Diary of A Diva

So sad to say "Goodbye"

2005-12-18T12:39:00.000-05:00

It is with great dismay that I must say "goodbye" to you all, as I will no longer be able to update my blog. I have started a new job that has me working long hours, six days a week, and I simply do not have the time to maintain this site.

I want to thank you all for taking the time to read my blog entries and for posting your comments and reactions. I hope you have a Merry Christmas, Happy Kwanzaa, Hannukah, and New Year. Peace!

PANIC

2005-12-07T15:23:00.000-05:00

OMG, I'm sooooooo sorry I haven't posted in, like, a month! I've just been super-busy! In addition to the everyday chaos that is my life, the Holiday Season brings its own anxiety.

First, there is always the "get-together," which starts around mid-November with making plans for Thanksgiving. Whose house am I going to? How long am I staying? What do I need to bring? This year, I spent a couple of days with my father's side of the family in Baltimore, Maryland, and ate way too much.

Immediately after coming home from that, I have to start Christmas shopping. Normally I love shopping -- mostly for myself -- but buying presents (for other people) is hard. This time of year especially, because stores are always crowded and I never find what I am looking for. To date, I've only gotten ONE person's gift -- my brother's.

Then on Monday I had a panic attack because I couldn't find my credit card. I can't even begin to tell you how much I freaked out!!! I would rather get punched or kicked than have my credit card lost or stolen. I tore my apartment up searching for the thing with no luck. Then, I started to call around to my favorite stores to see if I had left it while shopping, and sure enough I had. Luckily, the store had kept it safe for me knowing that I would be back. No harm was done; no unauthorized purchases were made. Hallelujah!!!!!

I love "happy endings," don't you?

Can Bigger Be Better?

2005-11-12T01:28:00.000-05:00

I'm a fan of VH-1's celebreality show "Celebrity Fit Club." On it, overweight celebrities are divided into two teams which then compete against one another -- and themselves -- in the "battle of the bulge." The team that loses the most weight wins prizes.

Mia Tyler, left, was on the first season of the show -- and I loved her! She is so cool, and probably one of the only people in the world who looks really, REALLY good fat (the only other person that comes to mind at the moment is Queen Latifah.) In fact, I think she looks even better than her (half-) sister, actress Liv Tyler. Which makes me wonder: Can being bigger actually be better?!

I've been struggling with weight and self-image for most of my life, but I've never bought into that whole "big is beautiful" notion that seems to be gaining popularity as people (and, more specifically, women) keep gaining weight. But who knows? Maybe Mia and Latifah aren't alone; maybe there are other women who actually look better being fat rather than thin. Any opinions?

Cutie Patooties!

2005-11-12T00:52:00.000-05:00

A lot of celebrities don't want their children to be photographed or taped by the paparazzi. It is understandable, I guess, because they may be afraid someone will try to kidnap and/or harm their children...for whatever reason. (Something like that was said to have almost happened to Posh'N'Becks a few years back.) But kudos to those who will allow the world to see their "pride and joy" because, quite frankly, I love seeing the Children of the Stars.

Left, Ryan Phillipe and Reese Witherspoon's daughter Ava. Right, Veronica Webb's daughter Leila.

The Little Things

2005-11-05T01:11:00.000-05:00

It's amazing how "the little things" can make such a big difference in determining my feelings and mood on a day-to-day basis.

Like the other day, for example, when I was walking around Downtown Brooklyn. I found two great "bargains" in the same afternoon: The first was a cheap(er) Starbucks(!) where drinks were, on average, fifty cents ($0.50) cheaper than any other Starbucks I've ever been to -- and that says a lot! The other bargain was at a shop I like, which was having a great sale on tops! :o) In the grand scheme of things these "small joys" may seem irrelevant, but for some reason it made me feel good that afternoon and made my day seem a little brighter.

