Archive for April, 2008

The Real World, it’s been on for 20 years and for some reason, I still feel compelled to watch. Despite all of the public embarrassments and in-fighting on the show, it’s a true pop culture phenomenon. The Real World pioneered reality TV and as with most pioneers, the Real World has gotten old, real old. It “stopped being polite, and stopped being real” a long time ago. Now, instead of independent young adults, the casts are comprised of wannabe actors and instigators. Frankly, I have not been really into a season since Key West . However, each time a new season rolls out, I have to watch at least a few episodes before banishing it from my “to record” queue. This was not always the case. When I was into the show, I was into it. I watched every episode (mind you this was before TiVo or DVR) and tried to obsessively find out personal facts about the castmates (mind you this was before the WWW). Now…not so interested. San Francisco was obviously my most favorite season of all time with the original New York or Las Vegas season(s) coming in a close second. Hawaii was pretty good too. Luckily, all of the glory has been preserved on sets of DVDs, books, and via other memorabilia. Get shopping and get ready for the next installment: The Real World: Hollywood started airing last week.

*Photo licensed to: Photorazzi.com

Another Judd Apatow flick is coming to the big screen. Today, Friday, April 18^th, “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” hits theatres. My guess is that most of you have already “experienced” this film- you have probably spied those gigantic “I Hate You Sarah Marshall” billboards plastered all over your city. They definitely got my attention and led me to the film’s website and blog. I watched the trailers, peeked at the galleries, and perused the blog. Looks pretty ha-ha heavy. In this feature the Apatow all-stars are in effect: Jonah Hill, Jason Segal, Paul Rudd, Bill Hader all make appearances in “Marshall”. After seeing so many heavy movies during Oscar season, I am definitely ready for this one. Catch up on Judd Apatow‘s oeuvre of work by checking out the following:
Freaks and Geeks
Undeclared
The 40 Year-Old Virgin
Knocked Up
Superbad

*Photo licensed to: Photorazzi.com

Pope Benedict arrives in New York tomorrow, almost three years after his election and eBay users are getting amped. Everyone’s talking about it. There is a ton of cool stuff up for grabs—pretty much everything from fun bobble heads, to “I love the Pope” bumper stickers, to commemorative buttons and coins. Interestingly enough, Pope John Paul II is outselling Pope Benedict with nearly 4 times as many listings*! Could this be the beginning of a battle of the Popes? Word!

Check out some of these cool items for sale:
Pope Shirt
Pope Bobblehead
Pope Button

*Source: eBay data

This past Wednesday, April 16^th, I appeared on local broadcast stations across the country talking about easy, cost-effective home improvements that can have a large impact on transforming your living space. Here are some of my key tips!

Update accent pieces—
Leave large furniture items like sofas and chairs alone. Take a look at the decorative pieces – vases, area rugs, throw pillows and lampshades. There are so many affordable throw pillows and area rugs on eBay– just switch them out and you’ll instantly freshen up your room!

Paint—
This is probably the easiest and most affordable way to radically change a room. I REALLY don’t like to paint; so, to make the project more manageable, I paint one wall a night. Assuming the room is not an octagon, the job is done in four nights!

Bring outdoor furniture in—
There are a lot of wonderful outdoor pieces that can be used inside. Think about using your Adirondack chairs or twig furniture in a sitting room. I love the idea of repainting them to complement a room.

Here is a screen shot of me on WXYZ-TV!

The New Kids on the Block were the boy band of the 90s. Every girl I knew had posters, buttons, and pounds of paraphernalia adorning their bedrooms. Now they’re back to give the boy bands of today a run for the money. Here’s the lowdown: NKOTB items are outselling Backstreet Boys and N*SYNC items combined on eBay and they are even gaining ground on the uber-popular Jonas Brothers! Over the last month, the sale of New Kids on the Block items on eBay has increased by more than 240 percent. There are currently more than 900 New Kids on the Block items listed on eBay. Holy smokes! Click here to see. It’s clear that they still have “The Right Stuff” to be “Hanging Tough” on eBay.

