DARIA 2005

Model: Daria Werbowy

Photographer: Mikael Jansson

Vogue Paris March 2005

Image source: ru_galmour

GUILTY PLEASURE

Currently Listening To: Guilty Pleasure - Cobra Starship

CORY KENNEDY

Image source: tfs

Massive Cultural Empire...Not So Much

That is a picture from the Washington Post of Mark Apram, Baghdad's "most popular tattoo artist", who is proud to say "Anything American, I love it" (h/t Tom Bowler). Well, the Iron Maiden "Killers" shirt is British, but you get the idea. With this bold proclamation that didn't even involve throwing a show, you know he's not winning any friends in the American liberal community. The WaPo has an extensive article of how even though American forces are pulling out of cities, the cultural influence will have a lasting effect:

But the whispers may linger just as long -- the far quieter way in which two cultures that often found it difficult to share the same space intersected to reshape Iraq's language, culture and sensibility. From tattoos of Metallica to bellybutton piercings, from posters for a rap concert in Baghdad to stories parents tell their naughty children in Fallujah of the Americans coming to get them, the occupation has already left its mark.

The big benefit of cultural globalization is that the people have the freedom to choose how they live their life from a variety of trends rather than ones dictated by the state and religion. Reason had a huge article celebrating this phenomenon late last year. They've got metalheads in Iran, you can't go in a club in Southeast Asia right now without hearing "Poker Face", and even communist Laos has it's own Gangsta Rap outfit. Usually when you hear overeducated people talking about how America is "culturally imperialistic", it's because their culture of Segways, organic food, and self-righteous attitudes isn't the one being exported. Besides America is just a cultural stew of the rest of the world after all, who are we to judge what people can't pick and choose.

It's the Economic Obacalypse, People!

Following up on his post about how Obama is making America more Euro, Professor Hanson talks about how reckless domestic spending by the Obama administration is going to cripple the country. From PJs:

Take the economy: the liberal attack on Bush as a reckless spender who increased the debt by $2 trillion is now replaced by ’stimulus’ groupies, who are silent about a staggering $9 trillion of Obama debt to come. Cannot the country, the media-anyone!-see that the amounts of borrowing are so gargantuan that we are talking about massive changes in the US economy and lifestyle? The size and inefficiency of the government will grow. We will have soon some sort of national sales taxes on top on state, local, and federal higher rates, the point being threefold: more recipients and distributors of entitlements mean larger liberal permanent constituents-an institutionalization of the welfare state. The debts are so large that it will require a redistribution of income through higher taxes. When a Paul Krugman writes seriously that California’s financial meltdown (9% sales, 10% income taxes) is due to too low taxation (as hundreds of thousands of overtaxed skilled professionals flee the state), then one can see how the power of ideology in the present age so easily trumps empiricism. Three, the debts will end American exceptionalism abroad, and severely curtail our options. In other words, we are seeing the much waited for multilateralism-but by financial default! What depresses is the fact that debt is now being used as a political tool-to reconstitute American culture and society, both at home and abroad.

What a pisser! The collapse of America isn't even going to be something cool like a zombie invasion or a superflu, but excessive government spending brought on by the decline of the real-estate market. No one wants to read a book about that.

KATE

Currently Listening To: First Day of My Life - Bright Eyes

 

Kate Moss by David Sims for Forum F/W 2009

I know I talk about it way too much, but the weather has been really annoying lately. I put on my rain boots today because of the ugly rain this morning, and I ended up sweating on my walk back home. But tomorrow should be really nice. Looking forward to it! Any good plans this weekend?

P.S. Thank you so much for following and for all the generous comments! I appreciate it so much! XOX

Image source: ru_glamour

No one wants to hang out with eels

Goddammit, Eel, I'm just trying to do a little snorkeling here. Don't act like I came all the way over here to chill with your green ass, you Barney-looking motherfucker. You know what friends do for each other, Eel? They help you move to a new apartment, they give you high fives, and they say things like "Here, lemme get that for you." ARMS SOUND MUCH BETTER NOW, DON'T THEY EEL? So sorry to burst your bubble here, Eel, but maybe next time you'll wait until you have an actual reason to get excited.

