Paris Parfait

French court fines eBay for auctioning fake copies

The online auction site eBay must pay 40m euros in damages to Louis Vuitton Malletier (LVMH) for allowing online auctions of fake copies of its luxury goods. A French commercial court ruled today that eBay must pay 19.28m euros to Louis Vuitton Malletier; 17.3m euros to Christian Dior Couture and 3.25m to perfume brands Dior, Guerlain, Kenzo and Givenchy. eBay said it would appeal the court's decision.

LVMH brought charges against eBay, saying the company's French site failed to stop the sale of counterfeit bags, perfumes and other items. Louis Vuitton Malletier, the group's handbag and luggage section and clothing brand Christian Dior Couture accused eBay of "negligence" in allowing illegal copies of their goods to be sold in online auctions.

Dior, Guerlain, Kenzo and Givenchy sued for "illicit sales" of their perfume products. The companies said that even auctions selling their legitimate perfumes were illegal, as sales are restricted to specialist dealers. Last month eBay was ordered to pay 20,000 euros to the French firm Hermes.

More SCAD fashion

Detail on spring coat designed by a graduating senior at the Savannah College of Art & Design (SCAD) , photographed May 16 at the SCAD Fashion Building.

The dress with floral appliques matches the coat.

Hot pink wool and black houndstooth with a high waist in a style reminiscent of the '50s.

A silk satin dress lined with pink and a short-sleeved jacket.

The high price of ignorance

This week, Martin Wiskol of the Orange County Register asked John McCain when was the last time he pumped gas and how much did it cost? McCain's response: "Oh, I don't remember. Now there's Secret Service protection. But I've done it for many, many years. I don't recall and frankly, I don't see how it matters. I've had hundreds and hundreds of town hall meetings, many as short a time ago as yesterday. I communicate with the people and they communicate with me very effectively.

Yet McCain doesn't know the price of gas and how Americans are affected. And his "I don't see how it matters" comment is reminiscent of his recent cavalier remark "it doesn't matter how long our troops are based in Iraq."

How can such a completely clueless guy even be considered for the presidency?

So many properties, so many bills

From Newsweek:

"When you're poor, it can be hard to pay the bills. When you're rich, it's hard to keep track of all the bills that need paying. It's a lesson Cindy McCain learned the hard way when Newsweek raised questions about an overdue property-tax bill on a La Jolla, Calif., property owned by a trust that she oversees. Mrs. McCain is a beer heiress with an estimated $100 million fortune and, along with her husband, she owns at least seven properties, including condos in California and Arizona.

"San Diego County officials, it turns out, have been sending out tax notices on the La Jolla property, an oceanfront condo, for four years without receiving a response. County records show the bills, which were mailed to a Phoenix address associated with Mrs. McCain's trust, were returned by the post office. According to a McCain campaign aide, who requested anonymity when discussing a private matter, an elderly aunt of Mrs. McCain's lives in the condo and the bank that manages the trust has not been receiving tax bills on the property. Shortly after NEWSWEEK inquired about the matter, the McCain aide e-mailed a receipt dated Friday, June 27, confirming payment by the trust to San Diego County in the amount of $6,744.42. County officials say the trust still owes an additional $1,742 for this year, an amount that is overdue and will go into default July 1. Told of the outstanding $1,742, the aide said: "The trust has paid all bills shown owing as of today and will pay all other bills due."

See a virtual tour of the numerous McCain homes from The Jed Report:

Money to burn

Despite the costs of maintaining all those properties, John McCain still has plenty of money to fund his campaign. He's taking full avantage of a legal loophole. Seems individuals can give up to $28,500 to the Republican National Committee (RNC), more than 12 times as much as the $2,300 an individual is allowed to contribute to Sen. Barack Obama's general election campaign. And the Republican National Committee uses that money to fuel McCain's campaign.

On June 24th, the Democratic National Committee filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C. to compel the Federal Election Commission (FEC) to investigate John McCain's decision to unilaterally withdraw from the FEC's matching funds program - even though he used the program to financially benefit his campaign by taking out bank loans with those funds as collateral.

Lacking an energy policy, McCain turns to psychology of off-shore drilling

"I don't see an immediate relief, but I do see that exploitation of existing reserves that may exist -- and in view of many experts that do exist off our coasts -- is also a way that we need to provide relief. Even though it may take some years, the fact that we are exploiting those reserves would have psychological impact that I think is beneficial," McCain told reporters.

