This is the new 59

Christie Brinkley is 59 today .... yes 59! That is a picture of her from last year. She doesn't exactly look like any 59 year old from around my neck of the woods! Of course, having a few hundred million in the bank and all the time in the world to concentrate on yourself all day probably doesn't hurt to achieve this glowing look.  Now I know she has had to have something  done but it has to have been something not too drastic because she still looks like herself at like what ..... 30-ish???  Not like the scary alien faces of the barely recognizable Meg Ryan, Priscilla Presley and Joan Van Ark. Eeeeh .....  This Hollywood!

Most normal ladies in our 50's approach a point in our lives where we are less ... hmmmm .... what is the term  ... vain? ... no that's not the word ..... hopeless?  ... no I don't think that is quite it .... desperate?  ......  maybe some of us but no that doesn't fit .... oh wait it is the  .... "Could give a SH!T" ........ Thank God I now know there is hope when you try.

Sniff ...

 It was just a few weeks ago I wished Ernest "Happy Birthday" !!! Now he is gone .... along with Andy. During my childhood they both had 2 of my favorite TV shows.  Don't know why Ernie never came back to TV. He was well liked as I remember. Andy did a few other shows. Never as good in my opinion so I never watched either. Hubby and I will still watch "The Andy Griffith Show"  on TV Land .... it IS after all a top TV classic. Will never get tired of it.

They say .... who is the "they" that say this by the way? .... death always comes in threes .... I don't want to guess who is next BUT I will say this for the first two of the trio they lived an extraordinarily good long loved life. Peace guys.

Happy Birthday Laurie Metcalf

I wanted to find a pretty picture of her since she always seems to be cast as the homely girl. She's not. She is a little cute actually. Daughters and I got close to her once in New York. She was in the play NOVEMBER on Broadway with Nathan Lane in 2008. I bought the tickets to see this play ... we're more musical fans ..... for Nathan Lane and talked the daughters into going to see it based on that fact. However, Nathan bowed out that matinee in favor of his understudy Richard Kline ... you know .... "Larry" from 3's Co. ......  daughters were like "Who?"!  I felt myself losing the support to see this play fast but turned out it didn't matter. They were more interested in seeing  the scene stealer Laurie Metcalf.

Afterward, daughters wanted to wait  outside the stage door to meet her and they did. She appeared to be a tiny thing and was nice enough to talked to my daughters for a while. The play stunk by the way but, at least we met the best part of it ..... Laurie Metcalf!

THE LAST DANCE .........

It's sad when a segment of pleasurable memories are gone!

 In the ‘80’s when disco was at its height and Donna Summer was the epitome of the era, I remember friends having parties and all the females went into another room to dance to Donna …. Only she could get the party rollin’. Even though everyone had their own personal tastes in music … rock, bubble gum, hard rock, pop or soul … everyone came together to listen and dance and sing … off key of course … with Donna! Every guy we knew hated her.  WE loveD her!!! I still today crank-up the radio when she comes on.  I wished I had seen her in concert the last time she was here …. Sniff  …. I missed it! 

MATHEMATICAL HEADACHE

SIGH ........ After spending $520 on a hair cut .... or 2 as the stylist tells it  .... or 15 as Nadya imagines tells it ... AND borrowing $450K last year  .... how much was this house?  ..... to buy the current home for her "children" ...... tomorrow the Octomom house will be on the auction block. Yet, the CYS in California that visited her again this week claim "the children are in no imminent danger".  

Oh the guy who lent her the $450k to purchase the house?  ... he is suing her for it?  Surprise!  

Let's see how many hair cuts does that come to ..... $520 divided by + or - (14) + truth - Brazilian blowout + Radar Online pic purchases - denial + added TV exposure via scandal X multiplied by another CYS visit  ...............

Editorial Cartoon credit: Alycia Rockey, The Daily Eastern News

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GORGEOUS!!

Babs is 70 today! Seriously I love this picture of her taken last year. GORGEOUS! 
Singer ...
Actress...
writer ...
director ...
producer ...
academy award winner ...
feminist ...
activist ...
philanthropist ....
legend ..... What can I tell you about her that you do not already know?

