you have. The feelings and emotions you go through are unimaginable to someone who hasn’t lost either parent yet. I know that I could never imagine losing either of my parents until it happened. When you lose someone like that, it’s amazing who you can count on. “Sometimes people who you expect to be there aren’t and then strangers who you don’t expect to be there, are there”, Alysia told me and I emphatically agreed. When the chips are down it’s surprising who is there for you. Another thing that she touched on was that as a society, “America is youth based and afraid to talk about death.” She noted that the more we can talk about this subject, the less alone people will feel and how great it is to have a friend who will reach out to you. When funeral arrangements are being made and family and friends attend the services, you feel that support system. But the real challenge is after all of that is gone and you try to get on with your daily life while at the same time trying to deal with your loss. Who’s there then? That’s the time you really need someone and need the support and that’s when it matters who is there.

I am thrilled that this film was made because it’s not just a film that will be watched and then forgotten about. Alysia told me that they plan on using this film at hospitals, hospices and showing it to caretakers. They also plan to work with grief counselors and use this as kind of a discussion guide. This is phenomenal because when they started to go forward with making this film, Alysia couldn’t believe the outpouring of people who wanted to get on board and did come on board to help in making this film in honor of someone they love. So many things were donated from a person’s time to the chocolates that the crew enjoyed during their long hours of work.

James Naughton and Alysia Reiner in a dance scene from the movie

Our world is changing in regards to spirituality and death. There are many shows on television that deal with death as the next step and not as the end. More and more people are coming forward to talk about their experiences and are more open with their feelings. Both of my parents have passed and that was hard. But last December I had a very close friend who died that is the same age as me. That was a whole other situation as my mortality hit me right in the face. I could not imagine not being here right now. I was shocked but I wanted to be there for everything. The first night of the wake, there were so many people there and so many people I had not seen in a long time. My friends know how spiritual I am and that I talk about death and moving on like it’s nothing. There were people there who are the same way that I am and there were also people there who just don’t like to talk about it at all. Those were the people who were just outside the room and talking about what was going on with their lives or anything else but what was happening. Keeping what you’re feeling inside just brews and then one day you have a break down and you don’t know why. I was glad to see so many people inside the room talking about my friend Jeff and memories they had with him. Talking about it is a release and you’re sharing it with others who are going through the same thing as you are. If you have ever noticed that the people who talk about it move on in a better way or faster way than the others. Then when the others are ready to talk, it’s awkward because you have moved on from that stage.

People try to keep themselves busy so they don’t have to deal with the person who has just been taken from their lives. They try to speed through it which is why the title to this movie is so accurate, Speed Grieving. People need to confront their feelings as they’re happening. They need to really feel. That is what makes us human. I was sixteen when my father died and the first time I saw him lying there in the casket, I lost it. It was like the waterworks were turned on full force and they didn’t stop. My mom was so great because she just hugged me as we walked up to casket. She didn’t say a word because she knew I had to just get it out. My aunt on the other hand, ran over to us and wanted to take me to go sit down. It was like she was pulling me away from my dad. Then the words you don’t want to hear came out of her mouth,” It’s ok, come on let’s go sit down. Ok just calm down.” What? Are you serious? I just pulled away and said,”No! Leave me alone!” As much as I couldn’t take seeing him lying there, I had to. I had to because I needed it to sink in. I needed to feel the devastation and the reality that this was it, he wasn’t coming home and no matter that he looked like he was sleeping, he was not going to wake up.

The grieving also can come years later when you least expect it. I had shared with Alysia that about five years after my dad passed, I was watching the news and they were showing shoppers who were shopping for their dads for Father’s Day and out of nowhere I started crying. I guess it hit me all over again that I couldn’t go shopping for him and I wondered how many people took their dads for granted. Alysia knew where I was coming from with all the mixed emotions because with the loss of her father, she had all these feelings happening at once. It’s such a rollercoaster ride that she was on. One minute you could laugh about a memory you’re having and then the next minute you’re crying because you miss that person. We talked about how there are constant reminders around us all the time and there’s no rhyme or reason to things when it comes to death and losing someone who’s so dear to you. There’s no medical research that can say this is how we'll feel or this is how you will get through it. Though the death of her father was the saddest event that could happen, the happiest event took place when she gave birth to her daughter. Imagine dealing with the grief of losing your father and at the same time having such joyous feelings about your baby girl. One thing I really admire about Alysia is that this film is part of her grieving process. And to share this with the world is a gift that she is giving to everyone. When you go to see a movie, you always talk about it afterwards. The same applies here when you see this film. It will get people talking about their experiences and sharing with each other. “The main goal of this film is for people to feel free to feel all of their feelings” she told me because the process never ends.

Lucy DeVito and Alysia Reiner in a scene from "Speed Grieving"

She has done such a wonderful thing by making this film and sharing with everyone. When the day comes when you are confronted with a loss like this, I hope you will see this film. Even if you have not had to deal with a loss in your life yet, you should see this film. Everyone should see this film because it will help in so many ways. I hope that when people are attending the various film festivals that this movie will be shown at, that they will go see this. Death is not an end; it’s a transformation of our journey. Your human life on Earth will come to an end but your soul will go on to the next chapter. As a matter of fact, I’m finding that at the funerals I have attended in the past few years, people are actually smiling because instead of looking at death as a negative they are celebrating that person’s life. I think that is such a wonderful thing because their life should be celebrated through shared memories and speeches where people say good things about that person.

I remember asking my dad one time what kind of funeral he wanted and he told me. He didn’t tell my mother or anyone else so when we sat with the funeral director to make arrangements and the question was posed as to what kind of funeral to give him, my mom was at a loss for words. I looked around the room waiting for someone to say something and when no one did, I sort of started laughing and then all eyes went on me like I was crazy or something. I apologized and then said,”I’m so sorry I don’t mean to laugh but my dad is funny”. They all still stared at me. “I know what he wanted but I don’t feel right doing this”, I said. Then I went on to tell them that he told me that when he died, he wanted us to cry on the way to the funeral and get it all out. Then after he wanted us to celebrate and have a big party for him. He wanted us to have the party to celebrate the fact that he was going to a better place that was far better than any place on Earth. He said that he would be the one crying for us because we were stuck here and he got to check out. The room was quiet and there I was still kind of laughing at my dad’s views on life. Then it hit me that he was right and then I started to cry. Yes, that rollercoaster of feelings was happening again. So you see, it is so important for us to talk about this subject more because it is a release and a sense of healing for our own soul.

Talk more, share more and don’t look at death like it’s something that’s taboo. Youth is a state of mind and the fact is that we don’t remain young forever so enjoy your journey here for as long as you can. Take it all in. Feel the feelings that you’re supposed to feel because after all, you are human and one of the joys of being human is to feel both the good and the bad. Be free with who you are and don’t listen to what people say when they tell you to calm down. Cry your eyes out and feel the hurt because you can’t avoid it so you might as well deal with it. And always remember that there is no speedy process when it comes to grieving. Thank you Alysia for making this film and for sharing it with everyone.

http://www.speedgrieving.org/

"Desert Rose" Movie: True Story of Waris Dirie...

2009-10-14T01:50:00.009-04:00

True stories usually make great movies and “Desert Flower” is no exception. This film was adopted from the book “Desert Flower” by Waris Dirie. The book as well as the movie is the true story of her life. Waris became a top supermodel despite coming from a line of Somalian nomads. Her roots had followed a ritual of female circumcision and arranged marriages. When she was thirteen she left her family and everything she had known to get away from marrying a much older man. She wound up in London, England where she worked and lived with her wealthy relatives. After a falling out with them, she tried to go it alone. She tried to make ends meet and even worked at a McDonald’s. She met and became friends with a woman, Marilyn, and through this friendship she realized that women in America do not go through the trauma that she did in her youth. She comes to realizations through being forced to relive her past as she is trying to move forward with a new life.

Fortunately she was discovered by photographer Terence Donovan and he helped her land the cover of the 1987 Pirelli calendar. This was the pivoting point that launched her modeling career and top designers such as Revlon, Chanel and L’ Oreal chose her for their ads. She has graced the runways in New York City, Milan, Paris and London and was in the most elite fashion magazines including Vogue, Elle and Glamour. She even had a minor role in the James Bond movie “The Living Daylights”.

Here is one of Waris Dirie's ads that she modeled for.

In 1997, Marie Claire magazine interviewed Waris where she revealed that she had undergone female genital mutilation, also known as FGM. This sparked worldwide media coverage and this was also the year that Waris became a UN Ambassador for the Elimination of Female Genital Mutation. The following year she wrote her book which became an international best seller. She was at the height of her modeling career at this time and she made the conscious decision to leave her career and concentrate on her efforts to end female circumcision. She also has a foundation that raises money for clinics and schools in Somalia called Desert Dawn Foundation.

The beautiful, brave and inspirational, Waris Dirie

Waris is a woman of inspiration for everyone. Her story is one of courage and willpower. In order to have her book come to life on the big screen, the search to find someone who could portray this fascinating woman was sought out in many different continents, including the United States. After literally spanning the globe, they found her in the talented Liya Kebede. Liya was born and raised in Ethiopia and shares some similarities with Waris. She is a supermodel that has appeared on numerous covers of fashion magazines including Vogue and has been in ad campaigns for companies like Revlon just like Waris. She was also appointed as the WHO Goodwill Ambassador for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health. It’s interesting that she portrayed a woman who she has so much in common with.

One of Liya Kebede's many covers that she was on. This is Vogue Italia.

I thought that both women might have met before filming took place but I found out when I interviewed Liya that they actually met on the last day of the shoot. I also assumed that Liya was called to audition for this part but she informed me that she had heard about the role and decided to audition for it especially because she had read the book. I was impressed by that because this was a role she wanted not just something her manager called her with to audition for. I think that when an actor goes after a role that they are passionate about performing, the movie goers get to truly see that character come to life. This was definitely the case with Liya because her portrayal of Waris is outstanding! They had auditioned actors on every continent looking for the right fit and Liya was the right one for this role.

Liya Kebede as Waris Dirie in "Desert Rose".

I asked Liya how playing the role affected her as far as how she felt about the life of this brave woman. She said that it made her appreciate Waris more and what she went through. “It’s an incredible journey for women and very empowering for them” she told me. “Waris doesn’t become a victim of her circumstances” she went on to say and she also said that the movie raises awareness on an issue of something that has been going on for so long in the country of Somalia.

Another still from the movie of Liya Kebede as Waris Dirie

I asked about the FGM and why do they do it. She explained that marriage is the only way out for these women so when they become of age, this ritual takes place because the husband knows that the wife is clean and untouched. In some places in that country it is changing but it does still take place. Eventually it will stop as the women find other means of getting out besides marriage such as education. I was intrigued as Liya was telling me all of this because living in the country that we do, it’s hard to imagine that these barbaric acts take place. As I sat across from Liya, I really listened to what she was saying and it was sinking into my head that I am sitting with a woman who is giving back to the world in her way and who actually knows the fearless woman that this movie is about and what she went through. I started to think how far apart our countries are geographically but in reality how close we all are in being able to help people who go through such horrific circumstances. I can’t imagine what Waris went through and even though Liya is acting the part in the movie, I have to imagine that actually going through the same actions and motions that Waris did, has to have some impact on her psyche and emotions. That’s why I applaud both of these women; Liya for having the desire to portray this woman and being able to handle the role and Waris for her bravery to lead by example and show women that they don’t have to accept what’s expected of them, they can take a stand and become their own person.

I asked Liya what Waris thought of the movie and if she knew how she felt about it and was it hard to see it out there on the big screen. “Yes it was overwhelming for her to see it because it brought back memories of everything that she went through” Liya explained. I asked her what did Waris think of Liya being the one to play her in the movie and she smiled and said,” Waris told me I was so happy it was you.” Well I have to agree because even as you watch the trailer, you will want to see this movie. Liya’s performance has you believing that you are watching Waris first hand. This is a movie that is a must see for everyone but especially for women. When you find yourself saying that you can’t do something, or it’s too hard, or you can’t figure it out, just think of what this woman went through and you’ll realize that you can overcome anything at any age.

Below you can click on the first link to view the English version of the trailer. The next link you click on is an actual interview with the real Waris Dirie. Watch how Waris Dirie went from walking the sands in the Somalian desert to the catwalks of the fashion world. It will encourage you to go after whatever your dream is or empower you to walk away from your bad situation and change your life forever.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4W3imc7BSzo. (this is the link for the trailer)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojRYxEseWa0&NR=1 (interview with the real Waris Dirie)

Hamptons International Film Festival at Gurney's Inn...

2009-10-11T22:22:00.029-04:00

The Hamptons International Film Festival kicked off this year with the opening night film "The Greatest" starring Pierce Brosnan and Susan Sarandon. The annual opening night party was held at Gurney's Inn in Montauk. Everyone had such a great time thanks to the HIFF and Gurney's Inn staff who always throw a terrific event! The opening night is usually held on a Wednesday night but this year it was on Thursday night since the festival is running through Monday instead of Sunday. The music kept everyone dancing and in festive moods. Thank you to the sponsors American Airlines, the Official Airline of HIFF, Altour, The Official Travel Agency of HIFF, Host Sponsor The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, Patron Sponsors Silver Cup Studios, Babelgum, Saunders Realty, Roc, Lincoln Mercury and Ford Motors. Patron Media Sponsors Time Warner Cable, Fox 5 New York, Cablevision, 91 East Productions, IndieWire and Founding Media Sponsors WEHM FM, Beach 101.7, WBAZ FM and WVVH-TV Hamptons Television. The Maidstone, the Official Headquarters, Hampton Jitney, the Official Transportation and Regal Entertainment Group, the Official Theater Partner. Here are pictures from the opening night event at Gurney's Inn.

Pierce Brosnan, starring in the opening night film "The Greatest" and Ingrid Lemme, Director of Marketing and PR at Gurney's Inn

Stuart Match Suna, Chairman of the Board of the Hamptons International Film Festival and owner of Silvercup Studios with Director, Shana Feste of "The Greatest"

Venus Yunker and Paul Monte, General Manager of Gurney's Inn

Ingrid Lemme, Director of Marketing and PR of Gurney's Inn and Douglas Harrington

Annemarie Davin, Publisher of FameHampton.com and Terry Ross, Spanierman Gallery and owner of Second City CPR

Michael Wudyka, owner of The Enclave Inn and East Hampton Studios and Paul Fried

Lianne Alcon, Dan's Papers, Nancy Atlas, Singer, Nancy Keeshan, Keeshan Real Estate

Lauren Brodie and Ligia Bennett both of Elie Tahari in East Hampton

Jerry Desmond and Sarah Malone, General Manager of East Hampton House Resort

Annemarie Davin, FameHampton.com, Lianne Alcon, Dan's Papers, Janet O'Brien of Janet O'Brien Caterers

Candice Monte, Fitness Director of Gurney's Inn and Chip Monte, Executive Chef of Gurney's Inn

Amadeus Ehrhardt of Engel & Volkers, Goran Petmil, Producer of "Here and There" movie, Elva Guerra, Darko Lungulov, Director of "Here and There" movie, David Nemer, Producer of "Here and There" movie

Ingrid Lemme, Director of Marketing & PR Gurney's Inn, Annemarie Davin, FameHampton.com

David Lion Rattiner, Dan's Papers and Editor of Montauk Pioneer, Terry Ross, Spanierman Gallery

Annemarie Davin, Publisher of FameHampton.com and Tora Matsuoka, Owner of Sen Restaurant in Sag Harbor

Venus Yunker, Monique Wisniewski, Owner of SpaUnique, Rose Schwehr, Owner of Endz Salon, Wendy E. Reynolds, Sean Chankersingh, Heather Bee

Joyce Fawcett, Brian Carney, Actor Geico Commericals, Grace De Leo

Andrea Shapiro and Nancy Keeshan, Keeshan Real Estate

Herb and Evelyn Mocbeichel, both of The Montauk Sun

Christina Arnold, Charles Monaco of Gurney's Inn, Django Malone of Gurney's Inn, Chris Monte of Gurney's Inn, Dedrick Malone, Patty Collins Sales, Manager of Indian Wells Tavern

Amelina Siekluska, Photographer and Annemarie Davin, Publisher of FameHampton.com

TJ Clemente, Writer of Dan's Papers and Montauk Pioneer and Cindi Sansone-Braff, Author

Click on the you tube link below for a short clip that's posted on www.danshamptons.com

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=onySXH6iTmg

Thank you to the contributing sponsors Bedell Cellars, Book Hampton, Corey Creek Vineyards, Design Within Reach, European Film Promotion, The East Hampton Star, Elie Tahari, Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP, Gurney's Inn Resort and Spa, The Hollywood Reporter, Kodak, Marders, Nick & Toni's, Shine Global, Silas Marder Gallery, Stella Artois, Suffolk County National Bank, Vue, Dior Beauty, Georgica Restaurant & Bar, VISA Signature, Tiffany & Co and Worldwide Biggies.