This always happens with eels, you know, you take a wrong turn at the reef, and all of the sudden you are hanging out with a fucking eel that is telling you stories about his day and pulling out his keyboard to show you a new song he wrote about his ex-girlfriend. Well I'm not going to pretend like I'm enjoying myself, I've got more important shit to do. For example, later today I plan on going to the aquarium and mellowing out some egos. NO YOU CAN'T COME EEL. It's personal.

PHARRELL & NATASHA

Currently Listening To: Good Girls Go Bad - Cobrastarship feat. Leighton Meester

Pharrell and Natasha Poly by Terry Richardson

Image source: terryrichardsonworld

World's Ugliest Dog Contest Unveiled!

One month from yesterday, the biggest sham in the animal world is back: the World's Ugliest Dog Contest at the Sonoma-Marin Fair. When I first heard about the Ugliest Dog Contest, I thought "This is something I can get behind." I mean, ugly dogs are great. You get to play catch without all the shame and feelings of regret you get with a cute dog.

Then I watched a special on the contest on the Animal Planet. THESE DOGS ARE FUCKING ADORABLE. Take fucking Gus here. First of all HIS NAME IS GUS. Plus, he has three legs, almost no hair, and fucking cancer. Who is going to not have affection for Gus? Satan? GUS IS LIKE THE OPPOSITE OF BERNIE MADOFF.

As if that wasn't bad enough, Gus then died of his cancer, which meant I had to to donate more money to the National Canine Cancer Foundation, WHICH I HATE DOING. But don't worry, Archie (Update:FUCK! Stop dying dogs! Or I am going to be so mad at you...) and Elwood are still alive, spreading their false sense of ugly pride all over the country. Just remember this year, if you think the World's Ugliest Dog contest is a safe place, DO NOT WATCH IT ON THE TV. It is just going to be an hour of happy tears you will never get back.

Not for me, though. I watch it for research.

DC Elites To Get Reality Show To Further Their Self-Importance

Seeing how the President has embraced the celebrity scene of yuk-yuk jokes on late night TV and commemorating himself in coronation-style ceremonies, it's only fitting that the "look-at-me!" culture trickles down to the parasite class in DC. While they aren't busy figuring out new and improved ways to fuck over and fuck up the rest of America, DC lawmakers are going to be filmed in a new series of reality shows. Politico explains:

To be sure, the nation's capital certainly has some of the key ingredients of a hit realty series. Insiders note that "great personalities and an interesting story" are essential to successful reality show. By that measure, Washington is a perfect fit.

And in a town with as many egos as Washington, finding a cast might not be such an impossible task. After all, participating in a realty show has one big upside: exposure.

Your tax dollars at work.

President Obvious Realizes Diplomacy With a Psychopathic Despot Might Not Work

With North Korea testing nukes and short range missiles, as well as threatening a military strike against South Korea, the President is comprehending that the "Strongly worded UN Resolution" with all bite and no bark might not be the way to go. From Bloomberg:

In Washington, State Department spokesman Ian Kelly said yesterday that the U.S. wants North Korea to “pay a price” for its “reckless behavior.” The U.S. is working within the UN Security Council to toughen sanctions on Kim’s regime. Defense Secretary Robert Gates, due in Singapore later in the week for a regional conference, will confer with his Japanese and South Korean counterparts on the North Korean threat.

SECSTATE Clinton is certainly swinging more to the "stick" approach, and even Japan is talking about drawing up plans for a preemptive strike.

Al-Jazeera talks about what motivates the most oppressive and delusional regime in the modern world:

But that is not all North Korea wants - it also wants to survive.

North Korea's leaders and its most senior military commanders have too much at stake to risk the collapse of the secretive, highly militarised, and deeply paranoid state over which they rule.

North Korea is a country built on illusion, lies, half truths and propaganda - reality comes a long way down the list.

But that does not mean it is not a danger.