Never mind the costs to the environment and the monetary expenses of drilling. McCain thinks off-shore drilling would have a positive "psycholgical impact??!!"

This guy wants to be president??!! What a frightening prospect.

Tangerine dream

A tangerine dream of an evening gown at the Savannah College of Art & Design (SCAD), photographed May 16th at the SCAD Fashion Building.

Back view of the gown.

Sean, a design student from Dubai, works on last-minute details of another soiree-inspired dress. Sean created the gowns as part of his senior collection of evening wear.

A model wears Sean's design at an exhibition May 30 at the Jepson Center for the Arts, Savannah. Sean is pictured next to her.

The model poses at the exhibition's main entrance.

Floating down the stairs.

Have theatre; will travel

1920s Guignol puppet theatre, Paris.

"Funny, it seems like just yesterday, we were in Paris."
"What are you talking about? We were in Paris. We flew, remember? The airline charged us excess baggage for the theatre, after trying to make us ride in the cargo hold with all that horrid luggage! Now we're in Tucson."
"Where is that?"
"It's in Arizona, you moron. You know - desert, mountains, heat?"
"Ah, oui the heat. I have heard about this phenomenon. We are in the Wild West, non?  But being a Parisien, it is my first experience with this, how you call it, countryside? C'est vrai."
"Don't worry, you can have some of Mademoiselle Vanessa's tea and you'll feel better."
"Ah, oui, c'est magnifique! It reminds me of the days of Prohibition when they were forced to pour vodka in their little teacups..."
"How do you know about Prohibition? You were in Paris, where anything goes! Remember the jazz?"
"Oui, bien sur, but I read about their problems in le journal. Those poor Americans, always brewing une petite tempest in a teacup..."
"Well it's not the '20s anymore. It's 2008! And Vanessa has prepared a beautiful feast for our enjoyment."
"Mais oui, she is quite the hostess. Perhaps we shall persuade her to accompany us to Paris. She could join us for tea and macaroons at Laduree."
"She doesn't have time to come to Paris. She's too busy hosting parties and creating art. She's famous, you know. I mean, just look at how many people have come to this party!"
"Certainly they came to see us perform?"
"What an ego you have! They're not even paying attention. They're having too much fun sampling the cakes and sweets."

"Why just last week, I was telling Ollie about the crowds, everywhere we go... Mon dieu! Wait a minute! Where do those girls think they are, the Folies Bergere? What are they doing with those little bird masks? I think they are confused. This is a tea party, not a masquerade party! They should go back to Paris!"
"Stop being rude. They're invited guests."
"C' est impossible! Who invited them? Were they on the same plane? We are the featured performers, after all. Ca suffit."
"Yes and they're here for Vanessa's tea and to watch our show. So shut up and sing!"
"Mon dieu - the nerve! Does anyone have manners in this country?"
"Of course they do. And they have been waiting patiently for our performance to begin..."

One-of-a-kind art dolls by Christine Alvarado.

Won't you join us for Vanessa's Mad-as-a-Hatter tea party at A Fanciful Twist?

Art of glass

The Dale Chiluly 30-foot blown glass chandelier suspended above the main entranceway at the Victoria & Albert Museum, London. An exhibition of Chiluly's work at the de Young Museum is currently enthralling San Francisco residents. The exhibit continues through September 28th.

15 senators stand up for our rights

Holding out for a hero. Statue of Christopher Columbus, Coit Tower, San Francisco.

Thanks to the heroic efforts of 15 senators, a vote on providing amnesty to telecoms cooperating in warrantless government spying has been delayed until July 8. The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) called the news "an unexpected reprieve for civil liberties and the rule of law."

Not only does the FISA Amendments Act contain blanket immunity for telecoms, it would prevent Americans from having their day in court. Further, the bill gives the president wide authority to monitor terrorist suspects and U.S. citizens alike, without judicial review.

Amendments that will be introduced before the final vote on the bill offer the best chance to uphold the Fourth Amendment. Senators Chris Dodd (CT) and Russ Feingold (WI) champion an amendment that would strip immunity provisions entirely. An amendment supported by New Mexico Senator Bingaman would delay implementing immunity provisions until Congress receives the Inspectors General report on the president's surveillance program, as required by the bill.

