Roberto Cavalli and Cannes 2013

The Cannes Film Festival was hit by heavy rain this year. While this did not stop all the usual celebrity yacht parties, they were not quite what they were last year.

As a result of the heavy rain, Roberto Cavalli, fashion guru and world-class party host, made an exception one night and permitted celebrity guests to come on his luxury yacht with their shoes on. Apparently the decks were seriously marred by stiletto traffic.

I'm sure the glitterati are hoping for better weather next year and some stiletto-free boat parties!

Dreamy outdoor spaces.

Now that patio season is finally upon us we thought it would be fun to share some beautiful ideas and inspiration for your next outdoor dinner party. (Aren't outdoor parties just the best?)

This combination of rustic place settings, wild flowers, and a lace table cloth gives off such a whimsical romantic feel. So pretty.

The perfect floral centerpiece.

Love this canopy of light bulbs. How gorgeous would this look in the evening light?

The perfect backyard picnic brunch with friends. I really like how all of the benches are facing each other! Makes for a wonderful circle of conversation.

I already have one of these wicker swings hanging in my living room, but what a great idea to move it outside on a sunny summer afternoon!

Tree trunk place settings. Brilliant!

Happy hosting! XO

Lenny Bruce Without Tears (1972)

          On some level, it’s probably fitting that the first documentary about groundbreaking hipster comedian Lenny Bruce, released less than 10 years after his death, is a low-budget enterprise shot on grungy black-and-white film. After all, Bruce spent much of his career playing smoky jazz clubs, even though he briefly enjoyed success on national television. In other words, if Lenny Bruce Without Tears were a stronger film, it might feel like just the right lo-fi tribute to a controversial funnyman who brought uncomfortable truths into his routines. Unfortunately, the fact that writer/producer/director Fred Baker largely constructs the film from second-hand footage makes Lenny Bruce Without Tears little more than a fawning clip show. Further, Baker’s only original interviews are with tangential figures who rehash familiar lore about Bruce as a tragic trailblazer. Plus, on some level, the movie feels somewhat exploitive and opportunistic—Baker’s real-life friendship with Bruce was used as a marketing angle, and Baker’s inconsequential narration repeatedly states that the filmmaker and his late subject were pals. If this half-assed doc is the best thing Baker could put together, one gets the impression that Baker and Bruce were more like passing acquaintances than true comrades.

          Yet the documentary’s lack of substance isn’t its biggest flaw. Instead, what makes Lenny Bruce Without Tears genuinely awkward is Baker’s incomprehensible aesthetic choice to employ experimental-cinema montages beneath audio of Bruce’s recorded routines. For instance, one such montage collides such disassociated imagery as Boris Karloff mugging in an old horror movie, Lyndon Johnson giving a speech, a marching band in action, and a monkey typing (!), none of which has anything to do with what Bruce is saying on the soundtrack. Extended video clips of Bruce doing stand-up on The Steve Allen Show aren’t much more interesting; while the comedy bits themselves are worthwhile as entertainment and as history, Baker simply runs the clips start to finish, evincing a major absence of curatorial discretion. And in his most nonsensical flourish, Baker upends the whole hero-worship vibe of the doc by including shock-value footage and stills of Bruce’s naked corpse, captured shortly after the comedian died of a drug overdose. Not exactly the most respectful treatment of a “friend.”

Lenny Bruce Without Tears: FUNKY

Great Mountains and Great Mountaineers Videos + Everest 60 Years Ago

Thanks to Laura for sending me this great website with interesting videos
Also pictures from the first successful climb of Everest (below)
My latest posts on Personal Websites at Summitpost (below - Scroll down to the bottom)

http://www.igluski.com/mountaineering-videos

 Annapurna

 Everest

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Pictures from the first successful climb of Everest 60 years ago

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-22691414

 Hillary and Tenzing

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Latest climbing news on Summitpost

http://www.summitpost.org/phpBB3/post923090.html#p923090

https://www.facebook.com/cyril.kaicener.3?ref=tn_tnmn

Please visit my website
http://www.hiking4health.com

Lonely Planet: Cuba - Havana (Chapter)

Coverage includes: Downtown Havana, Outer Havana, Playa & Marianao, Parque Lenin, Santiago de las Vegas, Regla, Guanabacoa, Cojímar, Casablanca and Playas del Este.

Lonely Planet PDF eBooks are PDF versions. They are available from the Lonely Planet Shop as either individual chapters or complete guides. PDF files can be printed and are viewable on eReaders, tablets, smart-phones and PCs.

Cuba - Havana (Chapter)

Lonely Planet: Shanghai - Plan your trip (Chapter)

Coverage includes: Welcome to Shànghǎi, Shànghǎi’s Top 13, What’s New, Need to Know, Top Itineraries, If You Like, Month by Month, With Kids, Like a Local, For Free, Neighbourhoods at a Glance, and Eating, Drinking & Nightlife, Entertainment and Shopping overviews.

Lonely Planet PDF eBooks are PDF versions. They are available from the Lonely Planet Shop as either individual chapters or complete guides. PDF files can be printed and are viewable on eReaders, tablets, smart-phones and PCs.

Shanghai - Plan your trip (Chapter)

Brazil - History, Culture & Food (Chapter)

Coverage includes: History – from before the Portugese to Brazil’s boom days, The National Psyche, Lifestyle, Economy, Population, Multiculturalism, Sports, Media, Religion, Women in Brazil, Arts, Carnaval, Culinary Staples & Specialties, Drinks, Celebrations, Where to Eat & Drink, Vegetarians & Vegans, Eating with Kids, Culinary Habits & Customs, Cooking Courses, Food Glossary, The Land, Wildlife, National Parks & Protected Areas, Organized Tours, Environmental Issues, Mammals, Birds, Aquatic Life and Reptiles & Amphibians.

Lonely Planet PDF eBooks are PDF versions. They are available from the Lonely Planet Shop as either individual chapters or complete guides. PDF files can be printed and are viewable on eReaders, tablets, smart-phones and PCs.

Brazil - History, Culture & Food (Chapter)