Unfortunately, there are also times when "the little things" can (seemingly) ruin my day as well. Like when it rains. I never like having to walk around outside in the rain -- who does? -- especially when I am dressed up. Or the other day, when I was at the big Halloween Parade in Greenwich Village, and my camera stopped working for some unknown reason. I was so mad! The parade was such a great show, and I really wanted to take pictures of all the amazing costumes and puppets...but my damn camera started having problems and nothing came out. :o( It's a shame, too, because I was looking forward to posting some of the "highlights" of the parade up here, on my blog. Instead, I just have a picture of my cat, Odin, in his Halloween "costume."

(Actually, it's just an elaborate, fabric collar with little "spiders" on the ends. Unfortunately, you can't really see the collar details in the picture.)

Dumb Celebs

2005-10-22T15:20:00.000-04:00

To mere mortals, such as myself, celebrities seem to have it all: Money, beauty, great "freebies" from companies and designers...yet often times they make the stupidest choices. Like Britney Spears, for example. Her and her hunky (parasitic) husband, Kevin Federline, are broke BUT THEY KEEP SPENDING BIG MONEY. Now, according to Life & Style Weekly, they are bouncing checks.

Britney's latest big purchase is a third home, in England, for $6 million dollars. As for Kevin Federline, his recent "venture" is a multi-million dollar dance school he is building with Joe Jackson, Michael Jackson's father. So who has been taking care of the couple's newborn baby, Sean Preston Federline, while Britney and Kevin are out spending money they don't have? Britney's mom, Lynne Spears, of course! And Britney is hoping that her mother will "come to the rescue" financially as well, "to make sure Kevin doesn't spend all of (Britney's) money."

The other "major" crazy celeb, in my opinion, is Katie Holmes. I understand that Tom Cruise was her "childhood crush" and that she is now "living out (her) dreams" by being with him, but NO MAN is worth converting to Scientology for. I'm sorry, but this religion is just nuts. Amongst the religion's many controversial beliefs (aliens inhabiting the body, for one) is their "birthing beliefs." If poor Katie, who is pregnant with Tom's child, is going to follow the Scientologist's (Tom's) beliefs and practices, she will have to give birth (1) without any medication and (2) she can't scream out or cry. Of course the founder of this religion, L. Ron Hubbard, was a man -- no surprise there!

What is it with religion and misogyny? It seems like every religion -- at least the ones I know of -- hate women. I mean, not allowing the woman any medicine for giving birth AND not allowing them to scream or cry? That's horrible! Everyone I know who has given birth (I haven't done it, personally) says it was the most excruciating pain in their lives! If that is the case, I hope Katie goes ahead and takes the meds available to her. Poor thing. And from what I read and hear, her relationship with Tom and the whole "Scientology" thing is really putting a strain on her relationship with her family. I'll be praying for Katie Holmes -- and her family.

Someone PLEASE explain to me...

2005-10-04T20:41:00.000-04:00

Why does everyone hate Kimora Lee Simmons? I have never figured that out. Is it because she is both filthy rich and extremely beautiful? Or because she is cute, perky, and outgoing? Or could it be because she has the most gorgeous daughter in the whole world, Ming Lee Simmons? (She also has another daughter, Aoki Lee Simmons, but she is ugly. Aoki looks identical to her father, Russell Simmons.)

I fell in love with Ming Lee Simmons the first time I saw her, in an ad campaign for her mother's clothing line, Baby Phat. She has always been stunning. As the daughter of Russell and Kimora, Ming has lived all of her short life in the spotlight. Yet no matter how many pictures have been taken of her, she has always looks impeccable. I have never seen a bad picture of Ming Lee Simmons. I hope that one day I can have a little girl as beautiful as she. In fact, I may just go ahead and adopt, just to make sure my future child(ren) is/are cute. Of course, I doubt any little girl can be as cute as Ming, but I want the "next best thing" if I can get it.

(Pictured is Kimora, holding Ming's hand in the background; Aoki walking the runway in the foreground.)

Envy

2005-09-26T18:39:00.000-04:00

I really have no business being jealous of anyone. I mean, I have an amazingly loving and supportive family, my good health, and (despite being out of work) I am financially stable. Yet I still find myself extremely envious of some people, especially Tara Reid. (Tara Reid is pictured left, in her normal, drunken state.)

