Project Runway Season 8 Episode 4

When we last left “Project Runway,” Ivy fainted, Andy won with his ribbon weaving dress and Gretchen thought she was the bestest evah.

Ivy is fine. Once again, NYFD hotties come to the rescue. Wouldn’t that be the best reality show — hot men cooking and racing to the rescue?

But we digress. This week: “hat” designer Philip Treacy brings his incarnations to the runway.They aren’t even hats. It’s like head sculpture. The designers have to create a look inspired by one of the hats. He tells them to think about proportion and volume and that matching is so “old hat.” Oh Philip! You told a little hat joke!

Ivy is inspired by the curtains in her hospital room. Mondo thinks the materials have voices. I have no idea what’s going on with the peacock feathers. Casanova is wearing what appears to be a boy scout uniform. Everyone is having some sort of confidence crisis.

People need to stop saying things are a hot mess. That was at least four seasons ago.

Tim visits. Valerie is mixing the soft fabric with the hardware materials to go with her black mask. Tim thinks it’s too much. April’s quilted booty shorts (allegedly going with a pink and white striped design) say “diaper” to Tim. Kristin’s “orchid” hat isn’t working for her and her dress is fussy. Although no one asks for her opinion, Gretchen thinks it’s sloppy.

It’s time for Casanova, formerly known as the “flamenco transvestite at a funeral” dress designer and the man who crossed the line from sexy to vulgar. This time, Tim says we’ve all seen his dress before — by Donna Karan in 1988. Casanova does not understand any of these challenges.

There is much, much trash talking back at the apartments. No one likes anything anyone else has done. Mondo has told the make-up stylist to put an eyeliner mustache on his model, because she’s wearing menswear. OK. Treacy comes personally to put his hats on the models. He doesn’t understand the mustache either.

At judging, Heidi comes out to her husband’s “Kissed By A Rose” and she’s wearing a rose hat with a vine going up toward the sky. Even she’s having a hard time pulling it off. Michael, Nina, Heidi and Philip are judging. It’s kind of funny that as each model walks, the designer voice over is talking about how they amaze themselves! They’re so proud of themselves! They wouldn’t change a thing! Check out the looks at Lifetime.

Gretchen is not in the top! Shocking!

They like how Michael D.’s giant “warrior/farmer hat” reflected in his ribbed deep-v, Vulcan-shouldered top and textured orange skirt. Nina says she likes the open back that complements the hat. (Note: The hat resembles two giant beige horns of plenty, but bigger and hollower.)

They love love Michael C’s orange, rust, bronze flowing number, in which he mimics the wave trim on his orange circular hat and the iridescence of the hat. Mr. Kors (there are too many Michaels going on) says it looks effortless. Nina says she likes the nude shoe and the color. They like the inspiration. Heidi’s favorite is Valerie’s little red racer back dress with a white jacket that goes with her black mask. Mr. Kors likes the Stevie Nicks hem while being geometric and neat. Philip says he doesn’t get it.

Bad vibes go to Kristin’s orchid’s hat and her sloppy black satin and hot pink dress. Mr.K says an orchid is beautiful and sexy and he doesn’t see anything of that in the dress. Nina hates the flower shoe and matchy toenails. Heidi isn’t fond of Christopher’s black and sliver swirled tunic with gray satin leggings. They all say it needed to be light and instead it’s too heavy. Mr. Kors isn’t finding romance here either. Nina says it’s fighting with the hat. Philip says he doesn’t see the connection. All the designers are shocked that the judges didn’t like it, because they loved it.

They aren’t thrilled with April’s triple hot pink, black and white quilted full-cover “short” that goes with the pink and white hat. Mr. Kors says she’s good for three days of underwear. He is horrified by the black zipper on the back. Philip says it could have used volume and the outfit is weak.

The winner is Michael Costello and his orange-y swirly number. He’s all teary, but in a cute way. And he does a little happy dance. Ivy, who didn’t place, doesn’t get it. Gretchen, who didn’t place either, is horrified because Michael C. is a “replicator, not an originator.” Whatever.

Kristen and her orchid head home for lacking joy. April and her triple-ply underwear stay another day.

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Elisabeth Moss

The most surprising celebrity-couple news of the past week -- you know, besides the fact that Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson have kissed in Canada -- is that Fred Armisen and Elisabeth Moss have reportedly split, and Armisen is now dating his "Saturday Night Live" co-star Abby Elliott.

Naturally this raises all kinds of questions. And that means it's time for an FAQ.

Question: So are Fred Armisen and Elisabeth Moss separated, divorced or just taking a break?

Answer: It's unclear. Best as I can tell, neither Armisen's reps nor Moss's have actually confirmed the split. The many, many media outlets reporting on this matter have cited Life & Style magazine (which originally reported that the relationship ended) or unnamed sources.

This much has been consistently noted: The "SNL" Barack Obama impersonator and the "Mad Men" star married last October, and went in separate directions in May. But it's unclear whether divorce papers have been filed.

