Paw Paw pics

Some words of welcome I gave before the funeral:

Today we gather to worship the Lord and to commend the soul of our beloved relative and friend, Bob Harris to the love, care, and mercy of Almighty God. I’m glad you have joined us on this occasion. It is a celebration of life--of the life Bob lived among us and of the eternal life that comes to us through our Lord Jesus Christ.

It seems so strange for me to call him “Bob”; I’ve always called him “Paw Paw.” I’m not his pastor, but his grandson, and it has been a privilege.

It was strange for me to read his age of 79 in the obituary, for you see, Paw Paw is only 54 years old. Why do I say that? Because back in 1983, my cousin Keely and I were riding with him down Line Avenue one day. I think one of us had recently turned 8, because she asked him, “How old are you, Paw Paw.” “I’m 54,” he answered. I said, “Wow, Paw Paw, that’s really old!” . . . (I have since increased in wisdom and stature).

It’s funny what things stand out in your memory. I remember tennis and I remember lumber and I remember playing pool (trying desperately to beat him). I remember that old Pontiac and how I could never figure out (when I was young) why he liked that old car when he had a perfectly good new car.

I remember Sunday mornings, going to the front door at First Baptist to see my other grandfather, Jack Matkin, who usually had a peppermint Life-Saver waiting for me. And then going into the sanctuary, about half-way up the right aisle, to get a program and a smile from Paw Paw.

I remember his laughter, and the twinkle in his eye. I remember all the times he took me to get a haircut. I haven’t really found a barber shop I like since then. I also remember all the “haircuts” he gave me by rubbing his knuckles on the top of my head.

As time passes, there are some things about a person that you remember and some things that you just don’t remember. One great blessing can be that when things are all said and done, one can only remember the good things about someone.

I remember about a month ago, when my wife and I crashed his honeymoon, Paw Paw showed us around the most wonderful hardware store. We found a few cute toys for our unborn daughter Madeline.

I remember later sitting across from Paw Paw in a restaurant as Maw Maw tried to get him to eat. The gumbo was good, but he didn’t want desert. Maw Maw ordered key lime pie. “Two spoons, in case Bob wants some too.” I'm not sure Maw Maw got a second bite before it was gone, and she was happy about that.

It’s funny the things you remember . . . And when he got to the point where he couldn’t remember so well, all of you remembered for him. And now we remember him today before God.

Of course, the central ritual of the Christian faith was commanded with the words, “Do this in remembrance of me.” It was spoken by the Lord Jesus, the night before his death. One way we worship God is to simply come into his presence and remember one another. And so we do today. Let us pause for a moment of silence.

Ctrl BG: A Shortcut to Financial News 9/28

Since I enjoyed writing the last post so much, I've decided to continue to do so. It has proven to be a great way to help me put everything into perspective and it's been fascinating reading what everyone else thinks as well. Again, feel free to correct me and put in your two cents, as obviously, I am no expert. I'm just a girl who happens to be interested in the current state of the economy.

Last Sunday night, Goldman Sachs (GS) and Morgan Stanley (MS) were approved by the Fed to become bank holding firms, officially ending the era of the independent investment banking model on Wall Street. They will now be able to open their own commercial banking arms and take in deposits, which they can then use to back up their investment banking operations- as JP Morgan, Bank of America (BofA) etc already does- thus ending investor concerns about the sustainability of their business model model. They now also have permanent access to borrow federal money (instead of within the window temporarily opened for them) and can become a FDIC insured bank, which insures indivisuals up to $100,000 of bank deposits. The following day, MS announced that they were getting as much as $8.5 billion of cash injection from Japan's Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (MUFG) in exchange for up to 20% equity stake in MS, further fortifying their position. I guess the deal with China fell through (or were the Chinese getting too greedy and the US govt didn't like that?). This is probably a better move anyway, since MUFG is the world's No. 2 bank by deposits, so surely it will help MS's transition into commercial banking go more smoothly. MS apparently already has about $36 billion in bank deposits from their private wealth management (PWM) business and are looking to expand into Asia. Or so, that's what CNBC said, but I didn't know PWM deposits count as bank deposits, but if they do, I guess this means that MS are looking to expand their PWM business in Asia. Or perhaps this $36 billion comes from their Utah-base industrial bank, which will be converting into a national banking association, names the Morgan Stanley Bank, National Association? Goldman Sachs' approach is must easier to understand (or so I think). They currently already have two deposit taking subsidiaries, with about $20 billion in deposits, and plan to create a new one called GS Bank USA, that will have more than $150 billion of assets.

This conversion is not all good and dandy though. Becoming a bank holding also puts both banks under more intense scrutiny and regulations from the Fed, which will probably limit their proprietary trading capacities (the division where they trade company assets like a hedge fund, taking on great risks), which happens to be one of their most lucrative divisions. I don't know about MS but personally I'm feeling quite optimistic about GS. On Tuesday, Warren Buffet invested $5 billion in GS preferred stocks and will also recieved warrants to purchase another $5 billion in common stock within the next 5 years- effectively give him about a 10% stake in GS. They also raised another $5 billion from a public stock offering, all within a few days. This and Buffet's approval, which in the investment world is the equivalent of getting Anna Wintour's approval in the fashion world, make me quite optimistic. Besides, I have always had great confidence in the power of brand image, Buffet just likes to call it "franchise."

