Liz Smith: Flynt About to Drop 30 More Names



His Royal porcinity. (image via cnn -- Eew)

Larry Flynt, if all the rumors and heresay on the Sunday talkies is correct (We mean you Eleanor Clift), is about to release another round of Congressional clients of the Dc Madame. From Liz Smith:

"'I NEED absolute proof before disclosing more names, but we're working on it!' So says Hustler publisher Larry Flynt regarding his revelations about prominent politicos who have been customers of the Washington, D.C. madam.

"My inside tip from Flynt's office is that Larry is getting ready to drop at least 30 more names!"

We cannot fail to note that Eleanor Clift and Arianna Huffington were particularly coy on the McLaughlin Group with the hints and intimations of more names dropping, which makes us wonder just what does the Dc political class talk about at those endless, bozzy after-hours parties.

Is "Guerilla" The New "Medellin"?



Benicio del Toro, in a move that will surely draw the ire of those intrepid Page Sixxies, has agreed to play Che Guevara. We cannot fail to note that the similarities between the film, tentatively entitled "Guerilla," and the "Entourage"-inspired "Medellin" -- about a rebel of a different kind -- are curious. Both, for example, are going to be entirely in Spanish with subtitles. From TheHollywoodReporter:

"Benicio del Toro will play Argentine revolutionary Ernesto 'Che' Guevara in a film directed by Steve Soderbergh, the film's production company said Thursday.

"'Soderbergh will spend nine weeks filming across Spain,' Telecinco Cinema said.

"The production company did not release the title of the film, but del Toro's official Web site said it would be called 'Guerrilla.' The Spain-United States co-production will be filmed entirely in Spanish."

We will draw no further comparisons between Entourage's Billy Walsh and the equally "indie" Steven Soderbergh.

Corsair Classic

The further decline of Pete Doherty:

President Cheney, For a Bit.



We know that this is on solid Constitutional grounds, but it still makes us a bit uneasy. From Breitbart (via Drudgie-poo):

"President Bush will undergo a routine colonoscopy Saturday, his spokesman said, revealing that Bush will hand over presidential powers to Vice President Dick Cheney while he is under under anesthesia."

Hugh Grant Sells Warhol



(image via thatsweird)

That can of beans that "Hugh Threw"? It must have been Campbell's. Apparently, the jinxy hack-tor is a fan of Andy Warhol (like taste to like taste; Averted Gaze). From The New York Times via HuffPo:

"Only a few people knew that when Gerald Fagginato, a London dealer, bought one of Warhol's famous 1963 paintings of Elizabeth Taylor at Sotheby's in New York in November 2001 for $3.5 million, he was bidding on Mr. Grant's behalf.

"Measuring 40 inches square, the painting is from a series of 13, each with a different-colored background. Mr. Grant's 'Liz (Colored Liz)' is set against a vibrant turquoise blue. Now Mr. Grant has decided to sell his 'Liz' at Christie's in New York. While the auction house will not confirm that he is the seller, experts familiar with his collection have identified it as his painting."

We are not a fan of Modernism (Or post-modernism, for that matter, post-Picasso and post-Duchamp), which oftentimes is naught else but utter shit repackaged and calculated to rasp bourgois sensibilities (For further reference, see: Christo, and his cohort in art crime, "Jean-Fraud") -- Sort of like Hugh Grant's breathtakingly awful performance in the execrable "Mickey Blue Eyes (Exaggerated cough suggesting feigned detachment)."

Although Hughdie's career has never come back since he went black ... Divine Brown, at least, can claim some good luck from the lurid .."encounter."

Media-Whore's D'Oevres



(image via viewimages)

"Could Paramount Pictures lose Steven Spielberg and the DreamWorks studio it bought just 20 months ago for $1.53 billion? It's entirely possible. People close to Spielberg say he is vexed that Paramount has treated his team shabbily and grabbed credit for DreamWorks productions. If Spielberg were to leave, says a person familiar with the situation, he could take several of his hitmakers and the DreamWorks name with him. Spielberg's departure would be a huge blow to Paramount chief Brad Grey, whose nascent turnaround at the studio is based largely on DreamWorks hits, including Transformers and Blades of Glory. In recent months, Grey has been toiling to rebuild his relationship with Hollywood's most powerful director-producer. In early July, Grey went to Spielberg's sprawling East Hampton (N.Y.) compound and gave him a $1 million check from Paramount for the Shoah Foundation Institute .." (Businessweek)

"Hedge funders have rocketed to the top of Democratic Party donor lists in recent years, reflecting a generational shift on Wall Street that's part of the Democrats' growing money edge. Democrats have been free to ignore them, though, on high-profile tax issues, and still collect their money -- like other donors, their first forays have been about ideology and personal access. That may be changing: now, they're starting to lay out an agenda and act like other interest group." (Politico)

"The nation’s chief justice was unexpectedly reinstated today by the Supreme Court in a case that has fueled national protests and posed a serious challenge to President Pervez Musharraf. Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhr in Islamabad after the ruling today. The presiding judge in the case declared that the president’s suspension of Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry was 'illegal and without lawful authority.' The decision, by a panel of Supreme Court justices, was 10 to 3. Hundreds from a wide range of political groups — including Jamaat-e-Islami, a religious party, and Pakistan People’s Party, led by Benazir Bhutto, an exiled prime minister — erupted with joy outside the court here, clapping and chanting, 'Go Musharraf, Go.'" (NYTimes)

Suge Knight Eats Kevin Connolly



(image via taxalicious)

There are so many stories about the infamous and "beefy" Suge Knight (Whom the "urbandictionary" referrs to as "gully"). Some rumors, like the one that he dangled Vanilla Ice like a participle over a balcony to make him sign over rights to his "music" -- ahem -- are untrue. Other rumors, like the one that he made business rivals drink his own warm urine, have, unfortunately, the ring of truth (Exaggerated cough suggesting feigned detachment).

Whatever the case, there are witnesses that the former football player and record-label executive this time "ate" Kevin Connolly of "Entourage's" finger like a goddam White Chocolate Twix! From our favorite superhero gossip duo Rush and Molloy:

"Today's thorny etiquette question: How should one respond when one is being bitten by Suge Knight?

"Such was the quandary of 'Entourage's' young star Kevin Connolly following ESPN's ESPY Awards last Wednesday in Los Angeles.

"Several sources tell us the two were playfully wrestling at the late-night after-party thrown by awards host LeBron James at the Mondrian hotel.

"'Kevin and Suge were wrestling and Suge literally bit Kevin's finger,' says a witness. 'He was bleeding everywhere.'"

This is what happens when you name a baby "Marion." They feel compelled to overreact. And they eat white boys.

Corsair Classic

How badass was Johnny Cash?