The more belligerent it becomes, the more agreements it scraps, the more talks it walks away from, the less likely it is that the process of peaceful disarmament remains an option.

Sort of like the white trash guy at the end of the block who can't feed his own kids but always has the most impressive fireworks on July 4th.

TOO CUTE FOR WORDS

Currently Listening To: The City Is At War - Cobrastarship

Model: Lara Stone

Vogue US June 2009

"Takin' It To The Streets"

"Cute" is probably the last word you would use to describe Morgan Freeman or Lara Stone, but I just find this super adorable! I LOVE it!

Image source: modelcouture

45.8T Funding Gap in Social Security/Medicare a Phony Crisis?

Social Security Money Well Spent

Robert Samuelson cites some pretty depressing figures on our country's bloated entitlement system that are sending us on the course to serfdom. From WaPo:

That the programs will ultimately go bankrupt is clear from the trustees' reports. On Pages 201 and 202 of the Medicare report, you will find the conclusive arithmetic: Over the next 75 years, Social Security and Medicare will cost an estimated $103.2 trillion, while dedicated taxes and premiums will total only $57.4 trillion. The gap is $45.8 trillion. (All figures are converted to "today's dollars.")

Gulp. The Logan's Run scenario is starting to look less and less like science fiction. But here comes HuffPo with a nasty attack piece about how this looming economic apocalypse, which no politician will touch, is actually something cooked up the Reich-wing!

This so-called crisis is phony, phony, phony. Really, it can't be said enough. America must care for its workers, and not for the private industry that wouldn't even exist without the hard work of retired Americans.

Note that this is the same Huffpo blogger who had a total wiff when she criticized John Bolton for predicting that North Korea was going to bring teh crazy and start testing nukes...which they did a few days later (h/t Legal Insurrection). How long are we going to have people (particularly Baby Boomers) play this Hear No Evil bullshit instead of listening to economic facts because they plan to spend their octogenarian years sucking off the government teet? Even the President knows this monstrosity is going to be trouble ahead, and he's not exactly Mr. Fiscal Conservative.

Unsurprising Gallup Poll Shows Military/Vets Mostly Republicans

The Pentagon tends to shy away from this type of polling, since keeping the military apolitical in the public's eye has been US policy ever since the days of the George Washington administration. But, up until now the only thing connecting the dots between military members voting Republican was an unscientific Military Times poll and a lot of empirical evidence garnered from gabbing it up with others in uniform. But, Gallup has released the results of an extensive poll involving 138,000 interviews of veterans, who they define as anyone who is serving on active-duty or who has ever been in the service.

Here's the breakdown by age:
Although the GOP has been sucking ass lately, they still have a lock on those in uniform, even with those youngsters who are supposedly all Obamatrons. Gallup provides a very thorough analysis, but even a bonehead could probably understand the logic that 1) The GOP has tried for decades to brand itself as the party of national security, and 2) People in the military probably give a shit about national security.

Not to say that you can't be a non-Republican in the military, but it seems to attract people with a more conservative outlook on life, just as something journalism or teaching tends to attract folks with a liberal outlook on life. Just the way it is.

Happy Memorial Weekend Sale At The Mattress Barn Day!!!

Realizing that I'm out of the country trying to find various combinations of Thai food that don't give me the shits, I figured I had to do something for Memorial Day besides a half-assed blog post. So I headed out towards the Burmese border and visited the infamous Thailand-Burma railway. Here's the most famous span (which has been rebuilt) known as the Bridge on the River Kwai.

During WWII, the Japanese used forced labor of enslaved Asians and Allied POWs in its construction in what were the most brutal methods since the Pyramids were built. From the Wiki:

About 180,000 Asian labourers and 60,000 Allied prisoners of war (POWs) worked on the railway. Of these, around 90,000 Asian labourers and 16,000 Allied POWs died as a direct result of the project. The dead POWs included 6,318 British personnel, 2,815 Australians, 2,490 Dutch, about 356 Americans and a smaller number of Canadians.