Supporting Sponsors Amagansett Wine & Spirits, The Alec Baldwin Foundation, Andrea & Charles Bronfman Philanthropy, The Brizzolara Family, Crumpler, Dan's Papers, The Gallery in Sag Harbor, Governor's Office for Motion Picture & TV Development, Hampton Coffee Company, New York Observer, Nespresso, Suffolk County Department of Economic Development, Tate's Bake Shop, The Town of East Hampton, YMCA East Hampton, The Zankel Foundation, The Zicherman Family Foundation and The Jewish Center of the Hamptons.

"How To Live Forever" Movie Review....

2009-10-11T02:32:00.006-04:00

If you were given a pill that would give you 500 more years to live, would you take it? Would you want it? This question was asked to several people in the movie “How To Live Forever” by director Mark Wexler. This question really makes you contemplate your life, your accomplishments, your mortality. As I watched the movie, I found myself reflecting on many facets of my life as well as the lives of humans in general. The search for how to live forever or at least as long as we can, was done in a fun and interesting way as Wexler takes us to places all over the world where we meet all kinds of people and are introduced to many factors of why people are living longer.

One major impact is our general belief system and its affect on our health. There are findings all over that whether you have a negative or positive outlook on life does have an impact on your health. Positive people generally live longer than those with a negative attitude. There’s a segment that shows the Ms. Senior America Pagent and every woman that entered it had a positive attitude and a lot of them didn’t look like they were in their sixties at all.

Years ago people thought forty meant your life would soon come to end. Nowadays forty is considered more of the middle of your life and sixty is still somewhat young. Your mental attitude is a big part of staying young. There was another segment where they were showing the people that made it into the Guiness Book of World Records and the people that lived way past 100 years of age all had generally positive attitudes and made the most of their genetic inheritance.

Your health and how fit you are, inside and out, is another factor. Jack La Lanne pioneered the fitness revolution and is still going strong. In the film he says," Exercise is King and nutrition is Queen. Put them both together and you have a kingdom." This is a good way of combining the two together that makes sense. Your body is your temple and the only one you have, so why wouldn't you want to treat your body like royalty? La Lanne just turned 95 years old and isn't stopping. I asked Mark what he thought of La Lanne and working out with him and one thing he loves is Jack's passion for what he does. "Jack is one of a kind and really wants people to be healthy", he explains. Jack continues working out every day and I didn't realize that he was responsible for the design of most of the gym equipment you see in the gyms today.

Here you see Jack La Lanne and Mark Wexler in the movie

Biologist Aubrey de Grey stated that "age is repair and maintenance". He compared the human body to that of a car or a machine. The body is a complicated machine but we are learning more and more every day and with rejuvenation therapies, we can see the chance for extending our lives within the next ten years. I asked Mark what he thought of this and also the fact of over population. "Death in other cultures is viewed very differently than how it is viewed here", he explained. "Our culture is youth obsessed and has a fascination with longevity", he went on to say. Some things that they are looking into are reducing our proportions per meal and calorie restrictive diets. Our society's proportions are out of control, children are even faced with obesity problems and diabetes, and our calorie intake is through the roof. I remember as a kid that we always got balanced meals and you rarely saw anyone overweight because everyone was always outside playing.

The computer age along with video games have made today's youth sloth ridden and all of this needs to change. I work out every day and have found it something that I look forward to. I also have reduced my calorie intake and proportions so I'm speaking first hand when I tell you that there is something to this way of thinking. In fact, Mark told me that even the health insurance companies are looking to increase rates for their obese clients. I thinkk this is a good idea because I think this would force people to get healthy. Now if everyone is healthy and fit and living longer, will we become an overpopulated nation? A good point that both Mark and Aubrey said was that it will work itself out because it always does. When the average life span went from 40 years old to 75 years old, they figured it out so in turn the same will happen as we extend the life span to 100 years old.

Cryogenics was another topic shown in the movie where people are currently having themselves frozen until the day when research can find a cure for whatever they have and bring them back. People are placed in sleeping bags and then are strapped in and stored at the facility. This really had me thinking two things. The first was that for the people that believe we all have souls and that when you die our sould leaves and goes to heaven, how could the cryogenic labs bring you back to life? Is your soul hanging out in heaven with everyone until it's time to go back into the same old body? The second thing I thought was even for people that don't believe that, the question still remains, how do they bring you back to life? If you're dead, you're dead. What if you were a coma patient? Could you take that body and freeze it until there was a cure thus leaving the soul intact? I asked Mark this question and he had a good point that the body would still die due to freezing to death. So again we are back to the same question of how do they bring you back? They still don't have an answer for this but are working on one so for now, people are paying for this and will wait until they figure it out.

The Japanese culture has always been known for having very long lives. Mark took a look at the Okinawan's way of life. He found that they do live longer and are healthier. They have a diet that is low calorie and nutrient rich. They have active lives through gardening, dancing, walking, daily things like this that are just part of their lifestyle no matter what their age is. They have a reason to get out of the bed in the morning and are relaxed and happy go lucky. They go at a slower pace than we do and I think that's one thing we have gotten away from in this country. Everyone's in such a hurry that it affects everything. The rushing itself is stressful, then you don't have time to make something to eat so you get something on the run that is usually not healthy, then you worked so many hours you don't have time or are too tired to exercise. The cycle continues day in and day out. No one stops to smell the roses anymore. Mark told me that he's finding that people are seeking alternative ways to relax and are trying to slow down a bit. He's finding that as people are getting older, they are trying to put things in perspective and slow down. I have to agree with him because as I talk with people, I'm finding the same thing. Maybe our society has found that it has come to a point where we are trying to put on the breaks before crashing. I really hope so. "The formula for longevity used to be 70 percent genes and 30 percent lifestyle", Mark explained; "Now they're finding that it's 70 percent lifestyle and 30 percent genes". Well, I'm not a scientist but this sounds about right to me.

Marge Jetton, 104 years old, shows us in the movie that she still works out every day

My father had his first heart attack at 38 years old and was supposed to be on a program of diet and exercise which he did but then eventually fell away from. At age 48, his second heart attack killed him. My mom had breast cancer and had a mastectomy along with preventative chemotherapy and was fine for five years. Then got lung cancer and died at 52. I was 25 years old and found myself thinking that if someone told me that I'd die at 52, what would I do with the next 27 years? I guess this question is much like the "500 year pill " question that Mark asked many people throughout the film. Well, I work out every day and before I could even do that, it took me four months to get my heart in shape to get on a workout routine. I will continue exercising the rest of my life because I will not die from a heart attack. They have also found that the fatty tissue in the abdomen area contributes to cancer and with breast cancer they are finding the same thing since they are made up of all fatty tissue. I've already made up my mind I am not dying from any kind of cancer so that's another reason I'm exercising and eating right. In fact, I am a very positive person, even in times when I shouldn't be and I have already "told' my body that it will not die from any disease or anything along that line. I will simply decide to check out and just go in my sleep. This is part of that positive attitude that has kept people living well beyond 100 years old.

Laughter and always moving forward are some other factors that contribute to extending your life. You've heard the saying "laughter is the best medicine" but I like to think that laughter is the best vitamin. I am constantly laughing and joking and surround myself with people that are the same way. Laughter yoga is something that is a new type of yoga that is becoming popular and people are finding that it's very releasing. How could it not be? When you laugh, it brings more oxygen to the brain. One of the gentlemen in the movie stated that a sense of humor is key and also don't hold any grudges. I agree on both accounts. I love to laugh and I don't hold any grudges because I deal with things as they come and confront then and move on.

Mark Wexler and Dr. Ellsworth Wareham, 94 year old surgeon still practicing

A 94 year old surgeon in the movie is still driving himself to the hospital every day and loves what he does. He said for him that when a chapter is done, he closes it. So here we see again that moving forward and not looking back are methods of someone who is still practicing medicine at 94 and watching this man, you can see that he is competent to do so.

Eleanor Wasson is a woman who said that life gets better after 50 because you don't care what people think, you're more secure with yourself and who you are. She's not really a believer in God or going to church (she thinks churches are too controlling) but she believes there are three laws you should obey. The first is cause and effect, second is free will and free choice and the the third is the law of love. I found this ironic that she really didn't really believe in God nor was she spiritual yet these three laws are things that I find highly spiritual people believe in. I think Eleanor has an innate understanding on longevity. She still has a drink and a smoke as do some of the other people in the movie that are over 100. Some of the people workout every day and keep themselves busy. Is there really one formula to living forever?

I think Mark did an excellent job in showing various situations with an array of people who share their lifestyles with us in this amazing film. There was not one moment that I was bored with this film and for me that is rare. I liked the segments and the fact that everything was so different. Different cultures, different people, different ways of living. One thing I was aware of is that people realize they have this one life and they try to live it to their fullest. These people are never bored and are always evolving. Moderation seemed to be apparent and I really believe their positive attitudes played a major role.

Like many of us, Mark has often reflected on this subject but when his mother passed away, it really brought this to the forefront and the movie was made. I asked Mark what does he hope people will take away from the film? "I hope it gets them thinking and feeling", he answered. Indeed the film definitely does this. This is a must see film and will affect everyone who sees it. You will think, you will feel and you will take a look at your life in so many ways. You will also be inspired by the many people in this film. There are more segments in the film that I didn't touch on because I want you to see this for yourself and I hope it affects you the same way it has affected me. Reflect on your life and if you aren't living your fullest life, you certainly will after seeing this. I think people will make changes to their lives for the better and you'll be happy you took the time to see this film.

To see the trailer and more information, click on www.liveforevermovie.com

Bill O'Reilly on The American Dream Show...

2009-09-27T21:31:00.008-04:00

This past weekend brought the fall air to the Hamptons and The American Dream Show brought Bill O'Reilly to Gurney's Inn in Montauk. Gurney's Inn is a resort that is located along the Atlantic Ocean in Montauk and is known world wide. The inn has three restaurants, The Sea Grille, Caffe Monte and La Pasticceria. There is a spa that is the only true Thalasso Spa in the United States. They also have a salon where you can get your manicure, pedicure or hair done with an ocean view. They also have a fitness center and indoor heated sea water pool. There are 109 rooms and five beautiful cottages all with an oceanview. This is a true resort that many people go to because there is everything in one place and it is located in a magical place called Montauk.

Here's one of the creative, scrumptious desserts we ate in the Caffe Monte at Gurney's

If you have never been to Gurney's Inn, you have never really encountered hospitality at its finest. The staff never disappoints from the valet service to room service, you are always treated like a V.I.P. It's no wonder that the American Dream Show picked Gurney's Inn to film their shows there.

This is one of the many oceanfront views taken at the Skipper's Cottage at Gurney's Inn.

The American Dream Show is a show that talks about family heritage, goals and dreams, basically where you came from and where you are now and what you have accomplished. The show is filmed live and there is an audience section that you can sit in and watch the live taping. The show is hosted by Ingrid Lemme who is also the founder of American Dream Town and Chairperson of Seven Stars and Stripes. The show is aired in prime time to over 5 million households throughout the tristate area including New York, New Jersey and Westchester on Hamptons TV. You can also watch the show world wide by logging onto http://www.hamptonstv.com/.

I have known Ingrid for many, many years and from the first time I met her until now, she has always been so vivacious and charming and she truly has an interest in all types of cultures and backgrounds. You can tell in her interviews that she really enjoys hosting the show and she loves the diversity of her guests. To see other interviews, you can log onto http://www.americandreamshow.com/

This past Saturday she had the opportunity to interview TV journalist Bill O'Reilly, who hosts The O'Reilly Factor on FOX News Channel. His show is a combination of investigative reporting and news analysis. Not only does he host the show but he also has a weekly column that he writes for more than 300 newspapers. He has authored many books and his latest is a personal memoir titled "A Bold Fresh Piece of Humanity". He has 3 emmys under his belt and you can check out his website http://www.billoreilly.com/ because he donates to charity through the sales of his website.

Here is Bill O'Reilly and Ingrid Lemme during their interview courtesy Hamptons TV

I am posting a link here where you can watch the show before it even airs throughout the tristate area. It's an entertaining interview between both Bill O'Reilly and Ingrid Lemme. You'll enjoy hearing about Bill growing up in Levittown, Long Island and you'll laugh at his "alarm" story. He talks about interviews with Presidents and about his time when he was a journalist on location and the time he could have gotten shot. The great thing about Bill is that he is straight forward and not afraid to throw it out there and make people speak their truth. Ingrid has had the pleasure of interviewing many famous people though she still would really like to interview Hillary Clinton and Paul McCartney. Here is the link for the show:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EFMpfy898xM

The American Dream Show, Gurney's Inn and Ingrid Lemme are what I call the Triple Crown of fun, entertainment and hospitality. If you know someone you think should be on the show, and Hillary and Paul I am talking directly to you, please let me know so I can put you in touch with Ingrid Lemme for consideration. If you'd like to stay at Gurney's Inn or try one of their services in the spa or salon, you can log onto http://www.gurneysinn.com/ or call 631.668.2345.

Hillary Flowers...

2009-09-24T22:54:00.012-04:00

Wow, fashion week in New York City has been quite a whirlwind and has finally settled down. So many designers with all of their creations and I have one more I want to present. Hillary Flowers. Hillary Flowers is a charming and vivacious designer who is one of the most sweetest and kindest people I ever met. She is one of those people that good things happen to because she definitely deserves it. She has a boutique that is located at 40 Clinton Street in the Lower East Side of Manhattan. Her boutique allows emerging designers to test the retail market by directly selling their clothing, jewelry and accessories for both men and women. If you have not been to her shop yet, you must check it out because she currently has about 20 designers who are selling their designs. Of course you can also buy Hillary's designs exclusively at her shop. You'll find one of a kind jewelry and clothing that is contemporary glam and reconstructed vintage.

Hillary had two runway shows this season. The first was at Tavern on the Green and here are some pics from that show.

Here is the beautiful Hillary Flowers with a friend at the fashion show. Her second runway show was held at the Bryant Park Hotel and here are some shots from that show.

Hillary is no stranger when it comes to putting together fashion shows and events. She has put together over 25 original fashion shows for an array of clients and has been featured in many magazines. She is also a singer and songwriter and has more than 50 original songs under her belt. She is definitely a woman of many talents and is always evolving.

Both of her runway shows were very successful and we can't wait to see what she designs next. These are just some of her designs so make sure to check out her shop to pick up something for yourself. Thanks to NandoVision for the photos. You can find out more about Hillary at her website at http://www.hillaryflowers.com/.

Aysha Saeed Fall 2009 Collection...

2009-09-16T23:23:00.009-04:00

Fashion Week is all the buzz in New York City and there were and are many shows taking place. One great show took place last Saturday, September 12th at the Cielo Club. Aysha Saeed presented her Fall 2009 collection which is glamorous and sophisticated with a modern edge.

Not only is she beautiful but she is an emerging designer who has celebrities like Hayden Panettiere and Mary J. Blige wearing her designs. She has been featured on Good Morning America and Regis and Kelly. You also might have seen her in Women's Wear Daily, In-Style, Elle and Vogue.

Guests that attended on Saturday got to shop and also be part of a fun, interactive photo shoot where they got to model their favorite Aysha Saeed dresses.

Aysha Saeed with some happy shoppers.

Everyone loves a sale!

Guests find dresses they love!

Everyone was finding what they liked and having a great time. This pop up shop was great but it was for only one day. You can find Aysha Saeed's collections at the most influential specialty boutiques nationwide, in case you didn't get a chance to check this out yourself.

Now every lady knows that shopping can work up an appetite so it was good that Tawny Ong was on hand to add her delicious flavor to the show.

