Killer Heels - Spring/Summer 2009

I absolutely LOVE this season's SS09 accessories - we're currently seeing the return of the adventurous, the fringe, the 80's and even a hint of surrealism! - Take a look for yourself:

Louis Vuitton (above)- which funnily enough reflects my current state of mind

John Galliano - one of my favourite designers of all time; once again, he doesn't fail to surpise
(JG above & below)

A more conservative Jimmy Choo shown above; seems that there is a return to the fringe/Indian trend & love the bar...maybe minus the orange though

Giambattista Valli (above) - beautifully proportioned & destined to kill but tone calves.

A Dries von Noten heel above; love the gold detail, would be quite comfy too, which is a plus.

Going retro with Derek Lam- hint that the 80's is coming back, so cinch those skirts!

Christian Louboutin...I'd have to say the red soles would make it even more of a statement.

love love love this one - another Christian Louboutin; the ruffles are AMAZING

Christian Dior - which has named this one of their 'goddess heels' :)

Chanel - going geometric (keep those prints for summer)

Calvin Klein - showing clean & comfy is the way to go

Burberry - nice gradation of tone; colours are beautiful & proportion well considered

Brian Atwood- loving his work atm, although I'd like to see this one actually worn!

Another Brian Atwood (above & below); crazier...it seems

Where would be without Balenciaga? - monochromes indicative of the return of minimalism? what do you guys think?

Crazy yet amazing Alexander McQueen number...loving this boot :)

Lastly, a beautiful Alexandra Neel...it's so pretty!

haha, I could go on forever,

~Louis Tiffon

Only in Dubai can this EVER happen...

You're looking at the Atlantis Hotel in Dubai, also known as The Palm. It cost $1.5bn to build. Its location is almost as extravagant as the hotel itself - it is situated on a man-made sand island in the shape of a palm tree:

It has got 1373 'spacious' rooms (and I don't doubt that) and 166 suites. The 'Lost Chambers Suites' is literally among the aquatic life. A night at the hotel's best suite will set you back an odd $20 000 or so. That is, if you have that sort of spare change... (but that room does have a gold-leaf 18-seat dining table, so it's worth it).

Check out the Poseidon Suite:

I think it would get unsettling at night... not to mention scary sharing your space with sharks and stingray.

We all know that Dubai is the up-and-coming global city, with the rate of construction rivalling and even exceeding those budding urban centres like Shanghai. Those people in the UAE just can't pump out those multi-billion buildings fast enough... Other construction ideas include an indoor ski slope, the world's first 7-star hotel, more man-made islands, and the world's tallest skyscraper.

Anyways, back to the Atlantis Hotel, their opening gala on the 20th November was reputed to cost upwards of $30m - the world's most expensive private party where 2 000 of the world's celebrities were invited. (Hello Kylie, who got paid $4m to perform for one hour) It also involved a $6m fireworks display and the party guests were given free accommodation.

Of course, the Atlantis isn't only a hotel... It's a mini playground.

Here is the Leap of Faith waterslide - looks pretty hardcore to me...


And after you've been catapaulted down the Leap of Faith, you enter the inner tubes of a shark-infested lagoon... on the inside looking out...

One word.... WOW!!!! How very once-in-a-lifetime...

But that's not all the marine life... Here in the Dolphin Bay, you can have 'shallow-water interactions' (sounds fishy... no pun intended) with two dozen bottlenose dolphins, specially flown in from the Solomon Islands. I'm not joking. Apparently this caused a lot of controversy. (I wonder why... would it be the 30hr flight?)


And if you feel like eating, rather than interacting, their Ossiano restaurant offers great views of your next meal.

This is part of their giant open-air tank with over 65 000 fish and other marine species.

And this is the Atlantis Spa, where you can unwind (if you haven't already been doing that while being catapaulted in a shark-infested lagoon, that is)

The Atlantis Hotel - my next holiday destination. (What recession?!)

~ Hurley Who?

Personal Joke space

Personal jokes... this is for DR.

DR at 3.00pm today: "that's bad, man, really bad".


- Hurley Who?

PS. If you don't get it, don't worry... only DR and I get it...

an interview with conor oberst

Radio: Hi, we’re back. This is Radio KX and we’re here with Conor Oberst of the band Bright Eyes. How are you doing Conor?

Conor: Fine, thanks. Just a little wet

Radio: Oh yeah, it’s still coming down out there

Conor: Yeah, I sort of had to run from the car

Radio: Well, we are glad you made it. Now your new album, Fevers and Mirrors. Tell us a little bit about the title. I noticed there was a good deal of repeated imagery in the lyrics, fevers . . . mirrors, scales, clocks. Could you discuss some of this?