On Thursday, Washington Mutual (WaMu), was seized by the FDIC, making it the biggest banking failure ever. Within 9 days, customers withdrew about $16.7 million in deposits from WaMu, literally breaking the bank. JP Morgan picked up WaMu's banking assets for only $1.9 billion. JP has had its eye on WaMu's operations in CA and FL for a while, and had offered for them in March, but was rejected in favor of a capital injection from TPG private equity (whoops!). It seems like JP got yet another bargain. JP is not the only one who got a sweet deal in all this however. It appears that Mr. Alan Fishman, WaMu's CEO for only 2 weeks, is eligible for $11.6 million in cash severance AND get's to keep his $7.5 million signing bonus. Not bad for two weeks worth of work.

It seems that the financial tsunami is expanding abroad too. Fortis, the largest Belgian financial-services firm, just received an $11.2 billion euro bailout from Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg in exchange for 49% stakes in the Fortis in their respective countries. It's almost like the European version of AIG.

The next bank on the chopping block is Wachovia- funny since a week ago they were in talks to merge with MS. Citigroup and Wells Fargo are currently in a bidding war over a possible emergency takeover of Wachovia, since it's stocks dropped dramatically on Friday.

While all this was going on, politicians were hard at "work" trying to get the $700 billion bailout bill to pass Congress. I'm not that into politics, but even I tuned in Wednesday morning to hear Paulson and Bernanke defend their case to the people at Congress. I'm not sure how politics usually go, but to my untrained ears, it sounded like a verbal merry-go-around, placing blames and trying to trick each other into saying something wrong. A members ask a simple yes/no question, Paulson/Bernanke would answer in a very roundabout way which prompts the member to ask, "so was that a yes or a no?" to which they'd repeat what they'd just said again. This would go on until the time is up or someone finally gives up from the frustration of it all. No wonder it takes them months to get a bill to past. I'd imagined it to be more diplomatic and sophisticated. Anyway, I think the gist was that people didn't think taxpayers should have to bailout Wall Street (and individual homeowners) for taking too on stupid risks. But they had to do something. So they moved onto putting clauses on the plan, for oversight to monitor the use of the money, a cap on CEO pays and for warrants in companies who will be using this plan, so taxpayers would at least get something back for the $700 billion they spent. There was a gliche, when a bunch of Republicans rejected the plan and proposed some other plan to privately insure mortgage backed securities (there was shouting involved!), but it sounds like they're back on track now and a bill will be voted on Monday.

Personally I don't know what to think about this bill. On one hand, I don't think tax payers should have to bail out people who took on unnecessary stupid risks and expect everyone else to wipe up their mess when things go down just because the mess is big enough. As if our future generations didn't already have a big enough debt to clear up already, with the war and the social security problem etc. but now we have this. On the other hand, just like a bad trend, someone has to step in and put a stop to it before it spreads through the population. With the newly added clauses, it's the next best step there is. By taking the distressed debts out of "weak" hands and into "strong" hands, they might even make money in the future when the housing prices go back up! Besides, if the likes of Paulson, Bernanke and Buffet, says this is a sound plan, who am I to gainsay the experts?

Makeshift an Autumn Party

The changing colors of autumn and the pleasant cooler temperatures are inspiring for outdoor entertaining, yes. But, this address likes to keep it simple. With this in mind, may I endorse the concept of makeshift party furniture? And here, I mean makeshift in the kindest and earth-friendliest way.

If you need a large harvest table for your buffet or bar table, try reclaiming a sturdy base such as a pedestal topped with an old door or plank of wood. In Better Homes and Gardens, Sarah Wolf shows a party table created with a galvanized tank or trough balancing a wooden door. If you don't have a galvanized tank yet and always wanted one, thoughtful designer/blogger Maxwell Gillingham-Ryan of Apartment Therapy recommends ones by Behlen and Dover Parkersburg.

Need extra seating? Eco-living guru/blogger Danny Seo's tree trunk chair makes a handsome perch. Without your own set of available firewood and a neighbor who doesn't want their tree taken out, try bales of hay. The bales can be grouped as benches and covered with old quilts for a softer settee.

Resourceful + Stylish = Makeshift!

Photograph courtesy of Better Homes and Gardens

The show went on

Dusk had fallen on downtown Mt. Pleasant as the Oiler band launched into a standstill performance of its 2008 competitive show, "The Show Must Go On," at the corner of Broadway and Franklin streets.
They'd marched in the Mardi Gras parade (yes, Mt. Pleasant's Mardi Gras is in September, and it's on a Friday - do I have to explain that every year?) and they showed off their new uniforms.
The show went on.

Robert Franklin Harris, RIP

My maternal grandfather died last night. Thank you for all of you who have said prayers for him recently. I ask for a few more.