Desserts by Tawny Ong presented mini Red Velvet cakes that are airy and are combined with a yummy cream cheese icing. These are SO delicious! Tawny is pictured here with a tray of fluffy Banana Puddin' cups that are so creamy, you can't just have one. But my favorite is the Ice Box Cake that has layers of chocolate with vanilla whipped cream. It kind of reminds me of a cookies and cream flavor but it's not heavy. Guests enjoyed these tasty treats along with champagne cocktails.

There were also beauty giveaways and music was provided by DJ Luna. Everyone had a great time and it was a fun filled experience.

These girls were jumping for joy due to all the fun they were having. Special thanks to Steven B. Ekerovich of SBE Photography for the photos and to Sabrina Chapman of Simply Chic PR.

I hope everyone has had as much fun at the shows they're attending during this amazing week of fashion, fun and festivities!

Hauteaholics' Runway Soiree...

2009-09-16T16:04:00.048-04:00

This past Monday night I attended the Hauteaholic's Runway Soiree which was held at La Pomme on 26th Street in New York City. This event was presented by mark., a division of Avon, and a portion of all ticket sales went to benefit the New York Women's Foundation. It was hosted by Kristen Schaal who you might recognize from HBO's "Flight of the Conchords" and Comedy Central's "The Daily Show". The designers that were showcased were Kara Janx, Erna Leon, Hunter Dixon and Kathy Misick.

Upon arriving at the event, there was a line already formed to get in. People were passing by asking what was the event for and that added to the excitement. I was glad that I decided to go after traveling all the way from the Hamptons. This was going to be a good event, I could feel it. We waited in line and then it was our turn to go in. The gentleman with the list was trying to find my name and I was getting worried but just then Justine McCarthy came out and said hi to me and told the men,"They're with me. They're VIP. Give them a red chip." The men apologized and I said,"No problem" and just smiled because it really wasn't. They were actually very nice and were frantically trying to find my name. It has to be a little hard doing their job because I'm sure they want to believe everyone so I was glad Justine came out when she did because I really was invited to the show! I couldn't figure out what the red chip was for but found out that it was for at the end of the show. When you leave to get your gift bag, you give them the red chip so they know to give you a VIP gift bag.

We stopped to have our picture taken on the Red Carpet and the photographers were very friendly.

Annemarie Davin, Jessica Lynch

We proceeded inside to join the cocktail party which featured Hautinis. Hautinis consist of vodka, Malibu coconut rum, lime juice syrup, 6 ice cubes and a slice of lime. Yum! The music was already pumping adding to the excitement of the party and of course, DJ Claudius Raphael was at the helm!

DJ Claudius Raphael

DJ Claudius Raphael is one of New York City's hottest DJ's and has been requested to spin at many of the shows during fashion week. I'm glad he was at this event because he knows exactly what to play and exactly at the right time to go with the mood and the atmosphere.

The crowd was filling in and we decided to make our way to the boutique upstairs and check out the Designers' collections. Guests were welcome to shop and they would receive special event only discounts on their purchases during the evening.

After a short while, everyone took their seats to get ready for the big show. We settled down in our seats in the front row with other members from the press. Once everyone got seated, the show started off with a special performance by Farrad and his dancers.

Farrad's music was great and the dancers were entertaining. The crowd definitely enjoyed it! Keep your eye on this guy because I'm sure you'll be seeing lots of him!

After a moving performance, Kristen Schaal, the host for the show, took the stage. She was funny and entertaining.

She shared a fun story about Kate Moss.

And did her rendition of the catwalk. She was funny and the crowd loved her!

She had the crowd laughing and I know that the girls could especially relate. Then it was time for the designers to have their creations unveiled. The first designer that was presented was Kathy Misick who's designs have been worn by Tyra Banks and has been featured in international style and culture manual magazines. Here are some of her designs.

The next designer was Hunter Dickson which was cofounded by Hunter Lingle, designer, and Jennifer Dixon, business development. This is a contemporary line that has been featured in ELLE, Harper's Bazaar, IN STYLE, Lucky Magazine and Fox News. Some well known celebrities that have been seen in this line are Sophia Bush, Lindsay Lohan, supermodel Marisa Miller, VH1's Janell Snowden and the Today's Show Natalie Morales to name a few. Here are some the designs.

Next to show is designer Kara Janx who was a finalist on Project Runway's Season 2. Her collection is fresh, fun and extremely wearable. Julia Roberts, Natalie Portman, Debra Messing, Rhianna, Sarah Jessica Parker and many other fashionable ladies are clients and fans of her work. Her collection has also appeared in Elle, In Style, Harper's Bazaar, Lucky Magazine, Vogue and WWD. Take a look at some of her designs.

And last but certainly not least was designer, Erna Leon, who was awarded the "Best in Class: Luxury Denim" award in July of 2008 at Supima's inaugural Design Contest for Emerging Talent. In May 2009 she opened her own boutique within the Edge NY store located on Bleecker Street. These are some of her designs.

At the end all of the designers were invited to come out on the stage. Everyone was applauding and the designers were very happy at the shows success.

Everyone did their part for this amazing show. The primary sponsor was mark. and the product sponsors were Ardell, China Glaze and Clubman. The key makep artist was Anthea King for mark. and other makeup artists included Lisa Aharon, Stephanie Flor, Simone Segall, Kelly Tabone and Veronica Chu. Key Hair Stylist was Anton David with Brittani Bixler. Jewelry by Mona Assemi. Models were Doreen Awiti, Perizot Begimbaeva, Hannah Brewer, Leo Dee Dawson, Maguire Fitzpatrick, Eyerusalem Girma, Angela Hubbs, Olga Kavardakova, Dina Kotorova, Saglara Lidzheeva, Monika Lorenc, Sui Nakashima, Sandra Nyanchoka, Amy Poole, Carolina Ramirez, Alina Rock and Brianna Seagraves. Special thanks also to DJ Claudius Raphael, Musical Guest, Farrad and Catering by Cafe Metro.

Major thank you to Sari Schwartz and Eva Shure, Co-Founders of Hauteaholics Anonymous and Justine McCarthy of Simply Chic PR. This was one of the best shows I attended during fashion week and I loved all of the designs. They all had their own individual style so it was hard to say which one was my favorite.

Annemarie Davin, FameHampton and Justine McCarthy, Simply Chic PR

We got our VIP gift bags at the end of the night which held a bunch of goodies in a huge gold bag that held everything courtesy of mark. that had a bunch of their cosmetics and a nice surprise was the CD of Farrad, which is a must buy! As you can see, we had big smiles on our faces because we had such a great time!!

What A Week...

2009-09-15T23:59:00.017-04:00

Well this has been quite a week in the entertainment industry. The VMA awards returned to New York and I think everyone got quite a surprise as they watched the show. In complete respect and style, the show opened with a tribute to Michael Jackson. Madonna gave a speech that I thought really captured the true essence of Michael and also what it was like to be a friend of his. She started out talking about the similarities she shared with him: " Michael Jackson was born in August 1958. So was I. Michael Jackson grew up in the suburbs of the Midwest. So did I. Michael Jackson had eight brothers and sisters. So do I. When Michael Jackson was 6 he became a superstar and was perhaps the world's most beloved child. When I was 6 my mother died. I think he got the shorter end of the stick." WOW! I knew exactly what she was talking about when she said that. It hit me like a ton of bricks that someone as well known as Madonna was saying what I had been thinking.

She went on to talk about how Michael didn't really get a chance to have a childhood and "how do you recreate your childhood when you are under the magnifying glass of the world for your entire life?" She is absolutely correct in what she said. I remember when I was young, seeing The Jackson Five performing on our 13 inch tv and all I could think was that "the little one" was so cute and that he was going to blow his brothers away and become an icon when he got older. I was only five at the time but that is what I thought. Even my parents always remarked how talented he was and they couldn't believe his on stage presence. You couldn't tear yourself away from watching him even as a little boy. But being a little boy was a chronilogical thing. He was surrounded by so many adults with their contracts, concert dates, everything that I'm sure was quite overwhelming as a child. He never really got to be a child. My personal belief, and I'm finding others agree with this, is that since he really didn't get to have a childhood that when he was older he created Neverland Ranch to be a kid. That's why he loved having kids there. They are innocent and carefree and aren't jaded as adults can become. He could be himself with them and there were no hidden agendas, they just wanted to have fun. The accusations of Michael involving the two kids that came to light in the media I think were purely money driven. I personally don't think he did what they think he did. I didn't think at the time and I don't think it now. I'm not just saying that because he is dead, I'm saying that because I think Michael had an innocence about him and I think that usually if you are going to things to kids, it usually starts with your own which he never did. I think people were so quick to judge him because he was always in the public eye. I think the industry and the media made him appear to be eccentric.

For Madonna to say that he got the short end of the stick, I get that. My mother had died and although I was not a child when it happened, I understand her yearning for a mother figure. To lose your parent is quite a revelation to your life. I lost my father first when I was 16 and then my mom when I was turning 25. It was devastating to me in both scenarios and I can only imagine what it must have felt like to lose her mother when she was only 6. So to say that she thinks he got the short end of the stick, is to say that never having a childhood is worse than losing your parent. That is a very powerful statement and people that have lost a parent really know what a statement she was making.

She said that we failed him and we let him slip through our fingers. I can see that because he was trying to live his life as best as he could but sometimes you hope there is someone who is watching after you to point out your mistakes or to point out what you're doing and who was doing that for Michael? I loved how she described of when they were watching a movie together and his hand reached for hers, how he didn't seem like a superstar at that moment but like a human being. That's what he was, a human being. He had feelings and people seemed to have forgotten that. No matter how big you are, no matter how much money you have, we are all still simply human beings with feelings, with thoughts, with emotions. Michael was no different. I'm glad she said what she said. It was a great speech and you know it was from her heart and she meant everything she said.

As if the speech wasn't enough, a musical tribute was given with a large screen showing Michael's videos and dancers on the stage dancing the same steps as in the videos. I sat there watching this thinking, we are never going to get to see him perform live ever again. That's a shame. I always thought one day I would get to see that. I even thought maybe one day, somehow, I'd even get to meet him and what a great thing that would be. I always thought if I ever did get to meet him that I would say to him that he was one of the greatest talents of all time and that he shouldn't listen to what people say about him because in his heart he knows who he is. I'll never get to say that to him but I'm sure now he knows it.

The dancing and the songs were awesome! Then there was a toned down moment, sort of a space/fantasy moment, the glass breaks and there she is-sister Janet!

I didn't expect that. I sat up and was smiling and at the same time my eyes started to water (much as they are now as I'm writing this) because I started to think that she was really going to do it big for her brother. I was not wrong. Janet came out in full force, a force to be reckoned with, and she gave it her all. Then you could see the video of Michael in the background and Janet dancing solo with him. I had no words for that. All I could think of is that in that moment if we could see Michael now, we would see him there in spirit with her on stage. When it ended, Janet's face said it all. She brought on enough energy for both her and her brother. You could see the love and the pain at the same time on her face. It was like she was saying, that was for my brother, that was my love for him and I dare any one of you to say anything against that. When I saw her face, my eyes started to tear and I admit I did start to cry a little. I cried a little because it was sad that we'll never get to see him perform again and I was also happy that she put that whole thing together for him. They were very close and I cannot imagine what it feels like to lose a sibling. Thankfully mine are still here with me.

Madonna's heart felt speech and Janet's full on focused performance made for quite an appropriate opening tribute to the King of Pop. They even had dedicated the show to him. Michael deserved that respect and I'm so happy no one forgot him. I am still shocked from his death, almost like it's not real. I wish it was a fake. I wish we could do it over but death does not opt for a do over.

If you missed this part of the show, you can go to this link and see the written speech Madonna gave as well as the video.

http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1621390/20090913/jackson_michael.jhtml

If you didn't get to see Janet's tribute, here's the link for that.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4ZRFj4RgLk

This was a positive thing for the VMA's especially since it was something that had happened so recently. What wasn't so positive was Kanye's rude interruption when Taylor Swift was trying to give her acceptance speech. He ran up on stage, grabbed the mic and basically said that Beyonce should have won. The cameras were on Beyonce and you could see how embarrassed she was. Taylor was shocked and didn't have the chance to finish her speech. A happy moment ruined because someone reacted off of their emotions. The twitter updates and comments on Facebook started coming in quickly. Everyone was upset with Kanye. I was really wondering what was going through his head? Then later in the show, Beyonce won an award and she said she remembered when she received an award when she was 17 and was with Destiny's Child, what a great moment that was for her and she called for Taylor to come out and finish her speech. The crowd cheered, people stood up and Taylor took the stage and finished her speech. I was happy she got to have her moment even if it did come later in the show. And as for Beyonce, I think that was such a classy thing that she did. She didn't have to do it, but she did. It was a great thing she did. The next day on the Jay Leno show I had heard that Kanye made a public apology to Taylor. I had not yet seen the show and I thought, well too late. He should have thought of that first before doing what he did. I wasn't buying it and I didn't care. Tonight I got to watch the show since I had DVR'd it. After I watched Kanye and watched his face and his eyes, I have a few things to say. I do think his apology was sincere and I do think he was sorry. Jay had asked him what would his mom think of his behavior and he got all choked up about it. I was glad Jay asked him that question because I was thinking the same thing, what would his mom have said? Kanye had said that he knew it was wrong right after he gave her the mic back and she didn't finish, that's when it hit him that what he did was wrong and rude. He said if there was anything he could do to ever help Taylor, he would. He was saying that he had just gotten emotional on how he thinks the award show should've went and also that, if I understood him correctly, he really didn't have much time to grieve from his hurt from his mom's death that he just kept going, making music and all that. Ok I kind of get that. He said what he was going to do was to take some time off to figure things out and how to handle things. That's when I realized that I hope he meant what he said. If he didn't give himself enough time to grieve, I hope he would take time off to do just that and get his priorities in check so that something like that wouldn't happen again. I really hope that he did realize that he needs to think before speaking or before doing something so dumb. He said he was sorry to have hurt someone because of his hurt, I think again he was talking about his mom's death. So what he did was wrong and we all know that but if he meant what he said, then I'm glad he realized it and I'm glad he took the time to apologize publicly for it. Now I'm sure all can be forgiven but he needs to prove himself and only time will tell on that. I'm kind of on the fence about it but if I see that he has grown and doesn't do something rude like that again, fine. But if he turns around and does the same thing again, that's it, he's done in my eyes. I will not believe anything he says again. There are even some DJ's I've seen on Facebook that say that will not be playing any of his songs. That's just one of the results to his actions, I can only imagine others that are taking place. That was a wrong professional and personal move on Kanye's part so let's hope that he puts his money where his mouth is instead of his foot and gets his act together. Kanye, we'll be watching you so make good on your words.

Yesterday we got shocking news that Patrick Swayze had passed away from his fight with cancer. He was 57 years old. He was born in Houston, Texas and in his early years was a dancer due to his mom being a ballet dancer and the director of the Houston Ballet Dance Company. He met his wife when she was a student of his mothers. They got married in 1975 and then moved to New York to pursue their careers. One of his earliest roles was in the movie "The Outsiders" that he starred in with other actors who would become big stars like Rob Lowe, Emilio Estevez, Ralph Macchio, Tom Cruise, Matt Dillon and C. Thomas Howell.

I loved that movie because I had read the book and really enjoyed it plus can I say, how good looking Swayze was in his role? But the big hit came when he starred in "Dirty Dancing" with Jennifer Grey.

I remember that people were starting to ask him in interviews how did he learn to move so well and then that's when we learned of his dance background. I remember thinking that Swayze was a good looking man with that sort of cowboy/rustic look to him and at the same time sort of a bad boy, as the role had called for. But then seeing him dance in the movie, I thought the same thing that he moved like he had professional training and he was quite smooth. Well there you go, a role that showed us a man could be good looking and sexy when he danced. "Road House" came along and we got to see the rough side of him, still sexy as he kicked ass and tried to clean up the town. Did you notice his brother was in the movie as well?

Demi Moore got to star with him in "Ghost" and who can ever forget that movie? This is kind of eerie but at the part of the movie in the end when Molly can finally see Sam's spirit and he tells her how wonderful it is and that you take the love with you. I always thought that when the day came that Patrick would have to leave us, that they would play that clip of him in any tributes so I guess we will see if that happens.

