A few weeks ago, I was offered the chance to temporarily try out a review copy of the DYMO DiscPainter ($279), which prints photos and text directly onto discs, printing while it spins around in the device. Years ago I had bought a cheap CD label stomper that printed labels that would stick on top of my discs, but they ended up ruining them and looking kind of cheesy. I've also ruined plenty of mixes using the wrong marker to write on them. But the DYMO printer, makes really professional images that are very glossy, especially perfect for musicians or filmmakers making their own CDs and DVDs on a regular basis.

Personally, I used the DiscPainter to make several "get psyched" mixes as favors for my bachelorette party attendees. We all listened to it on the party bus to and from the casino and danced along the way. Each disc took about two to three minutes to print and despite all the color that I used in my chosen design, they were dry almost instantly.

Below is the design I made using their accompanying software, fun no?

Here's the track list (It wasn't easy narrowing it down):

1. You Give Love a Bad Name - Bon Jovi

2. Hot Child In the City - Nick Gilder

3. Hollaback Girl - Gwen Stefani

4. Gold Digger - (Featuring Jamie Foxx) Kanye West

5. Smack That - Akon

6. Party Like a Rock Star - Shop Boyz

7. London Bridge - Fergie

8. Don't Stop the Music - Rihanna

9. Murder On the Dancefloor - Sophie Ellis Bextor

10. Umbrella - Rihanna

11. Don't Cha - The Pussycat Dolls

12. Lost in Emotion - Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam

13. Ain't Nobody - Diana King

14. Nobody's Supposed to Be Here (Dance Mix) - Deborah Cox

15. Sinnerman - Nina Simone & Felix Da Housecat

16. The Warrior - Scandal

17. Right Back Where We Started From - Maxine Nightingale

18. Sweet Caroline - Neil Diamond

19. September - Earth Wind & Fire

I only wish I made a copy for myself.

Tags: None Categories: Humor & Satire

Picture it, New York, 1988, a mother racing home on a Saturday night so that her young daughter can watch The Golden Girls. Talk about a role reversal.

I was very saddened today to hear about Estelle Getty's passing at age 84. Being Italian myself, I loved that fiery Sicilian, Sophia Petrillo. I loved her sassy comebacks and her special mother-daughter relationship with Dorothy (Pussycat). Estelle, this post is for you.

One of my favorite scenes:

Blanche: I treat my body like a temple.
Sophia: Yeah, open to everyone, day or night.

Sophia: Blanche, a terrible thing has happened to you. But when life does something like this, there are a couple of things you got to remember. You got your health, right?
Blanche: Yeah.
Sophia: You can still walk, can't you?
Blanche: That's true.
Sophia: Great, go get me a glass of water.

News: Estelle Getty of 'Golden Girls' dies at 84

Tags: None Categories: Humor & Satire

For our anniversary back in February, Raphael had bought me tickets to see The Divine Miss M in concert. For those who aren't "Betteheads" or gay, The Divine Miss M is none other than Bette Midler. I had seen her back in '93 for her Experience the Divine Tour and now at age 63 she's performing in Vegas in a new concert show, The Showgirl Must Go On.

To get into the mood I watched the film For The Boys, which Bette was nominated for an Academy Award for. We then drove to Sin City on Saturday morning and stayed the night to catch the show and hit the clubs. First stop was the pool though in the 100 plus degree heat where we enjoyed a cocktail while wading in the water. I hadn't eaten since breakfast and now at 5 p.m. inside the busy casino, I fainted! I woke up on the loud colored carpet with Raphael and a security guard staring at me along with plenty of onlookers. It's been over a year (that story here) since I went into a full faint due to my Vaso-Vagel (syncope or the classic faint) and it hurt and it was embarrassing. It also took me awhile to feel normal again so I had to have a wheelchair wheel me back to my room, where I only had an hour and a half to compose myself before show time. Yes, I was still going, after all the show girl must go on! ;) I took a shower, ate some crackers, had some real food and cabbed it over to Caesar's Palace, I even went out that night but refrained from drinking since I still wasn't 100%.

Bette was indeed divine. What I especially liked is that her concerts aren't just about playing music, but include a lot of interaction with the audience and are a throwback to original Vegas theater performances. She's bawdy, funny and has great songs or in her own words the show is full of "hits, glitz and tits." She also kept poking fun at her age, which was funny. For instance, she usually does a bit where she comes out as the character "Dolores Delgado" in a mermaid suit. I remembered this from the first concert that I went to along with a bunch of hopping around in the Ariel like costume, so I wasn't surprised when she reappeared on stage in a the fin outfit. However, this time she came out in the mermaid costume like usual, but on a motorized wheelchair doing a whole choreographed dance number on it much to the howling of the crowd. Despite her jokes about being older, she looked great and sang all of her popular tunes, From A Distance, Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy, The Rose and ended with Wind Beneath My Wings. Not surprising, there are clips on YouTube from her concert, here.

Afterwards. We live only 10 minutes away from the real LAX but had to wait 30 minutes in line to get into the Luxor club also named LAX, and that's with being on the guest list.

Tags: None Categories: Humor & Satire

Chevy has launched a program called Project Driveway, where they are testing a fleet of 100 hydrogen-powered fuel cell Chevy Equinox SUVs in Washington D.C., Los Angeles and New York. Basically, people apply to test-drive the zero gasoline, zero emissions SUVs in the participating cities and if they are accepted, they get to drive the futuristic cars for free for three months! All you have to do is fill out a survey and see if you qualify.

Tags: None Categories: Humor & Satire

One of the hottest clubs in Hollywood right now is GOA and last week I was able to skip the lines and receive a tour of the decadent styled club by it's designer, Kristopher Keith, during CitySearch's Wine, Dine & High-Design event.

Inside it looks like you are in some Mahrja harem with over eight miles of imported gold chain links hanging from the ceiling, lush pillows scattered about and incense burning from perches on the walls. My hair still smelled of the exotic scents long after I left and went home, passing by groups of paparazzi parking their cars and setting up for the night.

Tags: None Categories: Humor & Satire