Song of the Day

Last Goodbye- Jeff Buckley

It was like three in the morning and I couldn't sleep, so I got up , went downstairs and flicked on the TV. It was, as it usually is, on a music station. The Canadian channel Fuse to be exact. Just as I flipped the switch in the dark, a song was just starting that featured a really cute guy and a haunting bass line. As I sat in the dark and heard this song for the first time I fell love and was captivated with it. I couldn't wait to see who this guy was so I could get the record. As the liner notes appeared at the end of the song with Jeff Buckley 'The Last Goodbye', I made a mental note and was excited to have discovered him-- then I was quickly brought down by the appearance of the VJ:
"That was Jeff Buckley who was sadly found dead earlier this evening of an apparent drowning" I cried. So young, so talented- it was a haunting, odd moment in the dark. And the stranger thing I came to find out, was that his father, a musician also, died years before at around the same age of a drowning. Weird, huh?
A great song to have in your collection. A good 'go to' for a cry after a breakup!
http://www.last.fm/music/Jeff+Buckley/Last+Goodbye
**Sorry guys, I can't link you to a full version-I am going to figure out how to let you just click here on my blog to hear in the future. :(

Walmart- who knew???

I think I have been to a Walmart once or twice in my life. Out where I used to live in Sag Harbor there were not any chain stores like Target, Walmart etc....well, except for the big kMart in Bridgehampton and thankfully so- cuz at least there was one place to get all those cheap little necessities that we all need. So, on a trip to Walmart for just that, I eyed this little cute sweater dress as I was standing in line- for a mere $12.99!! And it is pretty darn cute.

**Oh---and they have really awesome leggings for 5 bucks in all the basic colors a gal needs- black, brown charcoal and white.

So, sneak a peak at the cheap clothes next time you're there, if you pick the right thing, noone has to know!

let's keep this between us! xo

W

You will find it rare that I would review a movie on my blog, but I knew that I would write about this movie or have some strong feelings about it the moment I heard it was being made. I do not come from a hugely savvy political standpoint as much as I do a woman with a natural, inherent fascination with artists who are compelled to document, so closely - and try so hard- to portray the life of an individual. I think it takes a lot of balls because, with so much speculation it could either be a huge success or a horrible failure. I can't say this film was either one for me. What elements of GW Bush as a man, a President, was Stone so driven to expose and convince us of? And how would the mainstream American public leave the theater feeling about the Bush administration as a whole? I think a huge portion of the public do not really understand the horrors of his last eight years in office and I think many people hope this film will teach them, in a fun, soundtrack filled two and a half hour romp. I made it a point not to read any of the reviews, so my viewpoint could be unbiased, as naive or unschooled as it may be.

As I prepared to watch it, I pretty much had an idea what I was in for, with this being an Oliver Stone film (remember The Doors, Born on the Fourth of July, Wall Street, Platoon, JFK, Nixon, etc...). A politically, socially and 'of the times' charged script with an easy to follow cut from scene to scene and always a clever,constantly present and very intentional, well thought out soundtrack. These things always make it easy to digest his films.

If you know nothing about Bush, here is the first Presidential impression that Stone gives you with the obvious intention of making it stick:

Speech Writer: How about Axis of Terror?

Bush: Don't get cute, the word terror would scare people anyway.

SW: What about Axis of Evil?

Bush: (pacing the room and biting his nails) Now that I like, it's got a ring to it.

'A ring to it'- what a fucking line. And if you don't think to yourself 'oh shit, what an idiot, he doesn't know what he is doing'- which I can't imagine Stone DOESN'T want you to think, then Stone hasn't grabbed you. This scene is followed by a flashback to his college days pledging for a fraternity and having Jack Daniels poured down his throat. This is followed by the next scene which has him lunching with Dick Cheney being briefed on WOMD as he sloppily and aggressively eats a bologna sandwich and guzzles, and I mean purposefully, guzzles a Dr. Pepper. See where I am going with this this? From drunken frat boy to a White House lunch briefing on war tactics and chemical weaponry, with the image and actions of a frat boy still very present in your mind and apparent by his over the top body language and line delivery scene to scene. The whole film is pieced together so as to make you feel as if Bush was just this 'guy' who, stumble upon stumble, ended up in the White House- like Alice through the Looking Glass. (I kind of agree with this theory by the way) Stone makes him consistently insecure, sarcastic, flippant, narcissistic, and don't even get me started on the whole 'father and son' relationship which paints him to be a simple psychological breakdown of the boy who just wanted to constantly please a father that he is always disappointing. You know the old 'living in his shadow' cliche. Stone has Brolin play the character as just that : a cliched portraylof a faulted man who should never have become President.

