Even if the big show doesn’t take place because of the Writers Strike, you can still enjoy TCM’s annual “31 Days of Oscar” event, which kicks off Friday, Feb. 1. Turner Classic Movies will show 350 Oscar-winning movies during the month including daytime “theme” events. In primetime, Mondays will feature movies from the 1920s and 1930s; Tuesdays, flicks from the 1940s; Wednesdays, movies from the 1950s; Thursdays, movies from the 1960s; Fridays, movies from the tremendous 1970s; Saturdays, flicks from the 1980s and Sundays, movies from the 1990s on.
If the Academy Awards go on as scheduled, thanks to a resolution of the strike, they will take place on Sunday, Feb. 24, 8pm, on ABC.
Here are a few flicks I’m planning to watch (or record) during week one:

Fri. Feb. 1, 10:15pm The Hospital, a satire starring George C. Scott
Sat., Feb. 2, 4:15pm 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
6:30pm: War of the Worlds
11:15pm Atlantic City
Sun., Feb. 3 8pm, Sense and Sensibility
Tues. Feb. 5, 12:15pm, The 400 Blows
6pm, The Sterile Cuckoo
Wed. Feb. 6, 7am Five Star Final
8:30am, The Front Page
Thurs. Feb. 7, 3:15am The Reivers
3:15pm A Farewell to Arms

For the complete schedule, check out the TCM website

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I had the great pleasure of interviewing Trace Adkins for my cover story in the 1/24 issue of AC Weekly. It is always a pleasure to chat with Adkins because he has something to say. He is also a talented singer and entertainer. I was able to enjoy his musical side at his concert at the Taj Jan. 26.
Donald Trump was not in the house to see his Celebrity Apprentice co-star, and he missed a great show. The show opened with Justin Moore, a raw talent who will benefit from the tour experience. He finished up his set with a song any country fan would love, “I Could Kick Your Ass.”
Opening act number two is further along on his journey to stardom, Luke Bryan. Bryan did a solid set culled from his debut album I’ll Stay Me, including the title track, “Hey I’m A Country Man,” “We Rode In Trucks” and his current smash hit, “All My Friends Say.” Check out the video of the latter here.
When Trace arrived on the scene the only thing that dwarfed his 6’6’’ frame was the jumbo video screen behind him that shows some video cuts as he sung a bunch of his biggest hits. After his sporting analogy double shot of “I’ve Got My Game On” and “Swing,” Trace kept the party going with “Songs About Me,” “(This Ain’t) No Thinkin’ Thing,” “Every Light In The House” and “I Left Something Turned On At Home.” Some of my personal favorites include “I Wanna Feel Something,” “Rough and Ready” and “Ladies Love Country Boys.”
He finished up the evening with "Honky Tonk Badonkadonk” and 38 Special’s “Rockin’ Into The Night."

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I just received my presidential primary sample ballot on in the mail, featuring all the front-runners as well as the also-rans. I hope Fred D. Thompson returns to his acting career and that Ron Paul continues to try and prove he’s really a republican. Mike Huckabee and John Edwards are intelligent, capable politicians and Rudy peaked way too soon.
As for the big three — John McCain, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama — Super Tuesday is looking very interesting indeed. New Jersey is a shared delegate state, meaning that if Obama and Clinton are tied, they split the delegates. According to thegreenpapers.com, “70 district delegates are to be allocated proportionally to presidential contenders based on the primary results in each of 20 ‘delegate districts.’

Unlike the Democratic parties in most states, New Jersey's Democrats will not be allocating the state's district delegates to the Democratic National Convention by congressional district but, instead, will utilize 20 special ‘delegate districts,’ each of which will consist of two Legislative Districts paired together.” Atlantic County is in the 1st Delegate District. In addition, 37 more delegates are to be allocated to presidential contenders based on the primary vote statewide.