FAVORITE QUOTES:

"One thing's for sure: now when I look at Funny Girl (1968), I think I was gorgeous. I was too beautiful to play Fanny Brice"."


"I arrived in Hollywood without having my nose fixed, my teeth capped, or my name changed. That is very gratifying to me."

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MR. ROGERS

sniff sniff ..... Can it be? Fred Rogers has been gone for 9 years now. Since I grew-up in Pittsburgh, I always thought he was just a local show. I never realized how many generations of children .... including my own .... nation wide he mesmerized till probably the Saturday Night Live skit with Eddie Murphy.

Even though I probably came close ..... being in the same "neighborhood" so to speak .... I never bumped into him around here. The closest I ever came to him, other than the TV set, was the time one of my mothers friends was a fairy Godmother on one of his earlier PBS shows.

Hopefully, the innocent appeal of his many characters will remain in repeats a long long time for many more generations.

TRIVIA TIME:

• McFeely, was his middle name as well as his much loved Grandfather. The Mr. McFeely character is alive and well in Pittsburgh. He still is a staple making appearances at local TV and events.
• Fred's mom made most of the sweaters he wore on the show.
• He was an ordained Minister
• Pittsburgh locals Micheal Keaton and Ming Na got their acting starts in the "Neighborhood". I swear Dennis Miller got a start their too but, I can't find the confirmation on the net.

THE EASY WAY OUT ......

I’m still tired from "Girlfriend" weekend this past week soooooo… I'm just taking the easy way out … to show I am alive also … just going to wish Happy Birthday to obscure celebs today …… see if you can remember where you saw them before:

Our first birthday girl would have been 96 today. Where oh .... oh where have you seen her?

On the right, this Birthday boy is 66 ...he is .... he is ... he is ... I'm not telling ... yet!

Here is our Birthday Boy on the left: ... com'on you know that face! He is 54 today if that helps! Where did you first see him? Hmmmmmmmm .......

GIVE UP YET????

VIRGINIA GREGG ........ famous character actress in both TV and a few movies of the 50's-80's ... was the voice of Norman Bates mother in Psycho I, II & III, appeared on Dragnet 13 x's, Gunsmoke 7x's, Twilight Zone, Alfred Hitchcock presents, and every other TV show in between.

MARTIN KOVE ....... most famous for being the "chauvinist pig" of Cagney and Lacey and the bad guy in The Karate Kid movies

EDDIE DEEZEN .... most famous for "Eugene" in Grease!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BERNADETTE!

64 AND STILL ROCKIN' THE BOD! I always wanted to rock that hair! Singer, Actress, writer she is one of the few that transcends Stage, Screen and TV. The first time I saw her was in the TV special "Once Upon a Mattress" 1972.

• "IT" girl of the '70's and '80's
• She is of Italian decent
• As an attempt to rid herself of the ethic sounding name of Lazzara .... as it was frown upon in the 60's when she started ....... Peter(s) was her father's first name
• Dated .... or rumored to have "dated" .... Steve Martin, Warren Beatty (no surprise he's on everyone's list) and Clint Eastwood.
• Appeared in Playboy ... see the pic above .... but covered in Bob Mackie lingerie!!!

I'm sorry ... but who would watch this? Whitney Houston was one of the greatest singers and undoubtly will join the other "gone before their time" legends but, I do not want to watch her funeral .... on my computer/TV no less! Did not want to see her leave this earth the way she did but please can someone explain wanting to watch her family suffer her loss via video stream ... or for that matter her family agreeing to it?

MORE CONGENIAL COMMENTS FROM THE WORLD OF FASHION

NO this not about Gisele sticking her other Yeti sized foot in her mouth ..... but from the world that revolves around Karl Lagerfeld who says Adele is "a little too fat". Weellll, Karl should know all about getting rid of a little fat. Nine years ago he lost 92 lbs ......... that would be Karl in 2002 on the left and the 2012 svelte Karl on the right ........ Hmmmmmmm ..... on second thought Adele if your alternative is the look on the right maybe you need to stay just the way you are ....