I watch Ms. Reid's show, Taradise, regularly. Each week, Tara gets flown to some gorgeous location where she does the following: Has a photo shoot; goes to some "hot" club and dances (poorly) with the (scantily clad) locals (who also dance poorly); and gets drunk. For this, she is paid tons of money and is famous. Meanwhile, I am struggling to find a job just to pay the bills.

Of course, things could be a lot worse. I mean, just look at all of hurricane Katrina's victims...And all the hungry, poor people in the world...Compared to most, I have it good. But I want better.

Celebrity Corner

2005-09-18T17:28:00.000-04:00

Congratulations to Kirstie Alley for her weight loss! You look great!

Unfortunately, the same can't be said for Carmen Electra. I've always thought she was one of the most beautiful women in the world...but I hate the blond hair.Go back to brunette, Carmen!

Anniversary #4

2005-09-11T19:12:00.000-04:00

So here we are again, September 11th, four years after the attacks. The tragedy is still fresh in my mind, but not necessarily for the reasons you may think. You see, I live in a neighborhood with a large population of Muslims, many of whom are immigrants. After the September 11th attacks, the Muslim residents of my neighborhood faced a lot of "problems" by non-Muslims.

One issue was the government. After 9/11/01, the government took a keen interest in all of the Muslim residents, both immigrants and American-born. I guess the government was justified, to a certain extent, because it believed that Muslim terrorists were responsible for the attacks that killed so many people. But the government never interrogated all the Irish-American residents after Timothy McVeigh was found to be responsible for the Oklahoma City bombing. Now I know what you may be thinking, "But the terrorists responsible for the 9/11 attacks were Muslims who lived and operated right here, out of America!" Well, Timothy McVeigh lived and operated out of America as well. As did "The Unabomber," Ted Kaczynski, but the government never targeted and interrogated an entire religion or ethnicity because of him. Only when a terrorist suspect is non-white, it seems, is an entire racial, religious, and/or ethnic group held responsible from the crimes of a select few.

Then there were the vigilantes, who made it their business to create problems for Muslims in "retaliation" of the terrorist attacks. One day, soon after the attacks had taken place, I was walking to the grocery store when I saw a group of four boys attack an old man. The boys looked to be young teenagers, maybe 14 to 16 years-old each, with fair hair and skin. They came up from behind the old man, dressed in "Middle Eastern garb," as he sat on a bench waiting for the bus. Just as the bus was approaching, the boys grabbed the old man and threw him into the bus's path. Luckily, the bus was able to stop in time, and the old man wasn't run over. The police came and arrested the four boys, but that was only one "incident" of many.

Now I am not trying to make light of the significance and horror of the attacks themselves, or their victims, so please don't misinterpret my writing in this post. I just think that there is even more tragedy than most people are aware of due to what took place on September 11th, 2001. In addition to those lives lost from the actual events, there were those affected in other ways. The families and friends who lost loved ones, for example; the victims of vigilante crimes, like that which I described above; and of course, the invasion and subsequent wars with both Afghanistan and Iraq, which produced (and in the case of Iraq, continues to produce) a large number casualties as well. Some people have already forgotten that the initial reasons we invaded Afghanistan and Iraq were because of the government's perceived notion that the people (or at least the countries' leaders) were somehow tied, either directly or indirectly, to the terrorists responsible of the destruction that occurred on 9/11/01.

When you take all of that into consideration -- the victims of the attacks themselves, the families and friends of those victims, the victims of the retaliation attacks and those victims' families and friends, the casualties of both the American soldiers and Afghani citizens and their friends and families (from the invasion of Afghanistan), and all the casualties (and, for the zillionth time, their friends and families) from both sides of the war with Iraq (which, by the way, continues to grow) -- it almost seems like September 11, 2001 never ended.

