4th of July Night Ride Home

Once in a while
In a big blue moon
There comes a night like this
Like some surrealist
Invented this Fourth of July
Night ride home

Hula girls
And caterpillar tractors in the sand
The Ukulele man
The fireworks
This Fourth of July
Night ride home

I love the man beside me
We love the open road
No phones 'til Friday
Far from the overkill
Far from the overload

Back at the bar
The band tears down
But out here in the headlight beams
The silver powerlines
Gleam
On this Fourth of July
Night ride home

Round the curve
And a big dark horse
Red tail lights on his hide
Is keeping right alongside
Rev for stride
4th of July
Night ride home

I love the man beside me
We love the open road
No phones till Friday
Far from the undertow
Far from the overload

Once in a while
In a big blue moon
There comes a night like this
Like some surrealist
Invented this Fourth of July
Night ride home
Night ride home
Night ride home
On a night ride home
On a night ride home
Night ride home

Thank you, Joni.

https://jonimitchell.com/

July 4th, 2026

On this anniversary of our country's independence, we find the "United" part of our "United States of America" under severe strain. But I am not letting that stop me from celebrating the achievements of and possibilities inherent in our country.

I resent how conservatives invented and have actively promoted the lie that anyone who supports progressive, liberal, optimistic ideas about our country are "haters" of the USA. They hold up this ridiculous idea that they and they alone can feel any sense of pride in their nation--and then turn around and behave and vote like people who are anything but supportive of the nation and its citizens. For this reason, and as a proud Liberal, I am heartily celebrating our Independence Day, our country, and the concept of actual, real Democracy.

When over two and a half centuries ago, a band of patriots gathered in Philadelphia to declare that "all men are created equal," they intended for this country to be different from the others, to be better, to be always striving toward a more perfect union. It is why they made the Constitution a living document, able to be revised, changed, improved upon, thus improving the lives of everyone living in these United States. It is our true purpose, our original ideal to continually improve the quality of life for Americans--all Americans--no matter their race, sex, age, physical ability, religion, ethnicity, and sexual or gender identity.

And July 4th is a celebration of that, a Celebration of Possibility, a celebration of the idea that we can continually improve upon our morals, our laws, our procedures, our attitudes. We continually strive toward those possibilities which include instead of exclude, which right what has been wrong, which bring more people into our national fabric, elevating and enriching life in this country. That is why it is particularly distressing and brings a very specific anguish to see these ideals, this leap toward possibilities of greatness that is part of our Constitution and of Democracy itself eroded, attacked, and mocked by the current government, conservatives, and the right wing ... and more shockingly, by a large section of our own fellow citizens who support the viciousness and hatred. Their support demonstrates that only cruelty with a perverse need to punish, and not the health and future of the United States and the well-being of its citizens is their goal.

Today I am choosing to celebrate the good this country has been and done but also the possibilities of change, of improvement, of an ever-strengthening yearning toward a more perfect union, and the idea that we can protect what this country stands for. Please vote to honor these ideals in the 2026 mid-term elections--we must have a President and not a King or despot--to ensure that we live up to the promise of making life for all citizens--ALL CITIZENS--better. We haven't yet and we need to, finally, fulfill that promise. And taking back at least one of the branches of government will help us in reclaiming our country, our Democracy, and our standing in the world.

I love my country, I was born here, it is my home, and I have no intention of leaving. I am of an age when my American History and Civics classes in high school and college were not sanitized, and I understand the good and the bad in our past as well as present. Did the United States make mistakes? Yes. Is the nation as a whole perfect? Not yet. Are we the best version of ourselves? We are working on it and many of us who believe in the promise of the United States are striving, earnestly, with a clear vision. I like to think I am one of those people and because of that, I have no intention of handing my home over to the current administration and its supporters who are toiling to turn it into an authoritarian, theocratic, fascistic regime.

Here is the sonnet "The New Colossus" by poet Emma Lazarus which serves as the inscription at the base of the Statue of Liberty, a gift from France, our valuable ally. The inscription affirms the ideal of inclusiveness and the United States as a beacon of hope, comfort, and stability for anyone who seeks it.

Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,

With conquering limbs astride from land to land;

Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand

A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame

Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name

Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand

Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command

The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.

"Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she

With silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor,

Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,

The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.

Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,

I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

"Here Come July" by Scritti Politti 2026

Yep, here comes July...I'm gonna watch the worlds crash, burn, collide...I think we all will. Hang on.

The incredible Green Gartside and Scritti Politti (previously here): some of the smartest pop music ever recorded.

Here come July
The world is there for me to share
Here come July
It sort of feels so hyper-real

Here come July
To test you all before the fall
Here come July
The end of school, the death of cool

Here come July now
And everybody's burning
My summer's high now
The world has never been so happy in its heart of hearts

Here come July
To sort the men from boys again
Here come July
To melt away the need to say

Here come July now
The heat'll hurt your feelings
It's beautified now
The sun will scorch the pavements of all piety and sin

It doesn't mean nothing, it doesn't mean sh*t
How can I be a part of it?
It doesn't mean nothing, it doesn't mean spit
How can I be a part of it?

