Now with 100% more idiocy! I belatedly read an item in Fashion Week Daily; it was overheard at a screening of The Other Boleyn Girl: In the popcorn line, [starlet’s name redacted] chatted up [second starlet], who recently finished filming After School, a documentary directed by Chris Barrett about teacher-student sex scandals (she plays a…
History
Imagine a Resemblance
WendyB John Lennon I really like my round Lennon-esque sunglasses. But I’m not a big fan of Lennon’s “Imagine.” I think he dealt with similar issues in a more powerful way in “God.” That’s probably my favorite solo Lennon work, though listening to it makes me sad because the lyric “The dream is over” was…
Anne Boleyn for Dummies
The Other Boleyn Girl opens in theaters today. I was reading about the movie on some random website and noticed this in the comments: “Why are they using the Ugly Betty necklace in the Boleyn movie?” Why indeed? Allow me to explain. Let’s start with a simple image search for “Anne Boleyn.” It will result…
Queen Min the Mysterious
I would have loved to do a Thursday Book Club on Queen Min, the last queen of Korea, but it’s very hard to find information about her in English. She’s a hotter topic in South Korea, where there have been books, a TV show and even a musical. Unfortunately, my fascination with Korea has not…
The Perfect Outfit
How did Betty Jackson’s Henry VIII hotpants escape my attention? Photo from Reuters These would go great with my Anne Boleyn necklace. Boleyn necklace in 18K yellow and rose gold and diamonds © Wendy Brandes 2007-2008 (Photo by John Muggenborg) That’s all you need for the perfect outfit: Henry hotpants, Boleyn bling and a big…
Thursday Book Club: Lady Jane Grey
Infamous New York Post headline from 1982 If only the New York Post had been around in 16th century England! Imagine what the ink-stained wretches at Ye Olde Tabloid would have done with the story of Lady Jane Grey, the headless teen queen whose reign was as brief as the love between Dennis Rodman and…
Musings on Voting and Football
If you live in one of the Super Tuesday states, don’t forget to vote. There’s no excuse not to vote because Buffy the Vampire Slayer is off the air. Some years ago, a woman I worked with went to her disorganized voting place, waited and waited and then left before getting to vote because the…
Thursday Book Club: Empress Wu, Part II
Welcome back to the increasingly erratic Thursday Book Club! In my last real Book Club post, I discussed Empress Wu, the only woman in the history of China to be called “emperor” during her lifetime. Since then, I’ve done a couple of fake Book Club post about Christopher Walken’s ass and books I bought while…
"I Gave It All to Your Cousin Josephine!"
I love this scene from The Sopranos. Tony and his murderous mother Livia are fighting about her future, including the dispensation of her good jewelry. My Livia Poison Ring wasn’t inspired by Livia Soprano, though I’m sure she would have found it useful. Livia Poison Ring in 18K yellow gold and diamonds© Wendy Brandes 2007-2008Photo…
Book Club: Shopping Under the Influence
I was determined to get back into my royal lady book posts today, but I seem to have misplaced the Empress Wu novel that I was working on. Plus, I’m feeling a bit flu-ish, which has sapped me of the energy necessary to tear through the house on a mad search for Empress Wu, especially…