I receive E-newsletters from both the Democratic and Republican National Committees and I must say it is strange to see the republicans begging for funds. It is so bad that the Republican Party is offering their own version of elephant “Beanie babies” as an incentive to fork over the cash. Here’s the pitch from the Republican National Committee:

Meet Maxine, the newest member of the Republican National Committee. Embroidered with the official logo of the RNC, Maxine proudly shows off her allegiance to the Republican Party's principles of lower taxes, a strong national defense, limited government and personal responsibility. Maxine is a wonderful plush toy available for a limited time to our most loyal supporters like you. She is sure to be snapped up quickly. With Valentine's Day right around the corner, Maxine makes a great gift for that special Republican in your life. We'll send you Maxine today with your special contribution of at least $35.

Gee, I remember when the Democratic Party had the empty pockets and the fat cats were in the Republican Party. Just goes to show you …

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The Borgata's new 43-story, $400 million hotel tower, dubbed The Water Club, isn't opening until later this year, but you can take a virtual tour of the amazing looking facility at the new Water Club Web site.
In other related recent developments, it was announced last week that Chef Geoffrey Zakarian, of the acclaimed Country and Town restaurants in New York City, has been hired to oversee all food and beverage hospitality for the spa, pool, special events and in-room dining at The Water Club.
The Water Club is slated to open in Summer 2008.

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Thanks to an e-mail from AC Weekly sports contributer Bill Gelman, we have learned that Atlantic City's Boardwalk Hall is bracing for a huge fight in April.

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The City of Atlantic City should be deliberate in its on-going discussions about how to sell the Bader Field property and to whom. The recent offer from casino and racetrack operator Penn National Gaming Inc. for $800 million sounds like an attempt to push the city into going for the first offer on the table. Penn National is in the middle of being sold, which could make for an unstable situation. Of course the offer sounded good, especially the $50 million to give the city property tax relief for the coming property reassessment on local residents.

The city was planning to sign an agreement with the state Casino Reinvestment Development Authority to have them broker the deal. Now the city fathers, including Mayor Scott Evans, are getting cold feet as they see hot cash in front of them. They say they fear they will lose control of the property if they sign the deal with the CRDA. The CRDA proposal for being partners with the city included a deposit of $25 million for property tax relief.
Considering that two former members of AC’s city council are in jail on bribery charges stemming from Bader Field, the CRDA’s plan to accept open bids for the property sounds like a better idea. The $50 million tax relief offered by Penn National feels like a legal bribe to convince the city not to take open bids from other possible investors and take their deal. Now. The CRDA has consistently done its appointed job and without any hint of scandal. Open bids being accepted by a well-respected organization with an excellent record of dependability sounds like a no-brainer to me.
In another note about Bader Field, I liked a recent letter to the Press of Atlantic City that suggested the site should have a memorial that acknowledged the history of Bader Field. Opened in 1910, the first known usage of the term "air-port" appeared in a newspaper article in 1919, in reference to Bader Field. The eventual developer should remember that history, even if the former airport becomes a mega casino.

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On top of the news that 25-year-old Brad Renfro had died last week, and the shocking news about Heath Ledger, was the news that two wonderful actresses from TV and film have lost their battle with lung cancer.
Suzanne Pleshette, 70, and Lois Nettleton, 80, were not major stars, although Pleshette was better known thanks to her early film career, and later, her run on The Bob Newhart Show. To those of us who grew up in the ’60s, Pleshette and Nettleton were familiar faces from numerous TV appearances.

