I Already Have A Slurring Date, Thanks!

Gonna have to pass on this this year.

Last year, the girls and I gave it the ole Chez Copa try to celebrate New Years, despite my early shift the following morning. Assuming the challenge, the girls busted into my bedroom, slamming a champagne flute into my hand, dragged my half awake, stumbling self in front of the television only to watch the infamous Dick Clark slurring special.

This year I have a more humane schedule and will gratefully pass on this American of watching the painful countdown with this once legendary announcer.

LOS ANGELES — Four years after a stroke, Dick Clark is relishing the prospect of another New Year's Eve celebration, determined to appear for his 36th year in Times Square. And he's hardly surprised by the current state of the music industry he helped build _ he predicted this, after all.

Clark, who turned 79 last month and has been in front of the cameras for 61 years, said in a recent interview by e-mail that his involvement in "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2009," diminished though it may be, is a labor of love and "not really a job."

"Obviously, I'm not able to be as actively involved as I used to be out on the street, up on a platform and interacting with the crowds in Times Square" in New York, Clark wrote. "Thank goodness my friend Ryan Seacrest is able to handle that end of the activity on the show these days.

ABC-TV's 3 1/2-hour live extravaganza will include performances by Natasha Bedingfield, Fall Out Boy, Jesse McCartney, Ne-Yo, Pussycat Dolls, Solange and Robin Thicke. Fergie hosts the Hollywood segments.

Clark woke up with right-side paralysis on Dec. 6, 2004 _ "Your life changes overnight," he said. (Regis Philbin filled in for Clark on the New Year's Eve show that year.) Clark still uses a walker or wheelchair, and speaking is difficult.

"I am one of the fortunate ones who survived and have been minimally impaired, so I'm just thankful I'm still able to enjoy this once-a-year treat of bringing in the New Year."

The "American Bandstand" icon and longtime producer of the American Music Awards, Academy of Country Music Awards and Golden Globes has long considered them "my television kids."

He's also watched their ratings plummet in recent years.

And I Like Chasing Cars

This was a smash hit at the Benson's Christmas, ironically my sister was the one who played it. See if you can make it through the first play through with out crying. I still can't breath I'm laughing so hard....do do-do do...

Omigod, Omigod You Guys!

Nothing like coming home only to be jumped and blindfolded by 5 glamorously dressed women, dragged out to a car, and submitted to a blasting of the recently released "I am ....Sasha Fierce" Album.

That was how my adventure began last night! But when the Pashmina was finally removed I knew instantly what was in store.

And I have to say, I lobbied for a solid month, exploiting each of the Copians' weaknesses for information. To their credit, not one sliver of information. Damn!

Since hearing the news they were rewritting one of my all time favorite stories for the stage (who doesn't love a smart blonde?), I was determined to get tickets to see Legally Blonde the Musical.

So I was a little confused when none of the girls shared my enthusiasm when I suggested getting tickets. Little did I know, Katie was killing herself trying not to hum our new them song, Omigod, Omigod You Guys!

And yes, it is a simplistic story line, and the 90 % in attendence also asked for Jonas Brothers tickets for Christmas, but the cast was great, a stage change every 5 minutes, and did I mention there were puppies?

Poppin champagne Like We've Won A Championship Game

On the heels of the big pilgrimage back to San Diego, Chez Copa lined up quite a weekend of activities, including a visit from Aly, the yin to my yang! Aly and I have grown up together, having been friends since the ripe ole' age of eight.

READERS NOTE: When the two of us combine forces its like dousing a fire ball in gasoline and launching it. We just feed off of each other and have been described as nothing less of a beautiful disaster.

So it's no surprise that this weekend visit was not one of R & R.The best part is Chez Copa just absorbed her into our thickly woven group, as if she were there from the beginning!

Friday was pretty much a write off - I was kicking a wicked birthday cold so all I could do was fantasize about Coldeeze and my pillow. Fear not, picking up A-dawg from Dulles was a much needed respite from boogies and wheezing. (So attractive I know - but with the boogies comes a super sexy 70 year old smoking Brooklyn Yetta voice. Silver lining folks, silver lining.)

After a quick nap - we were back in action bright and early Saturday morning to honor the second annual east coast chez copa cookie bake-off. It's a one day bake fest where the CCers descend on auntie Jo's kitchen to crank out no less than 10 cookie versions while SCREAMING holiday music, after celebratory mimosas of course.

On the evening itinerary was the traditional Pink Cashmere (collegiate chez copa) Obnoxious Holiday Sweater Party. Although we modified the tradition slightly by taking it to to the bars. We recruited star cruise director for just the task of navigating the sweater goers through U Street-Cardoza.

