B-Day Song

The blue bloods are invading Times Square ... and on St. Patrick's Day! Gird your loins boys as the cast of Downton Abbey or the outcast of British royalty - queens, princesses, empresses, duchesses, are coming to Carmines to celebrate my BFF Jing's birthday. Indeed,  a gorgeous girl deserves a fabulous ... and royal party! See you March 17 ...

Oscars! Oscars!

For movie lovers and awards freak like me, tonight is our Super Bowl - the Oscars! I may not be an Academy voter but I sure do cast my votes by watching the most-buzzed films with my own hard-earned money.

I've enjoyed many of the films that got nominated this year. Front-runner The Artist is a joy to watch, an uplifting homage to silent films. Hugo is also of the same vein, a film that pays tribute to old style filmmaking. Although Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close didn't get much love from critics and audiences, it touched my heart and made me wept like a child. See it on DVD.

The Help is the only film among the 9 Best Picture nominees that became box-office hits. I'm not surprised as it tackles history very relevant in American society. It is emotionally cathartic and the ensemble performances are topnotch. War Horse is classic Steven Spielberg as it tugs at your heart.

Also, Midnight in Paris is classic Woody Allen with sharp dialogue and fantastical premise. Moneyball, the Brad Pitt movie, I didn't care that much. The Tree of Life, on the other hand, took me a while to absorb its theme. In the end, it is a philosophical film that tries to dissect the meaning of life.

But if there is one film that is my favorite among the nominees, it is The Descendants. George Clooney is so good in the film that I'm hoping he wins for Best Actor tonight. It is a character-driven film without the pizazz of The Artist, a film which I think, good or bad, will dominate the Oscars. So on this note, let me handicap tonight's ceremony.

Best Picture: The Artist will win/  The Descendants should win
Best Director: Michel Hazanavicius (The Artist)/  Martin Scorsese (Hugo)
Best Actor: Jean  Dujardin (The Artist)/ George Clooney (The Descendants)
Best Actress: Viola Davis (The Help)/ Meryl Streep (The Iron Lady)
Best Supporting Actor: Christopher Plummer (Beginners)/  Christopher Plummer (Beginners)
Best Supporting Actress: Octavia Spencer (The Help)/ Octavia Spencer (The Help)

Meryl Streep deserves to win her third Oscar for playing Margaret Thatcher but I doubt she could pull it off as Viola Davis, very moving in The Help, has gained momentum after winning the Screen Actors Guild Awards. The only two sure winners in the acting categories are Christopher Plummer and Octavia Spencer who have won all the major awards leading up to the Oscars.

For the other categories, here are my predictions:

Adapted Screenplay: The Descendants
Original Screenplay: The Artist
Animated Feature Film: Rango
Foreign Language Film: A Separation (Iran)

Documentary (Feature): Pina
Documentary (Short): The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom
Short Film (Animated): Wild Life
Short Film (Live Action): Pentecost
Art Direction: Hugo
Cinematography: The Artist
Costume Design: Hugo
Film Editing: The Artist
Makeup: The Iron Lady
Music (Original Score): The Artist
Music (Original Song): The Muppets
Sound Editing: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Sound Mixing: Hugo
Visual Effects: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2

A Supermodel Portfolio

Like any other mortal, I have always dreamed of becoming another Kate Moss. Although I have yet to achieve a supermodel status, I won't stop posing in pictures just like her or any of her ilk.

Say what you want, last I heard this is a free country and I can do whatever I want, right? So if you don't wanna be exposed to the apex of my vanity, stop right here. Otherwise you can proceed. Don't tell me I didn't warn you, ok?

So last weekend we went on a trip to Long Island, NY for an R and R - some wine trail, and then a search for lighthouse just off the Long Island Sound. It was a good thing that as dusk set in, we were there  to capture the beauty of nature - and most importantly, of moi.

I didn't even have to use a digital camera, just an iPhone would suffice so I thought. Thank God for the Instagram app, I manipulated the color and texture of the photos. And excuse me, there was no airbrushing or photoshopping involved. It was just me, my iPhone, and nature. A perfect trifecta, isn't it?

Take a look and marvel. I'm just hoping someone out there would stumble upon these photos and make me a supermodel. Take that, Kate Moss!

Supermodel Portfolio 2012

Moi's Five Prettiest: Music

Music makes the people come together yeah - so Madonna sang on her hit song Music which she performed recently at the Super Bowl. But this post is not about her, it's all about the music that came and went in 2011.

