I’m talking about global powerhouses Samantha Power, Anne Firth Murray, Riane Eisler, and Annie Leibovitz! I’ve just seen or am about to hear them all speak LIVE! I just love perusing my local arts and lecture series, library and organization events. You never know who’s about to drop in on your hometown and drop a little knowledge, too! And what a great way to meet like-minded people.
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Samantha Power: Pulitzer Prize winning journalist, Harvard professor, genocide expert, author and foreign policy advisor to Barack Obama! Born in Ireland, this Diva of Intellect pushed through the mostly male ranks of her fields and came out on top!
I was blown away by her talk last night in Berkeley about her new book, Chasing the Flame: Sergio Vieira de Mello and the Fight to Save the World, the story of one of the best diplomats the UN has ever known and his untimely demise in an attack in Iraq. This comes on the heels of her much lauded, A Problem from Hell: America in the Age of Genocide, which won the Pulitzer among many other awards.
Samantha Power is young, attractive, a genius, brilliant, passionate about foreign policy, and a very important part of Barack Obama’s advisory team. Wow! But whether you are Republican, Democrat, or totally uninterested in US politics, the works of this Genius Diva shed new light on the world, diplomacy and what really happens in those places we hear about on the news. So for a true window onto the international scene from a super insider, pick up these books ASAP! I did.
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Anne Firth Murray: Founder of the Global Fund for Women, a powerful nonprofit dedicated to women’s human rights through empowering grantmaking. This New Zealand-born Philanthropic Diva visits us tonight at a Spark Speaker Series event. Her new book, From Outrage to Courage: Women Taking Action for Health and Justice, outlines the realities of being born female in poverty. She says it’s dangerous to your health! Injustice, violence and more make being female around the globe a difficult proposition. But this is a story about hope, too, and change…
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Riane Eisler: author, social scientist extraordinaire, Ground-Breaking Diva. Born in Vienna and fled the Nazis with her family at a young age, her story quickly became one of triumph! When feminists, women’s studies majors and other eye-opened women gush about their first entree into this subject, they will most likely site Riane Eisler’s internationally best-selling book, The Chalice and the Blade. It was among the first works of its kind, laying the groundwork for everything from feminism to The Da Vinci Code!
Her newest book, The Real Wealth of Nations, takes a wildly fresh view of economics in terms of the valuation of women’s work both in the house as well as on a meta-level by looking at the way our society dis-prioritizes caregiving, teaching and more. Did you know that if you included unpaid women’s household work, it would make up 70% of Switzerland’s GDP? It’s truly fascinating stuff.
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Annie Leibovitz: iconic photographer. Who am I gonna meet on Friday? None other than this Photographic Diva! Her exhibit opens in San Francisco at the stunning Legion of Honor on March 1 (just in time for Women’s Day!), organized by the Brooklyn Museum. The retrospective is based on her latest book, A Photographer’s Life: 1990 - 2005, and features family and friends as well as world leaders and landscapes, all hand-crafted with the artist’s discerning and often unflinching eye.
Come join me as I represent Tango Diva at a Charbay Cocktail Cook-Off! Yummy Green Tea Charbay Vodka drinks and tons of cute boy bartenders round out this fun, super insider, industry only party. But of course YOU are invited!
Rye, the brainchild of Greg Lingren, is known for its awesome cocktail mixology. What better place to hold a Charbay Vodka Green Tea cocktail mix-off party? I don’t know how long my powers of the palate will hold out after all those great drinks, but I will try my darndest to do Tango Diva proud…
Monday, February 25, 7 PM Rye 688 Geary (bet. Jones and Leavenworth) San Francisco FREE Event!
Come meet Marko and taste some great new cocktail recipes! You like to cook, right? Distilled locally by 13th generation Distiller, Marko K from rare, first-growth green tea leaves, this fine, upscale vodka has the aromas of ripe green melon, sage, and honeyed green tea. Cheer on Bay Area bartenders as they compete to create cocktails with this hot new flava–Green Tea Charbay Vodka! Who will judge the worthiness of the concoctions? Moi! It’s a tough job, but some Diva’s got to do it! Come chill out at this supa cool lounge this coming Monday nite!
Hey, are you a rockin’ bartender/ bartendress yourself? You’re totally invited to enter the mix-off! Just contact Greg at 415-786-7803 or greg@rosewoodbar.com if you wanna enter our super contest. Who knows? An appropriately placed compliment, coupon or Krona might go a long way to gettin’ you my vote!
