Diet Coke...Official Drink of Copacabana

Happy Birthday Diet Coke! This year the official drink of Copacabana turns 25. Here is to 25 more years!

Covering Your Assets

Covering your assets with two of my favorites - hot jeans and hot boys! Yum!

Penguin Packing

Chez Copa, Va. - After a whirlwind soiree hosted by the lovely ladies of la Copacabana that only can be described as the WHITE PARTY, hosts and special guests retired to the terrace to swap tall tinis and grand tales.

Among the swirling cocktails, the story that we continue to retell is Bennett's Penguin story; a tall tale, but remarkably probable. So I did a little research, the result?

I also found another version of the story; apparently we were the only fish out of water on this one.

Rock, Paper, Diamonds?

Check out Nicole Kidman in a new Nintendo DS ad. Yeah, that's right... Nintendo.

How Famous is George Clooney?

Really uber famous.

John Krasinski, aka Jim Halpert from NBC's The Office, was recently on Conan and told a very funny story about a crazy George Clooney fan. Now I'm not positive how any of us would have reacted, but it might be somewhere along the lines of the woman in this particular story. Enjoy!

Refrigerator's Next Top Bottle

Seriously! The wonderful makers of Wishbone Salad Spritzers and I Can't Believe it's Not Butter Spray have come out with a serious of webisodes about, you guessed it, Spraychel & Spritzy!

On top of that there are some very notable guest characters. Including: Mark McGrath as Spraychel's older brother, Tim Gunn playing the host of Refrigerator's Next Top Bottle, and Fabio as an ear of corn.

Check out this week's video!


Check out Sprays in the City for more of the series!

You're a Virgin Who Can't Drive...

and I'm an idiot who can't spell. The problem with getting emails sent out to members every time there is a new post has now been officially resolved. The problem? I entitled our Google Group "Copcabana" instead of "Copacabana"... and that "a" was definitely important.

All is fixed, enjoy the new email every time a post is made now!

Where Fabulous Lives!

The Hillwood Museum & Gardens is having a picnic (complete with a Doris Day look-alike contest) and a special screening of Pillow Talk!

When I went to the website, the headline next to their logo read "Where Fabulous Lives" and I thought that it was a great match for Copacabana, being quite fabulous ourselves.

Here is the event information:

Gates open at 6 pm; Movie begins at 8:15 pm
Pillow Talk Outdoor Screening
Co-hosted by Hillwood, One in Ten, and the DC GLBT (gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender) Center

Enjoy picnicking on the Lunar Lawn and an outdoor screening of Pillow Talk, the Academy Award-winning classic film starring Rock Hudson, Doris Day and Tony Randall with costumes by Hollywood designer Jean Louis.

Tour the mansion and gardens, or pick your picnic spot, starting at 6 pm. Be sure to visit the motor court to see a 1960 Chrysler Imperial – similar to the car Tony Randall drives in Pillow Talk – on display from Straight Eights, the Baltimore-Washington DC chapter of Lambda Car Club International, America's largest organization for Gay and Lesbian car enthusiasts.

The evening’s festivities get underway at 7:15 with the “Best Picnic Spread” contest. At 7:45 the Doris Day look-alike contest begins. Our guest judges include Darlene Nipper, former Director of the Mayor’s Office of LGBT Affairs and Capital Pride Hero for 2007, Greg Link, owner of home-furnishings boutique Home Rule, Howard Kurtz, Hillwood’s Assistant Curator of Costumes and Textiles, Amanda Weaver, dcist.com "eating in" column writer, and Adam Bailey, dcist.com food editor.

Contest prizes include gifts from the Hillwood Museum Shop, exquisite floral arrangements from the Hillwood’s gardens, and a Tylenol PM "Dream Bed Set"!

The main event – a screening of Pillow Talk – starts at 8:15 pm. Pillow Talk received five Academy Award nominations, including Best Actress (Doris Day), Best Supporting Actress (Thelma Ritter), Best Music, and Best Art Direction. It won the Academy Award for Best Writing, Story or Screenplay.

Special thanks to Tylenol PM, Hillwood’s GLBT Advisory Committee, Burgundy Crescent Volunteers, Straight Eights Car Club, and Lambda Rising Bookstores.

