Hitchens

If you haven't seen it everywhere already, Christopher Hitchens, a fantastic writer with opinions, oh so many & very strong opinions, passed away after a year and a half with throat cancer. I first saw him on Real Time with Bill Maher, and whether I agreed with him or not, I admired the way he just said what he thought while expecting the same from everyone else. Wanting to read up on the life & death of such a legendary writer & person, I found an excellent article on Huffington Post by a close friend of Hitchens, David Frum. I suggest you read if you are in the middle of a love affair with the man or you are hearing about him for the first time:
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/david-frum/christopher-hitchens-1949_b_1152895.html

I also found this great picture of him & his wife, writer Carol Blue

Rest in peace, Christopher Hitchens, and my condolences to all of his friends and family. Here is to a man that didn't hold back in any capacity, whether you liked it or not.



fearless people, flowers & sunshine,
bunny

Flavors of the Month: December

Apparently we have begun the descent into the most wonderful time of the year. Wow. That sounds hateful. Let's try that again. We are in the midst of the most wonderful time of the year! You need to be excited, so get there and fast. Because guess what? You are going to be within 10 feet of your parental unit(s) in less than two weeks so you better start washing your clothes and practicing quieter sex noises. Never fear, though, I have some little snacks to keep you sane through this season if you aren't finding yourself as jolly as you had hoped you would be by now.

SAY NO EVIL

Happy Holidays. Until last year, I didn't realize we were assaulting Christmas and Christians. I have always said Happy Holidays, even when I was a Christian, because guess what? I am including New Year's and sometimes if I am starting early enough, Thanksgiving. Since I became Buddhist, I also realized how rude it really is to assume that everyone around you shares your beliefs, to assume that the person next to you does not celebrate Hanukkah or Kwanzaa or Winter Solstice, which are all equally important to the people that celebrate them and right around the same time as Christmas. Which, by the way, I know we have all heard by now that Christmas happens when it does because Pagans were targeted for conversion. What better way to do that than roll their holiday into yours? This HISTORICAL FACT does not take away from Christmas, but you need to chill out. Please, stop thinking you are being assaulted. The Happy Holidayers are just trying to be all-inclusive. Just start coexisting like your bumper sticker suggests. And Happy Holidays.

SEE NO EVIL

The Sitter came out on Friday, 12/9 starring Jonah Hill. It looks like a modernized Adventures in Babysitting (one of my all-time favorites), without the Thor references or the lovely Shue. Even so, it looks like a pretty good revamp if you are a fan of Jonah Hill, so let's all go see it and report back. Note: this one looks pretty raunchy, hence the R rating, so I would not recommend you go to this movie if Superbad or anything like it is not your cup of tea. For example, the trailer opens with Jonah Hill going down on a girl. 

In other news, finally saw The Muppets and it was even better than I imagined it. Have to see it one more time in the theater before I buy five copies and watch them simultaneously.

For you TV/Travel Channel/Bourdain lovers, his new series, The Layover, is a great treat. He has X amount of hours in a city and hits the highlights. So far I have seen New York City, Rome & Miami and I am hooked. There are snippets of firsthand knowledge from people on the street that help you get a feel for the city's culture as a whole. If you have ever had to rush through a place, this is a show you can relate to and glean some mega tips from.

FUDGE NO EVIL

My latest obsession is Carnation's $5 Famous Fudge kits. Yes. I said $5. And fudge kits. I picked one up at a local IGA and made it for an ornament party this past weekend. It was not only incredibly easy to make since the box has the pan, marshmallows, "sugar mix", chocolate chips & evaporated milk(you just supply the butter), but it was some of the best fudge I have ever had. It wasn't the kind that is so sweet your teeth are screaming. I love sugar, but not an obscene amount. While you can either give these kits to yourself or as gifts, I think the most appropriate way to give this kit is as a hostess gift. So here's my idea: buy two kits, make one, give the other as your gift so that way the hostess can try how great it is and then will have it on hand for the next holiday party she has to go to and is too exhausted to be too elaborate after hostessing a party already. S'wonderful, s'marvelous.