Nearby is the Kanchanaburi War Cemetery which is the resting place for many who died, and I was surprised to see that, unlike Arlington, many of the headstones had personal inscriptions. I thought this one was worth sharing.

I wonder if the people working under these miserable conditions could've predicted that the Allies would prevail and Japan would morph from psychopathic imperial power to one of the strongest economies and most stable societies in the modern world. It's strange how history works, but these men didn't have the luxury of seeing it pan out for the better.

Here's some other bloggers with Memorial Day posts:

• Greta with a poem at Hooah Wife and Friends
• David M has a letter from a gold star Dad
• Ranger Against War with a Vietnam-era Photo
• Bad Dogs and Such (in Iraq) with a Motivator
• Miserable Donuts with a video
• Persistent left-wing whiner Susie Madrak at C&L with some shitty, anti-military Dylan video from the 60s sparking the question "How Bad Can These People Suck?"

And since Flopping Aces is going with the Gettysburg theme, here's the Battle of Little Round Top sequence, be sure to check it at 1:25 for a classic line:

3 MORE WEEKS

Model: Natalia Vodianova

Vogue Russia June 2009

"Russian Ribbon"

Only 3 more weeks until school officially ends and summer break begins! Wooo! I'm so happy and terribly impatient! By the way the weather in the city is freaking incredible right now! I looove being in shorts. 

I hope your Memorial Day Weekend is full of joy and great sales!

xoxoxox

Image source: modelcouture

SASHA & KATE

Sasha Pivovarova and Kate Moss

Longchamp S/S 09

Photographer: Mert and Marcus

Image source: modelcouture

RNC Goes 0-2 With Two No-Good, Terrible Ads

Normally, I profess to having a huge mancrush on RNC Chairman Michael Steele, because he gives a shit about getting the party on the fiscal conservative/socially libertarian bandwagon. But one really has to question the effectiveness of the two latest ads they've been pushing.

The first one implies that Democrat hand-wringing over Gitmo is going to get us all nuked by utilizing the infamous 1964 Daisy Ad. It was run by the LBJ campaign in which Goldwater described as using "every dirty trick in the bag". But the original Daisy Ad was designed to characterize Goldwater as a militant lunatic who was going to lob nukes left and right, so is that what the RNC wants to portray the Dems as? Or, is the RNC making an ironic reference that no under the age of 80 is going to understand...uh, what are we doing.

The next ad shows Pelosi as some campy early 60s Bond babe. Predictably, the left has leveled charges of sexism, which Legal Insurrection points out seems to be a new-found moral outrage among some bloggers. But the real reason the video sucks is because it's a fucking geezerly cultural reference (we're talking the pre-Easy Rider dark ages of cinema here). At least portraying Adam West using the shark repellent on a photoshopped Pelosi would have had some kitsch value. Plus, if they were going with old movies and weren't afraid to piss off the Vagina Monologues set, they should have used the crazy, botoxed mother-figure from Brazil, which is an eerie resemblance.

LEOPARD AND LEATHER

Model: Lara Stone

Vogue UK June 2009

"Ocean's Blue"

Image source: modelcouture

Is Obama Turning Us Euro?

(From the Famous Website Gay? or Eurotrash?)

Victor Davis Hanson has an interesting read at PJs about how Obama is turning America into some lame, over-regulated nanny-state like our cousins across the pond, and we don't even have millenia of artsy civilization and a Love Parade to fall back on. From Pajamas Media:

What worries me about Obama is not the specifics of the nationalization of GM and Chrysler, the government rescue of the United Auto Workers, the effort to take over college financing, proposed universal health care, massive deficits and tax increases, although they are worrisome and only the beginning, but the attendant culture of ‘inflate your tires’ and ‘wash your hands’ paternalism. I think we are entering an age in which the federal government will increasingly guide our thoughts into what is deemed correct-the sort of car we must drive, the type of salary we should make, the sort of job we should have, even the type of thoughts we are to express, and all in the name of collective brotherhood.

