Ilana Donna: New Yorkers Take On “A Mighty Heart”

For your weekend viewing pleasure.

Amy Winehouse Doesn’t Fancy Her Belly Much

Amy Winehouse’s latest public display of daddy-didn’t-love-me enough f*cked up starlet on coke is all the news in Britain. In the U.S., we have Paris Hilton to fill this role, but ok, ok, that designation doesn’t do justice to Amy’s talent or level of genuine self-destructive behavior.

So what’s the 23-year-old’s latest controversy that’s got everyone talking both her and abroad?

In a photo shoot for Spin magazine this past week, Amy took to picking up a piece of broken mirror and carving her stomach with the words “I Love You Blake” on her belly. Blake Fielder-Civil would be Amy’s husband of one month who was filming the shoot and caught the glass-cutting episode (sure to be sold to the highest British tabloid buyer when marriage goes sour). Amy later scoffed at her behavior likening her cutting episode with “chicken scratch.”

Still, in Amy’s defense glass cutting can’t be all the much of a departure from tattoo sleeves. What’s one sterile form of self-mutilation among body art aficionados?

For more Amy, be sure to check her out here.

The Song Remains The Same

After all the excitement and the high hopes of a Led Zeppelin Reunion, many sources all over the Internet are quoting band singer Robert Plant as denying the talkes about a reunion and saying: “If there was one , then there wouldn’t be enough doctors to support it!” Plant allegedly spoke about Led Zeppelin on a press conference for Rockwave Festival in Greece. It’s not the first time fans hearts are broken after false rumors about the band coming back together. Come on Robert, there is a whole generation that was too young to go to a concert back in the 70’s, and besides… even the Spice Girls are making a comeback.

Like A Stone That Doesn’t Move

The Rolling Stones are having some bad luck when it comes to random fatal accidents while on their Bigger Band world tour. Two workers in Madrid were killed yesterday while taking apart a stage post-concert and two other stage hands were injured during the incident. The BBC reports that three of the workers fell 10M from a metal beam and landed on the fourth guy.

Tragic spotlight aside, walking ticking time bomb Keith Richards haul is ass back on-stage night after night after going a few hits with coke might be enough to jar anyone’s sensibilities. Let’s hope this image wasn’t their last.

Copa America 2007

It’s funny, but one of the biggest sports events in the continent is going almost unnoticed here in the US. The 2007 Copa America in Venezuela is on it’s way. It is the American soccer championship for national teams. By the way, the US is also participating in the tournament, although it was defeated last night 4-1 by the team I root for, Argentina. If you are even just a little soccer fan, you can catch the games on Goltv. Argentina is favorite to win, especially after the Brazilian team lost 0-2 to Mexico.

But I’m One Of The Good Guys, I Tell Ya!

Tom Cruise is coming under attack in Germany where he is filming the Bryan Singer movie “Valkyrie” about Nazi resistance fighter and German aristocrat Claus Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg who plotted a coup against Hitler in 1944 and was assassinated not long after. The film’s German producers have been granted permission to use the actual headquarters in Berlin where Stauffenberg worked and was executed to give the most accurate historical account possible.

Tom Cruise’s Nazi movie aside (Who is this guy’s publicity agent? Oh wait, his SISTER!), his Scientology affiliations aren’t going over too well with the Germans - specifically German lobbyists. Social Democrat Klaus Uwe Benneter said on his website:

Stauffenberg “is to be played by an actor whose sect, through dubious methods, attempts to lure people and make them pliable. This is a slap in the face to all upstanding democrats, all resistance fighters during the Third Reich, and all victims of the Scientology sect.”

Still studio execs defend the film and their choice of star:

This is not a Scientology film, it is a Bryan Singer film, and Bryan Singer is Jewish … and they want to make this film to show that during the Nazi regime there was heroic resistance. The personal beliefs of Tom Cruise have to be separated from his skills as an actor. He is one of the best, if not the best, actors in the world for heroic roles and that is why Bryan Singer approached him.

And even good old UA (United Artists) released this statement in response to Tom Cruise’s public whooping:

“Mr. Cruise’s personal beliefs have absolutely no bearing on the movie’s plot, themes or content.”

