Say John Kerry loves kicking back in his den and smoking a nice, fat spleef? Think he'll let American know? It's widely suspected the current guy at 1400 Pennsylvania held the white stuff in high regard for years. Funny how he's never shared that. Like them, my current (real-life) occupation precludes me from voicing some opinions I'd like to. That's one of the reasons for this blog.
A second reason is that I'm a moron. In my real-life persona, I mean. Now, before 80 of you go posting that I'm one here too, I meant the term relatively, along the lines Barbra Streisand's pilloried. As in: "What the fuck does she know that she's got a right to stick her sofa-sized nose into politics?" As it happens, she knows plenty. She's more intelligent, better-educated, and better-informed on the issues than a good percentage of professional politicians. (I know, I know, education's not a prerequisite for political skill, as Harry Truman, who didn't do college, might attest, if he weren't dead. But it helps.) That having been said, I'd rather go swimming in Babs's septic tank than read one her rants. But I do want you to read mine. And, if you are right now, evidently, you are.
Why are you? Some of you are intrigued by the view of Hollywood. Some of you are curious whether that view is actually derived solely from broadcasts of "Access Hollywood" I see in my mom's basement in Toledo. And I'd like to think that at least a couple of you, regardless of whether this blog originates from a penthouse or a cellar, are here for the words themselves. This week brought a bunch of comments asking whether I'd be watching Bush's press-conference (to use the White House's term), and, subsequently, what I thought of it. I've had a few questions on the Middle East too. Solicitation of my opinion on either topic in my real-life mail (of which there's more than on this site): 0. On whether a certain actress is starting to show her age: 3. So, to those of you who actually may care what I have to say: Thanks. Stick around and we'll try and change the world, or at least a few square feet of Los Angeles County, and, failing that, we'll derive some amusement from the indisgressions of its residents. You both may now proceed to the Administrative Notes section below.
To those of you who decry this blog as "not all that genuine" (as one commenter charitably put it), what I have to offer can't mean anything to you, so what are you doing here, let alone decrying? Jeff Bridges has a blog that's indisputably genuine. There's photographic evidence. Plus he's got his drawings up, details of his upcoming films (all of which, as it happens, are wonderful), and lots of other nifty stuff. (http://www.jeffbridges.com).
To those of you who've dismissed this blog as "not all that genuine," but remain for sociological or mental disturbance study, I hope you'll come around, and, either way, the folks getting the thousands of free banner ad views per day out of the deal appreciate it.
Lastly, to those of you whose minds might be open if not for Spagogate--the unrelenting comments all but accusing me of being OJ's accomplice because of my poor reportage of the Tom/Penelope photo-op a couple years ago at Spago--check the restaurant's own site (www.seeing-stars.com/Dine2/SpagoBeverlyHills.shtml). They boast about having hosting the lovebirds that day. My crimes: I had the wrong Spago--it was the one in Beverly Hills, not on Sunset. And, as previously acknowledged, I didn't know the one on Sunset had closed a year earlier. How I could have missed such momentous news?! My leading theory: I was doing something other than watching "Access Hollywood" at the time, and, afterward, never gave the Spago on Sunset a passing thought (even when passing it), its self-proclaimed stature as "the place to go to see stars" or if you're Liberace notwithstanding. Liberace, incidentally, is a close, personal friend of mine, and never fails to parise my work. One additional thought on Spago, to any mothers reading this: if the boys your daughters bring home are unaware that Spago on Sunset has closed, be glad.
Administrative Notes:
Waxwing: please re-post your item about flashing four fingers. It was funny, and, sorry, the site's idiot systems person accidentally deleted it.
Wendy Jo, Mr. Sorrow, and The Novelist, all of whose comments are headed, "DO NOT POST" and, accordingly, aren't: the comments are great. I'm guessing, at least in the last two cases, the names are pseudonyms. If the contents don't compromise anything, why not let the posts go up?
Waxwing, by the way, is one of at least two posters who may be Johnny Depp in real life. One of them must be pretending. Despite having closely studied the comments of each, I have no clue. Anyway, who can ever know with claims made over the internet?
Have a nice weekend,
R