A Reliable Source item in the April 17 Style section incorrectly said that actor Nicolas Cage's son Kal-El was named for Superman's father. Kal-El is an alternate name for the comic-book superhero himself; Superman's father was Jor-El.
A Heck of a Long-Distance Calling Plan
Tuesday, April 17, 2007; Page C03
Andras Simonyi, the ambassador from Hungary, was walking down Massachusetts Avenue Saturday when his cellphone rang. "Hi Andras," said the caller, "this is Charles." As in Charles Simonyi -- the Hungarian American billionaire who bought a seat on a Russian rocket. He was calling from the international space station.
The men aren't related, but they've been friends for several years, and Charles knew that Andras as a boy had met Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin and dreamed of going into space. Jealous? "Of course," the ambassador told us, "but I'm so happy it's someone with the Simonyi name. I'm proud of him as a friend, I'm proud of him as a Hungarian. People are standing on the streets of Budapest at night trying to see him."
 Charles Simonyi, above, phoned Hungarian Ambassador Andras Simonyi from the international space station. ( ) |
How was your cell reception? "Like I'm talking to you now. It blows me away. If we can do this, I'm very optimistic for the future."
Chocolate Slipper Fits at This Party
It's a little daunting to host a lunch in honor of one of Washington's premier party experts: Lea Berman, former White House social secretary. "I was a wreck," said Debbie Dingell, who hosted the bipartisan fete for 36 at the Four Seasons yesterday with Abby Blunt. Berman, who stepped down last month, was honored by a gaggle of administration power chicks: Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao, Becky Gonzales, Meryl Chertoff, Lynne Pace, Marcia Jackson, Berman's successor Amy Zantzinger and predecessors Ann Stock and Capricia Marshall. Party tip: When in doubt, go for sure-fire girl pleasers -- a life-size (if you wear a 5) chocolate high-heel shoe and a white chocolate White House filled with raspberries for dessert.
HEY, ISN'T THAT . . . ?
After D.C., It's Off to Warmer Climes. Really.
After three weeks of Washington-area filming, the cast and crew of "National Treasure: Book of Secrets" packed up yesterday and headed off to its next set in the Black Hills of South Dakota.
Hey, they might find better weather there: The Disney production came to D.C. for cherry blossoms and ended up having to shovel snow. On Sunday night, Nicolas Cage and Harvey Keitel endured gale-force winds without coats during a scene outside the Library of Congress, said to play a key role in the story. The movie is set for release around Christmas.
Just before leaving yesterday, Cage and his wife, Alice, gave Washingtonians a peek at their toddler son, Kal-El (yes, named for Superman's dad), as the family lunched at Union Station's Thunder Grill.
A Changing of the Guard? The Palace Keeps Quiet
The British royals remain mum on the sudden split between Prince William and girlfriend of four years Kate Middleton. Prime Minister Tony Blair weighed in Sunday: "They should be left alone now, without reams of stuff being written . . . most of which will be complete nonsense."
Like that's going to happen. Everyone wants to know the reason behind the breakup, and a few new tidbits emerged over the weekend: Kate felt neglected since he joined the army; she's not thrilled with his long-standing friendship with heiress Isabella Anstruther-Gough-Calthorpe (we did not make that up); and maybe there's a pinch of upper-crust snobbery -- some of Will's pals think Kate's middle-class mom, a former flight attendant, is a touch too common. And yes, Kate's already been offered millions to dish about her former beau.