Creepy, Freaky Boys

2005-09-07T20:17:00.000-04:00

Why is it that so many sick perverts are into me? I mean, seriously! I don't dress sexy, I don't sleep around...I am just a nice, normal girl. Yet for some reason, I attract all these creepy guys.

Take yesterday, for example. This kid comes up from behind me and asks me if I had the time; "no problem," I thought, so I politely told him that I didn't have a watch. Then he asked me if I was married. Again, I simply said "no." At the time, I didn't think much of it. Until he started following me.

He kept trailing after me; following me into Rite Aid, asking me questions all along the way. "What are you going to buy here? What are you going to do after this? Can I come with you?" Though annoying, I thought he was harmless. He is, afterall, just a kid.

Then the questions turned dirty. He started asking me thing like, "What cup size are your breasts? Do you like 69?" Then he "accidentally" touched my breasts. I was appalled, and tempted to threaten the kid...but how? I didn't know who he was, so it's not like I could call his mother or anything. Plus, he was a juvenile...or so I thought. When I tried to "turn the tables" and started asking him questions, he said he was "19, almost 20." I found that hard to believe; he looked about 14 or 15 years old, tops. Still, he would not leave me alone. In the end, I agreed to give him my number if he agreed to leave me alone.

I should have given him a wrong number, because by the time I got home, the kid had already left a message on my machine. I just ignored it. Later on, he called several more times, but I just let the machine pick them up. That was, until I picked up the phone, expecting a call from a friend. Once again, the kid -- in his baby-sounding, pre-pubescent seeming voice -- started asking me dirty questions. "What color are your nipples? Do you shave your pussy?" It was gross. I just hung up and, though he kept calling afterwards, I just ignored it. At least he is a kid! (I think.)

Earlier that same day (still yesterday), a "dirty old man" stopped me on the street and started to bother me. The only way I can describe this guy was "gross." He was one of those guys that you can tell, right away, something just "isn't right" about him. He had a creepy "aura" about him, and something in his eyes...it really made me uneasy. He kept harassing me until I ran away, scared.

And that was just in one day!

In the past, I have been stalked by one guy and almost beaten up by another, who wouldn't take "no" for an answer! All of these "psychos" were just guys who came up to me on the street or while riding in the train. I mean, they had no idea who I was -- I could have had a disease -- but they didn't care; they just wanted to have sex and decided that I was the one they wanted it with.

It's really scary sometimes.

You Go, (Cover)Girl!

2005-09-03T17:30:00.000-04:00

Christie Brinkley has returned to modeling CoverGirl cosmetics -- at the age of 51! She really is beautiful. I hope I look as good as she does when I'm 51 years-old! Heck, I wish I looked as good as she does now!

Confection Affection

2005-09-03T16:43:00.000-04:00

In the September 5th issue of Celebrity Living magazine, there is an article on Colette Peters, cake maker for the stars. It's amazing what she does; her cakes are truly works of art! Check out the pictures, below!

Pillow Cake, top: "For this 'pillow cake,' Colette made the tassels out of gumpaste and fondant, a rollable sugar icing."

The Enchanted Flora, bottom: "Colette calls this cake (which serves 100 people) the Enchanted Flora. The flowers are made out of gumpaste, a pliable sugar dough."

Wow! They look so pretty, it must be heartbreaking to cut into (and eat) them!

Diva Dethroned

2005-08-29T23:28:00.000-04:00

It's been just over a week now since I was "let go" from my job, and I'm not feeling like much of a Diva. Actually, I'm feeling quite depressed. I'm eating too much, sleeping too much, and I am scared; scared of the future.

This is the first time in my life that I have ever been fired from a job, and it has really taken a toll on me. My parents, who I saw this weekend, agree that my skin is "the worst it's been in at least 10 years!" I guess it's all the stress and worrying that I do.

I hate the uncertainty of when I will get another job, and I am already feeling the financial "pinch" of September rent and bills being due without an income I can rely on. What I hate most, though, is having to ask my family for help. My parents don't seem to mind; they know that I am trying. But I mind. I am 26 years-old, I shouldn't need "help" from anyone.