In honor of the Grammy Awards which will be given out this Sunday, I'm now about to reveal five hits and five misses in the music field the past year. This list maybe supermegalate but as they say better late than never. These are the singles and/or albums that moved me over the last 12 months. One important footnote though: this is by no means exhaustive and all inclusive. After all, I only have two ears and I can only listen so much.

Hits

1. 21 - Adele - Who could escape the ubiquitous Adele in 2011? Not only that she has dominated the charts since last year but she also has ruled the airwaves with the soulful sophomore album simply called 21. From the angry Rolling in the Deep to the searing ballad Someone Like You, everyone I bet has an Adele story to tell. Here's one: she helped me get over my breakup. And for that, she deserves to win the Grammys and all the accolades.

2. Moves Like Jagger - Maroon 5 featuring Christina Aguilera - The swagger and charm of Adam Levine coupled with the soaring voice of Xtina have made everyone forget that the song is about Mick Jagger. A thumping dance beat can help you move just like the Rolling Stone lead singer.

3. S&M/We Found Love - Rihanna - These two top hits and club anthems from Rihanna proved that despite her tragic romance the singer is out to conquer everything, including love.

4. Nothing But the Beat - David Guetta - Music doesn't only make the people come together, it also can make you dance. And nothing stood out last year as prominent as DJ David Guetta who collaborated with a host of stars and singers to come up with fresh beats on this high-energy album. Nothing feels as good as a collection of dance smashes on a bad day.

5. On The Floor - Jennifer Lopez - I admit even I fell for this club hit which resurrected the moribund career of a once Latina superstar and made her hot again at least for American Idol producers. Sadly this is the only single worth the money in her album called Love?. Question mark!

Misses

1. Born This Way - Lady Gaga - Crucify me now for not liking this latest album from Lady Gaga. The actual product unfortunately didn't live up to the hype. She also copied Madonna. After declaring it herself as the greatest album of the century, it turned out the songs paled in comparison to a less polished The Fame which was a lot more fun and more honest, don't you think?

2. I Remember Me - Jennifer Hudson - After losing a million pounds, it seems Jennifer Hudson has lost her voice too. This album is just boring. Bring back the fat Hudson please. Not!

3. 4 - Beyonce - What's happening to our divas? Simply this latest from Beyonce is just bad. Four her! 

4. American Idol - You're 15 minute is up. Time to go away - now! And also take with you The Voice and X-Factor. Remember Adele went to a performing arts high school to hone her craft and didn't join a vote-driven singing contest to make her mark. 

5. Internet leaks - Stop please you are ruining the pleasure of discovering new music without hearing demo versions of a song in progress. 

Madonna at the Super Bowl: How Dare She!

She pranced, posed, pompom-ed, and prayed her tiny, lithe frame at the giant Super Bowl last Sunday. She vogued, cartwheeled, and undulated in front of millions, or possibly billions worldwide, of people watching her 12-minute performance at halftime. Viewers were 1) awed; 2) disgusted; 3) amazed; 4) aghast; 5) entertained; or simply 6) bored by this act. Fans were thrilled obviously but haters, well, were angry. How dare her?, they asked.

Much has been said or written about Madonna's halftime show. Like her, the performance proved to be polarizing. The reviews were mixed to say the least. Well, I really don't care about what the critics and viewers thought of it. Because no matter what they say about Madonna - good or bad - I was, am, and will always be a die-hard fan. For me, loyalty is an important virtue and I'm a damn loyal fan, in good and in bad times, from her Virgin heydays through Erotica daze, to Swept Away fiasco to Confessions blitz.

I'm no longer surprised that the Queen of Pop would stage such a spectacle in a grand scale. After watching her four last concert tours live, I expect nothing less from her. The dramatic entrance atop a golden throne in a sea of lights and hunky gladiators is vintage Madonna. Even the arrangement of the songs - Vogue, Music, Like A Prayer and her latest single Give Me All Your Luvin - is unmistakably her. For a casual non-fan steeped in either old rock or today's auto tune music, this is just unappetizing. How dare her?, they asked.

At 53, Madonna is old enough to be a grandmother. If she wasn't as ambitious and driven, she could have stayed in the Midwest where she was born and could have given births instead like a rabbit once she turned 18. For ageists, seeing her making those moves with Nicki Minaj and M.I.A. was utterly unwatchable. They said she should rather retire and leave the dancing to nymphets, and the performing to imitators like Lady Gaga and Britney Spears. How dare her?, they asked.

Indeed, how dare Madonna skew the conventions, challenge the norms and even defy gravity? How dare her to keep working so hard when she has billions stashed somewhere? How dare her maintain her fame after nearly 30 years when stars like Lindsay Lohan flame out in two years? And how dare her spit on non-fans' faces so to speak and at Super Bowl at that?