Sports fans will rush home for bedtime stories with Daddy’s Heroes–tales for kids about some of the greatest moments in sports history! What a brilliant idea–authors Tom Garcia and Karun Naga have hit one out of the park with their new children’s book series.
The inspiration hit one night at Tom’s young son’s bedside when the boy requested a baseball story. He didn’t have any baseball books, so Tom says he told the story of his favorite baseball team–the 1980 winning Phillies. His passion clearly came across as he recounted the most dramatic moments, the boy ate it up, and Daddy’s Heroes was born.
While Divas like me might have to look the details of the first book up–Gibby who? and his homerun where?–the prospect of millions of daddies (and mommy sports fanatics) jumping at the chance to bond with their kids over sports is a fine one indeed. This first book–Gibby’s Homerun, The 1988 World Series–is already available, along with a lil’ shirt that says, "my daddy reads to me". Adorable!
I can’t think of a happier ending, no, beginning, to a beautiful story. Families will definitely score on this one! Mostly reading mommies will be shocked that suddenly dad wants in on the game–who knew? A pinch reader!
It’s not fair, really. There I was fresh from that damned hilarious Juno, a movie I hoped would continue for five more hours (and it will ! cuz now I’m reading screenwriting goddess Diablo Cody’s book, Candy Girl, a memoir of her brief stripping career in Minnesota), when my mom and her erudite foreign movie-going gang invited me with them to see some Romanian movie I’d never heard of. It had won all sorts of awards–like all of them at Cannes, seriously.
Plus it was Romanian and I am crazy in love with that country, so I would have gone no matter the subject matter! Set towards the end of the Ceausescu regime and popular at the Transylvanian International (!!) Film Festival (May 30 - June 8, 2008), I thought this very femme-powered story about two young women students who deal with Communism while trying to arrange an abortion would be, well, charming like those other movies. Okay, so I’m nuts.
I have only walked out of maybe two movies in my life. And this wasn’t one of them. I SO wanted to. I had fantasies of escaping to the safety of my capitalist pig car. And some people did walk out. I yearned to be among them. But I had given my mom a ride and couldn’t strand her. So I suffered.
I alternated between depression, anxiety and horror. Exhausted and slightly nauseated, I was grateful to stumble out of that fierce flick. And my mom’s movieratti? Ravely reviewed! They went on and on about how powerful it was, the cinematography for pete’s sake. They said it would have been nominated for an Academy Award had it not been about an abortion. I said I expected a vampiric Juno-type thang. They said that I was stubbornly (and naively) sucking at the teet of America’s Right Wing Pro-Lifers.
I guess that made sense. Anyways, I would be curious to hear what any 4 Weeks-veiwing Divas have to say!
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In other non-fun foreign film news, I saw a fabulous German flick called The Counterfeiters. Wow, was this a fantastic and eye-opening experience! A true and truly fascinating story about the Nazi effort to counterfeit millions using Jewish experts in their concentration camps. It was the biggest counterfeiting operation the world has ever seen before or since! I highly recommend it.
Diva-roos! How is everyone today? Well after a fortifying Classic hot chocolate from Bittersweet, I am ready to share some gorgeous thangs with you…
1. Lisa Gatewood: Ooooh, a great new chanteuse of the original, acoustic folk variety. This Wisconsin woman will surely get you tapping your feet, and thinking, too. Check out Lisa Gatewood’s debut album, "I’ve Read Salinger". And catch her in Waukeesha, Wisconsin, at the Main Stage on January 29th.
2. The Store By Girlie Designs: LA’s newest, hottest boutique. Owned by designer Canadian Diva Linda Antwi, who "believes in empowering women and following the call on your life," the t-shirts are rad and the jewelry is to-die-for!! The next time you’re in West Hollywood, check out The Store By Girlie Designs.
3. Grey Goose Yummy Winter Cocktail Recipes! Delicious! Warm yourself with these cocktails, and don’t skimp on the vodka, Dahlink!
–Peppermint Froth:
1 1/2 parts Grey Goose Vodka
1 part peppermint schnapps
1/2 part simple syrup
1/2 part cream
candy cane or peppermint patty for garnish
Mix all ingredients in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake vigorously until the outside of the shaker is frosted and beaded with sweat. Strain into rocks glass filled with crushed ice. Garnish with candy cane or peppermint patty.
