ALEXANDER MCQUEEN RESORT 2011 HIGHLIGHTS

There's this amazing scene in The Upside of Anger that always helps me to describe how I'm feeling when there are not words to be found:



This single scene has inspired me to create several works of art as I draw inspiration from heart ache, frustration, and of course, love. A few years back I was given an assignment to paint whatever came to mind but my thoughts were somewhere else. I sat at long and crowded table as I watched my classmates discuss all of their ambitious ideas and all I could think about was this completely unrelated issue. I was nervous and anxious and needed to know where I stood in the world and all I could do was imagine my heart falling onto the table and having the blood pour down off the sides (enter emo music here).

It's been a while since I've felt that feeling, but seeing Sarah Burton's first Alexander Mcqueen collection has made it all come rushing back. With romantic lace, structured silhouettes, and gold brocade, Burton brought a soft touch to a brand that needed to be handled with care. Appropriately so, the collection is mostly muted in color until the very end where a sea of red slowly bleeds through. The collection pays tribute to Mcqueen's avant garde style and is a beautiful next step that will continue his legacy.

Congratulations, Sarah, you did good.

PHOTO CREDIT: FASHIONISING

RESORT 2011 TRENDS: HATS

One of my favorite pop culture facts comes from the commentary on the 40 Year Old Virgin DVD extras. Judd Apatow was discussing the scene where his real life wife, Leslie Mann, meets Carrell's character in a bar and drunkenly drives him home. Mann is an absolute mess and the scene ends with her conveniently vomiting all over Carrell's face. This is by far one of the funniest scenes of the movie and Judd begins to discuss certain cliche characteristics about Mann's character. The one comment I'll never forget is that he made sure to put her in a hat because only the really crazy girls wear hats. I personally don't agree as I look completely adorable in a hat, but maybe I'm just one of them crazy girls.

PHOTO CREDIT: STYLE.COM

Another Big Fail for Bachmann's Fantasy Transport System

Michele Bachmann told MPR back in 2004:

Supporters range from Minneapolis City Council member Dean Zimmerman, a Green Party member, to Republican Sen. Michelle Bachmann of Stillwater. Bachmann says personal rapid transit, like many political issues, creates strange bedfellows.

"People on the right, people on the left, we have the common goal of moving people with transit, but doing it in the most cost-effective manner, in fact, in a manner that may end up costing no government subsidy, it may end up paying for itself," she says.

Bachmann never explained how PRT can pay for itself. Hell, the damn pods don't even work... never did and never will.

The ULTra PRT was supposed to be the most credible PRT (you can definately trust those British corporations) - really an automated golf cart with a futuristic body that followed magnets embedded in the guideway. The ULTra was supposed to launch in Cardiff, Wales way back in 2003, but it wasn't ready. The ULTra pods were supposed to debut at London's Heathrow airport, but it was postponed four times.... or is it five, I've lost track.

It was supposed to totally, definately launch in June (click on screenshot to make it bigger)



Well it's the end of June and we get this info, not from the two ULTra websites, but a tweet from the PRT Guru that links to his website where we find this statement:

June 2010: It appears ULTra will not meet its previously-announced June opening date at London’s Heathrow Airport. BAA has issued the following statement: "The Heathrow pod is innovative technology and we have always said that the system will be launched when it is ready to do so. The system, as well as being a world first, is bespoke [customized] to fit into existing airport infrastructure and the process of completing this is informing our decision about the launch date. Testing is continuing and we anticipate that the system will officially launch in the near future."

The statement as it now appears on the ULTra PRT website:

Latest Schedule

"The Heathrow pod is innovative technology and we have always said that the system will be launched when it is ready to do so. The system, as well as being a world first, is bespoke (custom-made) to fit into existing airport infrastructure and the process of completing this is informing our decision about the launch date. Testing is continuing and we anticipate that the system will officially launch in the near future." - BAA's schedule statement, June 2010.

There's no official reason given for the latest fizzled launch, but there are rumors like this:

The main problem is the cars keep bumping into each other. Nobody is allowed to mention the "C" word!

These pod projects have failed over and over, wasting tons of public funding...how may chances do the PRT guys get?

As far as Tim Pawlenty is concerned, they get as many chances as the taxpayers will give them.

Here's ULTra spokesman Steve Raney a while back explaining why people get mad at the PRT guys when they make promises they can't keep:



Here's some more recent pod flops and fiascos:

No $25 million earmark for PRT pork project in Winona, Minnesota.

The Swedish/Korean PRT prototype malfunctioned recently in front of the media.

The Masdar PRT (more computer-guided golf carts that follow magnets imbedded in the roadway) has been scaled way back, This setback got a mention in the NY Times and confirmed in this Bloomberg article.

The much-hyped PRT project in Daventry ended in fiasco.