HEAR NO EVIL

Since we are in the middle of December, you should probably listen to my new favorite Christmas album, A Very She & Him Christmas. It's cute, it's fun, Zooey sings a lot of Beach Boys Christmas tunes along with some of the classics. Love that they flip the lyrics for "Baby, It's Cold Outside".

You don't WANT to hear Christmas music, you say? Well, fine then. If that is the case, listen to the Velvet Underground. They have great tongue-in-cheek lyrics with that fabulous, nitty gritty rock n roll sound. Perfect for cold weather and cloud coverage.

Want something new? You are really demanding, you know that? Listen to Aloe Blacc's Good Things. You may recognize his song "I Need A Dollar" from the opening to How to Make it in America (one of my favorite HBO shows) but my love for that song lead me to his 2010 album. I love it. He is the modern day Bill Withers. Enjoy!

RANT NO EVIL

At this point, you may be saying to yourself, "This bitch is still too cheerful. I want to think, MAN. I want to feel something real, MAN." Fine. Fuck off. Do you like comedy and comedians? Listen to Marc Maron's podcast, WTF. It's the perfect cure for the seeking comedic mind who wants to get into the heads of their favorite people. Some of my close male friends got me hooked last year. I think what I love about Maron the most is that he is so honestly desperate to understand how these people tick and what their secret is. He asks the questions I would ask as a post-grad film major who wants to make people laugh and be successful but feels like they are on the outside looking in and has no idea where the goddamn doorknob to this glamorous bubble is in the first place. Too revealing? Perhaps. But you will not regret either going online and listening or getting the app for your iPhone and donating some money to the cause. The best part: Maron's seeking mind has now made him relevant. I think the secret is, figure out who & what you are & run with it aka be yourself. Great episodes include: Patton Oswalt, Paul Reiser, Conan O'Brien, Ed Helms, Norm MacDonald and Anthony Bourdain. But all will be wonderful. I promise: www.wtfpod.com

TREE NO EVIL

As a Michigan girl, I grew up with parents big on the real deal Christmas trees. I grew up with plenty of people that faked it, but we didn't fuck around in my house. Moving to Oklahoma, pine trees are not really prevalent so fake is usually the way, but if you are in the OKC/Norman area, look no further! There is a family from Cadillac, Michigan that parks in that parking lot next to Panera on the corner of 24th and Main. You can get wreaths, tree stands & of course trees of all shapes & sizes and in impeccable condition. They are great people that come down after Thanksgiving and leave just before Christmas with prices no different than up North  where your tree only moves 10 feet from where it grew. You know what they say, "Once you buy real...."

RECEIVE NO EVIL

My personal email has basically become newsletter central. I am on just about every store, fashion & random info newsletter you can imagine in cities I have never been to nor live in and I love it. I am in the know, even if it takes me an hour everyday just to get caught up on it all. One of my current favorite newsletters I get is from Emerald Street, a site in London, that sends great tips, interviews, lists, etc. that are entertaining, short & sweet. This month they are partnering with the organization, Look Good... Feel Better, which gives makeovers to cancer patients so they can see themselves as the confident, beautiful women they are, cancer be damned. If you sign up for their newsletter in December, they donate $1 to the cause. So start receiving mail that is worth your while and help a sister out in the meantime: www.emeraldstreet.com

WEAR NO EVIL

Last but not least, let's talk about some trends that I am digging right now.

1) Peter Pan collar: It's been making its rounds lately, but I think cold weather is especially conducive in making the Pan collar work. It's cute, it's preppy, it's great casual or at work. Just do it already.

2) Fur cuffs, mufflers & headbands: Fur is always around this time of year, but I love that we are making our way back to the cuffs and mufflers of yesteryear. I will be opting for the faux fur, which is not only nice for all the little animals that just want to sleep right now (just not in the eternal sense), but it's cost effective. I am actually going to make myself some cuffs, because if there is a sewing project anyone with a needle and thread, let alone a full-on sewing machine can make, it's a faux fur cuff. Sassy.

