MERRY MERRY BLOGGER

here i am in michigan where we had a very lovely white christmas. just enough snow on the ground to give it a little dusting of magic.

unfortunately the lovely holiday was slightly overshadowed by the sighting of a not-so-nattily dressed woman (read extremly schlumpy & unkempt) wearing her brand new PINK UGG BOOTS at the mall on tuesday. i am offically afraid of UGGS. they seem to be taking over the world and i wonder if they have been planted by some otherworldy terrestrial body who is trying to infiltrate us by fooling people into thinking that UGGS are an upscale version of the house slipper and as such can be worn with much the same outfit as the one you wore to bed last night. this is not good, no not good at all.

ANOTHER ALTERNATIVE TO UGGS

baby blue cowboy boots.

YOU DO NOT HAVE TO WEAR UGGS

you can wear the very chic, uber-feminine keyte lavender suede boots with lilac shearling attached leg-warmers instead. just as warm. just as wintry. just as comfy-cozy. just as flat to the ground. but soooooo much more pretty.

I'M AFRAID

From Trendcentral.com today:
"With Ugg boots becoming as ubiquitous as trucker hats, true stylesetters are turning to alternatives such as duck boots and retro moon boots."

what this means is now i will be tortured bye very LES scenseter and NYU student sporting every god-awful permutation of the once-defunct (for a good reason) moon boot. i can picture them in their synthetic man-made aubergine/purple lightening zig-zag patterns. their crumbling foam insides. their spongy puffiness. oy.

SIGERSON SCANDALE
we all know the dirty little shoe secret that sigersons, even though their styles are indeed fetching, their production is often not quite up to snuff. it's more than one pair i have heard of that disintegrates after just a few wears (this is why we only buy sigersons at their sample sale in the summer when everything is two for $199). anyhoo, said sigersons were selling at the otter on bleecker street, when customers started returning them in droves. they were quite literally falling apart after a wearing or none. so the owner of otter returned them to sigerson. and sigerson promptly returned with a little lawsuit which the otter promptly won. now can you imagine trying to sue someone for returning your shoddily produced shoes? oh goodness.

I HAVE A VERY SHARP VOICE

this is what i was informed by a very nice nice slovak man who is currently here from the czech republic helping on the second avenue subway. apparently we americans have trouble building tunnels properly so he was here to help. and also to party at the holiday fete i attended sat eve, in the company of many fellow michigan alumni. a big fabulous loft penthouse in hell's kitchen gave way to many an engaging convo on the state of chick lit as well as a few raise your hands moments to 'crazy in love'. thorugh it all apparently my sharp voice rang out.

I HAVE A HEADACHE

but in the very best possibly way. this is what happens when you drink three vodkas and stay out until 4 am. oh goodness. caught the jj/lucy show at crash mansion. very cool spot, kind of like the cool parents in your suburban neighborhood's basement who always had a lot of good vodka around and probably hosted the occasional key party. slate stones, low ceilings and low banquettes. crash as the new bowery ballroom? hm. don't know yet. but sound was good even though the bartendresses were slightly surly. ok a lot surly.

the show was awesome, jj giving one of their best gigs to date in my humble opinion, and chilling with all theposse at sweet and vicious after, and topping itoff with a late night-snack at florent. such fond memories i have of that place. one of my very first new york kisses were shared there, while i was wrapped in a giant plush coat from the 60's, on my wayhome from a messy night at ludlow bar. (should i say who with? oh no, i never kiss and tell.)

those were the days. now, i'm, ahem, a bit bit more sedate, but you still can't beat the crowd there. has just a lovely twinge of the old-school new yorkiness we loved so much, with lots of conspicious breaks to the bathroom mid-meal and a few drag queens sprinkled here and there. sigh.

JJ APPLETON IS WILD ON

remember backin the spring when E! filmed JJ for Wild On? well it's finally on. see JJ's site. he is really rockin' it these days. & if you are in NYC you dont want to miss thursday's show .

WHILE I WAS MOVING

various thoughts shoe related that were flitting across my consciousness

--how did the UGG proliferate itself down to the carolinas? from my shoe reporters in the south it seems they have started to take over the eastern seaboard. this is scary.

--how does one store an extraordinary boot collection in a regular sized manhattan apartment without smushing them?

--and what to do for new years? pastis? party at new abode? LA? new years is always a stressor. and all i really want out of it is the glamour of a quiet dinner with my cutie, the ability to look outside into other people's apartments as they celebrate with quiet glamourous dinners and a reason to wear my new jimmy choos with the turquoise brooches. and a kiss at midnight of course. well, many kisses.

BAD BAD BLOGGER

yes thats me. the only lame excuse i can offer is that i was packing up and moved in the middle of our very first blizaard of the winter here in nyc. boris and george, my faithful movers braved six flights of stairs and near white out conditions to move my precious shoe collection (among other bits and bobs) to my new abode across town. even though it's probably only a mile, it feels like a whole new world folks. oh yes indeedy. the feeling of calm that descends upon me when i enter my new flat every night, is quite amazing! now for where to put all those shoes.

WHY IS MY FAMILY SO CUTE?

my family is so cute. they are my most dedicated readers and followers, always asking me about my latest shoe pathos with interest. which is very nice since many of the things i have pathos about, both shoes and otherwise, are sometimes a bit kooky. so here's you to my family! i toss off my new calvin klein heels to you! xo miss meg

I AM A TERRIBLE BLOGGER

it's true. i've been terribly neglectful not updating regularly with snazzy fun tidbits and observations about shoes. or tidbits really about anything. but my kiddies i can only offer that i had been looking for a new apartment in manhattan. as you may know, this can be an experience akin to a full-time job, complete with high stress moments, trips to the copier and coffee breaks. fortunately for me, my broker boris made things a bit easier for me and landed me a sweet new pad on . . . gasp! the WEST side. yes it's true my dream of moving to the west side has now manifested. and on my very favorite street in all of manhattan--10th street. i can hardly ask for more. so if i am sporadic in my musings please bear with me, as i am in the process of moving.

to add on to that exciting development, i am officially on deadline for my first installment of my first book! currently titled, The Perfect Fit to be published by Chronicle Books in Spring 2005, a little handbook all about how to tell a woman by her shoe. Complete with little self-tests to help you hone in on your particular shoe pathos. oh wow. it's going to be so fun!

so you see my sweeties, miss meg is a little bit busy. but that does not mean i don't have time to just dodge into calvin klein for a quick moment last saturday and get the steal of the century. two, count them two, pairs of perfectly sleek 2 1/2 inch heels in brown and black, for under $250! for those of you who live outside of manhattan where things cost normal prices, this is a steal. for those of you in manhattan, can you belieeeeeve? i mean really. bob, the shoe guy there, was hands down one of my favorite salespeople ive met in the city. gentle, fashion forward and budget conscious all wrapped up in a booming baritone. love him.

I AM AN ARTEEEEEEEEESTE!

oh yes. and what arteestes we are. simultaneously singing gloria's (the jazz singer at anyway) choruses and ordering yet another large carafe of fruitily infused vodka, smothering our faces in chocolate fondue at 2 am. yep, yep that's us. fellow breadloafers, burgeoning fiction-writers (thom didato, jimmy z) and poets (tracey knapp), just sharing our joie de vivre with the world. or at least the corner of second and second. the lovely vana looked on with generosity at our antics. and then i fell off my seat in a fit of laughter.

just tryin' to catch a buzz, that's all. just tryin' to catch a buzz.

SERGIO ROCKS IT

don't talk to me is all i can say about sergio rossi. saw previews of their resort and spring collections and it is no wonder editors are practically falling over themselves to get those beauties in every editorial spread. spring is a really special collection with bewjeweled dress-up looks that that crawl up the leg, gorgeous metallic kaleidoscope heels, fushia and white leathers and suedes. the feminine exotic goes island hopping. i mean, if i do say so myself, it's major.

APOLOGIES TO ONE AND ALL

if i haven't written you back it's because hostway, my trusty hosting company has not yet developed anti-spam software and i am getting like a trillion spam emails a day and accidentally deleting real emails which has developed in me a new neuroses: fear of email. not that i am actually scared per se of email, like halloween scared, scary movie scared, just slightly fearful. but then i remember "face what you fear!" i think that was winston churchill. actually i think he said, "never give up". either way, you can help by sending me another email if at first you don't hear from me. & in the meanwhile send hostway cheery letters pleading with them to get with the program. xo miss meg

DANCING QUEEN

that'd be russell suggs, head of creative services at deutsche bank, who hosted a wonderful benefit for martha graham dance last evening. surrounded by the warm suede logs of cielo, we were treated to an exquisite solo performance by one of the dancers and also rather trashy display of affection by a famous publishing heiress, proving again that money never buys class or apparently the good judgement to perhaps NOT don a 2 in micro-stretch mini when going outside of one's home. what is that phrase they say in the south about people who are a little daft? bless her heart.

ASS-PANTS II
Auntie M wrote in with a very good question, "what exactly are ass-pants?". which I will now attempt to answer. ass-pants are pants that show off your ass in a very flattering way. Perhaps the pants lift your ass just so, offering it the right amount of height. Perhaps the pants are high-waisted, and you have a long torso, inwhich case your ass appears as a succulent pear, ripe and juicy. perhaps you find yourself in a pair of blue cult "trouser" jeans which offer an unadulterated ass line because there are no pockets on the back of those particular jeans. perhaps they are a pair of low-cut balenciagas that because of their dip in cut, emphasize the roundness, indeed, the "shelf" of your round ass. ass-pants are enjoyable to the viewer of the as-pant as well as the wearer. the wearer of the ass-pant feels happy, comfortable and enjoys her ass, the viewer is just happy to see a wonderful ass presented in a wonderful way.

i have also received requests for pictures of the ass-pant. i promise, as soon as i figure out how to post pictures, i will most certainly post ass-pant pictorials for your persual.

A LOVELY DAY

giving thanks for this wonderfully sunny and warm (77 degrees!) birthday day i've been granted! yea!

