The HAMPTON Report

Britain’s Turner Prize prides itself on whipping up the art world’s equivalent of a storm each year with exhibits that are often designed to shock and upset. The only shock this time around, it seems, is that there is no shock.

Sure, Cathy Wilkes has a mannequin sitting cross-legged on a toilet as part of her installation, but critics are saying that that’s about as close as the four shortlisted artists come to anything like controversy. Let’s not forget, the annual award has been won recently by a man in a bear suit, a shed-cum-boat-cum-shed and an empty room in which the lights go on and off.

“Turn up, tune in and drop off,” writes Times art critic Rachel Campbell-Johnston. She likens the experience of seeing the Turner Prize exhibition at London’s Tate Britain gallery to the returns desk at Ikea on a Monday morning: “Lots of frustrated people will be left staring at a pile of inscrutable junk.”

Richard Dorment in the Telegraph is also underwhelmed. “Who cares who wins?” his piece is titled, and opens with a description of all four artists’ work as “technically competent, bland and ultimately empty art made specifically for international biennales.”

But at least someone liked the show. Adrian Searle in the Guardian wrote: “There’s a depth and complexity here that, it would be nice to think, might overtake the usual chat about winners and losers.”

Frances McDormand, Alec Baldwin and Jacqueline Bisset are among the bold-faced names expected to appear at this year’s Hamptons International Film Festival, running Oct. 15 through 19.

A new university study financed by the Sugar Association is likely to fuel questions about the relationship between the private sector and academia.

Gwyneth Paltrow might be wishing she had never ventured into the world of online lifestyle advice.

Her new site, goop.com, has irritated commentators on both sides of the Atlantic who say that the pearls of wisdom she shares with us are, at best, rather general, and at worst downright smug.

“My life is good because I am not passive about it,” writes the Hollywood star in her mission statement. “I want to nourish what is real, and I want to do it without wasting time.”

Elizabeth Renzetti wrote in the Globe and Mail: ”Why is it called Goop? Perhaps ‘Any Old Load of Rubbish’ and ‘Learn From Me, Ungrateful Peasant’ were both taken.

“In essence, Gwyneth would like to reach down from her aerie in north London and show you how to live, and shop, meaningfully,” she continues. ”Except that the point is completely moot: You and I will never be six-foot tall blonde goddesses constructed entirely of lentils and self-righteousness.”

Maria Russo of the Los Angeles Times criticizes not only the content, but the format of the new site, which is on the web in preview form. Click on the six sections (make, go, get, do, be, see) and you get the same statement from Ms. Paltrow.

“It’s not just that apparently no one wants to take life direction from the girl who has it all,” writes Russo. “There are also some more basic technical problems, starting with the layout of the two-page site. It’s not clear why she bothered to put it up with so little content. It feels like something that won an award for Web design in 1998.”

Perhaps Paltrow and her team should be given more time to develop the site before the critics weigh in. Trouble is, in this day and age noone seems willing to wait.

Recently I went to the Hampton Classic, a very famous horse-jumping show, with Hamptons magazine publisher Jason Binn. Everybody was there: Kelly Klein, Calvin Klein, Rick and Kathy Hilton-all the socialites. Georgina Bloomberg, the mayor’s daughter, rode in the competition and she did a fabulous job. My kids know her. She’s just a young, sporty woman going after what she likes. Somehow I …

The Hamptons International Film Festival unveiled its slate Friday afternoon, for its 16th annual event taking place October 15 - 19 on Long Island, New York’s east end.

It’s that time again. The Kaplan LSAT prep books are closing, and would-be law students are fretting. The LSAT begins the journey to courtrooms, legal documents, “Your honor, I object,” and the requisite six-figure salary that has become hearsay evidence more than actual fact.

The Treasury was always intended to be at the heart of the American government. George Washington’s first Cabinet appointment was his treasury secretary. The Treasury building is connected to the White House by an underground tunnel.

Okay. My best friend and this guy, Adam were going out. And me and Adam were really, really, really good friends at that point. We were so close we were practically brother and sister. Soon, there was nothing there between my BFF and Adam, and Adam ended it. And then me and Adam stopped talking (he lives in the city and we live on the East End of Long Island). And i got mad at him for some reason and he threw one of my deep, dark secrets up in my face.

yesterday night, I met up with him at a party with my other best friend. We talked it out, and i heard his side of the breakup. We talked and sat next to each other and at the end of the night, he hugged me. Now, i want to pick up from where we left off and be close again. I really like him. And all day today, i couldn’t help but think about him. He text-ed me today (he’s in the Hamptons all this week because he goes to a Jewish school in NYC) and asked me to come into town. I couldn’t because i had to go to church.

but anyway, i really want to tell him I missed him. He’s an emotional kind of guy who wont get freaked by that stuff. But still, should i wait until he decides to get close to me again with all the i miss you and i love you crap or should i?

Nut cake, kugel and more Jewish tidbits.