3) Tights: These really came back in full swing the last couple years and I am obsessed. I have just about every color along with some patterned ones and I don't see myself quitting them any time soon. Not only can you comfortably wear a skirt, you snazz up your outfit tenfold. For the solid color tights, Target's $5 are unbeatable. I cut little slits in the top of the band (especially after nacho dinners), but they are pretty hardy and you will be talk of the town. Colors I am loving right now: mustard, tobacco, evergreen & red.

4) Pussybow blouses: In high school I got to play Mrs. Pearce and one of my outfits included a badass pink pussybow blouse from the 80s and a brown pencil skirt. I love the 80s, I love the 30s & 40s, I love eras that rocked the pussybow. It's formal, it's pretty, it's classic. I am dying to own this emerald green one from River Island and this blood orange one on Piperlime. Ruffles are over, start buying pussy.

5) Slipper loafers: I love me some moccasins, but only if they are by Minnetonka. They own the market of well-made, beautiful moccasins. But slipper loafers are back and they are making me happy. I want the River Island leopard along with these Aldo fuchsia glitter ones. Comfort. Glamour. Amen.

6) Driving gloves: I still rue the day I missed my chance to buy fuchsia driving gloves from Nixon. They were cheap & leather & gorgeous & I don't want to get into right now. But driving gloves are out and about this season and I wouldn't mind one bit if someone wanted to get me these brown ones from Madewell. 

**Cue Babs & "Grown-Up Christmas List"**

DRINK NO EVIL

It wouldn't be Christmas without eggnog (unless you are gross and don't like eggnog), so take your pick. There's lots on the market from the traditional, to the alcoholic to the soy versions. Now if you are wanting to jazz it up, I totally support that as a Polish/Scottish/Irish descended daughter of an alcoholic. Want some rum with that nog? Sailor Jerry's will do you right. It's potent, sweet, reasonably priced and will get the job done. Lactose intolerant? Silk makes some great nog as well as a mint chocolate drink. Want to make your own adult version of the mint chocolate? Get chocolate milk or Silk and some Rumplemintz BOOM you got yourself a stew. Sound like too much work? Pennsylvania Dutch eggnog is wonderful. Want the full enchilada with all the cream and eggs you can stand? In Michigan, Quality Dairy is your homeboy. In Oklahoma, Braum's will be your nog of choice. Where do you nog?

Hopefully I have pointed you in the direction of some things to make the next couple weeks a little deeper than an ABC Family Christmas movie. Don't forget your poinsettias (which are NOT poisonous for animals, they discovered!), your tree, and most of all, the realization that holidays are for having fun and enjoying the company of your loved ones. They're all batshit, but they're all you have got at the end of the day and someday, I know you don't believe me, but you will miss them, warts and all. So suck it up and chug your Sailor Nog in your Christmas sweater and tell your grandma for the twentieth time your name, school you dropped out of and why you are not married &/or do not have kids.

Happy Holidays!

bunny 

Flavors of the Month: November

Every month there is something to get excited about. The weather changes, fashion changes, new movies come out & the social calendar becomes restocked full of exciting adventures. So I will be keeping you in the loop. I know we are a little ways into November already, but maybe you haven't gotten fired up like I am and need some kindling for your soul bonfire.

BREW NO EVIL
The first weekend of November, some of my husby's and my best friends had everyone over for a day of football and home brewing lessons. We got to drink the fruits of their labor in the form of an amber they had brewed a month prior and then learned by making batches of pumpkin porter and holiday spice beer. It was lots of fun and I loved the whole process (I got to help strain the goodness into a bucket!). There are learn to brew classes popping up all over the place and I suggest you hop (get it?) in on one or hook up with a friend who already does it on their own. I believe the new DIY/getting back to basics trends like home brewing, sewing, knitting, carpentry, screen printing, wine making, collecting vinyls etc. are a positive reaction to all of the technology that has gotten us away from physically creating & collecting. Find something that has always interested you and master it!