(Hey, you: Advertise on The Corsair)

Media-Whore's D'Oevres



(image via chappelletheory)

"Green Day-loving CNN WH reporter Ed Henry caught up with Dave Chappelle this morning, at the WH. 'I asked what he was doing in Washington. 'I’m just taking a stroll from Georgetown to the Hill,' he said, reminding me that he hails from Washington, his time in the city being one of the funnier riffs on his show." (Politico)

"ITALIAN designer Marco Zanini - the head designer of womenswear, ready-to-wear and haute couture at Versace - has been named as the creative director who will oversee the resurrection of classic US label Halston, which was bought by movie mogul Harvey Weinstein last year. Zanini will relocate from Milan to New York for the position and will work closely with Tamara Mellon, who is on Halston's board, and Hollywood stylist Rachel Zoe - who is on the creative advisory team - to reinterpret Halston's Studio-54 glamour for the 21st century." (DailyVogue)

"Just as both western and domestic support for his absolute rule waned, Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf pulled off a political coup by sending his military into Islamabad’s Red Mosque to crack down on Taliban-linked militias. Mosque leader Maulana Abdul Aziz was arrested yesterday as he attempted to escape, following a raging shootout that left twelve dead. Aziz’s brother Ghazi Abdul Rashid, currently in control of the mosque, has offered to surrender to authorities. The militants’ apparent capitulation marks a huge victory for Musharraf, who had been weakened by domestic tensions and a perception that he could not eradicate fundamentalists. The siege of the rebel mosque clearly burnishes Musharraf’s anti-terrorist credentials and once more sets him on solid footing in Washington. Less obvious but no less important is the positive impact of the raid on Musharraf’s image at home. While the siege was neither decisive nor timely - Musharraf had withheld the attack for weeks for fear of an Islamist backlash - it proved his authority to a skeptical public and genuinely helped many Islamabad residents." (HarvardInternationalReview)

Marie Claire EIC Joanna Coles: "(The New Supermodels) just aren’t as interesting as the classic ones"



(image via hearstcorp)

We are something of a connoisseur of the supermodel, but not, we think, in the creepy sense. As Vladimir Nabokov wrote in "Ode to a Model," "Ballerina, black-masked/ near a parapet of alabaster./
'Can one -- somebody asked --/ rhyme ‘star’ and ‘disaster’?'" (Exaggerated cough suggesting feigned detachment) And so when we read the names Helena Christensen and Iman, well, you know. And then, of course, there is Marie Claire Editor-in-Chief Joanna Coles kind of dissing the new crop of mannequins (She's right, Giselle Bundchen is no Bev Johnson). From Fashionweekdaily:

"Helena Christensen, who photographed a few of her supermodel friends for the August issue of Marie Claire, was fêted Wednesday by the magazine with a cocktail party and auction of the statuesque brunette’s images at Milk Gallery. Guests, including Chanel Iman, Leif Sigerson, Leslie Fremar, Mazdack Rassi, Amy Sacco, and Sean Penn, who arrived early to pay his respects before darting out, also had the opportunity to bid on a retrospective of 25 years of photos from past Guess campaigns.

"Proceeds from the sale of each photo benefited the charity of the model’s choosing. The sale of Christensen’s self portrait will be donated to the Chernobyl Children’s Project ... Marie Claire editor in chief Joanna Coles, despite some recent riveting news of senior staff departures, was nevertheless nothing less than thrilled with how the spread turned out ... Coles marveled at the mix of inner and outer beauty. 'Irina Lazareanu built a school for girls in Haiti and Sophie Dahl flew herself in from London for the shoot,' she said. 'All this talk about the new supermodels is silly; those girls just aren’t as interesting as the classic ones.'"

Resolved: Leg Luggage Is "In"



(image via statenews)

Being "ankled," or, festooned with leg luggage, has finally arrived. It is testament to one's essential badness and a nod to the powers of Western technology ("That think can sense when you take a shot of Beefeater?")that this sensible alternative to prison is the favored piece of jewelry to the stars. It wouldn't surprise us a bit if Jacob the Jeweler blinged one of those fuckers out. Good old Lindsay Lohan, just out of rehab and scoring "X," but still putting out the bullshit that she's clean and sober. From our favorite superhero gossip duo, Rush and Molloy:

"Lindsay Lohan modeled a new piece of chunky jewelry in Beverly Hills yesterday: her alcohol-monitoring ankle bracelet. On a stroll to her hairdresser, the camera-ready starlet sported cutoff shorts, tan gams and supposed sobriety. While some celebs - including comedian and DUI suspect Tracy Morgan - have been ordered by the law to don an ankle attachment, Lohan's alien accessory is strictly optional. As long as she's got the leg luggage, La Lohan can party like she did in Vegas last weekend without any 'questions about her sobriety,' says her rep."

So long, we suppose, as one has the "X" option, who the fuck needs a drink.

Separated at Birth?



Emmy nominated and bookishly hot writer/actress Tina Fey? (image via dtman)



--And Republican nominated bookishly hot Alaska Governor Sarah Palin? (image via spokesmanreview)

Media-Whore's D'Oevres



(image via style)

"Revelers spilled out into Mercer Street at Phillip Lim's store opening party on Tuesday night. The new boutique's air-conditioning was having trouble keeping pace with the capacity crowd, which included Coach's Reed Krakoff, Vogue's Anna Wintour, Barneys' Howard Socol, and fellow designers like Sue Stemp, Subversive's Justin Giunta, and David Neville and Marcus Wainwright of Rag & Bone—not to mention a clutch of celebrities in Lim's Fall line. 'I love that his clothes are so effortless and simultaneously so chic and couture,' said Debra Messing, who looked like she could've been preparing for her role in the remake of George Cukor's 1939 film The Women in Lim's crystal-studded turban ... And no expense was spared, either, on the Veuve Clicquot bubbly. Five of the house's signature champagnes accompanied the meal, during which John Legend regaled his tablemates with tales of his recent tour of South Africa, Nigeria, and Europe. Asked why he was at the party, the crooner said, 'I like to dress well, why else?'" (Style)

"Hillary Clinton once again edged out Barack Obama in entertainment industry fund-raising in the second quarter, with the two candidates holding a commanding lead in the race to draw Hollywood donors. According to preliminary figures compiled by the Center for Responsive Politics, Clinton collected $753,790 from donors in the industry to Obama's $617,388. The numbers cover the period from April 1 to June 30. The margin of difference between the two candidates was nearly identical to the first quarter. Even though Clinton's campaign got a boost in June from the high-profile endorsement of Steven Spielberg, the figures show that Obama continues to enjoy significant industry support. As a generalization, Clinton has been drawing a sizeable share of what could be called the industry's established, politically active class, like Spielberg and Haim Saban, while Obama has attracted progressives and newer donors from Hollywood's creative community, like Will Smith and Chris Rock." (Variety)