Them sounds like pure fighting words. We wouldn’t have it any other way. Not with Tom Cruise or when the prospect of Trey Parker and Matt Stone parodying this is particular incident is involved.

Movies Of The Week, And A Sneak Peak

Ratatouille: Remy the rat, wants to become a chef, and finds himself under a French restaurant, where he can watch his hero, the famous chef Auguste Gusteau. Animationmovie, by Pixar.

Live Free or Die Hard: He’s back, almost 20 years after the first Die Heard movie came out, John McClane is back. I don’t think there is a reason to write what this movie is about, if you have seen any Die Hard movie before you know what it’s about, and if you haven’t, I’m sure one of them is playing on one of the movie channels on your TV right now. Let’s just say that Bruce Willis stars, and we can also see Justin Long, who is known to most as Hi, I’m a Mac…

Sicko: John McClane is not alone, Michael Moore is also back, this time he goes against the American health-care system. Don’t worry, as always he is loud, vulgar and in your face.

Today’s peak is from the Transformers movie

Introducing Amaldo.com’s Newest Vlogger: Ilana Donna

We’re very excited to have our very own “princess from the slums of Queens” on board, NYC-based Associated Press online video guru extraordinaire Ilana Donna doing some vlogging for our mother site, Amaldo.com.

Ilana’s refreshing down-to-earth style and SJPisms on NYC life are well-appreciated and add just the right element to her first installment for our site, aptly titled “New Yorkers Take On A Mighty Heart.”

How Much Would You Pay For A Piece Of Steve Jobs?

Apple’s new iPhone is set to be released on Friday, June 29th, but that hasn’t stopped people from starting to stake out their place in line outside Apple stores. Or at the very least get their business and financial matters out of the way in time to reserve a person for an all-day wait on Friday. In NYC, people are getting paid on average $250 for an all-day wait (from 8 AM). In California, human resource commodity prices are as high as $300-400. Even considering that iPhones will be the next XBox/Playstation craze in eBay sales going forward, $250 is a hefty price tag to add to a $600 phone with a $60-100/mo. Cingular plan.

Whole Lotta Love

I spent a big part of my youth fantasizing about going to a Led Zeppelin concert. I spent hours listening to a 24 minutes Dazed And Confused on my old record player, and thinking to myself, how much I would give to see Jimmy Page doing his psychedelic guitar thing live. Not understanding how the fuck does John Bonham does what he does, especially in Moby Dick. Watching John Paul Johns reading a bedtime story to the kids when he is called to duty- a tour. And as I grew older the dream faded and faded and was almost gone until a couple of days ago, I found out that there is a good chance that the greatest rock band in history will reunite for a world tour!!!! Yes, they are doing a tribute show for Atlantic Records, and then, with Jason Bonham (son of the late drummer) on drums they are on their way!!! I don’t have any details on when and where, but I have a world map and a calendar…

Life in Two

(photo by JustJill @ flickr.com)

Yesterday morning at a very civilized hour, I turned on the TV just in time to pick up the game (West Coast) where I’d left off (falling asleep) the night before.

I used to think “Sox in Two” was dumb. At that point, you already know who won or lost. With a few exceptions. I’ve never much liked watching those “Classics”games, because the excitement of baseball is that it’s in real time.

Maybe it’s my age and love of convenience, but all that’s changed. I’m crazy about Sox in Two now. It’s just so handy! They deliver the game to me on my time. I’m beholden to no one, and I fade into sleep when I want to rather than force feeding myself diet cokes and slapping my cheeks every five minutes.

I wish more things would be provided twice for convenience. Meetings in Two would be nice. You could finish whatever project you were working on and just catch the meeting tomorrow. Summer Dress Shopping in Two would come in handy. Get to Mint Julep after close on Saturday? No worries. They’d open first thing on Sunday for you to come on in with your latte.

Best of all, of course, would be “Relationships in Two.” For every relationship that only fell apart because of timing or geography, someone’s non readiness and someone else’s readiness, the ones you don’t realize you really wanted until later. You could get another chance when things settle down. The doorbell would ring and there he’d be, now that you have the benefit of daylight and alertness and a clear plate, right in your living room, ready to be enjoyed with a scone.

(first published at mannyshadow.blogspot.com)