Pleshette began her career as a film ingénue who never really filled that niche because of her throaty, deep voice. She appeared in Hitchcock’s thriller The Birds, as well as Alfred Hitchcock Presents. Other TV shows she appeared in include Have Gun Will Travel, Playhouse 90, Naked City, Route 66, Ben Casey, Dr. Kildare, Gunsmoke, Bonanza, Ironside and The Fugitive. Her film roles included Rome Adventure, Nevada Smith (opposite Steve McQueen), and Support Your Local Gunfighter (1971). It was her wonderful laugh that echoes in my head as I write this. Visit here for her complete IMDb credits.
Lois Nettleton came from the stage. That training fueled her desire to be a character actress, even in her younger days. If you happened to catch A Face In The Crowd (1957) last week on TCM, you saw Nettleton in her first screen role, a cameo as a nurse. Before she became an actress, the native of Oak Park, Ill., participated in the Miss America Pageant of 1948, as Miss Chicago. She was a semi-finalist in Atlantic City. She studied acting at Chicago's Goodman Theatre and then at the Actors' Studio in New York City.
Like Pleshette, her list of credits is a who’s who of television history: Studio One, The U.S. Steel Hour, The Twilight Zone, Naked City, The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, Route 66, Dr. Kildare, Mr. Novak, Twelve O’clock High, The Fugitive, Bonanza, Night Gallery and Kung Fu. She was also a regular celebrity guest on the $10,000 Pyramid. Go here for her complete IMDb credits.

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It is always a shock when one of the young and beautiful people dies. Heath Ledger, 28, who recently finished playing The Joker in The Dark Knight and was making another film, was found dead in his apartment in New York Tuesday. While it has not been confirmed, several media outlets have reported that there were pills scattered on the floor around him. If he did indeed die from pills, either on purpose, or by accident, what a tragedy. He has a little girl by his estranged girlfriend Michelle Williams. We won’t find out for some time what the real story was behind this death, but it made me think immediately of River Phoenix and his senseless death. Heath Ledger has fought his entire career against being stereotyped as a pretty boy despite his good looks. He proved he had serious acting chops with his wonderful performance in Brokeback Mountain.
This really sucks.

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I did pretty well with my Oscar nomination predictions. I’m shocked and delighted that Jason Reitman was nominated for best director for Juno, and sorry that none of the supporting actors joined Ellen Page as nominees. Laura Linney’s nod for The Savages over Angelina Jolie was a welcome surprise. I was also surprised that Cate Blanchett was nominated for best actress for Elizabeth: The Golden Age. Her nomination for supporting actress for I’m Not There was a given. I was correct on all five best picture nods and best supporting actor. You can check out my predictions elsewhere on this blog site. For the complete list of Academy Award nominations, go here.
Pictured above is Daniel Day-Lewis from There Will Be Blood opening this Friday in the Atlantic City area.

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Harrah’s has announced that as part of the casino’s ongoing $550 million expansion, it is opening the “Taste of the Shore” in February. Located on the first floor of the property’s soon-to-open Waterfront Tower, the new food complex will offer food and snacks from Walt’s Original Primo Pizza; Sack O’ Subs; Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream; Philly Soft Pretzels; and Starbucks. The latter is opening in June.
The best part of that news is the Sack O’ Subs. While the legendary White House has always been the best known sub shop in town, I’ve always preferred the subs made by the cousins of the White House owners, the Sacco family at Sack O’ Subs.
In addition, Harrah’s new Reflections 24-hour café will open as part of the food emporium. The food emporium and Reflections café will be located adjacent to The Pool at Harrah’s. Pictured is a rendering of the Waterfront Tower.

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After John McCain won the South Carolina primary, he looked different. My mom wondered if he hired a better make-up artist. He looked younger, stronger and confident enough to take the lead for the republican nomination and hold onto it. It will be very interesting to see if McCain can gain the full support of the republican regulars when he is positioning himself as an “outsider” and independent thinker. His position on the war in Iraq will be a tough sell for a nation that is tired of a conflict that is dragging on with on end in sight, despite the apparent effectiveness of the most recent surge.
On the democratic side, Hillary Clinton has survived the Obama win in Iowa and has made it clear that she has enough support from the democratic base to surge back into the lead. Her win in Nevada was solid and showed that women are still supporting her. Obama looked like he was ready to push past Clinton, but the voters applied the brakes in New Hampshire and Nevada.
New Jersey’s participation in Super Tuesday is looking more interesting every minute as the 22-state super primary takes place two days after the Super Bowl. But first up comes Florida. It’s wonderful that everything is so up in the air. Recent primary elections have been decided in the past long before New Jerseyans voted, but not this time. Best of all is the news that voters are turning out in record numbers for the primaries. That is the most important consequence of these tight races; voters really feel like they can make a difference this time around.