–Ginger Snap Martini:
1 part Grey Goose La Poire Vodka
1/2 part Disaronno Amaretto
1/2 part simple syrup
1/2 part molasses
2 1/4 part thick slices of fresh ginger
pinch of cinnamon
pinch of clove
pinch of allspice
crystallized ginger for garnish
In the bottom of a cocktail shaker, place the ginger, molasses, simple syrup and spices; muddle well. Add ice and the rest of the ingredients. Shake vigorously until the outside of the shaker is frosted and beaded with sweat. Strain into prepared cocktail glass. Garnish with ginger.
First the Burj Al Arab, now the g-Suite at the Palms in Vegas! I had an epic Vegas weekend! Of course most of it I can’t tell you about, but here’s what I can say:
The Suites:
I was in the g-Suite, fashioned after the hip, must-see ghostbar on the 55th floor of the Palms, a Maloof Casino Resort. This slick suite included a posh pool table and a stripper pole in the shower. Slippery when wet, girls!
The whole Party Floor in the aptly named Fantasy Tower of rooms goes off! One room boasts a basketball court (jerseys available in the shop downstairs), another a bowling alley. One is Erotic, another is Hot Pink, another for the Celebrity within. Have a ball checking out all the photos online and plan your next fantasy! These rooms are all popular with movie, pop and rock stars.
My friends stayed in one of the Sky Villas with a hottub jutting out off the building with a view of the Las Vegas strip just above the Playboy club’s bunny ears. Enjoy your own gym and sauna, over 6000 square feet, and views to die for. Oh, and butlers of course!
Dinners:
Thursday night we started off slow at our own casino, staying local at the Palms and booking a dinner at N9NE Steak House. Yum!! DO NOT leave here without ordering a Pink Pussycat — champagne with pink ice cubes. Delicious! As usual, the rock stars were out. MTV was filming Life of Ryan, the touching story of a skateboarder and his estranged dad. And one of the Maloof brothers was seeing and being seen within the doors of his casino empire in the private dining room. What with the lobster mashed potatoes and Kobe beef burgers, we were too tired to have s’mores for dessert. Sad, really.
Oh, girl. Friday night we dined like royalty at famed chef Bradly Ogden’s self-named restaurant at Caesars Palace. He’s the one behind Marin County’s most beautiful brunch spot, The Lark Creek Inn, among other restaurants. The cornbread muffins were to die for, and anything this chef touches is beyond delicious.
Then we BLEW OUR MINDS at one of the best restaurants I’ve ever been to in my entire life. Did I say restaurant? I meant dining experience. I was transported to another level of food entirely during my four-hour, 16-course evening at Joel Robuchon at MGM. I did not want to leave the plush, purple velvet couch. Did not want to say adieu to the magnificent petitfour tray. Did not want to lose my elegant staff.
The caviar, the gold and silver leaf garnishes, the dozens of homemade bread choices…. For that once-in-a-lifetime meal, for a big birthday, landmark anniversary, or other rite of passage, make it an evening to remember at Joel Robuchon. Or enjoy the chef if you happen to be in Tokyo, Monte Carlo, New York, Hong Kong, Macao, Paris or London…
Spa:
I had the wonderful Vineyard Treatment at the Palms Spa, a scrub, exfoliate, wrap and massage number. It was fabulous! Most casinos have spas now, not the least of which is a huge Canyon Ranch SpaClub at the Venetian.
On the way– the mysteriously named CityCenter development is nearly finished. The newest vision of the MGM Mirage group, our most excellent cabbie says that no one even knows what it’s going to be called! But keep an eye on this mega-thang which will boast a Mandarin Oriental Hotel. Fabulous!
It never hit me till I saw them back to back–The Wizard of Oz and The Nutcraker–that both of these pillars of the American holiday tradition have much to teach us about the power of little girls’ dreams.
Consider both performances: both center around the story of a mighty, courageous and beloved little girl whose imaginings into far-flung, fantasy destinations result in the most iconic, archetypal scenes that our collective culture has to offer.
To get into the holiday spirit, a group of friends and I decided to see the San Francisco Symphony play live to a tremendous screen showing The Wizard of Oz. How they were able to take out the music sounds but leave the sounds of characters speaking involves technologies way beyond my understanding.
And tonight, The Nutcracker at the San Francisco Ballet. Both audiences filled to the herringbone coutils with little girls in their most partiest, frilliest, flouncy dresses.