Let's be honest; Marvin's, Utopia, and Busboys & Poets didn't see the train wreck of Christmas paraphernalia coming (right down to Aly's christmas socks and heels). The general reaction was "I wonder if they are all together, or if there was a themed memo we missed." Fear not after some intense interrogation on the gracious ride back to Virginia it was back for a quick nap.



Sunday should have been the day of recovery but of course that got tossed. After a morning of sin rehashing at church, Aly and I sneaked into the matinee performance of Next To Normal at the Arena Stage. A wildly colorful musical about a bi-polar disillusion mother and her effect on the typical suburban family, its like American Beauty on crack. And the music is phenomenal.

We had just enough time exit stage left and get our glam on.

We had the bartenders ball, aka Zinzi Holiday Party, to attend. It's the one night of the year where the bartenders aren't off limits. Now I have been in DC for going on 7 years and I have NEVER seen so many attractive people. And here they were in one place. Having borrowed Lindsey's dress, aptly named the Cougar Muu-muu, because of my senior citizen status and the flow-ey nature of the garment, Aly teased I was on the prowl. Ha!

Let just say Cougar Muu-muu + unlimited access to top shelf alcohol + great music does not equal good life choices. Remember how I described the JenAly team? Well they were unleashed in full force. Rarrrr.

Then it was into the station for an early morning while Aly got some sleep in time before her birthday celebration. Now Aly's bday was a bit of a sordid affair. She had promised checking in with her west coast chapter at peak intoxication levels. Childish I know, but there's nothing like a good drunk dial.

So while Lindsey was whipping her last law school exam for the semester, cc copa divebombed into the Tommy Mcfly show to watch the master at work. Then it was off to dinner (CCR) and celebratory hooplah at the CCSP. Mission Accomplished.

Still hanging in there but man what a weekend. I hurt.

And how does Mother Nature celebrate the JenAly train wreck? By canceling all flights through Chicago of course. So poor Aly got sent right back into the cesspool sans luggage for one more evening at the CC. Status is still pending as to whether she actually made it to San Diego today. But I leave tomorrow and that airport better be cleared out by then. I'm not sure the FAA could handle a JenAly in captivity.

The Ultimate That's What He Said

Breaking News: Little Elves Break Into Chez Copa, etc!

How those little birthday elves manage to break into my apartment and office every year is beside me. So called friends, fail to witness the sneaky little efforts. Ah maybe next year we'll catch those little guys. In the meantime I was able to collect some evidence...Linds bust out your NCIS kit!
(Thanks Guys!!!)

Whoa There Santa

Tales From The Fringe

This Saturday the station team took to the mall to help fund raise for our partner Fisher House. It's an incredible organization that builds group homes for the troops and their families next to VA hospitals while they are being treated so families are free to focus on the recovery of their loved one rather than making hotel arrangements. Absolutely amazing, but I digress.

Doing these remotes, we get a wide range of fans who come to show their support for both the organization and the station. But with every bunch we get a few outliers too.
This weekend was no different. My favorite was a woman who got particularly aggressive with me over the non-existent debate over Barack Obama's citizenship.

A particular group of whack-a-doos in Pennsylvania felt compelled to bring this conspiracy theory to the supreme court, who yesterday unanimously decided not to hear the case. Now I don't often engage in these provocations but after about an hour of her in my face wagging her finger, I finally asked her...how would that be possible, where's the proof. She claimed Obamas birth certificate was a fake, so I asked her how she knew? She protested if it were real he would show it to us, so I asked if I could see hers. Not surprisingly she said no.

Apparently I wasn't the only one to encounter such an adamant theorist.

From this mornings Washington Post:

President Alien, and Other Tales From the Fringe
By Dana Milbank
Tuesday, December 9, 2008; A03

A unanimous Supreme Court announced yesterday morning that it would not take up a case making the improbable claim that Barack Obama is a secret foreigner.

A dissenting opinion came out in the afternoon.

"This is the largest hoax perpetrated against the United States in 200 years," Philip Berg declared in a news conference at the National Press Club. His colleagues delivered the further news that "Barack Obama is the most notorious criminal in the history of this planet" and that the president-elect's claim to be a natural-born American has "the potential to propel our nation into a time of great peril," a time of "widespread chaos, disturbances to public tranquillity."

Berg, a Pennsylvania lawyer and the author of another lawsuit alleging that Obama is not native-born, and therefore is not eligible to be president, sought to establish several facts. One: "He knows he was adopted in Indonesia." Two: "He was born in Kenya." Three: "His real name would be Barry Soetoro." Four: "If he didn't go through immigration, believe it or not Barack Obama would be an illegal alien today." And five: "If and when the right court handles this matter, Barack Obama" and everybody around him "should really be tried criminally and many of them should go to jail."

