Ali Gator

I watched the first four episodes and wonder if I watched the same four episodes as everyone else ? I had a very different take from this... Dedicating all four episodes to the last few weeks of Diana's life being chased by paparazzi was excessive and unnecessary. The 'Ghost Diana' scenes were ghoulish - and if Morgan really felt he had to stoop to these hammy 'dead conversations' - Ghost Diana never mentions her two sons ? Worse than 'Ghost Diana' was 'Ghost Dodi' talking to his daddy (and the demonizing of 'daddy' was really a bit too much). More could have been said in two episodes, rather than stretch it over four. Of all four, Episode 3 was a snoozefest - completely dull and lifeless. Aside from the intro of 'The Royal Website', there is no indication of a rapidly changing world engulfing them: not a single mention of British politics, of crises, of Hong Kong soon being returned to China. Queen Elizabeth 2 is not portrayed as the head of state of (especially in the late 1990s) a world super-power, but sadly is reduced to ice-cold Granny. Not a mention of Princes Andrew and Edward ? Just a glimpse or two of Anne ? And when did the once-fascinating, opinionated Margaret become such a church-mouse ? This series used to be interesting. It used to be about QE2, politics, a country in turmoil, etc. Now it's become little more than a daytime drama. All the actors felt like 'extras' in the first four seasons (though Dominic West was the only strong character (kudos to the actor who was given so little to work with in these four episodes). Rufus Kampa - the 17 year old actor playing teen William - comes across more as a stone-cold serial killer. Let's hope Eddie McVey, who will be portraying him as a young adult, does a better job. McVey is quite the sexy guy. Start the 'eyeroll' emoticons, on 3, 2, 1...

I did a search, and a closed thread from 3-4 years ago pops up. Any new / recent info on him ? He will be in my area this week. Cute guy. Thanks in advance ! https://www.masseurfinder.com/massage-therapists/6030/ Old, closed thread:

Streisand's book debuts on the current NYT BEST SELLER LIST, dated November 26, 2023. It's listed in "Non-Fiction Print and eBook" (combined sales) and debuts at #2, while Brittney Spears holds on to #1 for the third week in a row. Similarly, on the list of just "Non-fiction Hard Cover" it's the same - Brittney at #1, and Barbra at #2. Over at the USA TODAY Best Sellers - where they combine hardcover fiction and non-fiction, alone with eBook fiction and non-fiction - she debuts at #6 and Spears drops from #1 to #4. Still very possible Streisand might bounce up to #1 during the upcoming Christmas season. I think she will be a 'popular gift'.

The season is wrapping up for it's "mid-season" break in a few weeks, and so far this season has been rather dull and disorganized. It seemed better when they were ad-libbing and had no writers. The producers really need to reconsider having Sarah and Anna on the panel. Sarah is like a fish out of water on most serious topics (she's like the little kid sitting at the adult table wanting to participate, but saying a whole lot of nothing). Somehow, she believes she's the mental-health and gay issues expert on each topic. It's nice when the others correct her or worse - question what she's saying (and she gets lost in her answer). Anna is good for one thing - going head-to-head with Sunny. As another Latina legal-eagle on the panel, she steals the spotlight from Sunny (always a good thing). Unfortunately, she also thinks she's a comedienne - she's not. It seems all her conversations and answers in Hot Topics always revert to 'Drag Queens'. One thing which puzzles me is why Sunny has to read 'a legal note' every time there is a discussion about a politician or celebrity who has been alleged, charged or indicted with a crime. Other shows talk about the same topics on these notables, and none of them follow their commentary or discussion with 'legal notes'. Is this a gimmick for Sunny ?

Except for Murdoch's 'Wall Street Journal', Streisand has gotten rave reviews for her memoir across the board. Just about every critic has commented on the size of the memoir, and the details she gives - but no one seems to mind. Except the WSJ, which headlined it's review: "My Name Is Barbra" Review : A Star is Boring". ‘My Name Is Barbra’ Review: A Star Is Boring WWW.WSJ.COM A capacious memoir from Barbra Streisand chronicles a career in which supporting roles were never an option. On the other side of the spectrum, fans are loving the book - especially the audiobook (which I haven't bought). They say listening to the audiobook is like sitting in your living room across from her, and she is having a personal conversation with you about her life.

