Sleepless Night Picks

This is a just quick smattering of events I thoughts seemed interesting. I definitely want to catch Spiegelworld and Pablo Cano's performance. And the World Erotic Art Museum because I have yet to visit it and, frankly, I would never pay the $20 admission price to check it out. And there are so many films being screened that I'd love to watch but I doubt I'll have the patience to sit through an entire film when there's so much going on. And there's lots of jazz, jazz, jazzy-jazz going on EVERYWHERE.

TAMARIND THAI RESTAURANT
5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.: Opening of the exhibition “Color Celebration” by Judy Levinson. Meet the artist, enjoy Tamarind’s tasty appetizers and sample wines from The International Boutique Wines.
BASS MUSEUM OF ART
8 p.m.: The world of make-believe comes alive with Pablo Cano’s “Musical Marionettes”
COLLINS PARK LAWN
6 p.m. – 2 a.m.: Experience a unique environment of pure color and light with the Florida Premiere of the “Levity III” Luminarium, presented by Flamingo South Beach.
10 p.m.: Fashion Show! Neiman Marcus Coral Gables partners with Miami Modern Luxury magazine to create gallery-like fashion vignettes celebrating N-M’s 100th Birthday.
9:30 p.m., 10:30 p.m. and 12:30 a.m.: Spiegelstage! Catch a sneak preview of “Absinthe” – the Acro-Burlesque-Vaudeville-Variety show!
TALULA - 6 p.m. – 4 a.m.: Experience the fascinating art of Rita Klint in the dining room, enjoy tapas at the bar and live music in the garden patio
PILIKIA RESTAURANT AND BAR AT THE SOUTH SEAS HOTEL
9 p.m. – Midnight: Poolside barbecue party with the Spam All Stars!
WORLD EROTIC ART MUSEUM - 6 p.m. – 6 a.m.: Free admission (adults only!)
ESPANOLA WAY - 9 p.m.: “Cabinet of Dr. Caligari” with musical and sonic performance by Nicole Martinez, Juan Marestany, Marlene Lopez and Emily Vogel
LUMMUS PARK/OCEAN DRIVE - At 11 p.m., Bob Fosse’s “Cabaret” and Craig Brewer’s “Hustle and Flow” when the clock strikes 2 a.m. for the second time.

More Love-Hate for Ira Glass

There is a slight trickle, a faint thread of Ira Glass backlash forming in alternative media outlets. First the Onion article and now this engaging piece by Mark Oppenheimer in Zeek. His Glass-bashing is a bit guilt-inducing but enjoyable to read. A quote:

Why was I not rapt? Why did I feel so uncomfortable with the unanimous adoration, the gasps at his wise and funny pronuciamentos, the general assent in the room that this hipster-bespectacled, Kermit-voiced Jew from Baltimore was a cultural treasure? Here’s a better question: Why, walking afterward from the Shubert to the parking lot a block away, did I feel the need to harsh on my wife’s flush-faced, post-Ira glow by being so contrary?

Here, as best as I can remember, is what I said:

“I mean, look, I recognize that the guy has talent, and that was pretty enjoyable. But have you noticed that there are no ideas in his ideas? He lets people talk, he edits it well, he makes it entertaining, but there’s nothing remotely intellectual about it. And so he gets people happy in the same way that Garrison Keillor gets people happy with his Midwestern-minstrelsy shtick, in that NPR-middlebrow way, where the audience thinks it has just had some sort of cultural experience. And they’ve been voyeurs of some sort, but I guess I just like having ideas in play, not just narrative. He seems to resist ideas;it’s all narrative. Which, as I say, is good enough as far as it goes, but it’s just so predictable how all these lefties fall over themselves loving him.”

Why would anyone marry the man who said that? Why had my wife?

In any event, she had the perfect reply: “Look, I really had a wonderful time. Why would you want to ruin it for me?”

I felt suitably low.