Into thy hands, O Lord, we commend thy servant Bob, our dear brother, as into the hands of a faithful Creator and most merciful Savior, beseeching thee that he may be precious in thy sight. Wash him, we pray thee, in the blood of that immaculate Lamb that was slain to take away the sins of the world; that, whatsoever defilements he may have contracted in the midst of this earthly life being purged and done away, he may be presented pure and without spot before thee; through the merits of Jesus Christ thine only Son our Lord. Amen.

Remember thy servant, O Lord, according to the favor which thou bearest unto thy people; and grant that, increasing in knowledge and love of thee, he may go from strength to strength in the life of perfect service in thy heavenly kingdom; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Almighty God, with whom do live the spirits of those who depart hence in the Lord, and with whom the souls of the faithful, after they are delivered from the burden of the flesh, are in joy and felicity: We give thee hearty thanks for the good examples of all those thy servants, who, having finished their course in faith, do now rest from their labors. And we beseech thee that we, with all those who are departed in the true faith of thy holy Name, may have our perfect consummation and bliss, both in body and soul, in thy eternal and everlasting glory; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Almighty God, Father of mercies and giver of comfort: Deal graciously, we pray thee, with all those who mourn, that casting every care on thee, they may know the consolation of thy love; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Rowan Williams at Lourdes

The Archbishop of Canterbury’s sermon at the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes at the International Mass of 24 September 2008 (the feast of Our Lady of Walsingham).

"The babe in my womb leaped for joy." (Luke 1.44)

Mary comes to visit Elizabeth, carrying Jesus in her womb. The Son of God is still invisible – not yet born, not even known about by Elizabeth; yet Elizabeth recognises Mary as bearing within her the hope and desire of all nations, and life stirs in the deep places of her own body. The one who will prepare the way for Jesus, John the Baptist, moves as if to greet the hope that is coming, even though it cannot yet be seen.

Mary appears to us here as the first missionary, ‘the first messenger of the gospel’ as Bishop Perrier of Lourdes has called her: the first human being to bring the good news of Jesus Christ to another; and she does it simply by carrying Christ within her. She reminds us that mission begins not in delivering a message in words but in the journey towards another person with Jesus in your heart. She testifies to the primary importance of simply carrying Jesus, even before there are words or deeds to show him and explain him. This story of Mary’s visit to Elizabeth is in many ways a very strange one; it’s not about the communication of rational information from one speaker to another, but a primitive current of spiritual electricity running from the unborn Christ to the unborn Baptist. But mission it undoubtedly is, because it evokes recognition and joy. Something happens that prepares the way for all the words that will be spoken and the deeds that will be done. The believer comes with Christ dwelling in them by faith, and God makes that current come alive, and a response begins, not yet in words or commitments, but simply in recognising that here is life.

When Mary came to Bernardette, she came at first as an anonymous figure, a beautiful lady, a mysterious ‘thing’, not yet identified as the Lord’s spotless Mother. And Bernardette – uneducated, uninstructed in doctrine – leapt with joy, recognising that here was life, here was healing. Remember those accounts of her which speak of her graceful, gliding movements at the Lady’s bidding; as if she, like John in Elizabeth’s womb, begins to dance to the music of the Incarnate Word who is carried by his Mother. Only bit by bit does Bernardette find the words to let the world know; only bit by bit, we might say, does she discover how to listen to the Lady and echo what she has to tell us.

So there is good news for all of us who seek to follow Jesus’ summons to mission in his Name; and good news too for all who find their efforts slow and apparently futile, and for all who still can’t find their way to the ‘right’ words and the open commitment. Our first and overarching task is to carry Jesus, gratefully and faithfully, with us in all our doings: like St Teresa of Avila, we might do this quite prosaically by having with us always a little picture or a cross in our pockets, so that we constantly ‘touch base’ with the Lord. We can do it by following the guidance of the Orthodox spiritual tradition and repeating silently the Jesus Prayer, ‘Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God have mercy on me, a sinner’. And if we are faithful in thus carrying Christ with us, something will happen, some current will stir and those we are with will feel, perhaps well below the conscious surface, a movement of life and joy which they may not understand at all. And we may never see it or know about it; people may not even connect it with us, yet it will be there – because Jesus speaks always to what is buried in the heart of men and women, the destiny they were made for. Whether they know it or not, there is that within them which is turned towards him. Keep on carrying Jesus and don’t despair: mission will happen, in spite of all, because God in Christ has begun his journey into the heart.

And when we encounter those who say they would ‘like to believe’ but can’t, who wonder how they will ever find their way to a commitment that seems both frightening and hard to understand, we may have something to say to them too: ‘Don’t give up; try and hold on to the moments of deep and mysterious joy; wait patiently for something to come to birth in you.’ It certainly isn’t for us as Christians to bully and cajole, and to try and force people into commitments they are not ready to make – but we can and should seek to be there, carrying Jesus, and letting his joy come through, waiting for the leap of recognition in someone’s heart.