Some esteemed European commenters say they appreciate the way things are set up over there. But, you only need to look to the failures of our nation's biggest state for an explanation of why big government spending is disastrous in America. Frankly, American society seems to be degenerating from one that had valued innovation and individual achievement into a society of "Dude, where's my unemployment check?" Nothing showed that decline more than the results of the recent election of the Obama administration with its promises of government goodies for the middle class. Sure, we still have our guaranteed personal freedoms, but even those are being encroached upon for the "greater good" on all fronts.

Hell, if Professor Hanson wants to see progress, he only needs to come to Asia. I see all sorts of cranes perched over Bangkok, and Thailand is supposedly the country that can never get its shit together. I would visit the fast-growing and modernizing countries of China and India, but it might be too depressing to have that moment where I realize that my own country is on the outs of history.

Obama Bails Out Overspending Boobs Who Helped Ruin the Economy

It was bad enough Obama threw a $75B lifeline to the numbskulls that decided to buy a second home in the Phoenix suburbs so they could wind down the clock playing golf on their Social Security checks. Now the taxpayers are on the hook for the putzes that racked up massive credit card bills putting pinstripes and spoilers on their Honda Accords. From ABC:

In a late afternoon Rose Garden ceremony, President Obama signed the “Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility and Disclosure Act,” or credit card bill of rights, and said card holders and card companies need to act responsibly when it comes to taking on and managing debt.

“We're not going to give people a free pass, and we expect consumers to live within their means and pay what they owe, but we also expect financial institutions to act with the same sense of responsibility that the American people aspire to in their own lives,” he said.

The legislation passed Congress this week with overwhelming bipartisan support, a response to the groundswell of frustration nationwide at the confusing and perhaps deceptive rate hikes and fees levied by credit card companies for the slightest late payment or no reason at all.

So Obama has come in on his unicorn to rescue these over-consuming buffoons from fees levied by the credit card companies. People like to say that credit cards are usurious, well no shit. Maybe if people stopped spending like there was no tomorrow they wouldn't be able to get away with these Shylock-like credit rates. And we sit around and wondering why the dollar is going to hell and we're about to lose our AAA rating when no one from the government on down to the average citizen has any sort of financial responsibility.

Proposed Cap and Trade Actually a Big Corporate Welfare Program

I know it's difficult to get upset about the collusion between corporations and the federal government after TARPapalooza, but the ever-reliable Reason directs our attention to a WSJ Op-Ed about massive corruption in the way in which Cap and Trade might be implemented. Despite Waxman not bothering to read the bill named after him, the Waxman-Markley Bill to radically alter policy is out of the Energy and Commerce Committe and up to Congress. The bill will give free CO2 emissions to influential corporations, which a CBO report from 2007 indicates would pass the cost along disproportionately to lower-income families. Too bad Joe Six Pack doesn't have a swanky office on K Street.

Bjorn Lomborg looks at who will benefit and who will not [WSJ]:

Naturally, many CEOs are genuinely concerned about global warming. But many of the most vocal stand to profit from carbon regulations. The term used by economists for their behavior is "rent-seeking."

The world's largest wind-turbine manufacturer, Copenhagen Climate Council member Vestas, urges governments to invest heavily in the wind market. It sponsors CNN's "Climate in Peril" segment, increasing support for policies that would increase Vestas's earnings. A fellow council member, Mr. Gore's green investment firm Generation Investment Management, warns of a significant risk to the U.S. economy unless a price is quickly placed on carbon.

Even companies that are not heavily engaged in green business stand to gain. European energy companies made tens of billions of euros in the first years of the European Trading System when they received free carbon emission allocations.

Great, so the swinging dicks in our society will become energy-trading CEOs with Enron-like ties to Washington, that asshole who invented the Segway, and Al Gore, while the rest of us have to scrounge around like Gypsies looking for heating oil. At this rate, a Lenin-style workers revolution ain't sounding like such a bad idea.

THANK YOU!

I got this award a couple days ago from the wonderful D from Summer Teeth!