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I was so bummed out by the continuing WGA strike, I missed the deadline to publish my annual Oscar Tout Sheet in AC Weekly. I’ve been predicting the nominees in the form of a racetrack tout sheet since my days writing about movies for the Stockton College newspaper The Argo.
Therefore, my 26th Oscar Tout Sheet has been condensed as this blog entry. Since the Oscar TV presentation is probably going to be shot down by the ongoing strike, I’m really unhappy that the cast of Juno and writer Diablo Cody will not get the chance to plug their delightful indie film on the biggest movie fan night of the year. It’s too damn depressing; no wonder I let the deadline pass!
Anyway, enough hand wringing: Here are my guesses for the nominations:

Race 1 Best Supporting Actress
Amy Ryan, Gone Baby Gone EVEN
Cate Blanchett, I’m Not There EVEN
Ruby Dee, American Gangster 3 to 1
Jennifer Garner, Juno 9 to 1
Allison Janney, Juno 15 to 1
Amy Ryan and Cate Blanchett are the critics’ darlings, Ruby Dee was great in a tiny role, and Juno is coming on strong.

Race 2, Best Supporting Actor
Javier Bardem, No Country For Old Men 1 to 5
Philip Seymour Hoffman, Charlie Wilson’s War 4 to 1
Tom Wilkinson, Michael Clayton 5 to 1
Casey Affleck, Jesse James 6 to 1
Hal Holbrook, Into the Wild 10 to 1
J.K. Simmons, Juno 25 to 1
Javier Bardem wins; the others fill out the dance card.

Race 3, Best Actress
Ellen Page, Juno EVEN
Julie Christie, Away From Her EVEN
Marion Cotillard, La Vie en Rose 2 to 1
Angelina Jolie, A Mighty Heart 7 to 1
Laura Linney, The Savages 12 to 1
Keri Russell, Waitress 18 to 1
I’d love to see Page win it, but it will be a fight between Cotillard (she deserves it) and Christie. Keri Russell’s acclaim peaked too early.

Race 4, Best Actor
Daniel Day-Lewis, There Will Be Blood EVEN
George Clooney, Michael Clayton 2 to 1
Viggo Mortensen, Eastern Promises 6 to 1
Tommy Lee Jones, In the Valley of Elah 10 to 1
Josh Brolin, No Country For Old Men 15 to 1
Emile Hirsch, Into the Wild 30 to 1
Chris Cooper, Breach 50 to 1
No Johnny Depp. I stand by that omission. Day-Lewis is hot right now, Clooney was great and is an Oscar favorite, Viggo is a make-up nod for not getting a nomination for A History of Violence. Brolin deserves it but is a longshot; Chris Cooper’s movie came out a year ago.

Race 5, Best Director
Joel and Ethan Coen, No Country for Old Men 5 to 2
Paul Thomas Anderson, There Will Be Blood EVEN
Tony Gilroy, Michael Clayton 9 to 1
Sean Penn, Into the Wild 10 to 1
Sidney Lumet, Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead 15 to 1
Jason Reitman, Juno 18 to 1
Ben Affleck, Gone Baby Gone 50 to 1
Coens take home the prize but I’d love to see Ben Affleck get recognized for his brilliant work. A Lumet nomination would bring a big smile to my face.