ASS-PANTS

so it's true, i have decided to show off one of my best ASSets, my ass. snapping up a pair of habituels and yves st laurent jeans at jeffrey with the wonderful help of eric and martin, who alternately showered me with compliments, i couldn't help but feel the power of the ass-pants, (as they have been dubbed by a certain talented writer). the ass-pant is a must for all women at one point in their lives. as necessary as the little black dress or the high-steppin' stiletto. to claim and adore your own ass is major, don't you think?

QUELLE HOERREUR!

and did you see this interesting item in instyle. celebrities PAINTED UGG boots for charity. oh wait, excuse me, i just threw up. the only good thing about this is that they go to the michael j. fox charity, who we all know and love. maybe that mere fact will make the UGG's less UGH.

UGH UGH UGH

the one bad thing about last night's party was the pair of brand spanking new camel UGG boots on a woman who was otherwise dressed as frida kahlo. mais non!!!

CIRCA 79

hit the circa 79 party last night at that huge penthouse in times square. mark and sascha did a great job--many rooms with many activities: painting, dancing and lounging. an amazing view from the roofdeck looking down into times square and best of all that gorgeous breeze caressing us all in it's indian summer way. i think they organized that too!!

as usual when the family mangan is in the house, the party begins for real. mark in a devo hat, melissa in a purple wig and sumptous morrocaan robe and mike in corporate lawyer attire. will keh and marta ravin spiced things up as well with hilarious and well-timed witticisms, and elena looked like a star with her ponytail to one side. really all you need to represent 1979 is a ponytail to the side ,dontcha think?

DID I HEAR SOMEONE SAY SHOES?

it is rumored that the exquisite uptown classy with a downtown aesthetic designer we know and love as mayle may be launching a shoe collection soon. bags are definitely on the horizin for spring, but from what i hear shoes are also being bandied about. i can only dream of what these creations might look like!

JUNGLE LOVE, IT'S DRIVIN' ME MAD, IT'S MAKIN' ME CRAZY (CRAZYYYYYYY)

that would have to be the theme song of the lucky 13 dinner i had the privledge of attending last night, since those who weren't in the soundproof studio listening to eric's special spinning, were in the dining room singing along very loudly to the ENTIRE steve miller band greatest hits CD. there is really no better apres-dinner digestif music, is there?

it was an special preview of chef galen's intoxicating french organic comfort food (soon to be seen exclusively at his restaurant, Mas in the West Village) and exquisite wines that complimented every course perfectly. (galen, i know you will be offering coppola wines at your new restaurant.) scintillating conversations included the hilarious tales of parents + technology (yes, my mom still yells when she picks up the cell phone) the many merits of 24 hour party people and why new order is the best ever, philly and michigan accents, sam's amazing haircut, wendy's amazing book, abby's amazing film, the merits of goddessness and the all powerful pussy, and of course what shoes everyone was wearing.


eric and sam are truly the hosts with the mosts! they concocted such a perfect evening where one could smoke between courses (blend 57, of course!), dance to beyonce in the living room or fall down a hole for a quick laugh! not that i smoked. but just the fact that it was an option felt like a return to the good old days of nyc. with save the robots and specials at neighborhood delis in alphabet city. (of course we are into much cleaner fun these days) they created such a warm and lovely chic chic vibe. i felt like i was in a living instyle party. toasts to eric and sam! raise your glasses! sing your steve miller!


ps.
pls note eric has the most amazing shoe closet i have ever seen, and when i wasn't drooling over that or his toile bedspread, i was caressing his washer/dryer combination.

UGG's are UGHHHHHHHHH

UGG's are soooooo ugh. if i see one more pair. ok so i already threatened starting an UGG police. i've got to make good on it and actually create the ticket so one and all can print out and issue at will. st. mark's between 2nd and A has been a hot zone. also nolita a bit, touch of soho. BE ON THE LOOKOUT. the UGG's strike at will. and they are ALWAYS so obviously JUST BOUGHT. you know that creamy suede will not be creamy more than two weeks in this city. and NOTE TO UGG WEARERS: UGGS ARE NOT FOR RAIN. THEY ARE NOT WATERPROOF.

there. that should cut down on about 50% of the UGG citings don't you think?

KEEP YOUR TOESIES COZY

when faced with the question of what kind of hose to wear with your strappy stilettos in the winter here in nyc as you hop from festive event to festive event (this queston written in by two delightful california ladies who helped me decide on my pink bunny hat at bendel's). what IS the proper etiquette for ones toesies?

my personal opinion is that you must feel comfortable and happy in what you are wearing so you can step out with zest and confidence. if this means you will be miserable in bare toes with your stilettos, then by all means don a pair of hose. frostbitten pinkie toes are not especially attractive unless of course there is a very cute doctor in the ER where you are being treated for said frostbite asks you on a date because you are looking your ravishing best in your eveningwear, but there are other more enjoyable ways to meet cute doctors methinks.

anyhoo, if you feel you must hose, donna karan nudes are always good. with a slight sheen. or depending on how funky you want to be, don a pair of bright royal blue tights from fogal. or lavendar. or red. or chartreuse. it can look a little outre, but with the right wink and a smile, it can be just the mischevious answer to an impromptu case of froze toes!

I WANT TO INTERN AT JIMMY CHOO

yes, it's true. i want to give up my high-flying shoe writing career for an entire saturday and spend it instead with christopher and megan at the madison avenue branch of jimmy choo. there i will be surrounded by some of the weightiest and most well-constructed, beautiful shoes in the world, and will glean million of tidbits for the research of my book The Perfect Fit. indeed, i would want to be interning sooner rather than later as my deadline is fast approaching, but that my pretties, is another story altogether.

so yes, can't you see me waiting foot and foot on the ladies of madison ave, the delightful euro tourists et al? i would be ever so helpful and they would be ever so helpful to me, showing me the character of the woman who finds herself drawn to stilettos. a perfect synergy really. and so much fun to hang with christopher and megan from dallas. we'd swap knowing glances and maybe even go out to lunch! quelle magnifique!

BUTTER ME UP

so last night at butter, our highly entertaining bartender joe, whipped us up the most perfect martinis and matt the waiter nearly took us off our stools with his spot-on ali g imitation. as conversatons progressed it has become clear. there is one thing every new yorker can agree on these days and it is the exponential proliferation of the UGG boot. if i see one more pair of UGGs, i am going to be forced to start an UGG policing campaign. like meg hourihan and her jeans police, i will begin ticketing at will.

ok. so hm. that did not work. any tips from loyal readers on how to make a picture posted? oh goodness. i do need help.

my very loyal audience has noted, and rightly so, that my posts have been a bit scattershot. have no fear loyal readers! i am currently having a major catharsis over a pair of yves st laurent platfor heels. i can't even begin to explain the palpitations i am receiving as i gaze at them. and i am going to do something unprecedented in my techno-phobic world: POST a picture of these beauties that are making my heart race and breath flutter. here goes:

auntie mary writes in from redford, michigan, clearly demonstrating her inner steel toed and rebellious side:

"I just wanted to share with you, that I bought my first pair of Docs online. They absolutely rule. I just love walking my silly,rebellious self all over Redford. They have weathered extreme rain, wind and freezing temps watching Soccer games all season. Love em!"

go auntie m! give michigan winters what for!

ok, so in the wall street station yesterday i saw a woman, about 50 or so, very attractive, well-dressed who was wearing addidas sneakers that she had spray painted bright, pylon orange, stripes and all.

a million questions formed in my sleep deprived brain. did she think she was going to lose her shoes (tho they were on her feet), did she think they were reflective in some sort of way? did she think it was a fashion statement--her clothing was very middle class sportswear, not 8th street punk rock, but perhaps it was her way of making a statement?

hm. double-hm.

do we think lucinda gardens?

true to prediction, tracey writes,

"When seen in the public eye, Lucinda wears an authentic pair of cowhide
boots formerly owned by Buffalo Bill, but she's had them resoled and
fitted with special insoles.

When she's gardening, she's barefoot.

When she's cooking sweet potatoes, she's wearing dimestore flip-flops
and you can see her toe rings.

When she's walking outside, she wears an old pair of hiking boots
bought in Sears about 13 years ago.

That's all I am willing to divulge currently. Restraining orders
prevent me from getting close to her shoe closet."

yep it's monday and that means it's time to think about what kind of shoes lucinda williams wears. i bet she wears really cool badass broken-in cowboy boots of a dusty mahogany. i think this could actually be a topic for the week. everyone who's lucinda-obsessed as i am or maybe has even seen what kind of shoes she wears--please write in.

