Cougars and Co.

Mrs. Robinson, the O.G. Cougar

I am all about single women in their sexual prime having some fun, so when Cougars and Co., the website that allows middle-aged women to troll for the affections of virile young men (both at their sexual peak - how perfect!) I thought it was great.

That is, until I clicked on the site. If cougars are supposed to be middle-aged hotties, what are 30 year-olds doing on the site? If you are educated and come from a well-to-do family, chances are that's about marrying age in our society. Jeez, let us bang out a few kids first before we earn the Cougar title.

If these pricks are calling girls cougars at 30, then the age for consensual sex should change from 18 to...12? Like Cher says in Clueless, "This is California, not Kentucky!" Don't give pedophiles any more of a reason to wave their freak flag - the Internet is doing a scary enough job as it is.Shame on you.

Pearl Media's Lexus Party



The first Academy Awards was held in this room



I may not drive a Lexus, but at the party thrown by Pearl Media, there was a lot more than car talk happening. Amidst the open bar and spread of gourmet mini cupcakes poolside at The Roosevelt, you could hear a collective gasp. Finally I was going to witness a 3D light show on a building. 

I have seen one too many forwards of these breathtaking events (mostly from Europe) not to feel left out. This party did not disappoint. Against the night skies, the historic hotel looked like it was crumbling, then it was awash with Fanstasia psychedelics, sections of the building popped in and out and of course, the buttercup yelllow Lexus zoomed across  the surface. The crowd cheered.

Even if I did sigh a little when the valet pulled up in my Toyota...good times. 

Amanda Brems, chillin' poolside

Northridge: More that just the epicenter of the '94 earthquake

When most of us think of Northridge, we remember "the big one" in '94. I was still in high school, but all of us on the East Coast were rocked by images of smashed freeway bridges, trapped cars, and Angelenos grilling their entire food supply for the neighborhood because the power was out. It was before Kurt Cobain died, and until that game-changer, this quake was big news.

I half expect the earth to open and swallow me whole when I visit Northridge. Recently I discovered the strong Asian community out there (Korean, Chinese, Japanese, etc.) and the cornucopia of authentic restaurants that go with it. I'm a sucker for both Korean BBQ and bento boxes. Well, bento boxes as long as they don't come with that cheap sushi special that pushes the rice/salad/California roll option.

If you feel like enjoying Korean BBQ without the traffic, impossible parking and attitude of Koreatown, head to Northridge. We scored these unbelievable Korean bento box deals in a grocery store called Galleria, which is so hardcore, it's showcased on Yelp. While there, pick up some nori and kimchee at the store to make it even more worth the drive. To this highly-uninformed East-Coaster, the knowledge of the previous quake and the possibility of a second hit (admittedly not likely) make it all the more thrilling.

Have a Nice Drai!

Drai's in Hollywood not only has a rep for being celeb party central, but the photo gallery is filled with so many gorgeous twenty-somethings in up-to-the-minute fashion, it's enough to keep me home to curl up with Crown Royal and my Sex and the City box set. Who has time to look that beautiful? And please don't tell me they were born that way. It would kill me.

But Time Warner was kicking off their Summertime is Cabletime party at Drai's, which always rings in the summer for me. It's like Media Memorial Day. How could I resist?

The place was awash with airy white cabanas with beds, Moroccan lamps and the clamored-for view of Hollywood: from above. Servers passed around sparkling cranberry cocktails, Kobe sliders and mini cupcakes. A bunch of the the Lakers showed up, including Rick Fox with Eliza Dushku. Joey Lawrence was there with his fancy eyebrows, along with a few reality stars. 

Bliss Spa employees milled about, giving hand massages with their scented lotion. Everyone walked away with a bottle to keep. They set up a back massage area amidst candlelit lounges. Vintage-style synchronized swimmers in flowered caps slipped into the sparkling blue water to do a few numbers. Ray-Ban was on hand with mirrors and a selection of sunglasses. People sampled and walked away with their favorite pair, in addition to gift bags filled with treats, such as aluminum water bottles, kitchen wares from The Food Network, Vitamin Water and swag from The History Channel.