DEAR GOD, BLESS THE UNBLESSED ... WILL YA!!

Its SUPERBOWL day .... yawn! ..... and the biggest news story I've heard all week is that Gisele Bundchen stuck her size 11's in her mouth again! Oh yes! ... please please please ... pray for Tom Brady to get another $100K Superbowl ring. Seriously!?!?!?!

Okay, so the world let Gisele know now that GOD has better things to do than dole out additional unnecessary blessings to the more than they deserve already blessed. Which come to think of it ... I'm gonna get a little "catty" here ..... the Bundchen supermodel career is a life learning testament to all those so-called 6 foot "ugly ducklings" out there suffering in high school land. Did you ever take a good look at Gisele. This is no "jaw dropping beauty" ... as I often see her touted ... she is pretty plain Jane, maybe even ... dare I say it ... kinda homely! Do you really think a high school Tom Brady ... undoubtly the school's Mr. popular .... would have even taken a second look at her then. HELL NO!!!! ..... I guarantee he was dating the prettiest petite blonde cheerleader with the biggest boobs and roundest camel butt.

So with that I say to Gisele .... GOD has already blessed you with an over rated fruitful career, an NFL superstar to snuggle up to at night, enough money to bail out Greece and has enabled you to cast some spell over shorter men who look up and see an average girl as some sort of goddess ..... must be those Victoria Secret wings she prances around in. Indeed, Gisele is proof there is hope for the rest of us .... although being 6 foot and 120 lbs may help too.

Photo credit: Joe Kohen/Getty

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ERNEST BORGNINE

Today he is 95 ……. 95!!!! .....still working and still appears to have all his faculties. Quick facts:

Ø Best Actor Academy Winner for Marty in 1955 …. and you thought his claim to fame was a voice on SpongeBob SquarePants

Ø Was married to Ethel Merman for 32 days

Ø He is presently married for almost 40 years to his present wife TOVA … of QVC beauty products fame

Ø Was actually IN the Navy for 10 years … that's why he looked so comfy in "McHale’s Navy" uniform

Ø Auditioned for the role of Vito Corleone .... I could see it!!!

Ø Was the very first “center” square on the premiere of Hollywood Squares

His stout stature only proves he has the key to a long vibrant life …. Bye bye diet Gods ... I no longer have to aspire to be a size 2 to get there with him!

THE HOUSE THAT JOEPA BUILT

Whatever the circumstances JoePa left PENN STATE in …. Did he do enough or didn’t he?? …. won’t be questioned by his supporters any more. I only hope that the evil disturbing man that initiated JoePa's untimely departure will get his in TENFOLD.

My ex-Bro-in-law is a PENN STATE alumnus who buys PENN STATE football season tickets every year and pretty much spends most of the game partying in the parking space he “donated” $5,000 for, right up against Beaver Stadium ….. PENN STATE’s football stadium by the way! He gave me his ticket to me once and my sister and I went inside to watch the football game. I'm not really a big fan of college football. I only went in for one reason: Just so I could say I saw Joe Paterno coach a game. Who knew how much longer Joe Paterno … who was 77 at the time … would be coaching afterall?

When we got to the “seats” ….. actually they are bleachers with painted lines denoting how much space you are allotted ….. I could not help but take in how immense Beaver Stadium is ….. give me a break I’m a civil engineer … I build things … I could care less about football game remember?? .... It was the structure that caught my eye. I had to ask someone … probably not my BIL. He had been in the parking lot too long by then & actually I think it was Sis … to find out it held about 100,000 people. Okay not the biggest ... the 2nd ... but 100,000 PEOPLE AT A COLLEGE GAME???? .... the entire population of State College PA is only 42,000+ .... As soon as the query popped in my head I knew what the answer was. Most were there for the same reason I walked in to that stadium. Beaver Stadium was built in the ‘60’s for 46,000+. Joe Paterno started coaching 1966. They have been making additions ever since. Will PENN STATE fans still fill it now that the major attraction is gone?