(why do i think this will only be rayray and tracey? and maybe thad?)

oh goody gumdrops. i've been remiss in my postings due to the fact i have been holed up fighting the current cough/cold combination that's been sweeping our fine city. we are in the funny time in between mandals and boots, so i am mulling what will be the next scintillating topic of discord. will post it as soon as i dream it up.

closing out the season of the mandal debate with a few more thoughts:

rayray:

"why on earth is everyone so concerned about looking like a misinformed straight guy? i'm not talking about what metropolitan fashion allows, i'm talking about living in the goddamned tropics, where flip-flops are only an option if you are either a) standing still or b) walking from the el camino to the beach.

tevas? great for hiking. not so great if you don't want to wrap up your feet in faux-aztec microfibers.

and the point is well-taken about overlarge roman sandals, but . . . if you think i'm going to tool around in docks or sneaks or tennies or some other sweat-inducing foot-boat, you are all out of your mandal-abhoring minds, regardless of the day, the state, the hour or what the gay men are wearing these days.

hate the metrosexual, people, not the shoes."

i can hardly talk about the shoes i got on friday, they are that major. everytime i look at them i gasp in shock at the perfection this man leopoldo giordano has created. this guy is so underground there is not a mention of him anywhere on the web. fortunately barneys as usual has the good foresight to buy a few of his styles for fall. the ones i am lucky to own are a lavender ballet flat. rounded toe. but with a very very tiny and delicate 1/2 pointy heel built into the bottom of the shoe and set among a divine triangle of lavender suede, just a shade lighter than the leather. on the rounded toe there are gathers of ruched leather that is sewn in two seams over the toe. and a strip of the suede that reaches in a flowing organic wave from around the top of the shoe to the heel. i mean, really. and robins egg blue soles. i am breathless. which of course could also be the nasty cough i am presently fighting off with gallons of emergen-c, but probably not.

ps. i chopped my hair off. think anna wintour meets debbie harry. at least that's how my fabu hair creatrix/rocker/filmmaker rayya elias described it. and since i was obssessed with blondie since i was a child (yes i sat endlessly in front of the TV watching reruns of the muppet show hoping they'd re-broadcast the one where she guest-starred--the tide is high, but i'm holdin' on. . .) AND anna wintour and i have the same birthday, i think it actually fits.

must-read this tidbit from the archives of the atlantic monthly . all credits to elizabeth speirs at gawker for finding and posting it. felt i must share it with my readers, it's tenor ringing so true, even now 25 years later. i was a little seven year old who didn't even know new york existed as an entity when this piece was written, firmly ensconced in my idyllic midwestern upbringing. now i am caught in it's beautiful web and charm and neuroses, almost as completely as a native.

nothing to do with shoes but, my new favorite fashion statement: hanes white ribbed men's tank tops. soft, perfectly thin enough to wear under almost any blouse or shirt, long enough for my long torso, good for running, sleeping, or with a pair of blue cult jeans or my good, bad and ugly jean knickers (affectionately known to some as ass-pants) & high heel sigerson sandals. at kmart, $7.99 for a three pack, or on hanes $9.99 for 5 which is decidedly more affordable than james perse or even j crew's versions.

and they have to be hanes. don't be tempted to opt for the fruit of the loom ones in the value 5-pack. the sides are cut wayyy too low in those.

technically they are called A-shirts. A standing for ATHLETIC. and you know how athletic i am.

and auntie mary with her "seabiscuit" sandals. little black sphinx-like mules with a cute little buckle on the side. tres sexy with the cute black and white skirt!

and yes, mules can be bit clumpy at times, resulting in seabiscuit-like clomping sounds as you whiz gracefully across the dance floor, but they look so good, you have to deafen yourself to the noise.

had to re-think the mule that aerosole put out this summer. the one with the little bow on the side that came in pink, black, red. i was previously against it because of the roundness of the toe, but after seeing them this weekend on auntie marcia, looking like such a sexpot, i have to reconsider! she later changed into a sweet pair of emerald-green ballet flats. very chic with the turquoise dress.

and so. i stood down at the corner of the site today. there is now an official-looking gate with locks, built sturdily in the concrete. no falling apart fences or debris. the sky as blue as it was that day, that whole week really. remember the gorgeous indian summer we had that month, the only thing marring the landscape was the plume of smoke wafting over downtown, the acrid smell.

i stood at the corner today and listened to the names being read. the bare-bones of letters and syllables being said out loud over a pockmark in the ground. a visceral tribute, the only thing you can do that makes sense really. to say names out loud, in a sacred spot.

i wanted to wait and hear erica's name, but van acker would have kept me too long for work started soon. so i listened to the a's and i envisioned erica's throaty laugh, how she seemed to know all there was to know in the world. wise woman. i looked up at the sky again, around me at the english bobbies who had come to pay respects, at the traders in their silence and the office workers in their quiet tear-stains, wondered how, if she made it all the way down, why she didn't make it home?

dear friend and investment mom extraordinaire, kristin rolfes hall writes in on, you guessed it, mandals:

"I appreciate a man who wears sandals. To me, it says a lot about his personality. It is laid back and relaxed. I particularly like a nice pair of leather sandals with light summer slacks and a tropical shirt... I believe mandals are appropriate for a lunch date in the City, a boat ride up the connecticut river, or even dinner at the Palm in East Hampton. Bottom line: more men should kick
off their docksiders and don and pair of mandals. . ."

so the sun is finally shining and i think it's because i had so much fun hanging with the brothers sklar last night.

they killed at the comic strip and standup nyc, and i was there to witness all the audience-love. chopper 4, classic rock, and even an impromptu interview with ran when the mic didn't work. high hilarity as usual.

they turned me on to a band i hadn't heard of called the shins, we went to see them play at the bowery ballroom. a very cool venue that surprisingly i had never been to before. great tunes and those shin boys are just so CUTE with their hip trainers and intense intrument playing. good lyrics and some rockin' ryan adamsish tunes at the end.

we hung in the bar downstairs afterward where we debated what the shins sounded like (beach boys meets ray davies meets coldplay). i got read the riot act for not liking wilco. yes, i will go get yankee hotel foxtrot. and yes i will give it an unbiased listen. it's true, i sometimes have large gaps in my musical uprbringing. but hey i bet you've never heard of the swedish r&b singer robyn, one of my faves, have you? that clearly demonstrates i am not SO backwards when it comes to music just a little. . . slow.

FLIP-FLOP--NOT

ron louie and john klotnia, my brilliant designers at opto weigh in on the mandal debate:

john: "men shouldn't be allowed to wear open-toed shoes in an office environment. toes are ugly.

ron: "the beach is THAT way."

and yes, they also came up with that pseudo-post headline up top. they're smart that way. witty, even.

here i am in wonderfully drizzly nyc, the place that is channeling all the bad weather karma for the world for the last year, sending it's residents into bouts of lethargy, sneezing and hitting the snooze bar unprecendented numbers of times before actually rising out of bed. yes we love it here in the tropical paradise, where the sun shines and exotic birds tweet sweetly in the trees. oh no wait, it's actually 60 degrees and raining. yea. double yea. it's almost as good as when the blizzard and the war was starting at the same time. almost, but not quite.

have been seeing some pretty serious new shoe styles on the streets. orange plastic sneakers with cut outs, black and white striped scalloped pumps, bright pink, orange or blue creations. its a new way of thinking when it comes to shoes right now. people are trading in serious stilettos for whimsical heels and skimmers. basic blacks are being swapped for punches of bright jewel tones. mules for flats. simple and clean for acutrements like flowers, delicate chains, brocades. it's a return to the 80's yes, but it is something else as well. a flowering of the next generation's ideals when it comes footwear. the idea that it doesn't have to be so serious as everything is quite transient and ephemeral anyway. and a bit of a cheeky wink to those in this country espousing diligence in all it's necon forms as of late. power of the people through shoes. pleasure of the people through shoes. yes indeed ladies and gentlemen, that is what it's all about.

so as of late i have been doing my cross-village running in the evenings. if i leave the east side at 7pm i make to the pier in time to go up greenwich to 11th street, hit the park and run around both the short and the long piers, all the time taking in the sunset. a beautiful one last night, horizon streaked with red and orange and the most limitless sky above. then i circle back from the long pier and face my gorgeous city, now painted with rosy light, and i run back into it, the mess, chaos and street scenes, of which there are many.

scene: tracey knapp and i are driving in a rented mitsubishi lancer on comm ave towards somerville. i am obessively alternating between fruits of my labor and butterfly.

me: when are mason and lucinda getting hitched?
tracey: i don't know
me: you and i will be the bridesmaids and we'll plan the whole wedding
tracey: yeah
me: all they have to do is show up
tracey: i think mason's already engaged to someone
me:hm. it'll be perfect. and we can be like, lucinda's, friends!
tracey: yeah!
me: and wear really cute bridesmaid outfits
tracey: except then lucinda won't sing such good fucked up heartbreak songs because mason is so cute and nice and sweet
me: yeah, maybe not a good idea
tracey: yeah

and some news that made me alternately cry and scream with happiness, proud to annouce esteemed poet and dear friend, raymond mcdaniel, has won the 2003 national poetry series. go rayray!

i am officially on holiday. well, working holiday SO KEEP THE MANDAL COMMENTARY coming. but anyway, posts may be a bit few and far between.

well, wasn't that beautiful? new york city pitch black with only candles and a brilliant moon for light. i love it when the city is forced to step outside of itself, to introspect for just a moment in it's ever-pulsing pace.

today on the subway, inspired by the woman sitting across from me's black pointed flats with their 80's heel, i fell into a reverie about my gunmetal gray-taupe mia's. WHY didn't i save those? why why why? if i had i would be able to take those wonderful pointy toed, just-so wedge-heeled lovely, cushy, comfortable skimmers to my favorite shoe designer and had them replicated in every color and every fabrication. mia's were THE shoe to have in the late 80's. everyone i knew had mulitiple pairs of both styles: the aforementioned 1/2 inch wedge heel with the pointy toe and the other model, also a flat, not as pointy of a toe, with a regular 1/2 inch wooden heel and a delicate scallop on the right side only. i wore either pair everyday with my catholic girl's school plaid kilts, no socks, an untucked button down of my dad's and lots of attitude. those were the days when a perfect skimmer ran you $30, and new order seemed like the perfect music for every occasion.

matthew simonelli, costume designer and stylist extraordinaire writes in, re: the mandal:

"i believe i have seen the boys of chelsea in peddle pushers and fancy slides, and the boys of the east village wearing their dirty jeans with rubber flip-flops. however, i believe a mandal is a woven leather sandal made by bass or perry ellis. an ankle strap with a brass buckle, worn by people who make significantly more than i do per year. the man who wears the "mandal", is a native of washington d.c., anywhere in the middle west, or just off a golf course at a tropical resort in florida. these men are more commonly republican than not, and have a passion for pleated front pants.

it's not the mandal i hate... i hate it's fans."

so, oh yes you ask, who are the writers? what did they read?

well, jim zervanos regaled us with hilarious tales from the inside of a greek-american family replete with a twisted oedipus plot, a lesbian punk-rock sister, an adult brother who still lives in the basement, another brother who is obtusely oblivious. a beautiful scene where plastic action figures drive an intimate confession.

leslie blanco hit us with the tale of magdalena, a perfectly preserved corpse in a small town in cuba that incites riots of lust among the villagers. the scene where her nemesis drives off the road with her body in his trunk after attempting to destroy it with both acid and his own brute force, and how she prevails, even dead.