The Oscar Derby, Best Picture
No Country For Old Men 3 to 2
There Will Be Blood 2 to 1
Juno 3 to 1
Michael Clayton 5 to 1
Atonement 8 to 1
Before the Devil Knows Your Dead 25 to 1
Gone Baby Gone 50 to 1
A battle between late-charging There Will Be Blood and No Country For Old Men. Atonement is overrated, Juno will gain just by being nominated and Michael Clayton is an also ran. Gone Baby Gone is not getting enough love; Sidney’s getting plenty of love, but not enough for a best picture nod.
Best Best: Javier Bardem
Longshot Stab: J.K. Simmons

One more quick note. Diablo Cody will earn an original screenplay nom for her great debut script for Juno. The nominees will be announced on the morning news programs this Tuesday, Jan. 22.

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This AP article details yesterday's Casino Control Commission approval regarding Donald Trump's 26-year-old daughter, Ivanka, joining the board of directors of Trump Entertainment Resorts. Pictured: Ivanka Trump (right) with Trump Entertainment Resorts CEO Mark Juliano and his wife Jacqueline at the Taj last October.

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This news release, pertaining to MGM Mirage's grand Atlantic City plans, appeared on CNNMoney.com this morning. Basically, the company has taken steps to apply for the necessary CAFRA permit, "one of the first requirements of all major New Jersey coastal area developments."

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Area casinos are starting to fill in their entertainment schedule for the spring and beyond. For the first year since casinos began operation in Atlantic City, the revenues were down in the year that just ended, 5.7 percent. Don’t feel sorry for the casinos, though; their total revenue was still $4.92 billion.
I bring up the finances because a lot of the entertainers added to the AC schedule recently are not the superstar names we’ve come to expect. There is obviously some belt-tightening going on, even at the jewel in Atlantic City’s crown, Borgata. The Borgata has added a lot more comedians to their slate of entertainers. It’s a talented bunch including Wanda Sykes, Lewis Black, George Carlin and just added, this week, Kathy Griffin (May 31), but comedians are still going to cost less than bands. At some of the other casinos, especially the ones that still cater to Boomers and seniors, newly added headliners include Pat Cooper, Air Supply (Trump Marina); Mickey Rooney, Gary Puckett, Sheena Easton, America, Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis (Resorts); Ricci Martin, The Shirelles, Sinbad, Gino Vannelli, Debbie Reynolds (Hilton); Deborah Gibson, Wayne Newton, Tom Jones (Harrah’s); Jackie Mason (Trop), and Engelbert, Kenny Rogers (Trump Plaza). The House of Blues did just add a superb country artist, Gary Allan (May 9, pictured above), but he is still not in the Trace, Alan or Tim echelon (except in pure talent). These shows are affordable, that’s the good news. For ticket info, visit the Tickemaster site and Borgata site

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If this interview is any indication, Don Rickles will slay ’em in A.C. this weekend.
by Sara Kelly
Widely recognized as the original insult comic, Don Rickles plays three shows this weekend at the Tropicana in Atlantic City. But his act isn’t just for those old enough to remember his glory days. Rickles has become a hipster icon in recent months with the publication of the best-selling Rickles’ Book and the debut of the HBO documentary Mr. Warmth: The Don Rickles Project, which mixed war stories from the old guard (chiefly Rickles co-conspirator Bob Newhart) with tributes from the youngsters (Dave Attell, Chris Rock, Sarah Silverman) who can thank him for making the world safe for put-down comedy—if not so safe in general. See, Rickles has a nasty habit of threatening interviewers’ lives. (All in good fun, of course.) PW risked death recently to speak with him.
For the rest of Sara's interview go to this link: http://www.philadelphiaweekly.com/articles/16182

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A press release from yesterday states that "Dante Hall Theatre of the Arts Announces New Board Members and Officers .... At its first meeting of the new year, the Dante Hall Board of Trustees elected two new members. Mr. Gary Hill, a resident of Atlantic City, and Mr. Pinky Kravitz, also of Atlantic City were elected to one-year terms. At that same meeting, the Board also elected Officers to serve one-year terms, beginning immediately. Elected as President was Mr. Richard J. Grzywinski of Galloway Township, Ms. Kim Butler of Atlantic City was re-elected as Vice-President, Mr. John F. Mirenda of Marmora was re-elected Secretary, and Ms. Peggy Sykes of Atlantic City, was named Treasurer. Both Grzywinski and Sykes previously served as Board members."

