Happy Thanksgiving from The Smoking Nun. Hope you ate enough to down a horse! *
Thursday, November 22, 2012
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
Virginia-Bound For Thanksgiving!
Homeward bound... Wednesday I'm boarding Amtrak with the other 7231984723890675 holiday travelers for a solid week in Lynchburg, Va. As always, I'll be scouting for picturesque vistas. Happy Thanksgiving, cool cats. *
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Celine Dion Pays Tribute To Whitney: 'The Greatest Love Of All'
Watching Celine Dion sing Whitney Houston's "The Greatest Love of All" on Friday's We 
Will Always Love You tribute telecast on CBS was a complete sensory overload, cool cats. Before she performed, Celine sang a bit of "Saving All My 
Love for You" a capella. I was slayed right there.Before launching into "Greatest Love," she offered, "I can't sing it like you, Whitney, but if I may, in celebration of everything you did for me and so many other artists by setting the bar so high, I'd like to sing one of my truly favorite Whitney songs..."
What was particularly surprising to me is that, with Celine now 44 years old, I am beginning to hear
tonal 
differences in her voice. As is typical with most female singers, age brings a deeper richness to the low notes... Listen carefully as she sings the verse line "and if by chance that special place/that you've been dreaming of..." (at the 3:40 mark). So rich, with a new timbre that 
could only come with the maturing of her vocal talents.Unfortunately, the other side of vocal maturation is that it can be dangerous for a singer—like Celine—renowned for scorching the clouds with high notes. My other fave vocalist Sheena Easton, whose soprano was always quite high, in fact, lost much of her upper range as she approached 50. God bless
her, Sheena has had to reinterpret many of her hits when she performs live... For example, imagine the peak of 
"We've Got Tonight" where she sings, "Still here we are..." In other cases, she has dropped an octave to avoid the "screechy" effect...For now, Celine has the best of both worlds. As she sings the peak notes (at 3:12), her voice remains masterful and signature-ready, thank god... (awesome little grunt at 2:35!)
In other Celine news: The Best of David Foster and Celine Dion has been released as an import collection. Good stuff. Hard to fathom that the pair has collaborated on as many as 17 songs...And of course, Celine's French-language album Sans Attendre ("Without Waiting") was released November 2—her first Frenchie album in five years—and promptly debuted at No. 1 in Canada, France and Belgium. I'm still absorbing what appears to be a very restrained collection. Stand by for a review!
Meanwhile, the CBS special is being released on DVD December 18, just in time for holiday gift-giving! *
More screen shots from Celine below!!!
Monday, November 19, 2012
From AARP To The Grave! Seriously?
Okay, it was bad enough when AARP launched a full-on assault with one invitation after another to 
join as soon as the 
organization sniffed that I was turning 50 (I relented). But now... a sweet, cordial invitation to reserve my fucking grave at Pinelawn Memorial Park in Farmingdale, N.Y., wherever the hell that is? Seriously? Hey, thanks, but I'd prefer to hang on a few more years before my body is
turned to dust in the crematorium. Hey, thanks so much for thinking of me. * 
join as soon as the 
organization sniffed that I was turning 50 (I relented). But now... a sweet, cordial invitation to reserve my fucking grave at Pinelawn Memorial Park in Farmingdale, N.Y., wherever the hell that is? Seriously? Hey, thanks, but I'd prefer to hang on a few more years before my body is
turned to dust in the crematorium. Hey, thanks so much for thinking of me. * 
Saturday, November 17, 2012
ABC's Freshman TV Series '666 Park Avenue' Closes Its Doors
The first meaningful casualty of the 2012 Fall TV season has been announced, with ABC canceling the creepy crawly New York-based 666 Park Avenue. The net says the hour-long spook drama, 
starring Terry O'Quinn and Vanessa Williams, alongside hotties Dave 
Annable and Robert Buckley, just never set fire to the ratings.
The show was set at The Drake Hotel in NYC, where you paid a dear price to remain a resident... To be honest, I was riveted by the first three episodes, and then the show started collecting in my
long list of Tivo shows, although I do intend to see it through... for as long as it lasts.