It doesn't mean nothing
Some things never do to me

I'll mean the world to you
Maybe I could double all the negatives we know

Here come July
I love it makes it hard to take
So why d'you lie?
To me about the truth will out

Here come July now
And I can't hear your lipgloss
No case to try now
The sun will be on subterfuge, iniquity and you

It doesn't mean nothing, it doesn't mean sh*t
How can I be a part of it?
It doesn't mean nothing, it doesn't mean spit
How can I be a part of it?

Here come July now
Here it comes (woah)
Here we come
I'm gonna crash, gonna burn, gonna watch as the worlds collide
I'm gonna crash, gonna burn, gonna watch as the worlds collide

(It doesn't mean nothing)
Here come July now (it doesn't mean nothing)
Here come July now.

http://www.scritti.net/
https://www.facebook.com/scrittinet

"Coming Up" by Active Child

I am sooooo glad Active Child is back after a years-long break. Here is the gorgeous, heartfelt "Coming Up." From his self-titled album, out now.

Give me some time to wander
Through my aching mind
Different names for all I ask
To see the truth

But they keep coming up
A long time now with yourself
They keep coming up
A long time now with yourself

Everyone knows the road
It bends away from you
Infinite love surrounding
All that you do

But they keeping coming up
A long time now with yourself
They keep coming up
A long time now with yourself

Coming up a long time now
Coming up a long time now
Coming up a long time now

https://activechildmusic.com/

Happy Pride Anniversary 2026!

HAPPY PRIDE ANNIVERSARY!

Fifty-seven years ago today, a bunch of fed-up drag queens, hustlers, and assorted gay misfits at the Stonewall Inn in New York turned the tables on yet another unnecessary, unfair, harassing police raid. That resistance gave rise to a series of riots and ultimately to the birth of the modern gay activist movement. It seems like a long time ago, and while a few laws and minds have changed, we still have a way to go, and a lot more irrational fear, hatred, bigotry, and misconceptions to fight...especially considering the vicious, radical conservative and radical Christian-fueled wave of LGBT+--specifically Trans--hatred in our country which is being legitimized by the current administration of darkness.

We celebrate Pride Month and recognize Pride Day because it is a positive stance against the daily shame, social stigma, discrimination, and violence that the LGBT community still faces. In fact, a recent report from the policy research Williams Institute at UCLA showed that LGBT+ people in the United States are NINE TIMES MORE LIKELY THAN NON-LGBT+ PEOPLE TO BE THE VICTIMS OF VIOLENT HATE CRIMES. Gay youth are routinely kicked out of their homes and disowned by their families, gay kids and teens and young adults are routinely bullied or attacked or beaten and many end up committing suicide because they are told they are sick or going to hell, and many gay and trans men and women are attacked and beaten and murdered--sometimes in their own homes. That’s why Congress must pass the Equality Act to outlaw discrimination against people based on sexual orientation and gender identity, but we know that will not happen until the next administration that is run by a sense of humanism and decency. 

Because the LGBT Pride celebration is about the right of lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, and transgendered individuals to exist without being prosecuted, persecuted, attacked, or murdered, not about "not being straight."

So today, we thank and celebrate all the brave individuals at the Stonewall uprising and the ensuing riots for saying, "ENOUGH. I AM A HUMAN BEING AND I DEMAND TO BE TREATED AS ONE!"

While The Stonewall Inn was already part of the city-designated Greenwich Village Historic District, and was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1999, it became an official New York City landmark on Tuesday, June 23, 2015 in order to preserve the site and honor its historic importance. Most importantly, on June 24, 2016, the Stonewall Inn was named the first U.S. National Monument dedicated to the gay rights movement.

I just visited The Stonewall Inn in 2024 (see the photos below) and it was affirming to see such an important piece of history. And the Stonewall National Monument Visitor Center is located right next door, where a sign says, "In the name of those who came before me, I pledge to be brave, to be true to myself, and to fight like hell for equality." I also visited Christopher Park, the little green park facing The Stonewall Inn which is the Stonewall National Monument under the U.S. Department of the Interior National Park Service. The park features a bronze sculpture of two men and two women unafraid to show themselves to the world.

There is a very nice, informative, and moving Wiki entry about the riots and the history leading up to them:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stonewall_riots

BEAUTY: Clothing--Uma Wang

Much like Kml from my last post (here), Uma Wang is new to my orbit as well. And I am glad she is here. Just look at the offerings from this Spring Summer '27 collection lookbook presented as part of Paris Fashion Week. Apparently she looked to images of the late adventure photographer and writer Peter Beard for a sense of rumpled, dashing, global, on-the-go-and-living-out-of-a-satchel style. But it turns out it takes some effort to achieve the effortless.