"I asked our interns to make a list of who’s been spotted here in Southampton…. Felicity Huffman buying vintage Chanel bags at Collette. Joy Behar and Kim Porter buying dresses, individually, at Biba. Richard Gere purchasing an American flag at Privet Cove ... Kelsey Grammar also went to Follow Your Art to decorate bowls with his family ..Dakota Fanning at Splash of Pink." (DanHamptons)

" The internet, as an inclusive mechanism, has effectively provided the means through which leaders are now able to incorporate and engage with geographically disbursed individuals in the movement's operations. Compelled by the need to reach a broader resource pool and advocated by numerous prominent strategists, the internet has significantly enhanced the capabilities and proficiency of the movement. Although this shift from organisational to individualised jihad was not brought about by an executive mandate, the movement as a whole has adapted its strategies and procedures to include this potent tool. As the movement continues to evolve and as strategies that emphasise the critical nature of the internet are published by jihadist thinkers such as Abu Musab al-Suri and Muhammed Khalil al-Hakaymah, the internet will increasingly serve as the primary vehicle for the atomisation of the global jihadist movement." (Janes)

"HBO, with 86 nominations, tallied the most bids overall for the seventh consecutive year, but with its lowest total since that streak began. The pay cabler has been the most-honored network six years running, including ties with NBC in 2001 and ‘02.The HBO charge was led by the historical movie 'Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee,' which, despite mixed reviews, lassoed 17 nominations — one more than another western, AMC’s 'Broken Trail,' starring Robert Duvall. Interestingly, last year’s most-recognized project was also a miniseries drawn from that era, TNT’s 'Into the West,' suggesting a strong oater-Emmy link." (Variety)

"A great deal of the world suffers not from too much of this power, but from too little of it. More precisely, much of the world suffers from a lack of legitimate power—that is, authority that is accepted because it rests on generally recognized norms and laws—and too much pure force. Sometimes the force is physical and raw, as when tribal groups clash in Afghanistan or Somalia, or when governments decide to suppress real or imagined enemy groups ... There are, moreover, other arenas for contestations of power, which we might think of as infrapolitical—the family realm, the spiritual realm, and the economic realm. Often we discuss these spheres of social life as if they were devoid of power. But if we think of power as a form of potential constraint designed to ensure desired collective behavior—whether through enthusiasm, obedience, or labor—then most people experience power within non-state institutions, whether these be families, religious communities, or economic structures. Indeed, to most people in the world, the power exerted through families and markets is far more pressing and immediate than power exerted between or within states. Just as physicists postulate dark matter to explain the full strength of gravitation in the universe, we might term this often overlooked capacity to compel outcomes as 'dark power.'" (HarvardInternationalReview)

On The Edwards Campaign



In any other year, with fewer top-tier heavyweight candidates, without a war, John Edwards would probably be the front-runner. He has run what can only be properly construed as a flawless campaign and, it is said, is presently leading in the Iowa and Nevada caucuses. His family drama has become a topic of the American public's conversation. It is, to be sure, to early to call the Democratic field, but with the twilight struggle of Billary-versus-Obama -- joined presently by Oprah -- and Gore, in the tall grass, stalking the two, waiting for one to wound the other mortally, it is hard to see Edwards as pulling this off.

Barbra Streisand Is Demanding. Who Knew?!



Our days as a Nation intern for Christopher Hitchens were funded by Barbra Streisand's largesse so we are reluctant -- but not that much -- to bite the hand that fed us. This being what is referred to in the world of blogs as "a pisser," we felt compelled to relay the info. From Thisislondon:

"Streisand, 65, has taken over the top-floor £6,000-a-night Oliver Messel suite where she is known to have made a number of strict demands.

Staff at the hotel told how they were sent an extensive list by her management, saying Streisand must not be approached by staff unless specifically requested and exactly which linen sheets, flowers and candles she expected.

One source at the hotel: 'We were given a list of requirements that had to be met. Her manager said she needed certain things to make her feel like she was at home.

"'Johnny Depp was here a few weeks ago, but was very low key. He just sat with friends in the bar. He was drinking a £600 bottle of wine, but he did not expect any special treatment.

"'Even Michael Jackson just sat in the bar drinking a fairly unexciting bottle of Sauvignon Blanc. But we are expecting everything to be different for her.'"

One man's "unexciting bottle of Sauvignon Blanc" is another man's "Jesus Juice."

Media-Whore's D'Oevres

"SHE kicked him out of her house, got rid of his stuff and changed the locks.Now Kate Moss has gone to even greater lengths to keep her ex-lover Pete Doherty out of her life. We can reveal that the supermodel has changed ALL her phone numbers - mobile and landline - to prevent Pete getting in touch. Says our well-placed source: 'Pete was still phoning up last weekend and in the end it was too much even for Kate.'" (3AMGirls)

"Last night I headed to Central Park to see the Decemberists (along with my personal favorites, Grizzly Bear) perform at Summerstage. Colin Meloy (in head to toe seersucker) and crew played to a sold out show of die hard fans -- myself not included. As I sat and listened to the performance I couldn't help but think to myself, 'Do I just not get it?' I like the Decemberists, sure, but watching the crowd watch the band was just all too intriguing. These kids sang along to every song and screamed at the top of their lungs for a band that, in my humble opinion, are fairly bland." (papermag)

"Kimora Lee Simmons wastes no time making sure viewers of her new reality show, 'Kimora: Life in the Fab Lane,' clearly understand her "fabulosity." 'I've had billboards; that's my life,' she says, matter-of-factly. Inside her home, the first episode of the weekly show begins with her uniformed staff preparing for the day and a distressed Simmons trying to find the person who moved her teddy bear from a mantelpiece to a chair." (WWD via Jossip)

Sevigny on That Gallo Film



(image via buddytv)

Chloe Sevigny "performed" unspeakable acts on film with -- as if it couldn't get worse -- vole-like trufflier Vincent Gallo. She reflects with EW on the experience:

"She earned a Best Supporting Actress nod for 1999's harrowing Boys Don't Cry. And yet, major attention still eluded her. Not helping was the critically savaged The Brown Bunny (2004), in which she performs oral sex on costar Vincent Gallo. ''It's just like Hollywood didn't bite,'' says the actress. 'They still haven't.'"

If only Sevigny had "bit" at Gallo's "bit part" as soon as it was, ehr, "dangled."

The Unbearable Rightness of Padma



(image via farm1.com)

Diane von Furstenberg -- overheard -- was clearly right. Salman Rushdie, in what can only be properly construed as the punk-assest move EVER is breaking up with Padma Lakshmi, who is astonishingly -- achingly -- beautiful. Padma Lakshmi's dad must be Hezbollah, 'cause she is THA BOMB.

Come on Salman, you don't just give up on a woman like that. If you can take on The Ayatollah's fatwa, surely you can reconnoiter enough rib-busting ox strength necessary to resuscitate a marriage in steep Buddenbrooksian decline.