SEE NO EVIL
The Muppets FINALLY comes out this month, Wednesday the 23rd (the day before Thanksgiving). The Great Muppet Caper is still my favorite, but anything to do with the Muppets is pure gold. Apparently Jason Segel (who wrote this film) cried his first day on set with Kermit and everyone had to break. If anyone was going to write this newest installment, he was definitely worthy of the job. So go see it. Thank you.

HEAR NO EVIL
On Tuesday, the 15th, my husby and I saw The Pixies live in Bricktown! They are currently on their Lost Cities Tour playing their masterpiece album, Doolittle, while hitting all of the cities they have never played in. They were even better live and you could tell they were all having a great time. Probably some of the most memorable moments of the show were when they opened with Un Chien Andalou playing on the big screen, "La La Love You" and when they fogged out the stage and audience during "Into the White." I also aspire to be as effortlessly cool as Kim Deal. Pixies are wonderful any time of year, but the crisp autumn air is paired perfectly with their sound.

Their opening band, Imaginary Cities, from Winnipeg, were by far the best opener I have seen. The lead singer, Marti, sounded like a sexy cat cartoon character with awesome moves like Janis Joplin and even a little Shirley Temple thrown in. Let's just say she was an adorable badass. Their music is right up the Pixies' alley, but less grungy. Loved when the guitarist, Rusty, switched from piano to rocking out on his guitar. Check. Them Out.

The Horrors' new album, Skying, is great for this time of year also. They hearken back to The Smiths, The Cure and The Thompson Twins with just a pinch of surfer rock in some of their songs.

Of course, while we are discussing the Smiths, they are my favorite cloudy/rainy/cold day band, so add them to your playlists this fall.

EAT NO EVIL
'Tis the season for Thanksgiving. Please stop jumping straight to Christmas, Thanksgiving is the best. It is my absolute favorite holiday because there is no expectations other than creating amazing dishes and getting together with your loved ones so you can eat like fatasses and fall asleep while drinking and watching Lions football. Then you get to wake up, have dessert and more leftovers and watch Planes, Trains & Automobiles. And continue to drink. Quit jumping the gun & enjoy this low-maintenance holiday. Stay tuned for details on a Hobo Potluck we will be hosting the Saturday after Thanksgiving. My Thanksgiving secret weapon shall be revealed at that time!

PAINT NO EVIL
I am devoted to L'Oreal Paris' nail polish in Devotion. This picture doesn't really do it justice, but it is a strange taupey cocoa color that can appear more cocoa in some light, purple-ish in another and even charcoal in others. I originally was on the hunt for Essie's Hot Cocoa nail polish, but when I compared the two, Devotion won my heart (& it was $3 cheaper!). I may still pick up hot cocoa, but it has a bit more warmth with hints of cognac, while Devotion is a flatter color. GET IT NOW.

WEAR NO EVIL
My freshman year at Michigan State, I roomed blind. My roommate and I hated each other most of our first semester, but by the end of it, we became great friends. I realized she was basically a younger version of my mom. Go figure. We still keep in touch, but one thing I took away from that experience that always keeps her close to me, is her affinity for crazy old lady/old man sweaters. They were always somewhere between a 1970s ski trip sweater and a Peruvian llama sweater. Now I too have a collection and this season, thanks to Rachel Zoe, I found out Stella McCartney gives my old roomie and I some legitimacy. Go with the hip grandma look and you will not only be cozy but chic.

Keep a look out for some more new featurettes, including Party On, Dude, where I will chronicle the themed parties I host. I will not only show you our Halloween Bash, but our Hobo Potluck the Saturday after T-Day!

Other than that, let me know what your "musts" are for November or what you think of mine.



