Because of the Thanksgiving holiday, my favorite blogs at nymag.com haven’t been posting stuff recently. They’re back tomorrow, but I can’t wait until then. I have no patience. I also have nothing else to do but wait and I hate waiting. Waiting makes me feel homicidal.

You know how everyone has a morning routine? Well, the first thing I do when I wake up is check my e-mail, delete all of the ones with pointless jobs that are oddly considered a match with my experience, then check Daily Intel, Vulture, and The Cut. This helps me go about my useless, hungover day. And now that I have nothing to read from New York’s blogs, I’ve been all screwed up in the head.

For tennis fans in New York, this week is going to be a grand one. The time of year that used to ring in the WTA’s Season Ending Championships has been frighteningly dead since the tour left early in the decade, leaving fans reeling after the excitement of the US Open.

On Monday, tennis journalist L. Jon Wertheim, author of Venus Envy and the more-recent Strokes of Genius, will be a part of a sports writers’ panel at Housing Works Bookstore Cafe in SoHo. The night will also feature author Jesse Katz and New York mag’s Will Leitch. The three writers will each read a selection from their respective books and then take questions from the audience at the event, which starts at 7 PM at the Bookstore Cafe. Check it out for free.

Also on this week, on Tuesday, James Blake will host a tennis exhibition at Pier 94 downtown. The night will feature Andy Roddick and is rumored to also include upstart Melanie Oudin. Tickets can still be found here, along with a full list of events for the evening. 

(photo by Arancia Project via Flickr.)

Adio ganduri sinucigase …

Lindsay Lohan din “Mean Girls” va aparea topless intr-o serie de poze realizata de celebrul fotograf Terry Richardson. Lindsay, care este bisexuala, va simula o partida in trei alaturi de un barbat si o femeie.

Nu este prima data cand LiLo apare intr-o astfel de ipostaza; in 2007 ea a mai aparut topless pentru revista New York Magazine, intr-un pictorial-tribut realizat in cisntea lui Marilyn Monroe.

Alte articole :

Atentie !!! Despre 1 Decembrie – Ziua Romaniei

Ashima Shiraishi is eight-years-old

This little girl climbs mountains. Well, rocks, but I’m sure she’ll make it to bigger things in the future.

At the Manhattan Plaza Health Club’s bouldering competition this summer, she placed first in the open women’s division.

Go girl!

From “New York” magazine:

“I like living in New York because there are so many places for climbing. The best part of climbing is that people see that you’re good at it, and so they like you and want to be friends with you. I’ve been climbing for three years; for me, it’s kind of a long time…I practice every day after school, until it gets dark.”

—- Stay Juicy!

this interview with paul auster from New York Magazine is hilarious. no other word for it. read it. tell me what you think… one day, i hope people read my books & ask me questions about how similar i am to my characters. oh paul auster: by the way, are you a pedophile, do you like incest, & what about parisian women on bicycles!? http://nymag.com/news/intelligencer/62258/

In this week’s New York, I have a cover story that goes behind-the-scenes in the battle to control Wall Street comp. Nowhere is this conflict more vividly displayed than the current war between AIG and the Government. AIG’s CEO, the brash, outspoken Robert Benmosche, is fending off efforts by Kenneth R. Feinberg, the Pay Czar, who’s seeking to limit what AIG’s traders can make. The standoff came to a head on November 4, when Benmosche told AIG’s board of directors that he is going to quit. They convinced him to stay, but he’s set to give them his final answer at tomorrow’s board meeting.

From the piece:

After viewing the video, Feinberg left the room, and Benmosche turned to face his board members in private. Benmosche saw himself and his traders as being on the same side as the taxpayers—it infuriated him that Geithner and Congress seemed to see them as the enemy. With Feinberg gone, Benmosche let his anger loose. The pointed exchange he just watched only confirmed in his mind that Feinberg didn’t think he, or his executives, were worth much. He was going to quit. “I’m just about ready to hit the road,” Benmosche said. “Feinberg stabbed me in the back.”

“It wasn’t a moment of anger,” an executive familiar with the exchange later recalled. “It was the last straw of things that were agonizing him.”