This week, 15 senators used procedural tactics, voting against cloture to delay the compromise legislation. These senators who stood up for our Constitutional rights include Joseph Biden, DE; Barbara Boxer, CA; Sherrod Brown, OH; Maria Cantwell, WA; Dodd; Dick Durbin, IL; Feingold; Tom Harkin, IA; John Kerry, MA; Frank Lautenberg, NJ; Patrick Leahy, VT; Robert Menendez, NJ; Bernie Sanders, VT; Chuck Schumer, NY and Ron Wyden, OR. Please contact your senator to express your concerns about the FISA legislation.

With Independence Day around the corner, here is a powerful speech by Sen. Chris Dodd. He defends our Constitution and civil liberties, as envisioned by our founding fathers.

The haves and have-nots

Upside down, Telegraph Hill, San Francisco.

When I was growing up in the American South, I became acutely aware of disparities - in income, in living conditions, in education. It bothered me that while some people enjoyed enormous privilege and lived quite comfortably, others struggled to survive. I noticed that these problems crossed racial and socio-economic borders, yet serious issues usually were neglected or marginalised - just like the people affected.

Wherever I've traveled in the world, I've noticed a consistent thread of disparity between the haves and the have-nots. No matter the language or the culture or the geographic location, the inequities are similar. To achieve more equality and balance - at the very least to help the have-nots have more - has been "my line," as per the writing prompt for Write On Wednesday. Long before I realised it, political activism and human rights work became part of my life: first through my writing, then through my actions.

This child deserves
as much as you or I
no matter his background
or his family history.

That child isn't smarter
or more compassionate,
simply because a silver spoon
fed her from birth.

This child might discover a cure for cancer
if you give him the chance:
the same education and guidance
afforded his richer friends.

That child might use her wealth
to improve the lives of others;
provide opportunities for those
who never caught a break.

This child could confound the naysayers;
refuse to remain a product of his environment.
He could carve another destiny,
born of vision and belief.

Who you are and who you become
isn't defined by material wealth,
but by what you do to help yourself
and those less fortunate.

SCAD jewelry design

The Shield bracelet from jewelry designer Ben Smith's Lineage collection in 14-karat white gold with diamonds. Smith is a graduate of the Savannah College of Art & Design (SCAD). Selected designs of Smith and other jewelry graduates are currently on display at the Jepson Center for the Arts, Savannah, Ga.

Bold gold baubles and silver mesh chains.

Organic.

Silver links.

Amber Ranee Morgan's "Genesis" necklace is made of sterling silver and flowers fashioned from Bible pages.

An assortment of jewelry including fabric-covered pieces.

Erin K. Gallagher's emerald, sapphires and white gold on driftwood.

Emerald and white gold leaves.

"Red wave" collar made of ABS plastic, paper and glass pearls.

Take a seat

An accordion box seat in the Fashion Building at the Savannah College of Art & Design (SCAD), Savannah, Ga.

Side view of a furniture design student's chair made from cardboard.

"This is not a chair," the sign says. So is it a table?

Another design student's table using mosaic inserts currently on display at The Jepson Center for the Arts, Savannah.

Laugh out loud

If you're planning a trip from Sydney, Australia to Los Angeles, first check out this packing advice at Crooks and Liars.

Nightingales in Berlin

"House on fire," Vancouver, British Columbia.

This morning I was reading Katharine Mieszkowski's article in Salon about noise pollution. My poem "Nightingales in Berlin" was inspired by this excerpt:

"Modern cities can be so noisy that ornithologists have found birds warbling at the top of their lungs to be heard. Nightingales in Berlin have been documented singing up to 14 decibels louder than their counterparts in woody environs, in an attempt to make their songs audible above all the background noise. Yet the cacophony of modern life is hardly confined to metropolises like New York or Cairo, Egypt where you literally have to shout on the street to make yourself heard..."

We speak the same language,
but can you grasp my words?
Do you hear me through the noise
that makes it impossible to think
in a calm, rational manner
and just listen to the silence?

Hard to find such moments
trapped in this environmental ruckus
of car horns and accidents and shouts
amidst a dusty haze of pollution.
People everywhere struggle to cope,
living amidst an urban symphony
of false discordant notes.