$15; $10 visitors under 18 – includes film and self-guided touring of Mansion and gardens
To reserve a ticket, call Hillwood at 202-686-5807.

And the Republicans Thought Kerry was a Flip Flopper

N.Y. Mayor Bloomberg Leaves GOP
Move Fuels Speculation About Independent Bid for the White House

By Michael D. Shear
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, June 20, 2007; A01

New York Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg abruptly left the Republican Party yesterday, declaring himself free of a "rigid adherence" to ideology and stoking speculation that he will use his multibillion-dollar fortune to mount an independent bid for the White House.

The founder of the Bloomberg financial media empire has repeatedly denied interest in the presidency. At a technology conference yesterday in which he attacked partisanship in Washington, he said: "I plan to be mayor for the next 926 days." But he has refused to rule out a run for the presidency, even discussing the possibility privately with close advisers and beginning to travel around the country, including a trip to the home of the nation's first primary, New Hampshire.

In a statement posted on the official Web site of New York City late yesterday, Bloomberg said that his plans "haven't changed" and that abandoning the Republican banner will better reflect his approach to governance. Bloomberg was a longtime Democrat before shifting his allegiance to the GOP before his first mayoral run in 2001.

"Any successful elected executive knows that real results are more important than partisan battles and that good ideas should take precedence over rigid adherence to any particular political ideology," the statement said. "Working together, there's no limit to what we can do."

Bloomberg, 65, is in a position to spend more than any candidate has ever spent in a presidential campaign. Forbes magazine lists his net worth at $5.5 billion, although estimates run as high as $20 billion. Bloomberg has reportedly told those closest to him that he would spend as much as half a billion dollars if he ran for the presidency, while some reports have suggested that he could spend double that amount.

That would be 10 times what businessman Ross Perot spent in 1992, when he captured 19 percent of the popular vote. In his 2005 reelection campaign, Bloomberg spent $85 million, four times what his Democratic opponent spent.

Al Sharpton, a fellow New Yorker and former Democratic presidential candidate, likened Bloomberg's decision to the often mysterious ways of teenage romance.

"A girl in high school catches you looking at her and she starts wearing nice dresses," Sharpton said. "It doesn't mean she's going to date you. But she's at least teasing you, so it really increases your hope. This is a serious tease."

Asked whether he would endorse Bloomberg if he ran, Sharpton said: "I'm not saying I would necessarily endorse him. But I wouldn't rule it out either."

Bloomberg was in California yesterday for an afternoon speech and later held a series of private meetings, a spokesman in his New York office said. On Monday, he gave a speech at the Northern California headquarters of Google, where he playfully batted away questions about a presidential candidacy.

At the Google event, he declined to comment on reports that he had privately discussed a possible presidential campaign with former senator David L. Boren (D-Okla.).

None of the representatives of the major presidential candidates would comment yesterday. But political strategists said the mayor's announcement will force the leading Republican and Democratic candidates to reassess their strategies.

"Now both parties will have to address what a Bloomberg candidacy means for them," said New York-based Democratic consultant Hank Sheinkopf. He said Bloomberg's success as a businessman and mayor could offer voters a starkly different alternative to the major parties. "What he may represent is a break from both political parties."

One consultant predicted that a Bloomberg candidacy could hurt the Republicans, including Bloomberg's predecessor, former New York mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani. "The market for billionaire businessmen is basically with soft Republican voters, and so he is likely to help the Democrats if he runs," the consultant said.

Others have suggested Bloomberg will appeal to independent voters who backed Democrats in droves in the 2006 midterm elections.

Former New York governor Mario M. Cuomo, who famously considered and then ruled out a presidential bid of his own, speculated that Bloomberg might make a different choice than he did. "The only explanation I can think of is to make it more possible for him to run for president," Cuomo said of the mayor's announcement. "He doesn't want to be the governor; he can't be the mayor again; he's too young to be retired; he doesn't need to work at making a living; he is good at public service -- no, he's excellent at public service -- and so I'm sure he would enjoy being president."

The announcement takes Bloomberg a significant step closer to an independent run. But those familiar with his thinking say no decision is likely before early next year, after it becomes clear whom the two major-party candidates are going to be.

His advisers say he is likely to jump in only if a series of factors align properly: general dissatisfaction in the country, a willingness to vote for an independent, and the relative standing of the two candidates chosen by the major political parties early next year.