Anyhoo -- there's a new man in the picture. No surprise he is a hyper-competitive billionaire on the hunt for lo ultimo trophy wife. Teddy Forstmann, International Man of Mystery, last seen pitching-woo to Princess Di, is back on the Manhattan stage. According to our favorite superhero gossip duo Rush and Molloy:

"Billionaire Ted Forstmann has trained his gaze on another world-class beauty.

"The financier, whose consorts have included Elizabeth Hurley and Princess Diana, has become a fast friend of model, chef and actress Padma Lakshmi.

"Their mouthpieces maintain that the two are not dating. But that hasn't stopped some from noticing that Forstmann has appeared in Lakshmi's life just as her husband, author Salman Rushdie, is leaving it."

Okay: Padma Lakshmi, Princess Diana and ... Elizabeth Hurley?! (One of these things is not like the others, One of these things just doesn't belong ..)

...Call me Padma?

Media-Whore's D'Oevres



"SUGE Knight blocking off the bathrooms at Sky Bar in L.A.'s Mondrian Hotel so an overly intoxicated Paris Hilton could have them to herself." (PageSix)

"(Prince's) concert at The Ross School was a sensational experience, from Kid Rock ... to caviar-tarts ... to a rock-star performance by…The Artist Currently Known As The Best Night of the Summer .. People fluttered around double-kissing with David Lauren and Steven Bing, talking about St. Tropez and Tutto Il Giorno, dabbling in candy from Dylan’s Candy Bar and doing the 'I never go out anymore!' thing ..Aida Turturo and Edie Falco had a big table of cast-members and beach friends. They were seriously indulging. The one detail distracting them from their grub and gossip was Leonardo DiCaprio, whose new girlfriend is actually hotter than his ex, Giselle." (DansHamptons)

"From the Eternal City to a capital of design and fashion, the industry’s bold-faced names turned out in Milan Sunday night for a special performance at La Scala opera house celebrating the 10th anniversary of Gianni Versace’s death ..On hand for the memorable and poignant occasion were 1,400 friends, including Rupert Everett, Geri Halliwell, Riccardo Tisci, Quincy Jones, Cesare Paciotti, Beatrice Borromeo, Nadège, and Angela and Rosita Missoni. Donatella’s family, including Santo Versace, Paul Beck, her son Daniel, and a healthy-looking Allegra were present as well, greeting guests later at the Palazzo Reale where they hosted an exquisite sit-down dinner. 'I feel extremely privileged to be here,' said Jessica Alba .." (Fashionweekdaily)

"Rupert Murdoch, who stressed last cycle that his support for Hillary extended only to her Senate reelection, seems to have upped the ante, writing a $2,300 check to her presidential campaign, as Marc Ambinder notes. His son, and apparent successor, James also chipped in $3,450." (Politico)

"According to the Sun, Babyshambles singer Pete (Doherty) entered the Detox 5 clinic on Sunday night — strangely wearing two trilby hats — but soon after his luggage and a guitar were put in a car and he was driven away. Pete who was dumped by model Kate Moss, after it was revealed he cheated on her with South African model Lindy Hingston, was in a blue minicab which was stopped by police at around 12.20pm in north London." (Thisislondon)

"Emma Watson, best known as Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter series, has been signed by Kate Moss’s UK-based agency Storm, with rumors that she may land a contract with Chanel." (Fashionweekdaily)

Picture Pages, Picture Pages ...



Calvin Klein, coming to the wise conclusion that alls well that Sprewell. (image via newyorksocialdiary)



Thug life born, thug life bred, and when the good lord calls Peter Schlesinger, he'll be thug life dead. (image via newyorksocialdiary)



Their union is made stronger by their mutual adoration and reciprocal maintenance of his tan. (image via newyorksocialdiary)

Picture Pages, Picture Pages ..



Anh Duong attends the opening of ... a can of Fresca! (image via newyorksocialdiary)



John Legend, looking to be in dire need of a beef liver supplement or somesuch vitamin aid. (image via style)



True Bromance. (image via thecobrasnake)



... Because their beer wasn't ironic enough. (image via thecobrasnake)



Once you go black ..(image via thecobrasnake)

Corsair Classic

reason #2,357 why women rule the acting profession (Deniro verus Liv Ullman? Daniel-Day Lewis versus Cate Blanchette? blogga please ..)

Media-Whore's D'Oevres



"Shares of Trump (Nasdaq: TRMP) shot up almost 3% on the news that Ivanka is joining the board, then came down to flat on yesterday's close after people realized Trump installed several corporate defense mechanisms on his daughter, including a poison pill and supermajority change of control provision. All Ivanka has to do now is get licensed to work in the casino industry and like, learn shit." (Dealbreaker)

"Elizabeth Edwards is not wasting time. She cut through the fog of sympathy and second-guessing about her decision to continue campaigning for her husband, John Edwards, despite learning in March she had incurable breast cancer, simply by hitting the campaign trail hard. By most accounts she has always been the campaign's leading strategist and still is. But lately she has emerged as its leading risk taker, too. At the end of June she won the nation's attention -- and the gratitude of many -- for confronting right-wing provocateur Ann Coulter live on MSNBC's 'Hardball' ..." (Salon)

The Obama Fundraising Secret: Revealed



(image via alaskareport)

Ryan Lizza of the New Republic was on The Chris Matthews Show on Sunday and revealed a clever little fundraising trick from the Obama campaign. Apparently, one of the reasons that the Obama campaign has been able to defeat a two-term New York Senator ( read: a big money investment-banker/ private equity state) and a former -- popular -- President of the United States in small donors is that the Obama camp are counting $2-$4 bumber sticker purchases as "small donations(Exaggerated cough suiggesting feigned detachment)." Clever! That .. would explain how a charismatic one trerm Senator could beat Billary. Also, from NYTimes:

"Senator Barack Obama was the guest of honor at a dinner at the luxurious Mark Hopkins Hotel in San Francisco this spring with a few hundred lawyers, executives and investors. The guests drank a boutique beer with Mr. Obama’s face on the label and contributed more than $1 million in $2,300 checks to support his bid for the Democratic presidential nomination.

"Just moments before he arrived, Mr. Obama had said goodbye to a less exclusive crowd of 10,000 that had gathered to hear him speak across the bay in Oakland. They paid nothing to hear him, but spent $40,000 on Obama T-shirts, baseball caps, buttons and other knickknacks. And the Obama campaign registered each of the purchasers as one of the record 258,000 contributors it signed up in the first six months of the year."

Alls fair in love and politics (But, just so you know ..)