Turkey Time and warm November days,
bunny

Working Girl: Back to Basics

As boring as it can be, you need your neutral, classic pieces. Tops & bottoms in white, cream, beige, black, gray, brown, tan, etc, will all be your best friends in your new work wardrobe. When you slowly build this core up, you can pair one of the neutrals with a bright or patterned top or bottom that will let you express yourself, but also be grounded and mature. Plus, when you have a good line of neutrals, it's way easier to get up and throw together a great outfit after you drank a little too much the night before.

On an episode of What Not to Wear, they had a young woman with no confidence in her ability to put together professional outfits. Her outfits were too casual or too bright because she thought that neutrals were boring, but she was moving up and needed to be taken seriously. Stacy & Clinton came to her rescue and explained that she could still be youthful & have fun with her wardrobe, but there was a method: find something you like, something you love & add some bling. Basically, find a flattering neutral for your top or bottom, add a fun top or bottom that you love, then put on the amazing shoes with personality &/or funky & blingy jewelry to top it all off. Don't overdo the bling, but with a neutral at the base of any outfit, you will look great!

The outfit I am showcasing today is not the most exciting outfit I have, but it is one that is flattering, I get lots of compliments on & it is SUPER comfortable.  Most of all, it's got those lovely neutrals with personality that we all love (or will learn to love).

My ruffled blouse and basic black pencil skirt both hail from JCPenney. Some people scoff at good 'ol JCP, but if you want quality stuff at a reasonable price, they are a better option than most. Some love Kohl's, but they just don't have the same quality and they are usually more expensive. JCPenney's best brand for work neutrals is Worthington. For your funky stuff, try I <3 Ronson. American Living is another good one that can be a little mom-ish, but it is meant to be an adult preppy line like JCrew. Sometimes they have great funky pieces, but for the most part, they have lots of classic patterns & styles. 

My shoes are Aldo Howett in black leather. They are well-made & comfortable & although they were $60, they are well worth it since black flats come in handy 150% of the time. Aldo makes great flats (neutral & otherwise), so check them out. 

***Invest in your classic pieces. You will save money in the long run and feel fabulous every time you wear them.

Your assignment this week is to find a FLATTERING plain black pencil skirt and plain black flats. Also, stop buying knit tops for awhile, you need more blouses. 

Hope this was helpful. Leave any questions or comments below and stay tuned for next week's exciting edition of Working Girl!

back in black,

bunny

Working Girl: Funking Up the Professional World, One Outfit at a Time

Since I graduated from Film school a year ago this December, I was promoted from my job as a lowly sales assistant to an executive assistant at the company’s corporate office. It’s still entry-level, but at least I have my own space and I am no longer crawling on my hands and knees cleaning and organizing. Chained to a desk with a stricter dress code and a wardrobe of college student/boho chic, I found myself lost at sea when it came to work apparel. I also found myself getting depressed over my increasingly boring outfits that recycled the same tired pieces.

It has almost been a year now and I am finally starting to feel like I have more options, not only in the variety of pieces I own, but in my ability to funkify my neutral drone wardrobe, while still staying in dress code. These limitations have, in turn, inspired my Casual Friday outfits, where I am more apt to let my freak flag fly, but appropriately.

Can this be my wardobe? Do we even need to discuss this?

I know I haven’t been the first workforce newbie lost when it comes to acceptable yet stylish outfits for work, so I have set out to guide you through this frightening time. Frightening, not just because you are a young professional with rules on how you can dress, but frightening because you are most likely a twentysomething who is on the same rollercoaster I am; somewhere between bliss and hysteria, fully aware that time is flying by and you aren’t even sure you are on the right ride.

Every week I will post my favorite work and Casual Friday outfits and/or answer office survival questions. For example, what pieces you should have to make your groggy mornings easier and your outfits sleeker, where you can find these (reasonably priced!) pieces, the dos and don’ts for office apparel, along with any other advice on surviving office life, from Lean Cuisines to community coffee to catty coworkers. I am still a rookie myself, but with a year under my belt, I can help you avoid the mistakes I have unfortunately made and be the office mentor you are probably missing at your own job.

