Wednesday, June 12, 2019

OK or OY VAY

Summertime and the livin' is easy! You've hiked, walked, swam, golfed, played tennis and now you want to chill out with a good book on the beach, or sit in front of the television with a glass of rose' and chill.
You all know I think sleep is very overrated, so I use the wee hours to catch up on television and books.
Basically, this is a list for those who are searching for some new recommendations. Here you are:


TELEVISION


Ellen DeGeneres Relatable-Netflix. I haven't watched Ellen in years, but I saw her daytime show recently and she mentioned this special. I totally forgot how talented and brilliant she is. There is no offensive comedy-it's all just great! Highly recommend it.



Big Little Lies-HBO. The second season premiered last Sunday. Has an all star cast and truthfully, it's way better than the book by Laine Moriarty. The fabulous cast is joined by Meryl Stree which is an added bonus this season. Perfect for a Sunday night and a bowl of popcorn.




Perpetual Grace-Epix. Grifter preys upon a Pastor. Ben Kingsley and Jacki Weaver are not as innocent as they seem. Cool vibe and well written. Worth a tumble(weed!)-watch!




Tales of the City-Netflix. The acting is amazing. Starring Laura Linney, Olympia Dukakis, and Ellen Page. Plot is San Francisco in the 70's and revolves around the LGBTQ community. I watched all the episodes and liked it. But this isn't for everyone. Caution...




Dead To Me-Netflix. Christina Applegate stars in show about a grieving widow and a friend she meets at a support group. Men will not like this-Ladies, you will.
 


Animal Kingdom-TNT. In its fourth season, I am fully committed. As I have said before, Ellen Barkin is a female Tony Soprano, but not as likeable. She is the matriarch of a crime family and she is super scary. Not for the faint of heart, but I enjoy it.




Shtisel-Netflix. An Ultra Orthodox family in Jerusalem deals with problems of daily life: love, siblings, money, and jobs. For me, this is an OY VAY. Let me be clear-I am the only person I know that did not like this series. I felt it portrayed Jews in a horrible light and I was offended. Many of their community voiced hate for Gentiles (how is this different than Nazi Germany hating the Jews?) and felt they were an "evil" people. The Jewish women in these Orthodox families are often  portrayed as strong and domineering, forcing their men to obey insane whims (many of which were unreasonable and unkind- i.e. a  threatened fiancé forces her husband-to-be to fire his administrative assistant of many years, because she is a female). This was not a pleasant experience-I literally stayed up all night feeling agitated.










Fleabag-Amazon Prime. A woman trying to navigate dysfunctional familial relationships mostly by engaging in lots of sex. I liked this series a lot, especially because it focuses mostly on the relationship of two diametrically different sisters with a dry, witty humor.




The Restaurant- Amazon Prime. Season 2. I haven't watched this. Supposedly, it is a drama about a family owned restaurant beginning at the end of WWII and spanning 20 years. It is an ensemble being compared to Downtown Abbey. Sounds wonderful.




Saturday Night Politics with Donny Deutsch-MSNBC at 8pm.  A University of Penn Alum (yea!) that is liberal, smart, and fun to watch. I like him on Morning Joe and I like his interviews on this.




Ramy Youssef  "Feelings"- HBO.  If you enjoyed his fabulous series on Hulu, you will enjoy this New Jersey native's first comedy special. Premiering on June 29th. Must Watch-he is really superb and so was the series which has been renewed. A Muslim raised in Bergen County, he gives great insight as to what it feels like living in America in a post 911 world.




City On A Hill-SHO. Kevin Bacon. A 90's Boston Crime Drama complete with dirty cops. Produced by Ben Affleck and Matt Damon. Premiers on June 16. Should be fun.




When They See Us-Created, written, and directed by Ava DuVernay. Starring John Leguziamo. This program exposes the criminal breakdown of our justice system and what really happened during the Central Park Five Case. I haven't watched this yet, but all reviews are good.




MOVIES


Rocketman-Starring Taron Egerton and Jamie Bell as Elton John and Bernie Taupin. Run, don't walk to this movie. Absolutely Magnificent. Two actors (I am not familiar with) pull off a musical triumph about Sir Elton John.