Thank you so much! There's nothing better than seeing that people enjoy reading my blog! It's such an honor!  
Here are my 15 picks. The rules are to pass the award on to another 15. Spread the love!

Alice in Wardrobe Wonderland

Beach 11:29

Le Cheap C'est Chic

Imi Loa

Le Francais Parisien

Boulevard de Clichy

Blushing Ambition

Song of Style

Lovers In Vain

Hannah Couture

Pandora

Daddy I Want A Pony

Stone Fox

Noir Blanc Et Rouge Partout

The Rantings of A Shopaholic

These blogs are much more than lovely, they're interesting, inspiring, and addictive.

XOXOX

FRIDAY MAY 22ND

"We must be willing to fail and to appreciate the truth that often "Life is not a problem to be solved, but a mystery to be lived.""

_M. Scott Peck

DREE

Dree Hemingway and actress Becka Diamond

Image source: altamiranyc

One of you is lying to me

::Looks at wombat.::

::Looks at sign.::

::Looks back at wombat.::

::Looks back at sign.::

Nooooooooooooooo!!! Which one do I believe? I bet I shouldn't listen to you, Wombat, you fucking sneaky bastard. You probably think just because you look like you want to come hang out and go to a movie and tell me how grateful you are to be out of that pen I'm going to ignore the giant sign right next to you. And yeah, signs have lied to me before. But I know what you wombats are like.

You know what? I'm not even going to let it stress me. All you wombats are the same anyway, bumbling around on stubby legs and burrowing your noses where they don't belong. Fuck you, Wombat, I'm taking my chances with the sign.

Obama Names Bill Gates Head of the DoD

Much to the shock of the entire country, Obama has replaced SECDEF Robert Gates with former CEO of Microsoft Bill Gates. Thanks to JammieWearingFool for breaking the video of the speech of this shocking news.

In case you didn't know, William Gates III is the lovable nerd who survived numerous pantsings in high school to drop out of Harvard and start Microsoft. He became one of the most charitable people on the planet as well as one of the richest. Now he will be supervising all the US Armed Forces, the conduct of two counter-insurgency operations, and a controversial budget battle. Of course, Bill Gates would probably do a better job than Robert Gates' predecessor.

Chinese Bureaunerds Shut Down Sex-Themed Park

Since China is coming up on its 20-year anniversary of the Tiananmen Square Massacre, it should heed the true test of a free society, which is allowing a saucy sex-themed park to open to the public. Unfortunately, Chinese officials have decided to nix plans for the deliciously raunchy "Love Land" in Chongqing. From The Guardian (h/t Weird Asia News):

Developers billed the attraction in Chongqing as tasteful and socially beneficial. But senior officials conducted an emergency tour of Love Land last weekend after it attracted worldwide publicity, state media reported today.

"The investigation determined the park's content was vulgar and that it was neither healthy nor educational. It had had an evil influence on society and had to be torn down immediately," a municipal publicity official told the Global Times newspaper.

She added that the owners of the attraction were "interested only in profiting from sensationalism".

The decision to kill Love Land may have not had to do with moral outrage but rather economic growth, because the sex biz in nearby Thailand has been in trouble along with the rest of the tourist industry. Perhaps China will resort to alternate tourist attractions to bring in foreigner money like "Whack a Tibetan Monk Land" or the "Sell Your Kidneys Adventure Park".

I'm on to you, you smug son of a bitch

What did you fucking do? I can't possibly imagine that you could plan something so complex as to be this fucking proud of yourself, Frog. Animals aren't supposed to be proud of themselves, you are just supposed to hop around, eat some food, and hope a nice lady frog pays attention to you. WHAT HAPPENED TO HUMILITY, FROG?

I would be willing to bet whatever you think your scheme is going to accomplish will not work. This is the real world, Frog, the big time. So unless you are in an 80s action movie with a British accent, I need you to hop back into the water and go make some tadpoles and stop acting like you just went through metamorphosis for the first time in history or something.

CAROUSEL

Model: Anja Rubik

Photographer: Guy Aroch

Nylon April 2008

Image source: models

M.O.D.