Read the full piece HERE

Taking no turns to the unexpected, Irina Shabayeva takes home the prize for clearly outshining her competition on Project Runway Season 6.

Sigh.

It makes me feel nothing to write this because it was so bloody obvious she would win from the very beginning.

She was such a cow from the start, yet she was obviously so much more talented than the rest that it couldn’t have turned out any other way.

Don’t get me wrong, I am not one to discount a girl purely for being bitchy, but this bitch was so scathingly bitchy that I really didn’t enjoy hating her as much as I would have liked.

I feel deprived!

Oh well, I finally have my comeuppance: Irina is now being accused of stealing intellectual property from New York Magazine! Bwa ha ha.

After accusing other designers of copying her designs, Irina herself copied the contents of an entire article from New York Magazine and applied them as a silkscreen on one of her T-shirts (see photo above). It should be noted that these T-shirts themselves needed to be redone, because her first versions used classic images of Coney Island created by other artists (see photo below).

Moreover, she can’t plead innocence on the issue because she was already told not to use copyrighted material once, and then she did it again… in a move that makes it look nothing short of intentional.

Perhaps she should have silkscreened the words “nothing new” and put them under a giant photo of a sun. At least that would have been an honest statement about her collection, several elements from which btw, are ripoffs of those from Proenza Schouler’s A/W 2007 collection. (I’m talking the thick, high collared jackets and sequined dresses paired with edgy accessories.)

But whatever, if that’s her influence, fine. Irina’s entire collection was cohesive, interesting and impeccably detailed and she did deserve to win –I just feel so deflated by it all.

In an interview for the LA Times’ Entertainment blog, Irina responds to the accusation with probably the stupidest dodging of creative responsibility ever:

Los Angeles Times: Have you read the blogs that talk about your T-shirts featuring material from a New York magazine article? Have you been in touch with the magazine?
Irina Shabayeva: I did. No: I haven’t been in touch with them. I read some of the comments. That particular piece wasn’t written by one author — they gathered all these random comments from New Yorkers. It was so funny because when I got that issue of New York I was working on the T-shirts and it was like, “Oh, my God.” I thought it was one of those meant-to-be moments, serendipity. I was so excited, I was like, “What better than right from a New Yorker’s mouth?” I did add some of my comments in too, so I thought it was a collective voice. I was so inspired by the article. For the T-shirts I did a burnout, this chemical technique with the clouds. I think they turned out great, and if I was a New Yorker I’d be proud that there’s a T-shirt with that poetry on it.

LA Times: Their blog says that they’ve found their softball uniform for next year.
Irina Shabayeva: There you go. I guess they are proud!

Umm, I don’t think so. She says, “They gathered all these random comments from New Yorkers” making it sound like there was no work involved. Isn’t that like… what reporters do for a living?

It’s one thing to copy/paste words from other sources onto a blog to prove a point (see above, which I readily cite to the LA Times!), but it’s quite another to say you created original work by using someone else’s writing/research with no due credit.

What do you think? Innocent until proven guilty?

Photos courtesy of shine.yahoo.com and projectrungay.blogspot.com

(US) The American Society of Magazine Editors (ASME) is an industry trade group for editors of magazines published in the United States. The Annual Best Cover Contest Winners were chosen by Amazon.com customers, Rolling Stone’s July 2008 issue featuring President Obama was hailed the ‘Cover of the Year’. Here are the 2009 Best Magazine Cover Winners and Finalists with my personal picks.

MAGAZINE COVER OF 2009

2009 Best in Entertainment & Celebrity Magazine Cover Finalists and Winner

Source: http://www.magazine.org/

Rosette Dress by twobirds

Isn’t this darling dress the epitome of Hollywood glamour from the late 1950s/early 1960s?

New York Magazine is churning out fabulous style look books these days. A couple of weeks ago, I posted Michelle Obama’s Style Look Book, and now they have another one – this one’s especially for magnanimous brides who want their bridesmaids to actually enjoy their dresses for something other than fabric remnants after the wedding. This is my personal favorite, a vintage inspired dusty rose, rosette dress by twobirds. I’m not sure I’d let my bridesmaid wear this one though – it’s much too lovely! Browse the look book and see other vintage-inspired as well as modern takes on bridesmaid dresses that blow the lid off those legendary, prom-esque, one-night only creations of the past. That’s a very GOOD thing.