Of course, as often as not, we ourselves are the one who need to hear the good news; we need people around us who carry Jesus, because we who call ourselves believers all have our moments of confusion and loss of direction. Others fail us or hurt us; the Church itself may seem confused or weak or even unloving, and we don’t feel we are being nourished as we need, and directed as we should be. Yet this story of Mary and Elizabeth tells us that the Incarnate Word of God is always already on the way to us, hidden in voices and faces and bodies familiar and unfamiliar. Silently, Jesus is constantly at work, and he is seeking out what is deepest in us, to touch the heart of our joy and hope.

Perhaps when we feel lost and disillusioned, he is gently drawing us away from a joy or a hope that is only human, limited to what we can cope with or what we think on the surface of our minds that we want. Perhaps it’s part of a journey towards his truth, not just ours. We too need to look and listen for the moments of recognition and the leap of joy deep within. It may be when we encounter a person in whom we sense that the words we rather half-heartedly use about God are a living and actual reality. (That’s why the lives of the saints, ancient and modern, matter so much.) It may be when a moment of stillness or wonder suddenly overtakes us in the middle of a familiar liturgy that we think we know backwards, and we have for a second the feeling that this is the clue to everything – if only we could put it into words. It may be when we come to a holy place, soaked in the hopes and prayers of millions, and suddenly see that, whatever we as individuals may be thinking or feeling, some great reality is moving all around and beneath and within us, whether we grasp it or not. These are our ‘Elizabeth’ moments – when life stirs inside, heralding some future with Christ that we can’t yet get our minds around.

It’s very tempting to think of mission as something to be done in the same way we do – or try to do – so much else, with everything depending on planning and assessments of how we’re doing, and whether the results are coming out right. For that matter, it’s tempting to think of the Church’s whole life in these sorts of terms. Of course we need to use our intelligence, we need to be able to tell the difference between good and bad outcomes, we need to marshal all the skill and enthusiasm we can when we respond to God’s call to share his work of transforming the world through Jesus and his Spirit. But Mary’s mission tells us that there is always a deeper dimension, grounded in the Christ who is at work unknown and silent, reaching out to the deeply buried heart of each person and making the connection; living faithfully at the heart of the Church itself, in the middle of its disasters and betrayals and confusions, still giving himself without reserve. All that we call ‘our’ mission depends on this; and if we are wise, we know that we are always going to be surprised by the echoes and connections that come to life where we are not expecting it.

True mission is ready to be surprised by God – ‘surprised by joy’, in the lovely phrase of C. S. Lewis. Elizabeth knew the whole history of Israel and how it was preparing the way for God to come and visit his people – but she was still surprised into newness of life and understanding when the child leapt in her womb. Bernardette’s neighbours and teachers and parish clergy knew all they thought they needed to know about the Mother of God – and they needed to be surprised by this inarticulate, powerless, marginal teenager who had leapt up in the joy of recognition to meet Mary as her mother, her sister, bearer of her Lord and Redeemer. Our prayer here must be that, renewed and surprised in this holy place, we may be given the overshadowing strength of the Spirit to carry Jesus wherever we go, in the hope that joy will leap from heart to heart in all our human encounters; and that we may also be given courage to look and listen for that joy in our own depths when the clarity of the good news seems far away and the sky is cloudy.

But here today, with Elizabeth and Bernardette, we say, in thankful amazement, ‘Why am I so favoured, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?’ And we recognise that our heart’s desire is met and the very depth of our being stirred into new life.

© Rowan Williams 2008

Claudine Pumps by Coach

My first reaction upon seeing this season's peep-toe winter booties was EW. That is just unnatural, completely against the laws and purpose of boots! Your toes will definitely freeze off if you wear this in winter! And so when I first saw these Coach Claudine pumps, I immediately put a no to it. Why would they ruin a perfectly nice pair of pumps and put a random peep-toe on it? I wasn't even swayed when I saw my favourite Gossip Girl, B, wearing them on the set. To be honest, this is not one of her best outfits. To begin with it doesn't look very flattering on her. Her waist looks big (even though it's belted) and the length of her skirt makes her look short (or is it this picture?). Her top looks summery while her scarf and skirt looks wintery. The shoes is just the child of both these looks.

But then I stared at the picture of these pumps some more and it really started to grow on me. The masculine Oxford style is made softened by the satin bow and the slim and elegant shape of the heel. The mini platform in the front makes these four inch pumps more comfortable and wearable (or so I hope!). The combination of suede, satin and patent leather is very clever. The patent is even neatly placed to wrap around the suede parts to protect it from dirt! The whole package is just very nice!

As for the peep toe, I guess in the world of fashion, there is no such thing as being weather appropriate. I can always wear colored stockings inside for warmth and some interesting color. And if you try to imagine these pumps without the peep toes, you must admit, it IS missing out something. Besides, it looks like peep-toe oxford booties are here to stay, judging from the S/S 09 Burberry Prorsum runway.

When it comes down to it, these are definitely trend shoes and not "investment" shoes. Personally, even though I'm coming around to it, I'm still not sure if they're not too weird for wear. What do you think? Is this an embraceable trend or should we shun it aside and hope it goes away?

