LIPSTiCK TrACeZ

In an era where J Edgar Hoover ran the FBI, our government dealt with a very real public relations issue in that a large populous of Americans sympathized and even glamourized certain outlaws, notably Bonnie & Clyde. This was of course a time of much cynicism towards our government by its citizens. A time when good people were basically destroyed losing their homes and savings to the banks, massive unemployment, and to top it off, folks could not legally forget their sorrows in a cocktail. Prohibition was the icing on the cake which left many in our country seeing police and officials as a joke. (The government seeming a joke and out of touch with its citizens, people losing their homes, etc...... hmm, sound familiar? ;)

And then you have Bonnie & Clyde--young, stylish, and robbing banks. Perversely symbolizing a sort of freedom. Renegades out on the open road opposing the out of touch law men and oppressive government.

What do you think would have been the case in the past year if we would have had ourselves a modern version of these notoriously stylish young outlaws? I think they'd be on the cover of every paper in this country, as well as Us Weekly, Ok!, In Touch, and People Magazine and seen on PerezHilton.com. There would be people employed to know or at least speculate on what brand of shoes our modern Bonnie was wearing and who made this Clyde's suits. It would be a feature on E! and Entertainment Tonight. Would the Sartorialist shoot them? Heck, would fashion public relations people risk their lives to get Bonnie & Clyde their client's hats, shoes, and dresses? Very likely!

Below is an excerpt from Playboy magazine 1968 by W.D. Jones, a former member of Bonnie & Clyde's gang of outlaws, after the release of Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway's "Bonnie & Clyde" film (of which Beatty was a producer). Its no surprise to me that the pair of outlaws were so stylish, she was a little Libra lady afterall :)

Bonnie was always neat, even on

the road. She kept on make-up and had her hair combed all the time. She wore long dresses and high heels and them little tams on her head. She was a tiny little thing. I reckon she never weighed more than 100 pounds, even after a big meal. But them big meals was usually bologna and cheese sandwiches and buttermilk on the side of the road. Run, run, run. At times, that seemed all we did.

She had light-colored hair, but she dyed it different shades. She seemed to like to do that, and Clyde approved. It made a good disguise. She even dyed his and my hair. Only once for me, though. In them days, dyeing hair took more than a little time. She had me all wrapped in towels and I had to sleep that way one night. It worked, though. My hair come out black as coal.

Its a great little read: Click here.

Written in 1972 by British author Richard Adams. One of my favorite books. A film which both haunted and shaped me from childhood....many lessons to learn my friends.

 

1962 by Chris Marker
Incredibly interesting and stunning short film which speaks to the heart and mind. Created by photomontage with narration and music. A story of post-nuclear war Paris and unusual experimentation with time travel in hopes to go to the future to gain help for the present.

Watch it. And watch it again.....

"She welcomes as a natural phenomenon, the ways of this visitor who comes and goes, exists, talks, laughs with her, stops talking, listens to her, then vanishes..."

Her heart beat slowly and passionately. Breathing deeply. Her eyes were as wide open as ever before. Taking in everything, her heart felt to physically open up, expand and grow--like a flower blooming in one of those time lapse films. The petals reaching out to the world. Then came the butterflies. The subtleties of light embracing and bouncing off the buildings and trees through the misty clouds. The hazy glow of streetlights in the rain. The magnificent orange glow of the day's sun retiring--in contrast to dark aqua meets navy skies and fluffy white clouds merging to dramatic anthracite filled with rain to come. The scene was like an impressionist painting come to life. How could this life be almost exactly the way Monet or dear Van Gogh painted it on the canvas? Was it seeing through the filter of love? Was it the moment? It was all. It was it. The camera was dead. It did not matter. The moment is recorded in her mind forever. So special. So perfect. It wasn't love with a person, but a love with that perfect city called Paris which reciprocates it all exponentially. One of the great loves of her life...... This is what loves feels like....