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Mcmansion

They’ve been called McMansions, Starter Castles, Garage Mahals and Faux Chateaus but here’s the latest thing you can call them — History.

In the past few years, there have been an increasing number of references made to the “McMansion glut” and the “McMansion backlash,” as more towns pass ordinances against garishly large homes, which are generally over 3,000 square feet and built very close together.

What sets a McMansion apart from a regular mansion, according to Wikipedia, are a few characteristics: They’re tacky, they lack a definitive style and they have a “displeasingly jumbled appearance.”

Well, count 2010 as the year the last nail was hammered into the McCoffin: In its latest report on home-buying trends, real-estate site Trulia declares: “The McMansion Era Is Over.”

Just 9 percent of the people surveyed by Trulia said their ideal home size was over 3,200 square feet. Meanwhile, more than one-third said their ideal size was under 2,000 feet.

“That’s something that would’ve been unbelievable just a few years back,” said Pete Flint, CEO and co-founder of Trulia. “Americans are moving away from McMansions.”

The comments echoed those made in June by Kermit Baker, the chief economist at the American Institute of Architects.

“We continue to move away from the McMansion chapter of residential design, with more demand for practicality throughout the home,” Baker said. “There has been a drop off in the popularity of upscale property enhancements such as formal landscaping, decorative water features, tennis courts, and gazebos.”

“McMansions just look and feel out of place today, given the more cautious environment everyone’s living in,” said Paul Bishop, vice president of research for the National Association of Realtors.

And homebuilders are heeding the call: In a survey of builders last year, nine out of 10 said they planned to build smaller or lower-priced homes.

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Augusta Chronicle

Aug 16, 2010 (The Augusta Chronicle - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- Politics, it seems to me, for years ... has been concerned with right or left instead of right or wrong.

-- Richard Armour Nobody likes those "robo calls" -- the recorded messages from politicians soliciting our vote.

I wrote last week that I use them to make my list of who should not get my vote, and Edith Flynt agrees. She writes: "They do nothing to endear the candidates to me. Quite the contrary. I can't turn the phone off because if my family or friends have an emergency and need to reach me, they can't." She adds this solution: "I think the candidates should give us their home phone numbers so we can call them during dinner, nap time or reading time to tell them whether or not we appreciated the call." Darrel McKenzie was also irritated with this modern campaign tactic.


"You were RIGHT ON about all the phone calls and direct mailings. Anyone with that many connections, and that much money to mail to all the Republican voters across the state of Georgia DEFINITELY has been in government WAY TOO LONG. Whatever happened to ... the 'Tea Party' and getting rid of all these people?" THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: I called my stockbroker yesterday and asked him what I should be buying. He said, "Canned goods and ammunition." AUGUST TRAVELS: Manga Halsningar and Ashley Taylor send greetings from Stockholm, "a city of castles, churches, historic buildings and beautiful people, and the Baltic Sea! The weather is perfect ... and the people don't mind speaking English." Phyllis Badke was in Chicago for another reunion for Korean War POWs. She also got in visits to Wrigley Field and Soldier Field.

Pat Harder, of Augusta, along with Dee Dee Davis , Josh , Tara and Auggie and Elizabeth were having a great time at Carolina Beach.

Ruth and Ed Smith , of Martinez, got in a visit to Hilton Head Island, S.C. Sandra and Shirley Johnson sent postcards from Philadelphia, Maryland and Virginia. Kathy Czarnecki also sends two more cards from Virginia.

Ed and Donna Vanderhoff , of North Augusta, say they enjoyed the PGA golf tournament in Verona, N.Y.

And David Bell sends two cards from Croatia. "Today we rode bicycles ... on the Dalmatian Coast," he writes. "The history is fantastic and the beauty spectacular." TODAY'S JOKE: Here's one from Bill Wood , of Hephzibah: It seems a lady went to the doctor for her yearly physical. The nurse started with certain basics.

"How much do you weigh?" she asked.

The lady said, "135." The nurse put her on the scale. It turns out she weighed 180.

The nurse asked, "Your height?" "5-foot-4," the lady said.

The nurse checked and saw that the lady measured 5-2.

The nurse then took her blood pressure and told her that it was very high.

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Katharine Hepburn

Katharine Hepburn having her own private day as part of Turner Classic Movies‘ "Summer Under the Stars" series doesn’t make my pulse race or my heart palpitate. I mean, Hepburn could be an outstanding actress, but her movies are always playing on TCM, and many have found their way onto DVD and, way back when, VHS. [Katharine Hepburn schedule.]

(Mr./Ms. TCM, for next year, how about a John Gilbert Day or a Ramon Novarro Day or a Catherine Deneuve Day or a Sessue Hayakawa Day or a Nancy Carroll Day or a Lizabeth Scott Day? Heck, I’d gladly accept a Polly Moran Day.)

