Randoms.

Been flipping through the NYT runway slideshows, and it seems like that season of madness that was the mid-2000s has passed, with the booming economy, towering platforms, and garbage-bag silhouettes. I'm sure there's tonnes of articles out there on how fashion reflects the highs and lows of the economy and consumer confidence. I'm not sure. Maybe tighter budgets mean tighter waistlines, and practical sensibilities mean practical shoes (practical can be relative?). Or maybe Timberlake's been busy off-stage bringing sexy back. I particularly liked the United Bamboo shots. Never heard of the label before, but I'm wondering if it's hinting at a boom in asian/american designers (along with names like Derek Lam, Peter Som, Jason Chu, Richard Chai, and Alexander Wang).

Spring fashion shows means its actually fall. I'm not sure where that came about, maybe it's just a symbolic gesture on how detached from the real world these designer folks are. But anyways, fall means winter is coming, and that means my mind's detached and is running 3 months ahead. Well, that's what happened when I saw this video.


Yeah, I got that from browsing too much YouTube. Some other awesome stuff on YouTube. I might try doing some time lapse videos. After I get around to uploading vacation pics.


And finally, somehow I found this video. Now last year I had thought Lady Gaga was some forgettable flavor-of-the-week dance music singer(?), prancing around in her music videos with her tight little swimsuits and funky makeup. The whole attention whoring outfits didn't help. Never realized she actually could sing. Now I want to go see her live. Maybe she'll be the Elton John of the 2010s...


Here's another one, with absolutely lo-fi audio, from a Marc Jacobs party. Which brings us back to fashion shows. Darn.

A different pace of life.

I can't believe that I was on vacation just 2 weeks ago. I also can't believe it was already 2 weeks ago.

Not that I want to live in a village in the middle of nowhere, where there's nothing to do but farm quinoa and llamas, but the slow pace out there is kinda relaxing.

Figs.

Apparently my coworker has a neighbor with a fig tree, that drops a tonne of figs each summer and makes a mess. So the neighbor gives boxes of figs to the coworker, who doesn't happen to like figs. So now I get a box. Now I just gotta find me some prosciutto or jamon serrano.

I hate Ticketmaster. With a passion.

Every time I buy a ticket for an event through either TicketMaster or LiveNation, a swell of an rage and anger floods my being. Ok, LiveNation is a little better because of their occasional sales.

But get this:
Full Price Ticekt: 22.50x2
Facility Charge: 2.50x2
Convenience Charge: 8.50x2
Delivery: 2.50
Order Processing Fee: 5.40
Total 74.50

That's practically 40% in fees on top of the ticket prices. It's insane.

Views from above.

Lima's pretty dim at night. I'd have expected more lights from a city its size.

La Paz spreads like a brown blanket over the Andean hills. The size is surprising, as well as the violent layer of air that you pass through right before you land.

Miami is big and bright; the energy of the city pulses, lightning flashing through the clouds above and around.

Los Angeles is burning, choking in the billowing smoke.

I recognized the contours of the Los Altos hills on the way down, with a warm sense of familiarity. Does that make this home?