The so-called Morgantown PRT (it's a mundane people-mover) was the subject of a student newspaper editorial after a malfunction created a "fireball" and filled a vehicle with smoke. The cost of fixing the Morgantown boondoggle is $93 million.

Mall of America Says No to Jpods.

FRESH TRAVELER BY ARIAN BREKVELD

Making OCD people look stylish since last night when I ordered it.

AVAILABLE AT GSELECT

Bachmann Fear-Mongering About the One World Economy Again

Bachmann on the Scott Hennen radio show via Think Progress.

Well, President Obama is trying to bind the United States into a global economy where all of our nations come together in a global economy. I don’t want the United States to be in a global economy where, where our economic future is bound to that of Zimbabwe. I can’t, we can’t necessarily trust the decisions that are being made financially in other countries.

GALLIANO & CHAPLIN

"I do not have much patience with a thing of beauty that must be explained to be understood. If it does need additional interpretation by someone other than the creator, then I question whether it has fulfilled is purpose." - C.C.

PHOTO CREDIT: FASHION FAME

SCOTT CAMPBELL

Speaking of tattoos..I was sent a really cool article about Mr. Scott Campbell, tattoo artist to the stars, who apparently has more than one talent hidden up his sleeve. Campbell has tattooed the bodies of Marc Jacobs, Courtney Love, and his friend the late Heath Ledger, but it is his latest gallery shows that has catapulted him into the spotlight. His first solo show at Miami's OHWOW in 2009 completely sold out, and based on what I've seen for his latest exhibition, this one will be no different.

Campbell's artwork is certainly a reflection of the passion he has for his day job and he uses a lot of the same motif's, such as cartoon characters and rock'n'roll imagery in his paintings and sculptures. My favorite pieces from his collection of work are from the Dollar Bill series where he neatly pastes hundreds of dollar bills on top of each other and laser cuts elaborate shapes and designs out of them. When asked about this particular series, Campbell replied, "Money is a sacred thing. People pay attention just because of the medium. To take something that is so iconic and precious and destroy it for the sake of communicating an idea, that gives that idea a little more weight." Below are some pictures of Campbell in his studio as well as a few images from the Dollar Bill series. Enjoy.

PHOTO CREDIT: NOWNESS

Bachmann's Favorite Punk Preacher Again Talks About Killing Homosexuals

From Bradlee Dean's YCRBYCH blog:

The American Psychiatric Association removed homosexuality from its diagnostic list of mental disorders in 1973, despite substantial protest (see Socarides, 1995). How convenient! But how destructive. It is important to take note of the “liberty” that the homosexuals now say they walk in, which in truth is really bondage. This perversion (the act of perverting; a turning from truth or propriety; a diverting from the true intent or object; change to something worse; the man acts like the woman and the woman acts like the man – Webster’s 1828) is dealt with in a most severe manner.

Read on: Leviticus 20:13 says, “If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.” Line upon line and precept upon precept.

After a scripture quote, Bradlee Dean says this:

Then these homosexuals have the audacity to call the preaching of God’s Law, “hate crimes.” This will only last with the people as long as it is tolerated! If not, God will deal with it in a way man wished he had dealt with it.

Last weekend, anti-gay crackpot Paul Cameron told Bradlee Dean's listeners that homosexuals spread diseases, seduce children, rape soldiers, are more likely to commit violent crimes than heterosexuals and other stuff. Listen to the audio on this DB post.

UPDATE: Michael Jones at Change.org reports that the 2010 Montana GOP party platform has a hate-the-gays plank:

But proving that the homophobia of the Texas GOP doesn't exist in a vacuum, word comes now that the 2010 party platform of the Montana GOP also calls for criminalizing homosexuality and arresting gay people. Towleroad broke it yesterday, quoting the Montana platform word for word: "We support the clear will of the people of Montana expressed by legislation to keep homosexual acts illegal."

Jones points out MN GOP politicos close ties to Bradlee Dean:

Of course, while Texas and Montana have pretty appalling GOP party platforms, perhaps we should be grateful that neither state is Minnesota. There, in the land of 10,000 lakes, the Minnesota GOP is willingly partnering with a rock band, known as You Can Run But You Cannot Hide, that calls for gay people to be executed. Rep. Michele Bachmann has embraced them. GOP gubernatorial candidate Tom Emmer has embraced them, too, and given them money. And the state GOP gave You Can Run But You Cannot Hide a donated booth at their last party convention.

It will be interesting to see if YCRBYCH has a booth at the State Fair this year. They were there last year.

Birther Joseph Farah Blasts the Star Tribune for Bias Against Bachmann

World Net Daily's Joseph Farah has an article called "Media out to get Bachmann"

Rep. Michele Bachmann is a target of the local and national media for one very good reason – because she's an extremely effective advocate of the uniquely American-style of liberty, justice and morality.