Among the eleven Hepburn vehicles being presented by TCM (in addition to David Heeley‘s 1993 documentary Katharine Hepburn: All About Me), my favorite is Howard Hawks‘ 1938 screwball comedy Bringing Up Baby, co-starring Cary Grant. I’m just not sure how funny a movie can be after 18 viewings. (Actually, I’ve only watched it twice; but avid TCM’ers have probably watched that one at least a dozen times.)
A less famous — but also frequently shown — Hepburn movie I’d recommend is the fairy-taleish Quality Street (1937). Some care neither for the movie nor for Hepburn’s performance; I found both, for lack of a better word, charming. Cora Witherspoon is also great in it. George Stevens directed.

Elia Kazan‘s The Sea of Grass (1947) and John Cromwell‘s Spitfire (1934) are only for die-hard Hepburn fans, but both Dorothy Arzner‘s Christopher Strong (1933) and George Cukor‘s Keeper of the Flame (1942), however flawed, are definitely worth a look.
Whether Dorothy Arzner’s lesbianism influenced her gender-bending take on Christopher Strong I don’t know, but it’s there. That in itself adds some welcome complexity to the tale of an aviatrix who falls for a married man (Colin Clive).

In Keeper of the Flame, we get melodrama mixed with politics, as Hepburn, in the title role, discovers that democracy can’t exist without sociopolitical transparency. I don’t think anyone would argue against that — except those in power, of course — but Keeper of the Flame‘s anti-fascism, partly thanks to George Cukor’s old-school direction, is quite tame, especially when compared to something like Orson Welles‘ Citizen Kane, released the year before.

Hepburn is excellent in Summertime (1955), which earned the actress and director David Lean Academy Award nominations. Veteran Isa Miranda should have received a supporting nod, as well. She’s good.

In his autobiography, playwright/screenwriter Arthur Laurents complains that Summertime, the film version of his play The Time of the Cuckoo, diluted the play’s effectiveness by having Katharine Hepburn (not Shirley Booth) play someone named "Jane Hudson" (not "Leona Samish"). Laurents then goes on to explain the importance of a character’s name for the audience’s perception of the character itself.
That’s all fine, but I’m glad the much-too-obvious Leona became the more generic Jane — you can see in the character what the actor conveys; not what the author imposes on you — and that Hepburn got to do a beautiful job with the part.

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Yeardley Love

A report by the Charlottesville Newsplex suggests that landlord Woodard Properties re-rented the apartment of slain UVA student Yeardley Love with no warning to the new occupants about the place’s tragic history. This raises intriguing questions about crime, memory, and real estate. Then Hook reporter Lindsay Barnes examined the real estate aftermath of heinous crime in an article he penned in the wake of the 2007 massacre at Virginia Tech’s Norris Hall.

Hook Senior Editor Courteney Stuart also addressed this issue in a story after the murder of Jayne McGowan.

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Piranha 3d Reviews

Speakeasy has been anticipating “Piranha 3D” for a month now, but unfortunately we’ve yet to see more than the trailer because the studio isn’t screening the movie for critics. The horror film has action, suspense, bikinis, an Oscar winner (Richard Dreyfuss), and Oscar nominee (Elisabeth Shue), a 3D severed penis and reportedly more fake blood than any other film ever made. Who could hate “Piranha 3D”? never underestimate a movie critic. Here’s what the available reviews are saying:

“The suspense is as skimpy as the swimwear in this shameless 3D remake of Joe Dante’s 1978 Jaws spoof, directed by French gore specialist Alexandre Aja. It’s spring break at a lake in Arizona, and a minor quake unleashes prehistoric gnashers on an unsuspecting parade of partying hotties. But Aja’s lazy direction and reliance on tawdry digital body trauma makes the movie more of a gloating endurance test than an actual good time.” [Tim Robey, Telegraph]

“Mere words cannot describe how awesomely gnarly this is, how hugely entertaining, and how urgently you must get yourself to the theatre to see it. This is not a joke, by the way. This movie is a complete blast. To borrow a phrase from the kind of B-horror flicks to which “Piranha 3D” is such an effective homage: Run, don’t walk. [Christy Lemire, AP]

Kelly Brook, who plays glamour model Danni, has described the 3D remake of the 1978 horror as “a big, fun B-movie with lots of boobs, blood, gore and drama”, and there are plenty of these ingredients in this cheesy romp to keep horror fans satisfied.

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Texas Tax Free Weekend 2010

Today is the start of the Texas tax free weekend 2010, a time when you will find there is no sales tax applied to certain items in an effort to provide economic relief to parents who are looking to buy school supplies.

The Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts has announced that this tax free weekend started today at 12:01 am and ends at 12:00 a.m. (midnight) of the following Sunday, August 22. They also add:

“Texas shoppers get a break from state and local sales taxes on August 20, 21 and 22 – the state’s annual tax holiday. Lay-away plans can be used again this year to take advantage of the sales tax holiday.”

Most of basic school supplies are included in this tax free weekend, and the state has even expanded the list of items. Now you can also by tax-free baseball caps and football jerseys, but still there are items that will include tax.

By the way, there is no need to go to a physical store. You can order some items online, and if the seller has a store located in Texas, they will sell the items with zero taxes.

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