Conor: Sure. Let’s see, the fever is . . .

Radio: First let me say, that this is a brilliant record, man, we’re all really into it here at the station. We get lots of calls, it’s really good stuff

Conor: Thanks, thanks a lot

Radio: So talk a little bit about some of the symbolism

Conor: The fever?

Radio: Sure

Conor: Well the fever is basically whatever ails you or oppresses you, it could be anything. In my case it’s my neurosis, my depression, but I don’t want to be limited to that. It’s certainly different for different people. It’s whatever keeps you up at night

Radio: I see

Conor: And then the mirror is like, as you might have guessed, self-examination or reflection or whatever form. This could be vanity or self-loathing. I don’t know, I’m guilty of both

Radio: That’s interesting. How about the scale?

Conor: The scale is essentially our attempt to solve our problems quantitatively through logic or rationalization. In my opinion it’s often fruitless, but always, well, not always. And the clocks and calendars, etcetera, its just time, our little measurements. It’s like, it’s always chasing after us

Radio: It is, it is. How about this Arienette, how does she fit in to all of this?

Conor: I’d prefer not talk about it, in case she’s listening

Radio: Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t realize she was a real person

Conor: She’s not, but I made her up

Radio: Oh, so she’s not real?

Conor: Just as real as you or I

Radio: I don’t think I understand

Conor: Neither do I, but after I grow up I will. I mean, you know what, a lot of things are really unclear for me right now

Radio: That’s interesting. Now you mentioned your depression

Conor: No I didn’t

Radio: You’re from Nebraska, right?

Conor: Yeah, that’s right

Radio: Now let me know if I’m getting to personal, but there seems to be a pretty dark past back there somewhere. What was it like for you growing up?

Conor: Dark? Not really. Actually I had a great childhood. My parents were wonderful. I went to a Catholic school. They have, I had money, so it was all easy. I basically had everything that I wanted anytime

Radio: Really? So some of the references like babies in bathtubs are not biographical?

Conor: Well I did have a brother who died in a bathtub . . . he drowned. Well actually I had five brothers that drowned

Radio: (Chuckle)

Conor: No, I’m serious. My mother drowned one every year for five consecutive years. They were all named Padraic, and that’s why they only got one song. It’s kind of like walking out a door and discovering that it's a window

Radio: But your music is certainly very personal

Conor: Of course, I put a lot of myself into what I do. It’s like being an author, you have to free yourself to use symbolism and allegory to meet your goal. And part of that is compassion, empathy for other people and their situations. Some of what I sing about comes from other people’s experiences. It shouldn’t matter, the message is intended to be universal

Radio: I see what you mean

Conor: Could you make that sound stop, please?

Radio: Yes. And your goal?

Conor: I don’t know. Create feelings I guess. A song never ends up the way you planned it

Radio: That’s funny you’d say that, do you think that . . .

Conor: Do you ever hear things that aren’t really there?

Radio: I’m sorry, what?

Conor: Never mind. How long have you worked at this station?

Radio: Oh, just a few minutes. Now you mentioned empathy for others. Would you say that that motivates you to make the music that you make?

Conor: No, not really. It’s more a need for sympathy. I want people to feel sorry for me. I like to feel the burn of the audience’s eyes on me when I’m revealing all my darkest secrets into the microphone. When I was a kid I used to carry a safety pin around with me every where I went in my pocket, and when people weren’t paying enough attention to me, I’d dig it into my arm until I started crying. Everyone would stop what they were doing and ask me what was the matter. I guess, I guess I kind of liked that

Radio: Really, you’re telling me that you’re doing all of this for attention?

Conor: No, I hate it when people look at me, I get nauseous. In fact, I could care less what people think about me. Do you feel that?

Radio: No, I feel sick

Conor: I really just want to be this warm yellow light that pours over everyone that I love

Radio: So you’re going to play something for us now? Is this a new song?

Conor: Yeah, but I haven’t written it yet. It’s one I’ve been meaning to write called A Song To Pass The Time

Radio: Oh, that’s a nice title

Conor: You should write your own scripts

Radio: Yeah, I know

........


Such a troubled, misunderstood genius that Conor-with-one-'n' is... *cough* ...
more like simply Genius (with a bit of crazy/randomness mixed in)!

For those of you who are still confused, the interview isn't real- he's just sending up the perception of him as depressed cynic. but i'm sure you figured that out by the time he got to the bit about the five drowned brothers... i hope. if not, you may need to readjust the limits of your credulity just a leetle :P

-C.L-

matt bellamy has turned into gwen stefani

It's amazing what a little tweaking of the pitch can do...



[disco.read]

Freehand Circle

~Louis Tiffon