Truly, this season appears to have fostered more aces than losers. Few freshmen shows had been canceled: only Animal Practice and Made In Jersey up to this point. Now, along with 666, ABC's Last Resort has also gotten the axe, also after 13 episodes; as well as CBS' The Wrap and Partners.
Meanwhile, CBS’ Elementary and Vegas have both been picked up for the full season. *
starring Terry O'Quinn and Vanessa Williams, alongside hotties Dave 
Annable and Robert Buckley, just never set fire to the ratings.The show was set at The Drake Hotel in NYC, where you paid a dear price to remain a resident... To be honest, I was riveted by the first three episodes, and then the show started collecting in my
long list of Tivo shows, although I do intend to see it through... for as long as it lasts. Truly, this season appears to have fostered more aces than losers. Few freshmen shows had been canceled: only Animal Practice and Made In Jersey up to this point. Now, along with 666, ABC's Last Resort has also gotten the axe, also after 13 episodes; as well as CBS' The Wrap and Partners.
Meanwhile, CBS’ Elementary and Vegas have both been picked up for the full season. *
Friday, November 16, 2012
William Levy At Last Tackles Hollywood: Three Upcoming Roles!
Congrats to William Levy for at last breaking through in Hollywood! It's about damn time! He will 
soon begin filming roles in three flicks: Addicted, Tyler Perry's Single Mom's Club and Rio Sangre.
Will has begun shooting scenes in Atlanta for Addicted, an erotic thriller based on the book written by best-selling author Zane. In that film, he will share the screen with Boris Kodjoe. He joins Sharon Leal, Tasha Smith, Emayatzy Corinealdi and Tyson Beckford.
After Thanksgiving, Levy will also begin filming scenes for Single Mom's Club (god, I hate when director's put their own names in the film's title; so pretentious...). He will play a character named Manny. Let's hope that Manny translates to "man" and that he takes off his shirt. A lot.
Britches, too, would be just fine, thanks.
In the horror-western Rio Sangre, Levy has the role of Brujo. Chris Wyatt is directing. The flick is being written by William Bivins and Ken Karn. Alex Vega also is attached to star.
Both films are expected to be in theaters in 2013. Most recently Levy recurred on VH1′s Single Ladies and starred in Univision’s Sortilegio and the telenovela Triunfo del Amor.
Of course, earlier this year, he brought ABC's dusty ole Dancing With the Stars some of its highest ratings ever. Can't wait to see William's star rise high! *
See all William, all the time on The Smoking Nun's ultimate William Levy English-language fan blog here!!!!
soon begin filming roles in three flicks: Addicted, Tyler Perry's Single Mom's Club and Rio Sangre.Will has begun shooting scenes in Atlanta for Addicted, an erotic thriller based on the book written by best-selling author Zane. In that film, he will share the screen with Boris Kodjoe. He joins Sharon Leal, Tasha Smith, Emayatzy Corinealdi and Tyson Beckford.
After Thanksgiving, Levy will also begin filming scenes for Single Mom's Club (god, I hate when director's put their own names in the film's title; so pretentious...). He will play a character named Manny. Let's hope that Manny translates to "man" and that he takes off his shirt. A lot.
Britches, too, would be just fine, thanks.In the horror-western Rio Sangre, Levy has the role of Brujo. Chris Wyatt is directing. The flick is being written by William Bivins and Ken Karn. Alex Vega also is attached to star.
Both films are expected to be in theaters in 2013. Most recently Levy recurred on VH1′s Single Ladies and starred in Univision’s Sortilegio and the telenovela Triunfo del Amor.
Of course, earlier this year, he brought ABC's dusty ole Dancing With the Stars some of its highest ratings ever. Can't wait to see William's star rise high! *
TONIGHT!! CBS' Whitney Houston Tribute With Celine Dion!
CeCe Winans and Usher performing. The 
special was taped October 11 at L.A.'s Nokia Theatre. I'm a bit surprised that Celine was not drafted to sing "I Will Always Love You." Instead, according to USA Today, the show kicks off with Hudson charging through an upbeat medley of "I'm Every Woman," "How Will I Know" and "I Wanna Dance With Somebody." Usher tackles "I Believe in You and Me" from The Preacher's Wife... And Celine's The Greatest Love of All is intercut with clips of a version Dion sang in 1987. Winans and Adams close the show with a soaring rendition of Waiting to Exhale's "Count on Me."
