On Superhuman Fashion Trends and Purely Human Habits

As I revel in my excitement for the upcoming summer season, and effectively procrastinate instead of study for my final exams, I re-download one of my favorite Internet resources--Stumbleupon.

For anyone not familiar, I highly recommend going to stumbleupon.com and learning about the Internet navigation tool that guides you to websites of interest based on a checklist you fill out with your fascinations.

Anyway, it was through Stumble that I found my fashion topic for this post--Fashion turned comic book.


My jaw just about dropped when I scrolled down to see what countless top notch designers are calling a new "Superhero Exhibit". These futuristic, indulgent pieces have been worked into the runway shows of none other than Alexander McQueen, Dolce & Gabbana, and more. I try to be as objective as possible in these posts because I'm more likely to get readers by selling a majority-friendly product, bias-free and short of one-sided rants. However, I'll just throw it out there and say that these ideas are laughable, if anything, and shouldn't be taken seriously. I scoff at people that mock couture, the stuff of real runway shows, but I have absolutely no problem with anyone that wants to point and laugh at the spectacles these designers are making of themselves.

I invite you to gaze upon the medieval armor, Star Wars C3-P0 reminiscent "fashion pieces" that are included in some of these collections


I will say that my source gives most credit to the Costume Institute (located in New York, I will assume). I will hold my tongue for the moment, as most of these ensembles will likely remain costumes. But if I open my next Vogue to see a spread about Christian Dior's new Superhero Collection..I will keel someone.

On a completely different note, I stumbled upon a provocative picture this afternoon that I decided to include as general food for thought.


A popular publisher, Tank Books began selling esteemed classic works of fiction in a variety of imitation cigarette cartons. Works of Ernest Hemingway, Robert Louis Stevenson, and Rudyard Kipling have been chosen as guinea pigs for this eccentric sales tactic.

While I laughed when I first saw the picture, assuming that a literary dork just got creative one day, I then turned my attention to the source--The New Yorker.
This "cute idea" is really meant for a bigger purpose. Apparently the idea stemmed from the widespread belief that far too many Americans smoke--shocker! However, this clever idea is meant to deter smokers from puffing and encourage a more fruitful hobby, reading!
The author muses that she has many friends that are smokers, all of them writers. She doesn't generalize, but merely offers the idea that, given a good enough book, maybe people would put down their cigarettes. Those must be pretty good books!

What is your opinion? Is quitting smoking a more internal struggle, therefore more difficult than this article assumes? Could Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde scare someone silly enough to throw away their Marborro's?

GIVE ME YOUR OPINION, NOW!

:D

THE BEST BARGAIN OF MY LIFE!

Hello overactive users of the internet!
Due to school-related stress, I've abstained from my regular post for the past two weeks. But ALAS, I am back on one of the highest notes of my short lived fashion mega consumer life.
So all weekend I've been on a quest to find the perfect dress for Junior Ring Ceremony, a little commencement service at the end of the year to commemorate the transition from junior to senior year. Oh, and you get to walk the seemingly endless length of half the gym while your peers, parents, and teachers all gawk at you.
Needless to say, I made it my mission to find something special to wear for this occasion. I drove myself to one of my favorite stores, Buffalo Exchange, on Saturday to assess the selection.
To my great dissatisfaction..I STRUCK OUT with dresses. Nothing was in my size, nothing was in this DECADE. But let me just say, I walked out of that store with one of the luckiest purchases of my life.
I've blogged before about the colossal comeback of clogs. As seen in Vogue, countless designers have modernized the most popular shoe of the 1970s. Michael Kors in particular came up with a design that caught my attention.

On the average, these brand-spankin'-new Michael Kors clogs would cost $120.00


In the wonderful world of Buffalo Exchange, these adorable shoes cost me a cool $24!
(I hope you enjoy my low budget photography)


I just about keeled over with shock when I saw these shoes chilling on the size 7 rack (my exact size, my feet were pleased). Any who, I hope people read this post and go to Buffalo Exchange.
I also have a pair of Marc by Marc Jacobs flats, $30 from Buffalo.


While I exhausted myself walking around malls and stores all weekend, I also finished the critically acclaimed best seller--When Bad Things Happen to Good People.
Harold S. Kushner pens this fantastic mash up of philosophy/theology/poignant anecdotes/and humanizing truths that make a stubborn, organized-religion-hater (me), begin to reevaluate my position on spirituality.
I couldn't possibly showcase all of the brilliant philosophy Kushner uses in this book, but I'll start with one of my favorite quotes.

"Surgeons stick knives into people to help them, but not everyone that sticks a knife into another person is a surgeon."



In his book, Kushner attempts to philosophize the real role of God in our lives. In the fifteen seconds I took to read a blurb on this book, of course I wondered how effective it would be since I do not consider myself a religious person.
However, I believe Kushner wrote this book precisely for people that are on the fence about God. In countless passages, the devout rabbi questions God in ways that I didn't believe religiously ordained men could.
He divides the book into eight sections such as "Why Do the Righteous Suffer?" and "God Leaves Us Room to be Human".

An impressive point Kushner makes deals with the creation story of Adam and Eve.

"God confronted them (Adam and Eve) with their disobedience and punished them in the following ways:
-They must leave the garden and no longer eat the fruit of the Tree of Life. (They do not die that day, but are told that they will now bear children and die, instead of living forever.)
-Eve will find the process of bearing and raising children painful. ('I will greatly multiply your pain and anguish; in pain you will bring forth children.')
-Adam will have to work to grow food instead of merely finding it on trees. ('By the sweat of your brow will you earn your bread')
-There will be sexual tension between men and women. ('Your desire will be for your husband, but he will rule over you') "

In this passage, and in subsequent passages, Kushner attempts to explain his view on the creation story. It was with Adam and Eve that God gave man more responsibility than he did animals. The word "sin" is not used in the Bible until the story of Cain and Abel. Kushner uses this focal point to twist the creation story into a landmark of growth rather than man's shameful first sin.

I could go on for ages, because Kushner also makes enlightened points about what humans expect from a God that may not be able to do the things expected of him, while speculating that God suffers and grieves with his people--and is always there to help afterward.

I'd like to thank MASON WALKER for turning me on to this wonderful book. It's perfect for anyone dealing with loss, grief, or anyone hungry for intense thought.

I'll say toodles now and leave you all with a closing thought from Kushner himself:
"I think of life as a good book. The further you get into it, the more it begins to make sense.”

Night :D