Recent polls show that 70 percent of Americans or more say the country is off track. That creates a climate that some Bloomberg associates believe makes an independent candidacy more viable.

But if one or both major-party nominees emerge from the primaries with solid approval ratings, Bloomberg might not be tempted to run. And if Giuliani wins the Republican nomination, Bloomberg and his advisers believe that it will be difficult for another New York mayor to put himself forward, to say nothing of the possibility that Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton could win the Democratic nomination and add another New Yorker to the mix.

"This is another way to just continue the speculation and to test it," Sheinkopf said. "This is another trial balloon. And if it doesn't blow up, you'll see another trial balloon."

As daunting as the prospects are for any third-party candidate, including the challenge of getting on the ballot in all 50 states, Bloomberg associates think he could run a non-ideological campaign built around the theme of competence and unity.

To do that, he could offer himself as a candidate to a group called Unity 08, which will hold a citizens convention in July 2008 to pick a blended ticket that could include an independent, a Republican or a Democrat. One rumored -- or perhaps wished-for -- ticket would pair Bloomberg with maverick GOP Sen. Chuck Hagel of Nebraska.

"The mayor's move is certainly consistent with the notion of what we're tying to do," said Doug Bailey, the co-founder of Unity 08. "The political system is broken. The public knows that. They know also that this is the most important election in their lifetime. They are looking for leadership that can bring the two parties together and solve critical problems before the country."

Staff writers Dan Balz, Anne E. Kornblut and Sonya Geis and political researcher Zachary A. Goldfarb contributed to this report.

Curves in All the Right Places...

I really didn't intend on posting two videos right after each other, but when I found Mika's newest single posted on YouTube today I just could not resist.

I'm a Sucker for the Disney Channel

The new season of Hannah Montana is starting this Sunday! And guess who's back?!? JAKE!

Spay and Neuter Your Quarterback

Television legend Bob Barker is retiring from the Price is Right....and picking up a job at ESPN? Not really but check out this tongue-and-cheek audition video for Sports Center.

In other sports news, Redskins owner Daniel Snyder just bought Dick Clark Productions.

Dancing No Longer Restricted to The End Zone
Jen Richer, 630 WMAL News

Hollywood, Ca. – Professional football Redskins team owner Daniel Snyder dances to a new beat ashe swings in to buy Dick Clark Productions.

Founded in 1957, Dick Clark Productions hit the floor as Dick Clark himself launched the famed “American Bandstand” on ABC.

Today the production company continues to headline entertainment programs such as the “Golden Globes,” the “American Music Awards,” and “So You Think You Can Dance.”

Dick Clark Productions was a publicly traded company until CDP Capital Entertainment and former MGM executive Jules Haimovitz scooped it up for $140 million in 2002, making it a private enterprise.

The two outfits have been tripping over each other since then about where to lead the future of the company. In 2004, CDP finally decided to dance solo, casting Dick Clark Productions to the wall as they wait for a new partner.

Snyder, a businessman seemingly comfortable with all that Tinseltown’s jazz, is currently signed with Tom Cruise and Paula Wagner’s Cruise Wagner Productions for the Teams’ Red Zone.

Snyder presently owns Six Flags and Red Zebra Broadcasting, responsible for managing three ESPN-branded sports radio outlets in DC and Virginia.

So You Think You Can Dance?

Well, they can! Check out Kameron Bink (total hottie) and Lacey Schwimmer doing choreography by Mia Michaels.

You've Got Such a Cute Ass

I wish I had one just like it.

Get yourself a mini donkey. Seriously. These things are too cute! They're only like $900 - $3,000 per donkey. Totally affordable. They only need like an acre to graze in. I bet you could find that kind of space in DC.

And they ship worldwide!

Check out www.minidonk.com for more info!

Video Killed the Radio Star...

I must admit, I'm a sucker for a good laser light show. Which is why I'm so excited that this Wednesday is Day 1 of the first of five Colonial Inaugurations this summer.

The only downside to CI is that amidst the singing of the GW Fight Song, the plethora of free food, dancing CI Cabinet members, hysterical skits, and, of course, the famous laser light show, is that there will also be hoards of incoming freshmen.