It was a great time. Right up there with my Crown Royal and Sex and the City box set.

Seriously?

Note to drunk girls everywhere: When the bartenders refuse to pour, the harsh lighting flicks on and patrons file out, it's time to go home.

Some people were annoyed, but I felt for her. Even as I secretly filmed her to exploit her image on my blog, I wanted to take her home, make her hot cocoa and recommend she move to Eastern Europe.

Tabloids

OK! magazine's Body and Soul at the Beach event

I once offered my friend Sandra an issue of Star magazine, and her face contorted as if in mid-exorcism. "How can you support that garbage? It's awful how they treat actors!" With my tail between my legs, I adopted her attitude. Sunny wasn't rich & famous, but she aligned with them; she was in their corner. I wanted that to be my corner too, so I fancied myself among the elite who were concerned about the public caring too much about their personal life. For a while it worked. I wouldn't even glance at Star in the check-out aisle at the grocery store. Instead I would judge the person in front of me, based on what groceries they picked.

with TMZ's Harvey Levin

But times have changed. I met TMZ's Harvey Levin. He has moral rectitude and refuses to post smut - even if it would mean a cash windfall. He refused to post the video of David Hasselhoff drunk and eating a burger, because he felt it was a cry of help from his daughter. He had the photos of Michael Phelps doing bong hits 3 months before it went viral, but never posted it. Instead, he placed it on his office wall and showed his employees what not to post. He felt Michael Phelps was set up by people he trusted and didn't think it appropriate to smash his hard-earned Olympic reputation over some pot. His team has discovered public court documents about certain children of celebrities, but instead of banking on the gossip, he he'll call their family lawyer to have it rightfully made confidential.

with reality star Whitney Port

I don't read the National Enquirer or any of the non-glossies. Nothing that focuses on redneck alien abductions, zooms in on cellulite or outright lies. Sadly, the coverage has moved from glamorous movie stars to reality TV personalities. With redneck pregnant teens and dozens of emotionally unbalanced, gold-digging "housewives" in multiple cities, my interest has waned. Considerably. So when I pick up a used copy of US Weekly, there's no self-loathing. I still adore the red carpet gowns and bon mots from stars who still have a sense of humor.  Admittedly, A-list inbreeding is interesting, not to mention all the new L.A. restaurants I've uncovered while flipping through the pages. Not to worry, I still love books and am currently reading through Thackeray's Vanity Fair. The social climbing and backstabbing in Thackeray's novel are not unlike what today's reality stars do to maintain fame.

Our yogi. Yea, I know. Seriously.

So when I went to OK! magazine's Body and Soul on the Beach event, I didn't have mixed feelings. I showed up at Santa Monica's gorgeous Casa Del Mar hotel and took beachside workout classes. Celeb trainer (Heidi Klum, etc.) Andrea Orbeck kicked my butt seven ways 'til Sunday with her Supermodel Sculpt class. The ridiculously handsome Yogi Cameron (ex-model) taught yoga as the waves crashed behind us. We enjoyed OPI manicures from Bellacures, oxygen facials, massages and more. Our gift bags were loaded down with goodies by Sketchers, Smartwater, Murad eye cream, Honest Tea, Trainermat yoga mats, Venus Embrace razors, Supersmile teeth whitening system, Raisinets, The Body Perfect wash & lotion, Jenny Craig snacks, Boost-It! complexion boost, Zico coconut water, Kerstin Florian day creme, Sparitual polish & hand serum, Vitamin Water, OPI nail polish, Macadamia hair oil and more.

If my friend Sandra reads this, she may shake her head and say that I've sold out. But since OK! is British, it's a little classier, the stars show up for their parties because they don't print lies, and do they throw a mean party! Sandra can try to align with the elite her way, but my way is a lot more fun.

Another Fine Slab City Road Trip