The Philadelphia Story is a terribly witty and charming classic romantic comedy directed by George Cukor has a mass of memorable and clever lines, excellent costume design and saved Katherine Hepburn's career.

She, James Stewart, and Cary Grant, along with everyone else in this film are flawless. This is the kind of movie that they are talking about when they say “they just don't make them like they used to”. I can scarcly imagine a romantic comedy today with dialogue this sparkling … just look at what Ebert had to say of one of our most recent romantic comedies Failure to Launch:

“Oh, what stupid people these are. Stupid to do what they do, say what they say, think what they think, and get bitten by a chipmunk, a dolphin, a lizard and a mockingbird.”

Instead of wating your time in the new release section, pick up this timeless gem. It will not dissapoint.

It's no secret that I love theatrical music – not musical theater music, and there is a difference, but big storytelling, dramatic music that makes you want to sing along. The Mariner's Revenge Song by The Decemberists is one of those songs.

Essentially a sea shanty, you can imagine listening to this in an old seaside bar, with a traveling troupe singing this wild tale of the mariner and his revenge with serving wenches, spilled tankards of beer and peg legs pounding the floor to the beat.

The instrumental interludes are beautiful and the tone of this shanty ranges from feverish, to melancholy, to downright scary. An exciting tune. What other song is sung “from the belly of a whale”?

“The Stone Fox.” “The delight of girls and women alike”, Trip Fontaine is a high school dream perfectly created and realized by Jeffrey Eugenides in his 1993 novel, The Virgin Suicides.

Doing the movie version justice is Josh Harnett, in a role, that sadly, will most likely be his best. Not since Jake Ryan has handsome youth been so irrisitable in it's leather jacket and shaggy bangs.

Sure, she's a prima donna, sure all of her records have been broken, and sure she's dating Anaconda star and weirdo Jon Voight, but Miss Supreme was a star dammit!

Most importantly she was a star who let the show go on and new what to do with crappy sudden rainstorms like the ones we've been plagued with all summer long. In 1983 she was performing in Central Park when a bastard of a storm broke out. Ross carried on for several minutes in the rain while telling her fans to go home and promising (and fulfilling that promise) to perform the next night free of charge.

So what if she made the promise without permission from the city. I told you she was a prima donna, and the world can tell you she is a star!

This is one of those desserts where everyone at the table starts moaning with joy, exclaiming “oh my god” and “this is amazing”.

If you don't know what I am talking about, then you need to get down to Otto and order the Olive Oil Coppetta which is olive oil gelato with basil syrup and sea salt with strawberries and passion fruit granita.

Even a nine dollar price tag couldn't keep me from full on ecstatic enjoyment of this delectable delicacy.

Unfortunately, the game we saw (along with Tom Hanks, who we were prompted to applaud over and over throughut the game), was a bad one for the Yanks. Bad as in abismal. The final score was 19 – 5.

But it was a pleasant day in the shaded nose bleed section where I had one of the best tasting hot dogs of my life and sat completely comfotable with roughly 54,000 of the general public generally drunk.

I really think going to a Yankees game is something you have to do at least once if you live here.

Years ago a friend of mine had her debutante ball in San Antonio. I am forever grateful for the invite, as it was one of the most spectacular events I have ever witnessed. Twenty foot trains on dresses covered in Swarovski crystals. My friends dress was NYC themed and the gown displayed the skyline in glitzy over the top glory.

The day before the big night, we all had dinner aboard a boat that traveled along the San Antonio River Walk, and it was fabulous. I truly recommend that if you are in San Antonio, don't skip out on the experience. The Alamo is great and all, but can you drink a maragrita with the sun on your face and the wind in your hair as people watch you float by at the Alamo? I think not. Remember the Riverwalk!

To say The Thick of It is like a British Office, only about government might be fairly accurate, but it seems unfair to the creators, espcially Armando Iannucci, whose fabulously waggish show The Day Today feature faux-verite segments that predate the Office and seemed to have been an inspiration for Ricky Gervais.

It may take a couple viewings to get into the show, the accents are thick and the government set up is slightly different from our own, except for the fact that it is crookedly run by people who don't seem to know what they are doing.

I would love to see an American version, perhaps about Albany's mess, but in today's political climate, I will not be holding my breath. A brilliant comedy that deserves a following.

Sweet mango and silky avocado with a kick make for such a yummy treat.