There's nothing better than a couple of "Model Off Duty" pics!

(Well maybe some great Olsen photos ;) )

Image source: modelcouture

Why are you doing this to me?

Yes. Okay? Yes. I want to come sit on the hammock. Are you happy? This whole situation is just awful, ever since I found this photo I've been a complete mess. I've started calling up people in the neighborhood who have hammocks and asking them if they've had any bear visits lately. I hired the CIA to evaluate the photo and figure out what type of trees are in the background so I can figure out what is the most likely location of the hammock. Do you have any idea how much time it takes to recreate a photo in a three dimensional holographic workspace?

Jesus Christ, Bear, not only are you forcing me into this situation, you are making me come up with cutesy fucking headlines like "I thought you said you were going to mow the lawn" and "Sleepy the Bear says only you can prevent afternoon napping." I HAVE A REPUTATION TO UPHOLD, BEAR. Get off the hammock and go eat something with blood in it so I can think about the dichotomy between your cuteness and your insatiable thirst for flesh.

TWO IN A ROW

Ashley Olsen for the Row Men's Collection

"The Other Face of Ashley Olsen"

Don't we all love Olsen posts?

Image source: ru_glamour

HAIR ENVY

MK in Soho

I've been having a series of bad hair day's lately, I wish I could have effortless and tousled hair like MK.

Image source: olsen-files

AM I DREAMING?

...or do I own more pairs of jeans than Julia Restoin- Roitfeld?!

I'm extremely fascinated by Julia's interviews. Here's another good one from Refinery29:

"You definitely like to mix up your wardrobe between high-end and everyday denim. What's the one thing in your closet that's a constant?
Latex pants? Ha ha! No, I don't know. I do have a few favorite pieces but my style can't be summed up in one piece. It's more about the right mix between girly and rock.

What designer do you gravitate toward?
Azzedine Alaia because he embraces a woman's curves.

When did it hit you that your family was much more creative than most? Did you feel a sense of destiny for yourself?
I realized it pretty young. I always knew I wanted to do something artistic, not specifically in fashion though. 

We're jealous just thinking about all the great pointers you must get from your mom…What's the best style advice she's ever given you?
She told me not to try too hard or follow the trends too much—because they change too fast.

Is there anything in your mom's closet you can't steal?
All her shoes! She is a 37.5 and I am a 38.5 almost 39.

What item of clothing will you pass down to your kids?
All of the vintage dresses I wore as a child. I still have them in storage at my parents' house in Paris.

You recently became the face for the new denim line, Restoration of the Monarchy. Given the world domination of denim these days, why did you find this line special?
[I loved that] it was a totally different way to wear jeans. So many jeans cut today feel more tomboyish, but the Restoration of the Monarchy jeans are much more feminine.

How many pairs of jeans do you own?
Not so many, maybe three?

Could you see yourself ever extending your design talents to clothes?
I love designing, so whatever it is, I'd be happy to do it—from shoes, to bags, to make-up packaging…even jewelry!"

Image source: fishup

BRAIDS & SHIMMER

Erin Wasson

I've been trying to get this bohemian braid look right, but I haven't been very successful lol

PS Thanks for all the nice comments! 

Big hugs to stephanie, Alice, cuteseas, and le francais parisien xx

Out-of-Office Reply (Isan Edition)

Heading to Northeastern Thailand for a few days to see the countryside and hopefully be an extra in this music video. Internet is always a bit spotty up there, so don't think I'm a dick for blowing you off

-Nixon

Gov. Palin Continues Her Foray Into Serious Schnoozer Issues

Zzzzzzzz....

Have you been following the latest controversial outrage about how the Prez is giving a commencement speech at some university?!? Uh, me neither. But, just so you know, it has something to do with fetus-vacuuming and how pro-choice perverts are infesting our Catholic institutions. If you are anxious, Fox News has been covering it with as much frequency as a missing white girl in a tutu.