What's worse? The students at CI #1 are still in high school. Yeah, that's right... they haven't even graduated yet. There is an old CI quip about students in CI #1, and although I can't remember it verbatim, it's still pretty funny. It was something about how students at CI #5 were probably there because it was the last one open and they most likely forgot to register on time. And the students at CI #1 registered the day registration opened, were mostly early admissions students, and probably came to DC a day or two early just to get ready for CI.

I was a CI #1er. I registered for CI as soon as I could and I came to DC a day early for CI. But I was NOT an early admissions student. Therefore, I'm nothing like those other CI #1ers.

Kind of. But whatever. When we were their age, we all acted like we knew it all. Don't deny it. I know you did. I know everything-- don't forget, I went to the first CI.

But there is an underlying issue here, which you may have already guessed. How do you handle these know-it-all freshmen at CI? The answer, my friend, is very simple. By knowing more. That's right, you have to know more. Why? Because the only thing that can top a know-it-all freshman is a know-it-all older-than-a-freshman.

Yep, and that would be us. We're more worldly and whether they like it or not, it's true. We've been there, done that, bought the t-shirt, wrote the book, executive produced the blockbuster movie, took home the Academy Award, and gave the exclusive behind-the-scenes interviews.

The moral of this story? Well, it's simple. I love CI. And if any incoming freshman tries to one-up me whilst I experience college all over again, I'll just politely smile and nod with an "aww, that's cute" attitude.

Thinking Outside of the Box...er Jar

We need one of these at the house!

Size Does Matter

Last week was my first full week of work. Fun, exciting, and tiring. Getting up at 6:15 in the morning and not getting home until 10 sometimes is rough, but definitely worth it.

My family just arrived, so lucky for you, I won't reflect on a week in the big apple and blab on about my longing for Metro and not subway. I'll leave that for later

But, I will leave you with a picture I took. Take what you will from it.

Waterfront Festival

Just one of the many great things to do in the DC-Metro area! I've never been before and it sounds like fun... especially the part about all the restaurants who will be there!

Learn more about the Waterfront Festival: http://www.waterfrontfestival.org

Copa Recommends

Are you looking for a great place to get your hair done? Well on Mandy's recommendation Jen and I hit up Salon Blu in Dupont and it was FABULOUS! David Van Lear and the other stylists/ guests are hysterical! We had a great time there and the service was exceptional. Visit them online at: http://www.salonbludc.com

And after you get your hair done, hows about a nice waxing? In that case you need to visit Anita at the Ibiza Day Spa (which she also owns). Today was the first time I've met her, but some of the girls have been going to her for years. Check out her website at: http://www.ibizadayspa.com

As we check out more places, you'll see them added to the right under "Copa Recommends"... if you have any suggestions, please let us know!

Fuck Men, it's hard enough to find a good caipirinha these days!

The official drink of Pink Cashmere may be the margarita or the flip flop, but surely the mojito and the caipirinha has made its mark in the copa.....the latter being a fellow brizillian! Below we have found a follower!

Brazil's Cachaca, No Ho-Hum Rum
By Jason WilsonWednesday, June 13, 2007; F05

Until last week, I had no idea that June 12 was National Cachaca Day. Did anyone wish you and yours a Happy National Cachaca Day yesterday? I bet not. I'll go out on a limb and bet that none of your friends and family members even knew about this special day -- unless, of course, they're employed by the particular brand of cachaca that dreamed it up.

That is not surprising. Cocktail geeks aside, if you mention the word "cachaca" to most people, you'll receive a blank stare. What is surprising, though, is that many of the same people will recognize the most famous drink made with cachaca: the caipirinha. Yet as the caipirinha's popularity grows, many people still have little idea what fuels it.

Cachaca is essentially Brazilian rum. But instead of the dark, heavy molasses used for many rums, cachaca is made from the juice of the first press of unrefined sugar cane. It's made in pot stills and generally not aged. Cocktail guide author Mittie Hellmich calls it "rum's fiery cousin." Harsher than rum, the average cachaca can deliver a kick similar to that of grappa or aguardente. Cachaca often has a wild edge and a vegetal or smoky finish.