Uh, and what about that birth certificate showing he was born in Honolulu, a fact confirmed by the Hawaii Health Department and validated by independent groups?

"That document is a forgery, it's a fraud, just like Barack Obama is," Berg bellowed. "His birth certificate will indicate he was born in Kenya."

Ladies and gentlemen, the Vast Right Wing Conspiracy is back in business. After eight years in the wilderness, its members are regrouping to combat the Obama menace. For their sake, here's hoping they can come up with better material than they presented at yesterday's news conference.

The presentation was hosted by Bob Schulz, who runs the We the People Foundation and has run ads in the Chicago Tribune claiming that Obama -- "the usurper," as Schulz calls him -- is ineligible to be president.

Schulz allowed that the Supreme Court had just declined to hear a lawsuit on the subject, filed by Leo Donofrio of New Jersey, and that another court had declined to hear Berg's complaint because Berg had no standing. But, he argued, "there has been no responsive response" from the courts. "The implied message is the voters have spoken, the voters have determined Mr. Obama's eligibility. But this is not a democracy!"

Schulz was equipped with other pieces of hysteria, among them: "We have an emerging police state. . . . Our Republic cannot and will not long survive. . . . This nation is headed toward a vortex of a constitutional crisis."

In Schulz's view, Obama must "act honorably and relieve the nation of this escalating constitutional crisis." And if not, Schulz will call his own constitutional convention. "The people must act as the final arbiters of the Constitution," he said.

Hear that, Mr. Chief Justice?

Back here on planet Earth, the Obama birth conspiracy is not quite as dramatic as Schulz and Berg view it. FactCheck.org, for example, examined the original birth certificate and found that "it meets all of the requirements from the State Department for proving U.S. citizenship" and that "Obama was born in the U.S.A. just as he has always said."

Another such group, PolitiFact.com, concluded that "It is possible that Obama conspired his way to the precipice of the world's biggest job, involving a vast network of people and government agencies over decades of lies. Anything's possible. But step back and look at the overwhelming evidence to the contrary and your sense of what's reasonable has to take over."
Then there's the birth announcement in the Honolulu Advertiser on Aug. 13, 1961. "Of course, it's distantly possible that Obama's grandparents may have planted the announcement just in case their grandson needed to prove his U.S. citizenship in order to run for president someday," FactCheck.org judged. "We suggest that those who choose to go down that path should first equip themselves with a high-quality tinfoil hat."

Berg and Schulz did not have the recommended headgear yesterday, but they had no shortage of accusations. They blamed the "disgrace" of the news media -- even Fox News! -- for covering up the birth scandal. They called Obama an "impostor" and a "poseur."

To further make the case about Obama's Americanness, they then called up Orly Taitz, a product of the former Soviet Union, to deliver the message in thickly accented English that the American news media are "aiding and abetting Mr. Obama in defrauding 300 million American citizens."

So the media should report that Obama is a citizen of Britain, Indonesia and the United States -- a triple national? "Quadruple!" Taitz called out.

The trio then went silent while a fourth participant, a minister, delivered a prayer that justice would be done to the usurper. The pastor then advised his fellow African Americans not to be fooled into thinking "that which has come from the womb of this white woman is now your redeemer."

The news conference by now had gone on for 90 minutes and had covered all the darkest areas of Obama conspiracy, including a call to withstand the race riots that would inevitably accompany Obama's ineligibility. And in the somewhat likelier event that Obama ignores Schulz and Berg? He would, Schulz's ad argues, "be entitled to no allegiance, obedience or support from the people. The armed forces would be under no legal obligation to remain obedient."

All of which would be a terrible shame. After all, Schulz declared, "I really like the guy." He just has a strange way of showing it.

'Tis The Season

And it's officially the non-denominational holiday season.

Sunday night, the ladies of Chez Copa braved piercing 25 degree weather to string the balcony lights, fluff the fake tree, drink the mulled wine, set up the menorah and watch (while silently quoting) Love Actually.

We are also proud to announce this year's inductee into the National St. Hottie Hall of Fame (well, scrapbook): Daniel Craig. Congrats Daniel!

This tradition of tree lighting and canonization has been developed and honed since the early years of Pink Cashmere (2003.) 

Keeping it alive ladies!

Rock Jumpers and Sexy Shorts

Finally finished the West Virginia Video! Amazing to think we did all with a tiny zip car, a non-existent budget, and I was barely off crutches! Yum!

What Do Hillary and Katie Couric Have In Common?

Same Haircut


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