Robert Novak Is The True Prince of Darkness



(image via wlu.edu)

There has been some confusion as to who is the actual "Prince of Darkness (Exaggerated cough suggesting feigned detachment)." Robert "Listen to them Howling, The Children of the Night" Novak conjures forth all sorts of ghastly necronomiconish associations -- terrified backpackers fleeing unseen monsters in a twighlit Central European hamlet, midnight apparitions of long-dead incarnadine schoolchums materializing at one's windowsil unsummoned -- but he wants you to know, that unpleasantness aside, that he is not only Our favorite Dickensian villain, he is also one goddam fine Bram Strokerish "Ace" as well. From the NYTMagazine:

"NYT: Much of this is recounted with admirable frankness in 'The Prince of Darkness.' Did you intend the title ironically? Yes. It’s a little bit ironic. The nickname was given to me by my friend the reporter John Lindsay because he thought for a young man I took a very dim view of the prospects for our civilization.

Isn’t Prince of Darkness Richard Perle’s nickname? No. It’s my nickname. There was a British parliamentarian who came over and got me and Perle mixed up. At that time, we might have looked a little bit alike, dark-complexioned and sinister-looking."

.. Not to mention the liquid eyes, the duskiness about the eyes, the Spaniel-like fidelity to a capital gains tax cut at all costs ...

Media-Whore's D'Oevres



(image via nytimes)

"Sixteen months after his life of power and luxury ended in an abrupt arrest, Charles G. Taylor, warlord and former president of Liberia, is living in a new cellblock on the grounds of the Men’s Penitentiary near The Hague. Mr. Taylor lives in a cell that looks much like this one at a penitentiary at The Hague. He is allowed to use another cell for his legal paperwork. Once known for his fine white suits, a swaggering style and plentiful weapons financed by trading timber and diamonds, Mr. Taylor now cooks his own food, does his dishes, reads newspapers and receives prison-issued pocket money. He is allowed to spend two hours in the yard and to work out in a gym. He is the first African head of state to stand trial on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity. If he is convicted, human rights groups say they hope that his fate could signal an end to impunity for violent dictators in Africa." (NYTimes)

"The Times article in identifying this age with the Gilded Age, a term coined by Mark Twain, reveals that certain new possessors of great wealth see the term with a kind of fondness for the 'specialness' of their personal wealth acquisition. This is not surprising and also comes with the territory. Great wealth begets admiration and awe in this society of ours and so has it always been (as far as I know). Mark Twain, however, it should be noted, thought of the term with less than admiration and awe, but more with irony, than the Times’ subjects." (NewYorkSocialDiary)

"Ben Silverman's debut today before the Television Critics Association at the Beverly Hilton is the big story in televisionland. Hollywood can't wait to see how this hyperkinetic young man comports himself before the ravening horde. One of the issues clinging to Silverman in his new role as co-chairman of NBC Universal's network and television studio is his continued ownership of his production company, Reveille. Silverman is supposed to be in a sort of blind-trust relationship with the company and is not supposed to profit from decisions he makes as an NBC exec. The idea is that while he keeps the money from existing Reveille shows, he gets nothing from shows that Reveille places on NBC's schedule in the future.The issue is: When does the future begin?" (Slate)

"For the broadcast networks, Thursday has long been the most important night, and increasingly the most contested, as first CBS and then ABC began targeting the night with their best shows.There now looks to be another contender, cable's USA.Cable networks have a history of picking one night of the week to shine, putting on their best shows (Sunday for HBO, Wednesday for Bravo, Tuesday for FX) with the aim of making the channel itself a destination, beyond individual programs.For USA, that night has become Thursday over this summer with two new ordinal series, 'The Starter Wife' and the just-debuted 'Burn Notice.' Last week they lifted USA to No. 1 on basic cable in total viewers and adults 18-49 on Thursday evening." (Medialifemagazine)

Media-Whore's D'Oevres



"Indiana's Republican Sen. Richard Lugar, having already called for an Iraq pullout, flatly tells those around him There Will Be an Attack on Us Within a Year." (Cindy Adams)

"THE Stella McCartney camp is refusing to comment so far on rumours that the designer is pregnant with her third child. McCartney and her husband, Alasdhair Willis, are intensely private about their family, which already includes son Miller Alasdhair James Willis, born in 2005, and daughter Bailey Linda Olwyn Willis, who was born last December. If the whispers are true, the designer would be due to give birth at the end of this year, following her spring/summer 2008 show, which is traditionally held in Paris." (Vogue)

"Lionsgate has announced its acquisition of U.S. distribution rights to 'Borat' director Larry Charles' untitled documentary about world religion. Produced by Jonah Smith and Palmer West of Thousand Words, the film features Bill Maher in a humorous (and likely controversial) exploration of the world's major religious institutions. The company is planning a Spring '08 release." (Indiewire)

As Senator John Warner Goes ...



As Senator John Warner goes ... so goeth the Senate (Republicans?). We have nothing but the deepest respect for this man and his calibre of moral seriousness. It would be difficult to find a more sober and well-respected member of that most exclusive of clubs, the United States Senate (Only the college of Cardinals, the See of Peter, may be its peer), than John Warner. The fiery ambitions of his youth -- and, aren't we all that way? -- have cooled, leaving the Senate with a silvery-haired cenrist statesman, the sort of dispassionate man the Founding Fathers would have wanted as a legislator (And, yes, we cannot fail to note that that vision did not include Women or Minorities). Warner risked his safe Senate seat in Virginia some years ago, you'll remember, to cock-block that low grade piece of ass Oliver "Ollie" North from becoming a Junior Senator. Warner campaigned for Independent Marshall Coleman against North, costing him the seat. Warner was rewarded for his risky, unselfish act of statesmanship with a primary challenger from the right-wing freaks in the party. From Wikipedia:

"Because of his centrist stances on many issues and because of his 1993 and 1994 snubbing of fellow Republicans, Warner faced opposition from angry members of his own party when he decided to run for re-election to a fourth term in the Senate in 1996. Many of Virginia's staunch Republican voters began a 'Dump Warner' campaign to try to deny him re-nomination. However, Virginia's GOP party rules allow the incumbent to select the nominating process. Knowing he would probably lose the nomination at a convention or caucus, where only party regulars would be voting, he selected a primary. In Virginia, primaries are open to all registered voters, so Warner encouraged Democrats and independents to vote in that primary. His strategy worked and he handily defeated Republican rival James C. Miller III for the nomination."

Glorious Warner, Naval strategist to the end, beat back the barbarian hordes. There have been rumors among The Chattering Class that Warner will not run for a sixth -- sixth! -- term in the Senate (He would be 81). Machiavellian powerbrokers within the Republican Party, however, are trying to get him to stay in for one more term, out of fear of a routing by the resurging Democrats, as Virginia is now a purplish state, and not a lock for a Republican succession as it has been in the past.

Whatever the case, Warner -- and the upright Senator Lugar's -- courageous stand on the Iraq War is sure to taint their legacies within their Party hierarchy for the short term (Can't you just see those oily neocons on the attack on this Sundays talking head shows?), but in a hundred years both will most certainly be regarded as American Patriots. It is a sad truism that centrists rarely, if ever, are recognized in their own era for their efforts to look beyond parochial party interests and towards the greater horizon wellbeing of the commonweal.