The Obamas in a cute little behind the scenes moment before a rally..... His wife, friend, lover, cheerleader, and equal partner. The best.

Champagne, beautiful lingerie, gorgeous jewelry, amazing hand-made masks (that I forgot to photograph...), a fun group of people, and a great DJ. We danced around the bed in front of the fireplace at Kiki De Montparnasse on Melrose. Their space is so amazing, so inviting, and just filled with so many beautiful things (along with lingerie--amazing photography, books, music, and film) I never want to leave....

It was like being at the best, grown-up style slumber party. Hosted by the stylish and sexy stylist Lysa Cooper (the woman created Rihanna's very best looks thank you very much).
 
Why can't every party be like this? The most fun I've had since Paris.....

Pics Top to Bottom: Micaela of "Decades", Vanessa of "Insight", Linlee Allen, photojournalist and designer Ozlem Esem, JT & Alejandro, French lessons LOL.

That one is Irene Cara of course...."take your passion.....and make it happen!"

I'm singing so much these days. Last night taking a reprieve from Edith Piaf to Nina Simone, Wild is the wind. We've had it in Hollywood for a few days. Its cool. Its rainy. Its rare. Its beautiful. It was the wind of change coming....

I love that I live in a  neighborhood, so green and pretty, while also being close to the thick of things, where I could walk a few blocks to Barack the vote!

I walked along with Callie, singing aloud "Star Spangled Banner." See, I live in Hollywood, so no one would think I am crazy... LOL. Besides, I find singing aloud while walking to be a bit old fashioned, no? And you know, I love LA because they let me bring the pup inside with me to vote. I mean, how cool is that?!

Prop 8

Back to the point. When I got to "the land of the free, and the home of the brave...." That part struck me. How brave it is for my friends to come out to their families, to want to have the same rights as heteros in marrying the person they love most on this earth.

I thought of the 1960s in Virginia. Where the white aunt I never knew (she passed away when I was small) had to leave the state to go to another in order to marry the black man she loved (and eventually bear his children).

This was 1 generation ago people. And doesn't it seem so disgusting? Is it really any different the way mixed race couples were discriminated against in comparison to this? So I voted the right way "no" on prop 8. Sadly, we were defeated. I do think the way these props are worded is also confusing to people. Does no mean no or does it mean yes?

But onto Obama. The best fantasy come true a human could have last night!

I am a (mostly) good southern woman. I have heard so many stories passed down from my grandma and my mother and my other relatives. Stories of the the Civil War in Virginia, my grandmother's relatives and their involvement (for them it was not about slaves honestly, but economics), that a pound of bacon was $100 once the Yankees cut off our supplies, the tales of my own mother going to prom with a well-to-do "Hispanic" boy (ohhhh it was scandalous. But ohhhhh honey, was he so proper and MUY CALIENTE!!! in those photos), my mother and aunts tales of the different water fountains for whites and "coloreds", what they experienced in their young lives seeing dreams created and the murders of living saints they thought would carry their country out of that disgust. I think of my father having to fight in a war which he did not believe in. I thought of little things like how I was raised to NEVER litter (before anyone was thinking of all those papers and cigarette butts ending up in the ocean), NEVER to say the "N" word, to treat people with kindess, and that book "Free to Be You and Me" which I still look back on from time to him.

I think of the photos of the Beatles my parents had on their bedroom wall--they were only in their early 20's when I was born. My fathers huge stretched canvases, paints, and brushes. I thought of the advantages I had. The violin lessons, the ballet, exposure to arts and culture but all with an appreciation of it for myself and an understanding of others who may not have these things. How all of this, the politics, the history of the south, the music, my schooling, my family, how it all affects me to this very day.

I always get tears in my eyes when I hear recordings of Martin Luther King, Jr. Maybe its my hippie or black spirit from another life. I am not so sure. But to live in this historical moment. To have marked obsessively on that card my vote for President Obama. I just, well, its like living in that dream MLK, Jr talked about.

