Career Builder: Casual Friday

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6 p.m.

So this isn’t a commercial, but the Jay-Z intro is pretty impressive, because drum beats = drama, and have that lovely orchestral backing that scream “Important sports documentary moment.” And it doesn’t involve Diddy, which everything seemed to about five years ago, so all the better.

You know what’s not a Super Bowl commercial but that I love anyway? Those surreally cheesy Bedding Barn ads with the weird dude in the cape and the women in the costumes playing drums and the big red barn they’ve been using since 1987. It’s the most consistent “What that higgity was that?” moment in advertising, and it’s so awful you gotta love it. Read the full story

When I first read that comedian and writer Carol Leifer had written a memoir, I remember thinking "Yes! A book about a celebrity whose life story and body of work actually justify text longer than ‘And then I did something dumb, and then I was in a tabloid, and then I did something else dumb, and then I wrote this book.’ "

Leifer, after all, has one heck of a résumé — stand-up, writer for Seinfeld, Saturday Night Live and The Larry Sanders Show, frequent late night talk show guest and, coming soon, a stint as a would-be acolyte of The Donald on NBC’s Celebrity Apprentice.

And then there’s her personal life, which, as you know, is where most stand-ups get their best stuff — divorced and having dated men for most of her life, she met and fell for a woman and renewed her commitment to Judaism with a Bat Mitzvah in her 40s, adopted a son with her partner, Lori, in her 50s, and became a vegan.

The funny/sad/moving/beautifully resonate result is When You Lie About Your Age, The Terrorists Win, which Leifer will talk about over cocktails and Greek munchies at an event Monday at Ouzo Blue in PGA Commons, sponsored by the Jewish Community Centers of the Palm Beaches.

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Combining the sweet citrus of the mango with minty goodness, Reef Rd's mango mojito's a can't-miss. (Damon Higgins / The Post)

This week’s bar: Reef Rd Rum Bar

The scene: Think tiki, but not tacky. The former Clematis Social space, with its cosmopolitan shininess and huge wall-covering photos of local luminaries, has been transformed into the most tasteful of surf shacks. The decor neatly follows the laid-back theme without becoming a theme park. And the tasteful touches — colorful round lanterns hanging overhead in nets made to look like buoys, lamps made from genuine puffer fish — are everywhere. The Happy Hour crowd, according to manager Fernando Vega, ranges from Clematis club goers to businessmen just off work, looking to finish the day with a tropical drink and seafood-centric munchies.

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Let’s be honest – the report by a “source” that Howard Stern is in talks to replace the departing Simon Cowell on “American Idol” is intriguing. I mean, on the surface, it’s a great idea only for the notoriety and at least initial hype and curiousity it might bring, and for how that could translate into ratings, but a horrific idea for all the other reasons that people watch “American Idol” – it’s supposed to be a family show, it’s supposed to be about singing and not about how many ways Howard can insult people, and if he had a toxic, “It’s all about me” attitude and tried to muscle out the other judges, it’d be a nightmare. And if some woman walked in, like Bikini Girl, and flashed her assests? He would never let that go. In very graphic terms.

Then again…

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See more photos from the event

Thursday might go down in history as the day that a Viking roamed Clematis Street, when the city was built on rock and roll, and when a bunch of juiced up little kids hugged T.D. The Dolphin so enthusiastically that he wavered a little bit on his feet.

Mickey Thomas and Starship perform during Super Clematis by Night on Thursday in downtown West Palm Beach. Damon Higgins / The Post)

Then again, dolphins don’t usually have feet, so that may have happened anyway.

Welcome to Super Clematis By Night, the football charged version of West Palm Beach’s weekly downtown street party, and an official event of this weekend’s Super Bowl game in Miami, pitting the New Orleans Saints against the Indianapolis Colts.

In 2007, the last time the Super Bowl was played in South Florida, the Clematis event attracted more than 20,000 fans flocking downtown to meet players, enjoy bands, throw a ball and catch that football fever. The even-larger crowd Thursday night was estimated at 25,000 to 30,000 people, said Chase Scott of Mayor Lois Frankel’s office.

“The economic impact is always important, and we’re encouraged by this event,” said Scott, standing by the stage at the Meyer Amphitheatre, where Starship starring Mickey Thomas was about to take the stage and take the crowd back to the ’80s with ‘We Built This City,” “Sarah,” “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now” and “No Way Out.”

“This always helps us fill our hotel rooms and restaurants, and it’s what the city needs,” Scott said.

Up on Clematis Street, the economic impact was being translated in hot dogs and cups of beer, and businesses and organizations hung out a banner and gave stuff away to draw the football crazy crowds to them. Several kid-related sports activities abounded, including a wee obstacle course and a pick-up football game overseen by members of the Palm Beach Makos, the county’s semi-pro football team.

“We’re here to do a lot of interactive things with the kids, but they all want to play football,” said Makos head coach Michael Rock. “With the (Super Bowl) being played, everybody’s just buzzing. Once the build-up starts to happen, everyone here is really excited.”