I’m should say I'm a PITT grad ..... now you understand my surprise to see 100,000 at a football game! .... Not so long ago the PITT vs. PENN STATE was one of the greatest football rivalries of all time. PITT football has always envied one thing PENN STATE had and now its gone. And most likely will never be seen again.

BIRTHDAY TRIBUTE TO JOHN CAZALE

Now, if you have to ask WHO? ... then you are giving away the fact you are not much of a 1970's classic movie buff ... and you will not be on MY "Phone a Friend" list ...... Look at the face you know you know it.

John Cazale co-starred in five feature films in his movie career: “The Godfather”, “The Godfather II”, “Dog Day Afternoon”, “The Conversation”, and “The Deer Hunter” …... actually 6 if you count the footage used of him in "The Godfather III" …. all best picture Oscar nominees. Often cast as pathetic, paranoid, feeble character he was praised for being known to entice audiences into believing him as a pitiful loser in the depth of instability beyond his control. One of his best friends … since they were teenagers …. was Al Pacino who described him: "When I first saw John, I instantly thought he was so interesting, everybody was always around him because he had a very congenial way of expressing himself." Though …. in my opinion …. not the most handsome of '70's film stars, in person his attractiveness was known to be in his kind, caring and gentle manner not shown in his movies.

At the age of 42, the height of his illustrious short-lived movie career, engaged to a then relatively unknown young Hollywood beauty and "Deer Hunter" costar Meryl Streep, he was diagnosed with terminal bone cancer. He died before the film was released in 1978 with Streep by his side. The roles he could have created .... and we will never see.

THE FIRST SWASHBUCKLER TO STEAL MY HEART ...

Yes ... There was a swashbuckler I swooned for before Johnny Depp ever donned a pirate swagger ..... ERROL FLYNN .... I knew Errol Flynn's birthday was Father's Day and I meant to post it! Better late blah blah ....................

In my Happy B-day post to Johnny, I noted that over the shoulder pose that made my heart go pitty pat. I now know why! ..... I'm a sucker for a swashbuckler you see ...... I was at least 10 years old when I saw Errol ... as Robin Hood .... swing across my TV set and say: "Welcome to Sherwood!" in that jovial sarcastic wit. He instantly became my first movie idol but unfortunately I would need a time machine to meet him ... Ho Hum ............ maybe its why I don't drool much over the living idols, my true star struck meeting will never be!

"I do what I like."

I read his autobiography, "My Wicked Wicked Ways", in my late teens and found his was born in Tasmania ... I always thought it was a made up place where cartooned devils were said to live. Damm those Buggs Bunny cartoons were more educational than I thought! ........ oh and he was a little wicked too!

One of his first roles was Fletcher Christian whom Flynn is ironically the great-great-great-great-grandson of.

"It isn't what they say about you it's what they whisper."

The saying "In like Flynn" was coined after him referring to his acquittal in a statutory rape trial.

"Women won't let me stay single, and I won't let myself stay married."

His favorite and most often cast with actress in early movies .... 9 times .... was Olivia de Havilland ... who also admits to having been in love with him and he admits he with her by their second movie ....... but love never went beyond the screen.

His favorite side kick was Alan Hale. Yes, that would be the father of Alan "the skipper" Hale of Gillian's Island fame.

Flynn was rumored to be nominated ... and had been initially announced where he was interviewed on his nomination ...... for an Academy Award for his role in "The Sun Also Rises". The nomination simply just disappeared.

"My job is to defy normal."

Errol Flynn was a self described adventurer before stardom, did most of his own stunts in movies, a womanizer, had malaria, tuberculous, Buerger's disease, an alcholic in liver failure, a chain smoker with thrombosis, 4F because of his weak heart, considered Fidel Castro a close friend and when he died in 1959 at age 50 he had a 17 year old mistress that traveled the world with him on his beloved yacht. The autopsy revealed he had the insides of a 75 year old.

last words: "I've had a hell of a lot of fun and I enjoyed every minute of it."

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JOHNNY .....