With a hot single climbing the top of the charts, a new album MDNA set for release next month, a film she directed and financed in theaters right now as we speak, and a world tour simply called The Madonna Tour scheduled to begin in May, Madonna's fame and bank account are expected to rise even higher. There's no rest for the aging queen whether you like it or not. Now, who's laughing all the way to the bank? How dare her, indeed!

Mea Culpa

Sorry. I have been remiss in my duty. I just can't find the inspiration to blab in moi blog. Hence the absence of any new post for nearly a month. Just like any writer worth his or her salt, I do find writing a bit of a drag, a task rather than a source of joy. Forgive me.

But this doesn't mean my life is boring. In fact for the past weeks I've been living my life exactly the way I want it - away from Internet or online. I've rediscovered the joys of simply being out there exploring and taking a journey to places I never even knew existed. And that's literally and figuratively.

Well, my hibernation is all water under the bridge. I'm here again in front of my laptop typing and sharing you the stories of my life. The bitch is back and she's going to be just nastier! Just you wait ...

Trans FTS: Madame T

She was once an infamous woman known for her slutty ways. She was ahead of her times and has outlived her infamy through the Portrait Madame X, a work of art hanging at the Metropolitan Museum.

Madame X by John Singer Sargent

But this post is not about her, but about T girls who channel her style. Meet Madame T - or a bunch of pretenders to her notorious throne. Whereas Madame X was pale in the portrait and posing in a black satin dress with jeweled straps, "a dress that reveals and hides at the same time," our pretenders let it all out. Why be demure when you can be haughty?

So take a look at our Madame T and find out who among them embodies the essence of the infamous Madame X ...

Madame T #1: Germaine dons a corset and tight pants

Madame T #2: A see-thru dress fits Dawn to a T as it doesn't hide anything at all

Madame T #2: Ever alluring, Belle strikes a mysterious pose in a tube dress

Star Style on Christmas Eve is ...

And the winner is ... not one of them! 

We've all opened our Christmas gifts, dragged our fresh pine trees onto the curbside, and taken down all the holiday trimmings and decorations but we have yet to declare our one other shining star (beside Baby Jesus, of course) last December 24. The poll ended on New Year's Eve, and here we are on the eve of Chinese New Year we still have to name the stylish winner.

You've all made your choice, picked your winner, and voted for our Star Style on Christmas Eve. And she is no other than ... (fanfare please) ... Jing Valmorida!

Jing's Star Style billboard in New York

All wrapped up in red in a stunning cape dress designed by Donatella Versace, our perennial Star Style pick and consistent fashion plate has proven once again that you either have it or you're born with it or none at all - a line that wouldn't sit well with Ms. Belle Bandalan.

Her winning style and smile

Unfortunately the people have spoken and have given Ms. Valmorida an overwhelming 37.5% out of the five million votes tallied for this poll. Dawn, a perennial bridesmaid, placed second with 29.17%. Katrina is third with 12.5% while both Belle and Germaine are tied for fourth place with over 8% each.

All losers: Belle, 4th; Katrina, 3rd; and Dawn, 2nd

As our latest Star Style recipient and the last for 2011, you will receive a 20-foot tall fresh Douglas Fir tree for Christmas 2012 as well as 12 wreaths decorated by the one and only Martha Stewart and a ton of Christmas balls and garlands.

The grand prize which will be redeemed only in December 2012 is a chance to be the live angel on top of the giant Christmas tree at the Rockefeller Center which will be unveiled during the traditional lighting ceremony telecast live all over the world. To guarantee your safety from potential electrocution, we will insure you for $1 million with the MetLife whose beneficiaries will be the runners-up. And now they all think it's not that bad being losers...

How do you like to be on top of the giant tree, Jing?

Congratulations to you Jing and to all your runners-up!

As usual we would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to all the fabulous ladies especially to the two who got zero vote. We know your hands are all tied in the back being used as a pawn for this travesty. (We know you want it!) Thank you also to our readers who keep voting not knowing this poll could be rigged. Just kidding!

Remember, each vote counts. And to all of you, winners, losers and fans, without you, this blog is dead.

Bitch Stole My Look!

Left Bitch Dawn vs Right Bitch Jing - who wore it best?

Pardon moi Fashion Police of E! channel, I must steal your idea and transplant it into this blog if you don't mind.

I just can't fathom that two of our fashionable girls (or fashion victims?) wore the same dress designed by Donatella Versace for H&M. And that's just one week apart!

The Left Bitch is Dawn who donned the red cape dress (sold out!) for New Year's Eve parties in New York while the Right Bitch is Jing who sashayed in the same outfit during their Christmas Eve dinner. Who gave the stunning dress justice?