In Berlin, the nightingales sing louder
trying to restore nature's balance,
where harmony is disturbed
only by birdsong
and thunder.

Grenades for life

Furniture design graduate Tony Nguyen created The Grenade Project in his last senior course at the Savannah College of Art & Design. Inspired by the "paradox relationship of construction-destruction," Nguyen wanted to create something that would decompose and leave a beneficial footprint.

His grenades are made of biodegradeable paper, acting as a vessel for soil and wildflower seeds. "Instead of a grenade leaving a detrimental impact, it explodes with life and longevity," Nguyen said. He used recycled newsprint as material for the grenade form, filling it with soil made from organic compost and wildflower seeds native to 48 states.

Nguyen's work is part of an exhibition that opened May 30 at The Jepson Center for the Arts, Savannah, Ga.

Mauricio Planel: Bringing the social and political into art

I was in San Francisco when I got Brazilian artist Mauricio Planel Rossiello's message, complimenting my photograph from Bastille (at left) and asking if he could use it in his work. Upon my return to Paris, I sent the photo to Mauricio.

Late last week, Mauricio forwarded me the result from Rio: a wonderful collage incorporating images from the '40s and '50s, including Catwoman and an American farmer. The collage is currently part of a cultural exhibition in Brazil.

For nearly two years, I've admired Mauricio's work, which infuses art with social and political commentary. In his work, Mauricio creates bold statements that are not only beautiful and unique, but meaningful to our lives.

"I like to get old images and give them a new life and a new history," he said. "Regarding the collages' themes, they have my social-political vision inserted in them. I think that it's important to transmit it through my work."

"I know that it's an ant working - a Brazilian expression which means what I do is small in comparsion to the worldwide media," Mauricio commented. "But it must be done if we would like to contribute to a better society."

See more of Mauricio's powerful images and illustrations at his multilingual website El Collage.

Copyright 2008 Mauricio Planel Rossiello.

One of my favourite of Mauricio's collages, "Sepias," represents humans in modern society being overwhelmed and depressed by news of chaos and disaster.

"Breathing deep, raise the eyes and continue."

"Respirar hondo, levantar los ojos y seguir."

"Respirar fundo, levantar os olhos e seguir."

Mugabe's stolen election: murder and violence halt opposition

Update June 23: After more than 60 supporters were arrested Monday at MDC headquarters, opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai has taken refuge in the Dutch embassy in Harare.

As a journalist, I never covered Zimbabwe, other than a few stories from the United Nations. So there's nothing I can say here that election observers, members of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) and reporters on the scene can't say better. But as a human rights activist, I am outraged at what has happened in Zimbabwe. Results of the presidential election March 29 showed Morgan Tsvangirai the rightful winner, by a six percent margin - results even Robert Mugabe's Zanu-PF government didn't dispute, after weeks of refusing to release the voting results. But as Tsvangirai failed to secure an overall majority, a run-off was deemed necessary.

Subsequently Mugabe's machinations set the stage for the run-off contest to fail.  MDC activists were killed; others were arrested, kidnapped, raped or forced to flee amidst a widespread campaign of fear and intimidation by armed gangs, who set up so-called torture camps ringing the capital Harare. So it is a very sad day indeed when Morgan Tsvangirai pulls out of the runoff election, leaving Mugabe in power by default. The people of Zimbabwe - as well as the rule of law  - have suffered a grave loss.

Read more here, here and here.

The declining delights of air travel

Glass sculptural fountain, Vancouver International Airport.

Apparently, it's not enough that American airlines have begun charging extra for assigned seats and all checked baggage, plus an excess baggage fee if any bag is even slightly over the new weight limit. Now US Airways is charging $2 for water. Yes, water.  Soda, juice, coffee and tea also will cost two bucks each.

Security restrictions prevent us from bringing our own water - unless we buy a small bottle at quadruple its normal price at the ONE busy kiosk available between airport security and the passenger waiting area. As for any tap water the airline may deem to provide for free, let's hope it's not contaminated. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) tests in 169 U.S. passenger planes found water containing fecal coliform bacteria in 17% of them.

Basically, the exhorbitant fees we already pay for airline tickets (thanks to the fuel surcharge and increased taxes) buy us long lines at security, during which we must practically disrobe and walk shoeless on filthy floors - and hours spent in a tiny confined space, without food or water (unless we pay extra). What's next - charging to use the toilet?