*data excludes ticket sales and was pulled from 3/27-4/9 via eBay’s EMR data tool

*Photo licensed to: Photorazzi.com

Is Project Runway, the mega-hit that is arguably Bravo’s most popular series leaving the progressive network? The media has been reporting that the cutting competition will perhaps say auf wiedersehen to Bravo and move to Lifetime, another female-friendly outlet. Fans are worried that the move may result in a dirge of sass and freedom—two things that the program is built on. And if that wasn’t enough, now Neeeeena Garcia is out at Elle? Didn’t Tim come to NG’s rescue with his peppy yet lilting words of wisdom? With Michael Kors and Garcia not signed on for the next season, it’s hard to say if I’ll be “in or out”. However, even if the new season is a doozy, Project Runway lives on! Head to eBay to see a wealth of Runway items.

*Photo licensed to: Photorazzi.com

This will be my second Mother’s Day and I want it to be even better than my first. Here’s the short list of what I’m planning on getting to treat myself:

SleepTracker- I just don’t sleep anymore! To get a really accurate reading of just how little I actually sleep (so I won’t feel so bad about taking a nap once in a while), I’m liking this watch that you wear at night then hook up to your PC to get a visual read out of your REM sleep.


AeroGarden – I know these have been out for a while now, but I REALLY want one. They smell great and have new packets that grow mini roses or tomatoes!

Sirius BackSeat TV- I want Jack to watch as much TV as his brain can possibly take! Just kidding. I do however want him to be relaxed and happy when we’re in the car so I’m looking at the new Sirius satellite TV set up as the key to my success. He’ll have his own little remote that allows him to access his favorites from Disney, Nick, and Cartoon Network in the back, while I’m listening to NPR in the front.

You gotta keep up with the young folks—and I don’t mean the groovy Peter Bjorn and John song that was all the rage last year. Sometimes you need to lend an ear to an up and coming (albeit unusual) musical sensation from across the Atlantic. Any teenager will tell you that Tokio Hotel is hot. The German “boy band” has been selling out shows overseas as well as here in the States. Their infectious blend of pop-rock is elevated by frontman Bill Kaulitz’s androgynous, every person persona. He appeals to both boys and (screaming, fainting) girls. If it’s any indication of a trend on the rise, Tokio Hotel is all over eBay with close to 300 items listed in their name. We hear a superstar in the making. Remember, you heard it here first!

*Photo licensed to: Photorazzi.com

Let’s just say that there are a few ladies here at eBay that love The Real Housewives of NYC, myself included. Over the course of the 7 episode mini-season, there have been countless desk-side discussions about the wives and their antics. Like any good reality show, the Real Housewives is up close and personal—uncomfortable moments are not edited out. Despite the glossy veneer of the program, things can get a little messy in this clique. There’s a lot of whining (in a NY accent, natch), preening, and icy glaring. It’s simply delicious to watch. Last episode, Miss Ramona (pictured at right) made an awful stink at a dinner party that sent the rest of the wives reeling.You can read a recap here. Tomorrow is the season finale on Bravo and we’re gearing up to see what transpires. If this season’s twists and turns are any indication, we’re in for a social hullabaloo of epic proportions! Not enough Housewives to go ’round? Catch up on the original crew of Real Housewives from the OC. Find the season 1 DVDs here.

*Photo licensed to Photorazzi.com

This year we’re seeing more and more states requiring drivers to go hands-free with their cellphones when they’re driving. The easiest way to put down the phone is a nice Bluetooth headset. Nokia BH902 makes a headset that allows you to do more than just pick up and end calls. It also has a display that will let you access your phone book, see your call history and listen to music.

Looking for an alternative to the in-ear solution? The Venturi Mini  (pictured below) is a device that you plug into your car’s power outlet for hands-free calling and it lets you stream your phone’s tunes through your car stereo. With compatible systems you can even see your caller ID in your stereo’s display unit.

The Jabra BT 3030 is kinda like a cool looking dog tag that allows you to take control of your music and calls. You can plug in earphones to rock out and then when a call comes in your tunes will pause and the built in mic will pick up your voice. Pretty cool. I’ve been using the Motorola MOTOROKR T505. It easily attaches to my visor and allows me to go hands-free in seconds. Really easy to use and good quality makes this one a top pick for me.