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Hawiian Tropic-Fashion week New York

There now that I've gotten your attention. In September Lisa and I traveled to the North Shore of Hawaii and I was one of the judges in the Miss Hawaiian Tropic contest. Ron Rice owner of the suntan empire is an old friend. I've done it several times in the past and needless to say it’s a lot of fun. Here is a picture of Lisa doing what she does best, shopping.



I on the other hand was stuck back at the Turtle Bay Resort judging the event.



That by the way is the winner Ms. Baton Rouge, La.

We spent Thanksgiving in Washington, D.C. where we attended the Debutante Ball. White tie and tails. Lisa is determined to get our daughters involved. They on the other hand have no interest in it. The best part we all agreed was the train ride from Atlanta to Washington. We had two rooms.
One for the girls and one for us. The train pulls out of Atlanta at 8:00p.m. and gets into Washington around the same time next morning. You have great food in the dining car and get a good night’s sleep listening to the sound of rolling track. If I could that is how I would travel all the time. Airplanes are getting like buses and there is nothing worse than sitting near people that decided to bring their own baloney and cheese sandwiches but, wait it gets better this family actually made the sandwiches during the flight. Plus I can understand the need for security in this day and age. My problem is I seem to always get frisked by a TSA person who recognizes me and while he's got me down to my underwear he tells me what a huge fan he is.

Sometimes it has its advantages several years ago coming through customs in Shannon, Ireland the officer said he watched my CNN show and loved it, he then waved me through without checking anything. My wife at the time was right behind me; he stopped her and went through everything she had with her. She screamed and yelled all the way back to the U.S. One of the reasons why she is an ex-wife.

Okay, back to more current events. We were in New York recently for Fashion Week. Lisa wears clothes designed by Cynthia Steffe so we get invited to her show in the fall for the spring fashions and then the February show for her Fall line. Sound confusing?



"Today Show" host Katie Kouric also wears Cynthia Steffe. We ran into her at the September show. Katie is an old friend we worked together back in the early days of CNN. I was on camera and she was a production assistant. I'm not kidding! Lisa commented on how nice her hair looked and Katie said, "Oh! Mother called and said it's too long." I told her what I used to do when my Mother did that to me, "I would call and have her cable disconnected."



Following the show we went over to the Friar's Club for lunch with our friend Bernie Shaw. Not the news guy but the Bernie that's married to Patty Hearst. They are two of the nicest fun people we know. Lunch went on for two and a half hours. I also ran into another Old friend Randie Levine-Miller and actress and public relations person,

Now let me back up a moment. The day before I had seen Clint Eastwood's "Million Dollar Baby," great film by the way although I think all the controversy about how the movie ends. I'm not going to give it away but I think the controversy may hurt is chances for Best Picture. Okay! back to my story. The woman who plays Hillary Swank's mother is an incredible piece of casting. She is an over weight, sloppy, despicable poster child for trailer trash.

Let us now go back to the Friar's. Randie comes over to me and says "Bill, I want you to meet Margo Martindale who I'm having lunch with she plays Hillary Swank's Mother in "Million Dollar Baby." I tell you I haven't hated a film character this much in a long time. Well, turns out Margo is nothing like the women she played. I told her what I thought of her performance and she just laughed. Margo is an attractive, funny classy lady. Now that's acting. She did tell me that when she got the role Clint said, "Let me see your teeth." After seeing her perfect movie star teeth he told her, "Get some yellow paint."

This now brings us to my Oscar picks. Last year I picked everyone correctly. Of course 2004's Oscars were a no brainer. Here we go.

Best Picture “The Aviator"

Best Director Martin Scorsese, "The Aviator"

Best Actor Jamie Foxx, "Ray"

Best Actress Annette Bening "Being Julia"

Supporting Actor Morgan Freeman, "Million Dollar Baby"

Supporting Actress Virgina Madsen "Sideways"

Let's see what happens Feb. 27th.

One last thing. Jury selection for the Michael Jackson trial was delayed when the gloved one contracted the flu. He was taken to Children’s Hospital.