speed weed read act I of "errorism" a play destined to give you a chill up your spine. think george bush gone to the land of the absurd,(no even MORE absurd), the self-destruction of language as we know it, the world engulfed in a darkness no communication can penetrate.

i read solipsistic sentimental poetry and talked about shoes.

wow. just back from a weekend filled with amazing readings from some of the most inventive fiction writers writing today, skinny-dipping in beautiful lake ontario, a hike through gorgeous woods with two cute dogs, and some of the best BBQ north of memphis. not that i have had BBQ in memphis but i am projecting. imagining if you will. that's what we do, we writers. imagine things. or even just write them down.

dear reader joe epstein writes in re: mandals:

"I have been following your mandal discussion quite closely and wanted to share my thoughts on the matter. The fact is that mandals are gayer than gay (to the venerable Randy Sklar's point). In today's post millennial, post feminist, post Sept 11th, post gay, post wife beater, post trucker hat contemporary culture, this unfortunately means they will be widely adopted by chest shaving, over gelling straight guys every where as one of the newest and most important
signs and signifiers of male culture (cause normal guy culture bascially exists on the fashion scraps of other overexposed subcultures).

i long for steel toe combat boots. "

then mattie and i came home early last night and had a lovely walk to our new favorite place, westville, for dinner. everyone is so nice there and it's quite packed everytime we go now. (no blueberry pie but apparently she is baking some for today. mmmm. may have to stop by.) i think for some reason this place retains the feeling of a comfortable vacation hangout in visit maine or up north michigan. there is a super mellow vibe (last night's tunes were the allman brothers) which seems to emanate from the food and light walls, delicate green of the cushion along the wall and the open front and wooden bench on the street, perfect for sipping after-dinner lemonade and watching the street go by.

had a very strange run in the hamptons this weekend. saturday was hazy and hot but down by the water it was practically foggy what with the waves and all. did an hour run in haze so thick i couldn't see more than 20 feet in front of me. everytime i happened upon another person it was as if they appeared from nowhere, just emerging out of the mist. saw a woman sobbing, a couple arguing, a family gathering. discrete scenes in the thick soup of moisture, for my viewing only. very surreal. but the water was perfect, and it was good to be so completely free of any signposts or landmarks, the only reality being the immediate of grit of the sand in my feet, the whoosh of salt-water washing up my legs and the moist fractaled air.

i have been ever so remiss in my posts. last week was a bit crazy but had many a letter about the mandals issue, including a tip from tracey cox, who is one of the stylists on sex and the city. he claims the basic black flip flop from old navy in black (2 for $10) is an appropriate style choice for men who must don sandals. simple and clean aesthetic, i do agree. so noted by myself and my faithful readers.

russell suggs, branding expert extraordinaire, writes in re:mandals:

"my toes do not come out after 6 pm"

i had never thought of the mandal scandal in terms of time limitations but there you have it, an entirely new dimension to the debate.

cool news gave a shout out to vernors, today. my most favoritest drink in the world. only available in detroit which is also birthplace of house music, madonna, motown, ford, and well, me. i think vernors should have an express to new york delivery program for those of us who jones the stuff. i mean mattie and i can only carry back so many 12-packs on the plane without hitting baggage limitations! you used to be able to find it at dean and deluca and sometimes motor city bar but, alas i have not found myself at motor city at quite some time since it requires drinking large amounts of alcohol and staying up until 3:30 am to even enter that place, and i'm afraid my youthful partying days are behind me. but anyway, back to the vernors campaign. perhaps i will pen a letter and make a request. perhaps they will ship it to me in large vintage wooden boxes and perhaps i will quit writing and instead sit out on strategic street corners with a vernors stand. depending on my price break, i'll hawk them 3 for a dollar. or perhaps 1 for a dollar. that seems more reasonable. look for me, i'll be on the corner of st marks and second " get your ice cold vernors here!" but only michiganders will know of what i speak. sigh.

randy sklar writes in re: mandals:

"Mandals could be the worst fashion faux pas since the assless pant. I think
it's a prerequisite that the Mandals come with a ribbed shortsleeve Armani
Exhange Shirt and a man with a fake tan."

as i said before, this is a topic with deep feelings by many.

then off to the pier where the sun was on it's slow descent down, many a muscle T, and a lazy sailboat or two passed by. when suddenly someone shouted hey! hey ! poetry lady! to which i paid no attention, until i realized it was russ dillon and bridget cross, two of our favorite poets, enjoying the slowly descending sun themselves. they graciously let us crash their party of two and we sat for a good while, debating the merits of the new postal service CD and delivery vs. non-delivery. of food. i am hoping they write in soon with their thoughts on mandals--poets always have such strong opinons on things.

mattie and i decided that we were going to try and discover a new place in the west village every weekend that we're here in the city this weekend we hit a little place called westville on 10th. i run by it all the time in my little runs from east to west and it always looks like such a cheery little place. and of course i can't stop and go in since i am a bit sweaty at that point! we stopped in for a 4 o'clock snack and had a delicious little meal served up by the nicest people, and listened as belle and sebastian and hank williams sang their wistful tunes. an open french door, homeade lemonade and blueberry pie still warm from the oven. mmmm mmmmm.

the mandal scandal seems to have unearthed a lot of strong feelings. another reader writes in:

"Men don't ever belong in sandals unless they're Jesus."

readers write in re: the mandal scandal. one entry i found notable:

" my feelings on mandals: BOOOOOO!! so gay, and i mean that in the most literal homosexual sense. no guy can wear sandals and even hope to look straight much like no man may wear italian loafers sans socks and hope to look gay.

now, while i don't like flip flops on the ladies, a decent pair of brown leather, "informal" (vs: banana republic/kenneth cole style which basically goes back to the "gay" thing) flip flops on a guy wearing a great pair of jeans, something not too flashy or form fitting, is the ultimate in "hot guy couture" for the summer. it's laid back and somehow masculine and athletic. yum.

i can't help it... i'm a guy who likes guys who are GUYS."

i think we've scratched the surface of some deep feeling here, folks. pls continue to write in and share your feelings. not too much of course, like at the therapist, just about mandals, pls.

i'm so bad, i didn't even mention how great jj's set was. still live for the music cover--gets everyone ALL revved up!

WILD ON.
ok so how did i end up at a penthouse party last night involved in a wild on E segment? (grandma don't worry, i'm still a nice catholic girl!)

"party" is of course a relative term, since the seedy back bar of rivertown only held two penthouse pets in the midst of the killer 80's rock tunes (don't stand so, don't stand so, close to me) and the entire jjappleton entourage. the penthouse posters were halfheartedly tacked on the walls, and a bit worse for the wear, seemingly reflecting the state of the publication in general, tho i got a really cool party favor of a slick silver penthouse lighter!

the most fun part was hanging with the boys in jj's band, the lovely lora appleton (glamourous in a fuschia lace and leopard betsy johnson and gold slippers), kristen, jeff, DJ chris zahn (who shared his many interesting fashion ideas, including that of the broken vintage watches look), the pet bodyguards and the camera crew from E. i think behind the scenes is always more of a blast, don't you? and didn't JJ give such a great interview with the penthouse pet? JJ maybe you should become a journalist.

another one of my faithful fans and readers, the talented dj brian poillon, has written on on the flip-flop flap, letting me know that i am right on the money and indeed a bit early in my reporting of the working girl wearing the flip to work trend.

meanwhile celia cruz's casket has just passed by my building, the skies temporarily stopping their downpour to let her pass, the crowd singing her songs in praise.

and the eiffell tower is afire.

an interesting day to say the least.

ok the love affair with new york continues: ps 1 on a saturday afternoon. groovin to the hot house tunes with a few hundred other up for it kids. sunny day. excellent dj's playing the crowd like a top, people-watching galore, cute fashion and that beautiful uplifting moment when the dj hits a bass line and everyone jumps and screams on the floor. a killer mix of "crazy" by seal brought everyone together singing at the top of their lungs. a ride back with a very entertaining bangledeshi cab driver who cracked us up the whole way home. view of the city from queens, crystal blue sky, lit-up sky line, driving back into the city can you ever believe this is where you live? it's always the biggest boldest backdrop you ever saw, and then suddenly you cross the bridge and you are IN it, all tiny streets and rustling.

then a rooftop party on 7th and C. empire state to your north lit up red white and blue and downtown to your left. the absence of the towers like that ache in your knee when it rains, but still gorgeous. light breeze, clear sky, stars shining. the big willow on eighth and C. i've swung from those branches after a very late night at barraza.

rayray also pointed out a very astute point re: my man o' ray observation a few blogs ago. there is no such thing as a man o ' ray. there are man o' wars and manteray's but no man o ' rays.

ahem. pls excuse.

found myself in a heated discussion with one of my most avid readers, the esteemed and soon to be famous poet, raymond mcdaniel, about sandals for men, (as the twins so lovingly refer to them as "mandals"). rayray has been searching for a pair of "fisherman sandals" a style i am not familiar with thought should be, since i am a shoe expert (rayray won't you email a picture of which you speak?) which brought us to the whole discussion about men wearing sandals in general. i am against men wearing sandals since it conjures up bad images of faux-ceasar romanesque monstrosities, and can't men wear some chucks or trainers in the summer? just as comfortable, non? ray claims men must have the option to wear a shoe other than a wingtip, chucks, or docksider in the summer. i say fine, a pair of havaianas, or teva's even. but he gently pressed on, not every man wants to wear those, he claimed. and apparently in other parts of the world, sandals for men are de rigeur. so dear readers, please weigh in. email me at missmeghan@missmeghan.com and tell me your opinion on men + sandals. i need to feel the general poplace's oevre on this.

nytimes bruce springsteen review today mentions that he may have found his "master metaphor". and what is that, you may query? kissing. yes the activity i have extolled the virtues of time and again here in this very blog. i guess bruce and i have a lot in common.

did i mention i loved new york city? a few highlights from yesterday's doings:

--rooftop yoga in the west village to a brilliant red-orange sunset

--karaoke + poetry = fun at the bowery poetry club. it's true! it DOES equal fun.

mary donnelly rocked it out with delta dawn (who knew a southern california girl could summon such a perfect drawl?), jen knox killed with her icelandic poem, and reggie cabico's interpretative dancing was absolutely, well, INSPIRING.

esteemed cousin sarah cleary writes in from somerville, MA:

"Since you are the shoe maven I wanted to tell you I bought the greatest shoes yesterday! We went into a store that was an Urban Outfitters type place. They had a pair of shoes that I had to have. They're sandal heels, red (my latest obsession). They're almost like velour, the part that goes over the foot, down near the toes, is styled like the old Dr. Scholls with the buckle, and the foot rests on the same red material. The heels are four inches high, the heel and bottom are a blond wood. I love them, you can understand how a pair of gorgeous new shoes can give you a new lease on life!"