A completely different role brought us "Point Break" where he was this surfer who was also involved in bank robberies and was befriended by Keanu Reeves. The look was a totally different one for Swayze but still he looked hot and pulled the crazy off that was needed for that role.

Could you ever picture him playing a drag queen? Well, "To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar" brought us a man in a dress who after awhile, you kind of forgot it was Swayze who was under all that make up which to me means he did a great job acting in that and I'm sure he had fun making that movie.

He was a man of many roles and he liked it that way. He never wanted to be known as just one type of guy/actor. That's why he decided to play so many different and varied parts and we were lucky that he did. We got to see many sides of his talent.

Although he was a good looking man and made many womens heads turn, looks could only get someone so far. He knew his affect on women but he was more than just a good looking face. He was a real person, someone you could just sit and have a normal conversation with. He was down to earth and a great soul. There are some lines from some of his movies that I think describe the kind of guy that he was.

From the movie "Point Break" when he said "If you want the ultimate, you gotta be willing to pay the ultimate price." I think that shows us his strength of his talent where he did give great performances in his roles. In "Dirty Dancing" when he says "I'm gonna do my kind of dancin' with a great partner...somebody who's taught me that there are people willing to stand up for other people no matter what it costs them" shows us that I'm sure in his life he had met people that he admired for their convictions and also that he did things his way, like taking on different roles as to not be characterized as one type of character. In "Road House" when he says "Pain don't hurt" I think we saw that in him when he played his role in "The Beast" even though he was dealing with his cancer, he continued on with acting with long hours even though he had pain, he continued to do what he did best. And my favorite is in "Ghost" when he says to Molly "It's amazing, Molly, The love inside, you take with you". I'm sure he has taken all the love with him from his family, his friends and his wife and they'll always have his love with them in their memories and good times with them.

Patrick Swayze, shining soul, talented actor, dedicated husband, friend to many, missed by all...

We Will Never Forget...

2009-09-12T01:11:00.006-04:00

Today is the anniversary of the tragic 9/11 event in New York City. I remember sitting at my desk when we heard the news on the radio that a plane hit one of the towers. Some people started to say that it must be one of those sight seeing tour planes. My first thought on that was no, it wasn't. I knew those planes are small and were so used to navigating around the tall buildings and if one of them did hit a building, it would probably smash into the glass or something but not do the damage that a commercial plane could do. We listened more and then heard that a plane struck the other tower. I clearly remember that I had a million thoughts at one time coming into my head. I felt we were being under attack and don't ask me why but I actually thought that this was the beginning of the end of the world. I have no idea why I thought that. I do remember just wanting to run out of my building and run to the city and just start pulling people out. I was in an office in Ronkonkoma, far from the city. All day we were listening to the radio, we had no tvs there, and it was so quiet. Everone had their radios on and no work was getting done. Finally we were able to leave at 2pm that afternoon. I got home and turned on the tv and of course the coverage was on every channel. The first time I saw the video of the plane hitting the first tower, my jaw dropped, chills came over my entire body and I thought, oh my God, that's what my dream was all about!

I dreamt about this prior and had no idea what the dreams meant. So let's go back in time a bit. Labor Day weekend was coming up and me and nine other friends were heading up to our friends cabin in the Poconos. So that Wednesday night before Labor Day weekend, I had this dream. I was standing in a forest that had endless trees, that's all I could see were endless trees. In the middle were two extremely tall trees, like giant Redwoods or something, and I was standing in the middle so on either side of me I could see these very tall trees.

Then I heard this sound that making everything shake then out of nowhere, I looked between the two tall trees and I see a plane headed right at me. The nose of the plane looked like it was headed right toward me but the wings of the plane each hit each of the tall trees on either side and then the plane exploded, it just burst into flames. I threw my arms up as to shield myself from the debris and fire but nothing hit me and believe it or not, I couldn't even feel the heat from the planes. That was it. The next scene in my dream switched to me sitting in a chair with a bunch of other people sitting in chairs in a funeral home. There was a closed casket at the front of the room. So many people were in uniforms like police uniforms, fire dept uniforms, so many uniforms. I didn't get it. And in the funeral home there were endless rooms that all had people in them with the same kind of uniforms and closed caskets as well. Then I felt a hand on my right shoulder and I looked up and standing there was my friends mom, Rose, who had passed away years ago. I asked her what was going on and she had such a somber face on her and all she said was, "Don't worry everyone is fine now and they didn't suffer. They're home now." I was still confused. Who was she talking about? That was it, I woke up and I was trying to analyze this dream as I was getting ready to meet three other friends because we were going up to the cabin to get it ready for everyone. All of a sudden it hit me. Rose must have come to warn me about a plane crash involving her son. Her son was a good friend of mine and lived in California but he was an LAPD officer so that must have explained all the other uniforms in the room. That had to be it. So on our way up to the cabin, I told my friends of my dream and told them that when we get to the cabin I had to call my friend to warn him. We got to the cabin and I called immediately but I got his machine at home. So I left him a message telling him that if ever was going to take what I said seriously, now was the time and that I had a dream that his mom was in forewarning me of a plane crash and that I was in a funeral home with a bunch of people in uniform and that if he and his family were going anywhere on a plane for Labor Day weekend, to cancel their plans to save their lives. I told him to call me back so I know he got the message. I didn't get a call back but I knew he got the message. I was relieved because I sent the message and my job was done.

The following week after Labor Day weekend, I had another dream. In this dream, I was walking up to City Hall and I noticed that there was dirt that had just been laid down and turned over and was roped off. I thought they must be getting ready to plant things. Then I see everyone running out of the building and Mayor Rudy was leading them and he started to yell at me.

He was yelling, "No! No! Turn around! Run! Don't go in there!" I was confused as to why everyone was running out and then I heard a loud thud to the left of me. I turned to look and there was a lady lying there on the dirt that was roped off. I screamed,"Oh my God!" and I ran over to her. I kept asking her if she was ok and I even picked her up and held her in my arms, shaking her and saying," Wake up! Wake up!" Then Mayor Rudy was next to me and said,"It's no use, she's dead." Then I heard another thud and another, two more bodies landed next to us. I looked up and I swear it was like it was raining bodies just falling to the ground. Mayor Rudy grabbed me and pulled me out of there and said,"Come on we have to go. There is nothing we can do for them, they're all dead." Then I woke up. Now what the hell did that dream mean? I remember going to work the next day and telling my boss about my dream and she said she couldn't think what that meant either. I figured I must have watched something on tv or something that crossed things together or something. I shrugged it off and figured I'd eventually figure it out.

So that day that I saw the first plane hit the first tower and then the second plane hit the other tower, and then I realized the two tall trees represented the twin towers. The plane exploding spoke for itself because just the way it exploded on tv was how it exploded in my dream. I figured the uniformed people represented all the police, firefighters, everyone who was there helping and that it represented both those that survived and those that did not who helped that day. As the coverage continued and I saw people jumping out of the tower, that brought me back to the dream with Mayor Rudy in it and all the bodies falling from the sky. Although I think those bodies were not only the people jumping but also that people who were in those planes and the buildings that day. It all made sense. I couldn't believe it. Why did I have the dreams? I didn't know anyone who died that day in any of the planes or anything. But come to find out that there were many people who had similiar dreams around the country before it happened. Now what do you call that? Since then I vowed that if I ever had a dream that had to do with people in general like these dreams, I would look more at a global event and maybe it will help somehow. But then what would I do with the information? Who would I tell without sounding like a freak? To this day, I still don't understand why I had the dreams. I guess one day I 'll figure it out.

That was such a tragic day for everyone but especially for those of us here in New York who were so close to it. There are not many good things you can say about that day but I actually have thought of some. One thing is that people from other states who would say things about New Yorkers, like we were rude, started to see that we were not what they originally thought. They said they couldn't believe how we all united together and so quickly. Everyone who pitched in to help that day had no color, no race, nothing. And the people they were trying to save had no color, no race, nothing. It really was humans helping humans, people helping people, everyone with one goal and that was to save the lives of their fellow men. My heart was so full of love for people that day and the days that followed because I thought wow, Americans are something else. Outsiders come into our country, take our planes and use them against us and what did we do? We united and helped each other, we didn't divide. And we did it without thinking twice. Another good thing that happened was that not only did New Yorkers unite but our country as a whole united. Yes, terrorists, that's what we are, we are in fact the United States of America.

We react in seconds and the same goes for those who were aboard Flight 93. They had heard about the towers and what happened and by all the happenings that were going on in that flight, they figured out what was going on. They were all truly brave. They knew that either way, they were all going to die that day. So would they die by just sitting there and let things happen or would they take action? They took action and saved many, many lives that day. I thought about it and I came to the conclusion that I would have done the same thing and I believe that many people would have done the same as well. If you were in a position to save lives by sacrificing your own, would you? I think that the families of the people of Flight 93 should be proud of what they did and know that those people were true heros.

Everyone that helped that day in any small or big day is a true hero. That day did not knock us down but in fact made us stronger. Our light will always shine because we love our country, we love our people and we will defend until the end. We'll always remember....

Hampton Classic Horse Show...

2009-09-05T22:57:00.018-04:00

Well it's Labor Day weekend and normally people would be going to the Hampton Classic Horse Show in Bridgehampton but this year the event took place a week earlier due to scheduling of the competition. Last Sunday we were in the VIP tent and had some great interviews. Here are some of them for you to enjoy.

First up we have B. Smith and Dan Gasby. B. Smith started her career as a fashion model and was the first African American woman to grace the cover of Mademoiselle magazine in July of 1976. She has been on 15 covers of various magazines and she has gone onto many fabulous ventures. Today you can see her on Betty Crocker and Pillsbury products and is the spokesperson for Colgate Palmolive Oxy products as well as McCormick's Lawry seasonings. You might recognize her from her NBC show "B. Smith with Style" and talk shows such as "The View" and "Good Morning America" to name a few. Cooking is one of her favorite things to do and it's no wonder that she owns three restaurants located in Sag Harbor, NY, Manhattan, NY and Washington, DC. She also has products that are sold at Bed Bath & Beyond and has even started a beautiful furniture line. Her husband, Dan Gasby, started his television career in 1977 and has many credits to his name and is the Chairman of B. Smith Enterprises Ltd. Most recently you might have seen Dan in a Mercedes-Benz commercial. I remember when I first saw the commercial, I had to call Dan right away to let him know I saw it. They show all these prominant men and when I saw Dan, I yelled out, "Hey that's Dan!" and thought that was very cool to see him in it. To read more about these two talented and wonderful people, you can log onto http://www.bsmith.com/ . I've known them for a few years now and out of everyone I know, I have to tell you that these two individuals really hold a special place in my heart because they are so genuine in everything they do and they are so down to earth. Here's a link you can click on to and watch the interview from last Sunday.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=InSadiDpsfU

Second up is Michael Wudycka who is the owner of The Enclave Inn chain in the Hamptons. The Enclave Inn has five locations throughout the Hamptons and I can tell you that from the owner to the staff, everyone is professional and courteous and they always make sure that you are taken care of. If you are looking for a great place to stay, these are the accommodations for you. No matter what town you are staying in, there is an Enclave Inn close by. The rooms are clean and close to everything. If you plan on being out here for the Hamptons International Film Festival, you should book with these guys because the efficiencies are great especially if you're going to be out here for that week. Here is the link for my interview with Michael who is such a very nice person, so accommodating and has a heart of gold. Check out http://www.enclaveinn.com/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bMdx9pxHeqc

Next we have Frederico Azevedo from Unlimited Earth Care in Bridgehampton. Frederico is a long time familiar face in the Hamptons and his business had grown by leaps and bounds due to his attention to detail and talking with people to really find out what it is they want and also his expertise in knowing exactly how to transform the dull into the exquisite. He also has a showroom that you can find many items to accent your garden or property. He also has his own show on PlumTV. To find out more watch this video and also log onto http://www.unlimitedearthcare.com/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1VyicDM5BD0

Keith Battaglia was on hand to talk to us about his new series of children's books that is soon to come out. You can check out more of this on the website http://www.andyatlas.com/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Y_abQNqJ8s

Kai Costanzo is the owner of Kai Kai Sandals from Montauk. They really are the most comfortable sandals in the world. I own three pair and are the only flip flops that I own! There are two locations in Montauk and one in Key West. Keep your eye out because one day these will be known world wide! Check out http://www.kaikaisandal.com/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-yVJhTOKZM

Lanka Dupont is the owner of Hiipuus, a company with a full line coming soon to luxury hotels near you. Check out the interview and also check out http://www.uberhouse.us/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJJeSffY2Eg

Tommy Hill is the owner of East End Limousine which covers the tristate area. The cars are always clean and the drivers are always very courteous and will get you where you need to be on time. For more info check out http://www.eastendlimousine.com/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FkxMnwWpMrY

Frederico Azevedo of Unlimited Earth Care and his daughter, Livia

Shamin Abas, Michael Wudycka of The Enclave Inn, Annemarie Davin, Wyatt Wudycka

Dan Gasby and B. Smith of B. Smith Enterprises Ltd.

Lanka Dupont of Hiipuus, Annemarie Davin, Keith Battaglia

Christine and Dan Rattiner, Jane and Bob Edelman, Dan's Papers

Kai Costanzo of Kai Kai Sandals and Annemarie Davin

Kevin Kaiser and good friend

John Iacono and Kathy Rae, Dan's Papers

Jim Smith, Hamptons Magazine and Annemarie Davin

Annemarie Davin and B. Smith

One of the shops there, Antares

Another shop there, ESI Photography

One of the riders warming up before competition

The riders at the end looking through the VIP tent

Another store, Turner and Co

Our camera man, James Benedetto buying some Kai Kai Sandals from Kai Costanzo

Thank you to everyone for your time and thank you to camera man, James Benedetto.

Photos by Annemarie Davin

Hamptons Magazine and Stoli...

2009-08-25T00:18:00.000-04:00

This past Saturday night I attended the Hamptons Magazine party in East Hampton sponsored by Stoli. It was a fabulous party where everyone had a great time. They were so nice to have mini tram cars that took us from the main road down to the front entrance of the home of Jamie Drake and Shawn Murphy. There were a few people dressed in unique outfits and I had to ask what that was all about.

Bottles, bottles and more bottles

Stoli in the pool

Stoli Cup

I spoke with a girl named Kelsy and she explained that the designer of the outfits was Steam Trunk. Steam Trunk couture is sort of a cross of underground theatre meets circus. They not only look good but the people who wore the outfits were also performers. They were very entertaining and I thought this was such a creative way to introduce the line to the public.

Annemarie Davin, FameHampton and the Whip Guy and Kelsy of Steam Trunk Couture

They put on a show where the gentleman had a whip and was very good with it. Kelsy had a woman come up to hold the rose that was going to be cut with the whip. He was nice enough to give me the bud at the end!

The whip guy and Kelsy getting set up with the rose

The whip guy that had really good control with the whip and the snapping was insane!

Kelsy holding the rose in her mouth

Kelsy helps the volunteer hold the rose in place

Everything is in ready position and they are ready to go!

Then there was another girl who performed on stage and was amazing!

The outfits were gorgeous and the entertainment was front row fantastic

She kept her balance very well and was very limber

The crowd was having a great time and everyone enjoyed the cocktails and conversations.

The crowd was full of fun, Stoli and great conversations

PJ Monte, Andrew and Terry Ross kicking back pool side

Jim Smith of Hamptons Magazine and his lovely wife Barbara

PJ Monte, CEO of Don Clothing, Annemarie Davin, FameHampton

Terry Ross, Spanierman Gallery and Jamie Drake, Designer

Some of the many handsome guests at the party

Annemarie Davin, Enrique Martinez, Terry Ross

The party was a great success and I had so much fun, more than I have had in a long time. Thanks to Hamptons Magazine, Stoli, Jamie Drake and Shawn Murphy and Steam Trunk Couture.

Don't forget when you're in the Hamptons to stay at The Enclave Inn for your accommodations enclaveinn.com and travel in style with East End Limousine at eastendlimousine.com

Photos by Terry Ross and Annemarie Davin

Be Nice Or Go Away...

2009-08-22T00:35:00.000-04:00

Well the summer is almost over and so is my patience. The summers in the Hamptons are always the same with people who come from other areas and feel they are entitled to do whatever they want and that there are no rules. I don't get this, I have never been to any other place where this takes place. I really try to be patient but about this time every year, my patience wears thin.