And what were we all celebrating, these mesmerized little girls and I? It turns out that we were paying homage to ourselves. Too often do we get bombarded with artistic performances stuck on the male journey, the yang quest. So many movies all about the guys, with women’s roles totally supporting the whims of their central cast husbands/brothers/fathers.
Not so, these timeless classics of which we speak. Not so at all. Within the powerful dreamscapes of our heroines, princes need help in battles, powerful wizards are unmasked, and every supporting male figure in their lives falls hopelessly in love with them under their momentous powers: Scarecrow, Tinman, Lion, Nutcracker, and Count Drosselmeyer.
And not because of their sex appeal! Not because of womenly wiles nor micro-mini and augmented bra size. These young girls are alluring only due to their steadfast hearts, courageous demeanors and adventurous souls.
I have always loved both stories so much, and now I understand why a bit better–Oz and Nutcracker are all about Divadom in its purest form. Both young women, Dorothy and Clara, are strong, lovely, and loving women whose extreme courage wins them loyal friends. Dorothy stands up to the wizard and the witch in order to win her freedom; Clara saves her Nutcracker prince from the Rat King wtih the fling of her shoe.
(We will explore the women and shoes archetype later–Cinderella and Clara center on these.)
Both of these little girls not only win hearts but vastly, significantly, epically change the histories of their imaginary (?) countries forever, immediately bequeathed all the largest, most titular roles these lands have to offer. They are LEADERS. They change the thrust of time and forever make their mark on the faraway, never-never lands that they dream up and visit.
But are these places mere fantasy? Or, as famed Czech philosopher Zizek might ask, is the sweet little girl in Kansas/the living room the dream of the all-powerful child rulers of Oz and the land of the Sugarplum Fairy?
These are all powerful thoughts that we women should dream about tonight. Just to see what happens and where they take us.
Let’s plan our own dreamscapes for ‘08!
(And thank you Zarah, Bharat, Jason, Anna, Amy and friends for both planning and joining me on this epic journey!)
A new year means new destinations. What’s hot? What’s not? Here is where I would absolutely go in 2008…
1. Dubai: With 23% of the world’s cranes helping to build the world’s tallest building, best hotels and largest shopping malls, Dubai parades its fantasy to an ever more dizzying tune. Treat yourself to the ultimate indulgence–a stay at the only 7-star hotel in the world, the Burj Al Arab. I just got back and miss my two butlers and Rolls Royce Phantom and driver…
2. Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania: Why kill yourself zooming across the flat Serengeti plain when the Big 5 are all stuck together in a single, beautiful crater? There is no better safari destination than this Crater, full of all the animals you want to see, including the rare black rhino (there are 9 in Ngorongoro), and legions of lions (we saw 11 in one day including 2 babies, and two young amorous adults in flagrante delicto!).
3. Cartagena, Colombia: If you want a beautiful Caribbean beach, why go east when you can go south? The historic town is stunning, the ambiance romantic and sultry, and the accomodations can be quite lavish.
4. Jordan: I’m calling it Middle East light: it has all the charm and history of the Middle East under the enlightened regime of a true progressive. Feel safe and secure as you blow your mind with sites from the Old Testament, ancient Romans, Crusaders and that most fabled rose city, Petra, perhaps the world’s most beautiful monument.
5. Croatia: Hip beaches, the Euro vibe, refreshing natural beauty…Croatia has it all. Its dramatic coastline rivals any for sheer attractiveness, and the talent on the beaches and in the nightclubs rival a fashion catwalk. To shop, to dine, to see and be seen, Croatia is IT.
6. Belgrade, Serbia: This is not your grandmother’s Paris! Amazing nightlife, the beautiful people flock to outdoor cafes and clubs. European but with an eastern flair including its Cyrillic alphabet, Belgrade will entice you with its prime locale on the Danube.
7. Zanzibar: This up-and-coming exotic beach destination is not quite developped, not yet. Whether you’re a honeymooner looking to get lost in this tropical paradise or a back-packer looking for a cheap bungalow, Zanzibar’s bar-none, breathtaking beaches will satisfy even the most discerning of beach-combers, and with a nightspot or two dedicated to its hometown hero Freddie Mercury, you can always kick back with a brew.
8. Panama: With a water system that our country built and a currency called the dollar, for Americans, going to Panama is like, well, not going anywhere at all. With all the attractions that neighboring tropical Costa Rica offers, Panama also boasts that once-in-a-lifetime experience of the Canal, that marvel of engineering. And you can drink the water!