My father, now retired, was a successful accountant for 30 years. He has always been "the example" for me and for what I wanted -- and still want -- to achieve. Unfortunately, I don't see myself aspiring to his level of success and achievement. I am afraid that I am destined to reside in the "lower-rung" of society -- a disappointment to myself, if not others.

On a more positive note, I really appreciate the lovely comments some of you have left me. Thank you. It gives me hope.

The Bad News Came...

2005-08-21T12:13:00.000-04:00

Last night, just as I was leaving work for the day, I got the news: "Today," my boss said, "is your last day here."

It was hurtful, but not a total surprise; I had seen this coming. Though tempting, I will not go into details as to why I was "let go" and how (the reasons) I saw it coming. I left on good terms with my boss and coworkers, and I want it to remain that way. Thus, discussing the company's "back-office goings on" on the Internet wouldn't be appropriate.

Now I am back on the job market, and not looking forward to the whole ordeal of updating and sending out my resume and going on job interviews. That, and I am sad over losing a job that I enjoyed. I pray that I will not be out of work for long, but even if I am, I know that I am blessed with an amazing support group of friends and family who love and care about me, and who won't let me go without my basic necessities.

Damn Tourists!

2005-08-18T17:16:00.000-04:00

I'm so glad that summer is finally coming to an end, and not just because I am excited over Fall fashions (though that is a part of it). The thing is, summertime is also tourist time here in NYC, and I can't stand tourists. Sure, they represent a major source of income for NYC -- that's pretty much the only good thing about them -- but they are so annoying!

For example, as I exited the 5th Avenue train station (at 58th street, Central Park South) last Saturday, there was this mob of people who weren't moving. The people just stood there, blocking the exit and taking up the sidewalk. As I struggled to get through the crowd, I figured that "something must be up" to create such gridlock -- but there wasn't. It was just a mass of tourists standing around, doing nothing but talking to one another and getting in my way. I was like, "What the f***k?"

Then, as I entered Bergdorf Goodman, where I work, I was "greeted" by another large grouping of tourists who were just standing around, looking at things and taking up space. I knew they were tourists (and not the regular Bergdorf clientele) because they dressed like crap. I kept thinking to myself, "Oh HELL no! I can't believe these people have the nerve to come into Bergdorf's looking like THAT!"

I tried to navigate through the crowd, but it took me several tries before I could get an elevator -- these people just DO NOT move! I was trying to be polite, saying "Excuse me" and all, but even being nice and asking them didn't get them to budge! They're just a bunch of low-class, poorly dressed, white trash hicks who don't belong in New York City, much less in an upscale establishment such as Bergdorf Goodman.

I'll be so gland when they're gone.

Oh...My...Gawd!

2005-08-14T00:50:00.000-04:00

1.) What the heck are these parents thinking? First, Angelina Jolie's son Maddox, now Jennifer Connelly's two sons -- with MOHAWK HAIR!!

2.) I'm hoping it's just the picture and that Paris Hilton didn't really buy (much less go out in) such unnatural looking hair extensions.

3.) I really hate Lindsay Lohan's "new" skinny, blond look. I want the "old" Lindsay back!

Crown me crazy

2005-08-12T11:29:00.000-04:00

It's been a few years since I competed in, judged, or directed a beauty pageant, but I get no less giddy when one comes on TV. Needless to say, I was over-the-moon when not one, but TWO pageants -- Miss Teen USA and a new, plus-size pageant, Mo'nique's Fat Chance -- aired this past Monday, August 8th, 2005.

Miss Teen USA

the official Miss Teen USA website

Question for Illinois: Why do you think they say the high school years are the best years of your life?
Question for California: Do you think (your) generation is growing up too fast?
Question for Ohio: How do we get younger students to want a better education for themselves?
Question for Michigan: If you could be anybody for one day, who would you be and why?
Question for West Virginia: What do you spend the majority of your time thinking about?

do we get younger students

a better education for themselves

Monique's Fat Chance

Go Go Gastineau

2005-08-09T07:06:00.000-04:00

There are certain web logs I read on a daily basis. One of those blogs is "A Socialite's Life", a celebrity gossip blog offering insight and playful commentary on the people in the entertainment industry. Recently, while reading the latest entry of A Socialite's Life, I came across the following editorial comment:

"Why on earth does Lisa Gastineau even exist?"