We hope to do a local one of this excllent NYmag Flow Chart:

Yesterday, my blog turned one year old! Cheers to that.

I was inspired to start this blog exactly one year ago, when I attended my second New York Women in Communications Student Career Conference. Every year I leave these conferences full of inspiration: Linda Wells, EIC of Allure, inspired me to pursue a career in magazines in 2007, and in 2008, Amy Odell, Editor of NyMag’s The Cut inspired me to start blogging about what I love: fashion, style, and magazines.

So thanks, Amy for motivating me to get this started! It’s been a year, but this is just the beginning.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BLOG! I love you. And today was a great day for a few reasons….

1. I got the ultimate encouraging text from my friend S this morning: “So last night I read through your entire blog all the way to your first entry. Is that creepy much?” No S – it’s not creepy. It’s adorable, and motivating!

2. I treated myself to a Rebecca Minkoff Bracelet (Loop Bracelet in Florescent Blue) that I ordered from Luna Boston! The bracelet came adorably packaged in a polka dot RM bag, and came with a sweet treat from LB: Swedish Fish! And I finally called the number on the back of the infamous “Vincent Card.”

Bracelets (top to bottom): Rebecca Minkoff, Rebecca Minkoff, Forever21

Cute RM packing, the Vincent Card, and Sweet Treat from Luna Boston!

3. Blog Birthday Cupcakes & Champagne!

Magnolia Cupcakes!

It’s been a truly fabulous year for me and my blog. Big thank you to my readers, friends, and supporters! And the people in the fashion industry who are always inspiring me.

Busy Beaver Button-O-matic Artist Damien Correll

How do you transform a wooden nickel into a gold button?  Let’s ask Button-O-matic artist, Damien Correll:

As a kid, my elders always warned me “not to take any wooden nickels”, and being a child of the 80s and 90s I hadn’t the foggiest clue what a wooden nickel even was and therefore what that old American adage even meant. Years and years later, I thiiiink I now get it.

Originally from Philadelphia, Damien Correll is a designer/illustrator/maker living and working in Brooklyn, NY. Formerly a member of the Rad Mountain collective, Correll is now a creative partner at the small design studio, Part & Parcel. His work has been featured in a variety of publications including in the pages of New York Magazine, XLR8R, Juxtapoz, IdN, STEP, NOVUM, The New York Times Magazine and Faesthetic.

Click here for BusyBeaver.net

New York magazine posed this question to 100 Soho pedestrians:
“Which of the following nominally free things would you pay for if that was the only way to get them?”

I was interested to learn that “public bathrooms” beat out “the right to vote.”  Not surprising.  But they also beat out “sex.”   And “network television” beat out sex.

And “copies of The Onion” beat out not only all three of the above-mentioned items but also “drinking water” and “air” and “the love of parents and family.”

And one heartening discovery is that 14 people would pay for “subway musicians” if that was the only way to get them.  I agree.  One of life’s great pleasures.

Right up there with The Onion.

Jon Gosselin vs. TLC … I know what you’re thinking: lame, tired of it, and can we please move on?!  I would love to say yes to all three of these things right after I write this blog.  It has currently been reported by People.com that Jon (first name basis now after all the idiotic things he’s done) is now suing TLC for ruining his reputation and career. They also go on to say that TLC has caused him to lose money for his career.  HOLD UP?! I can’t believe I’m hearing this right.  You would think maybe, just maybe, that he wouldn’t blame TLC for his reputation being ruined being as he didn’t have one prior to TLC.  He might for once just blame himself.  Hmm…it wasn’t TLC that was caught allegedly dating multiple people while still being legally married, and I don’t think it was TLC that decided to go through a mid-life crisis, (and yes we know you’re only 32..it can still happen!) pierce both ears, smoke, wear embarassing t-shirts, and date a 22 year old.  Before all of this I was more on his side than Kate, but this completely irks me, and thank goodness this is the last time you’ll hear me write about it!  WHEW..I’m over it!