I believe so much in the good spirit of change which will happen.

I am more motivated to live my own life for each day, with hope, with positivity.

I am excited to see Americans become proud again.

And look forward to seeing soldiers return to our soil.

I feel so fortunate to be alive......

I hope you appreciate it as well.

Love your fellow Americans. Love the people of the world.

(photo by Linlee Allen)

Obama: "When the war started, you said it would be quick and easy. You said we knew where the weapons of mass destruction were. You were wrong. You said we would be welcomed as liberators. You were wrong. You said there was no history of violence between Sunnis and Shi'ites. You were wrong."




















Did you watch it?

You can listen to the words. You can watch it without sound and get back to your roots as an animal. Natural body language and the expressiveness of the face. Either way you take it, to me its quite clear who the leader is.

Obama.

I am sorry, but McCain looks ill and is just waiting to die. People who vote for McCain are essentially just voting Pallin into office because McCain will be gone in 16 months.

Now lets really dish. I know it can seem superficial, but I believe even seeing the style of the wives is quite indicative of who is connected to current culture and who is living in the past. The hair, the wardrobe, the nails. One woman is simple and chic. The other is contrived, harsh, fake. Bad faux tan, crispy curled hair, stiff red pants suit, and a stiffer demeanor. Mrs. Obama is a strong woman who is also soft and feminine. Mrs. McCain scares me.....

I see with Michelle & Barack Obama a couple still in LOVE who respects each other and their roles in their relationship. They have a friendship. They have an energy in their couple that is certainly something to look up to for this nation of failed relationships. Married friends with benefits. I mean lets be honest, who do you think leaves the debate and makes out in the car? The McCains? No way. With the Obama's, they have a natural grace and ease towards one another as well as with others. (Look out Carla Bruni and Nicolas Sarkozy. There's a new hot presidential couple coming your way).











































We need fresh energy. The economy is depressed and so are our citizens.

Obama and his family will bring us the esteem and confidence we need as a nation to hold our heads high here and to gain back respect from the rest of the world.

Please click here to register right away if you are not already. Your country needs you......

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"I should not be using ink but perfume. I should be writing with Narcisse Noir, with Mitsouko, with jasmine, with honeysuckle."
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"You live like this, sheltered, in a delicate world, and you believe you are living. Then you read a book, or you take a trip, or you talk with someone and you discover that you are not living, that you are hibernating. The symptoms of hibernating are easily detectable: first, restlessness. The second symptom (when hibernating becomes dangerous and might degenerate into death) absence of pleasure. That is all. It appears like an innocuous illness. Monotony, boredom, death. Millions live like this (or die like this) without knowing it..."
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Its true what she says. Wish me well my friends :) And Callie too! Two little papillons off for an adventure in Paris. 

Shot in France in 1927 by Danish director Carl Theodore Dreyer, this to me is one of the most beautiful films. I stumbled upon it probably 5 years ago, and after watching Milla Jovovich in The Messenger: Joan of Arc (1999) on HBO recently, I had to go back to my favorite version.

I promise that if you are at all a visual person, a spiritual person, or an empathetic soul, you will be moved if you watch this on an ample-sized screen. The cinematography and intense expressiveness of actress Maria Falconetti makes you forget that it is silent. With such powerful emotion and telling eyes, words do not matter. You have to admire the direction of this film and the talent of the actors especially when you consider this work of film art is 80 years old. I think it is stunning.























It was censored before its release in 1928, and then the original was destroyed by fire. Until a Dutch copy was found in a mental institution in 1981, the only copies that had been seen for 50+ years were "mutilated." Criterion has a great restored DVD which also features a version accompanied by beautiful music.
























Try watching the clip from YouTube while also listening to Sinead O'Connor's "Nothing Compares to You." I have to think maybe Sinead or the director of her video were inspired by this film.