First let's start with the ride into the Hamptons via Sunrise Highway. There are speed limit signs clearly marked that for some reason are invisible to these people. There is a point where you start to enter Southampton and you must slow down to 45 mph but people are still going 60mph. Little do they know that the police are just waiting to pull them over and if you're a local, you know where most of these spots are so you obey the signs. You don't know how many times I see people who pass me and have this look like what is she doing? only to get pulled over and then have a look like "oh, that's what she was doing".

Today I was at a stop light, right hand turn signal on, waiting for the traffic to go by and making sure it was safe enough to make a right hand turn. The guy behind me felt that he could not wait anymore so decided to pull up along side my left side to make the right hand turn. REALLY??? I guess I was a mirage to him or something. His windows were down, guess he couldn't afford the air conditioning in his car, and as immature as this was, I really couldn't resist. I put my window down and said to him "Hey congratulations!" and he looks over kind of confused and I said,"You just won the Hamptons biggest a'hole award of the day! Have a nice day!" and I waved with a big smile on my face as he tried to go as I was going to make the right hand turn. What if a car was coming, he would have plowed right into them. What a jerk!

Then I'm on County Road 39 by the 7-11 approaching the red light, and I see a car that was coming from the opposite direction , looked like she wanted to make a left hand turn but actually she was making a U-Turn in the middle of that busy intersection! OH MY GOD! Let's cause an accident lady!

How about the line jumpers whose time is more valuable than yours? Yesterday I had to go to Southampton Hospital to pick up some records for a friend. Side note, I loved the fact that the hospital has an actual valet service at the entrance haha....only in the Hamptons....haha...but I digress. So I am at the admissions desk, waiting for the girl to finish with the guy in front of me. Finally it's my turn and I'm a bit irritated but I don't show it. So I tell the girl why I'm there and while she leaves to go get me the records, a couple come in and practically run up to the counter like "I'm first!" and I'm thinking, don't they see the LINE? Well I looked over at the woman and must have shot her a scary look because she backed down before saying anything and got in line behind me. Good going lady, I guess the death stare made its point.

The best yet is the clubs. Not all the clubs mind you but it's funny how the clubs that could be snobby aren't and the ones that have no reason to be, are for no reason. A couple of weeks ago I had a couple of parties to go to and we were ending the evening by going to Lily Pond in East Hampton. We were on a guest list so no problem right? WRONG! We get there and the entrance has the usual velvet ropes which are so unimpressive anymore. They used to be impressive in the 80's but now they are merely a line that can't be crossed unless one of the flying monkeys let's you get behind the iron curtain to see Oz himself. (haha, I even liked that one lol ) So we go up to the rope and I tell the guy that I'm on the guest list and he points to the other side and tells us that for any guest lists, we go to the other side. Ok. So we walk over to the other side and we're standing there trying to get one of the guys attention to tell him. Meanwhile, the stench of what smelled like urine and trash was the same on that side as it was on the other side and it was really getting to me. So I texted one of my contacts inside then another and both said to tell them we were on the guest list and I'm telling them we are trying but no one is paying attention. The men were all just walking around with their chests (and bellys) sticking out like they were deaf. They reminded me of those ducks at a carnival game that just move robotically as your trying to shoot them. We saw Russell Simmons who I thought hmm....he's not even trying to get in ....so what does that say? haha....and then we get someone's attention to tell them we are on a particular guest list and they say ok and walk away and we're standing there and after five minutes, I turn to my friend and say, "Well, we're certainly NOT in New York City" and I just kind of laugh sarcastically. The NYC clubs are rumored to be tough to get in and they are but I have NEVER had a problem in Manhattan getting into a club that I was on the guest list. The whole point of the guest list is because you know someone so you don't have to wait on line like other random people. So we decided that the stench was not worth the wait outside and we were not going to wait for a place like Lily Pond to get in. There were other parties we were invited to so we decided to go to them. Never again will I go to that club. It's not that impressive inside and I feel sorry for the restaurant that shares space with it because that restaurant has a very good reputation and is high class so I want to be clear that this had nothing to do with the restaurant.

All the locals out here are sick of the attitudes and although the business is very much appreciated, we get to a point where we just can't handle it anymore. Imagine if in someplace like Manhattan, that is busy year round with visitors, was rude to people? If they did that, they wouldn't have the reputation of being the most visited city in the United States. Hampton's clubs need to learn this. I am not in my twenties anymore and don't have to put up with the crap of the doormen who don't pay attention to the rules or treat people like they are beneath anything. I am not going to wait to get into a building, I mean seriously that is all it is, a building like all the others with a sound system, dance floor, over priced drinks and whatever else you find there, you can find anywhere.

You take a place like The Surf Lodge in Montauk that was rumored to have a long wait in line, $100 cover, over priced drinks and pretentious crowd. People were afraid to even go there when it first opened. I heard these rumors but I checked it out myself. There was never and still is never a line. You know why? Because they want people to actually go inside and have a good time. There never was and still is no cover and the crowd is chic but laid back. Everyone pretty much gets along, I mean I've never seen a fight and I've been there a million times. The usual crowd is having a good time with their friends and dancing and just doing it up. The drink prices are on par with other places. The Surf Lodge could act like the other club but they don't which goes to show you that how you treat people, a.k.a. "hospitality", is what will keep people coming back.

The hospitality rule can also apply in the every day treatment of another human being. If everyone would stop thinking the world revolved around them and paid more attention to being nice to other people especially strangers they don't know, the Hamptons would be a more pleasant place to visit and enjoy. There would be less angst and more fun. You know the thing that gets me is that I'm not saying that every person that comes out here is this way. It's the few bad apples that ruin it for everyone. And I'm not the only one who will speak up and say something. More and more I am finding that people are saying what's on their mind. I don't like that we all have this angst because the summer is supposed to be a time of fun and good memories.

For anyone that is reading this, let's try to be more patient if we are a local and for the visitors, try to be less selfish. We don't have that many weeks left of summer so let's try to enjoy what we have left. Be considerate and be safe!

Friends or Not?

2009-08-19T23:19:00.000-04:00

Today I'm reflecting on people. I'm so thankful for the people in my life that are real, true friends. A lot of these friendships go way back. It's so funny how you can click with some people and with others, you just don't. It's not a bad thing, I guess it's just what is. I can accept that. What I can't accept is when you think someone is a friend and they turn out not to be one. This has been one very interesting summer, sort of eye awakening. I always believed in giving someone a chance until they mess it up. You know, give you a reason not to trust them. This summer has been a lot of that. I take people at their word because after all, that's all we have is our word. But when someone is deceptive, intentionally, from the beginning then that is not really fair. To those people like that, I chalk up the learning experience of that person and just move on. But when my friends who I thought were my friends side with someone who is deceptive and take their word over mine, were they really friends to begin with? Probably not.

I think everything happens for a reason and this summer has given me the opportunity to really find out who the real people are in my life. And I really am thankful for that. Even though I got hurt along the way, it's better to know the truth. I don't know why people can't just be honest with one another and say what's on their mind. They're your friends so just say what you have to say and both of you can come to some sort of agreement.

A lot of my great friendships do go way back and are rooted in great memories and people always having my back and vice versa. I have met a lot of new people this summer as well and so far they have proven to be gems too. A few have not but what am I going to? Get upset? People are the way they are for a bunch of reasons and only they know why they are that way.

Another thing I find interesting is that I have grown and continue to always evolve and grow. I know so many people are still doing the same thing they did ten years ago, twenty years ago, whatever and I don't understand how they don't evolve. They might comment on things like what I'm wearing, my hairstyle, whatever it is and the only thing that runs through my mind is that they are really not worldly enough to know anything. They still live in their own worlds and things remain the same. For me I can't do this. If I did, I'd still have my 80's perm, I would not have moved across the country, I would not have taken so many risks that led me to where I am today. I love meeting new people because I think you can learn so much about other nationalities, countries, customs, cultures, all of the stuff that makes us different. How boring the world would be if we were all the same.

I don't ever want to be stuck and not evolve. And if people comment or make fun of something, it's because it's something they're not familiar with and that's okay because that's their own world, it's not mine. If they don't get it, they just don't get it. I try to always be nice to people and make them feel comfortable. I also try not to listen to the gossip, I talk with the person directly or I ask them directly, I don't really believe it unless it comes from the horse's mouth.

These past few months, there have been a handful of people who listen to the gossip and I was really thrown by the fact that they didn't call me to say, hey I heard this or that is it true? What's going on? So I guess they choose to believe what they hear. Then there are other people who called me right away to say hey, someone is saying bad things about you or handing out wrong information but I had your back and defended you. Those are the true friends. There are two people that I have to tell you, I will never speak to again and I do see them around and I just smile and continue having my good time because no one is going to bring me down. They are insignificant in my world. They stabbed me in the back when I never saw it coming so I just took out the knife and let the healing begin. Then I put a fork in them because as far as I'm concerned, they're done!

There's only one person, yes one person, that I was becoming friends with that just shut me out and I still don't know why, but he is the only one that I told that the door will always be open because I think that he was fooled by someone who was manipulative and since he is young, I don't think he even knows he got manipulated but I'm sure he's learning what the big city is about. And if he chooses to be my friend again, I meant what I said, the door is open. I don't usually do that because I am a person who doesn't hang where I'm not wanted so it was a big deal for me to tell this person that the door remains open. Unfortunately, they don't know me well enough to know that I'm not normally like that and in fact, some of my friends couldn't believe I didn't just write him off. I can't believe I didn't write him off haha but I guess it's because there is something there, some sort of kindred spirit that's making me say that he is really a good guy and shouldn't just shut the door.

The new people that I have met in the past couple of months, I have approached with the "old me" attitude where I totally scan them out for any insincerities and my guard is completely up and they have proven to be nice and gentle souls and trustworthy and I think they may even be some people that I will have lifelong friendships with. It's nice to meet such wonderful people after the hell I went through at the beginning of the summer.

They say living well is the best revenge. I agree with that but at the same time I just like to live well because I like living well, I've learned that revenge is useless in the end because people will get back the negativity they threw out ten times as bad so karma will take care of them, I don't have to. And honestly I really don't have the energy to care about getting revenge, I'd rather focus that energy into my own life and success.

Life will always throw you curve balls and you can either catch them and deal with it or you can stand there and get hit and get knocked down. Not me. I take what's coming and deal with it head on. Good or bad I deal with it. Be thankful for the friendships in your life and I hope you can tell the difference between your good friends and the people that come into your life that you really can live without. Continue on your own path of growth and success. Keep your head high and know that you have this one life, so live it to the fullest!

Who Got Lei'd By Antonio....

2009-08-17T01:13:00.000-04:00

Tonight was VH1's premiere of the show "My Antonio". This is not your average bachelor looking for love, this is Antonio Sabato Jr. looking for the right girl and what an episode! Antonio is known all over the world as an actor and model and though he could probably have his pick of any woman, only a handful were chosen to get their chance to see if they make a match with him. He's very serious about this mission and that was apparent in the show.

Antonio and his Calvin Klein campaign. Pic courtesy of Calvin Klein.

The ladies were very excited when they first saw him jumping into the water from his boat and swimming ashore to them. They were all full of smiles and seemed to be glowing in his presence. Like many of us who date, we try not to go on pure looks, we try to get to know the person first but there are some things we just cannot deal with. For Antonio, it's a ladies hands and feet. He sent one of the ladies home because of this and honestly, I can't blame him. If you can't take care of something as simple as your hands and feet, it just says something about your hygiene, at least that's my opinion. The other girls were all shocked but Antonio reassured them that he is for real in this and he told them that they deserve complete honesty and expects the same in return. Of course it will be hard for him each week to let someone go, but that is how it goes in shows like this.

One thing he is looking for is someone who is athletic like he is. I mean, come on ladies , this should not have been a surprise to any one of you. The man is fit and has even wrote a fitness book! So the first task was to have the ladies climb a hill toward him. Some of the girls were saying how they just don't do that, or they don't work out or whatever, and all I could think of is well you better be able to keep up with him. One of the girls, Jennifer, was the first to get to Antonio and was definitely the fitest so score one for her! After such a chore, the girls were rewarded later that evening by having drinks and sitting poolside with Antonio so he could have a chance to get to know them better.

Antonio's Fitness Book that had come out years ago and has great stuff in it.

The first girl he spoke with was Brooke. She seemed kind of easy going and they seemed to have a nice conversation. The other girls were of course having some of their claws come out but let's grow up, he'll get to each and every one of you. One of the girls, Anju, seemed to be a bit much for him and kind of scared him a bit, I could see where he was coming from though. Another girl, Sarah, was very nervous because of who Antonio was but he did a good job in calming her down and having her try to relax.

All is going good and then Mom shows up haha! I loved her outfit and hat, she was very vogue and made a statement, as a mom should. I'm not a mom, but if Antonio was my son, I would be very interested to see the girls he is hanging out with too. Antonio walks over to his mom and did you catch the fact that he wrapped a towel around him out of respect for his mom? That was very cool, Antonio! Girls like boys who respect their moms because we all know that the way a man treats his mom is similiar in the way he will treat his wife. Mom definitely had her opinion on a couple of the girls especially the fact that there was something fake about them. So Antonio had to let one of them go.

The next day Antonio brought the girls a little kit full of manicure mayhem again I think stressing the importance of the hands and feet. One of the girls was missing so he decided to go look for her with the other girls. This was the shy girl, Sarah, and she was trying to get away from him and he was following her which some of the girls found funny. When he finally got to sit with her, he pointed out how she was the one he has talked to the most and asked her what he could do to make her feel more comfortable. Nice to have a guy that has respect for women.

Then comes the night that they are all having dinner and his mom joins them. Now his mom just wants to get to know some of the girls better and starts asking questions like what do they do and things along that line. Nothing wrong with that, those are good questions because who knows who he will wind up with. What I didn't find cool was that when his mom was talking with one of the girls, Sarah was giggling nervously and I'm sorry to say this but I thought that was immature and I thought she was trying to have the attention drawn on her. Well good job because it sure did. Antonio's mom starting asking her questions and at one point Antonio tried to have his mom back off a bit. The girl starts crying saying that she doesn't know what she wants to do and doesn't have a mom. Well, I don't have my mom either or my dad, both have passed on years ago, but when someone's mom is asking me questions, I stay strong and just answer them. I am who I am, good or bad, and out of respect for the person's mother, I will be respectful and just answer the questions. Not run away crying, I'm sorry but that just shows weakness. Antonio being the gentleman that he is, goes after her and again calms her down to come back to the table. At this point I'm really wondering if this girl is playing him. I hope not. But I'm sure one of the things he is looking for is maturity in a woman so be a big girl and stop running away. Antonio had also pointed out to the girls that from that point going forward, he would be making the decisions on who stays and who goes. His mom is very important to him and he handles his own problems but coming from a close Italian family, he does go to his mom for advice. I find nothing wrong with this. I think we all seek advice from our parents. So the moment of truth comes and the girls are served their desserts. Whoever has a lei gets to stay and whoever doesn't has to meet with Antonio. Two girls don't get any leis and meet with Antonio. He asks the first girl how come they haven't spent much time together and is she interested in him and she says of course she is. The other girl says that maybe she isn't the one for him because she had told him that he could do what he needs to do and basically that it's ok for them to have an open relationship. He says he is not like that and what did she even come on the show for? So his decision was made easier for him so he lets the one girl go, Anju, and the other one gets to stay so she can get to know him better.

Antonio and the cast of women from "My Antonio". Pic courtesy of VH1.

Then as if this isn't already so much for the first show, his ex-wife shows up to declare that she is still in love with him and wants another chance to fight for his love. Wow! Apparently she had hurt him really bad and I don't think that either Antonio or his mom were too happy that she showed up. So now we have to stay tuned for next week to see what happens next.

Stay tuned for next week to see what happens. Pic courtesy of VH1.

A lot happened during this first show and I must say that he is a gentleman and I think he genuinely cares about the girls feelings but at the same time, he is looking for one girl so there will have to be eliminations and that can't be easy. Tune in next week to see what other girls get to stay and what girls have to go.

Summer of Love...