After this last twilight struggle in the Senate and Warner is back on his estate, with his horses, away from the partisan conflagration that has taken over DC, we will look forward to his memoirs: military and political, to see what it was like before the wing-nuts stole the show.

Alistair Campbell's New Blair Bio



(image via scotsman)

It is testament to the powers of free speech in the West that Alistair Campbell, the former Director of Communications and Strategy for the former Prime Minister gets to do a tell all on his time with Tony Blair. From The Economist's Bagehot:

".. We see Mr Blair, Mr Clinton, Romano Prodi, Helmut Kohl and Wim Kok all peeing together at a NATO summit; Fidel Castro praising Mr Blair's 'Third Way'; an African president pinching Mrs Blair's bottom; the Blair children teaching Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinness to skateboard; Mr Brown locked in a toilet, during a row over whether he or Mr Blair should be Labour leader; Mr Campbell, Mr Clinton and Kevin Spacey visiting a McDonald's in Blackpool; Mr Blair borrowing a suit from a man on a runway in Bangladesh, because his own is too crumpled. This volume is 757 pages long—and Mr Campbell is threatening to publish more."

Oh.. do; Oh, please do.

This Jack Nicholson Mess



(image via laggoune)

Eew. The belated reports on what actually happened at Jack Nicholson's birthday party -- which happened in April at his Mulholland Drive manse -- are trickling out -- Eew -- and they are really kind of creeping us the fuck out. We're not kidding. Yes, we have seen or hears everything under the sun -- but not from 70 year old men. The creepy laughter is still echoing in our domes .. From DailyMail:

"As we saw this week, Jack Nicholson's piled on the pounds. But even at 70, he's still seducing waitresses and chasing starlets (not to mention trying his luckwith an outraged Nicole Kidman)

"Given his advancing years, Jack Nicholson's landmark 70th birthday celebrations were, by his own famously hard-partying standards, a subdued affair.

"A select list of a mere 600 of his closest celebrity friends were on hand to sip 1,000 bottles of Cristal champagne served by 70 scantily-attired waitresses - one for every licentious year of his life.

"...According to those present, his friends were treated to non-stop bursts of his maniacal laughter, interspersed with deep rumbles of satisfaction that were so debauched they would surely have fallen victim to the censor had they appeared in one of his films."

Okay, a pause for the cause. Alright. Let's run through that again in slo-mo case someone out there reading isn't shivering in the foetal position rocking back and forth praying for their Mama: ".. non-stop bursts of his maniacal laughter, interspersed with deep rumbles of satisfaction that were so debauched .." The prosecution, ladies and gentlemen of the jury, rests it's case. But No.. there's MORE:

"It could not have made pleasant listening, one suspects, for two of his most notable exes, actresses Anjelica Huston and Lara Flynn Boyle, who were also invited to the festivities in April, a few days after his birthday."

Oh, that's so creepy (Almost as creepy as the fact that Lara Flynn Boyle used to call David Spade "peanut")... And, finally:

"... With age, however, Jack has had to get used to having his advances spurned.

"Last year, he issued an apology to Nicole Kidman for making a pass at her when they appeared together for photographers at the Oscars, despite the fact she was there with her husband-tobe Keith Urban - although he refused to say what he used as a chat-up line which was said to have elicited a gasp of shock from the Moulin Rouge actress.

"He admits: 'I'm still playing the field a little, though not nearly as much as some people think.'"

Ya think? (DailyMail)

Ron Perelman and Gina Gershon: Just a Friend



Billionaire Ron Perelman and the darkly sexy Gina Gershon (She just strikes us as a drrty rock and roll grrl, yknow?) have been an on again-off again thing for some time. Our favorite superhero gossip duo Rush and Molloy delve deeper into this possible nautical romance:

"Ron Perelman and Gina Gershon are cruising the coast of Italy on his Ultima III — but friends assure us the 188-foot yacht is no love boat.
Our spies wasted no time phoning in after they saw how giddy the Revlon billionaire and the actress seemed at dinner on the Riviera Wednesday night.

'They were holding hands," says one witness. 'He was putting his head on her shoulder. They were being very playful.'

"The snitch also found it suspicious that Gershon hid her face behind her purse when a photographer snapped her with Perelman.

"Gershon has been turning up with Perelman at New York parties since his bitter split from fourth wife Ellen Barkin. But insiders swear he and Gershon are just friends."

We believe Biz Markie had a sone about that, and it went a little something like this ...

Media-Whore's D'Oevres

"While waiting for the ladies room at Suki Zuki last night, I overheard a beautiful woman saying the strangest thing, 'I’m a hairdresser slut! I just can NOT stay faithful to anyone I see!' She lingered around the bathroom area chatting to friends for a while, and I went back to the bar (because I like to sip a Saketini while I wait for my take-out). Then I realised that the slutty-hair-talker was Carey Lowell, and sitting at arm’s distance from me was Richard Gere, patiently awaiting her. The cutest part was that Richard appeared to be scarfing the rest of their food down while she was away from the table." (DansHamptons)

"Ron Mwangaguhunga reports: It's July, so that means that the chattering class big guns are out and about in Sun Valley, Idaho, at investment banker Herb Allen's mogul retreat for a little "deep think" interspersed with rounds of golf. There is always, lurking in the green, the possible dramatic tension of the merger-subplot-scenario. Heather Godchild, chief media analyst at Standard and Poor's credit rating service, told the Seattle Times: 'Bucolic it may be, but this is a chessboard. You've got major, major players there thinking through some big questions.'" (FishbowlNY)

"VH1 is trying to capitalize on one of the most popular Hollywood sites on the Web. Net has picked up a show that will star celebrity blogger Perez Hilton. A series of six one-hour specials have been ordered for what is tentatively titled 'What Perez Sez.' Shows will be based on Hilton's on-site interviews and reporting from the red carpet of large-scale Hollywood events such as the Oscars. Blogger will riff on current celeb foibles as well as offer gossip. World of Wonder is producing." (Variety)

"Senator Obama is joining John Edwards in calling for hedge funds and private equity firms that go public to pay higher taxes, increasing the pressure on Senator Clinton to take a stand on an industry facing mounting scrutiny in Congress. A spokesman for Mr. Obama told The New York Sun late yesterday that the Illinois senator had asked to co-sponsor legislation that would treat all publicly traded partnerships — such as hedge funds and private equity firms — as corporations, forcing them to pay a 35% tax rate on income." (Russell Berman via NYSUN)