Following that statement was a link to the New York Post's Page Six website with this article:

August 7, 2005 -- LISA Gastineau is not the busty, blond golddigger she appears to be. "One of the biggest misconceptions about me," she tells Social Life magazine for its cover story, "is that I am looking for a sugar daddy. Please, I have enough diamond bracelets. I am a real woman who is looking for a man stronger than me - without a whip and a chair, of course. But he has to have a soft heart. It's too bad Russell Crowe is married." The star of "The Gastineau Girls" with her brunette daughter, Brittny, says she's surprisingly still best friends with all of her ex-boyfriends, and she still dates most of them. Voracious Lisa compares men to food, saying she's never sure which dish to order and wants everything on the left side of the menu. As for her ex-husband, troubled former Jets defensive lineman Mark Gastineau, they are not friends, although she wishes him well. "I just outgrew the guy. I married him at 19," she tells the mag. "But he did give me the most beautiful thing in my life, Brittny."

Seems to me that Lisa Gastineau "exists" to serve as an inspiration to women everywhere; to say "you don't need a man, you can make it without one." I solute you, Lisa Gastineau, for being a "diamond bracelet diva" AND a good role model to young girls.

Catch Lisa and Brittny Gastineau on their reality series Gastineau Girls on "E! Entertainment Television."

Bergdorf Girl

2005-08-05T17:40:00.000-04:00

Usually, the only "literature" I read are magazines -- celebrity gossip and fashion magazines, to be exact -- but that may be changing. After all of the fashion magazines "raved" about this book, Bergdorf Blondes, I decided to get it and check it out for myself.

It's awesome! I love it!

The main character starts out as the only down-to-earth person amongst rich, high-society socialites (all women) who is trying to stay grounded and develop her career as a writer. Of course, things don't stay that way (it wouldn't be very interesting if they did) and she ends up being taken all over the world and put into unusual circumstances by intriguing, yet loser guys. Lucky for her, her seemingly superficial friends always seem to help her out in whatever mess she gets herself into (and she does get into A LOT) turning what could be a very tragic story into a very funny one. If you are a twenty-something year-old diva living in New York City, like I am, you may even find yourself relating to parts of it. Whoever you are, though, you will love this book!

Click on the link below to go to Amazon.com and learn more about Bergdorf Blondes, I highly recommend it!

The Classless Masses

2005-08-03T14:15:00.000-04:00

It's about time Paris Hilton got some respect! In a recent issue if In Touch magazine, Paris was featured in the weekly staple article, "Who Wore It Better?" Not that this is anything new for Paris -- she is featured in the pictorial spread (nearly) every week. In this particular issue, though, Ms. Hilton is credited with being the "classy" one -- now that is new!

Granted, Paris Hilton is being compared to Janice Dickinson on how each of the two women wore the same, green/leopard-print dress...but for whatever reason, America loves to hate Ms. Hilton, so I was surprised to read that the publication referred to how Paris wore the dress as being "classy" (see picture, below).

While I have never actually met Paris Hilton, I like her based on what I've seen and read. I think the reason she gets so much "heat" from society in general is because she freely expresses her sexuality. It's always been a double standard: When a guy "gets around" with a lot of women (like Colin Farrell) he's a "ladies man" or a "playboy," but when a female does the same thing she's a "slut" and a "whore." It's unfair. So to Paris Hilton, I say, "Go on with your bad self!"

Immortalized in Diamonds

2005-07-30T12:24:00.000-04:00

Who wouldn't want to be immortalized in diamonds? That's why I can't understand the onslaught of criticism against Usher for having his face immortailized in a £1 million (approximately $1.8 million American dollars) customized diamond watch by Diamond Dash -- I mean DAMON Dash. Personally, I think the critics are just jealous. Bring on the bling!

