Yesterday afternoon I drove David into the city so that he could spend some time at the gym while I ran around and took care of a few errands. I spent much of my time perusing the bookstacks at Book Soup on Sunset Blvd. shopping for Xmas gifts for my friends. I’ve decided that this year I am giving out books to all of my friends for Xmas and taking the time to select each book for each friend was prolly the funnest time I’ve spent shopping in a very long time:

Because some (tho not all) of my friends read the blog on a daily basis, I cannot talk about what books were purchased or for whom but I did manage to pick up a great selection of books that are very representative of my friends and their tastes. Honestly, this is one of my better ideas I think … I should always give books as presents.

This afternoon I have a few more things to take care of and, depending on how long that takes, afterward David and I might catch a show or something. We leave for Las Vegas tomorrow so, on the other hand, we might make it a quiet night in.

Not to be outdone by Jason Mraz and his NY booksigning last night, Olympic Gold-Medalist Michael Phelps was on hand at the Barnes & Noble on 5th Avenue in NYC also last night to sign copies of his new book No Limits: The Will to Succeed. Here are a few pics from his in-store appearance last night:

From the Amazon.com book description: No Limits explores the hard work, commitment, and sacrifice that go into reaching any goal. Whether it is on the starting block during an Olympic swim meet or in the weight room on a typical day, Phelps’s dedication has led him to unparalleled excellence. Filled with anecdotes from family members, friends, teammates, and his coach, No Limits gives a behind-the-scenes look at the makings of a real champion. One of Phelps’s mottos is “Performance Is Reality,” and it typifies his attitude toward achieving his goals. It’s easy to get bogged down by doubt or to lose focus when a challenge seems out of reach, but Phelps believes that you can accomplish anything if you fully commit yourself to it. Using the eight final swims of the Beijing Olympics as a model, No Limits is a step-by-step guide to realizing one’s dream.

While I am not particularly fond of autobiographical books written by sports stars (especially with ghost writers, like Alan Abrahamson who is also credited as an author of this book), I am a bit curious to read this book about Michael Phelps. His determination to achieve his goals is very inspiring … I think I’d like to know about about how he has been able to achieve many of his dreams at such a young age. I dunno … something about Phelpsie is so compelling to me.

[Photo credit: Wireimage]

When last we saw Jason Mraz here on the blog we saw a photo of the guy lounging on a couch while wearing only a pair of boxer shorts and a horse head … before that, he was posing with a questionable looking cigarette … today we get to see pics of Mr. Mraz at the Charles Cowles Gallery in NYC which hosted a booksigning last night for Jason’s new book of Polaroid photos titled a thousand things. Here are a few pics of Jason posing with his trusty Polaroid camera and signing a few books at last night’s event:

When asked about his new book in a recent interview, Jason had this to say: For the past five years that I’ve been touring, I’ve taken Polaroid instant film; Polaroid 600, the cheapest kind you can buy. And there’s really something quite novelty and interesting about this film, and now I’ve taken thousands and thousands of pictures.

Love it! This is exactly the thing I’ve been trying to do for the past few months with my Polaroid camera … and the waning stock of Polaroid film that is out there. I already ordered my copy of Jason’s book mainly because I’m still kinda obsessed with all things Polaroid but I’m also hoping it’ll offer some inspiration for my ongoing project. It’s too bad I’m in LA this week instead of NY … it would’ve been great to go to this event.

[Photo credit: Wireimage]

Yesterday was one of my trademark chill Saturdays … I kinda played around with the idea of going out and then, meh, decided against it. For the most part, I spent the day on the couch watching re-runs of The Real Housewives of Atlanta (gearing up for the AMAZING-LOOKING reunion special this coming Tuesday night) and 27 Dresses (which was just as charming as it was the first time I saw it in theaters). I also spent some time reading the just published book Love Letters of Great Men which was inspired by the book of the same name that was featured in the Sex and the City movie:

The book is available for sale this Tuesday but the publisher sent me a preview copy to check out. I distinctly remember taking note of the book’s title when I saw SaTC back in May because I wanted to own a copy of that book … I was very sad to learn that it didn’t exist. Now, at last, it does. It’s a surprisingly great read … the letters are very sweet and it’s a very interesting way to view these great men of history … especially when they are being all lovey-dovey with their ladies.