I 've hardly EVER been overwhelmingly star struck by a movie star. Never had the urge to join a fan club. Never was such an urber fan crazed psycho that I would faint at the sight of any celebrity. As a matter of fact, there are very few movie stars that I would go out of my way for to go see their movie. Johnny Depp, however, is the exception ..... there are always some.

I did not even realize I was fan till that one certain nonchalant glance over his pirate costumed shoulder. I can not firgue out what it is about that pose but he had me at Yo Ho Matey!

Happy 47th Birthday Johnny!!! You are only getting better!

Happy Birthday Norma Jean

After all these years she is still in the news ... this past week for some unpublished photos with JFK .... The eternal epitome of sexy. Having the measurements of 37C-24-35 earned her the first cover of Playboy .... Hugh Hefner actually also owns the burial vault next to her. Her beauty regime included Nivea cream and jogging. She had an IQ of 168. Through her father she is related to seven U.S. presidents. When Veronica Hamel and her husband bought Monroe's house in 1972, they found "standard issued FBI" bugging devices all through it when they remodeled.

Although her movie career was practically over and she was gone before I could realize who she was and the timeless icon she was to become, I always thought of her as a comedic actress. That is until I saw Bus Stop. I will always remember her as vulnerable romantic Cherie.

There will never be another Marilyn.

An example of selling your soul?

Aside from being brought up in a 408 acre English county side manor, Fergie claims to have struggled financially on her own in her early 20’s. It did not stop her from enjoying a jet set life style then and undoubtly, high living became the norm more so than the exception once she married a Prince. Her divorce settlement from same said Prince was based on her husband’s professional income as a Naval Officer. Netting her with the mere pittance of alimony worth roughly $22,000 a year …. Sounds a little low to me! What about child support in this country? ……. I don't know that. Is it what led her to overwhelming debt and "selling" out family members?

In some ways, I say its her own fault but then again …… think about it …. her ex-husband of 10 years is a millionaire prince, a billionaire queen for a mother in-law, and her daughters are princesses! How did she end up with the settlement income of an US office worker? Even though she had every opportunity to cash in on her notoriety …. AND she did ……. her actual spending never matched her overall earnable income. Her “stock” fell as the years went by and income opportunities were far and fleeting. What is a former scandalous Duchess to do? Keep being a scandalous Duchess of course! Hence her “selling” out her children’s father’s … and supposed close friend … private life. What else could/can she do but be “Fergie”? Fergie who is now a long way from that 21 year old girl that once had the fortitude for monetary struggle and that fun loving shot of vivacity into an aging royal family known to have a penchant for a stiff upper lip. Maybe they … the royals ….. should have thought far ahead enough that at $22,000 a year, what she would become is a bitter, looking for a little revenge, aging, raging redheaded woman.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KATE!

"People have grown fond of me, like some old building."

Probably my most favorite actress of all times .... Katharine Hepburn. 4 time Oscar winner, lover of many a famous man and a true stalwart Connecticut Yankee. She worked well into her 80's and lived till she was 96 years old.

"I don't regret anything I've ever done; As long as I enjoyed it at the time. "

With my mom ... who made me into an old movie buff .... I had to first see Kate in either “Stage Door” ….. with Ginger Rodgers, Adolphe Menjou, Lucille Ball, Eve Arden and Ann Miller … or maybe it was “Bring Up Baby” ….with Carey Grant …. Either way she out shown them all …. Yes even Baby! ... and made an impression on me early in life.

"I find a woman's point of view much grander and finer than a man's."

She wasn’t typical poster girl pretty only because she did not want to be. Though blessed with classic features she chose to be more remembered for speaking her mind and negotiating things on her terms. She exuded an unorthodox ultra feminine feminist style with strength and self-assurity that could never be captured in a pinup girl of the times. I always had the feeling men were slightly afraid of her. Still it made her all the more attractive.

"I never realized until lately that women were supposed to be inferior."

I like to think I’ve learned to imitate her sarcastic wit and intellectual charm I admired. I can only hope to imitate her long life, ageless/timeless beauty, undisturbed way of existence and the respect she attained.

"If you always do what interests you, at least one person is pleased."