2012...

Happy Thanksgiving 2012

Happy Thanksgiving!

“Acknowledging the good that you already have in your life is the foundation for all abundance.”
― Eckhart Tolle

Thanks, Jesús

As we eat our Thanksgiving meal, let us thank not an imaginary figure in the sky but those who are TRULY responsible for bringing our food to our tables, through their numbingly long days of low-wage, backbreaking work.

Veteran's Day 2012

"Regardless of feelings on conflicts past or present or military action in general, it is best to understand that the men and women who are or have been in the Armed Forces do not choose their wars, but they do their work no matter what the cost."

While we wait...

...and bite our nails, here is a bit of good news to keep us going until we get election results.

Tammy Baldwin, the first openly gay Senator in the history of the United States, has WON!

The marvelous Elizabeth Warren has WON! HuffPo notes that "Warren was the intellectual godmother of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and was its first head. She was denied a permanent appointment due to objections from congressional
Republicans and from within the Treasury Department." Go get 'em Senator Warren!

Powerful truth-teller Alan Grayson has won back his seat in the House.
Welcome back, Rep. Grayson, we missed you!

And openly gay House member Jared Polis has won his third term.

Glad to have you stay with us, Rep. Polis!

Images via Joe Jervis' ever-informative and valuable site Joe.My.God.

La Toussaint 2012

Aujourd'hui est le jour de La Toussaint en France.

Today is La Toussaint in France, a national holiday. Although the word is a combination of the word tous ("all" in French) and saint, meaning "All Saint's Day," it is also "All Soul's Day." La Toussaint is closely related to the Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) celebration in Latin cultures. It is a day to remember, celebrate, and honor departed loved ones and ancestors.

In France, people visit cemeteries to have picnics and to tend to the graves of family members and decorate them with chrysanthemums, a flower symbolizing death (a symbol shared with Day of the Dead); generally, the French do not use this flower for any other purpose.

In honor of the day, I present some lovely images of the most famous cemetery in France, possibly the world: Père Lachaise, the largest cemetery in the city of Paris.


There are many famous people--writers, actors, composers, public figures, politicians, scientists, even rock stars (Jim Morrison)--buried at Père Lachaise. Below are the graves and monuments for Edith Piaf, Marcel Proust, Oscar Wilde (a very interesting, very Streamline Moderne monolith for him!), and Chopin. I have visited these tombs many times over the years and it never ceases to amaze me, as I wander and look at the names, just how many well-known people are interred here. For an easy alphabetical list of famous citizens of the cemetery, see the Wiki entry for Père Lachaise here.


Visit the Père Lachaise website for an absolutely fantastic virtual tour. You can wander around the beautiful serene avenues, admire the sculptural tombstones, or search graves by name!
http://www.pere-lachaise.com/

Things To Come

"This week, our nation has anxiously watched as Hurricane Sandy lashed the East Coast and caused widespread damage--affecting millions. Now more than ever, our neighbors need our help. Please consider donating or volunteering for your local aid organizations. The images of Sandy’s flooding brought back memories of a similar--albeit smaller scale-- event in Nashville just two years ago. There, unprecedented rainfall caused widespread flooding, wreaking havoc and submerging sections of my hometown. For me, the Nashville flood was a milestone. For many, Hurricane Sandy may prove to be a similar event: a time when the climate crisis—which is often sequestered to the far reaches of our everyday awareness became a reality. Sandy was also affected by other symptoms of the climate crisis. As the hurricane approached the East Coast, it gathered strength from abnormally warm coastal waters. At the same time, Sandy's storm surge was worsened by a century of sea level rise. Scientists tell us that if we do not reduce our emissions, these problems will only grow worse. Hurricane Sandy is a disturbing sign of things to come. We must heed this warning and act quickly to solve the climate crisis. Dirty energy makes dirty weather."
--Al Gore, writing on his personal blog.

Is "the jury still out" now? How much more proof do we need?

Happy National Coming Out Day! 2012

Today is the 24th annual National Coming Out Day. This celebration started in 1988 as a way to raise awareness of the GLBT community and civil rights movement. It may be called "National" Coming Out Day but it is observed internationally in many countries including Australia, Canada, Croatia, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.

http://www.hrc.org/resources/entry/national-coming-out-day

Happy Cherokee New Year, 2012!

Happy Cherokee New Year!

The Cherokee people ended their year and started the new year in autumn. It’s interesting—and makes sense—that they chose the harvest to mark the end of the year. The earth had gone through a cycle: the food had grown from spring, through summer, and then was harvested in the fall. The cycle was finished; time to start anew. The New Year was celebrated with a festival that featured purifications, dancing, prayers and offerings, and food such as corn, beans, squash, and meat.

Since the Cherokee calendar was and still is extremely tied to the phases of the moon, the timing of the New Year observation is somewhat up for debate. Some sources say that it was observed on the first full moon after the start of autumn. Other sources report that the New Year was observed ten days after the first full moon, the ten days probably being a period of fasting and preparation for the festival (which means New Year is today!). Still other sources cite the first full moon in the Cherokee month of Nvdadequa or Nvwatitequa—which happens during our month of November—as the true Cherokee New Year.

Whenever it was celebrated, it was surely around this time... when the earth turns, the days grow shorter, the nights grow longer, and the weather turns cold. We prepare for the introspection that comes with winter, when the ground sleeps under the snow. That is the beginning of the year, the beginning of time: from darkness and cold springs life, new growth.

I wish you all "alihelisdi itse udetiyvsadisvi" or Happy New Year!


http://www.cherokee.org/

The Peacocks of Pitti Uomo, June 2012

At last week's Pitti Uomo, the usual suspects showed up in their usual finery. A look I particularly like is the vintage 40s/50s tie in the last photo. I have a huge collection of vintage ties which I have not worn for many years and I feel that now is the time to break them all out and take them for a spin!

Photos from Nam's STREETFSN:
http://blog.naver.com/hbnam24
http://streetfsn.blogspot.com/
http://www.pittimmagine.com/en/corporate/fairs/uomo.html

The Peacocks of Pitti Uomo, January 2012

Pitti Uomo wrapped up yesterday and the buyers, fashion journalists, and bloggers who attend are often as interestingly dressed (sometimes more so) as the clothing inside the Fortezza da Basso. The courtyard outside provides a perfect spot for watching these peacocks come and go...

No one does pattern mixing, texture mixing, and luxurious clothing like the Italians. Many of these men sport unique looks that combine unexpected pieces, such as the olive overalls and bomber jacket in the first picture. Also of note: fur collared jackets, three-piece suits in a vintage cut, a marvelous jacquard jacket (fifth image down)... and I especially like the wrap/scarf pictured at the end. I often wear scarves that way.

(Photos from Street FSN)

(Photo from The Sartorialist)

(Photos by Tommy Ton via Style.com)

(Photo via Kempt.com)

Last night, around the world...

Temple of Heaven Park, Beijing, China


Fireworks over the Brandenburg Gate, Berlin, Germany


Fireworks over Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil


Fireworks over Edinburgh Castle, Edinburgh, Scotland


Las Vegas, Nevada


Fireworks by Big Ben, London, England


Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia


Moscow, Russia


Singapore


Sydney Harbour, Australia

From The Daily Mail on-line:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2080622/New-Years-Eve-London-celebrations-Big-Ben-lights-sky-firework-display.html