In the past year, a number of premium cachacas have launched with the American market in mind: rounder, smoother cachacas such as Boca Loca, Cuca Fresca, Mae de Ouro and Leblon, which won top cachaca at this year's San Francisco World Spirits Competition. In fact, the largest growth category at the competition was cachaca. Introduced in 2006 with only three entries, the cachaca category grew to 16 entries in 2007, as many as the number in the gin category. For me, though, the jury is still out on whether premium cachaca adds enough to justify the extra expense over the mass-produced brands such as Pitú.

In Brazil, of course, the spirit is a part of everyday life and represents 80 percent of the country's spirit sales. "It's really a workhorse. It's very versatile," says Paulo Rosolem, export sales manager for Cachaca 61. The Cachaca 61 brand, incidentally, should not be confused with another widely available brand, Cachaca 51. Apparently, it's common in Brazil for a company to number its cachaca (usually the year of the brand's origin). There is also a Cachaca 69 and a Cachaca 71.

But how versatile is it? I enjoy a caipirinha very much. Of all the ubiquitous cocktails -- the Cosmopolitan, the mojito, the Appletini -- it's the only one that feels like a good, stiff drink. It has a simple formula: Cut one lime into wedges and muddle it together with two teaspoons of sugar in a medium glass; add 1 1/2 ounces of cachaca and crushed ice; stir vigorously. As with all classic drinks that have a simple formula, there are endlessly debatable variations. Do you cut the lime into four or eight wedges? Do you use turbinado sugar? How much do you crush the ice?
The caipirinha has led me on a search for other good drinks to make with cachaca. Not as easy as it sounds.

Case in point: I was recently at Lima, the South American-theme spot on K Street downtown, and ordered a caipirinha. As I watched the bartender dutifully muddle the lime and sugar, then add the requisite cachaca, I asked him a question: Besides making caipirinhas, what else can you do with cachaca?

He looked up from his muddling, stared at me vacantly for a moment, then shrugged. "I don't think there's really anything else," he said. "You don't really want to drink this stuff by itself."

With a little bit of experimenting, however, I've found that cachaca's bite and wildness make it an excellent mixer with fresh fruit juices. For instance, Cafe Atlantico in Penn Quarter makes a delicious caipirinha variation with crushed pineapple. Rosolem also suggests a batida, a traditional Brazilian drink with many variations involving fruit juice and coconut milk or condensed milk that can be blended or shaken.

Cachaca especially can stand up to tropicals such as passion fruit, mango or guava -- perhaps even better than rum -- adding balance to the syrupy sweetness.
As Hellmich writes: "Although they say you can power a Ford Fairlane with cachaca, I'd rather fuel a daiquiri with it."

Jason Wilson's Spirits column appears every other week. He can be reached atfood@washpost.com.

OOOOOH Baby!

Here it is folks! It was driving me nuts but I had my breakthrough synapse moment - neurons connected and I remembered the song! Ugh and what a classic it is! Doesn't it just make you wanna grab someone and dance!?!

Oh, Beautiful Girls...

Check out the Copacabana's Official Song of Summer - "Beautiful Girls" by Sean Kingston.

The song just came out and so there isn't a video yet, but if you press play below you can (at the very least) enjoy our new favorite song!

Screen on the Green!

This year's Screen on the Green lineup has been posted!

• Annie Hall, 7/16
• The Thing (from Another World), 7/23
• Wait Until Dark, 7/30
• All the King's Men, 8/6
• Casablanca, 8/13

WHERE: The screen is located off of Constitution Avenue, between 4th & 7th Streets. (Click here for a map)

WHEN: Mondays at sunset (around 8PM). Movies play on except in extreme weather, and there are NO rain days. For updates call 877-262-5866.

ARRIVE EARLY! Moviegoers start staking out their spots as early as 5PM.

TAKE THE METRO: The Smithsonian stop (blue/orange lines) is the closest.

WHAT TO BRING: Blankets, snacks, beverages, umbrellas, bug spray, warm clothes.

WHAT NOT TO BRING: Tall chairs, alcohol.

It's a Community Service

...And now a t-shirt. Buy it online at the Gawker Shop

Do you Eavesdrop?

From a June 7th post on EavesdropDC...

News Flash: Mount Rushmore isn't on the Mall either.

Tourist: "Excuse me, can you tell me where the Liberty Bell is?"

National Archives Worker: "Umm...Philadelphia."