NOW there's a lady who knows the power of her shoe!

when on the beach in southampton, do as those fierce ethiopian runner girls do, and run barefoot. yes, an activity sans shoes that i found incredibly visceral and enjoyable. bare feet smacking the hard wet beach, sweating in the sun with cool water lapping at your heels and knees, stopping for a swim in the giant waves mid-run and then heading back to our spot in the shade. a bit of yoga to cool down and a nap in the sun. throw in some salt and vinegar pringles and an
usweekly, and it was really the perfect summer afternoon.

just back from the beach with mattie--we saw a HUGE man o' ray!

maxine rose is insisting i go and play but i must first talk about the research experiment i did yesterday during my loving new york day. i wore my jade green dress and alternated between pink and white pumas and my lavender high heeled slides to see if i got any different reactions on the street. now the research was to see if shoes can truly change how people perceive you, but i think the reality is that shoes change the way you feel and therefore the vibes you put out into the world. in my pink and white puma sneakers i felt like a sassy eight year old and in my lavender weave slingback heels i felt like a cosmopolitan woman elegantly traipsing around town. hm.

oh wow. what a wonderful day i had yesterday. filled with an amazing cross-section of new york--from upper east ladies who lunch with the blazing bejewled manicured hands to an art opening filled with struggling artists and the snooty stuffy people who buy and comment on art to slovin and allen's show at UCB where my dear friends, the sklar brothers performed, and a hilarious skit by andrea rosen called "this is it" (which involved a guy in a wheelchair playing guitar, a lot of thrift shop fur and fake blood) to a sweet walk around the west village and meeting a nice cat called miss kitty. and running into the amazing tracy cox stylist from sex and the city on the way home. i was just feeling all the love for my town. followed it up with a hilarious drive in the car this morning to the hamptons in which we sang along to the xanadu soundtrack and old macdonald alternately with juliet ewing, our very own broadway mom. happy meals for everyone at the manorville exit! then skinny dipping with my favorite four year old friend, maxine rose, in the pool in sunny/foggy southampton. could it be a better 24 hours?

oh goodness -- what just happened? i was on my way to lunch with my agent, the ever-lovely elisabeth weed, and we got ourselves into a strange little vortex at takashimaya in the shoe section. after a quaint little lunch in the teabox, all of a sudden there were shoe boxes and tissue paper and credit cards flying about and what do you know? we both walked out with the same pair of size nine hollywould brown skimmers. oh so wunderbar. what is so ever special about these skimmers is that she is so smart ! she uses a man-made sole (which is the only thing that will wear on city streets) and she mitres it! so the appearance is that of a dries but will be long-lasting! AND there is a "comfort pad" inside the shoe under the ball of the foot that if you carefully turn over you will see her wise words" "because it's hard to look sexy when your feet hurt!" a woman truly after my own heart since i have been spending this day in some uncomfortablity in my very chic lavendar weave sandals. and lots of clear band-aids. but no matter! ms. hollywould has saved the day! so happy! it is moments like this that can make miracles, erase heartache, lift your spirits, and in general zen out your world for the moment (the mood-enhancing spritzer at takashimaya doesn't hurt either! love those rosemary hydrosols!)

it's happening again. i am falling in love with new york city. it happened last fall for about four months, the swooning, the giddiness, the pure joy. and it happened again this week. starting with my run on sunday and then cemented yesterday while walking to the 6 train at about 6:30 pm with my friend sarah lukashok. there were about five or so complete dramas enacting themselves out right before our very eyes in a five block jaunt, including two indian businessmen on a corner with their fingers in each other's faces, one shouting "who do you think you are?!" and a near miss of a mercedes zooming out of a parking lot and quite possibly running sarah and i down. we repsonded in polite new york fashion gesturing withour hands and yelling" this is the SIDEWALK!". two otherwise polite and well-turned out middle class ladies, turned temprarily into snarling cab drivers. only for a quick moment tho. i am just reveling in new york's every moment of live theater and falling in love again. . .

slightly weak for the antelope boot from frisoni. oh my. it is the best interpretation of the fur on the boot trend for fall that i have seen yet. how does he know how to just take it up a tiny notch and tweak it so that it is heads above the rest of the pack? must-have must-have.

living for olivia morris this AM. so cheeky she is! must run down to geraldines and snap up a pair or two.

and the shoes. cousin kevin opened my eyes to a new men's brand Bjorn. very rugged but sylin'. uncle tim showed us the classic wingtip. and the ladies--shout out to cousin molly for her sexy mules (ooh la la!) grandma in her chic, golden shimmering flats.

family reunion was rockingly hilarious and quite a ball. we got to hear all the family legends straight from the mouths of those who lived them. an hour late for your wedding because you didn't buy socks? forgot your son at church because there were too many in the station wagon to count? deathly afraid of pie-in-the-face? creator of your own "nancyisms"? obsessed with frank sinatra? and of course tribute to our beloved guardian of the whole clan, james l. cleary. was there ever a wittier man?

there are some few wonderful moments when you feel like new york is truly yours. your place, your neighborhood, your street. i had one of those yesterday running at around 10 am from east to west on 10th street (as usual). it was sunny and sweaty and i was chasing shade the whole time, but what glorious solitude and quiet. those who were up and about (the friendly firemen, the churchgoing lady) were quite amenable to my good mornings.

here i am in michigan sitting with my grandma and we are discussing family news and good salad dressing recipes. we've just seen a fast summer storm blow through and have gone outside to look at the lilies that the rabbits for some reason left alone this season. however they did find the marigolds and sunflowers exceedingly tasty.

presently getting ready for the big family reunion this evening. shoes? a lilac summer sandal weave, two inch mules, procured by the ever-styling matthew simonelli, costume designer extraordinaire. in fact, now that i think about it, he styled my entire look this evening. jade green wrap dress from meg, white mother of pearl disc earrings, and the aforementioned shoes. merci matt!

weekend wrap up and observations

while running saturday AM:

--summer street fairs in nyc. why?

--definitely more runners in west than east village. in the east village it's all yoga doers, but they all go west to do it since there aren't very many good studios east (except for bhava). a conundrum. hm.

--saying good morning to those you pass while running is a friendly and neighborhoodly thing to do that makes you feel like you live in a town not a city.

sunday 3 pm:

--took in the last 15 mins of the west 4th pro classic ladies b-ball game. those girls are fierce as hell. really good game, very close.

--and just a note, why doesn't foot locker sell women's b-ball shoes? you'd think they would want to get on the get. pick up the clue phone people.

in general:

since summer has actually STARTED here in nyc, i am also proclaiming the make-out season as in full swing. i encourage all to make out whenever possible. makeout sessions are very key--why? for all that lovely potential that just hangs in the air around you like a very ripe fruit. highly recommended activity. it's free, easily available, fun for all involved and can get you just as drunk as a lychee martini at the anyway without the hangover.

also, another tip i have yet to vet but will very soon, from a v. reliable source, apparently jeffrey has quite the shoe sale in the summer and no wading thru masses of shoes thrown every which way, but instead a very civilized experience with salespeople and many sizes. will get back to you on this.

THE FLIP FLOP FLAP

had some feedback about the flip-flop flap (and numerous calls from across the country re: sunday styles flippie segment!). poet mary donnelly has written in defense of the flip-flop in midtown. she claims nyc city streets are so brutal, that even a pair of dr.scholls gives her blisters from a one block walk to work. point taken. however after some back and forth we still agreed that midtown investment banker women should not don the flip flop and instead invest in some 1) naturalizer sandals or b) puma trainers, if they are looking for comfort. plenty of strappy comfy sandals at naturalizer and not so offensive as the flop with a full suit, non? and a puma trainer can look quite cute with a long trouser pant.

ON THE NEW BLOGGER

must agree with heather havrilesky of rabbitblog.com. this new version of blogger has got me all discombobulated. it is as if the earth is shifting underneath my feet. is an improvement always necessarily an improvement? i mean i still love the version of palm software i bought 3 years ago better than the one now.

NEW BALANCE 950's

picked up apair of new running shoes (new balance 950's if anyone has any comments pls let me know since it is possible i made a very uninformed decision at foot locker when i was paying more attention to the latest justin timberlake video while i was jogging around the store, instead of my shoes--sometimes i do get distracted from shoes--not often, but possible)

going to try them out tomorrow when hopefully the jungle heat we are experiencing will have subsided to a manageable temp and humidity. might have to be up v. early in the AM to catch the cool hudson river breezes. look for me--i'll be a mean streeak crusing across 10th street!

OOPS, forgot that part...

so now. apparently you must stretch both BEFORE and AFTER running to reduce the pain. i forgot the after part. ahem, petite crimp in my thigh muscles.