Image Source: Coach.com

When Cast-offs Become Keepsakes

Preparing bags for charity pick-ups is a process that encourages me to rethink my closets, my collections, my life. Thoughtfully recalling the words of manic cleaner-uppers and professional organizers, whom I dare not engage, I smile at their idea of a place for everything.

With the equinox just past us and the feel of autumn teasing the air, I'm ready to unpack my sweaters and cool weather clothes. (I like to dress in layers and recommend it to anyone who will listen.) The changeover encourages me to edit out clothes I no longer need or wear and recycle them.

With this on my mind, I happened upon another approach to recycling sweaters. A textile designer created orbs of sweater remnants and wrapped them in contrasting yarn to make holiday ornaments. They are available at Viva Terra as Festive Sweater Ornaments and on sale for $9 for a set of six. This appears to be a clearance sale, so quantities may be limited.

Go green with sweaters!

Milan S/S 09: Burberry Prorsum

I love Christopher Bailey. He revamped the Burberry checks and made them cool again and he's just looks like such a cutie! But even that didn't stop me from being disappointed in his latest collection. It was a depressing show.
The models with their long trench coats and floppy hats almost look like those creepy nudists on the streets. The dreary colors didn't help (I thought it was supposed to be a spring/summer collection?). I could see some bits and pieces of the effortlessly chic look here and there, with the long cardigans and skinny pants (left), but the rest kind of just blended together into a muddy haze. The designs were not bad, but it was just not very interesting or inspiring. It was like there were 52 versions of the same look. Oh wait, that's not quite true. One model stuck out in particular- in addition to being drenched upon, she looked like she took an extra role in the mud.... and accidentally got dead leaves and branches stuck on her coat (right).
Oh and check out the shoes. It appears that not only do we now have peep-toe oxford shoes, but we will have peep-toe-sling-back oxford shoes very soon too! More on how I feel about these later.......As for the color of these shoes, it is absolutely ugh, but I suppose then you wouldn't have to worry about getting it dirty from rolling in the mud!

Image Source: Style.com

Emmy Awards 2008

OK, honestly I wasn't interested in the Emmy's this year (because there is simply so many more interesting news right now, like the financial news and the China milk scandal.) But the one thing that I did want to know about the Emmy's was that Tina Fey, Alec Baldman and 30 Rock won four 'big' awards -so yay for them!

Image Credit: http://www.style.com/

Ctrl BG: A Shortcut to Financial News 9/22

It’s not about fashion, but the state of the economy is still something that concerns everyone and I just thought it would be interesting to have something a little bit different on this blog once in a while. I’m sure I’m not qualified to comment since I probably don’t have nor understand all the facts of the situation, but it never hurts to share some thoughts right? So here are some thoughts on the last tumultuous week.

Personally I was shocked by the events of last Sunday. I knew that Lehman Brothers was in troubled waters, but I thought it was only going to be bought out like Bear Stearns was, by Bank of America or Barclays. Never in a million years did I think that it would go bankrupt (perhaps a strategy by Barclays so then they can buy the Lehman assets they want on the cheap, as they are doing now?). Instead of bailing Lehman out, BofA bought Merrill Lynch instead that night. At that point, I was vaguely aware that ML was not doing so well, but I didn’t know it had reached this stage yet. Apparently a sudden “evaporation of liquidity” (whatever that means), does that to banks. Who knew BofA was so strong? As I recall, they were the first to be hit by the Credit Crunch last year, with their takeover of Countrywide (another Fannie/Freddie-esque home loan bank) and huge write downs and lay-offs. As it turns out, Countrywide might be a good buy after all now that the competition has been weeded out somewhat and BofA is as strong as ever with the financial backing of their commercial banking side. With ML joining their team, their investment banking side is also going to strengthen up- by a lot. All in all, it was quite a traumatizing Sunday. It was like saying that Gucci went bankrupt and Prada got bought out and merged with Coach- all in one day.

Everything went down like dominos after that. The stock markets worldwide went down. AIG and Washington Mutual struggled to stay afloat. It was a good thing that the government stepped in with an 85 billion dollar loan in exchange for 79.9% of AIG, when they did (after Goldman Sachs and JP Morgan balked at the idea). With their wide range of businesses (mutual funds, insurances etc) worldwide, it would’ve been devastating. It would be as if LVMH declared they were in trouble! I’m not sure how I feel about the government using tax payer’s money to save a private institution, but I guess somehow had to do it. Can’t let LVMH fall! As for Washington Mutual (a.k.a. WaMu), I don’t feel too much for them, since they’re not exactly a household name (for me anyway, a bit like not everyone knows who Bottega Veneta is), but they’re currently trying to auction off some parts of itself.

The two remaining independent investment banks, Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs, were also under attack against their business model this week, even though both posted higher than expected earnings (yes, I mean profits!). It appears that many people now believe that an investment bank cannot survive without a steady cash flow from a commercial banking arm. Throughout the week, both banks said that they were committed to remaining independent, repeating that it is not the business model but the execution that counts. However, Morgan Stanley has been under pressure the most. It is as if because people believe it will fall, they are making it fall by shorting their stock, pushing down their stock prices (and thus the SEC ban on the short selling of selected stocks for two weeks). They are currently in talks with the Chinese government for a large capital infusion (they are going to need a BIG one) and with Wachovia to merge. I think a merger between these two would more aptly epitomize, “Target acquiring Neiman Marcus,” as Leveraged Sellout had used for the BofA and ML merger.