If you can buy it, why not try it?

2005-07-28T14:52:00.000-04:00

I hate the recent trend of celebrities -- people who have LOTS of money -- looking broke and trashy.

Take the Williams sisters, Venus and Serena, for example. These two tennis goddesses have enough money to hire a full-time, personal hair dresser for EACH of them, yet they always have the worst weaves! Take a look at the picture of Venus, below. It's a tragedy! Her hair looks like it's falling off! There's simply no excuse for it.

Paris Hilton is known for being over-the-top, but one area that she falls short on is her choice of tiaras. When she wears a tiara to "compliment any outfit," it is always something so small it's barely visible! Just try to see her tiara in the picture on the left. If she pays more than $3 for those things, she's been ripped off. As a former beauty pageant queen AND director, I know that there are plenty of large, spectacular-looking tiaras and crowns available that would suit Ms. Hilton much better.

What I hate the worst, though, is when multi-millionaires dress like they're homeless. What's with Britney Spears (right)? She has more than enough money to buy some decent clothing -- unless her husband, Kevin Federline, spent it all.
And why don't celebs dress their children? If I was a multi-millionaire mother, I'd buy my kids the cutest designer clothes available. Instead, celebrities these days dress their kids in crap IF THEY EVEN DRESS THEIR KIDS AT ALL!!Uma Thurman, Elizabeth Hurley...their kids always seem to be running around naked. Now Heidi Klum's daughter has been photographed naked on the beach (left). What is with these people?

Diva Betrayed!!!

2005-07-25T20:34:00.000-04:00

So today, VH-1 re-aired Dark Roots: The Unauthorized Anna Nicole, a 90-minute biography of the model/actress that originally aired a few months back. Just like before, I found myself sympathetic to "Vickie Lynn Hogan" -- the poor, little girl who would one day grow up to be the beautiful Anna Nicole Smith -- and got upset when the whole ordeal with her step-son was revisited.

Pierce Marshall is truly a piece of scum. This so-called "man" tried to rob his grieving step-mother out of the inheritance left to her by her deceased husband, J. Howard Marshall. It is clear to anyone who followed the case that the late Mr. Marshall wanted and intended to take care of his young wife as long as SHE (not he) LIVED. Unfortunately, J. Howard Marshall's money-hungry son Pierce wanted both what was left to him by his father AND what was left to his widowed step-mother.

Luckily, Anna Nicole used her wit and savvy business skills to relaunch her career, and now is riding a wave of success after her self-titled hit TV show (on E! Entertainment Television) and a major weight loss that left her looking the best she has in 10 years!

Oh, how I love happy endings.

Botox, Baby!!

2005-07-22T21:29:00.000-04:00

I can't believe it. I am "only" 26 years old, yet I already need Botox injections. I feel so old! I have this one, deep line running across the middle of my forehead. It almost looks like I banged by head into something...which is what I kept hoping it was.

I kept thinking, "maybe I just bumped my head and somehow cut it or something," even though I didn't recall such a thing happening. Still, denial, denial, denial...it's not just a river in Egypt!

Now, every time I look in the mirror -- be it to put on my makeup or just to wash my face -- I can't stop staring at it. And it looks like another one may be forming, but I can't tell. I'm not worried about that one, though. I'm worried about that horrible, deep crease that is so prominent. How can this be possible? I thought these things only happen to much older people, with dry skin! My skin is oily! I STILL HAVE SOME ACNE!!

Oh my gosh...did I just type that?

That's what this is doing to me; I am using the dreaded "A" word, and I don't mean "ass!" I mean the "A" word associated with "less-than-perfect skin," most common amongst teenagers -- yeah, THAT word. And I used it in reference to me; admitted that I still suffer from it. UGH!