"seduction from the ground up"

ok. so let's discuss. times article "seduction from the ground up" in the 6/17 nytimes. have to hand it to those kids for being ON IT when it comes to identifying the trends. (see metrosexuals in sunday styles and of course their citation of havainias in this very article--see my coverage on very same in jc report). anyhoo. mr. guy trebay claims the female foot is now openly sexualized as never before. toe cleavage, open toed sandals in the workplace, and of course that thing that continues to cause controversy in certain midtown establishments: flip-flops. sandals as liberating. sandals as key factors in biblical figures lopping off people's heads, and the rise of expensive toe cosmetic surgery. and interestingly enough the only other time in history where aristocrats and commoners alike wore sandals, was in the ancient world. hmmmmm. definitely food for thought. maybe, we could hop on this footwear fete and start a revolution via shoes. i don't think it would be so difficult, non? i am going to start right now and mail laura and w their first pairs of matching his and her flip flops. power to the people.

shoe tip: neiman's in dallas.

heard from an excellent source that those southern girls don't go for the same styles us northern ladies do. as a consequence, many a coveted style to be had at their headquarters. do i hear the call of the texas wild?

i've returned to my old favorite running route

east to west across 10th street--and have been rewarded with a beautiful park on the river on the west side! of course not just for me, but the landscaping, the sidewalks are all done now, and it is exceedingly pleasant to run all the way out the one dock and see the statue of liberty and west side skyscape. back in the day that dock was very abandoned but you could get out to the very edge and sit on its crumbling side with the other brave people who had made their way through the broken chain metal fence.

what is it about caffeine?

i think whoever invented or discovered it should be given some sort of prize for humanity. how else can you go from sleepy-eyed friday morning zombie to alert, clear-thinking creative person with can-do attitude?

TRACEY KNAPP ON FLIP FLOPS

well, had a wonderful poetess, tracey knapp, write in to me about the flip-flop flap. she pointed out, that being on a student budget sometimes prohibited the sorts of shoes i endorse in lieu of the flip-flop. which i can certainly understand. and i would beg to say it is probably appropriate for someone who is in a campus environment, to don flip-flops come summer. however for those lovely ladies here in nyc making their first 100K out of college on wall street and midtown investment banks, i still campaign for the flip-flop to be squelched in favor of a lovely kitten heel, or if you must a puma trainer for comfort. and tracey--do check out target for some lovely blue suede beaded thong sandals--not good for city streets but great for bucolic campuses and a steal at $14.

also frank rich's column

in the sunday times about being inside a "mediathon". sound both intense and incredibly vacuous. why does the media put all it's dogs on one trail and then so abruptly leave it, just as they started the attack? is it our innate human slowing down to see the car wreck and promptly forgetting what we saw as we turn up the music or take the next turn?

LOVED the interview with matt drudge in radar by camille paglia

and radar's editor maer roshan. (tell me again why people think camille paglia is soooo controversial). anyhoo, drudge had a lot of interesting comments (so did she) about the state of the media at large today. his concept of pulling from headlines in split seconds to put together his report is an interesting one, not a reporter but alomost an editor of editors. and his love of the dramatic element of it all. there is a major change afoot in media via blogs et al and the internet. i would venture to say this because my main sources of daily news now equals one grey lady, three blogs, maureen dowd's column online (which i consider a blog), drudge report and sometimes cnn.com for a quick check, and i am sure i am not the only one who turns to blogs for 75% of my news these days. there is a blending of print and online sources that are each starting to get equal billing in the mind of the reader. a major sea-change.

RUNNING AGAIN

yep. went running again (and canoeing). i'm turning into a regular athlete. cough cough.

fyi, proper shoes to wear canoeing are ones that you don't mind getting extremely wet.

GOING RUNNING AGAIN

going to attempt running again tomorrow in the leafy confines of essex, CT. wish me luck -- i am going to try to exceed my 25 minutes and push it to 30. will let you know how bad the pain is come monday.

MON-O-GRAMS.

yes indeed, these signposts of preppydom and good breeding have invaded the world of shoes. seen in both Oprah magazine as one of her favorite things these days and on the corner of Madison and 52nd--a pair of jack rodgers-like sandals, but instead of the signature round leather circle in between the toes, a plain flat piece of leather with a stiched in monogram in coordinating color. the heels, everything else the same. just that monogram. hm. i don't know how i feel about monograms on shoes. it's a little bit too elementary or something. like you have to look down at your shoes to remember your name. it's almost a bit garanimals.

ON MAUREEN DOWN

maureen dowd cracking me up today with her column leading with the fact men should not accompany women shoe shopping. i have to agree on this one. women should assist men (when asked) to shop for shoes, but men should just be happy and excited when you show up with three-inch strappy sandals that make your legs look amazing and enhance your working it walk. as long as they appreciate the look, it's all good. but no, men do not need to involved in the decision process.

ON RUNNING

and running. yes i went running for the first time in about two years. wait, that is a slight exaggeration because i think i ran last summer before it turned 150 degrees. but anyway, needless to say, it's been a long time since my legs were put through their paces. so today i am feeling it, but in a good way. the run itself was gorgeous--intense green, beach with not a soul on it and cute little gardens. i loved the running so much i can't believe i ever stopped. why why why. all that blood rushing around and the slap slap of your feet on the pavement. a little zen breathing. plus, you are always going somewhere.

i do think that a new pair of running shoes are in order. anyone have thoughts/opinions on best ones? right now i've got some etonics which i love, but they are very old and not so cute. and if i am going to be doing this running thing again, cuteness is of the essence while i am inhaling all that new york city air. email me at missmeghan@missmeghan.com and let me know.

also anyone know is it really true you're supposed to change your running shoes every six months? or is that just a savvy marketing ploy?

CYDWOQ sandals in the pouring rain

so maybe i should be buying stock in companies who make RUBBER RAIN BOOTS since that seems to be the only kind of summer sandal we'll ever get to wear this year. i mean yes, i did wear my new CYDWOQ sandals in the pouring rain in sag harbor on saturday. i was adamant that summer festive fashion would prevail in the face of downpours. but all that happened was i looked a little off in a giant LL Bean raincoat and kitten heels. and my feet got soaked, leading me to take a 2 hr nap.

let's discuss. michelle k.

a new line from skechers. pouring major promotional $ into it. price point 125-200 (yes this the point we like ladies!) and some cute styles. not all of them quite make the mark, but a few very cute styles including a wonderful mule with a lovely flower shown in a few different colorways including melon and black. v. cute. and according to a skechers insider, who spoke off the record, the workmanship is actually top notch, materials sourced from Europe et al. i'll be investigating further and reporting back.

AGAIN WITH THE FLIP FLOPS?!

scandale continues. reaching even the creative echelons of society. a certain songwriter who shall remain nameless (though i will say he's penned many a celine hit, and was a minor hit himself in the 80's) showed up at a certain songwriting meeting wearing a full suit and you GUESSED it, flip-flops. this has especial significance because 1) this is now a cross-gender phenomenon and 2) a cross-industry phenomenon. ALSO if you worked in a creative profession and you were SONGWRITNG why would you wear a suit to begin with? why not wear more, well, songwriting clothes. perhaps something comfy and creative? then to take that suit look and pair it with flip flops. well, i don't mean to be mean, but it's just wrong. you are in a creative PROFESSION. you already have wardrobe FREEDOM. don't mix your metaphors. it's not good for your career. you might end up with a bad celine las vegas haircut or even worse, boring blah songs for balladeers.

STYLE FOR UNDER $100

another cute place to get styles for under $100: urban outfitters. the production values are not top-notch, but for a quick and cute fix there are a few styles that can get you into the zone. a low kitten heeled slingback with a beguiling ruffle and pointy toe--try the pink and gray striped jersey version rather than the plain black leather for a more tongue-in-cheek approach. and a very outre navy patent pump with a lime green heel and bow with lacing up the back -- again you have to wear these with a certain sense of irony since production isn't the best but for a fun night out with a pair of jeans and an old rock T, why not?

THE FLIP FLOP PHENOM

is there a connection, i must wonder, between the demise of our economy and the flip-flop phenomenon. perhaps people no longer care since they will never be able to raise their standard of living as the american dream slips further away. so they think what the hell? why try? why NOT wear flip-flops.

no longer a SCANDALE but merely a cultural malaise

snaking it's way stealthily across our society. today AGAIN the flip-flops with the suit in midtown. and my dear, since you did have your name embroidered on your LL Bean tote, I will address you directly. My dear, Laurabelle. How about some nice pink ballet flats? or perhaps a low slingback with a kitten heel in a shiny patent? you'd still have the low heel comfort factor, yet you'd look neat. we wouldn't be critiquing your pedicure. life would be joyful again. you wouldn't be contributing to a cultural downfall--instead you'd be lifting us up with your shoe vision. doesn't that sound nice?

why why why can't uber fashion shoes be also comfortable?

in nyc where women walk many miles a day, comfort can be an issue. i dont mean to sound dowdy, but it's true it really is. so i ask this question constantly. why couldnt prada just put a tiny bit of cushion in the ball of that shoe, or why sigerson couldn't come with the thin rubber soles already put on them so we don't have to do it? why couldn't blahniks just a tiny thin layer of space age super cushy foam in the place where your heal meets shoe? i mean alternatives like birkenstocks are NOT the answer. no no no. and now, and now it seems my mild obsession with comfort and fashion has been answered (can you answer an obsession- not sure but it seems like the proper construction for now). found a pair of uber fashion sandals that feel like someone molded them to my feet. they are as soft and as comfortable and as fashion as it gets. the brand is called CYDWOQ and they make these beautiful things from all natural and recycled materials. and they are gorgeous. the pair i bought have a tiny tiny kitten heel that appears to have been fashioned out of some kind of bone, and a giant leather daisy on top that is sculpturally molded, and they feel like kid gloves on my feet that have become tired and weary of battling the pavement in pain. it is the one bright light shining through my dismal three days in the hamptons. a beacon of hope. a revolution perhaps. miu miu. manolo. jimmy choo. frissoni. time to tune in people. get with the program.

the weekend and the venue

where one MIGHT THINK one would be able to wear the below mentioned navy and white ferragamos, (memorial day weekend, sag harbor) is, I am discovering, a place where more appropriate attire would really be waist high rubber fishing boots to wade through all the RAIN that is pouring down and insulate yourself from the DAMP COLD inside the house. i'm not bitter, no. nope, not me. don't know what you are talking about.

and so what weekend is it?

yes the one we have all been waiting for--it is memorial day -- that magical day when white shoes enter again into our consciousness (until labor day, of course). oh what sumptousness to flaunt my navy and white vintage ferragamo pumps--let's see i'll be in sag harbor and i can just see them with my knee high gathered jeans. or maybe my longer blue cult jeans and black cashy sweater. or even my new meg kinney jade wrap dress. hmmm, just to entertain the possiblities is so satisfying.

i hear sacco is having a little sale cette week-end.

which if you remember was one of the places i cited as a possible replacement for the inexpendable $200 and under pair of shoes with style, while we wait out tootsi pluhound's little mishap of a buying season. wouldn't be cute to get a cute pair of boots for $100 or less? something dreamy in this cold downpour of a spring we're having.