Now it's your chance to vote on the bitch who ran away with the hottest look. Click on your choice - and start bitchin' ala Joan Rivers!

Trans FTS: Twenty-Twelve Look

Was it Yves Saint Laurent who once said that a good model can advance fashion by ten years? But what if the model is a T girl with a keen sense of style? And it's 2012 instead of 2022?  Is it considered still fashion forward?

So many questions, so little time to respond. Yes, the new year has been with us since a week ago - unless of course you are waiting for the Chinese New Year. Fashion arbiters and trendsetters have hedged their bets and predicted the hottest looks of Twenty-Twelve. How do our fabulous posse of T girls face the fashion challenge of the new year?

Let's take a look at how five of the best models (oh please don't you dare say otherwise), each of whom has her personal style and individual preference, advance fashion by weeks, months or years. If YSL were to judge us if he was still alive, would he consider us in or out? Your guess as they say is as good as mine. After all fashion is subjective and is ever evolving process.

The Icon
Legendary Germaine in haute couture evoking the fashion trends of the past 

The Nymph
Youthful, fresh, and ready to go, sexually desirable Cheska seduces in her  New Year style

The Chic
Leggy Jing knows how to turn it up in any style - sexy, confident, and chic

The Bombshell
Elusive Myra still surprises - alluring, seductive, and beguiling which are the hallmarks of a bombshell 

The Goddess
Dawn thinks she is while others disagree. Being one is a state of mind that can be manifested through personal style, right?

Spotted: New Year's Eve Divas @ the Waldorf

At the Waldorf Astoria lobby

A trio of fabulous T girls were spotted welcoming 2012 in style at the swank Waldorf Astoria Hotel on Park Avenue in New York as they joined hundreds of other revelers at a posh party countdown into the new year.

As they say out with the old and in with the new - that is, new style, new look, and new attitude. Jing, Cheska, and fashionably late Dawn rang in the new year wearing the latest trends in fashion. They were seen partying with some of the stylish New Yorkers, sipping champagne, and toasting 2012 like it was the end of the world.

A brighter year ahead for the divas 

Cheska looks so young and fresh

Jing poses for paparazzi at the steps 

Dawn faces the new year in fiery red

More paparazzi shots with Dawn and Cheska

Jing and Cheska are friends forever

Blue, black and red for the two divas

The weather on NYE in NYC was unseasonably warm and our girls sizzled in their dazzling party outfits, baring their legs and slender frame. Sexy was in last year and in 2012, sexy goes even sexier as seen here in their post-party pictures. Here's hoping for a fabulous year ahead for all of us!

10 Resolutions for 2012

Hello, 2012! Was it a bangin' New Year for everyone? It wasn't for me but more on that later. Since 2012 is presumably the end of the world I have decided to make a list of my 10 resolutions (which I have used as a countdown of sorts in my Facebook) for the year ahead. You have to understand I've never had any resolutions in the past because I know me - I hate lists and I tend to break every rules.

But then again, it's the new year - a new beginning and a new moi. So here it is my Top Ten list - and I do hope I stay true to each resolution. Good luck to me!

The look for 2012 - bombshell!

1. Just because I'm trans doesn't mean I need transfat in my body. So in with my Skinny Bitch Project 2012!

2. I refuse to be ugly so I will have to remind myself - sleep, moisturize, and hydrate and maybe, just maybe, set up an appointment with a good plastic surgeon!

3. Three 4-letter words to discard: rude, mean, and cunt. Three to live by: nice, good, and kind fuck. 

4. I will not want what I can not have. And that means Louboutin, Chanel, Mini-Cooper, and Ryan Gosling!

5. I don't mind gaining a year of wisdom but I will defy at all costs adding a year to my age!

6. I will work my butt off to be independent even if I have to use my actual butt as a tool to achieve that goal. After all, it's just a piece of ass!

7. I will write passionately and frequently. I hate to bore you with my writing so I will try to keep you interested by becoming a sex columnist here instead. 

8. I will maintain a sunny disposition despite dark clouds hovering above my head. I just have to always remember that a sad face results to 10 wrinkles a day and that laughter is way cheaper than a pill of Prozac. 

9. Being single has its perks. I don't have to answer to anyone but me and no one can ever hold me hostage again. I will embrace my inner Carrie Bradshaw pre-Mr. Big and be fabulous - only with cheaper shoes and purses and even a Patricia Field-less and tiny closet. 

10. Less Facebook- ing. Note to self: You are too selfish and too busy to mind other people's business and deal with their issues. Discover the world out there.