Next…Carrie Prejean

Oh goodness!  Where to even begin?  So I felt bad for her right after the whole incident of the pageant because even if everyone doesn’t agree with her, you can’t ask an opinion question and not want an opinion back.  However, understandably she has been defensive due to many attacks but at the same time if you have a sex tape (or whatever it is), a hot topic following you, and nude pictures out, it might be best to stay home for a while…then write the book. Don’t write a book and then expect no one to ask you questions about all the stuff that’s going on out there!  Didn’t your publicist tell you this?!

Megan Fox

Men stop slobbering, she’s taken. It’s not like you could get her anyhow. Sorry to be so harsh!  However it’s been recently said in an article by the New York Times magazine that her publicists are a little nervous, and that she believes girls think she’s a slut.  Well…Ms. Fox let’s think about this.  When you’ve been posing naked, saying obscure innuendos, and choosing roles that don’t exactly yell out “the girl next door” some might paint you in that picture.  If you want to be more likable, tone it down a bit.  How are we suppose to know about the low-key side when much of what comes out of your mouth is intended to make guys swoon, not the girls?!

Love her hair on this cover. That is what women should want to attain.

Don’t care what people say, I love LiLo. People need to back off and let her get on with her life. Oh, and she looks amazing at Marylin Monroe.

Again, focusing on the hair…which I love.

Love Kate Moss, also. Cute hair. Cute tattoo. All around amazing.

Absolutely georgeous. Want these pants…might require her body though…no food.

Classic John and Yoko. P.S. I love this woman.

And a blast from the past…

First Lady Michelle Obama, Prince Andrew

First Lady Michelle Obama and President Barak Obama

True fashionistas know that America’s First Lady Michelle Obama has confidently stepped into her destiny as one of the White House’s most intellectual and fashion forward First Ladies – ever. I’ve long been a Jackie O fan — what style and grace she radiated inside and out. With her modelesque beauty and stature, Mrs. Obama certainly continues in that tradition, as she’s taken the torch and put her own lasting and unique stamp on what it means to be an enduring fashion icon. While

First Lady Michelle Obama, President Barak Obama

many of her choices are contemporary, I have a feeling Mrs. Obama also has a special place in her heart for the vintage, flattering cuts and classic elegance of the 1960s in particular. Browse New York Magazine’s Michelle Obama Look Book or the Los Angeles Times’ Michelle Obama: Fashion Icon Look Book and decide for yourself which glam you like the most. These regularly updated homages to Mrs. Obama’s stylepresents so many fabulous views that I dare you to pick just one favorite.

- Adrienne C Barr

As soon as I receive my weekly copy of New York Magazine, I have a decision to make: do I go to “The Approval Matrix” first, or, like cream cheese icing on a really good piece of carrot cake, do I leave it to the end?  Yes, for me it is a guilty pleasure.

The magazine describes the Matrix like this: “Our deliberately oversimplified guide to who falls where on our taste hierarchies.”  It covers a wide range of cultural, political, and entertainment topics, some specific to New York, some not,  placing them on a Cartesian plane:

On the X-Axis   Despicable — Brilliant

On the Y-Axis   Highbrow — Lowbrow

Often, I’ll hear a bit of news and think, really, you’ve got to be kidding me.  And further, is it only me that thinks this particular item is completely inane?  Then, I’ll come to find that, no, I’m not the only one who thinks so.  “The Approval Matrix” agrees.  There have been days that I’ve practically cheered out loud (in the privacy of my home) at the breathtakingly refreshing common sense of it.

Take this week, for example, on the Higbrow end of things, straddling the Y-Axis is  “An American wins the NY Marathon” (Brilliant) and “Complaints that the American marathon winner isn’t American enough because he wasn’t born here.  Isn’t that the point of America?” (Despicable).  Perfect sense.  And there’s Lowbrow-Despicable, “Swine-flu pandemic causes first case of actual violence (hair-pulling catfight on the subway), and  Lowbrow-Brilliant, “U2, Mick Jagger, and – really! – Fergie nail ‘Gimme Shelter‘ at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame concert.”  You get the idea.