The excitement started early in the evening, with a parade by several high school and middle school marching bands, who strutted down to the Meyer for the Drumline Spirit Competition. David Sanchez, 15, a sophomore clarinet player at Suncoast High School, said the band was taking its role extra seriously.

“I think we are all excited,” David said, as he and his fellow band members watched the competition after their performance. “Obviously, it’s a big thing to get people pumped up. That’s our job.”

In front of Dr. Feelgood’s, several former NFL players did their jobs signing autographs for kids like 6-year-old Saints fan Jayden Odom and his 10-year-old brother Dejuan, who stood patiently and peacefully in line, despite the fact that Dejuan is a Colts fan.

At the front of the line, former San Francisco 49ers linebacker Reggie Givens explained why being at Super Clematis By Night was a part of his job he loved.

“Everybody’s great, and (South Florida) is a great locale for a Super Bowl,” Givens said. “The weather’s great, and you don’t have to worry about wearing a jacket. And you can feel the Super Bowl fever here. You can’t explain it.”

leslie_streeter@pbpost.com

Paula – I take it all back.

Remember how everybody used to accuse the former “American Idol” judge (but forever your girl) of getting a little overly familiar with the male auditioners and contestants? That she flirted a little too much, and in some cases picked her tiny self up and flung herself over her product placement Coke cup right into their very young arms?

Well, as wacky as Sister used to get, I don’t ever remember her asking a hopeful to take his shirt off. But that’s what Kara did in last night’s Denver episode, raising her inappropriateness with the Bikini Girl rivalry right into hideousness. It was supposed to be funny, when she and Posh Spice asked this kid with a blusey voice and a ponytail to take his hair down. But saying “Take your shirt off?” Sleazy. If Simon and Randy had said to some girl “Take your jacket off and let’s see the goods”….well, even if they wanted to they wouldn’t do that. Harrassment knows no gender, y’all. I…well…it was sorta gross.

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‘Avatar’, ‘Hurt Locker’ score 9 nominations each | Photos: Gallery of nominees
Nominees: The full list | ‘Transformers’, ‘Land of the Lost’ lead Razzies
Video: Nominees announced | What’s a ‘Secret of Kells’?

My Oscar nomination ritual has been the same for the last several years – start stalking the morning shows (all of them) around  7 a.m., because even though they’re not on for about another hour and a half, I don’t wanna miss anything. I then answer the phone about five minutes before the nominations come on, and it’s always my sister, and then when they start I have to hang up on her, because for some reason, her TV is always 10 to 15 seconds ahead of mine and she cannot keep a secret to save her life.

Anyway, the nominations are pretty much what you’d expect, following the leads of the Golden Globes and the SAG awards, with a few notable points:

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In 2008, I had a chat with “American Idol” finalist, Broadway star and all-around big famous sensation during his first annual Golfing For Inclusion benefit at Palm Beach Gardens’ Mirasol Country Club, for what was then called the Bubel-Aiken Foundation. He was there to help raise money for the foundation’s goal of providing opportunities for kids with disabilities to attend camp, but not to share his mad golf skills, because he apparently doesn’t have any.

-Clay Aiken, right, shown with Wayne Player, left, is the host of the annual Golfing for Inclusion tournament for the National Inclusion Project held at Mirasol Country Club in Palm Beach Gardens Monday.(Gary Coronado/The Palm Beach Post)

And today, at the third annual golf event to benefit what is now called the National Inclusion Project, Clay revealed that after three years and a couple of clinics with golf pro Wayne Player, his game…still has no game.

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Race for the Cure: Photos, videos, more
Event Listing: Registration info, directions, more

And now that we are grown-ups and wives and mothers, the Once-And-Future-Sandy is hoping that we’ll again be taking her lead when it comes to something more important than roller skates and tight leather pants.

“Wherever I can, I’m educating women about breast cancer and the importance of early detection and self-exam. I’m heavily involved (in the cause),” Newton-John told me a few days ago on the phone from her Jupiter Inlet Colony home. “I’m so grateful to be here, and to educate women on how they can help themselves be here, too.”

Eighteen years ago, as the Australian native was preparing to tour, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Since her recovery, she’s become an ambassador in the fight against the disease, including involvement with Ford’s Warriors in Pink program and planning the opening of the Olivia Newton-John Cancer and Wellness Centre in Melbourne, Australia.

And she’ll be one of the approximately 22,000 people participating in Saturday’s Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure in downtown West Palm Beach. Newton-John is walking more for awareness than for speed, which is good, because from the way she describes her last race, she doesn’t get very far very fast.

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She's hot and she's cold...and not a horrible judge. But she didn't have to be mean to that kid in foster care.

Go, “American Idol,” you scamp. There you go again, always surprising me with your zigging when I expect the zagging. You gave me a night with two judges whose music I don’t particularly care for and proved them both to be delightful, mostly because those judges, Avril Lavinge and Katy Perry, were so into the idea of being brutally honest that they were a breath of brash, slightly self- absorbed fresh air.

“Are these people frisked before they come in here?,” Katy asked at one point, when the Crazy Train kept dumping its passengers into the audition room to run amok and slap Music around until Music was terrified and willing to give up the secret nuclear codes if that chick will JUST SHUT UP.

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