Rare footage includes Houston's TV debut on The Merv Griffin Show, where her mother can be seen through the translucent curtain frantically directing the band to quicken the tempo, with video flashbacks belting the National Anthem at the 1991 Super Bowl and "I Will Always Love You" on 1994's Grammy Awards.
Tributes come from the likes of Britney Spears, Halle Berry, LL Cool J, Tariji P. Henson and Clive Davis, seated in the audience with Houston's daughter Bobbi Kristina Brown and her fiancé Nick Gordon.
Whitney, of course, died in February, at the age of 48. A new hits compilation I Will Always Love You: The Best of Whitney Houston was released Tuesday. *
Thursday, November 15, 2012
Living Room Reno Update: And Then There Was A Fireplace
Anatomy of a fireplace... Above, the unpainted custom-made new surround, mantle and damper, built piece by piece by contractor Mike... And below, stage by stage. Quite a diff, I'd say eh? *
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
People Magazine's Sexiest Man Alive 2012: Channing Tatum
Yup, I can sure live with that... People magazine has named its 2012 Sexiest Man Alive as Channing Tatum, who electrified the screen this year with Magic Mike... not to mention bringing to the big 
screen a hot & hunky cast that included Joe Manganiello, Matthew McConaughey, Matt Bomer, Alex Pettyfer and Alex Rodriguez.Here's what People writes about Tatum in advance of the Sexiest Man issue that comes out Friday, November 16... He may have bared (almost) all of that incredibly chiseled body in this year's Magic Mike but 2012's Sexiest Man Alive Channing Tatum was still modest when he heard the
news: "My first thought was, 'Y'all are messing with me,'" says Tatum, who married actress Jenna Dewan-Tatum in 2009. "I told Jenna after we'd been in the bathtub washing our dogs because they'd gotten skunked."Her Alabama-bred heartthrob of a husband is also a sculptor who quotes Edgar Allan Poe, loves to give her massages and can't wait to start their family. "I'm ready; I think she's ready," Tatum, 32, says.
"The first number that pops into my head is three, but I just want one to be healthy and then we'll see where we go after that. It’s really easy for us guys to say, 'I want like 15 kids. Jenna will be like, 'Well you better get another wife!'"
Currently training to play an Olympic athlete in next year's Foxcatcher, Tatum is all heart and muscle at 195 pounds. "I like to be lean. If I get too bulky I can't move well and I like to move," he says. "When I'm not training, I get really round and soft." Which is just fine by
his wife. "People know him to be fun and sexy, but they don't know how emotionally deep and spiritually open he is," says Dewan-Tatum, 31. "He is such an open-hearted person; what you see is what you get."Previous recent People mag cover men: Last year, Bradley Cooper was honored with as Sexiest, Ryan Reynolds took the 2010 title, and Johnny Depp was named in 2009. Fellow Magic Mike alumnus McConaughey was awarded the Sexiest trophy in 2005. For the complete list, of People Magazine's Sexiest Man Alive choices from 1985 through 2011, see below the jump. *
VH1's 'Divas' Bottoms Out... Miley Cyrus? Demi Lovato? Ciara?!
Oh, for the days when the VH1 Divas franchise was truly on game. Remember 1998, when Celine Dion, 
Mariah Carey, Shania Twain, Aretha Franklin and Carole King were all together? Or Tina Turner and Elton John? Whitney Houston?!This year, VH1's "Divas" comprises a tepid round-up including Miley Cyrus, Demi Lovato and Ciara. Ouch! Granted, talented performers Jordin Sparks and Kelly Rowland also join the round-up, but they are slumming, to say the least.
The concert special includes a tribute to the two REAL divas we lost this year: Whitney and Donna Summer... with divo Adam Lambert ably hosting. The show airs Saturday, December 16 at 9 p.m. (Photo: Homorazzi) *
Model Perfect: Latest Men's Mags
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
President Barack Obama Reelection Mag Covers
Some of the best magazine covers acknowledging President Barack Obama's historic reelection win...
Time mag's iconic online pre-election gif... very clever... *
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