go teddy!

Say what you will about Ted Kennedy, but God damn it, when he's on he's good. A statesman and a patriot. Check him out on the Senate floor chiding Republican ammendments to the minimum wage bill.

palm springs

Double doors. Tall hedges. Mid-century modern. Betty Ford. And a carefree attitude that is somehow warm and welcoming while decadently exclusive. A place where gays and conservatives coexist quite nicely, and old school meets new school--poolside.

Man, do I love Palm Springs! Here are a few pictures from my recent visit...

it's been far, far too long

Last post in May? I've been a bad, bad blogger. So bad in fact I considered starting over--with my fashion observations already dated, and world news taking too many ugly turns to even mention, shutting down seemed like a good idea.

I'll spare you the excuses, and continue...

episcopal church

As an Episcopalian, I find it remarkable that more liberal-minded people have not come to realize the potential influence the Episcopal church's stand on homosexuality could have in the battle to counter the conservative Evangelical movement in this country. If you believe in our rights as Americans to pursue happiness without discrimination, and especially if you are gay, please take a moment to consider how a centuries-old established institution has taken a stand on behalf of your beliefs--and even risked its very existence in order to extend inclusion to all of God's children, regardless of sexual orientation. The Episcopal church is at the forefront of the homosexuality debate, boldly allowing gays to worship without judgement, assume positions of leadership in the church and bond in holy matrimony. As a member of the Anglican communion the Episcopal church has the credentials to send a powerful message to the Christian community. And yet it stands alone, with little support from liberals and the gay community, on an issue that threatens to weaken constitutional freedoms for us all.

I am not asking you to join my church or change your beliefs, but rather, to support the Episcopal church as you would any organization representing values you believe strongly in. People of all faiths give generously to Christian relief organizations in the name of improving the human condition--tsunami aid, hunger relief, clean water programs and the like, so why not do the same in the name of equal rights? The ACLU, Human Rights Campaign and other organizations do great work towards furthering the cause, but they will forever be met with derision by conservative Christians and branded as secular non-believers. The Episcopal church is uniquely qualified to stand up for these same values, with the advantage of being an established member of the Christian community encouraging progressive thought while maintaining traditional worship practices.

Many gays spend years struggling to understand why they are not allowed to participate in society like everybody else. They hide their sexuality in high school. Are not allowed to fight for their country. Told that they are not welcome in many of God's houses. Their lifestyles legislated against by their own government, questioned by courts which are supposed to uphold the constitution. And now one of America's most prominent institutions has said "we accept you, join us and rejoice," taking an unpopular stand that is being severely challenged by bigots the world over.

Help them make the world a kinder place in which to live.

soooo cute....i love goats

vintage cars

Before I talk about some of my favorite vintage cars, I have to ask myself, "what the f*&k happened to my blog?" My lofty intentions of witty and relevant commentary have been replaced with catty fashion evaluations and gross materialism. Oh well, it's hella fun. I'll get serious later (if the PETA piece is the best I can muster I'm in trouble).

So as I said previously, I've always loved cars. Old ones. New ones. Practical, luxury, sport. European and American. I think they are one of the highest forms of design (architecture ranks higher)--requiring functionality, form, brand, intricate engineering. They're machines, yet they elicit emotional responses from people like no other man-made product. iPods do, but lack the history and scale. Boats do, but only to a select few. When our civilization crumbles, archeologists (or aliens, or God) will likely marvel at our endless miles of roadways and the cars they supported, in as many variations as there are personalities.

These are some of my favorites, in no particular order. I'm drawn to the sixties, arguably the most stylish decade of the previous century (that's another blog entry waiting to happen).



BMW 3.0 csi
Whenever I get into "favorite car" discussions with Gearheads, this car always tops my list. I don't even have to think about it. Sexy and agressive while maintaining a stately air thanks to the beautiful c-pillar and those large curving windows. God damn the Germans can build cars. Metallic blue please.
Mercedes 280sl "Pagoda"
Remember the car Julie Christie drove in Shampoo? Another gorgeous German machine. I still see these on the road, usually driven by attractive older women that may have attended "key parties" back in the day and still play tennis at the club. Or professorly looking men.
68 Pontiac Firebird
All American muscle. Think David La Chapelle photo shoot. Los Angeles, carefree and sunkissed. Hot hot hot.
Aston Martin Vantage
What is it with English cars? Just when you think they're all fuddy duddy they break out with these beautiful gentleman's sports cars that kick serious ass.



66 Oldsmobile Toronado
Oldsmobile at one time did some cool cars (gone now after cranking out the last Alero rental car). The Toronado was ahead of its time. Front wheel drive. Sculptured styling. I've always thought they were hot--with those bulging tirewells and jawlike front end (and my sexy fourth grade teacher had one).
Porsche 911 Targa
One of the most enduring automotive forms. I've always liked the metallic Targa band and sunburst wheels. Porsche did some hot colors in the 70s--bright green, orange.
Ferrari GTO
Sumpuous, Sophia Loren. National hero. That's all I can say...
Ford Country Squire Station Wagon
I grew up in a station wagon family. So did most of my friends. It was the 70s, and nobody did a better wood paneled monster for mom to shuttle the kids around in than Ford. Amercians dominated this category and have since given up on wagons completely. It might be time for a retro redesign out of Detroit...

d.e.b.s.