I'll bang out the first one for your reading pleasure this Friday. I'm holding us to this, so write yourself a memo or task or something and I'll see you at the water cooler!

working it for a Working Girl ending,

bunny

Meow Mix

Great things are in the works for jojobunny.  I came up with a bunch of little featurettes when I was applying to be an editor &/or writer for a blog, but since things didn't work out, I am taking my know-how to the interwebz streets. I'm currently getting said posts squared away, but I promise I will keep the space between posts shorter than in the past.  While you wait, please like various & sundry on Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/various-sundry/243081135748148

And then visit this other amazing blog:

http://thekittencovers.tumblr.com/

And then listen to this song:

lock, stock & two smoking blog posts,

bunny

This little Miss Piggy

I love Halloween.  My sister loves Halloween.  My mom loves Halloween.  We are a Halloween kind of family.  For my sister and I, it's not only about the costumes, but the spookiness - cemetaries, horror movies, fun Halloween movies, etc.  My mom likes some of that, but she is all about the costumes.  I mean, my mom is a badass seamstress that's been doing it since she was 10 or 11 and actually made an elaborate Victorian walking dress when I was little just so she could get professionally photographed in it.  She wore a powdered wig & a beauty mark and got the perfect backdrop & everything.  And it was professionally framed in my house throughout my childhood.  I told you.  Hardcore.

This Halloween is especially exciting because I have a house now, so we are going to deck that shit out & throw the best Halloween party EVER.  EVER.  So my sister was showing me her costume options as a sexy sailor, which of course made me want to look for my costume gear.  This year I will be Miss Piggy.  I LOVE the Muppets & I LOVE Miss Piggy.  For some reason I always loved the divas when I was growing up.  Probably because they made me laugh & I loved the huge personalities & amazing clothes.  For instance, I LOVE Kate Capshaw in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.  By far my favorite Indy flick and a lot of that has to do with Capshaw.  I would howl with laughter at all of her scenes as I watched that movie at least a couple times a week, from when I was three until around five years old.  Again, hardcore.

Seriously?  OF COURSE I wanted to be her!

Anyways, I want to give you a little tour of the image searching I just went through and you can see how ADD I am, especially on the World Wide Web.  I said it.  Move on.  Also, help me decide which Piggy outfit to go for.  I can go red, purple, pink..... you get it, just scroll.

Here is the ear, nose & wig/tiara set I need to make the best costume ever:

Here are the different Miss Piggy outfits I would love to try and recreate with some crazy thrift store outfit or something.  Oh crap, I just realized I have an awesome 80s dress at home that I stole from my high school theatre department!  Must mend that.  Anyways:

B/W of my favorite Piggy form; The Great Muppet Caper water ballet spectacular!

Best color version ever.  See why I love this movie?

This one is a little sassier.  I'd probably be a little more modest.

I WISH. Also, this picture is part of a Great Muppet Caper sheet set. Uh oh.  NEED!

More realistic purple option

Or I could just get this tattoo & call it a day.  Yikes, right?

So of course Miss Piggy made me think of teacup pigs, where I found this:

And then I wanted to change my blog profile pic to that cutie and I wondered if I could because it is a pig, not a bunny, like me.  So I decided to search for new bunny pics & found this:

I am officially quitting while I am ahead.  Please let me know which Miss Piggy look you think I should go for.  And/or your favorite Indiana Jones movie.  And/or your favorite Muppet movie.  And I also need, no matter what else you decide to comment on, I NEED you to exclaim at HOW ADORABLE that teacup pig & that itty bitty bunny are.  And should I change my profile pic to one or the other?  Is it legal to do the pig?  Ooh!  And tell me what you are going to be for Halloween and/or what your and your favorite costume you have ever worn!  Pictures make me happy so feel free if my blog has that capability!

"Is this your homework, Larry?!"

Yes.  Yes, it is.

Hallo-homework for all,

bunny

Hop a ride on the Roaring Twenties Boat Cruise!