The absolute worst one I ever saw was "Summer: The Donna Summer Musical". Even the title wasn't creative. How could this jukebox musical be so awful when the creative minds behind 'Jersey Boys' were behind this ? She deserved so much better.

And let us not forget the Jukebox Musical (Ben Brantley takes the credit for coining this genre in 2001) which keeps the Broadway box office jingling (see "MJ: The Musical")... There was a very good interview this morning with Alicia Keys on "CBS SUNDAY MORNING", who is opening her juke=box musical "Hell's Kitchen" at the Public Theater (now in previews). She describes it as a loosely based biography backed with her music catalog. She's been working on it for over 13 years, and expects it will transfer to Broadway. Her interview segued into an interview with former long-time NY Times theater critic Ben Brantley, who discussed the popularity of 'juke-box musicals' (which he says began in 2001 with Abba's "Mama Mia" which he called ridiculous, tacky and mindless) and how they will be part of musical theater for as far as he can see - theater goers enjoy a musical they can sing along with. He hasn't seen "Hell's Kitchen" yet but believes it will be a hit for Keys because of her music catalog - and will transfer to Broadway sooner than later.

Season 25 came to an end last night. As expected, Jag wins the game and $750K, becoming the first Sheik to win the game. Handsome Matt came in second, winning $75K and Cameron was chosen America's favorite player pocketing $50K. Keep in mind, Jag was one of the few in the cast who actually applied to be a contestant. Matt, Cameron, Reilly (who Matt thinks he has a relationship with after spending 10 days with her) and many others were 'recruited' by the producers based on their looks. They have never seen the show before, and weren't familiar with strategic game plays (this is why it is believed Jag won over Matt).

Streisand's new 992 page memoir "My Name Is Barbra" was released on Tuesday, November 7 and the reviews have been rather positive. The NY TIMES addresses the hefty book right away, with the intro "Hello, enormous!" There's no index in the back (Streisand said in an interview she asked the publisher not to have one, so readers wouldn't look up specific people or titles and skip through the book), so you have to read through all 59 chapters to find your favorite movie, song or celebrity she's worked with. Skimming through the pages last night, I must say her writing is very engaging, as though she is having a conversation with the reader (and not just logging her personal history). I read just one chapter last night - the one covering her album 'Wet' and her duet with Donna Summer (three pages long). She had nothing but the kindest words to say about Summer, and her sentiments were very touching. She was with Summer just a few months before her death in May, 2012 and never knew she was sick (Summer told no one). She was shocked when she got the news.

Some of her books are good ("Verity") others not so much. I tried reading 'November 9' on the recommendation of someone else who read 'Verity', and I found it too contrived. Couldn't get past the first few chapters. (Part of the problem was the two main characters were supposed to be 18, yet spoke like they were in their 40s.)

I'm surprised they don't have Cleopatra choosing her pronouns for the sake of diversity.

TV star Suzanne Somers died of “breast cancer with metastasis to the brain,” according to a report citing her death certificate. Somers, who was best known for the sitcom “Three’s Company,” died Oct. 15 after a long battle with cancer. She was 76. According to the Blast, which obtained the actor’s death certificate on Thursday, a biopsy confirmed Somers’ immediate cause of death. Somers also lived with hypertension and hydrocephalus, underlying conditions that led to her death. Hypertension, also known as high blood pressure, is when the force of “blood pushing against artery walls is consistently too high,” the Mayo Clinic says. The Mayo Clinic also defines hydrocephalus as “the buildup of fluid in the cavities deep within the brain.” Pressure on the brain from cerebrospinal fluid can damage brain tissues and “cause a range of brain function problems.” Somers’ death certificate said she battled hydrocephalus for more than a year, and received an “intracerebral ventricular shunt” in July 2022 to drain excess fluid. The actor was buried at Desert Memorial Park in Cathedral City three days after she died, according to the certificate. Suzanne Somers' cause of death revealed WWW.LATIMES.COM Suzanne Somers' immediate cause of death has been revealed. She died in October at age 76, after a 23-year battle with breast cancer.