On the other hand, I am a sucker for brand image and I cannot begin to fathom the possibility of GS giving into market pressure and merging with a commercial bank. It’s not as if they are doing very badly. They’ve consistently reported profits throughout the economic turmoil so far- even if it IS less so then years before. At least it’s not a loss! I’m sure that there may be write downs cleverly hidden in their balance sheet (for both banks!), but it cannot be nearly as bad as Lehman and ML right? Yes, I do realize I am beginning to sound a bit naive, but it would be like Hermes giving into market pressure and start mass producing Birkin bags with machines! Besides, shouldn’t it be innocent until proven guilty?

Towards the end of the week, the SEC finally stepped in to temporarily ban the short selling of selected stocks for two weeks (to stop the prices from tumbling down) and the government came up with a plan to deal with this whole toxic debt problem. I’m not sure exactly how this plan is supposed to work but it sounds like they’re going to use $700 billion to buy back all the toxic debts and give financial institutions a fresh start. Sounds like a good idea, they can't bail companies out one at a time as they fall after all, better to target the root of the problem. Not that I know where the government is getting that kind of money from (aren’t they already in debt from the war?) and what they’re going to DO with those bad debt once they buy it. Surely they cannot just dissolve it and let everyone who did not meet their mortgage payments off the hook? Why were people lending money to people who clearly cannot repay the loan to begin with?

Ok, now I’m heading into territory where I really do not have a good grasp on. So I’m going to shut up now and go back to admiring the runways of Milan fashion week. Just thought I’d give financial journalism/blogging a hand.

****
Scratch that. It seems that Target is not acquiring Neiman Marcus anymore but Hermes is going to start mass producing Birkin bags- in their own way. MS and GS both just got approval from the Fed to switch from being an investment bank to a bank-holding firm i.e. they are now allowed to open up their own commercial banks and take in deposits. MS will probably not need the Chinese capital infusion anymore either. There are now officially no more major independent investment banks in the US. What is it with Sundays and groundbreaking news?

The best line for a Sunday

From today's Maureen Dowd column in the New York Times:

"The people who want English to be the official language of the United States are uncomfortable with their leaders being fluent in it."

Top Shop A/W08 Lookbook

Top Shop's A/W08 Lookbook is out! While you may not be able to actually shop at Top Shop, you should definitely check the looks out. They're really great streetwear inspiration (albeit a bit too well-styled). The Wonderland collection is a bit too Miu Miu SS08-esque and the Punk Couture collection looks like they just piled all the plaid clothes into a group, but the Bandstand and Boudoir collections are definitely worth looking.

My favourite is the Boudoir collection -Casual, luxurious looks in a cute way.

These two looks are equally cute in a darker, edgier way.

Image Credit: www.topshop.com

London S/S 09: Luella

I'm the first to admit, London fashion week is too fashion forward most of the time for me to understand. Luella is the exception. Mostly because she is quirky in a preppy way, which I can appreciate. Her runway gives me ideas on how I can twist and tweak the preppy pieces I already own to become more quirky and "new". This season, she doesn't disappoint.
I absolutely detest orange. But somehow Luella makes it work by clashing it with hot pink and a vibrant blue on the runway. The outfits actually look cute and girly, instead of pumpkin-esque! Hmm...maybe I'll get something orange next season. I already have a pair of black plastic rimmed glasses!

The other innovation on the runway was the asymmetrical tiered skirt. I'm not quite sure how I feel about that yet, I've always been a fan of symmetry. But it is definitely quirky and different, it could even be cute and fun (there is an even more asymmetrical skirt than the one shown here on the runway- this is the less adventurous version). And of course, there was the usual Luella floral prints all over the runway- I love how she somehow makes it appear edgy instead of old fashioned.
Another thing I love about the Luella show is how she mix and matches prints. That soft pink floral top totally works with the bold pink stripe pants! And that lavender floral dress is just adorable. In fact, the poofy skirt and the tulles even gives it a prom-like quality (not that you would not look completely darling and perfect wearing this to a more sophisticated occasion!). Anyone need an updated prom dress?

Image Source: Style.com

A Gift: Edible and Green

In my effort to be greener, I was looking through my storeroom for a recyclable container to transport my homemade breadsticks as a gift to a dear friend. My breadsticks are simple to make and yummy to nibble for a snack or hors d'oeuvre. But by themselves, they just don't look as good as they taste. And when it comes to a gift - presentation counts.

I wanted something cylindrical and short. My canning jars were either too tall or too small. Old glass tumblers weren't tubular enough. Then I pulled out my vintage straw cup holders. From the moment I found them years ago, I admired them for their charming stripes and classic old style. One could imagine the afternoons they kept a tall iced glass of lemonade or minted tea from condensing upon one's wicker porch furniture. Alas, I did not have the perfect glass to fit or the furnished porch, so they remained underutilized among my would be picnic things.