US Air - which twice has filed for bankruptcy, despite benefitting from the government's industry-wide bailout -  is slapping passengers with every possible surcharge. Yet their executives remain highly-paid. If charging passengers for water is considered sound management, it's no wonder the airline is struggling.

Leave the familiar for a while

The Filbert Street Steps, San Francisco.

Leave the familiar for a while.
Let your senses and bodies stretch out
like a welcomed season
onto the meadows and shores and hills.
Open up to the roof
make a new watermark on your excitement
and love.
Like a blooming night flower,
bestow your vital fragrance of happiness
and giving
upon our intimate assembly.
Change rooms in your mind for a day.
All the hemispheres in existence
lie beside an equator
in your heart.
Greet yourself
in your thousand other forms
as you mount the hidden tide and travel
back home.
All the hemispheres in heaven
are sitting around a fire
chatting
while stitching themselves together
into the Great Circle inside of
you.

Hafiz poem "All the Hemispheres" from the book The Subject Tonight Is Love, translated by Daniel Ladinsky.

I'm posting this ad for free

See related articles here and here.

Go West young man

"Go West, young man." - a quote often wrongly attributed to New York newspaper editor Horace Greeley.

This impromptu photo is for my friend Tangobaby in San Francisco, who knows a thing or two about the contradictions of Paris. The American-inspired store is located next to a Moroccan restaurant on the street where the late French President Francois Mitterand often spent time with his mistress.

Fete de la Musique

On this longest day of the year, a pop band performs at an outdoor pavilion at Hopital Ambroise Pare. It is one of numerous sites around the city where music of all genres is performed live in the annual Fete de la Musique.
If you're in Paris, public transport will extend its hours to accommodate the Fete de la Musique crowds.

So much for the Fourth Amendment

"The right of the people to be secure in their person, houses, papers and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation and particularly describng the place to be searched and the person or things to be seized." - The Fourth Amendment, The United States Constitution

Update Friday night: The bill passed 293-129. One-hundred-and-four Democrats joined Hoyer in supporting George Bush's bill, which undermines our civil liberties and gives telecoms a free pass for  spying on Americans. Outrageous! Next the bill goes to the Senate; let's see if our senators stand up for our rights, or if they prove just as spineless as the House.

I find it difficult to believe that Democrats - yes Democrats - led by House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer of Maryland are debating - and apparently acquiesing to - a deeply-flawed FISA bill letting AT&T and other telecoms off the hook for their collusion with the Bush administration in spying on Americans.

MSNBC's Keith Olbermann rightly said Thursday night that the bill "gives President Bush exactly what he wants: increased abilities to spy on Americans without warrants and a level of immunity for the telecom companies who already illegally spied on Americans for him."

Jonathan Turley, a legal scholar who appeared on Olbermann's program called the bill "an evisceration of the Fourth Amendment." "This bill has quite literally no public value for citizens or civil liberities," he noted. In other words, it's all about the telecoms -AT&T, Verizon, et al, who contributed heavily to the coffers of Bush & Co. and quite a few senators and congressmen. Disgraceful. An insult to the American people and a violation of the Constitution of the United States.

Warrantless wiretapping was underway for nearly six years before The New York Times revealed the illegal activity. Subsequently, some 40 lawsuits have been filed against the telecoms for warrantless spying. But under this so-called "compromise" bill, those cases would be dismissed - as long as a federal district court receives certification from the attorney general, proving the telecoms received presidential orders authorising the spying.

Shameful. This Fourth of July, there won't be quite so much freedom to celebrate.

Update II from the ACLU: "No matter how often the opposition calls this bill a ‘compromise,’ it is not a meaningful compromise, except of our constitutional rights. The bill allows for mass, untargeted and unwarranted surveillance of all communications coming into and out of the United States. The courts’ role is superficial at best, as the government can continue spying on our communications even after the FISA court has objected. Democratic leaders turned what should have been an easy FISA fix into the wholesale giveaway of our Fourth Amendment rights.

"More than two years after the president’s domestic spying was revealed in the pages of the New York Times, Congress’s fury and shock has dissipated to an obedient whimper. After scrambling for years to cover their tracks, the phone companies and the administration are almost there. This immunity provision will effectively destroy Americans’ chance to have their deserved day in court and will kill any possibility of learning the extent of the administration’s lawless actions. The House should be ashamed of itself.  The fate of the Fourth Amendment is now in the Senate’s hands.  We can only hope senators will show more courage than their colleagues in the House."

