Recently there was online trend of naming your "hear me out" crush: a fictional character who for some ungodly reason you find irresistible. And they needn't be 3D, you can also have a crush on a cartoon! Some of my "hear me outs" include Uncle Junior from The Sopranos , along with Riff Raff from The Rocky Horror Picture Show . I can't explain it but they're both like cat nip to me. This is SAFE SPACE, Peckers! So please don't be shy and share your most unhinged fictional crushes in the comments.

The Christmas tree - most of us throw some version of it up around this time. Decorated with lights, tinsil, and whatever other merry little thing that catches our eye, some might say how we adorn it mirrors how we adorn our own lives - and as how we live evolves, so is reflected in the way we decorate our tree. So in honor of the past and old traditions (the good kind), let's take a little jaunt down memory lane and have a look at a few vintage trees of yesteryear! Feel free to post your own, too!

 

'Tis the season and if there's anything I love more than museums (especially historic house museums) it's Yuletide and all the decorations associated with it. So here's some scattered across the U.S. of A. (all pictures taken from the accredited websites).  In Detroit, Michigan : The Edsel and Eleanor Ford House. In Fresno,  The Kearney Mansion :  The Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC , with its spectacular Hanukkah Menorah: Also in NYC, The Merchant House Museum (the most perfectly preserved Greek-Revival townhouse in the country), decorated for the season. You can even attend readings of "A Christmas Carol." A Christmas Carol 2025 - Christmas in New York 2025 ! A nd just because the backstory of this amazing old house is so fascinating, a little history about it. In Connecticut: The Bush-Holley House. In North Carolina: The Biltmore Estate. In Duluth, Minnesota (the home State of Sir Nubs): Glensheen House. There's a few historic homes near me that get...

Credit: Getty Here are Rihanna and A$AP Rocky on the red carpet at the 35th annual Gotham Awards last night. Rocky was sporting Chanel and Rihanna wore Balenciaga.  Now, look. Riri is beautiful and she has a long history of bold and interesting fashion choices. But sometimes I have to wonder WTF she is thinking when she wears some of these ensembles. For something so baggy, this still looks very uncomfortable. And don't even get me started on the feather hat. What do you think of this look, Peckers? 

Greetings, music trollops, and welcome to another edition of Manor Music Monday. Are you still bloated from the holidays? Do you just want to kick back and drink and chillax with a jazz songstress who knows her stuff and can whisk you away to Happyville? Then pay a visit to "Apres Holiday Boink-Boink," the Manor's exclusive pop-up lounge and donut eatery. Tonight only, DJ Li'l Scratch will be playing tunes by a cult songstress prized by jazz aficionados worldwide.  Presenting the delightfully named Dodo Greene. She's been forgotten by many, but give a listen: her voice is at once jazzy and bluesy and rock 'n' roll. She almost defies categorization, what with her husky, rhythmic, and always emotive, vocal delivery. In other words, she's an astonishing original. And if that's not worth celebrating, then I don't know what is. Born in Buffalo, New York in the early 1920s, she first turned heads while singing as a tween in her church choir, quickly ...

You guys, stop it! Just yesterday, Arianna Grande told us all to "be really careful" (and no doubt "mindful"), and stop talking about the obvious - that she and Cynthia Erivo are vanishing before our eyes, much like, eons ago, Calista Flockhart and Lara Flynn Boyle were turning into skeletor swizzle sticks. I know you remember.  Only now it's coming to us with a giant heap of "non-demi curious semi-binary" nonsense, which I suppose is the kEwL KiDs way to say, "We're really good friends but don't finger-bang." Or do they? Grande, according to an actual press release on the matter, recently revealed "why she and Erivo like to 'touch each other' so much, explaining that she likes to 'channel support' and 'energy' through her hands...." Honestly, I don't know if these two gals have an eating disorder or not - though if it looks like size double zero, it usually is - but I will definitely be happy whe...

  Reddit user redditdanis shared a screenshot of their breakfast bill from a stay at the Cosmopolitan hotel in Las Vegas. I can't decide what's worse: the $40 breakfast consisting of one (1) egg, the gratuity AND tip being added, or the nebulous $10 service charge. Now people don't go to Vegas to save money, we know this. But many people commented on the fact that Vegas used to offer cheap food as a means of attracting people to the strip so they'd gamble more. It seems the tides have turned and less people travel to the destination every year, so the ones who do are squeezed for every penny. Have you ever been to Vegas, Peckers? Would you go now if you could?

Get strapped and gird your loins, hookers - it's Black Friday! Me? I'll be staying in and nursing my post-gluttonous turkey hangover, wishing all you brave, adventurous hors good luck. I'm curious, though - what's the best Black Friday deal you've ever gotten? And do you have a harrowing Black Friday story you'd like to share?