This sucks. How am I going to pay for all of this? Botox injections, teeth bleaching...I better (1) find another job -- fast! Or (2) find a guy with money willing to "sponsor" me, as a good man does **bats my eyelashes**, or (3) go without food for a while. I can survive on a liquid diet; I've done it before. I used to suffer from anorexia...and it's not like I can't afford to lose some weight. Of course, last would be the last resort.

But I do want Botox...

Diva Profile: Kim passenger

2005-07-21T12:38:00.000-04:00

The following was taken from the July 18th issue of In Touch magazine:

"Kim acts like a Diva"

There once was a rumor that Kim Basinger demanded Evian water to bathe in on a movie set. But it seems she may be at it again, making major demands -- all in the name of privacy. The former Mrs. Alec Baldwin wants to be left alone while she is in Toronto shooting The Sentinel. First, she insisted on taking over an entire sushi bar so she and her bodyguard could eat undisturbed, and then she rented out a second suite at the Four Seasons hotel for a treadmill -- because she didn't want to use the gym!

She also insisted on having a trendy clothing shop, Over the Rainbow, closed so that she could browse in peace!

American Princess says: Four Seasons hotel? Ew! That's not very Diva-ish!

Dirty Girls

2005-07-20T13:42:00.000-04:00

Few people understand Divas, which is why I was not surprised when people began making fun of Paula Abdul for lobbying for stricter sanitation and safety standards at nail salons. Her reason for doing so? Abdul once contracted an infection after receiving a manicure at such a salon -- something I can relate to.
In my case, the infection resulted in an ugly growth under my left thumb nail. I went to the Dermatologist and he said that my case isn't unique; many people contract such infections after having work done at nail salons. The reason is, employees at these establishments use the same tools and instruments on multitudes of customers, including those with nail infections. Infection-causing bacteria can be transmitted from person to person by sharing the same file, cuticle pusher, nail polish (and many other tools) in much the same way that some diseases can be transmitted from person to person by sharing the same needles/syringes. Granted, an ugly nail isn't the same as contracting a disease such as HIV, but why should anyone have to worry about contracting any type of infection from receiving a service that (s)he PAID FOR!

Now I have this ugly left thumb nail I have to deal with. My Dermatologist recommended some over-the-counter treatments for me to try, but if that doesn't work, we might just have to rip the entire nail out from the roots. If that is the case, I will be pissed. I shouldn't have to spend a penny on curing something a business is responsible for. I feel like I've been victimized twice; the first being the actual infection I contracted from the nail salon and the second being the money I will have to spend to take care of it.

So I am glad Paula is standing up for all of us that have been victimized by nail salons; she has my support. And next time I go to get my nails done, I'm bringing my OWN "tools of the trade" in hopes that this won't happen again.

Omarosa is my hero!

2005-07-19T12:10:00.000-04:00

The fifth season of the Surreal Life just started two weeks ago on VH-1 and, to my delight, Omarosa Manigault-Stallworth is part of this season's cast. Omarosa, who became famous for her role on the hit TV show "The Apprentice," has to be the most under-appreciated woman on television today. Here is a person who used her intelligence, beauty and wit to not only get out of the poor, violent neighborhood in which she grew up, but who also utilized her skills and assets to become the most talked about celebrity in reality-TV history.

Unfortunately, most of the talking people do about her is negative. For some reason, completely unbeknownst to me, people don't seem to like her much. Maybe it's because she is a dark-skinned black woman who speaks proper English, or because she is more beautiful, smarter, classier and more successful than most -- or all of the above. Whatever the reason may be, it doesn't matter to me; I like her. A lot.

Omarosa doesn't take crap from anyone and won't settle for anything less than the absolute best -- and why should she? No one gets to the top by agreeing to settle for less, professionally or otherwise. That's why I think her decision to leave her ball-and-chain husband, Aaron Stallworth, was a smart one. Aaron didn't like his wife's newfound fame and didn't want her to pursue the numerous opportunities in the entertainment industry offered to her after the success of The Apprentice. Ever the career woman, Omarosa chose work over her spouse, and filed for divorce. Now there is nothing holding this diva back from conquering the world, and I look forward to her doing so.