"Austin is the paparazzo with the best gimmick -- he's only 14 -- but not everyone is a fan. TMZ cameras were outside of Il Sole last night, where the fair-skinned Rose McGowan got her first glimpse of Hollywood's youngest photog. With a shocked look on her face, the once one-legged zombie killer exclaimed, 'What's wrong with this town?!' calling his snapping 'just so wrong.' She then, of course, posed for him .." (TMZ)

"After a few more days of deliberation than was required by her leading rivals for the Democratic presidential nomination, Senator Clinton has decided to join those calling for an end to a tax policy that allows some hedge and private equity fund operators to pay just 15% on most of their income." (NYSun)

Media-Whore's D'Oevres



(image via seattletimes via ap)

"The moguls are in session. This, finally, after dozens of their Gulfstreams dropped down Tuesday in nearby Friedman Memorial Airport, with families often in tow, for that annual schmoozefest sponsored by Allen & Co. Among the first making his way past a journalistic gauntlet that Barry Diller would later call 'a gaggle' was, fittingly, host Herbert Allen. It’s his 25th year of bringing media and entertainment biggies together, and he’s smartly expanding the 300-something guest list to include digiterati as well. Allen, whose arrival at the Sun Valley Inn preceded the 7:30 a.m. kickoff session by an hour, reported the opening would feature a presentation from Time Warner Inc. captains Dick Parsons and Jeff Bewkes. A while later, within a distance of 20 yards, Rupert Murdoch and his wife Wendi Deng trailed Diller, his wife, Diane von Furstenberg, and at least one of the wife’s offspring. Murdoch played coy as he ducked past journalists, who are denied access to the sessions, until asked if he wasn’t about to yank his $60 per share offer for Dow Jones & Co. 'You never know,' he said, hurrying past security." (TheDeal)

"In a further sign of Iraq's deepening sectarian divisions, security chiefs in Iraq's Shia-dominated government have formed a shadow intelligence service to rival the Iraq National Intelligence Service (INIS), created and funded by the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and that is manned largely by Sunnis and former members of Saddam Hussein's mukhabarat (secret police). The head of the INIS is General Mohammed Abdullah Shahwani. The hostility between these two services is intense. The overall Shia objective seems to be to eradicate, or at least drastically reduce, US influence within the security establishment and put intelligence gathering firmly under Shia control. This is at a time when speculation is growing that a large-scale US military withdrawal may be ordered in the coming months. The emergence of this new service could be bad news for the US because it might facilitate penetration of Iraq's security establishment by the intelligence services of neighbouring Shia-majority Iran." (JanesDefense)

"On the eve of negotiations between Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers and the Writers Guild of America, some high-level entertainment execs created a burst of publicity by holding a rare on-the-record briefing to lay out their case. CBS chief Leslie Moonves, Disney’s Anne Sweeney, Warner Bros. chairman Barry Meyer, and chief studio negotiator Nicholas Counter explained why they want to defer the decision on the pivotal issue of multi-platform pay by doing a study." (Paidcontent)

" Cooperation, not mutual destruction, is a major theme at this year's summer gathering of the media and technology elite in Sun Valley. And the Scandinavian founders of new online video service Joost -- Janus Friis and Niklas Zennstrom -- perhaps embody this new spirit best.Friis and Zennstrom, who once terrified the media industry with file-sharing technology company KaZaa, and then the telecommunications industry with Skype, are first-time guests at Allen & Co's 25th annual media conference in Idaho." (Reuters)

"CHAD Hurley appears to have gone from rock star to falling star. Last year, the YouTube co-founder was the cause célebre at Allen & Co.'s mogulfest at Sun Valley, Idaho, a position that helped him sell his video site to Google only a few short months later for $1.65 billion. As of yesterday afternoon, he had yet to show up at this year's event, leading to speculation that he was either too busy - or had not been invited. An early version of the guest list for this year's confab listed Hurley as an invited attendee, according to a source. But in a later copy reviewed by The Post, Hurley's name was absent; only the names of Google's brass were listed. Roughly 25 percent of the guest list changes every year, and an invite is not only a coveted status symbol among the media elite, it's also a telling indication of who's in and who's out in the media world." (NYPost)

"Mario Testino gave New Yorkers a peek at the inside of his London town house at the Tuesday-night opening of his show At Home at the Yvon Lambert gallery .. 'I like to hang everything together, salon-style,' said Testino, in between greeting Vogue's Anna Wintour, Vanity Fair's Michael Roberts, and Marchesa's Georgina Chapman and Keren Craig. 'The [art] is all mine; I've been collecting for a long, long time.' Afterward, the chic gang gathered at Ian Schrager's yet-to-open boîte Wakiya in the Gramercy Park Hotel. Sienna Miller breezed in Edie Sedgwick-style, wearing a short glittery shift by Stella McCartney and large vintage hoop earrings. Upon seeing the shutterbug, she broke out into her trademark megawatt grin. 'We've been practically living together for the past week,' she said, noting that they were in Rome together for a Vogue shoot and the Valentino anniversary. With that, the Peruvian began to rub the actress' flat stomach. 'We're announcing our engagement,' he said with a laugh. 'This is Mario the fourth.'" (Style)

"Macy’s Herald Square windows turned into art installations, while their second floor Impulse section transformed into a cocktail fête Tuesday night when the Macy’s Sidewalk Gallery Exhibit opened with Art Under Glass Summer 2007, a mixed media exhibition that celebrates the fusion of art and fashion ..From the windows overlooking the city, decorated with drawings of major New York City landmarks by Florence Deygas, to Maxence Cyrin’s performance of 'Yellow Variation,' an original piece created specifically for Veuve, everything was a tribute to the hue. Cellar master Jacques Peters celebrated his interpretation of yellow literally, allowing guests to taste the champagne—normally a treat only his wine makers are privy to—while Jay McInerney gave guests the opportunity to continue a short story he began just for Veuve. At least five languages were represented by the end of the evening, making the story an international pastiche that even McInerney couldn’t translate. 'It’s certainly interesting to think about how stories germinate,' quipped the writer." (Fashionweekdaily)

"Saturday, July 7 .. At dinner in the candlelit courtyard of the Hotel di Russie, we were privy to a fashion moment. The well-heeled guests of the Valentino gala congregated at the bar waiting for their limos. Tom Ford held court in his usual white dinner jacket. Jennifer Hudson (barefoot!) was laughing with the ever-commanding Andre Leon Talley" (TheStar.com)

Very busy week

Please excuse the lightness of postings ..