2009-08-15T00:10:00.000-04:00

This weekend will mark the 40 year anniversary of Woodstock which was originally held August 15-18, 1969 in Bethel, New York. It was a very interesting time to be alive especially if you were there to witness so many great artists perform. I was alive but not old enough to go. I was only 4 years old but I remember seeing Woodstock on the news, showing mass amounts of people and clips of the performers. I specifically remember stopping whatever I was doing and just focusing on our 13 inch tv with the rabbit ears, the only tv set in our apartment in San Diego, California. My dad was over in Viet Nam for a 6 month stint as the U.S. Marines called him in to work on the helicopters since he was an aircraft mechanic and too old to fight the front lines. My mom worked for the F.B.I. and had me and my 2 year old sister to take care of. Relatives like my aunt and grandfather flew out from New York to California to help my mom take care of us.

I remember telling my mom that I wanted to go to Woodstock haha a 4 year old native New Yorker living in San Diego ready to go where the music would take me. Music was a big part of our lives, my parents loved music and so did we. I paid attention to all kinds of people that I came across. My sister and I would throw the peace sign to hippies and they'd laugh and throw it back to us. We wore the plastic jewelry out of the machines from the grocery store that were 5 cents back then (now 50 cents).

My sister Michele in the brown and me in the Nancy Sinatra boots haha

What a great time to experience life. I wish I was older back then because they had quite a line up at the concert. On day one, the performers were Richie Havens, Sweetwater, Bert Sommer, Tim Hardin, Ravi Shankar, Melanie, Arlo Guthrie and Joan Baez. Sweetwater was the first band to perform at Woodstock. The lead singer, Nancy Nevins, was in a car accident that damaged her vocal cords so the bands fame started and ended at Woodstock. Ravi Shankar has released over 35 albums and is Norah Jones father. Joan Baez was one of the more popular singers and was very active against the Vietnam War and even the Iraq War. She still continues to make music and even appeared at the 50th Newport Folk Festival.

Day two consisted of Quill, Country Joe McDonald, John B. Sebastian, Keef Hartley Band, Santana, Incredible String Band, Canned Heat, Grateful Dead, Leslie West and Mountain, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Janis Joplin, Sly and the Family Stone, The Who, and Jefferson Airplane. Santana added some latin flavor to Woodstock and to this day everyone knows who they are. Carlos Santana has been the most recognized from the group to this present day. What can I say about the Grateful Dead that you don't already know? Jerry Garcia was the most well known member of this group and as you know, he died of a heart attack back in 1973. Like Santana and The Grateful Dead, Creedence Clearwater Revival still is a favorite among many people and their songs are still listened to and played on classic rock stations. Janis Joplin, one of my all time favorite singers, still wins the hearts of fans today no matter their age. I admit I even have a greatest hits cd of hers and her voice will always be one that you can recognize in seconds. She was such a talent and had her life came to an end way before her time. She is part of the "27 club", those who died at 27. After Woodstock she lived for about a year and died of heroin overdose in 1970 in her hotel room. It was a sign of the times, so many drugs that people were doing and unfortunately there was a lot of living fast and dying young going around. I don't believe her overdose was intentional. Based on a lot of research I have done on her, it seems that on that fateful night, she just over did it not expecting not to wake up the next morning. I don't care what anyone says, to me Janis had a great smile and a shining soul and although her time her on Earth was cut short, I'm glad we still have the recordings to listen to of such a talented singer that will stay strong even after I am long gone.

The greatest female singer of the 60's and always, Janis Joplin

Sly and The Family Stone were on their fourth album at the time that they performed at Woodstock. To this day, their performance at Woodstock is still regarded as one of their best live shows. The Who is another one of those bands who is still listened to today and not only played on the radio but also have become the theme song to particular tv shows. Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend are still alive and continue to tour on and off with replacement musicians for drummer, Keith Moon, who died at age 32 of a drug overdose and bassist, John Entwistle, who died in 2002 of a heart attack. Jefferson Airplane, who later became Jefferson Starship, is one of those bands you definitely relate to Woodstock and the late sixties. Grace Slick retired from the band in 1988 to start a different career as a painter and artist. You might recognize her vocals especially in the ever popular songs "White Rabbit" and "Somebody To Love".

The ever popular lead singer of Jefferson Airplane, Grace Slick

Day three had performers Joe Cocker, Country Joe & The Fish, Ten Years After, Johnny Winter, Blood Sweat and Tears, and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. Joe Cocker has had quite a career since the original Woodstock. He was at Woodstock 1994, has over 20 albums, a film appearance and has a tour in North America planned for 2009 and a cd release planned for 2010. Nice to see someone come such a long way and maintain it since 1969. Before the Woodstock performance, Neil Young had joined CSN, and although he occasionally joins up with them, both CSN as a group and Neil Young as a solo artist, have enjoyed successful music careers and continue to do so today.

Day four ended with Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Sha Na Na and Jimi Hendrix. Sha Na Na was sort of the odd band appearing at Woodstock and most people remember seeing them in the movie "Grease". They also had their own tv show from 1977 to 1982 and they are still performing to this day. Jimi Hendrix is probably the most popular performer at Woodstock and it's no wonder why. His version of "The Star Spangled Banner" had the crowd going crazy. He is another one, like Janis, who had his own distinctive sound and vocals. Jimi could sing anything and you would know it was him. And again like Janis, he died about year after his performance at Woodstock. He was one of the most influential guitar players of all time and was a pioneer in the use of the electric guitar. He couldn't read music and can you believe was a self taught musician? I personally think this is what led him to be so creative with his music and sound. I wonder how many people know that Jimi was in the U. S. Army in the paratroop division? He was discharged though due to an injury he got from a parachute jump. That was lucky for us and for him because he went on to perform with some greats such as Ike and Tina Turner, Little Richard and Sam Cooke. Jimi's untimely death in 1970 was ruled as barbiturate intoxication and inhalation of vomit, although now there is speculation that it may have been murder. Hendrix was worth more dead than alive to his manager who was the beneficiary in his life insurance. Hendrix was 27 when he passed, yep another one like Janis for the "27 Club", and what makes this even more tragic is that Jimi's manager died 3 years later in a plane crash. So much for the greed that led to Jimi's proposed murder. There was a movie made on the life of Jimi Hendrix and if you have not seen it, you must. It was a great movie. His songs will be played for a long time to come.

He pioneered the playing of the electric guitar, Jimi Hendrix

I can't believe it has been 40 years since the original Woodstock, a concert that cannot be repeated in my book. I envy anyone who was there especially to see Joplin and Hendrix perform live. What a time it was where people promoted love and peace even at a time when there was war and racism. Although I was young, I was definitely influenced by the music of the time and my memories of that time were great ones. I feel blessed that I was alive then and as I reflect on the past 40 years, I think we have come a long way. I think sometimes we can learn from others in their own words.

"Don't compromise yourself. You are all you've got."-JANIS JOPLIN

"When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace."-JIMI HENDRIX

Vick Returns To NFL...It's A Bunch Of (Pit) Bull...

2009-08-14T01:14:00.000-04:00

Today it was announced that Mike Vick signed a two year deal with the Philadelphia Eagles. He stands to make $6.8 million between the two years with $3 million in incentives. This has caused quite an uproar with dog lovers all over the country. Back in 2007, Vick was sentenced for running a dog fighting ring and THEN lying about it. He used pit bulls to run this operation, who actually happen to be very friendly dogs. Pit bulls have gotten a bad rap as being mean and aggressive animals due to the people that make them that way. Any dog can be made to be mean, but for some reason pit bulls seem to be the dog of choice for any type of dog fighting rings. No matter the breed, dogs are wonderful pets and companions for humans and love unconditionally. Vick along with brother and others gave the opposite to these wonderful animals by treating them in no way any animal should ever be treated. The dogs that underperformed and weren't "good enough" to fight were electrocuted, drowned, hung and slammed to the ground. All of these tactics just to kill them. Do we do this to wrestlers or any other athletes who underperform? NO. So why do this to animals?

At first Vick denied knowing anything about the ring. Then we found out he funded it and ran it. At the time he finally said that he had used "poor judgement" and was ready to take on the consequences he would face and actually accept responsibility for his actions. I wonder what thought even entered his head to begin with to want to start a dog fighting ring to begin with?

He was suspended indefinitely from the NFL and now that he has done his time, Roger Goodell conditionally lifted his suspension. Well isn't that convenient.

Even though Vick became available to play for any team, so many teams did not want to take him on their teams. Good call considering all the bad press they'd probably get for taking him on. But the Eagles coach believes that since he has paid his debt to society, he deserves a second chance.

Let's talk about this for a second. The inhumane acts that Vick performed on these animals were unwarranted and unbelievable. No one could imagine it but yet it happened. I'm sure Vick had a lot of time to think while he was in prison. Think about what he did and why it was wrong. This Sunday on the show "60 Minutes" you can see an interview with Vick where he will talk about the hurt that he feels towards what he did and how he should've been proactive in taking on the role to stop it but didn't. I guess we'll have to watch Sunday to see how sincere he really is but let's assume for a moment that prison gave him the time to think about it and that he really is sorry. Let's say that he has paid his debt to society. That's all fine and good as far as society goes, but how has he paid his debt to the dogs? He can't bring them back to life and cannot undo what has already been done. So where does that leave the animals?

Here's an idea Vick. Since you've already gone through bankruptcy and are standing to make millions between your contract and endorsements and whatever else comes your way, why don't you donate money to the foundations that deal with dogs? How about throwing some cash over to the S.P.C.A. and other places like shelters and specifically to dog groups that focus on the pit bulls? The dogs you killed cannot come back but your money can certainly help save dogs that have a chance worth saving. PUT YOUR MONEY WHERE YOUR MOUTH IS VICK and literally pay your dues to the animals.

Personally I am still trying to figure out how someone, a human being, can intentionally hurt an animal. I really don't get it. How can anyone do that?? I am still pissed that any of that happened to any of those dogs but in reality, nothing can bring them back.

The two years that Vick served doesn't really matter either, he could've stayed in prison another fifty years and it wouldn't bring the dogs back. So if society sees it that he has "paid his debt to society" then so be it because to me, no prison time means anything. They should've done to Vick what he did to the dogs so he could feel the pain he caused to them. Animals don't have voices to stick up for themselves so we have to be their voices.

But let's say society has been taken care of, now it's time to give back to the dogs. Michael Vick should HAVE to pay to these dog foundations as part of his "sentence" for what he did. And I hope that he is NEVER allowed to have any pet of any kind as long as he lives. If he wants to play football, go ahead, play football, make the big money but then get your check book out and write checks to dog foundations and make those checks BIG!!!

I guess we will see how things will unfold but there are also a lot of football fans out there who don't think he should play again and in fact the public relations team for the Eagles were even surprised when it was announced that Vick would be playing on the team. Why are so many people surprised and upset? It's because these people have souls that tell them they don't want to have anything to do with someone like Vick who would do what he did. I know I certainly would not want to be associated with anyone like him. It goes against my morals and how I treat living things like humans and animals. But I don't work for the NFL or the Philadelphia Eagles. And I don't have to deal with Vick. And I am happy about that.

But the good news is that the dogs that were alive when they busted Vick have been rehabilitated and found homes so thank goodness for that. A lot of them were nervous and afraid of humans and it took some time for them to accept that the people they were with were loving and not going to hurt them. I'm very happy that these dogs are being loved the right way and taken care of the right way.

So let's stay tuned for Sunday's interview and see what he has to say. And hey Vick, here's a little saying I want to say to you:"You can't run with the big dogs if you pee like a puppy"...so man up and as soon as you start receiving your paychecks for playing ball, start writing checks out to the dog foundations and keep them coming because although I think you have no soul, I absolutely will take advantage of this situation in trying to save the dogs that can be saved. And always remember one thing, dog lovers are loyal and I don't care if you're 90 years old, we will never forget what you did. But trying to save dogs with your monetary donations will make it sting a little less....and I mean a little.....

Authors Night...

2009-08-12T23:39:00.000-04:00

Last Saturday I attended Authors Night held at the East Hampton Library. It's the literary event of the Hamptons and was held under a huge white tent. The honorary co-chairs were Alec Baldwin, Candace Bushnell and Jay McInerney. This is a great event where you can meet the authors, buy their books and have them signed right there by the author. The books that are bought that day have the proceeds that go to the East Hampton Library as a donation. There were so many authors there, I couldn't believe it!

Alec Baldwin's book was " A Promise To Ourselves", Candace Bushnell's book was "One Fifth Avenue" and Jay McInerney's book was "How It Ended". Some other authors that were there were Countess LuAnn de Lesseps "Class With The Countess", Bethenny Frankel "Naturally Thin", Dan Rattiner "One Year On The Hampton Subway" and Barbara Walters "Audition" just to name a few.

There were also silent auction items that were donated by various vendors and a variety of dinners that you could choose from where you could have dinner with your favorite author and they would speak about different topics. These dinners were themed dinners.

If you would like to know more about this wonderful event you can log onto http://www.authorsnight.org/ and here are a few pics, courtesy of Keri Lamparter, from the event.

Alec Baldwin

Bethenny Frankel and Countess LuAnn de Lesseps

Barbara Walters

Jay McInerney and Candace Bushnell signing books and Countess LuAnn de Lesseps

Anne Heche stopped by for a surprise appearance

I missed my former boss, Dan Rattiner, but had to give props for his books!

Here is TJ Clemente, writer for Dan's Papers and Montauk Pioneer with girlfriend, Cindi, who stopped by to support this wonderful event

Barbara Walters, Jay McInerney, Candace Bushnell and Alec Baldwin happy to be there

Bethenny Frankel, Alec Baldwin and Countess LuAnn de Lesseps

Thank you to everyone who made this event a success and thanks to Keri Lamparter for taking the pictures and for all her work toward this event. If you missed it this year, there's always next year and if you are an author who would like to be part of this event, you can contact Keri Lamparter at http://www.kerilamparter.com/

A Trip To Parris...Allison Parris...

2009-08-09T20:20:00.000-04:00

Last night I attended the Official Hamptons Launch for Allison Parris Fall/Winter 2009 Collection. Allison Parris is a line that is inspired from the 1940's design and was founded by designer Allison Parris and entrepreneur/lawyer Marissa Kim. The collection is made in the United States using sustainable, organic and repurposed fabrics. The line focuses on being eco-friendly and appropriately enough, her first collection debuted at Greenhouse on Varick Street in NYC. Allison trained at New York's F.I.T and has been named as one of 2009's "Designers To Know". Log onto http://www.allisonparris.com/ to take a look for yourself and see why.

Allison Parris, designer and Marissa Kim, entrepreneur/lawyer of Allison Parris

The event was held in Southampton at Day and Night Restaurant and Bar. It was a nice, warm evening under a clear, night sky outside on the deck with soft candlelight and comfy lounges. Guests were greeted at the front door by two lovely and polite ladies, Lucy Karpilovskaya and Jin Hong, who are both part of the Allison Parris family.

Lucy Karpilovskaya and Jin Hong graciously greeted guests as they entered Day and Night

Everyone was having a good time and adding to the fun and atmosphere of the evening, DJ Claudius Raphael was turning it out as only he can. He is one of the most sought after DJ's because of his clientele and following. If you have ever had the pleasure of hearing him do his thing, then you know why he is in such demand. Check out his website http://www.claudiusraphael.com/

DJ Claudius Raphael tearing it up for everyone, doing what he does best

I like going to events where there is something pleasantly unexpected. My pleasant surprise at this event was the Desserts by Tawny Ong. Tawny has a loyal following throughout New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. And it's no wonder why! The desserts I tasted made my taste buds sit up and take notice. The Red Velvet Cake was topped with a cream cheese icing and was the best I've ever tasted. It didn't have that sugary taste and it was a perfect blend that put a smile on my face. The Ice Box Cake had a cookies and cream taste to it and the blend of the chocolate layers and the vanilla whipped cream tasted like a delicious shake in my mouth. I could have eaten the whole cake! The banana pudding was so fluffy, I liked the fact that it floated on my taste buds and wasn't heavy at all. This was the first time I've tried any of her desserts and I have to say, I was really blown away. One thing she told me was that she really doesn't use a lot of sugar in any of her recipes and I found that to be rewarding especially for anyone who is trying to lose weight or is on a weight loss program. You can enjoy dessert and not feel guilty about your sugar intake. You can log onto http://www.tawnyong.com/ or call 917.687.2640 to place your order for birthdays, special events and much more!