ABC's World News Tonight sexy anchor David Muir turns 50 today... and 50 never looked better on his 5' 11" frame. Muir took over anchor duties from Diane Sawyer on September 1, 2014 after filling in as weekend anchor and subbing for Sawyer weeknights when she took time off. Muir is very quiet about his personal life, though it is known he has never been married, nor ever seen with a 'significant other' of either gender at the various events he has attended over the years. Yet speculation has run wild that he's gay, and rumors have been circulating he's very open in the NY gay social scene.

The season finale - day 100 - is this Thursday. To no one's surprise, Barnacle Jane, Matt and Jag have secured themselves into the Final 3, while "Mama Fee" - who promised she was going to show us her "A" game all season long and never delivered - was set free last night. Maybe her "A" game was to talk nonsense for 95 days ? Should Matt win (and he should), he will become the first deaf contestant to win the competition in 25 years. He played a great social game, as well as a competitive game (winning when he really needed to, but not becoming a 'beast') and was eye candy for the whole season. He played off the "all-American boy next door" charm, and all the houseguests fell for it. If Jag gets the grand prize, he will be the first Sikh to win the the competition in 25 years, which (according to him) was his goal. He burned a lot of bridges in his game play, and really turned the game around in the second half of its 100 day run. Bowie 'Barnacle' Jane did mostly nothing. When she won comps (only a couple) she didn't have an original thought in her head as to what her next move should be - she relied on Matt and Jag to point her into a direction. She came across to many as rather immature for a 45 year old (pigtails and laughing at fart jokes), lacking any charisma or likeability. Should she win, she will be a major disappointment to fans. BUT FIRST...Julie Chen has announced a 'special announcement' will be forthcoming at the conclusion of this season. Let's see - since CBS has no scripted programs returning as far as the eye can see due to the SAG-AFTRA strike, can it be there will be a winter season of BB starting in January ? You betcha.

I didn't see any mention at all about A STRANGE LOOP in what you said, so not sure what I repeated (if anything I repeated what was said in my OP). If there are Broadway investors in this conversation - great ! I'd love to hear what they have to say about the state of Broadway these days as it's still bouncing back from the pandemic (so many articles have been written the past twelve months about the slow bounce back and high ticket prices), and what they see for the future - revivals playing a big part. Their contribution will make for a lively, dynamic conversation among those interested in theater.

Arouzi was born in Tehran, Iran in 1974 moved to the US when he was a child (he has dual citizenship today), graduated from George Washington University and then moved back to Iran where he started a career as a news reporter before becoming a news anchor. He later relocated to the US, and worked for ABC, CNN, CBS and other news organizations before landing as a political reporter at NBC / MSNBC in 2010. I find this guy one of the sexiest reporters on television (I know ABC's David Muir has his fanbase) . He's absolutely beautiful, and his voice and accent is soooo sexy. There was no info on him for the longest time, but lately it has been said he is married (unfortunately, he's not gay). Anyone else like him ?

And this is exactly what Perry didn't want, and he made this ever so clear in his memoir and every interview he did last year. This reminds me of when my cousin Ann died of breast cancer in 2015 (the day before her 38th birthday). Ann was brought up in a Catholic family, but she was an Atheist since she was in high school. She was totally against any religion, especially Catholicism, and was very vocal about her beliefs in atheism. When she was coming to terms with her life coming to an end in a matter of weeks, she had written her final wishes down - she wanted to be cremated, her ashes spread over her favorite park where she grew up, and have a 'life celebration' at the park - no mournful funeral. Her husband (also an atheist) and her two teen daughters were understanding of her wishes, and agreed to them before she passed. Somehow, her mother (my first cousin) and father - staunch Catholics who are very active with the Diocese - got involved, and managed to toss her final wishes aside and give her a Big Catholic funeral, complete with the Archbishop of our diocese officiating. Their son-in-law gave into this. They also bought a plot for her to be buried - no cremation for her ! - in a Catholic cemetery near their parish. WTF ? My head was spining - not only was her immediate family going against her wishes, but the Catholic Church was willing to participate in a Catholic funeral of a very known atheist ? Though I wasn't particularly close to Ann (saw her at different family get-togethers every so often), I really was shocked that her family and loved ones would do this to her and her final wishes. I, along with another family member, refused to attend any of this on the grounds that we wished to respect her own personal beliefs and honor her final wishes. We both let the family know why we weren't attending any of the services - no disrespect to Ann, as we felt we were the only ones respecting her at this time. Others told us in private that we should just attend - go along to get along - and not make waves. Neither one of us could.