Trump Hollywood HollyDogs Fundraiser

Zac Posen Trunk Show

Israeli Blogs I love

Just discovered two Israeli blogs that I simply lurve with my beating Zionist heart. First up via Harry is his wife Ziva's beautiful Designist Dream, a blog about all the fabulous design going on in Israel. Great posts, great concept. And via Ziva's blog I find ILook about Israeli street fashion. Once again, Tel Avivans fascinate with their astonishing ability to be relentlessly fashionable. It also helps that practically everyone in Israel looks like a model. Seriously - how adorable are these two guys? Even the girls who work at the boreka bakery at the mall could double for Bar Rafeli.

Halloween Party @ The Standard

Fendi at the Great Wall

Fendi stages a fashion show at the Great Wall proving that China is where it's at these days.
"I think it's the first fashion show visible from the moon," Bernard Arnault, chairman of LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, joked a few hours before 500 guests climbed steep stone steps to witness Karl Lagerfeld and Silvia Venturini-Fendi stroll down the 2,000-year-old structure to a rousing ovation. "It's a big sign that China is the place where things are happening today."

Guest List Arithmetic

Curious about the mad science that goes into the composition of a publicist's guest list? Gawker gets insider info into the socio-economic conditions that create the perfect "it" party. Reading this I couldn't help thinking that Miami is a bit different when it comes to this kind of socialite-mongering. For one thing, this is a small city with less social stratification than New York. Sure, there are velvet ropes and clipboards but the rules are less rigid - observe the cross-section of Miami society at any Ocean Drive party and it is clear that bank accounts and orbits of connectedness are irrelevant if you can shake your booty, have a good time and - of course - photograph well.

Lululemon Opens in Aventura

A Scanner Darkly @MAM

Canton Fair Adventures

Nothing can quite sum up the gargantuan entity that is the Canton Fair. Imagine approx. a bajillion square feet of expo space and hundreds of thousands of people walking the aisle upon aisle of vendor booths. It's like the Silk Road trading hubs of yore, except here everyone works with dollars and eat McDonald's for lunch.

A Ramble in Macau

Ok, so yesterday was one of those 20-hour days when you're traveling and one thing leads to another and you're completely unprepared but then you realize none of that really matters. We started out in Hong Kong doing some filming (as a side project on this trip we decided to film a short with one of out actors from Foreign Devils. What can I say? Clearly we are indie movie-making machines. And we're insane.) First we filmed a bunch of scenes at the knock-off market called "Ladies Market" in Mong Kok but the girls who work there were really freaked out by the camera and got very testy and pissed at us. Plus, we were attempting to bargain for things and, according to them, we had "joke prices." They are tough as nails, those counterfeit market girls.
Next we did a scene at the Hong Kong Harbour - misty and golden at 4pm. Then we decided to head to Macau thinking it's like Las Vegas and they'll have ferries running to and from there all night. Turns out, that's not the case. The last ferry leaves at 7pm, and considering we got there at 6pm that meant we were going to spend the night if we wanted to see anything. So, with 2 cameras, one rumpled actor and no toothbrushes or clean clothes we decided what the heck, what happens in Macau stays in Macau. Yeah baby!
On the shuttle bus to the Wynn Casino we met this wacky dude Michael, a Persian Jewish guy from LA, or "Irangeles" as he put it. He was loud, funny and had a business plan for a toy/TV show. We decided he had to be in our movie. Luckily, he obliged. After running up to his room to shower and freshen up he met us downstairs at the Wynn's "Cinnabar" and we proceeded to film an improv scene with him and our brave actor (who was sustained by a dinner of Oreos on the ferry ride over). The Wynn was super-posh and an exact replica of the Vegas counterpart. Macau is definitely a rising world hot spot - the variety of people there was fascinating. Blond sorrority girls, wealthy gay couples, Chinese businessmen - and Portuguese street signs - totally worth seeing.