9. Southwestern South Dakota: Have you not been to this fabulous corner of the plains? This part of the state will amaze with the largesse of its offerings: Mt. Rushmore, the Badlands, Everwood, Custer State Park, the Crazy Horse Monument, and Sturgis’ infamous motorcycle rally. Great for rockin’ road trips as well as family getaways, you will soon sing South Dakota’s praises.
10. Sapporo, Japan: Come for the brewery and stay for the Snow Festival! Enjoy tremendous spas (onsens) where you can soak in steamy natural mineral baths surrounded by snow. The Snow Festival celebrates that famous Japanese attention to detail as locals erect dazzling live art perfectly carved in snow blocks.
Three cheers for erotic writer Rachelle Chase! Her sumptuous Finding Derek contest unearthed a sea of GORGE yourself on gorgeous men! All wanting to be named Derek, the real world face of Rachelle’s hunky hero from Sex Lounge. The WINNER was just announced, and I think I even got a date out of the thang!
I was a celebrity judge, and let me tell you–if you are ever jet-lagged, up in the middle of the night and in need of some entertainment, I highly recommend judging such a contest. Half naked, muscle-bound glam shots?? VIDEOS?? Whew, ladies!
MORE BIG NEWS!! Rachelle’s newest erotic book, SIN CLUB, hits stores TODAY!! Brava, Rachelle!
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I started Bay Area Boot Camp yesterday, and for the next month, for 3 mornings a week, I will be hitting Crissy Field by San Francisco Bay, rain or shine, to run around with other women like a teen-ager at JV basketball practice. It is FUN, and it promises that I won’t be a statistic–one of the millions who gain 7 pounds during this festive and feast-ive holiday season.
A Thanksgiving - to - Xmas fitness program is just the ticket! I’m sure you have boot camps in your area.
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Okay, so we are looking into a big family trip for spring, and since we will be going on a very exciting tour of Egypt (thanks, Mommy!), we thought, because we are travel addicts, now where can we go on the way home that would be exciting? As if Egypt isn’t enough. We’re insane. So we got out a map and checked out Libya. Fabulous! So many ruins! A mostly uncharted destination. How FUN!
So here’s why weren’t NOT GOING:
Recent reports out of Libya are not good. It goes without saying that if you have a stamp from Israel in your passport, you won’t be let in. But how about this one–if your passport isn’t translated into Arabic, you can’t get in. According to the International Herald Tribune, "The sudden change in entry rules was revealed after planeloads of European tourists were forced to return home after touchdown in Libya." This includes travelers who are already there–many have had trouble being granted permission to leave!
Cruise ships are no exception, and many have pulled Tripoli from their itineraries because guests were told that everyone was welcomed ashore, except for Americans! Furthermore, US citizens wanting a visa to Libya must find a third-party country to issue them, and Canada is getting real tired of helping us out.
Pity, this. Because there is so much to see and do in this historic North African country. Oh well. So we’ve decided to go to Jordan instead. I will show my peeps around Petra. C’est la travel vie!
Divas, I’m home! Back from 3 weeks in Tanzania, Zanzibar and Dubai. Wow! First of all, let me say that if you haven’t been to the Burj Al Arab, you haven’t been to Dubai. The world’s only 7-star hotel did not disappoint. And what a relief after camping out in the bush with lions!
My Spark delegation trip started out in Dar Es Salaam, where we fanned out to small villages to meet with local women and learn about their businesses as well as visit grade schools to learn how we can help more girls both attend and STAY IN school (for instance, pregnant girls get kicked out of state schools, and many of the girls we talked to traveled for HOURS every day to and from school on dangerous roads).
The weather was hot, our resolve was strong, and the obstacles facing women and girls seemed almost insurmountable. Yet we forged ahead, and forged connections across cultures and borders. Sounds like a Hallmark card; felt like ten furnaces of heat and 3 bushels of I’m-not-worthy. We came away taking more from the women and girls than we felt like we gave them!
And last but not least a safari followed by some royal R&R in Dubai. I swam in both the Persian (Arabian) Gulf and the Indian Ocean, saw the Big 5 (Cape Buffalo, elephant, lion, leopard, rhino), and did both no star and 7-star accomodations. More details to come, but I just wanted ya to know that I made it home safely.
Oh, and ‘dada’ means sister in Swahili, so hello to all my Diva Dadas! :)
:) 
