Announcing herself this morning on the dual social networking platforms of Facebook and Twitter, pulsating cloud of wishes and light Gwyneth Paltrow has come roaring into the 21st century, ready to conquer the new media world just as she did country music.
Apparently during Sunday night's ungodly awful Oscars telecast, co-presenters (and apparent ice cream salesmen) Javier Bardem and Josh Brolin did a little dance and kissed each other before they walked up to the mic. Great fun, right? Best thing in a bleak night! Except, we didn't get to see it because the producers instead cut to Bardem's wife Penelope Cruz. Boo!
Feared and loathed Mountain View ad firm Google got a lot of deservedly good press for being a font of telling data in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, especially the satellite imagery provided by the Maps team. Now the company has added Greater New Orleans — from Metairie to Algiers, Shreveport to Baton Rouge — to street view. You can check in on every parade turn, strip joint, turtle souper and streetcar turnaround you might remember. But anyone might notice that the time disparity between the satellite and street-level photographs of the region are striking in visual contrast.The satellite imagery shows a nest of buildings further ramshackled in the wake of the flood, while the curbside angle shows thick, expansive verdure where ensuing demolition has left empty lots. YouTube footage provides heart-wrenching narrative counterpoint. I think I just shed a single, sincere tear for Google's seemingly earnest altruism. Nice work.
Do you know what's awesome? When you're about to have a big party but right before it, you find out you're being slapped with a $60-million libel lawsuit by Howard K. Stern, with more suits to follow from other subjects of your book. What is almost as awesome: that tonight's party at Pacha for Rita Cosby's book (hosted by weird high-roller quarterly 21 magazine!) about Anna Nicole Smith is a benefit for D.A.R.E. Show up for the children, people! Added bonus: We hear that Virgie Arthur, Anna Nicole's sainted mother, may be on hand!