Hong Kong vs. Macau

In HK for the day. Will do Macau at night. Right now am LOVING being backin HK. Much better than mainland China. Food, Fashion and Finance - that is what this city is made of.

Free Bellini @ DeVito South Beach

Sitar Performance @ Ishq

In China Again

Decided to chase the dragon again, people. After a delightful flight on Japan Airlines filled with green tea soba noodles and passion fruit flan we're in China for a short trip. To the South this time - Canton, Hong Kong, possibly a quick jaunt to Macau. I will regal you with pics and stories shortly.

March of Dimes Signature Chefs Extravangza, October 25

Here is an opportunity to rub elbows with some of Miami's top chefs as well as taste a glutton's worth of good food. Sure, it's another reason to go to the gym, but you were looking for extra motivation, weren't you?

Sample from some of the area’s best restaurants, mingle with local celebrity chefs, taste incredible wines, and bid on an array of fabulous auction items, with all proceeds benefiting the March of Dimes.

The list of participating chefs is impressively long and includes: Chef Allen Susser of Chef Allen's, Chef Chair Cindy Hutson of Ortanique on the Mile, Clay Conley of Azul at the Mandarin Oriental, Miami, Pierre Saussy of David Bouley Evolution, Hiro Terada of Doraku, Tom Azar of Emeril’s Miami Beach, Giancarla Bodoni of Escopzzo, Michael Jacobs of Grass, Alberto Cabrera of Karu&Y, Michael Schwartz of Michael’s Genuine Food & Drink, Dewey LoSasso of North One 10, Andrea Curto-Randazzo and Frank Randazzo of Talula, Jeff McInnis of The DiLido Beach Club at The Ritz-Carlton, South Beach, Tim Andriola of Timō, Jan Jorgensen of Two Chefs, Michael Bloise of Wish at The Hotel.

Tickets for the event are $150 per person in advance, $175 per person at the door. The InterContinental Miami is located at 100 Chopin Plaza in downtown Miami. For more information, call 305.477.1192 or visit marchofdimes.com/florida.

Shop Miami, October 25

Remember the madness of Shop Miami this summer? Well, clear out some closet space frock-fiending Divas, because Gen Art has just made Shop Miami a bi-annual event!

Guests will have the luxury of shopping the freshest fall fashions from over 40 of Miami’s hottest boutiques and designers of womenswear, menswear and accessories – all in the elegant ballrooms of the Dupont building. The four-hour shopping spree also features complimentary cocktails, free beauty services by Lace Nail Lab and Jean Claude Biguine, sounds by DJ Induce and live fashion vignettes featuring pieces by the participating designers.

Thursday, October 25th, 7-11pm
6-7pm VIP Only Private Presale
The Historic Alfred I. Dupont Building
169 East Flagler Street, Downtown

Ticket Information:VIP Tickets include a one hour VIP Private Pre-Sale, access to the 10 Cane VIP Lounge with specialty drinks and an elegant VIP gift bag. Non-members: $30/advance, $40/door – cash only
General Admission includes access to the open bar and beauty treatments. Non-members: $10/advance, $20/door – cash only
To purchase tickets or become a Gen Art member go to www.genart.org or call (305) 695 – 8200.

JAM @ MAM Ocotber 18

Dalia Sofer @ Miami Jewish Book Fair

Dalia Sofer, The Septembers of Shiraz

Drawing on her personal experience when her family escaped from Iran when she was 10 years old, the author now weaves a page-turning story about another courageous family trying to flee the country after the father is wrongly accused of espionage. Set in the aftermath of the Iranian revolution, the family is terrified by the father’s disappearance, and they must reconcile a new world of cruelty and chaos with the collapse of everything they have known. Presenting a Jewish perspective in this Muslim dominated part of the world, Sofer explores the universal questions of identity, loss, alienation and love in the face of overwhelming odds.

Tuesday, October 23
7:30pm at Congregation Bet Breira
9400 SW 87th Avenue
General Admission $7