Jorge Chang and Tawny Ong of Desserts by Tawny Ong with a tray of deliciousness

Tiers of Red Velvet Cake with cream cheese icing and Ice Box Cake were the best I've ever tasted

I really enjoyed this event and I was glad to be in the company of some good friends of mine. My friend Tim Walser of the Montauk Yacht Club joined me for an entertaining evening and made some new friends himself. My long time friend, Jill Nicolini, was there with her boyfriend, Trent and I was so glad we could hang out again. Jill and I go way back to the days when we both worked in radio and have always kept in touch. You may know her from PIX News and recently she was voted #3 Hottest Newscaster in the America. My friend Ramona Singer of "The Real Housewives of New York City" also attended with her husband, Mario, and some friends. Ramona has her own line of jewelry that is quite exquisite and I personally would love to own every piece in her line! If you missed her last show on HSN, you have another chance to own a piece for yourself on September 14th at 10pm. Tune in because I promise you will want something from this beautiful line of estate jewelry.

Number 3 Hottest Newscaster in America, Jill Nicolini, and boyfriend, Trent

Tim Walser of The Montauk Yacht Club and Annemarie Davin of FameHampton

The ladies in white Annemarie Davin and Jill Nicolini

Annemarie Davin, DJ Claudius Raphael and Tawny Ong

Tawny Ong and DJ Claudius Raphael with a Red Velvet Cake and Jill Nicolini and Tim Walser

Lauren Bennett, Mario Singer, Ramona Singer, Scott Bennett

The night was a wonderful success and fun was had by all. For those of you who come to the Hamptons and are looking for accommodations, stay at The Enclave Inn which has several locations throughout the Hamptons. The owner, Michael Wudyka, is one of the most gracious and accommodating business owners out here and his staff follows in his footsteps. They are always helpful and courteous and you'll really like the rooms. You can call them at 631.537.2900 or go to http://www.enclaveinn.com/.
If you're in need of transportation, enjoy a smooth ride with friendly and prompt drivers at East End Limousine. They're available 24 hours at 866.410.6600 or http://www.eastendlimousine.com/

The Truth Always Comes Out...

2009-08-06T02:59:00.001-04:00

The truth always comes out no matter what. Today the truth came out about that horrible accident that I spoke about on July 26. I'd like to apologize for thinking it might have been a signage problem since two people were on the wrong side of the road that day. Today they announced that the 36 year old woman who was on the Taconic Parkway in Hawthorne, NY was drunk on Vodka and high on marijuana while driving the wrong way on the parkway. I don't think, well I'm sure, we'll never know what possessed this woman to get behind the wheel in that condition and let alone with kids in the car. Not only did she kill herself, but she killed her daughter, her three nieces that were all sisters and three other people in another vehicle that day.
Her son who is only 5 years old is the only survivor. She brought sorrow to her family and the family of her nieces who lost their three daughters all in one shot. Not to mention the other family who were a father and son and family friend. Although her son is in stable condition, this kid will suffer survivors guilt plus when he is old enough to understand what happened, how will he deal with what his mother did to these families and to himself?
So much loss and for no reason. She even had called her brother to say she had trouble seeing and was feeling disoriented. REALLY??? No kidding lady, why do you think you were feeling this way? Her brother told her to pull to the side of the road and that he would come to get them. Did she even listen to that? NO!
This was all so unnecessary and I cannot begin to tell you how much this pisses me off. Everyone is feeling the same way because no one can understand why she was driving in that condition and with kids! No child should ever die before their parents, it's just not the natural order of life. Seriously, what was she thinking?
I feel for the families that were affected by this irresponsible act of another human being. I can't imagine what they were feeling when they were told this news. So many mixed emotions at once. I just hope they will all be there for the 5 year old boy who may come out of this physically ok but his mental and emotional condition will have a much longer road to recovery.
Hopefully people are watching out on the roads for what other cars are doing. If you see someone swaying or not driving the way they should, steer clear of them. I've been in that situation before where I just let the car stay ahead of me and I stay way back until they get off the road at an exit.
On the flip side, if you are the driver and are going out, don't drink or do anything that will impair your judgement. Always designate a driver because your life and the lives of others on the road are too precious.
Flipping from bad news to good news, Euna Lee and Laura Ling are home at last from their ridiculous captivity in North Korea. They arrived on a jet at Burbank's Bob Hope Airport along with former President Bill Clinton. Clinton had met with Kim Jong II, the communist leader of North Korea in hopes of bringing the girls back home. They had been held captive for 5 months and thought for sure they would be headed to a hard labor camp when in fact they were to leave with Clinton to come home to America. Yes, America, where so many people were praying for their release. America, where so many people have gained more courage to stand up for fellow Americans especially since the 9/11 incident. America, where we are more apt these days to care for our fellow man.
These two reporters were on assignment regarding the Tumen River, which is a river that divides China and North Korea. They were on assignment for Current TV, a San Francisco based company. The two reporters were arrested for espionage and their punishment would've gotten them ten years in a prison camp in North Korea.
What really happened here though? North Korea says the girls crossed the border illegally. Another source says that guards from North Korea crossed the border and actually went on China's side, held the girls at gunpoint and forced them to the North Korea side. Another theory suggests that due to the river drying up because of a drought, the reporters may have crossed the border not realizing that they did. If the North Koreans did cross the river and kidnap the reporters, this would fall into the category of international terrorism and past history would dictate this would not be the first time for this type of kidnapping against a U.S. Citizen.
No matter what theory is to blame, the fact is these two reporters were held in North Korea and the United States had to do something about it. As it turns out, Laura Ling is sister to Lisa Ling who you might know from "The View" and "Oprah" and who also went undercover herself in a National Geographic documentary called "Inside North Korea".
During the last five months so many rumors circulated, some were that there were talks about nuclear issues and also that maybe these reporters along with other people that are being held as bargaining chips. No one knows for sure and of course we are not privy to this information. But we can all be thankful that Clinton took this trip in hopes of some sort of talks to get the reporters home. Now that they are home and with their families, I think that any reporters that go out on assignment should be very careful especially when traveling to foreign countries. You never know what to expect and you never know what will happen. Reporters go all over the world to report the news. It's easy to know the rules of America since we live here but when traveling to other countries, be prepared on how they operate, what their laws are and what your risks are when going there.
I remember seeing Lisa Ling on tv pleading for her sister and the other reporter and I can't imagine the despair she must have been feeling knowing that her sister was over there and not being able to go there herself and pull her out.
The news that is reported daily is always full of good news and bad news. We have to be careful every day that we are not one of the people that ends up there, at least not on the bad news end of it.
Stay safe and be thankful that we live in a country where we have our freedom and we should always remember to never take that for granted. We are "one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all" and we should be proud Americans, not just in times when something bad happens but every day of our lives.

Dating in the Dark...

2009-08-04T00:46:00.000-04:00

Have you seen the new show "Dating in the Dark"? This is an interesting concept where they have 3 girls and 3 guys and they learn about each other in the dark. Basically, they cannot see each other, they just get to know each other based on their personalities. Then they go on one on one dates in the dark and also they go on one on one dates with the person they are matched up with, based on information they gave at the beginning of the show. In the first show they even had them describe what they think the opposite sex looks like. The guys description of the girls was pretty accurate but the girls descriptions were a bit off.
At the end they either meet on the balcony if they think there is a connection or they leave out the front door if they don't think there is one.
Interesting in the second show that all three girls picked the same guy and yet no one met him out on the balcony. Two of the girls felt they were not a match with him and the third girl who did feel a connection just felt he was too young for her.
Can you imagine if this is how everyone dated? I mean it says something for what people base their relationships on. In the first episode the one girl who got the best looking guy said that if she had seen him first in a regular situation, she would have never approached him.
This show is good in the sense that it shows that we should not judge a book by its cover. You can be attracted to someone physcially but then maybe not hit it off once you get to know them. On the other hand, you also may not be initially attracted to someone but once you get to know them, they start to become quite attractive to you.
This is why I think that although we do base initial meetings on looks, you do have to get to know the person to see if you are a match.
Think about that the next time you go on a date with someone and if you missed these first two episodes, there will be another one on next Monday night. Let me know what you think about this concept and if you did see the show, let me know your opinion. Happy dating!

Get Yours Today...

2009-07-31T23:20:00.000-04:00

This weekend brings on the beginning of August and it seemed like just yesterday it was January and we were all anticipating a great summer. Well so far it has been great, the economy is on an upswing and by the looks of the crowds out here in the Hamptons, things will keep going strong. Every year there are parties and fundraisers that hold their annual events out here and there are publications that we look forward to reading each week. One of those publications that has been a staple of the Hamptons and New York City is Dan's Papers. Everyone has their favorite sections they look forward to reading or browsing through to see what's happening for that week but there is also something else they look forward to seeing...the covers. The artists that are chosen for the covers feel honored when their work is displayed for everyone to see. And what an honor it is indeed.

Well this year Dan's Papers decided to put together a special commemorative cover issue which displays some of the most memorable covers in the history of Dan's Papers. This special issue hit the streets today and you should know that if you don't get yours now, you better because they will not last long! Each cover is sponsored by a company and you can also check this out on http://www.danshamptons.com.

Hamptons Magazine Annual Clambake at the Montauk Yacht Club

2009-07-29T00:42:00.000-04:00

Last Saturday, July 26, I had the pleasure to attend Hamptons Magazine's Annual Clambake at IGY's Montauk Yacht Club in Montauk. This year the Montauk Yacht Club is celebrating their 80th Anniversary so this seemed the perfect venue for this event. The event was held on the Great Lawn overlooking numerous gorgeous yachts with tables that were set with blue and white linens. Various bars were located throughout the area and there was a buffet where everyone got in line to fill their plates with fresh Steamers, Corn on the Cob, spicy Potato Wedges, tasty Clams and perfectly done Lobsters with warm melted butter.

Table settings overlooking the docks and the gorgeous yachts

Terry Ross, Spanierman Gallery and Lanka Dupont, UberHouse, enjoying the feast.

The dance floor in the middle of all the fun gave way to everyone dancing the night away under a moonlit sky. The entire dance floor was full of happy faces and rhythmic bodies!

Everyone was having fun and showcasing their moves on the dance floor

Tim Walser and Annemarie Davin grooving along with all the other guests

There were so many people having a good time and I didn't see one person who wasn't smiling!

Jim Smith, Hamptons Magazine, Annemarie Davin, FameHampton, Tim Walser, Montauk Yacht Club

Denise Bornshein and friends having fun and striking a pose

The evening was a fun time for all and had sponsors and gift bags. Included in these were Sagatiba Cachaca, Yogaworks, C&C California, Iconix Group, Borgata Hotel, Casino and Spa, and La Perla. There was also a classy, red Ferrari on display to add to this upscale crowd.

Jason Binn, CEO and Founder of Niche Media and Andrew Farkas, Chairman of Island Global Yachting which owns the Montauk Yacht Club, gave speeches to thank everyone for attending and everyone gave a huge round of applause for both gentlemen.

Andrew Farkas, Chairman of IGY and Steve Kasuba, Velvet Road Productions

Terry Ross and Annemarie Davin showing off their Sagatiba Cachaca scarves

For more information on the Montauk Yacht Club, you can log onto http://www.montaukyachtclub.com/ an if you have not been out there this summer, you MUST check it out!

Thanks to Terry Ross, Photographer, for photos.

Why drive when you can be driven to your next event? There are a lot of cars out here in the summer and who wants to worry about where to park, the traffic, all of it? Enjoy the comfort of a clean luxury car and a courteous driver by calling East End Limousine today at 866-410-6600 to book for your next event.

Daddy's Little Girl....

2009-07-27T02:00:00.000-04:00

Tomorrow is the anniversary of the death of my father and every year I reflect on my times with him and our family. Of course I always think of him and every day something reminds me of him or something he'd say to me if he were here. We were very close and in a lot of ways our personalities were very similiar. He could talk to anyone and always had advice to give. He never gave us the easy answer when we'd ask a question. He would give the pro and then the con and then ask "So what do you think you should do?" When I was younger, I just wanted him to tell me the answer but as I got older I was happy he did this because it taught me and my sisters how to think for ourselves. I'll never forget about three weeks before he died, he came in my room and stood in the door way watching me iron my school uniform. I looked at him and kind of laughed and said "what?" I was wondering why he was just staring at me. He said, "Come here sit down I want to tell you something" and we sat on my bed. He told me that he was really happy that I can take care of myself and that he and my mom tried to raise me and my sisters to think for ourselves and to be self reliant. I was thinking okay....why is he telling me this? Then he told me that one day he and my mom wouldn't be around so he was glad to know we could take care of ourselves. So I asked him, "Are you going somewhere?" and we both kind of laughed and he said no that he was just glad to know he raised us the right way and that he knew we could take care of ourselves. It didn't make any sense at that moment to me why he was telling me that, but of course three weeks later I figured out what that conversation was all about.

A lot of people take thier parents for granted and me and my sisters were just saying the other day how we would give anything today for our parents to be here. I honestly don't think we ever took our parents for granted while they were here. We enjoyed every moment with them even if we were getting yelled at or whatever, it's all part of growing and it's all part of being a family. Here are some pics:

The first pic is me and my dad at Magic Mountain in California
where I grew up. The second pic is before he even met my mom. He was in the United States Marine Corp. He served in the Korean War and again went back as an aircraft mechanic in the Vietnam War as the Marines called him back for that trade. When he passed I made sure that he had an American Flag because I wanted everyone to know he served his country and that he got the respect he deserved. My mom gave me the flag after they folded it and it remains intact in my house just that way today. The third pic is my dad, my mom, my sister Michele and baby sister Frances and me at my First Communion (yes I was tall for an 8 year old, I know. My dad thought I'd be 6 foot lol)
I'd like to take today to reflect on all the good times and I know he always around me and guiding me no matter what. I was thinking of him today as I do every day when I go to the gym. He died of a second heart attack and I'm not going that route which is why it is so important for me to get my body together. Not only to lose weight because of vanity but for the health aspect of it as well. There are so many people that look great today and live longer because they take the time to work out and work thier hearts and bodies in general.
While I was at the gym, I see on the tv sets there that there was a horrible accident involving a lady and kids I think it was 8 total. Only one of the kids survived and everyone else died. The lady was a mom to some of the kids and to the kid that survived. I cannot imagine the families involved especially the ones all related, are going to have to go to a mass funeral. Another accident in the news was another automobile accident that caused two more deaths. For the mom with the kids, she was going the wrong way on the parkway and apparently there was a second car that day that went the wrong way. I think that town needs to look at the signs because if two people got on a parkway going the wrong way, this sounds like a sign or direction problem and they really should fix that. The other accident is still unknown why it happened.
This is the summer and there is way more traffic out here than normal and everyone needs to be more aware of what is going on. In this past month I have so many friends that have had accidents, been in the hospital for other medical reasons, and that are not doing well at all health wise. We need to start taking care of ourselves and those around us. Please be extra careful if you are traveling just around the corner of your house or going on a long trip. Buckle up and watch the other cars because everything can change on a dime so please be extra careful.
It seems like our lives have gotten so much more fast paced and we really need to slow down and take notice of our surroundings.
Be careful during this summer season and pay attention to your health so you don't wind up in the hospital. Go today and join a gym to jump start your health routine and watch what you eat. Go to your doctor and get a routine physical just to see where you're at.
No one wants to lose anyone even though we know one day they won't be here but let's prevent that as long as we can. Think before you act and as my father would say "use your head for more than a hat rack" haha, yes he had many words of wisdom. Love you and miss you dad xo

Sailing Back To The 1960's...

2009-07-24T00:00:00.000-04:00

It's their party and they'll have fun if they want to! Last Saturday I had the pleasure of attending Bay Street Theatre's Annual Summer Gala Benefit Bash on the Long Wharf in Sag Harbor. This event was held under a huge 300 foot white tent and the theme was "Sailing Back To The 1960's". And that they did with many guests dressed in retro sixties attire and Lesley Gore sang two of her most popular songs "It's My Party" and "You Don't Own Me". The decor took everyone back in time with various colors that were popular back then and though I was a child of the late sixties, I have to say they did quite a job to bring back to life a time that I really loved! Here is a pic of the groovy set up:

Of course there is always a silent and live auction and I don't know if it was me but this year there seemed to be more items than usual which is a good thing! I want to say a special thank you to some of the people who donated items for the auctions which included Joe Pintauro, Bebe Newirth, Nathan Lane, Vera Wang and Gwyneth Paltrow.