I will be so disappointed if this is not critically acclaimed camp. Please be good. Please be good. Please be good. d.e.b.s.

fugly

My sister just directed me to Go Fug Yourself. It's good. Really good. Check it out immediately and refer back often.

cars

As long as I can remember I've loved cars. Cars of all types. As a preschooler, the mothers taking turns driving us were amazed at my ability to name off make and model as cars passed by. At some point I'll put together a list of my favorites. I'm researching purchasing the grand daddy (mother?) of all SUVs, the Jeep Grand Wagoneer. I discovered a rockin' refurbished inventory at Wagonmaster. Below is a beauty.

adler does palm springs

This picture from a recent NYT piece is just so damn cool it's painful, right down to the orange pants. I'll be in Palm Springs soon, where Jonathan Adler has renovated Merv's old resort, now called The Parker.

The Palm Springs Modern Committee is protecting mid-century treasures. Site has a nice collection of building photos and architect profiles.

j lo and peta

Jennifer Lopez is the latest celebrity target of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). Seems Jenny from the block has been sporting skins from head to toe without much regret, and PETA wants people to say "hell no to J Lo."

Not long ago I would have dismissed PETA members as radical vegetarians with grudges to bear brought on by protein deficient diets. But lately I've really changed my opinion, and now find myself cheering-on PETAs attention-grabbing tactics (not to mention Pamela Anderson is a spokesperson, which I LOVE).

I don't have a problem with eating meat. We've been killing animals in the name of sustenance for some time now and I see no reason to stop. I do have a problem with how we currently treat such animals. It is sick and shameful the torture we inflict on God's creatures in order to stuff our bodies with hamburgers and chicken nuggets. When man actually had to hunt it was out of necessity, and beasts roamed. People were thankful. Today, chickens and cattle are a commodity, forced to endure conditions most people would be horrified to witness. They are pumped full of drugs to satisfy our wasteful cravings and processed with little regard for the public's health.

Read Fast Food Nation. Check out the PETA site (I spent a few hours watching the videos and got over my denial that those nicely wrapped cellophane packages came from a happy place).

Here's my deal. Support local, organic free-range farming methods, even if you have to pay more. When I eat meat, I at least want to know the animal got to see the light of day and enjoyed a few moments of tranquility before giving up their life to feed me. That's my ethical stand. Don't even get me started on the potential health threats posed to humans from the processing and hormone enhancement practices used by the meat industry.

As far as fur goes, if it's vintage it's OK. Hell, the animal was already skinned to make a coat, might as well show it some respect and enjoy it. Russians and Eskimos, I get it. J Lo wearing fur in LA, that's fucked.

mac n' cheese

To celebrate our friend Kristin's upcoming move to London we served decidedly All-American snacks, complete with cocktail weinies in blankets and California Dip. The star of the show was the mac n' cheese. This recipe contains 115% of the RDA for fat in a single serving, and every gram is worth it.

bobo

Have you heard about the latest fashion trend? Bobo. Bourgeois and bohemian. A melding of shabby anti-fashion layers with just a hint of obscenely expensive name brands. The New York Times has identified the phenomenon, and named Mary-Kate Olsen its poster child. It will be interesting to see how fashionistas attempt to affect this look. I suspect many will fail. I've always considered the mixing of old and new, expensive and thrifty, a skill mastered only by the truly stylish. The Bobo fashion domain has always existed, occupied by those who do not require the security of proclaiming their social standing in head-to-toe name brands, which, of course, ends up proclaiming their own superior rank. They don't need to care, yet still provide subtle hints for those that may not get it.

Now that they've been categorized and stripped of their exclusivity, what are the original Bobo's to do? Will they go the way of the original preppies of the eighties, who faced a similar fate when the masses attempted to emulate their age-old traditions in upturned collars and top-siders?

It's too bad really. When Brittney or Jessica go Bobo, the Bobo pioneers will have little choice but to seek a new statement or suffer confusing humiliation. Sigh, what's a girl to do...

hello

Welcome to my blog.

Why MyTonic? My original idea was to call this site Quinine, a name I've always envisioned displayed on the back of my grand yacht with a shiny navy blue hull, the fabulous Lady Miss Quinine. Unfortunately I've yet to purchase the yacht, and someone else out there has taken my fine name and used it for their own blog. So, not feeling especially creative, it didn't take me long to come up with the next best, simple alternative--Tonic. It's bubbly, fun, sweet and sharp. Traditional yet classically modern (or so I like to think). And blends oh so well with gin while preventing scurvy at the same time (truly amazing among mixers).

As I understand blogging, this is where I'll post observations, commentary and tidbits of information you may or may not find interesting. And while blogs are being heralded as the new information medium that will rescue us all from sanitized network news, I'm not planning on saving any lives or exposing corrupt politicians with this blog (although that would be nice). This will be a smart, frivolous place, with meaning, yet totally superficial. As MyTonic's content owner, I should let you know I relish in the utter irony of just about everything. In politics. Fashion. Literature. Status. Religion. Entertainment. I do however, take food and design quite seriously. Cars too. Parentheses are my favorite punctuation marks.

So fill a glass with some ice, pour in a generous shot of your favorite spirit, finish with crisp quinine-laden tonic, and treat whatever ails you with a smile on your face and warmth in your belly.

Cheers.