It was ok, but too simplistic and candy coated a script that it became almost satirical to me.

I hope that I am right about Oliver Stone's intention with his portrayal of Bush. He wanted to give the public an easy way to, at the same time, be entertained and yet horrified by what we have done as a collective society by voting such a person into office. He used a reverse physcology by making you see and hear one thing, yet as a whole wanted to make you feel another. If this makes any sense. He wants you to either feel a little sorry for Bush or think he is an idiot , but at the end he wants you to be convinced that this man has, simply put, made a terrible mess of things. Stone is good with this kind of tortured soul, this fumbling through life kind of man (there is a great line that Val Kilmer- as Jim Morrison- has at the beginning of Stone's biopic the Doors "I am just a tortured clown who gets thing right for a minute and then messes them up in the end") and he is good at bringing it out in his actors. I have to applaud Josh Brolin for his outstanding job impersonating Bush. There were times where I purposefully closed my eyes and I could have sworn I was listening to GW. He did a brilliant job in my opinion. Also to be noted, Richard Dreyfus portrays a smarmy, slimy Dick Cheney brilliantly. Curious to see who might get an Oscar nod.

**Whomever played Condoleeza Rice was cast terribly wrong. Be prepared to be annoyed by this character..

***And big final applause to one of my favorite elements of the film--listen for it- it's brilliant. Stone's use of the original theme to Robin Hood throughout the movie ("with a cap in his hat, he comes to save the day......")which plays for mere seconds during any scenes prior to Bush taking the podium. This, I thought, was clever and HILARIOUS!

Definitely worth seeing, but go in expecting a satire, not a true and serious documentary. And it is always fun to see an Oliver Stone character portrayal from a psychological point of view- if you areas interested in that kind of thing as much as I am.

PS There are 3 people in particular that I know of who read my blog and are extremely political. I'm very much looking forward to their reviews, they should be good. I will re-blog them if, and when, they are posted.

Summer Breeze- Seals and Croft

My mom was a sucker for them when I was little, and I am a sucker for them too. I'm talkin' about the soft rock songs of the 70's. This song always makes me miss my mom. I can still picture me in the backseat of the groovy Chevy with both of us singing along.

http://tinyurl.com/6k5krv

Salon 8 am

Getting ready for an early 8:30 am blowout at the salon---which fun frivolous magazine to choose?

Meghan Fox was the hands down stand out. ***I refused to take my hat off until they got me at the sink, that's how bad it was! And even in the midst of my tired little cranky self, I still managed to put my big ass earrings on. Only me.

Devil in my Car- The B-52's

I dug this song up the other day when I read that the B-52's were playing at Hammerstein Ballroom in NY. I discovered this band way back in the eighth grade and they were a happy, happy, unique, quirky breathe of fresh air. I fell in love with them and I credit the two girls in this band, Cindy and Kate, for helping me find the real strength of my singing voice. Funny but true- singing that shit is HAARD. I really love them for the girls to tell you the truth. Everytime I would have to really warm up or open up my voice, or just want to sing along to something that makes me happy, all I have to do is sing along to a couple of these oldies but goodies. Always a fun sing along.

From their album Wild Planet
http://www.deezer.com/track/1560771

Red Lips!

I am not the biggest makeup wearer-even though my lifestyle should really warrant it--but I own ALOT of it and love to play with it, especially lipstick. Even I have to admit, this shade of red is a bit toooo Bozo the clown!