Since opening in the Ducktown section of Atlantic City in 2003, Dante Hall has offered a diverse assortment of alternative entertainment to the casino showrooms, hosting everything from local artist showcases and plays to national jazz, opera and dance acts. Next week, the 2007 winner of the the New Jersey State Council on the Arts Literary Artist Fellowship in Playwriting, Jewel Seehaus-Fisher, will have a reading of her play Fanny and Walt at there (Jan. 18, 7pm). The reading will be directed by Gayle Stahlhuth, Artistic Director of The East Lynne Theater Company.

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Trump Taj Mahal has announced that the casino will be opening a new restaurant in partnership with Il Mulino New York, the legendary Italian restaurant. The opening of Il Mulino in A.C. is scheduled to take place in late spring. Il Mulino New York has garnered critical acclaim for more than two decades. The restaurant is inspired by the been ranked the number one Italian restaurant in New York by the Zagat Survey for over two decades.
There will be two separate dining concepts located at the Taj Mahal: Il Mulino New York and Trattoria Il Mulino. Il Mulino New York will offer the traditional white table cloth experience with tuxedo-clad waiters and an extensive list of daily specials with wine recommendations. The Trattoria will offer a more casual dining experience featuring many of the creative fares of Il Mulino New York, along with more traditional pizzas, pastas and lighter dishes.

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I skipped the Sixers game last night because the New Hampshire primaries were a more interesting game on the tube. Hillary really did look more human, and put the Democratic Party on notice that Obama's Iowa win did not mean he was going all the way without a fight. This will make for a very interest next few weeks, especially when New Jersey joins the fray during Tsunami Tuesday on Feb. 5.

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The R. Kelly, Keyshia Cole concert scheduled for this Saturday at Boardwalk Hall has been canceled. Refunds are available at point of purchase.

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I actually took a break from football on Saturday to check out the presidential debates on ABC. After the unexpected results in Iowa, the race is a lot more interesting. First though, enough with the “We need change” rant. Just like a certain commercial, that’s a true “Duh” moment. I know all their handlers (especially Hillary’s) told them to say “change” every other sentence, but enough already! We get it.
I’m a registered democrat and when Barack Obama announced, I thought, "good, he’ll gain experience for his next attempt at the nomination." Iowa really changed that. His time might be now, so much so that Hillary and Bill are running scared. That said, both Obama and Ms. Clinton aquitted themselves well at the debate. So did John Edwards but despite is second place in Iowa, he’s going nowhere. Yes, I’m going to bring up the “e” word, experience. Obama does need more seasoning, but after seven years of Bush, Jr., experience isn’t looking like such as important factor. He sure as hell didn’t improve with more experience in the job that he stole in 2000 with those hanging chads in Florida. Maybe on the job training would be better than a seasoned politician who knows where to obtain all the money from special interests and returns the favors. My only concern would be whether he can he win; we can’t be stuck with a Republican again. This really has turned into a race; maybe New Jersey’s participation in the Meet The Press-coined "Tsunami Tuesday" is relevant now.
Stay tuned America.
P.S. How did Ron Paul get elected as a Republican?