People talk about tough economic times and although we are slowly coming out of it, I think it was great that so many people bought tickets to this event, sponsored and donated items for the auctions and supported this ever important fundraiser for the Bay Street Theatre. This annual gala is very important because it helps to keep Bay Street Theatre alive and operating. Everyone from Sag Harbor locals to theatre lovers from all over absolutely adore the theatre and its shows. This adoration was evident by the number of people that attended this exciting event that evening.

Some of the noted people that were in attendance were Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy, Eli Wallach and his wife, Ann, Tina Louise who played "Ginger" on "Gilligan's Island", Joe Pintauro, Marty Richards, Stuart Lane, Kate Burton, Lisa Perry, Angela LaGreca, Julie Fitzgerald, Managing Director at Bay Street Theatre, Tracy Mitchell, General Manager at Bay Street Theatre, Bob Edelman, Publisher of Dan's Papers and Plum TV Host, Lauren Ezersky just to name a few. Here are some pics from that evening:

Plum TV Host, Lauren Ezersky

Donna Soloway and Tina Louise

Paul and Jeanette Wagner

Annemarie Davin, Joe Gaviola

Annemarie Davin, Julie Fitzgerald

Meghan Edelman, Jane Edelman, Bob Edelman, Annemarie Davin, Ellen Dioguardi, Susan Galardi

Barry Gordin, Patrick Christiano

Annemarie Davin, Terry Ross

A fun evening was had by all and it was another Bay Street Theatre success! This was my sixth year going to this and each year it gets better and better. If you missed it this year, be sure to go next year because this is one of the Hamptons major events for the summer and you don't want to miss it. I've also been to many shows at the theatre and there is always something for everyone. You can check out what's happening on the main stage, kidstreet, comedy and everything else by logging onto http://www.baystreet.org/. Thank you especially to Terry Ross my photographer for FameHampton. Another weekend in the Hamptons is coming up and I'll be headed out for more fun and parties so stay posted and be safe!

Arrive at your next event in style by calling East End Limousine at 866-410-6600. You'll be more relaxed and having a drink or two won't worry you. Call them 24 hours a day.

Forgetiquette...

2009-07-22T02:00:00.001-04:00

Well today was a bit of a crazy day for me noticing the human nature that roams this Earth and the forgotten basic etiquette of people. Our lives have gotten so busy that a lot of us go through a million emails a day but the basic etiquette of the email is to answer them even if it's something short and sweet. Even if you don't have an answer for someone just say "I'll have to get back to you on that" and then follow up later but at least they know you have read it and are at least thinking about it. Most people are good about returning the emails but for some, it seems like a chore.
Driving is another area where people should be a little more thoughtful. Let people in when you can and try not to own the road. The road is shared by everyone. Also if you are a pedestrian and even when you have the right of way, be mindful of the cars. So many people take their time just strolling across the street, not thinking that they can get hit by a car. My father used to say "it's easier to move a hundred and twenty pound body than a two thousand pound car." That simply means that even if you have the right of way, get out of the way of the car or you could get hurt. Use your head so your body doesn't get hurt.
I go to the gym every day and it really cracks me up how people just sit on the machines like they have all day. Everyone knows that the average person will do about 3 reps per machine, and you can see them concentrating on that muscle group for that machine. But I couldn't believe tonight when I saw this guy sitting on the ab machine on his cell phone. I'm sorry but it's not a phone booth! Most of us don't even take our cell phones into the gym because they are too distracting when you're trying to concentrate on yourself and your body. I just don't get it. And for someone like me who has a certain pattern to my workouts, I need to keep my heart rate at a certain level in order to maximize my workout so that kind of stuff just slows me down. I've learned to just move to the next machine and come back to the one I couldn't get on.
Another thing that really got to me today was how our cell phones have become such a part of our lives that sometimes people take them for granted. I've been so busy that I don't have time during the day to take a call to sit and chat when I am with someone. Emailing to ask a question is the best way so that you can get to it when you can , if it's not something pertinent at that moment. This past weekend my phone fell under my seat and I was on my way to an event and I tried to get it out from under the seat but it was impossible as my seats are electric and have all kinds of wiring and things under there. I was pressured for time, so I just left the phone under my seat and went to the event. You know, I really didn't even miss my phone? In fact I didn't give too much thought to who might be trying to get ahold of me either because I knew there was nothing that was THAT important and when I finally got my cell, I was right. What I'm trying to say is that even if you're not busy, that doesn't mean the person you're trying to call isn't. Be thoughtful to the fact that they could be in the middle of something so don't get mad if they can't answer your call.
There's another thing I'd like to call Friendship etiquette. This refers to how you treat your friends and the common courtesy that goes along with that. If you're upset with your friend, you should tell them. Don't hold it in, don't just stop talking to them without telling them why and realize that because you are friends, you can tell them anything especially if you are upset with them. The mature attitude is one where you can talk to the person or even email them if you are not good at confrontation, just to let them know what's going on. It's not fair to be mad at someone and stay mad at them without letting them know why. My true and close friends know they can say anything to me and even if I won't like what they have to say, they know that I will listen to them and talk things out. It's kind of like when your parent is mad at you or has to discipline you. They love you no matter what but there will be times when they will be upset about something and you will know what it is. You resolve it and move forward. I'm so thankful for the friends that I have that feel that comfortable with me to say anything and know me well enough to know that I won't fly off the handle. I sit there and listen to what they have to say and have a discussion and move on.
It's interesting if you just really pay attention and take note throughout your day of how many people have forgotten the basic rule of being nice to other people. If every person did something unselfish every day, I bet we would find more people practicing the lost art of etiquette and basic kindness toward their fellow man...and woman.
Start today to do something positive for someone and watch how it is returned to you. If we all practice this daily, I think there will be hope yet! Here are two good quotes for today:

"Treat everyone with politeness, even those who are rude to you-not because they are nice, but because you are."-Authour Unknown

"The friendship that can cease has never been real"-Saint Jerome

Tauk of the Town...

2009-07-19T21:44:00.000-04:00

Well this weekend was full of lots of stuff to do out here in the Hamptons. July and August are traditionally the busiest out here and you can find yourself trying to run to two or three events in one night!

One event that is coming up next weekend is taking place in Montauk and is the annual "Night at the Light" A Celebration of Long Island Wines. The event is from 5-8pm and is held at the historical Montauk Lighthouse.

This picture you see is one I took last year at the event so you can see what a gorgeous day it was! This event is held under a big white tent and proceeds go to the Montauk Lighthouse and the Montauk Chamber of Commerce. The past years have been successful and I look forward to this year being just as successful. You never know who will be there. Here is a pic of me and Aida Turturro from last years event.

There is live music and this year's special guest is Gary Vaynerchuk, Host of winelibrarytv.com. It's a great event where you get to taste wine from various Long Island Wineries including Duck Walk Vineyards, Bedell Cellars, Martha Clara, Wolffer Estate, Lieb Cellars, Osprey Dominion, Palmer Vineyards, Jamesport Vineyards, Channing Daughters and Macari Vineyards.

This year Hors D'Oeuvres are provided by Art of Eating. There are raffles and prizes which are always fun and of course, gift bags.

Last year they also had some items you could bid on that are sports memoribilia such as these pictured here:

For more information you can contact the Montauk Chamber at 631.668.2428.

If you looking for a place to stay this week, a good place to check out is Gurney's Inn and right now they are having a special. Stay at Gurney's Inn for 2 nights between the dates of Sunday, July 19 through Thursday, July 23 and take home a voucher for a FREE night this fall or winter! There is a limited supply of rooms available so call now to book your getaway and receive your FREE voucher. The special is not available on line and cannot be used in conjunction with any other discount, package or certificate. You must mention this special at time of booking. Note that this offer does not apply to existing reservations. Call Gurney's Inn at 631.668.2345 to reserve now and you can check out their facility by logging onto thier website at http://www.gurneysinn.com/.

If you think Montauk is the end, it's not...it's the beginning. Begin your night out on the town with a courteous driver and ride in comfort by calling East End Limousine at 866-410-6600.

In The News....

2009-07-17T23:27:00.000-04:00

Today the news industry lost an icon, Walter Cronkite. Tonight on CBS they had many guests who talked about what they remembered most about Mr. Cronkite, their favorite memories and I can't think of just one memory, I think of everything he covered. His voice is such a noted one that you knew it was him because of the distinct tone he had. He was there to cover so many historical events. He covered the assassination of President Kennedy, the Vietnam War, the Apollo 11 Moon Landing and the Watergate Scandal just to name a few.
I wasn't born yet when the Kennedy assassination happened but from what I understand, he was pretty choked up about while he was trying to report it. The Vietnam War I do remember even though I was only 4 years old. My father, who was a US Marine, was called back by the Marines for his talent of an aircraft mechanic to work on the helicopters over there. This was in 1969 and he was gone for 6 months. Every night when the news was on, I'd watch it to see if I could see my dad among the coverage of people over there. I remember Walter covering that event and listening to his every word. When he spoke you believed everything he said, it was the truth whatever he said.
When we first landed on the moon, I remember what a big deal that was. Again Walter was there for that to report on. He was happy as we all were to see this great accomplishment happen in our time.
The Watergate scandal was another big deal when that happened and again you saw Walter covering that. The news was on all the time in our house and you would see the news reports and Nixon all over it.
Walter Cronkite was someone that kept you interested in what he had to say because you trusted what he said. In the times when we had TV that had no remote control and only 13 channels, when there were no cell phones or emails to check, Walter reported the news and everyone in your family watched it together. Those were the days when families actually had a "dinner time" where everyone ate together at one time and shared whatever was happening in their lives. It was quality family time and the television was a place where everyone got together to share in the entertainment and the news. Most houses had one TV, not one in every room like today. That one television was the central place where we gathered as families and Walter Cronkite was someone we all gathered around to listen to.
This man will be greatly missed due to his impact not only in the news industry but on our lives in general, especially if you grew up watching him on the news. He was noted as the most trusting man in America "and that's the way it was."

In another note regarding the Kennedys, yesterday was the ten year anniversary of when we lost John F. Kennedy Jr. I remember that day and thinking that even if the plane went down, maybe he, his wife and sister in law somehow found themselves to land somewhere. But at the same time, I kept thinking that there was no way they could have survived that crash. Such devastation to the Kennedy family and the nation as a whole.
John Jr. was always in spotlight since his birth into the Kennedy family. I think the most remembered photo of a young John is that of him saluting his father's casket. To this day, I have always wondered how did he know to do that? I've always assumed that he was just a very intelligent person even as a child. John Jr. would always be seen around NYC and it was like everyone was his friend. Strangers would say hi to him and he was not the stand offish type either. It was almost like he wasn't really aware how well known he really was.
He was born Noember 25, 1960 which makes him a fellow sagittarian like myself. His father was assassinated three days before his third birthday. I can just imagine how he felt as my mom died two days before my 25th birthday. In 1988, People Magazine voted him the "Sexiest Man Alive". In 1995 he founded his magazine George. There is so much I can write on here about him but it would all be things that the public already knows. The thing we don't know is where he would be today if he were still here. I'd like to think that he would have endured some kind of successful venture and who knows, maybe he would have even ran for President? What we do know is that he was indeed America's son and that he is dearly missed.
NASA also is celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Apollo 11 landing on the moon. It seems like just yesterday this glorious event was taking place yet 40 years has passed and it's amazing to see how far we have come with technology.
What an interesting past couple of days in the news. The Apollo 11 landing, remembering JFK Jr and the passing of Walter Cronkite. These are all events and people that will forever be remembered...

Dress for a Cause at Catherine Malandrino's

2009-07-15T23:14:00.000-04:00

Last Saturday I had the pleasure of attending the "Dress for a Cause at Catherine Malandrino's" event in East Hampton at her boutique on Newtown Lane. This event benefited CANCER 101 which was started by Executive Director Monica Knoll who had breast cancer at age 36 and is a survivor. This company empowers patients and those who care for them by giving them ten year planners and other organizational tools. The planners are great because they encourage hope for those with cancer while they are receiving treatment or are in remission. For anyone who shopped at Catherine Malandrino's this past Saturday, you'll be happy to know that 15% of sales that day went to CANCER 101.

As if that wasn't a good enough reason alone, meeting USA Network's "Royal Pains" Co-Star Reshma Shetty was another! Reshma was on hand to support these efforts as the celebrity host and was in good company with special guest, Sally Shan, Nightlife Heiress. These ladies were as nice as they were beautiful and were having a great time! Here is a pic of Sally Shan on the left and Reshma Shetty on the right.

Voga Sparkling Wine and Evian mini bottles were enjoyed by everyone. DJ Claudius Raphael kept the vibe alive by spinning beats that kept everyone dancing and moving. The audio equipment was provided by IAN-Audio, which is a full service live sound rental and production company owned by Ash Krikorian. Pictured below is DJ Claudius Raphael on the left and Ash Krikorian on the right.

Among some of the guests who showed up to support this cause were two of my good friends, Darrell M. Smith of HBO's "The Wire" and Countess LuAnn de Lesseps of Bravo TV's "The Real Housewives of New York City". Other guests included Orlando Bloom and Susan Shin.

Gift bags were supplied courtesy of Catherine Malandrino and included goodies from The Elegant Setting of Southampton, Matt Izzo and Gurney's Inn. The event was hosted by Fashion Week Daily and Hamptons Undercover and was produced by Simply Chic Public Relations, LLC. Co-owners of Simply Chic Public Relations, LLC, Sabrina Chapman and Justine McCarthy were in attendance. Below is a pic of (left to right): Sabrina Chapman, Sally Shan, Justine McCarthy.

The event was a huge success and it was nice to see so many people come out to support the cause.

When traveling around the Hamptons or NYC, you want to be on time and not worry about driving. Call East End Limousines at 866-410-6600 and just sit back, relax and enjoy the ride.

Unrestricted Jeans Fashion Show

2009-07-13T00:18:00.000-04:00

Last Wednesday night I attended the Unrestricted Jeans Fashion Show at The Gallery Bar on Orchard in NYC. Unrestricted Jeans is a fashionable and a premium denim line that has launched in NYC and Miami. They are definitely making their way into the spotlight and is headed by owner and designer, Anthony M. Chiulli and COO, Lourdes Morales, pictured her

It was a fun night and it seemed like everyone was having a great time. The place was packed, drinks were flowing and it was a huge success! Here are some pics of the models.

I met up with some friends and made some new ones. Here are some pics of the fun had by everyone that nig

Me and Thomas and then Thomas and Robert Guiliano, one of the founders of LXTV and is launching a luxury lifestyle website so stay tuned for that. Thomas owns his own company as well and is a smart, fun, well mannered and all around cool guy.

Me and Lourdes of Unrestricted Jeans and then Thomas, Lucy from Allison Parris and Stan who owns http://www.clubnightnyc.com/

NJ Rob, who drove us to Citrene afterwards, thanks Rob, lots of fun..with Rob G and thier friend. Then me and Marina who is one cool chica that I had such a great time with as well.

We hit up two clubs after and the fun continued til 4am when I had to get some sleep for another day in NYC. The next day I had some appointments I went to then had lunch with my oldest and dearest friend Angelo downtown in the East Village. After that, I went to see another dear friend, Sal, at the Soho Grand. If you have never been to "The Yard" at the Soho Grand Hotel, you need to check it out. The weather was perfect and the atmosphere is very casual chic with an outdoor lounge and bar where the drinks are made to perfection. You can meet friends there for a drink or dinner that is sure to make your taste buds dance. If you're looking for a venue for your event, then the Soho Grand is your place. Tell Sal I sent you!

And remember if you are traveling into Manhattan and need transportation, call East End Limousines at 866-410-6600

Welcome...

2009-07-12T23:04:00.000-04:00

Welcome to the blog of FameHampton, Where everyone gets their 15 minutes. I'll be posting the latest of what's happening including events, parties and just anything worthwhile. This has been a crazy busy week and it will continue to be that way throughout July and August. If you have anything you want to share with me, just email me at annemarie.davin@gmail.com. Also I am working on the website so stay tuned for updates on that as well. Hope you all had a good weekend and never stop believing in yourself...