Q Confidential

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Q Confidential is edited by Michael Schenkler and Tamara Hartman. Contributors:
Nick Abadjian, Tom Allon, Steve Azzara, David Colby, Ira Cohen,
Marcia Moxam Comrie, Barbara Jarvie, Stephen McGuire, Mike Nussbaum, and Dee Richard.

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Photos By Steve Azzara

Models Of Queens
Rosalind And Her Smile

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Rosalind Cook
Home: Jamaica Estates
Age: 26
Stats: 36B, 27, 38
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Brown

When it comes to modeling, Rosalind of Jamaica Estates feels that "it’s all about the personality" and "exuding that personality through the clothing."

That explains Rosalind’s success in modeling. She’s upbeat, gets along with anybody that projects positive energy and has an amazing smile.

She started modeling a year ago at a networking party fashion show. The seasoned models around her were amazed it was her first time doing runway.

Since then, Rosalind worked in the Black Expo and Circle of Sisters at the Jacob Javits Center. "I do it for fun actually. I met a lot of cool people," says Rosalind.

She is not one to toot her own horn. "Sometimes I don’t have confidence in my looks," she said.

She grew up in Jamaica, Queens and likes the suburban effect with a city feel. She attended PS 82, Francis Lewis and went to the University of Maryland as an English major and wrote for the freshman newspaper. After a two-year hiatus, she transferred to Hunter College.

To pay the bills she works as an administrative assistant at a financial public relations firm, but she wants to exercise her writing skills and go into entertainment p.r.

After ending a 2 ½-year "yucky relationship," Rosalind wouldn’t mind finding the right guy. All you have to do is make her laugh and be tall, because her mom wants tall grand kids.

Of food, Rosalind said, "I don’t deny myself." Her favorite restaurants are Tequila Sunrise, a Mexican restaurant on Bell Boulevard, and Jackson Hole Diner in Astoria, because "the burgers are huge and atmosphere cool." Since she has a fast metabolism, all she does to stay in shape is walk a lot.

Start strolling?

Limp Bizkit Queens Guitarist Hunt

Think you have the chops to play guitar with one of the biggest drawing concert bands of the past few years?

Then Long Island City will be the place to be when the rap/rock band Limp Bizkit holds auditions for a new guitarist at Guitar Center, on Jan. 28.

The audition is one of several, slated-to-be- held nationwide to find a replacement axeman for Wes Borland, who left the band in 2001.

For those who don’t know the songs, the band is offering free song uploads at their website, limpbizkit.com, so potential guitarists can get better acquainted with the band’s work.

Limp Bizkit’s lead singer Fred Durst recently wrote at the band’s website, "I know one of you out there absolutely shred on guitar . . . I’m ready to find new blood. I can’t wait to see everybody. If we’re coming near you then get your ass out of the house and come hang!!!"

Streep & Hoffman

HBO is moving into Kaufman Astoria Studios to start filming "Angels in America," a gay fantasia by Tony Kushner. The story, which takes places in New York, is about a successful lawyer who does not accept that he is gay and infected with AIDS. Originally headed for the big screen with Robert Altman directing, the project fell apart. Now as HBO is soon to start building sets, it’s rumored that Dustin Hoffman and Meryl Streep will star in the film. The explosive pair starred in the 1979 divorce film, "Kramer vs. Kramer," which won five Academy Awards. Don’t be surprised if you see the pair eating Greek at Uncle George’s on Broadway.

A Porn Star's Past

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Ron Jeremy is Queens’ very own porn star. Known as "The Hedgehog" in the world of nude art because of his untraditional look — round and hairy — the now 48-year-old Jeremy has been in over 1,600 erotic movies and has been in Playgirl four times. He’s also been in about 30 non-porn films, and was mentioned in the hit 1997 rap song "Freak of the Week." The Bayside native is so well known, in fact, that a documentary on his life entitled, "Porn Star: The Legend of Ron Jeremy" was created and released on Nov. 30.

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Hyatt
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Johnson
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Tenet

Way before he took his clothes off for money, however, Jeremy went by his real name - Ron Hyatt - and attended Queens College and Benjamin N. Cardozo High School in Queens. One QConf scribe, flipping through her mother’s 1971 Cardozo High School yearbook, made the connection, spotting a photo of "Ronnie Hyatt" — with his clothes on. According to the book, he was a member of Arista, participated in Cardozo’s language carnival and starred in various "school productions."

Incidentally, Hyatt isn’t the only celebrity in the ’71 yearbook. One page after Hyatt’s photo is a picture of Reginald Johnson, the man who played Carl Winslow, the father on the hit sitcom "Family Matters." Erkel’s future neighbor was a member of drama club, and starred in the school’s production of "You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown." He later achieved fame as Sgt. Powell in the movie "Die Hard."

Later in the yearbook is George Tenet, current director of the CIA, who was on the soccer team, was an associate editor of the school paper, and was editor of the yearbook.

As far as QConf knows, neither Johnson nor Tenet has ever collaborated with Hyatt in any way.

And, just for the record, neither did the QConfer’s mom.

Nom de Parc

We're gonna miss Henry Stern and his uncanny antics. The Parks Commish's excentricity extended to naming people.

In his Nom de Parc, Stern officially designated a name for his entourage and guests. Mayor Giuliani was Eagle, Queens Park’s Assistant Commish Estelle Cooper was Unisphere, Council member-elect Helen Sears was Roebuck, and Stern was Starquest.

It all started years ago when people at the Parks Dept. started naming each other. Then people outside the department wanted to join the name game. As of Stern's last years in office, it had taken official status with Stern presenting tags to people with new names. The list has grown past 9,500.

Mayor Mike – we don't know if he has a Nom de Parc – has not asked Starquest to keep steering the Ship du Parc.

But, among other strange things, that Stern is resiliant.

Opera Quiz

Edward Downes, best known as host of the "Texaco Opera Quiz," died last month at age 90. Downes taught music history at Queens College from 1966 to 1983.

The "Opera Quiz" featured experts answering questions from listeners during opera intermissions, from 1958 to 1996. Downes was known for his wit and mellow baritone voice. He was a celebrated musicologist, professor, and critic.

Although he never completed an undergraduate degree, he earned a Ph.D in musicology from Harvard University at age 47, and also wrote program notes for the New York Philharmonic.

 

Confidentially New York . . .

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