The breadsticks needed something fun and functional - the cup holders needed to be rescued from obscurity and recycled. I added a sheet of deli paper as a lining, filled it with breadsticks and the gift was complete. Edible and green.

Being part of the future

The fat guy on the left explains the capabilities of the new media lab to CMU Board of Trustees Chairman Jeff Caponigro and CMU President Michael Rao. (CM Life)

Usually, I don't link to the "other" paper in town, even though I once worked for them and am proud of that fact. But this time, the college paper, Central Michigan Life, has the story.
Mr. Caponigro came to see his lab.
Jeff Caponigro is a department of journalism alumnus, chairman of the CMU board of trustees, and a wealthy man - obviously. He gave, out of his own pocket, most of the money to build CMU's fabulous new media lab.
He came to see it - and I got asked to be part of of demonstrating it.
I got to demonstrate the photography and graphics capabilities, while my colleague David London, on sabbatical in Cairo, chimed in from an Internet cafe, and my colleague Kent Miller showed off the capability of creating Web video.
It was all very impressive. I feel as if I'm part of the future.
And what a future it will be.
Think about this: The first graphical Internet browser, Mosaic, was released in November 1993, 15 years ago. Microsoft's Internet Explorer came along later; Netscape, Firefox, Safari and the rest came along later. Mosaic is no longer with us. But it's all happened in just 15 years - and look what's out there.

Compare this: The first automotive production line was developed by Ransom E. Olds - not Henry Ford - in 1901 to build Curved Dash Oldsmobiles. Ford and his Model T perfected it, and the world changed.
I would submit that the World Wide Web is about where the automotive industry was 15 years on, in 1916. The basics were there - gasoline-powered internal combustion engines, four rubber tires, a steering wheel, headlights, brakes, springs. All the rest has been fine-tuning and engineering.
The basics of the Web are here now - it's up to us to fine-tune them and use them the best way.
What Mr. Caponigro did was the equivalent of donating an automotive research lab to a major university - in 1916.
It's the beginning, including the Wow Factor.

Scenes from yesteryear

This is the interior of St Alban's Episcopal Church during Sunday Mass, shortly after the present church was constructed in the 1950s. You can click on the picture for a larger view.

There are a few differences to notice: Fr Beste is celebrating before the altar ad orientem; the old candlesticks and flowers are directly on the altar; I think there is also a small altar in the ambulatory at this time; there are also candlesticks on the credence table; the altar servers are all properly attired in cassock and surplice; the Walsingham statue is not yet in the baptistry (on the right); there is a large votive candle in front of the icon (on the left); the decorative iron and kneelers are not yet in the altar rail, and some of the woodwork in the pulpit and ambo have yet to be finished; the stained glass windows have yet to be installed in the nave; many of the women are wearing proper head coverings and in the photo below, the rector and other clergy are wearing their birettas in procession with Bishop Mason.

You will also notice a processional cross being used which is no longer at St Alban's.

This view of the sacristy is interesting simply for the fact that it looks almost exactly the same today. It looks like the standing crucifix on the counter is now the one on the wall over the altar in the chapel.

In this view of the front of the church, you may notice that there is no pavement in the parking lot and the trees are all different. It is also hard to see, but the A-frame behind the altar has wooden siding instead of brick. I believe the early plan was to expand that area into a larger space for a chapel. The church offices were on the left at this time, where the vesting rooms are now. The old rector's study is currently the Chapel of Ss Benedict and Scholastica.

It isn't just the people who are goofy looking in this shot from the early 80s, it's the wood paneled parish hall too.

You'll notice the woodwork has since been expanded on this lectern.

Bishop Pope puts on incense. These red vestments are no longer here.

Bishop Pope celebrates the Eucharist. You'll notice that the iron work has yet to be completed on the altar rail and that the cushions are white. The old candlesticks are still being used, and Jesus on the crucifix is still standing tall (let the reader understand). The office lights and flowers have been moved back to a new retable.

Chip and Chris question the new coadjutor about his bagel.

Fr Maneikis, chats with parishioners in the narthex. A new tile floor has just been installed.

Hands Across America comes to Arlington, Texas.

Simply amazing.

Fr Cannaday in the picture which shall not be spoken of.

New York S/S09: Project Runway

Is it just me, or did Project Runway pick up a bit this season? It was kind of interesting to see what kind of crazy, wild creations this set of designers put onto the runway (consistent perfection is so *yawn*). But anyway, this post is not a review of the designs on the runway (well maybe a tiny bit), but more of a rant on the way the show is ran.

