Now that’s it official (in the Wall Street Journal!) I can reveal all. Fortune Brands (no relation, unfortunately) has bought Skinnygirl, created by Bethenny Frankel, one of The Real Housewives of New York, none of whom are “housewives” and few are “real.” Who cares? I am a secret fan of Bethenny. You got a problem with that?...

So how did you like those adorable kids from Staten Island singing “Over The Rainbow” at the Oscars? Andy “Who-Needs-Caffeine” Cohen jolted the hosts over at “Morning Joe” by crassly criticizing the cute little buggers, noting that “everything has its time and its place ” and this wasn’t either. He said that the...

Eons ago, when the world was young and I wasn’t so bad myself, I hosted Oscar parties complete with (gasp!) gambling, guzzling, and gaping at the gowns. Nothing like a nice, alliterative party, I always say. Things change. I stopped giving the parties and attended those of others. Still, I was enthusiastic about the Academy Awards: one year, between the...

I know it’s Un-American, but . . . I hate shopping.I loathe mallsEven Saks gives me hives if I’m not in the mood. The thing is, I like things. The things you get if you actually Go Shopping. Which I hate. But there’s one kind of shopping. I love: on the beach. In Italy, men in straw heats come around to your beach chair with fancy purses bearing...

Don’t you just hate it when you think you’re being original, and then go online and find about a million references (no exaggeration) to your brilliant idea? That’s the story of “my” heart-shaped meatloaf, which I’ve made for years every Valentine’s Day.  Beats going to dinner on a night when restaurants are booked and...

Super Bowl Sunday: I can’t believe I watched the whole thing — yet  missed so much . . . Yes, folks, I was plunked in front of a flat screen TV for 4 hours, but I only found out what really happened in the game by tuning in to the media on Monday. Even before the kickoff, I was lost. As soon as Christina Aguilera started to sing, I started to whine about...