All hail the Queen

It was Aretha Franklin's 69th birthday last weekend, and she celebrated with a big night on the town in New York. Franklin has been battling pancreatic cancer but is now on the mend, and is apparently releasing a new album soon. Love her, and Robert De Niro, who introduces her in this clip. All hail the Queen of Soul!

RIP lovely lady

Elizabeth Taylor was one classy lady. Let's just forget about Larry Fortensky's mullet for a little while (I know it's hard, but please, I'm trying to make a point here so just try...) and focus on the fact this beautiful woman raised more than $100 million for AIDS. As the Times pointed out today, "Indeed, Ms. Taylor also became a heroine for many gay people for criticizing a slow response to AIDS from politicians." Liz Taylor was a wonderful actress, and a wonderful human being.

Jean Paul Gaultier

I adore big beehive hair, black and white, tweed, cat's eye sunglasses and all things granny chic in general, so naturally I loved the Jean Paul Gaultier Fall 2011 show at Paris Fashion Week. Add a Chanel quilted 2.55 and a flask of Hendrick's gin, and you have a glimpse of how I intend to dress as a geriatric. Posse of adoring Persian cats still optional, at this stage, anyway.

Australian animals are the cutest

Oh, Knut, how I loved you.

By now you all know about poor little Knut the polar bear, and if I write any more on this, I'm gonna cry...

Love talk

"Sure, heartbreak is inevitable and tomorrow is promised to no one, but that’s no reason to talk yourself out of happiness today,"  says Coquette in The Daily

I wanna be near you

I've been listening to an old 2008 Cut Copy mix tape which features this Chicken Lips remix of Irish band Bell XI's song Flame. I think the lyrics are wonderful. When I first heard it,  I thought they were, "I wanna be near you, and big in your life," but "I wanna be near you, and blink in your light " is even better.

When your hand brushed against mine
I thought I'd collapse
I'm no rolling stone
I gather too much moss
Maybe it's 'cos I'm getting
A little bit older
But oh how your neck
Flows to your shoulder
It draws me, it draws me to your flame

I wanna be near you
And blink in your light
And toast marshmallows
On a cold dark night
By your flame

Your flesh it melts in my mouth
Like Holy Communion
But you don't really care for
Jesus now do you?
A photograph of this love
Hangs on my wall
I would dare to speak its name
If I knew what it was called
I would dare to speak its name
If I knew what it was called

Rattle the one who's shadow
You're standing in
Under the branches after
It's been raining
On your flame
I wanna be near you
And blink in your light
And toast marshmallows
On a cold dark night
By your flame

Your brought your flame
Into the chambers of my heart
You brought your flame
Where all's been condemned to dark
And now your flame
Spits shadows on my walls
Shadow on my walls