Bravissimo: Altered States of Reality, a brand new blog, will cover Shear Genius and other Bravo reality t.v. shows in general.
Not my pooch, but it looks just like my tiny Da Vinci Cody MeisterAccording to an Associated Press story, "Recalled pet foods contained a chemical used to make plastics, but government tests failed to confirm the presence of rat poison, federal officials said Friday.
The Food and Drug Administration said it found melamine in samples of the Menu Foods pet food, as well as in wheat gluten used as an ingredient. Cornell University scientists also have found the chemical, sometimes used as a fertilizer, in the urine of sick cats, as well as in the kidney of one cat that died after eating the company's wet food."
I thank my lucky stars that I feed only dry food to my pooch. I feel nothing but sympathy for the pet owners who fed their pets what they thought was superior stuff, only to watch them suffer. In a world full of pain and anguish, this might be a minor point but, at the very least, shouldn't we be able to trust the manufacturers of our pet food?
N'uff said.
Pedicure or Manicure?
Thank you my adoring fans for voting for my puppy-like cuteness week after week. I mean, with hair like mine, who needs talent?
Move over, Bitch. I'm gonna win this thing!
Danny Quick, painter, and Denver Miracle, electrician, and Red Jenkins, automotive genius, are the men I rely on these days. A single girl who lives far from kith and kin depends on boyfriends, affordable handy persons, and the kindness of neighbors to keep her household in tip top shape. Sweet Henry, my new wide eyed bachelor neighbor (too bad he’s got a cute girlfriend) helped reset my TV remote and figure out how to connect my VCR and DVD players to my cable box. He kindly labeled everything so that I could remember which doohicky to turn on when.
A few years back, one of my main squeezes proudly gave me a girlie tool bucket for my birthday. I was expecting jewelry, but it turns out that this bucket is one of the best gifts I’ve ever received. I still haven’t a notion of how to use half the stuff in it, but when a handy person (man or woman) comes to my rescue and asks, "Do you have a thingamajiggie wrench?" I hand them my girlie bucket. Lo and behold, the required tools are in it 90% of the time. Thanks, NR. You still warm the cockles of my heart. Oh, and your cockles weren’t too bad either.
Craving Sticky Rice. In this new feature of Dishin’ Dat, I’ll describe some of my favorite appetizers in my regular eating haunts around town.
Dahlings, the Sushi Chefs in this place are anything but Japanese. Half of them look like they graduated from some northeastern art or medical school. I sit in my favorite spot in the corner (see photo on left) watching the chefs prepare sushi, the traffic whiz by on Main Street, and the regulars walk through the door. My appetizer of choice?
Sticky Balls! (Get your minds out of the gutter.)
Sticky balls are comprised of tuna, crab, and sriracha rice in an inari (bean curd) pocket, deep fried, and topped with scallions, wasabi, and eel sauce. Yum. YUM.
My Richmond friends are torn about this restaurant. They either adore it or hate it Here are a few comments from the Sushi World Guide that sum up our differing opinions.
"One of my favorite sushi restaurants in the US, by far, in terms of creativity and taste. This is only the second place I've ever been to that actually uses fresh crab in their California rolls. The atmosphere is a little smokey and dark, but I think this is part of its charm. They have some great rolls, as well as other Pan Asian cuisine on their menus. "
"If you like a smoky atomosphere and rowdy drunks, then this is the place you want. The food was substandard, wait staff s-u-c-k-s, and all in all an unpleasant experience for me and my wife. It is a place for those who don't like to taste their food or hear themselves think during a 'dining ' experience. Judge for yourself and be afraid! "
"This restaurant is charming and epitomizes the 'charm' of Richmond; it is creative and often humorously boisterous in the late evening hours. The food is creative and can easily please even the non-sushi lovers, but the staff brings down the atmosphere. On several occasions with several different servers, the servers were condescending to a customer who was not familiar with sushi, and extremely rude and curt. If the staff was nicer, this would be a fun place to hang out for a young crowd, but I wouldn't bother unless you happen to know the staff personally. "
"The service is horrible, and the fish was fishy! Save your time and money. Go somewhere else. "
Dahlings, I must make a comment to the above. Ms. Place has never been treated with anything other than civility at Sticky Rice, due, no doubt, to her generous tips and fabulous smiles. If she's ignored, she starts to bellow like Vicki in the Housewives of Orange County. That gets most of the waitstaff moving.
Correction: Last night I returned to Sticky Rice to discover a female sushi chef! So I stand corrected. Not all Sticky Rice sushi chefs are male.
Scarlett Johannsen is so comfortable being a female that she oozes sexuality without even trying. I suspect she actually enjoys wiggling as she walks.
Wow is all I can say about Selma Hayak. Gorgeous, talented, and brains. What a trifecta.
Liv's weight has fluctuated, but she has settled into her womanly curves and they look splendid on her tall form. She looked downright broody after giving birth to her child, giving her a soft glow. She also took her time getting the weight off. Now that's something I can relate to.
Sophia Loren at the '99 Oscars at age 65. Her beauty secret is that she exercises a half hour every day. She still looks fabulous, but I could only find one recent head shot of her. Let's just say that when she appeared at the Oscars, she put every other woman to shame.
Maria Sharapova, Tennis
Gabrielle Reece, Volley Ball
Pam Boteler and Hannah Menke, sprint canoers
Pam Boteler glammed up
I would kill to have Angela Bassett's buff arms (or kill myself in the process to achieve the same look.) Unlike Oprah, Queen Latifah seems comfortable in her own skin. She tried losing weight a few years back and had breast reduction surgery, but recently she's found a weight and look that work for her. She's never anything but fabulous looking.
Vanessa Williams looks even more beautiful almost a quarter of a century after winning the Miss America crown. All I can say is, "Girlfriend you are taking excellent care of your body!"
She played the popular girl in Fast Times at Ridgemont High, and fulfilled the fantasies of every prepubescent boy by taking of her swim top in front of Judge Reinholdt. No doubt he is still recovering from the experience.
Phoebe then.
Phoebe now, with husband Kevin Kline. Mother of two children, Phoebe acts only occasionally these day if at all. In 2005, she opened a boutique with her partners on Madison Ave and named it Blue Tree.
I'd slide a hand up your leg. If you had a leg. M, 52, hoping to meet woman who'll give him a hand.
How utterly divine! How wonderfully delicious! Big Shamu and Java Junky from Top Chef 2: They Cook, We Dish have arranged a live chat with Harold Dieterle, winner of Top Chef 1. If you missed the chat with Stephen Asprinio on Monday, in which Ms. Place talked like a groupie, because she secretly always liked Stephen's confidence, then