DESPERATELY SEEKING SHOE-SAN

ok i am quickly going to become one of those wierd people that put ads in the village voice like, if you are the cute punk-rock guy i saw standing on the corner of C and 3rd on thursday morning drinking your coffee and had on a low-slung black leather belt with studs, please contact me at xxx-xxxx. EXCEPT: mine will be like this: if you are the overly makeupped girl with the yellow louis vuitton bag talking obnoxiously on your phone on the corner of A and 9th sunday at around two pm, with that awesome pair of ballet flats that were light peach with a floppy and deep peach grosgrain bow tied ever so casually, can you please contact me and tell me who makes those.

it'll be like desperately seeking susan, except it'll be desperately seeking shoes, and without the heist sub-plot or the cute scene at the end where madonna cuddles with her man in the movie theater eating popcorn.

trauma-scandale in midtown.

scandale number 1:
if you absolutely feel you MUST wear comfortable shoes with your suit, please please at least buy some cute pumas, do not wear your running shoes that you wear to the gym. do not wear white leather reeboks with white scrunchie socks. you CAN change your look with lovely a pair of red and navy pumas (try the women's california) and a cute pair of girly socks. there is no need to feel like demi moore in about last night, no no no.

scandale number 2:
full suit with brown open toe orthopedic sandals. ok, yes i know people have foot problems, this is not a reason or excuse to harken julius ceaser with your footwear, espeically when you insist on a full suit get up to go with. just go to rockport and buy some nice tailored flats with orthopedic support and feel happy again. please.

had a great chat with judi rosen

designer and owner of the good bad and the ugly in the east village. she slipped some heels on my feet that i have to say, were just sumptuous. the first pair of fully comfortable and fully fashionable high high heels i have tried on. these were in gold, and a little too outre for me but there are apparently more on the way in lovely lavender leathers and teal snakeskin. a woman after my own heart.

was in the south this weekend

touring with jjappleton and fam, and was quite an eye-opener. loved the slow pace-- didn't love the biker week in myrtle beach or the intense flag waving (including confederate) of course. but the music was good--especially that cover--go jj! and you gotta love the fans. corky, betsy and all of them!

SCANDALE! yes I saw it again this very morning in the lobby of a midtown investment bank that shall remain nameless. a woman, wearing a full suit and pink FLIPFLOPS. she had a guilty look on her face. she knew and yet stil persisted. this is a prime example of your shoe choice having an impact on your self-esteem. when you know it's wrong, it makes you feel bad inside.

right on target.

yes it's true target has shoes. and worthwhile ones at that. for $14 you can pick up a pair of blue suede beaded slides (perfect for around the house, not good for city streets) , or some rather outre plastic brown faux-dr scholls meets miu miu heel sandals. who knew?

another, more upscale version, of the cheap cute shoe is jcrew. had some excellent ballet flats with an exquisite little pointed toe--but not tooo pointed--for under $100. yes it's true. capitalism is good for some things.

went to a screening of "dissident"

last night at tribeca film festival. a brilliant documentary about oswaldo paya, a cuban petitioning peacefully for democratic reform in cuba. we swilled chardonnay at the tribeca grill and watched the story of a very ordinary man petitioning for what seem to us to be simple freedoms: freedom of speech, free enterprise, free elections. and in that room full of reporters and politicians and filmakers and writers and wealth and education, we heard his voice as he called from cuba and told us to speak out. a room of privlegeded listening to a room of a person who has had his entire network of peaceful revolutionearies thrown in jail by fidel. and yet and yet. sometimes i think, do we really have those freedoms here in america/ especially right now? the patriot act scares me. i wonder sometimes if i should even post anything political on this blog at all. and then i hear oswaldos voice saying tell them, through your art through whatever means you have. so i write it down, post it here.

ferragamo phenomenon.

(even though those words start with different letters, they sound the same! i think there's a name for that.) anyhoo, been seeing a little crop-up of what i call the return of the italian grandma-ma. (since my dear friend & arbiter of all things happening, jason campbell is so unequivocally against the ferragamos, that's what he has termed them, the italian grand-ma ma shoes). been seeing one particular style popping up on hipsters near and far these days. the ferragamo classic patent leather flat. with jeans, with a skirt. i've seen red and brown and of course the pair i own, black for spring. the little squarish heel and rounded toe, yo just can't help but feel perky and efficient when you wear them. and of course now, even hipster.

NEW SHOE TRENDS

been seeing lots of interesting little shoe trends bubbling around (afoot) these days. one that constantly appalls me is the wearing of FLIP FLOPS with suits. take a subway up to midtown on any warm morning and be prepared to be scandalized. for what you will see are perfectly attired, well-put together women wearing full suits (pants and jacket or skirt and jacket ensemble) paired with rubber flip flops. now I fully realize that flip flops have invaded the mass market and the east village as acceptable summer around and about wear, which is practical and normal, especially for manhattan's dirty summer encrusted streets, but ladies. please. we do not wear these same battered foam things on our feet when we go to our very important investment banking jobs in midtown. notcie none of the women who are MD's are wearing these. note to self: those who advance, do not wear flip flops.

MARC JACOBS SHOES

so who has been thinking about the marc jacobs shoes all week? throughout all her meetings, on the subway and out at dinner? the pink shoes always wafting somewhere in the distance, representing the perfect life, one that is orderly and classic and tasteful and, well, pink. i know you all have been thinking about it haven't you? oh no wait. that's just me.

MICHELLE PERRY

also, michele perry's boutique on 51st. LOVE the pink bunting. LOVE the girly draped fabric. It feels like a big pink pillow. Who wouldn't want to buy shoes in that wonderful and warm and welcoming atmosphere? right on, michele.

PETER MACMILLAN

talked to another esteemed musician in my life, peter macmillan, out in seattle. (no, detroit is NOT the new seattle for those of you who read the interview story on the white stripes. no, no, no. but that is another genre of debate isnt it) anyway we were expressing our discontent and feeling of disenfranchisement at the state of the usa gone seemingly awry these days, whilst the demcrats continue to say. . . nothing. and of course, pete being pete, suggested social revolution rather than political. which i think could be a very good idea. the only thing that might be difficult is getting those people who have bought hummers to cruise around manhattan, into returning them selling them, or better yet, donating them to a worthy cause. a gentle PR campaign might work. perhaps showing them dick cheney's face on an iraqi oil well or pics of the "collateral damage" we inflicted. hm. have to think further on this one. social. think social like a fun party, NOT like a politicalism.

everyone needs to stop right now.

just stop what you are doing and go directly to marc jacobs. we will all meet there in an hour after we empty our savings and we will arrive cash in hand to buy every single pair of shoes in that store. we will buy the soft baby blush pink 2 inch heels with the exquisite little white piping in a lace silhouette shape across the toe. we will buy both the fuschia and the chartreuse flats with the pointed toes and the gently curved leather soles that virtually blend into the upper. we will buy the black wedge sandals. and we will be happy.

music brings the bourgeoisie and the rebel.

great cover of that tune friday night at tribeca rock club by jj appleton. rockin' musician poised to be big time. he did his encore as a speeded up country meets indie rock version of madonna's anthem and it got everyone super jazzed.

in other music news: nina simone died today. very sad. her sugar in my bowl song found itself working it's way into a few of my writings.raspy sexy voice. and the white stripes played here in nyc this past weekend. now i am from detroit and i never heard them play, but from all descriptions of their performances and a few snippets of listening to their music, i am still puzzled as to what that's all about. never me mind. it's good detroit is getting it's little rock on in the big old world. was at good world friday night to get my dance on. so what everyone was 21? i still had fun shakin my groove thing to the likes of sean paul and 50 cent. in da club is THE summer anthem i am convinced. just gimme the light . . .

does anyone else want to learn those fierce jamaican dance moves in the latest sean paul video, where they're all in the basement and those girls are tapping their hands on their shoulders, and springing up and down on the ground and just shaking like those are the moves of the century. work!

i ventured out into the world of commerce

for the first time in a long time, and at the behest of my friend ann marie who is a shopper extraordinaire, came home with quite a few nice new purchases. (yes it is confirmed, the old navy bootcut jean is an actual steal at $30 and fits like a dream. can you say, "oh goodness, i'm in a size smaller than usual!" don't know if that's a marketing ploy but it is highly effective. they give you one cute butt and that dash o'lycra just sucks it ALL in. highly recommended for a pair of tooling around jeans.)

anyhoo, it was quite nice to be outside in the thick of things, lots of hustle bustle on broadway, sunshine, quite a change from the dreary winter. i popped into tootsi AGAIN, the new gigantic one on lafayette, just to check and make sure i wasn't missing anything, and was again aghast. WHAT has happened to that store. i saw one semi-cute pair of sandals at some obnoxious price point. it was disturbing to say the least. even the miu miu styles they picked were so uninspired. i am so sad but it has now been thoroughly confirmed, tootsi is off my buying radar for spring/summer. i continue to hunt down other venues with a heaviness of heart.

madonna may not be world affairs or shoes

but she's from my hometown and hey, she dated one of my cousins, so i'm going to write about her anyway. i think the woman is a magnificent icon, personally, and she's got that michigan work ethic i admire as well.