See for yourself.  At least one of their entries is sure to put a smile on your face.

Saving the world?  Unfortunately, no.  Saving my sanity?  At times, yes.

The New York Times reviews “A Woman’s Wit: Jane Austen in Life and Legacy” on exhibit at The Morgan Library & Museum.

Lit.

• Even though there are approximately one billion newly published food memoirs per American second, everyone’s still obsessing over Jonathan Safran Foer and his book about that ultra-modern idea of vegetarianism.

• Wells Tower is also still writing for Outside Mag. According to the Rumpus, this is one example of why fiction writers make good journalists.

• The Guardian reviews Fantastic Mr. Fox: “The results may be excellent, but should the offbeat director have been allowed to ride roughshod all over Roald Dahl’s cherished tale?”

• There is still concern about the future of the short story.  We think what these people are in fact concerned about is the future of the short story as published by the Big Publishing House.

Pop Culture & Misc.

• James Franco explains to New York Mag why he’s doing General Hospital: because he can!

• An illustrated guide to the menstrual cycle.

Music

• Girls covering Cass McCombs?  I want more!

• Aerosmith ends their 500 year career via this new technology called a blog.

• Hipster Runoff sorta makes everybody else who puts out a “Best Music of 2009″ lists look silly.  We are somewhat thankful.

Wentzel Vineyard in Philo, CA, Anderson Valley

New York Magazine’s Adam Graham posted a great online tour of Mendocino County on Thursday and mentioned our ValleyFogBlog. Offering a more interesting, rugged alternative to Napa, the tour points out some great out-of-the-way places to visit throughout the county. Jennifer and I have been visiting Mendocino County for many years, our first romantic weekend getaway being up on the Mendocino coast. It was these travels and the many stops at Anderson Valley wineries that got us so enchanted with Pinot Noir and this region.

In addition to the excellent recommendations in the article, we also have some other personal faves in Mendocino County:

Commanding views at The Other Place, above Anderson Valley

Lodging: Anderson Valley Inn in Philo (roomy, good rates), Boonville Hotel (great bungalows in addition the main rooms) and the Other Place (vacation rental with spectacular views, kitchen, living room, etc.). For larger houses or cottages to rent, check out Shoreline Vacation Rentals and other vacation rental services listed on Mendocino.com.

Restaurants: The Boonville Hotel and McCallum House are definitely our two favorites, but for Anderson Valley visitors, Lauren’s Cafe in Boonville and Libby’s Mexican restaurant in Philo provide tasty alternatives. Along the coast from Elk to Fort Bragg, there are a number of other great restaurants – too many to mention here. For breakfast in Ft. Bragg, though, Eggheads, with full-on Wizard of Oz motif, is a must.

Wineries: Again, the article lists some of our favorites, but here are a few more in Anderson Valley: Elke, Baxter, Phillips Hill, Claudia Springs, Roederer Estate, Handley and Navarro. Any that aren’t mentioned here are also well worth visiting and exploring. Go to the Anderson Valley Winegrower’s site for a full listing of wineries in the Valley and those, like Waits-Mast, Roessler and others, that make wine from the region. Just up the road is Hopland, where there are a number of good wineries, including Milano Family Winery.

Serene coastal path at the Mendocino Botanical Gardens

Oddball Day: the article mentions some out-of-the way places in Mendocino County that visitors may not find in the guidebooks. When we’re not pouring at the Anderson Valley Pinot Noir Festival or poking around the village of Mendocino, we like to drive further up the coast. Our companion along the way is community radio station KZYX out of Philo. If you’re lucky, you’ll catch the call-in swap show Trading Time – it is truly a slice of Mendocino, with locals unloading old beat-up trucks and other quirky items. We then may stop at the Mendocino Botanical Gardens and take a stroll out to the coast on a path that winds through coastal redwoods. We’ll then wind our way up to Fort Bragg and stop in at some of our favorite vintage shops, including the Ark Thrift Store (benefits the local humane society and often has pets roaming the place) and Mendocino Vintage which is full of great old books, records and kitchenware. If we’re in the mood for a little more wine tasting, we may go further north to one of the most scenic wineries around, Pacific Star Winery. Sheep roam the coastal property and the tasting room has great views of the dramatic North Coast.