I really want to share something but I have to work.  I know.  Lame.  So here is my 20s Boat Cruise video I did for my editing class last year.  Questions, comments, concerns?

penicillin for all,

bunny

Cry, Little Sister

I'm the worst.  We get it.  Here is what I have been up to:

http://www.reddirtchronicles.com/2011/09/the-2011-imaginary-family-project-%E2%80%93-week-37/

My friend, 25SWF (you should totally read her blog about her dating escapades), told me about the Imaginary Family Project for Red Dirt Chronicles.  Basically, you apply to write for the project & if you are accepted, you choose from a bunch of old photos that Quentin (the guy who runs this awesome project) has and proceed to make up a story about it.  It can be long or short, a poem, a news article - however you want to express the photo in written form.  So I picked the photo of the lady getting kids' clothes out of the back of a car and tied together stories of my mom, grandma, great-grandma, sister, aunties & my imagination.  Even my knowledge of Alfred Hitchcock from Film school played its part.

Hitchcock LOVED stuffing his face & getting blasted here

What else have I been doing?  Well, I have seen all of the Frankie & Annette beach movies you can watch on Instant.  They were awesome!  I have to say, Bikini Beach was probably my favorite.  Unlike Beach Party or How To Stuff A Wild Bikini, Annette seems to be more of an independent lady, Frankie & Annette even have a duet about loving each other for being themselves.  And Annette is feisty and doesn't put up with Frankie's shit!  And he totally goes with it.  Unlike How To Stuff A Wild Bikini where he blatantly cheats on her with island women and she takes this crazy self-righteous stance while he spies on her with Buster Keaton through a pelican.  Beware of Frankie's terrible British accent & hyena laugh as the "Potato Bug".  Don Rickles makes up for it.  Beach Party is still a classic, even when Annette sings her creepy song when Frankie leaves her for the Marilyn doppelganger.  I'm telling you, watch these movies.

I also officially love Arsenic & Old Lace (GREAT Halloween movie).  Cary Grant makes me fall even more in love with him and the hilarious chaos and plot twists clearly influenced The 'Burbs (another favorite).

Also obsessed with Katharine Hepburn and Desk Set (a great Christmas flick!).  First of all, Katharine is always a pleasure.  She's chic & she gets down to the brass tacks.  When she is paired with Spencer Tracey, they are dynamite.  Desk Set was especially good and if you watch it, keep in mind its key line, "Assume nothing."  Or something like that.  Don't assume anything.  Okay?  But the movie is fabulous and I love Katharine and her coworkers; great single ladies in the city turning the idea of what a woman should be on its head, even today, but not in an overly aggressive, killing their cause way.  And why can't my lack of punctuality be as charming as Katharine's?

Seriously, how fabulous are they?

So there have been lots of movies & writing in my spare time & unfortunately no time for my bloggy.  But now I am back, I am addicted to Twitter on @josiebozie and I am loving this new Blogger layout.  Also, I need more money for clothes & I wish I was able to attend all the Fashion Weeks.

Also, super excited for She & Him to release their Christmas album on October 25.  It will be mine.  Oh yes - it will be mine.

Can it just be the holiday season already?



I leave you with this, in tribute to our gloriously rainy day:

makin' your dreams come true,


bunny

What happened to XXL?

New favorite song.  Please make up dance moves.

flowers & sunshine,


bunny

Goo Goo Gaga

Before House of Gaga, she was just Stefani Germanotta, an incredibly talented brunette from NYC.  Unfortunately, being herself wasn't getting her where she wanted to be, so she created a whole persona, something many performers have done and continue to do.  Great, no big deal.  I had finally come to appreciate Lady Gaga and enjoy her music and the whole event that Lady Gaga has made herself to be.  Through this carnival of influences, she can be a mega star that can really push a message of universal acceptance of anything or anyone "different" in a much grander way than she ever could as just plain Stefani Germanotta.  She's a strong, tough lady who is wise beyond her years and accomplishing a phenomenon that I can only applaud her for.  This has always been my argument for her.