Always Be My Maybe-Netflix. Ali Wong, known for her comedy specials, stars in this romantic comedy about a chef and musician who reunite after 15 years. I haven't seen this but Ali Wong wrote the movie and her specials are beyond hysterical.




Los Espookys-HBO. Fred Armisen created this quirkey Spanish Language Comedy with English subtitles. About a group of friends who stage fake horror events for a living. Eccentric. Debuts this Friday, June 14. SNL fans will want to watch.




Yellowstone-Paramont Network. Kevin Cosner returns for season 2. Drama about the Patriarch of a prominent ranch family. Sex, Violence, and Cosner is easy on the eyes. I Like it.




BOOKS (Full Disclosure-I haven't read any of these books but they are on my summer list. They all sound like good beach reads).




The Farm-Joanne Ramos. About a luxury baby surrogacy farm for uber rich. About Class, Race, and Gender.




The Key To Happily Ever After-Tiff Marcelo. Three sisters trying to keep a family business from failing.




Daisy Jones and The Six-Taylor Jenkins Reid. Reese Witherspoon's pick for her March book club. Fictional 70's rock band rise and fall. All about sex, drugs, and rock and roll. What could be bad?




The Friends We Keep-Jane Green. College friends reunite after 30 years and go to live on a commune.




The City of Girls-Elizabeth Gilbert. The author of Eat, Pray, Love writes a third novel about  showgirls and playboys in the 40's.




Searching for Sylvia Lee-Jean Kwok.  A family saga about a Chinese immigrant who disappears in the Netherlands. This is Jenna Bush's pick for June. So far I have not liked the two previous books she picked. You Decide.




SOME FURTHER RECOMMENDATIONS




Sunscreen-You should apply sunscreen all year round and even if you are in the car or on an airplane by the window! I know that sounds dramatic, but it is true. My picks: La Roche Posay Anthelios 60 melt in sunscreen for $36. For a less expensive option try either Coppertone Ultraguard Continuous Spray Broad Spectrum 30 or Coppertone Water Babies Whipped 50 which has no fragrance, parabens or paba.




Retinol Product-Sunday Riley A+ Hign Dose Reitinol Serum. $85 at Sephora. I tried Skinceuticals retinol products and needed to return them due to major sensitivity. This doesn't irritate if you have sensitive skin. Follow usage instructions though!






Bobbi Brown's Evolution 18 Products-Brown sold her company and started a wellness supplement brand. She believes beauty starts from the inside. There are 10 simple ingestible beauty supplements: biotin gummies for hair, hydration tablets, peptide protein powder, collagen "shots", debloating teas and others all available at Walmart.




Coola Cool Mineral Liplux Spf 30 collection-available at Ulta and comes in 6 shades. Your lips need sunscreen and conditioning too. $18.




SPANISH DINER-10 Hudson Yards, NYC. I am a huge fan of diners and Jose Andres just opened one in Hudson Yards. I am dying to try all his eggy options! Currently open for breakfast and lunch, it will eventually be open for dinner. Not only is Andres an award winning chef but he is a great humanitarian who has fed many hurricane victims in Puerto Rico and the Carolinas. He deserves the success-GO! I can't wait!




Finally, I am not sure why the U.S. has not issued a "4" travel advisory for the Dominican Republic. Currently, the U.S.  has it at a "2" which means just to exercise increased caution if traveling there. (scale is 1-4{don't go!). Violent crimes such as armed robbery, homicide and sexual assault are major concerns there. This is NOT a place you want to go to for relaxation. You can't drink liquor from your own hotel minibar, or from the restaurant bar. Liquor is tainted. Deaths have occurred and as you know the gunman in the recent David Ortiz shooting was arrested for a plot to kill the former Red Sox star.
There are so many other places to vacation-I am begging you NOT to visit there. The U.S. should be vigilant in forbidding Americans from vacationing there. Use Caution wherever you travel!


Enjoy your summer, whatever you do! Peace Out-ONE B











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