Makes us want to hop in the car and take another visit! Enjoy Mendocino County and the Anderson Valley and if you want to try our wines from Anderson Valley, drop us a line or go to our website at www.waitsmast.com.

The Magna Sententia Podcast with Anna and Ellie Sherise. Hosted by Rodger McMillan.

This week:

• The Sherise Method: Rectify
• “Four Teens Arraigned In California Gang-Rape Case” (Agence France-Presse)
• “Richmond Gang Rape Seen As Nearly Inevitable” (SFGate.com)
• “Cellphones, Texts And Lovers” (NYTimes.com)
• “Obama Coaxes States To Change With School Dollars” (AP)
• “In Defense Of Extreme Pornography” (Reason.com)
• “Conscious Capitalism” (FlowIdealism.org)

Download Episode 4

• The New York Post has an interesting but short piece on creating the perfect CW show.
• The One Tree Hill Twitter account posted an adorable picture of Jackson Brundage (Jamie).
• EW.com has an article analyzing the Gossip Girl-Parents Television Council standoff–specifically, what’s at stake and what’s likely to happen.
• The Knoxville CW affiliate has gone on the record saying they will air the GG episode.
• New York Magazine also noticed that Gossip Girl stole the “if it walks like a duck” line from Beverly Hills 90210.
• According to TVShowsonDVD.com, the ninth season of Beverly Hills 90210 will be released on February 2.  They also have a peek at the cover art.  Don’t forget–season 8 comes November 24!
• The Futon Critic has a great recap of the Dawson’s Creek Paley panel. Digital Spy also has an article and the L.A. Times briefly mentioned it in an article on The Vampire Diaries. (Gossip Girl and 90210 are also name-checked.)
• James Van Der Beek (Dawson, Dawson’s Creek) stars in a Hallmark Channel movie airing December 5.
• Tom Kapinos, a former Dawson’s Creek executive producer, briefly mentioned the show in an article about his current show, Californication.

Why do I have to be wrong for you to be right?

I’ll tell you why.  At our core, we are all judgers.  That’s judgers, judgers, judgers.

From the first moment we see someone — whether in person, in a photo, or in a Youtube video — we dissect their looks, voice, dress and actions, and in a matter of seconds, decide whether they are worthy of our time.

It’s a wonder we have any friends at all.

Now, obviously, there are some people who pass our test. The men featured in the 2009 Sexiest Man Alive issue of People magazine were judged exceptionally attractive by a national panel of editors.  There has also been an obsessive frenzy surrounding the stars of the “Twilight” movie franchise. Those actors have been judged worthy of their fans’ time, attention and somewhat scary mania.

But probably most fascinating to me is how quick people are to judge other people who like something that they don’t.

The “Twilight” movies are a great example. The fans of this franchise have been practically demonized by those who haven’t read the books or seen the movies.  The Comments page of this week’s New York magazine was brutal.  One reader said of the Twilight moms: “Their poor children, and their poor husbands! I wish they’d get some perspective and see how sad they really look.”

Wow.  There’s some judging going on there.

Why can’t people just be different?  Or think differently?  Or, god forbid, like different things?

Why do they have to be inherently wrong?

We say ‘live and let live,’ but as a society, we don’t practice what we preach.  What we really mean to say is,  ‘let me live the way I want, and you live my way, too…’cause if you live or think differently or enjoy different things, that’s wrong.’

Now, “Twilight” isn’t the most important issue in the world — believe me, I know.  But it’s also not the most deadly, god-awful, dangerous book ever written.  Teenage girls and their families are exposed to more controversial things on episodes of “Gossip Girl” — can you say three-way? — so I find it interesting that people are trash-talking a very old-fashioned romance with vampires.

If you don’t like the series, that’s fine.  That’s your choice. But other people liking it isn’t wrong…it’s simply their choice.

So, stop your judging.  That’s right.  I’m looking at you.  Judger.

That’s judger, judger, judger.