With loose nukes in Pakistan and a bullshit worldwide economy, it may be prudent to blow off the abortion issue in order of political importance between the color theme on Obama's Blackberry and who will be appointed Assistant Postmaster General. But, Sarah Palin comes out of hiding in Alaska with a zinger at Obama. From Boston Herald:

“My favorite grandpa, Clem James Sheeran, was Catholic. Irish to the core, his favorite place (other than church) was Notre Dame. I can’t imagine what he would think as the university recognizes someone who contradicts the core values of the Catholic faith by promoting an anti-life agenda. As we learned today, our nation is more pro-life than ever before; it is a very important time to strengthen the message that every baby is created for good purpose and has the potential to make this world a better place.”

She's really stressing those "conservative values" that wooed the religious right 30 years ago but have sent young people running for the hills ever since. This is after her knocked-up daughter suddenly became an abstinence advocate and she jumped on the anti-gay marriage bandwagon. Is this narrow-minded mentality of popping up with drive-by commentary on wedge issues capable of propelling the GOP to a win in 2012? The SarahPac website doesn't offer any specifics.

Maybe it's time to resurrect a Goldwater quote on the religious Right:

I'm frankly sick and tired of the political preachers across this country telling me as a citizen that if I want to be a moral person, I must believe in 'A,' 'B,' 'C,' and 'D.' Just who do they think they are? And from where do they presume to claim the right to dictate their moral beliefs to me?

JULIA DUNSTALL

Model: Julia Dunstall
Elle June 2009
"Julia's World"

Image source: modelcouture

Sweet: Stimulus Sparks War with Canada

Protectionist tariffs may have been the talk of the town 100 years ago when industrialized nations were intentionally dumping their extra leather Bluchers or whatever, but unless you're Pat Buchanan, you probably comprehend the benefits of free trade in the 21st century. That's why the "Buy American" clause finagled into the stimulus was called a really lousy idea by various economists and our allies, and it was certain to spark a trade war.

But now that the "Obama Bucks" from the stimulus are working their way down to municiplaities, Canadian businesses are pissed that they're getting the cold shoulder. From WaPo:

Outrage spread in Canada, with the Toronto Star last week bemoaning "a plague of protectionist measures in the U.S." and Canadian companies openly fretting about having to shift jobs to the United States to meet made-in-the-USA requirements. This week, the Canadians fired back. A number of Ontario towns, with a collective population of nearly 500,000, retaliated with measures effectively barring U.S. companies from their municipal contracts -- the first shot in a larger campaign that could shut U.S. companies out of billions of dollars worth of Canadian projects.

Great. Legions of people donning hockey masks and Rush shirts are going to give us an ass-whooping, eh. What is most disconcerting is that Obama knew this animosity was coming, but let it pan out anyways. Just as he knew the country would be under crippling debt, but went ahead with most crass spending ever to give the American people all the shiny new unicorns he promised.

Get a sense of humor, Grandpa

Fuck you, I let you wear one of those fake knife hats! THAT SHIT IS HILARIOUS. I don't just put those on anybody, you know. What is wrong with you, Basset Hound? We used to have fun together. Remember the time we called up the Chinese restaurant and pretended we wanted to order you? And remember the time we went out to a bar to pick up chicks, but then we were all "bros before hos," and went back to the apartment and played X-Box? Now all you do is wear cardigans and take your kids to the fucking park. NOT COOL, BASSET HOUND.

You know, I invited you to this party so you could have a good time, relax a little. I know things have been crazy at the office. But I start busting out the party favors, and all of the sudden it's bummer central in here. I'm gonna need you to lighten the fuck up and put on this beer hat, or you should just put your tail between your legs and go home.

Nutty IVAW Guy Actually a Real Crazy Person

Well, this is certainly a slap in the face to the far-left who loves exploiting "dissenting" voices from the veteran community for their own political purposes. Apparently, one of IVAW's big spokesman was actually an former mental patient from Colorado.

This Ain't Hell has the full story.

TSO gigs VoteVets, since the guy had a couple of diaries at VetVoice, but I wouldn't say he was deeply enmeshed with the organization.