i do wonder why the times tries to pick apart her self-promotion tactics. hmmm, strong sucessful woman syndrome again? since i'm a lady myself, i'm going to weigh in. i think it's time for madonna to lay down the noise of her endless reinventions and do something totally stripped down. she seemed most real and accessible on her music tour when she was honestly just trying to get her guitar playing right, sitting on the edge of a stage, concentrating. i think the next CD should be stripped down guitar licks and lyrics a la ryan adams and lucinda williams. i think madonna should spend the next few years leanring how to master the guitar and then do a small, cabaret type concert tour--super exclusive and small and plain and classic. like madonna unplugged, but more. and i think she should be very soft-spoken and quiet and tell funny stories inbetween her songs, a la colin hay. don't know why i think so, i just think so. maybe it's because i think we should all stop listening to the external and start listening to the internal a little bit more. ahhhh, how philosophical i am on this good friday!

and madonna IS kind of a world affair, isn't she?

a few shoe tips learned

from my invaluable henhouse conversations with the ladies, for those who are mourning the demise of tootsi's buying this season: bergdorf's--4th floor and 6th floor mid-season sales, and sacco--a new discovery of mine--many a cute pair of well-constructed shoes under $200. could it be the new tootsi? we shall see.

by special request

from my two most loyal readers, z and dan, i must mention the colorful sash i wore to the U-M-Penn State football game this past Fall. now even though this has nothing to do with shoes or world events, perhaps we could construe it to be a, well, REGIONAL event. homecoming weekend in ann arbor is that significant. 106,000 football fans sit inside a very large stadium, after drinking plenty of belevedere vodka drinks in the blue lot and when Michigan wins, everyone goes crazy. it's very, midwestern and fun. not to mention all the fun people who came in from all over the land so we could do this all together and pretend we were 19 again.

so, over in wolverine country, i found myself in capri-length denim pants, my oxblood faux-cowboy boot from tootsi, a michigan t-shirt and the colorful sash mentioned above. now the colorful sash, i felt, added a certain needed flair to the outfit because it had that indispensable stripe of gold--one of the wolverine colors. never mind that it was a silk vintage piece from sixties with olive and drab stripes as well. i thought it looked quite dashing and apparently so did z and dan. i think it may have also contributed to the wolverine victory over penn state.

i have one word for spring:

tretorns.

obessed with sandals.

finding myself browsing the infinite varieties of jack rogers online, reminiscing about michigan summers of ralph lauren, pastel tretorns, laura ashley sailor dresses, my very first bikini -- a lovely pastel thing debuted on the beach on spring break in hilton head.

i am thinking it's all about color this season. color bodes optimism in many ways and i think we are so overly geared and over the top receptive to spring this year on so many levels, both metaphorical and physical, that we'll see a lot of bright poppy reds, cool greens, cobalt blues. and sandals sandals sandals. i am going crazy for sandals. i am thinking the aqua-lime combination. or fuschia-white? hmmm. subliminally trying to bring spring fever into the world by shopping for sandals. i think this is a very effective strategy.

and shoes

yes it's been confirmed by my fellow fashion friend and designer, meg, that tootsi is not living up to it's wonderful standards of stocking tons of costume and dries at under the $300 mark. always our nyc shoe hideout, we used to be able to go, stock up quickly and be done for the season, of course with a quick check back july 1 at the sale where we'd swoop back in for a few more pairs of sandals. well, i am now officially on the hunt for a new shoe standard. i will say i saw some cute styles at searle? of all places, but breadth and depth of selection was not as big as tootsi used to be. will keep you updated.

yes that is actually snow falling steadily here in new york

as i mentioned before, the winter here has been filled with snow and anxiety and this wonderful little extension of winter is acting as a sensory reminder that i don't think any of us are happy to see. TRYing to feel the coziness of it all, but am really feeling like getting on jet blue to miami right now.

ON MARTHA STEWART

so even though martha stewart's board expressed their displeasure by reducing her bonus (of course it didn't really matter in light of the $2.5 million she gets paid by the company so they can use her home for photo shoots every year) i have to say, the woman still wows me with her marketing and merchnadising savvy. everytime i pass kmart on astor place, i just have to have a quick look at the gardening department (though i have no garden anywhere in my tenement apartment) and go have a peek upstairs to see what she is giving in the home section. and even though the people who unpack her inventory on the floor inevitably mess up her product placement, that good old martha savvy still shines through. the pleasing light mint and buttery yellow colors, the elegant shapes of her tableware, the super cheap 200 thread count all cotton sheets (shh! that's a secret!). you can just sigh and pretend for a moment you too, are in westport connecticut and your home is perfectly neat and shabby chic. don't we just love aspirational merchandising? there is nothing moe pleasing than opening my cupboards to coordinated martha yellow flower shelf lining and soft yellow dishes. antique style water glasses and of course, my martha marigold walls!

so i promised i'd write about where to find the best shoes

and so far, nary a word from me on that topic, just doom and gloom wartime commentary. in an attempt to lighten the mood, i'll begin my shoe advice. my usual favorite has been tootsi pluhound, but i have to say their buying appears to be a bit off this season. i am not seeing the beautiful costume and dries collections i am used to, instead an odd assortment of some type of shoes that look rather hand-made crafted. only have seen a very few really stellar picks. my other favorite of course is barneys warehouse sale--though it can be rather catch as catch can, best to go on the very last day, and if you are willing to go outside your normal comfort zone, i.e. black heels, you can always find some unusual finds that are quite cheep cheep, the sort that will have people asking for years afterward, where did you get those delicious little green alligator strappy numbers? other than that, i am searching for new shoe hotspots, kerquelen always good, but sometimes too pricey. who wants to pay the same price for a sandal as a boot? eew. the truth is, you can always stick with the 200 dollar rule, which is to say never pay more than 200 dolllars for a pair of shoes, boots or sandals. if you scout efficiently and are flexible to more adventurous styles you can even whittle that down to into the 100 dollar zone, or in the case of barney's warehouse on the last day, under 50. (yes i did get those navy blue corduroy laboutins for 35 dollars there).

ON HOPE:

went to a reading at bombora gallery last night. 20 or so poets and musicians gathered in a cozy basement room in chelsea, with a wood burning stove. chris stackhouse put the event together and it was one of the few gatherings i have been to in ny where people from different races mixed and listened to each other harmoniously, were interested in each other's experiences. sitting there on a wood pallet, listening to some of the most amazing talent in ny, i realized that what we were doing: speaking out, the act of reading and writing and speaking our minds, could be considered subversive very soon, the way this country is going with it's erosion of civil rights in the name of fighting terrorism. but for last night, i just reveled and relaxed in the deep, rich sustenance of freedom of expression. and remembered and tasted one of the most quintessential american things we possess, that right to read haikus about president bush, to sing about being yourself, to hear the interior lives of others--without being afraid of repercussion. truly a great thing.

you have to kind of hand it to puffy (p.diddy) for his major break into fashion with his label sean john. watching the behind the scenes with puffy on BET last night, it's obvious the man has all the elements it takes for a serious fashion takeover: a very clear vision of the lifestyle story he wants to put forth, strong opinions on every element of the show and line from hair to walks to detailing, a team of the best in the business, and a clear dedication to working hard. three years into it, he's making serious inroads into establishing himself as the next ralph lauren, using the same formula: creating a serious lifestyle look and generating major revenues from the polo shirts (in this case, seanjohn t-shirts). with revenues soaring upwards of $200 million, and accolades from the likes of hilary alexander, i'd say "go, puffy, it's your birthday!"

ON THE F TRAIN

on the F train this morning: a woman asked for the time and four of us scrambled to find our cell phone all buried deep in our bags or pockets. isn't strange no one wears a watch anymore? and my brother, who is six years younger than me, never had to learn to tell time on a regular clock because he learned on digital. oh my goodness, does it mean i am getting old because i remember when the first CD came out and we all gathered around Carla De Vecchio's dad's CD player and watched in awe as the silver disc went magically in and played Sade smooth operator. we were all entranced as we clicked throught the tracks. no more clunky mix tapes! no more high-speed dubbing!

WHAT NOT TO WEAR

what not to wear should really be named what not to watch. posing as a self-help styling show, this new reality based TV show on the learning channel takes a person whose friends nominate them to be made over (i.e. the friends say the person's style is hopeless behind their back) and then voila! two snobby stylists, a bitchy makeup artist and a medium nice (though opting for rather severe haircuts) hair stylist appear to give the person a total makeover and "teach" the person how to dress. after they "teach" the person, they send her out to shop on her own, but spy on her with hidden cameras and quickly overpower her when--jump back!--the person attempts to buy something that is, gasp! not correct!

the commentary offered by the hosts and the makeup artist (statements like: why do you want to look like a vampire with all this white pancake makeup? are de riguer) come off as just plain old mean, especially when the poor victim's face shows her absolute embrassment and hurt when being so personally attacked.

when did complete and total meaness become a substitute for provocative (and possibly interesting) banter? does all the extra bitchiness really foster more dramatic tension, arc, plot? or does it, oh my goodnes, merely show how narrow the hosts intellect actually are? at the risk of belying my innate midwesterness, do we really need any more negativity in the world at present? we've already got such a wonderful backdrop of death and destruction going on, why can't we say something nice? why can't we encourage someone who is revamping their personal style? think scintillating, not bitchy! think smart, not mean!

ON THE MERITS OF GOOD KISSING

on quite a different note, want to briefly address the merits of good kissing. had an amazing kiss on tuesday night which inspired me to discuss with my girlfriends the many merits of a good kisser. turns out most women have only had a few consistently good kissers in their lifetimes of boyfriends, which makes the merits of the good kisser stand out that much more.

and what constitutes a good kiss? for me, it's slow, slow, slow. the more langorous and lingering the better. like your kisser is kissing you from inside out.

i am going to continue to research what makes a good kiss and will post results here. i am thinking perhaps good kissing is also an appropriate antidote to the current chaos in the world. what if we all just made out? bush and saddam, condi and chirac, KIM Chong-il and ashcroft. remember: slow, long & lingering!