One of the main goals of this show (besides the Saturn, the money and the publicity) is getting to show at Bryant Park. How many times have we heard the designers on the show say that they WILL make it to Bryant Park? Only the top three is supposed to make it there. But because the show started late this season (for whatever reasons), SIX designers made it to Bryant Park as a decoy so the viewers won't know who made it to the final three in the show. Personally I feel like this kind of undermines the show. What is the point of elimination and survival of the fittest when 6 instead of 3 designers get to share one of the most coveted prizes? What is the point of a "limited edition" bag if everyone on the streets own one too?
Back to the show, I think it's obvious who is in the top two. Korto and Leanne have been consistently good. And they have good taste (which is a big plus, given the "taste" level of the show thus far). Personally I am vouching for Leanne. Her designs are always very simple but interesting and flattering.
My second favourite is actually Kenley. I just love the whole pin-up girl look she has going. But I must say, she's made quite a few wrong turns and it is unsure whether she'd make it to top three.
But then again, I certainly hope none of these looks make it to top three..........

Image Source: Kansas City Star

London S/S09: Top Shop Unique

I have to admit that I've never been hip enough to like or understand Top Shop Unique's collections. But this is the first time I've seen stuff on its runway that I've wanted.

I'm a fan of mini-dresses in general. These both look colourful and young -the one on the left great for a night out and the one on the right good for a fun daytime look.


I really like these two looks too. The dress on the left is classy yet still cute. And the look on the right is a bit too 80's for me, but still looks cool.


Image Credit: www.vogue.co.uk

New York S/S09: Marchesa

Marchesa has always produced pretty dresses on the runway, but this collection blew me away. It is every girl's dream wardrobe! There were sweet and cute cocktail dresses that are youthful and glamorous. I love how even though the shapes are so simple, the designs are so unique- in a good way. The silhouette is familiar, but I've definitely not seen these dresses before! There were elegant evening gowns, complimented by heavy oriental embroideries. I've never liked the whole fringe thing, because I think it looks creepy- like Cousin "It." But this black dress is definitely an exception to the rule. It looks more like a black waterfall flowing down her legs.
Then there were exquisitely beautiful pieces that just makes you want to stop and stare. And admire. They are more like pieces of art than ready-to-wear, further perpetuated by their method of presentation- with the models standing atop white cubes like sculptures (must be tiring for the models!). Indeed, I believe that most of these pieces are one of a kind. I wonder what they'd sell in their store then...
This dress is my absolute favourite. I love the barely there lilac shade. I love the orchids strewn artistically down the dress (it is apparently made of feathers!). I love the artistic folds of the top, contrasted with the frothing lilac waterfall that is the bottom. Everything. I can just stare at it all day!
And this comes in a close second. The sharp contrasting black and white color with the soft layers of the skirt creates the perfect balance that is absolutely striking!

The SS09 collection was definitely a feast for the eye!

Image Source: Style.com

New York S/S09: Marc by Marc Jacobs

Yay! The Marc by Marc Jacobs S/S09 collection is bright in a tasteful and fun way -just like it was a few collections back. After a few seasons of dark and murky colours, it's good to see lighter colours. It's just so much easier to buy the light-coloured pieces when they hit stores.
Marc's signature cute, girly dresses! Loves them! Look at the layers -this collection's dresses seem to have another layer under the skirt. And I'm so glad the dresses aren't long because maybe I've been corupted by The Hills, but shorter (-not indecently short of course,) dresses seem so much easier to wear and buy now!
Simple layering. The styling is great as usual. There are so many young, stylish pieces in these outfits. Don't they make you just wish it would be spring again?

Image Credit: www.style.com

NY Fashion Week SS09 Wrap Up II

Proenza Schouler
The designers of all those super pretty and cute dresses last season (and that of the model silhouette of this blog's FW08 banner!) did a 180 this season and went hardcore on us, and maybe a little bit punk.
The one thing that stood out from this collection though was the silhouette. It is definitely unique and edgy. It is not an immediately ew. But it sort of looks like the models are pinned onto a wall with by their sleeves. Or like those flying chipmunks (or whatever they are) we see in cartoons. The model in the cream suit jacket looks like her left arm is disjointed. I highly doubt this unique silhouette will be as well received as the pretty dresses last season (or I hope not!).

Cynthia Steffe
The Cynthia Steffe collection on the other hand is very wearable and pretty (as usual). I've always had a liking for them ever since I picked up something from this brand during Thanksgiving sale at Neiman Marcus.
Two things I love about this collection. First, it is very put together and neat, like this very chic dress here (left). This black/white circular print is is interesting and very versatile (it was used very prominently on the runway). Second, I love how wearable every piece is. Not only is this all white outfit (right) gorgeous in it's own right, but individually these pieces are incredibly versatile. Besides the neat and the structured, they also offered the flowy and the floral. Ok, I probably wouldn't pair the blue floral outfit (right) as it is, but I'd definitely wear those two pieces seperately. And I'm simply LOVING those genie capris!

Jill Stuart

The Jill Stuart collection is not exactly the most original or fashion forward show on the runway this season. Admittedly certain looks even reminds one of the Marc by Marc Jacobs runway a few years back (remember the long sleeved ribbed thermals layered with a very colorful array of other ballerina-esque items?). But this collection has its charm.Mostly because I am a sucker for flowy, flirty, girly ballerina-esque looks, which this collection is the epitome of. That simple white dress is gorgeous. And I love those genie pants. They are like the pant version of a pretty flowy skirt.

Image Source: Style.com