--National Archives

I'm So Sexy, Justin Brought Me Back FIVE Times...

I HEART Barats and Bereta

But Pearl Just Wants to Get Her Drink On...

Ruby Ruby Ruby!

Jen drove me home the other day after we went to a promo showing of Ocean's Thirteen (btw, great film!) anyway, this song came on and we both really enjoyed it but couldn't figure out who sings it. I did some lyric searching online and found out that the song is called "Ruby" by the Kaiser Chiefs. The video for it isn't that spectacular, but the song is good... so I'm posting the video for your listening enjoyment.

Caribou Assault Team 5 eXtreme

I just designed a logo for my summer softball team and yes, it's true, our team name is... Caribou Assault Team 5 eXtreme

Don't blame me- I had nothing to do with the naming. I do, however, greatly enjoy the fact that I made a logo containing caribou (yep, Rudolph's kin) with AK-47 assault rifles on their backs. At least, I think they're AK-47s... they could be M-16s, but whatever.

Check out our logo...

Women in Art

The Copacabana has a fine love of art and we hope that you will all appreciate the following video.

The White Party

White is the New Hot...
As the summer unfolds at
the Copacabana.

Dust off those linen suits, those fabulous white dresses,
and your favorite white cashmere tops.

Cause you're invited to
THE WHITE PARTY
at the Copacabana.

When in Copa, don your whites... or nothing at all!

The party that Lindsey and Paris are dying to get into,
but are too busy stuck behind bars to attend!

The Legendary Ladies of Copacabana are fresh
out of college so have your favorite white bevies
in tote and white mixers will be provided.

The party starts at 3pm, but will go all night!

Unlike P. Diddy's blanco bash,
this is non-exclusive; all are welcome!


Directions to the Copacabana
2000 S. Eads Street, Apt 1215
- via metro -
-Take the Blue or Yellow line to the Crystal City Metro Station
-Exit the station using the main escalators
-Once at street level, head to the left towards 19th Street
-Make a right onto 19th Street
-Make a left onto South Eads Street
-Go down South Eads a block until you get to the 20th Street intersection
-Make a right onto 20th Street and follow the signs for Crystal House II (apartment building on the left)

- for driving directions please use Google Maps -
-There are parking meters on both sides of South Eads Street and along 21st Street

Crystal City

(Lindsey's post from a previous blog)

Well in the spirit of Katie, I will also start with a neighborhood description because I also love my metro stop. I live here in the fabulous Arlington community of Crystal City so named because the first apartment building in the area had a huge crystal chandelier (just a tidbit I found interesting). We are conveniently situated here in walking distance from Pentagon City with the ever important Costco and if you looking closely from our balcony between the other buildings you get a nice view of the airport and the Potomac River. While we do not have a movie theater like Katie's Courthouse we do have a Coldstone Ice-cream where I am already BFF with the servers.

There is lots more to see here so hop on the Blue Line and come and visit!!! You are all welcome anytime!!!

Courthouse

This is the courthouse metro station. Say hi Courthouse... awww, Courthouse is being shy!

Anyway, I love my neighborhood... probably because it seriously the cutest area ever! On the weekends in the morning until around noon there is either an antique market or farmer's market. The food and shops at Clarendon are just a short walk away!

There is a movie theater right when you get out of the metro station... which is very convenient if you, like my roommate and me, love going to the movies whenever we have a chance!

Alright, I'm done with my brief introduction for my neighborhood. I'm sure yours is just as nice... just not as nice as mine. :-)

Welcome to the Copacabana

This is the new and official blog of Copacabana! And if you're wondering who or what Copacabana is, allow me to clarify.

After the ladies and gents of Pink Cashmere went their separate ways post college, there were still a few stragglers left behind. These Pinkies (who will always remain Pinkies) banned together and formed the Copacabana. The name was Lindsey's idea and it stuck.

The official residence of Lindsey, Jen, and Mandy is the Copacabana, which also serves as the main meeting spot for the group.

Why have a blog? Well, we all have lots to say. We're opinionated people, in case you didn't realize. Besides, Adam is away in New York for the summer. And sometimes my multiple group emails can really fill up an inbox. Having a blog seemed like perfect sense... and aren't you excited about it!?

Enjoy the blog, feel free to comment or email us if you have any questions!