Journalist, Author & Syndicated Columnist
Spearheaded by George Harrison, the Concert for Bangladesh was attended by more than 40,000 fans. The lineup at Madison Square Garden was a who’s who of the era’s most popular rock musicians: Eric Clapton, Bob Dylan, Ringo Starr, Badfinger, Leon Russell, Billy Preston and Ravi Shankar. The concert, along with sales from the live album, raised more than $10 million for the nation’s starving refugees.
As 2004 draws to a close, we can’t help but wonder how some of America’s wealthiest women managed to dress so poorly. Could the stylists be having private jokes at their clients’ expense? Whatever the reason, these are grown women who should’ve known better. So Paris, Ivana and Britney — we hope you’re reading. It’s time for a makeover. We don’t want to see you back here next year.
It’s three days before Christmas and we know there are more than a few of you who haven’t gotten a present yet for your significant other. Don’t freak out. After all, it’s not that they’re the last people on your list, but rather you’ve saved the best to shop for last. Yeah, that’s it. Have no fear. Whether money is no object or you’re working within a budget, we’ve got some ideas that will dazzle your loved ones. Feel free to improvise, but these tips hopefully will get you in the mood to shop. You may pick up some things at local stores. Others may require a little online shopping, which means it may not be delivered in time for Christmas — so give the recipient a card to let him or her know what will be arriving in the mail.
“I am your No. 1 fan.” And so began Paul Sheldon’s terrifying encounter with Annie Wilkes, the obsessed character in Stephen King’s Misery who chopped off her idol’s feet so he couldn’t escape. (In the film version, she merely broke his ankles.) In real life, celebrities such as Sheryl Crow, Mel Gibson and Catherine Zeta-Jones are dealing with their own slew of “No. 1 fans.” Some go to prison for their obsessive behavior. But others don’t.
There are two types of holiday card recipients — those who display them well into the new year, and those who throw them away the second after they’ve opened the envelope. If you don’t want your card to fall into the latter category, try sending something a little different this year: cards you’ve made yourself.
Thanksgiving is over. You’d think we’d be relieved the big day is past us, but some of us can’t get beyond the fact it’s just that much closer now to Hanukkah and Christmas. OK. Take a deep breath and relax. We’ll get through this together. “In today’s world we’re all running around all the time, so it’s difficult for many people to slow down at all,” says Kathleen Galvin, a Northwestern University professor who specializes in family communications.
While her friends would dream of having their daddies build them the perfect dollhouse, Tina Hanson was figuring out ways to make her own. Armed with a hammer and nails, she would build little sheds next to her family’s house. Flash forward about 30 years. Hanson, now 40, has done enough work on her Skokie home to make Bob Vila jealous. “Instead of going in the business finance world, I wish I’d had the foresight to have studied architecture in college,” says Hanson, who works as a bookkeeper for a local travel agency. “I think I would’ve been pretty good at building houses. I do all right repairing them.”
We know. Thanksgiving isn’t for another few weeks and Christmas is almost two months down the line. But trust us. It’s never too early to do a little reconnaissance work when it comes to searching for that perfect holiday dress. Forget about understated. Go for full-out glam, because every woman and her sister will be dressed to thrill.
Lawd knows Lori Petty’s a busy woman. She’s an actress, painter, director and writer. But that hasn’t stopped the quirky actress from adding designer to her list of credits. Best known for her work in “A League of Their Own” and “Point Break,” Petty has a year-old line of casual wear called Lawd Knows that reflects her inspirational side.
Oprah Winfrey couldn’t do it. Michael Jordan had to change his game plan. And even Wolfgang Puck hightailed it back to Los Angeles after his restaurant failed in Chicago. Could it be that the Second City actually is more persnickety about celebrity-owned eateries than its East and West Coast counterparts? Quite possibly, when it comes to restaurants owned by celebrities — whether they’re athletes or superstar chefs.