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Clockwise: Atlantic County Executive Dennis Levinson, wife Patsy and Birthday Boy Gary Hill; Gary Hill, Mr. & Mrs. Patrick Mc Koy, Councilman John Schultz and Attorney Phillip Perskie Esq.; Mr. & Mrs. Jack Plackter Esq.with Gary Hill; Patti and George Siganos with Honoree Gary Hill.
Photos: Nick Valinote.
Gary Hill turned 50 and his Partner, AC Councilman John Schultz threw him an outrageous birthday party at the Trump Taj Mahal. With over 350 of his closest friends in attendance. It is not every day that Mayor Scott Evans of Atlantic City attends an event along with former Mayor Bob Levy. Levy has a bit part at the closing of a “just for fun” video about Gary. In his cameo appearance, the former mayor says, “I wasn’t missing, I was hiding from Gary because he always wants me to help his many charities. Gary is on a large number of boards and has helped many local civic organizaions. He and John Schultz have formed The Schultz-Hill Foundation and the very active local community organization, The MBCA.
Here's a link to the photos from Gary's 50th Birthday Party.
http://www.shutterfly.com/pro/Valinote/Events/GaryHill50th

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Clockwise: Phyllis Lacca with AC Mayor Scott Evans; Phyllis Lacca with Montgomery Dahm; ACCVA Exceutive Director, Jeffrey Vassar with his wife, Angie; Michelee Trageser, Phyllis Lacca, Micael Trageser, LuAnn Fetchko. Photos: Nick Valinote.
Masterpiece Advertising continued their infamous reputation for exclusive holiday extravaganza again this year with The Count of Masterpiece Masquerade party. The count and countesses of Masterpiece Advertising Design indulged their guests on with an evening of elegance, excitement and entertainment at Girasole Restaurant.
The theme of Masquerade Magnificence filled the atmosphere with all the grandeur and mystery of a Masterpiece holiday soiree. In typical Masterpiece fashion, the party guest list was complete with celebrities, politicians, sports figures and musicians.
Link to more photos of the Masteripece 12.14.07 Xmas Party 2007 – Masquerade Party:
http://www.masterpieceadvertising.com/Flash/MAD_photos.html

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Since I announced my top ten flicks for 2007 in this week's issue of Atlantic City Weekly, I wondered what other people in the blog-esphere thought were the top films of the year.

Here is the Moviejunkie’s Top 10 of 2007
(in alphabetical order; pictured are Ellen Page and Michael Cera from Juno)

• Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead
• Bourne Ultimatum
• Gone Baby Gone
• Grindhouse
• Juno
• Knocked Up
• The Lives of Others
• The Lookout
• No Country For Old Men
• Waitress

For my story go here.
Do you agree with some of my choices?
Do you disagree strongly?
Either way, I'd love to hear from you. You can either comment on this blog, or e-mail me your list to lhoffman@acweekly.com

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Fitness centers love when January rolls around. That’s when guilt-ridden Americans rush to sign up at the gym, determined to make good on a New Year’s resolution to lose weight. The first step is dropping the 10 pounds gained over the holidays. January 2 is equal to Black Friday when it comes to the fitness industry.
I bring this up because I am still in the lapband surgery phase known as “bandster’s hell.” Last February, when I put on 15 pounds and saw when I looked like, I decided it was time to consider weight loss surgery.

By May I was seeing a doctor and beginning a three- month pre-surgery weight loss program. On October 18 I had the lapband surgery. The theory behind the procedure is that a small pouch is created at the top of the stomach. When that pouch is filled with a small amount of food, you brain gets the signal that you are full. However, to get that feeling of restriction, you need your lapband to be inflated with saline. When the doc puts the saline in the band it is called a fill.
I was still hungry when I recovered from the surgery, although I had lost about 35 pounds total. After I had my first fill on Nov. 27, I was hoping that would do the trick. No such luck; I have regained 10 pounds over the holidays. While still hoping my second fill on January 8 helps curb my appetite as promised, I made a preemptive strike — I signed up at the local gym on Dec. 17. At the moment I am keeping the weight gain at bay at the gym while watching NBC’s The Biggest Loser all the way through, not just the weigh-ins. I’m hoping for some exercise pointers.
I’m trying to stay positive but I need for this surgery to work and so far it isn’t doing the trick. Patience is an emotion that comes and goes with me and right now it is on vacation.

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