Part of her charm is that she's a postmodern figurehead of all the male & female divas before her.  Her image is a cluster fuck of icons like Madonna, Bette Midler, Cyndi Lauper, Ziggy Stardust, Cher, Elton John & even the German Expressionist film, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (thanks in a huge way to Alexander McQueen.  RIP).  But that's the whole point.

In her music, she always has a breakdown in the middle that sounds like a sample from another strong music figure.  Examples: In "Poker Face" she sounds just like Peaches.  That gnarly, school-teaching badass bitch who has been heard in movies like Lost in Translation and collaborated recently with bands like The Flaming Lips.  She's just a little too hardcore for mainstream radio, but she has a following.  In "Paparazzi," her breakdown sounds like Gwen Stefani in "Hollaback Girl."  "Alejandro" sounds like an Ace of Base song and the video looks like Madonna's "Like a Prayer" video.  "Born This Way" is like Madonna's "Express Yourself."  Even "You and I" sounds like the Billy Joel's "Vienna."

I know there are plenty more, but let's make my point.  All of these people before her have been there and done that.  Madonna clearly paid homage to Marilyn Monroe in her "Material Girl" video, giving us the wink that she knows she's not the first blonde bombshell to push the envelope.  She also openly admitted to taking dance and fashion cues from underground drag queen proms that took place in New York City.  In fact, you can watch an entire documentary, Paris is Burning, on the very people she borrowed from.

Madonna at the world premiere of Paris is Burning

That's what icons do.  They take their influences and make them their own, fresh and new, and bring them to the mainstream.  None of these people have had any reason to hide it, in fact, more often than not, they are proud to give credit where it's due.  Right?  Well, sometimes.  In Gaga's case, one minute she claims to be 100% original and the next she either has gotten support from the artist or claims ignorance.

Part of me knows quotes can be taken out of context.  Another part of me knows that there is an empire that needs to be protected/doesn't care b/c they know the fans don't.  I also know firsthand that there are truly accidents where you either don't know or were influenced and didn't even remember it happening.  For instance, on a much smaller scale, I once gave an impromptu (& unsolicited) stand-up routine to a room of fellow high school classmates about mice giving nonstop birth in a shed while my mom screamed and tried to swat them off a tennis racket. After class, one of my good friends pulled me aside and said it had happened to her.  Oops.  There's actually a bit like that in one of my favorite books, The Unlikely Romance of Kate Bjorkman, too.  My bad.  But I was funny, right?

No matter what the reasoning, my only advice to Gaga (b/c she asked me for it the other day) is to try and not look like an ass by saying stuff about God giving you songs like you are Billy Graham.  And you should probably do a little research before you perform to make sure you aren't stepping on toes (or fins, in the case of Bette Midler).  No one wants to look as silly as Vanilla Ice did (about 1 minute in):

But if you do get caught, fess up to the homage and move on.  Don't take full credit.  You look less Paris Hilton-caught-on-tape-AGAIN and more like a class act.  And my only advice to people who have such deep-seeded hate for Gaga and feel like they constantly have to "call her out"?  At the end of the day, she's an entertainer.  She is the new "It" girl pushing the envelope b/c somebody has to scare parents.  So she's not entertaining you?  Fine.  I don't enjoy death metal but I don't waste time bitching about it.  To each their own.

And anyways, shouldn't you be more worried about things like health care, national debt, an abused Earth, civil rights, corrupt lawmakers or media moguls and corporations with too much power?  Or, more than anything, shouldn't you be doing your job that many unemployed people would gladly take?  I know I should be.  But that shit is depressing.


why any of it*,

bunny


*so I'm not the world calling the orange blue**, this is a direct quote (early 2000s, Kazi Bonner)
**this is from a Federico Garcia Lorca quote "The world is blue like an orange."  I could go all day.  Ok, not all day.  That's all I've got.

P.S. If we are going to call her out, I would just like to say that I am famous for not wearing pants.  DAMN HER.