  If you're American, Happy Thanksgiving. Or as call it, my excuse to wear elastic pants so I can stuff my face. For those of us over the age of 50, the image above will bring back fond memories of simpler times: TV trays, green shag carpet, and parents yelling at you to change the channel because YOU were the remote control. At least I was in my house.  From all of us at PW Manor, thank you for making this little corner of the internet a fun and zany  place to hang out, talk celeb trash, and occasionally do long division.       Happy Thanksgiving!  

Is there anything better than driving a mint-new car off the lot and right into your own breezeway? I don't think so. Finally you've got room for your spouse, your kids, your pets and your groceries, all in one vehicle. In 1955 the top movies were "Oklahoma!" (in color and Cinemascope). the under-rated masterpiece "Bride Of The Monster" by Ed Wood, "Lady And The Tramp" (not a biopic of Lana Turner, all rumors to the contrary) as well as the most critically acclaimed and financially successful film of all time, "Female On The Beach." Also, "Rock Around The Clock" topped the radio charts that year, and it later served as the intro for "Happy Days." So put your glad rags on and join us, hon, we're gonna have some fun 'til the clock strikes one! Photo Credit: AK

Credit: Noah Fecks/Food & Wine While we Canadian Peckers already got our fill of turkey back in October, our neighbours to the South are celebrating the holiday this week. Naturally I am seeing a lot of recipes crop up for the beloved classic dishes like turkey, stuffing, pies, green bean casserole, sweet potato casserole, rolls, etc. But I have noticed that mac and cheese appears to be a popular dish for the holiday. After doing some research, it appears to be a common Southern tradition, with the dish becoming more ubiquitous in the Northern states as people moved around the country.  So, Peckers who celebrate Thanksgiving, do you enjoy an ooey gooey scoop of mac and cheese on your dinner plate? If so, what recipe do you enjoy? The last few years I have seen Tini's mac and cheese recipe be named one of the best of all time. Anything that involves 2.5lbs of cheese is bound to be good in my books. Gobble gobble! 

Welcome, Manor music sluts, to another edition of Manor Music Monday! And happy Almost-Turkey-Day for those of you in The Land of the Free (ish). Are you getting your playlists ready for your Turkey Day gathering? Me, too. And I'm avoiding Christmas tunes, thankyouverymuch, because we'll all get enough of that in the coming weeks. Why not create a playlist with all your jazz favorites - just like DJ Li'l Scratch is doing. Trust me, even tots, tweens and teenagers will like jazz when introduced to it. Besides, haven't they listened to enough Cynthia and Arianna?  Meanwhile, if the picture above doesn't say "sizzle," then I don't know what does. Behold Sallie Blair, a red-hot jazz chanteuse in the 1950s and early 60s who never attained big-time stardom. Why, you ask? Once again, the rise of rock 'n' roll obliterated her and many other mainstream jazz artists from radio playlists, leaving her to record only a few LPs, score some TV gigs, and dazzl...

Wheeeeeee! Let's play a game! Post a picture of someone whom you believe is unduly popular and well-paid given their wee amount of talent. And it doesn't even have to be showbiz peeps, though so many are richly deserving. I'll go first. Drumroll, please.  Tim Cook. Sure, Steve Jobs was a diffy act to follow, but besides fattening the pockets of Apple's shareholders, Cook's talents appear to be minimal, even diminutive, unless you consider this  the work of a talented mind. Word on the street is that he'll retire in the coming year, which can't come too soon for many who believe that hobnobbing with terrorists  - who would otherwise be quite happy to imprison or kill his talent-free gay ass - is just tackiness.  Okay, your turn. Ready? Go! Photo Credits: Funkipedia, Getty Images

Credit: Michelle Obama on Instagram Michelle Obama shared a striking photo of herself on Instagram, captured by Annie Liebovitz. She's sporting a rare, more casual look complete with a serene face and flowing long hair. Liebovitz's signature moody lighting and background gives the photo a more intimate feeling.  The 61-year old former First Lady posted the image in honour of the new edition of Liebovitz's book, Women . In her caption, Obama praised the book for expanding how we see women and the lives they lead through her lens. The new edition of Women hit shelves on November 4th. Source: USA Today

Hors! It's Friday again (hooray!) - the perfect occasion to have a look at some lovely photos of a young Julie Andrews practicing ballet with her aunt, Joan Wells, in 1954. Enjoy! Bonus: Did you spot the Good Boi and Feline Friend who joined them?

  Kris Jenner - momager, connoisseur of plastic surgery, IG filter hag, and Z-list celeb shows us how to make pie crust.  (while getting what she deserves)      

There's just something about B&W photography that pulls you in. It's like the absence of color frees us to appreciate the contrast of light and dark and varying textures. My phone's Gurgle alerts randomly show me all sorts of fun, sometimes odd, but usually fascinating links to click on about art, history, politics and local news. Recently, it showed me THIS ONE.  I've occasionally turned color photographs to B&W on IG and it really switches things up. Like this one, which is on the road leading down to the beach near me: The only thing that's never in shades of gray is this simple fact: this is Open Post and all color schemes are welcome. Have fun, darlings! Photos: via 123clicks