Fashion journalist Giulia di Giamberardino for Vogue gives us the technical information:

"Wang began with an exacting study of fabric—all sourced in Italy, all produced by Tuscan mills. Lightweight yet durable cotton was washed and treated to appear naturally worn-in. Linen, stained and dyed almost as though painted by hand, carried a similarly lived-in look. Another fabric incorporated a metallic component that gave structure to the garments she made from it, turning printed shirts into ideal travel companions that can be packed into a suitcase without losing their form. Another print depicted poppies. It originated from a photograph taken in a field near one of the company’s production facilities, yet poppies are also the flowers Wang keeps in her studio in China, making them, in a way, an emblem of the meeting of two cultures."

But let's take a closer look at this linen, metallic fabric, and poppy situation. The details, including the stunning cuts and silhouettes, are breathtaking. The collection feels artistic, exciting, alive.

https://umawang.com/

BEAUTY: Clothing--Kml

The brand Kml has not been on my radar until now. This Spring Summer '27 collection shown at Paris Fashion Week is enthralling. Even though the color palette is a restrained black and white and grey affair, the silhouettes and cuts are lyrical, primal. The KML website's mission statement says "Kml is an exploration of the present. It follows a research-based design approach which looks into the history of how humans dressed and how it evolved and continues to evolve to come up with meaningful designs that are relevant to our collective human identity." Indeed, this sweeping, placid collection speaks to so many places, ethnicities, beliefs, time periods ... there is a bit of traditional / ancient Japan, Turkey, Sufi, India, Bedouin ... in a beautifully tailored and structured way. Creative director and brand co-founder Ahmed Hassan trained as an architect and that rigor shows in the garments. Truly impressive.

https://kml.com.sa/

BEAUTY: Clothing--Sean Suen

I really like what is going on at the waists of these looks from Sean Suen's Spring Summer '27 collection at Paris Fashion Week. Reminiscent of cummerbunds, these elements look to be in knit and may or may not rise up from the waistband inside trousers which are turned down into wingtips. And if not a knit cummerbund, then a fantastic corset belt.

https://www.seansuen.com/

BEAUTY: Clothing--Dries Van Noten

After Dries Van Noten's emotional 2024 retirement from his house of 38 years (see his final collection here), Julian Klausner is now Creative Director. And this Spring Summer '27 collection at Paris Fashion Week marks his third menswear collection for the house.

Klausner has actually been with the house since 2018 as the head of womenswear. He has said that the task of taking over the menswear division as well seemed daunting at first but he has proven himself a worthy successor to Van Noten. And for this collection, he actually brought a sense of womenswear to the fabric choices and garments. "We looked at the world of lingerie, thinking what lingerie can mean to menswear, and that informed a lot of the fabrication," he said. The result is a gorgeous assemblage of fluid, weightless layers and a sunset-inspired color palette. Diaphanous silk duster coats, crepe shirts, semi-sheer shirts and shorts, embroidered beaded camisoles, fluttering floral scarves as shirts or wraps ... and large paillettes that add shimmer. It feels like a collection you could live in all hot summer long.

https://www.driesvannoten.com/

BEAUTY: Clothing--IM (Issey Miyake)

IM as it is now known is the continuation of the brand started by legendary Japanese designer Issey Miyake in 1970. Miyake (previously here), who died in 2022, was highly influential in clothing design and I honestly don't think we would have the likes of Rick Owens or Boris Bidjan Saberi or Damir Doma or Craig Green or even Haider Ackermann without him. The menswear division is now headed by a trio of designers--Sen Kawahara, Yuki Itakura and Nobutaka Kobayashi--who created a Spring Summer '27 show at Paris Fashion Week called "In Praise of Bamboo Shadows."

With references to a 1933 essay about Japanese aesthetics by Jun’Ichiro Tanizaki, the cultural and material significance of bamboo, and the ancient Japanese tale of Princess Kaguya who was discovered inside a bamboo stalk as a child but grows up to return to the night sky, this enchanting collection highlights the best of Miyake silhouettes and cuts. The first oversized coat is lovely, showing actual shadows of bamboo stalks on a white ground. And when not a literal presentation in the form of a hat or chest piece or shoes or the motif of woven bamboo, it showed up in the thread blend of garments, offering a silky texture and flowing appearance! The gradual shift to bamboo greens is so pleasing...

https://us.isseymiyake.com/

BEAUTY: Clothing--Songzio

Jay Songzio has called his creative perspective "oriental futurism" but he has also shown a penchant for mining silhouettes of times and centuries past. He has shown collections of garments that look as if they are based on Medieval and ancient Japanese armor. He blends east and west quite well. But for this Spring Summer '27 show at Paris Fashion Week, the armor has been softened, shaped into layers of ease with sheer materials. Quite the opposite of armor. But somehow he manages to retain an echo of the original purpose...

When the warrior takes off his battle gear, there is repose beneath. I love the way these garments drape, puddle, flow. The skirts in Looks 12 and 20 that zip open are magnificent. I don't think I have seen a loose trouser better cut than the ones in Looks 10, 15, and 16. Yet Songzio's classic Roman gladiator sandals remain (click a pic to ogle). And the browns, mustards, and greens are a beautiful counterpoint to his often black and white palette. Stunning.

https://en.songzio.com/