This afternoon I’m meeting up with a friend for eats and then not sure what’s going on for the rest of the day. I have to start planning for my next trip so I might get some early cleaning/laundry/packing done … and then again, mebbe not ;)

80+ year old Playboy magazine mogul Hugh Hefner, flanked by his new twin girlfriends Karissa and Kristina Shannon, made an in-store appearance with author Steven Watts at Book Soup here in LA last night to promote and sign copies of the new book Mr. Playboy: Hugh Hefner and the American Dream. Looks like homie ain’t wasting no time introducing the world to his new “lady loves” since it was revealed earlier this month that Hef had broken up with former girlfriend Holly Madison (and, most likely, Kendra Wilkinson and Bridget Marquardt). Here are a few pics from last night’s in-store appearance and a bit of information about the book:

“Mr. Playboy: Hugh Hefner and the American Dream” (Wiley, 544 pages, $29.95), by Steven Watts: In 1953, Hugh Hefner was a young man in Chicago with an unimpressive resume and big plans. He would start a men’s magazine geared toward young urbanites such as himself with lifestyle tips and racy pictures. He would call it “Stag Party.” A legal snag forced a last-minute name change to “Playboy,” but Hefner stayed true to the idea. The magazine quickly became a huge success and gave new meanings to the words playmate, bunny and centerfold. Hefner — with his pipe, his pajamas and a girl on each arm — became a symbol of the sexual revolution. But a symbol of what? Hefner is either the swingingest hep cat, a pornographer, a sexual liberator or a lecher, depending on the observer. Watts aims to give a full account of the man, his magazine and their place in social history. Hefner cooperated, giving the author access to everything from his personal scrapbooks to a 1972 memo from a Playboy administrative assistant on the Rolling Stones’ four-day romp at the old Chicago Playboy mansion (they left behind burned towels and clogged pipes; it’s unclear why). Watts presents Hefner’s life as a sort of X-rated Horatio Alger story. A boy growing up in the Midwest falls in love with the fantasy world of movies. As a young striver, he creates his own fantasy world with Playboy. Then he moves into the world he created, leaving a wife and kids for the swinging life. Watts argues that Playboy is more than a girlie magazine: It “comprised a historical force of significant proportions.” It’s arguable whether Hefner mostly made waves or rode them. But it’s clear that Hefner took seriously his role in offering a philosophy to counteract Puritanism. When Hefner calls himself a missionary, he’s not punning. Along with the naked women, Playboy early on featured the likes of Dave Brubeck on jazz, Evelyn Waugh on abstract expressionism and an interview with philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre … Oh, and Hefner really, really likes sex. Women come and go from his round bed like the sheets were made of Flubber. It just never stops. Even into his old age, the Viagra-fueled magnate stays on the prowl. Watts reveals that Hefner narrowly avoided an ironical death when he almost choked on a partner’s sex toy. A quick-thinking Playmate saved him with a chest compression.

… Annnnd, I think that’s enough info, thank you very much. The Playboy empire is a fascinating one and the man behind the Bunnies is just as fascinating. But when you see him now, as an 80+ year old man, clinging to 20-year old buxom beauties who wouldn’t touch him with a 10-foot pole if he didn’t have fame and wealth, well it’s just not as impressive as it may have been at one time. Don’t get me wrong, the man deserves props for living his life to the fullest and enjoying the zest of life for as long as he can. But sometimes, like with the introduction of these new twin sister girlfriends, I think Hef looks more foolish than pimpish. For his sake, I hope that the Shannon twins are schooled in CPR … you know, in case another one of those “choking on a sex toy” or worse incidents happen again.

[Photo credit: Splash News; Source]

Prince was on hand at the Gansvoort Hotel in the Meat Packing District of NYC last night to play a celebratory concert for the release of his new coffee table book of photography/poetry/music/lyrics titled 21 Nights. 21 Nights features photography work by Randee St. Nicholas of Prince from his twenty one night residency at the O2 Arena in London, England last year. The book was released in bookstores last Tuesday (I already have my copy) and comes with an audio CD titled Indigo Nights/Live Sessions. Here are a few pics from Prince’s performance last night:

Prince is always lookin’ for a reason to get his jam on and last night was no exception. I’ve been very fortunate to see the man in action at one of these scaled down, more intimate gigs and let me tell you, he turns the mother out. Now, about this book … I must confess that I am a bit disappointed with the photographic theme of the book. Some of the photos are amazing … but there are far too few of them. Some of the pics are of hotel hallways and empty Metro stations. I get that St. Nicholas is trying to tell a story with these photos (isolation, loneliness, etc.) but I was really hopin’ there’d be nothing but Prince within in the pages of this book. The CD is hot. It’s almost worth the price of the book itself. Die hard Prince fans (and completists) will not want to miss picking up this book. I don’t think, tho, that casual fans will be happy with it. I suggest you head on down to your local Barnes and Noble to look at the book before you buy it. I’m happy with my copy and am anxious to see the man live, in concert again.

[Photo credit: Wireimage]