I'll Be Out Until Next Wednesday...

I'm faking an illness to go AWOL for a couple days. One of those days I'm heading to the Happiest (& Most Expensive) Place on Earth: Disneyland! Maybe I'll come back with some Sweepea-TV of the experience.

Have a good weekend!

Mee-Yow Thursday

Joan Crawford on Marilyn Monroe:
"Look, there's nothing wrong with my t**s,
but I don't go around throwing them in people's faces!"

For Sale: Steve McQueen's Coolmobile

The Daily Mirror writes:
Steve McQueen's Ferrari 250 GT Berlinetta Lusso - bought in 1963 and raced by him for a decade - is set to sell for £600,000 at Christie's in California.

The firm's head of car sales said: "He was an essential component of 60s cool. This is a seductive car."

Disneyland? We're not Disneyland...

And that's not Mickey. It's just a cat with big ears.(Shijingshan Amusement Park is a Chinese amusement park of the government management in Beijing.)

Why I Hate McDonald's

This could be the creepiest McDonald's commercial ever. Even creepier when you realize that Willard Scott is playing Ronald McDonald.

Please to Enjoy...

From Me...to You, the reader:
Apparently someone was "amused" by my writings of my experience on Hell's Kitchen (a post I did way back in January). I usually don't respond to comments I get, but when it came to being called a flat-out liar, I felt the need.

Simply because I got the address wrong, she believes I made the whole thing up; all three posts, detailing my experiences down to the last detail of being a diner on "Hell's Kitchen". I was even able to magically predict when my episode would be on. Wow...I have to say, if I had made all this up, I'd be one helluva liar!

First of all, I appreciate her readership. I have to say that ruffling feathers has always been a talent of mine, and I think I exceeded my gift enormously by having her take the effort out of her no doubt excruciatingly busy schedule to vent about little old me. I'm so flattered that I could stir such emotion in someone, someone I don't even know and who doesn't even know me! How exhilarating.

Second of all, I didn't drive to the show (Dyno did, and he got the directions), so I apologize if I got the address wrong as well as the name of JP. She's probably correct -- it's on Sawtelle or wherever she thinks it is, and his name is whatever else she thinks it is. I have to commend her extensive knowledge of this one modest reality show.

Third, I feel sorry for her that she's so jaded about society. "Some of the lies people tell just to get attention are beyond amazing." I can only believe that she has been hurt countless times by people throughout her life who are pleased and seek praise from her. Apparently when seeking appreciation from this woman, it shall never be found.

Lastly, I can conclude that when living in L.A. -- which I have done my whole life -- you get the rare opportunity to see many celebrities (as shown in my Star Sightings) and often get the chance to be extras or subjects of television shows. I have never purported to saying that I myself am a star or a celebrity. On the contrary, I still get starstruck when I see Richard Grieco at Starbucks every morning.

But I've always thought of the Lounge as a place where I can vent my feelings, post interesting tidbits, and express what's going on in my life. Just as this woman has done, I've used my rights of free speech to blog my life, just as I will continue to do.

Thanks for your readership.

Everybody's Got a Laughing Place

From the classic Disney movie Song of the South. The use of live characters mingling with animation was revolutionary. Unfortunately not many people get to see this artistic triumph, set in the post-Civil War era.

Scenes from a Balcony: Scene 4

Today's drama should be called "Out on the Street" because it didn't take place on my balcony, but it's still indicative of my wonderful neighborhood I'm slumming in.

Dyno and I decided to take a nice evening walk down the street on Saturday after dinner. We circled around the block and were making our way down Sepulveda when we got to the crosswalk at the intersection. A woman wearing a party dress was standing next to us, and we waited for the light to change.

It was taking forever. Dyno and I looked at each other, both thinking, "Did she press the button to cross?" But neither of us could answer. Finally, Dyno pressed the button.

Just as the light changed allowing us to cross, I heard a honking noise and a man pulled up next to the curb. The woman leaned in to the passenger window and then got in the car.

As Dyno and I crossed the street I -- for a split-second -- still believed she was just waiting for her ride. But then it hit me what had happened. I looked up at Dyno to see him laughing. At the same time we started talking: "I can't believe I just saw that in my neighborhood!" "That was hilarious!" "I've never seen that in real life before!" "That was awesome!"

But there's more. I was still staring at them across the street because the john hadn't driven off yet. Just then we were passing a second woman, and this time I could recognize what she was doing there. Sure enough, the man across the street whistled, and the second woman ran across the street towards him.

Ahh...the lovely sights and sounds of my community.

5 Months and 2 Days Til Christmas

*hint hint*

Friday's This & That

Ahoy, matey! I spy news ahead! Try not to be distracted by my latest pin-up pic and read what's going on in the world today:

Rarely seen home movies from the personal collections of Hollywood legends like Alfred Hitchcock and Steve McQueen are to air as part of a one-night film festival in Hollywood. Both Hitchcock and Stevie would be fun to see behind the scenes!

In Disney World, a woman kicked, choked, and generally beat down another visitor who got to go on the "Mad Tea Party" ride ahead of her. I know how frustrating it can be to stand in line for a Disney ride, but give me a break. Both women had their kids standing there to witness the attack.

Speaking of Disney, fresh from the debacle over the The Princess and the Frog offending African-Americans, it looks like they're gonna try for the Mexican culture now. According to ContactMusic.com:

Bosses at family movie studio Disney have gone Latino for a new animated feature called South of the Border. Drew Barrymore will voice a pampered American-bred Chihuahua, who gets lost in Mexico and seeks the help of local hounds to find her way back. The movie features the vocal talents of Latino stars like Salma Hayek, Andy Garcia, George Lopez, and Spanish opera great Placido Domingo.

Oh well. Let's just surrender to the joy of bubbles.