Tunes | Bob Dylan's Billy

Happy Memorial Day!

Man About Town | The Paris Issue

It's British. It's beautiful. It's printed on excellent, matte paper. Here are a few shots of the great stuff in the spring/summer issue of Man About Town.

Ralph Lauren!

Vintage Citroën!

Military horses!

Watches!

Porter and Her Bunged Up Camera on the T Magazine Blog

Click here to see Porter - and friends including ACL's Michael Williams and Mr. Mort - discussing their favorite digital cameras on the T Magazine Blog today. Porter's Canon is so old that it looks like someone (most likely Porter) chewed the corners - and is shockingly no longer available. But she used it to take this nice portrait of Icarus, taxidermied companion to our other swan, Daedalus. Of course, our real favorite digital camera: the iPhone.

Flicks | Winter's Bone

One can (usually) judge a film by the quality of its previews. And, of course, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo had downright incredible ones (Winter's Bone, the one above, and I am Love). It turned out to be the best thriller I've seen since Silence of the Lambs. Winter's Bone may even match it.

What A Difference Taking Things Away Makes

In another valiant attempt to chisel away at what's left of our security deposit, we've finally removed the kitchen shelves that blocked everything - chef's view of apartment, guests' view of chef, chef's view of person on opposite side of the island, etc. It's a bit of a kitchen revolution. Of course, our entire dining room table is covered in condiments, but we'll deal with that later. Now we have a real, grown up, feng shui-ish kitchen that might even be good for things...like cooking.

Acquisitions | New Specs, Plates, Perfume and iPhone App

{1} I clearly developed a sick addiction to the ShakeIt Polaroid app, but that, it turns out, is a mere gateway drug to the more potent CameraBag. Not only can you add fadey edges and a nice white border to your pic (choose "Lolo")...you can choose "Instant" and get a nice fat portion at the bottom, just like the real thing. For this one, I went with "1974." CameraBag app - $1.99 from the iTunes App Store.

{2} In a drastic move away from my tortoise RayBan Wayfarers, I've purchased tortoise glasses that look almost like Wayfarers, only with thicker stems from SEE on Bleeker Street. I feel absolutely transformed.

{3} Hermès' new, fresh unisex scent, Voyage d’Hermès, is perfect for summer...or a picnic in Versailles.

{4} Anthropologie’s From the Deep plates help Porter and me ramp our growing obsession with blue and white. Dinner plates, $24.

A Rose is a Rose is a Rose

Once a friend had a terrible fight with her boyfriend and he sent her flowers to apologize. Unfortunately, the flowers he sent were carnations. Still furious, she called him and said, "I got 'em and they're unacceptable." He heard that as, I got them and they seem to have wilted significantly in the trip over. So he called the florist and demanded that they send over another bouquet - of carnations. Just last week, a friend mentioned that her boyfriend - in a couple exponentially sweet maneuvers - had brought her roses. Amazing in concept, but she kind of hates roses.

If a guy goes and picks wild-looking roses from his grandmother's garden and sticks them in a vintage tea pot -- a gal will probably love them to bits (and will eventually realize that she's been dating a gay man). But short of that, we don't really desire them (and we certainly don't desire carnations). We want a flower that's as individual an un-ordinary as we think we are!

This was a very roundabout way of saying, that while the plants aren't that fantastic, the scent of rose can be wonderful to have around. Porter and I picked up this Savon Rose de Marseilles soap the other day and it's filling the bathroom with wafts of heaven-like femininity. That combined with the scent of Davines Love shampoo has made the commode the most romantic-smelling room in the apartment.

Flicks | Jacques Tati's Trafic (1971)

Merci for the idea, David Coggins...

Empire!

There's a first for everything. I came home from L.A. with only two purchases. A $10 ring (which I might have already lost) and Charles Fréger’s amazing book, Empire. The portraits show the individuality of men (and a few women) dressed in uniform, the garb that, by definition, kicks individuality in the face. (All photos by Charles Fréger)

(Above: Arma dei Carabinieri, is the national uniformed police force of Italy)

Norway

Sweden

Greece

Sweden

Tunes | Morgan O'Kane (with Ferd Moyse and Zeke Healy)

The great Morgan O'Kane, Ferd Moyse and Zeke Healy (aka the shirtless band from our Frontier Party) are playing at Braur Falls this Friday...and it's gonna be amazing. 

Braur Falls

245 Grand Street (between Driggs and Roebling) in Williamsburg

Drinking/Sunning/Splashing/Shopping in L.A.

First, I want to thank all the readers who sent their suggestions of places to go -- they all sounded amazing. Since we were both lazy and car-less, we didn't make it to many, but I think I should compile and share with the masses. So stay tuned for that! Here we have gratuitous glamor shots around L.A. and Santa Monica. Above is Porter in Norma Kamali on 6th Street in Old Beverly Hills (right? regardless, it's a neighborhood in which the residents spend at least $1 trillion annually on landscaping).

Porter splashing in her new Opening Ceremony dress. The New York store is amazing; the L.A. store will make you cry it's so far beyond amazing.

Me, near Melrose, in a cutting edge mix of Gap corduroys, Rugby oxford and Brooks Brothers blazer.

The beautiful Wiltern Theatre on Wilshire in Koreatown.

More of the Wiltern...(Port's bag, which just gets better and better with age, is BillyKirk).

The ceiling over the box office at the Wiltern.

Porter, on the white chesterfield in the Viceroy Santa Monica lobby.

Drinking/Eating in LA | Cole's

In a move of major brilliance/responsibility, I lost my drivers license somewhere between JFK security and the gate. So, no rental car for us. But staying downtown has been quite freaking great. Last night, we threw a couple back at Cole's, home of the original French dip. Unlike a lot of the great classic joints around the country, they've managed to keep the bar and cocktails quite artisanal (i.e. they have fabulous ice and lots of bitters), while maintaining authentic dignity.

118 East 6th Street

Downtown Los Angeles

Drinking/Eating in LA | Bottega Louie

We've been staying at the Biltmore for the past couple days and right down the street, is the massive, beautiful bakery/bar/restaurant Bottega Louie, which has provided exceptional breakfast treats. It should win awards for best use of white.

Bottega Louie

700 South Grand Ave

Los Angeles

Drinking/Eating in LA | Wurstküche

We're in L.A. (Porter's doing some VERY important work!). Last night her good friend Tom Shepherd took us for whiskey at the taxidermy-filled, men's clubby joint Seven Grand and then to Wurstküche for exotic sausages and beer. We ate rattlesnake, alligator, rabbit, duck, pork, chicken...and it was amazing.

Scenes from NOLA | James H. Cohen + Sons

The travels continue! I'm in New Orleans for work (Digestive Disease Week!), while thousands of others are here for Jazz Fest - and major efforts to stave off environmental disaster (he situation seems pretty dire - and so, so sad).

I had a little down time yesterday, took a quick stroll through the French Quarter and came across some seriously beautiful weaponry at James H. Cohen & Sons. What excellent use of peg board!

(On the docket tonight is a fancy awards ceremony for gastroenterologists (and a few PR people) - on the 50 yard line at the Super Dome! Pretty cool).

James H. Cohen & Sons

437 Royal Street

New Orleans

800-535-1853

Ebay Shopping | 1930s Leather Carry-All

Bids for this great lookin' piece of luggage start at $99 with six days left to go. Bonne chance!