I don't believe there is another elected official in America today who gets heat from my colleagues like Bachmann does. Sarah Palin does, of course, but she is no longer serving in office.

Part of the problem Bachmann faces is not just a hostile national press, but an extremely hostile local media.

Farah bases this assumption on one blog post about Bachmann appearing in a crazy movie that claims the U.S. is being taken over by Marxist radicals or whatever.

Skip to the end for the hysterical pitch for $$$.

Do you get the picture?

Can you imagine Bachmann's political adversaries ever having to deal with attacks like this?

It would never happen. They play by different rules. When you're a Michele Bachmann, you have to run not just against challengers from the other party, but against an entrenched media establishment, too.

And that's why every freedom-loving American should support Michele Bachmann in her re-election effort this fall.

Bachmann, who will be a speaker at WND's "Taking America Back" conference this fall, is the real deal – guts, convictions, the ability to articulate the vision, fearless, uncompromising. We need to support incumbents like her when we take the Congress back in November.

Farah tweets that his birther book is his "Tea Party Manifesto". Farah wants to put billboards up all over the nation asking "where's the birth certificate?"

"What I need Americans to understand is that this billboard campaign is working," said Farah. "There is no shortage of billboards available to us. The only thing there's a shortage of is the money to erect them. We need to raise tens of thousands of dollars a month just to keep them in place."

"The impact of the billboards is magnified by local television and talk-radio shows in every market they enter," explains Farah. "It's not just the billboard. It's the earned media that comes along with it. It's astounding. We have turned millions of people around on this issue with the billboards. It's just that simple."

Here's a couple of billboards I'd like to see:







Bachmann will be appearing at a conference with Farah and other nuts in September.

DAVIDE ALLIERI CONVERSE

HS!!!!!

PHOTO CREDIT: THE SHOE MUSEUM

* HOLY SHIT

Goofy Bachmann Campaign Video & Pics

"Speaker Pelosi has made me her number one target."

"The Democrats have announced I'm the number one target for the radical environmentalists, the radical pro-abortionists and so they are going to pour money into my race..."

These pics need captions... click on pics to make them bigger:





More goofy pics at the Bachmann campaign Facebook.

Is Tarryl Clark "Going Negative" on Bachmann by Quoting Bachmann?

Back in the mists of time, when this blog was chiseled on a stone tablet and very few people knew who State Senator Michele Bachmann was, people, even liberal-minded people would criticize this blog for being "too negative".

There's been a feeble attempt, recently by a few right-wing bloggers to defend Michele Bachmann (no, I won't bother linking to them) by saying Tarryl Clark is going negative.

Give me a break.

Tarryl Clark is quoting Bachmann... or, to borrow from Harry Truman, Clark isn't giving Bachmann hell. Clark is telling the truth and Bachmann thinks it's hell.

Dave Mindeman at MnpACT! takes a look at this ridiculous accusation:

Tarryl Clark's campaign has used these quotes in their new commercials and press releases. And it would be virtual political malpractice not to do it.

Apparently Bachmann is hearing herself for the first time because she calls those quotes "false and misleading".

Do you see anything ambiguous about what Bachmann is saying? It seems pretty clear that she feels BP needs some kind of protection or an out for their responsibility.

Frankly, Obama would be (and has been) criticized for not coming down hard enough on British Petroleum. Bachmann has such a knee-jerk reaction to all actions Obama, that she doesn't think about what she is saying. And if anybody calls her on it, she falls back to the distortion charade.

My personal opinion early on was that Bachmann was not going to be beaten in this cycle. She survived the perfect negative storm last cycle and in this cycle, the landscape is more favorable for her "philosophy".

But the Bachmann mouth has one of those energizer batteries in operation. She cannot stop. She cannot hold back. She cannot reign it in.

And the Clark campaign is beginning to get it right. With Maureen Reed dropping out and the campaign's total focus on Bachmman, the Clark campaign seems to be gaining traction.

In a campaign that HAS to make Bachmann the issue, the tone is going to seem "negative". Because Michele Bachmann is the most negative politician we have seen since Joe McCarthy. She cannot support anything from the opposition; she looks at everything as if it is all a conspiracy; and, most importantly, she actually believes her own rhetoric.

Quoting, talking about, using examples, and engaging directly with Bachmann is simply all "negative campaigning".

And regardless of how the GOP portrays it all, Tarryl Clark needs to keep doing it. This Congressional seat has been defined by Bachmann and the campaign must be all about her.

Exactly. Read the whole thing.

Back in Germany

After our seven weeks in the Philippines and almost a week in the United Arab Emirates, we're finally back here in Deutschland. Thanks to the entertainment system of the Etihad Airways, the 6-hour flight is not that boring. I'm also very happy to be back in the blogosphere, its my other world.