Media-Whore's D'Oevres

"Miami Fashion Week: South Beach kicked off their fashion week with a new swimsuit collection by Jacquelyne Love, as her Beach Boy husband Mike Love jammed with 'ER' charmer John Stamos. Not exactly David Bowie performing 'Jean Genie' in Bryant Park, but its a start!" (Stylehive)

Corsair Classic

Media-Whore's D'Oevres

"Barack Obama pulls in more than $100K in a swing through Alabama." (Politico)

"Suddenly told that their magazine would be shutting down after a not-so-secret uphill struggle to increase ad pages and circulation, staffers at Jane reacted only as one would assume the founder of the magazine, Jane Pratt, would: They got drunk. After spending much of the day packing up their offices, nearly the entire staff rendezvoused at Lakeside Lounge, a dive bar on Avenue B in the Lower East Side best known for its live rock, nifty jukebox, and Coney Island-style photo booth, for one last hurrah. 'Everyone was in shock at first and then it was like ‘get a beer,’” said one editor. “No one really wanted to go home.'" (Fashionweekdaily)

"The key element uniting the two countries is oil. Venezuela and Iran are the fifth and second largest members of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), together accounting for about 20 per cent of OPEC's total output. It was in 2000, when Chavez hosted an OPEC heads of state summit in Caracas aimed at 'refounding' the cartel, that the Caracas-Tehran axis began to develop. Iran's then president Mohammed Khatami was an enthusiastic OPEC participant at the Caracas meeting. Following the summit, both countries became the two most ardent price 'hawks' within OPEC, lobbying for deep output cuts to force prices higher and increase their countries' export revenue. This Iran-Venezuela alliance within OPEC has caused friction with Saudi Arabia, the world's largest oil exporter and a nominal ally of the US, which favours more modest crude prices by seeking higher output." (janes)

"Jon Bon Jovi dropped into Ron Perelman's East Hampton pad for a party Saturday - literally. The rocker took a helicopter from his appearance at the Giants Stadium Live Earth concert to Perelman's annual bash. Among the 400 other guests (very Mrs. Astor) who picked their way through heavy police and private security were Mayor Bloomberg, Chevy Chase, Gwyneth Paltrow (on crutches), Shirley MacLaine, Richard Meier, former jailbirds Martha Stewart and Al Taubman, Kelsey and Camille Grammer and Ed Burns. The Revlon mogul served a summery menu of fried chicken, brisket and macaroni at his Georgica Pond estate. " (Gatecrasher)

"The National Urban Technology Center held its Annual Fundraising Gala at Capitale. The event raised over $600,000 and was attended by Senator Evan Bayh of Indiana, Vernon E. Jordan, Jr., Senior Managing Director of Lazard Freres, Hugh Price, Senior Fellow, Brookings Institute, Former NY Mayor David N. Dinkins; Arthur Barnes, as well as Oscar winning actress Tatum O’Neal and actress, Callie Thorne of Rescue Me and Richard Kind of Curb Your Enthusiasm and Spin City who served as the evening’s live auctioneer. " (NewYorkSocialDiary)

"Yesterday, I wrote that Estee Lauder's John Demsey thinks P. Diddy is the 'hip-hop Ralph Lauren,' capable of inspiring the masses to buy a piece of the Sean Combs lifestyle. Well, here's a trend we won't be copying anytime soon: Sean Combs' 18 karat Gold shoelaces. At the BET awards, P. Diddy (or is it just Diddy? What exactly is he calling himself these days?) wore a pair of Upper Echelon Sneakers, which featured a pair of the company's signature gold-plated shoelaces. Retailing for about $500 ..." (Fashionista)

Corsair Classic

77 drummers in brooklyn, live; sick:

Media-Whore's D'Oevres



""Those who know that Steve Buscemi's new film, 'Interview' is a remake of a 2003 film of the same name by Dutch filmmaker Theo Van Gogh, who was brutally murdered in 2004 by a militant Islamist for his outspoken condemnation of Muslim treatment of women, may be surprised by how commonplaceness the film is." (Indiewire)

It Must Be The Bloat and the Bleched Blonde Hair: "TMZ caught up with (David) Spade in Vegas over the weekend, getting kissed by the fantasy babe all boys want to be kissed by -- Pamela Anderson! The pair showed up together to JET nightclub at the Mirage and drank champagne and Red Bull vodkas together. Pam, as usual, sported her high-beam headlights and glow in the dark camel toe." (TMZ via jossip)

"On Saturday I went to the park under the Brooklyn Bridge to see what was (and will quite possibly remain) the best show I've ever seen in my entire life. Vice and JellyNYC brought the Japanese art rock band, The Boredoms together with 74 other drummers to create 77BOADRUMS. Drummers came from all over to participate and included members of bands like Gang Gang Dance, Tussle, Excepter and even Andrew WK (who was apparently incognito). After the show I went up to Yamataka Eye (frontman of The Boredoms) to congratulate him and ask him what he wanted to do next. He said: 'Next year, more drummers.'" (Papermag)

"New York magazine contributing editor Jada Yuan is looking for a new place to live, ideally in Williamsburg with a move-in date of September 1 and three-digit rent price-wise; her current landlord sold his house." (Fashionweekdaily)

"Earlier today we wrote about IAB’s efforts to standardize web video metrics. Now, news that Nielsen/NetRatings is planning a major shift in web metrics, moving, according to the AP, from page views as the key metric to time spent on a site. This comes as more sites are using Ajax, which allows updating without reloading a page and has been wreaking havoc with page view rankings. Page views also don’t account for video streams. Nielsen has been measuring average time spent and average sessions per unique visitor. Under the new method, it will report total time spent and sessions for all visitors with the aim of gaging actual site popularity. This is going to shift some sites’ status considerably. For instance, under the current system, AOL ranked sixth in total page views for May but first in total minutes: 25 billion. Using total time, Google drops to fifth from third in page views. (The reason given is Google’s mission to send people off quickly for answers; that’s probably true but ignores Google’s other mission now, which is to keep people engaged on its own sites.)" (Paidcontent)

Note to Les: Less Is More



We know his gut is Golden (Eew), and his balls made of brass, but the evening News is not prime time television, Les Moonves. It is a different kettle of fish altogether. Joe Hagan's longwinded -- some might call it "gassy" -- profile of Katie Couric left us with the impression that Dark Lord of the Empyrean, Les Moonves, might have oversold Katie to the American public in the run-up to her taking over CBS anchoring duties. From NewYork:

"... (T)here is no shortage of people (many of them inside CBS News) who believe that Moonves unintentionally laid the groundwork for her downfall with the excessive buildup.

"On this question, Couric is careful but clear. 'Um, I think he, you know, probably could have been told, ‘Easy, Les, don’t overpromise,' she says. 'But he was excited and enthusiastic and he saw this as an opportunity to push the envelope.' Couric says she was advised by at least one friend to downplay her arrival. 'I remember Barry Diller saying, 'Just be very low-key about it,' she says. 'And if I had my druthers, would I have not been on every bus in New York? Especially the ones that almost ran me over, which would be the ultimate modern-day O. Henry story? Yeah.'

"Moonves, a TV executive with a barrel-chested confidence in his gut for good TV, says he bears no responsibility for how the show has failed: 'Nope. I really don’t.'"

You do your thing, Les Moonves, you .. do your ... whatevs. (NewYork)