One of the most hyped musicals to come along as 'creative' and a 'fresh voice in theater' was A STRANGE LOOP from last season. Critics were mixed on it, but it got plenty of hype on talk shows. Whoopi Goldberg (who pushed it endlessly on 'The View') warned viewers "You may struggle with it". It opened in April, 2022 and won the Tony as 'Best Musical' a few months later. The box office was a disaster from opening day and seemed to do worse for the rest of the run, which ended in January, 2023. I doubt 'stunt casting' would've even saved this show. No one wants to return to Broadway after the pandemic, and spend hundreds of dollars on a ticket to a musical to "struggle with it". They want to be entertained for two hours - not struggle with the 'social issues' of the day which they are escaping from (and playwright Michael R. Jackson couldn't understand this). Producers have to learn that both the NYC audiences and the tourists are the ones who are buying the tickets to these Broadway productions, and both groups need to be entertained (see "MJ: The Musical" for an example of success after the pandemic). "Funny Girl" was struggling for the first few months NOT because it was a bad production or because audiences weren't interested - it was struggling because it was terribly miscast in the lead role (as well as one of the key supporting roles). Everyone questioned the casting when it was announced, and critics panned the star. (Though the first six weeks of the box office was phenomenal, as those numbers reflected pre-ordered ticket sales which were bought way before the previews and way before the reviews came out the end of April.) Once the star and the key supporting role actress were replaced, and without any major changes to the production itself by the producers or creatives, the show became the hit that it was intended to be from the beginning. As with 'The Music Man', if a splashy name brings in the crowds - so be it. It puts investors in the 'black' and keeps them away from 'the red'.

Sending thoughts & prayers to you.

For the past two seasons there have been creative new musicals, most which closed with the blink of an eye. Read the theater message forums - audiences simply weren't interested in being hit over the head with "social issues" by these new 'creative musicals', which is why revivals such as "Funny Girl' and 'Music Man' (among others) did so well, instead.

It's ironic that he said in his book - and said in interviews a year ago - that when he died, he wanted to be remembered for the good he did helping people, not for the TV show "Friends". His run on 'Friends' is NOT how he preferred to be remembered, as his work with addicts was so much more important to him. Unfortunately, the media didn't follow his wishes - his career on 'Friends' has been the lead in to all his obituaries, while his helping others with addictions has been a mention later on. It's too bad - he was much more than just an actor on a 90s TV show.

There are many message boards saying she's "bearding" for him. I wonder if it's true.

In related news, actor Milo Ventimiglia ("The Gilmore Girls", "This Is Us") is also off the market. The actor, 46, has confirmed he married Jarah Mariano, 38, earlier this year in a small, private ceremony with just relatives and close friends in attendance. They were first linked as a couple in 2022, when the couple were spotted frequently in Malibu after Ventimiglia purchased a ranch home during the summer. Over the past 20 years, the actor has managed to keep his love life private, and rarely talked about it in any interviews.

Channing Tatum, 43 and Zoe Kravitz, 34, announced this weekend they are engaged to be married after two years of dating. The couple made the announcement to friends at a Halloween party, where Kravitz showed off her engagement ring. Last year, Kravitz praised her boyfriend to GQ Magazine, saying "he's just a wonderful human." "He makes me laugh and we both really love art and talking about art and the exploration of why we do what we do," Kravitz told the magazine. "We love to watch a film and break it down and talk about it and challenge each other." Tatum, who has had a previous marriage and a ten year old daughter, and Kravitz met on the set of the upcoming film "Pussy Island" back in 2021. Kravitz, daughter of 59 year old musician Lenny Kravitz, was also previously married from 2019-21.

Welcome to 2008, Best Buy !