UN Security Council agrees rape is weapon of war

Fragile flower, Telegraph Hill, San Francisco.

At last the 15 members of the United Nations Security Council unanimously agree on something: rape is a weapon of war. The UN resolution adopted on Thursday refers to rape as "a tactic in war and a threat to international security."

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon told the Council that violence against women has reached "unspeakable proportions" in some societies recovering from conflict. "Responding to this silent war against women and girls requires leadership at the national level," he said. Speakers at the council session identified the former Yugoslavia, Sudan's Darfur region, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda and Liberia as regions where deliberate sexual violence has been widespread. In the DRC, 40 women a day are raped.

On June 21, 2006 I wrote a poem Esperance, esperanza and hope about these women warriors. Nearly two years later, not much has changed. Still, they fight for survival.

Secret deal would give telecoms immunity for spying

Sidewalk shadows, The Embarcadero, San Francisco.

Somewhere amongst the light and shadows on Capitol Hill, the U.S. Congress is playing dangerous games with our civil liberties. It appears our representatives are about to capitulate to the Bush administration's Draconian spying efforts, granting AT&T and other telecoms who colluded in spying on innocent Americans' email and phone calls immunity from prosecution. Congress apparently has reached a "compromise" with the Bush administration's insistence on letting the telecoms avoid prosecution. Their idea of a better plan? Taking power AWAY from the courts - throwing out the lawsuits already in play in federal court, such as the Electronic Frontier Foundation's class action suit against AT&T.

Congress instead plans to send the telecoms either to a federal district court judge OR to a secretive and conservative FISA court to insure that "certain criteria was met before they acted on the Bush administration's requests and broke the law." Is it any surprise that any rulings will be foregone conclusions? How much money did the telecom lobbyists pour into the coffers of Bush administration officials and Congress members to get them to go along with such a disingenous plan? Further, the FISA court's only role for the past 30 years has been to sign off government surveillance requests. Where's the objectivity here?

Reports out of Washington suggest that high-ranking Republicans and Democrats are hoping a "compromise" foreign intelligence surveillance bill can be rushed through both the House and the Senate before the July 4th holiday - perhaps as early as Friday, June 20. Please telephone your senators and representatives to remind them that compromise - when it comes to giving telecom companies who illegally spied on Americans immunity from prosecution - not only is unacceptable, it makes a mockery of our justice system.

For background:

AT&T maintains secret room for NSA, documents allege

Lawsuit against AT&T continues

Don't let AT&T off the hook

Meanwhile, Sweden's parliament has voted for controversial laws authorising spying on email and telephone traffic.

More news of note

Not only is John McCain pursuing exactly the same alarmist tactics about Iran that George Bush has favoured, now he's named former New York mayor and failed presidential candidate Rudy Guiliani as his security adviser. Never mind that McCain previously has said Guiliani knows nothing about national security.

The Democratic National Committee responded to the news, blasting both Giuliani and McCain:

"Democrats are not going to be lectured to on security by the mayor who failed to learn the lessons of the 1993 attacks, refused to prepare his own city's first responders for the next attack, urged President Bush to put his corrupt crony in charge of our homeland security and was too busy lobbying for his foreign clients to join the Iraq Study Group. Rudy Giuliani can echo the McCain campaign's false and misleading attacks, but he can't change the fact that John McCain is promising four more years of President Bush's flawed and failed policies on everything from energy security and the economy to the war in Iraq."

The Coit Tower murals: 1930s San Francisco

Coit Tower, the 1933 Art Deco marvel, was built with funds that Lillie Hitchcock Coit bequested to the City of San Francisco. The monolithic structure stands atop Telegraph Hill in Pioneer Park. Designed by architects Arthur Brown, Jr. and Henry Howard, the 210-foot tower is made of unpainted reinforced concrete. The building's interior murals were the first intiative of The Public Works of Art Project, a New Deal program to employ artists during the Great Depression.

Surveying the land.

The 26 murals were painted in various mediums, including fresco, egg tempura and oil on canvas. Among the 26 artists selected to work on the project were Victor Arnautoff, Bernard Zakheim, John Langley Howard, Ray Boynton, Ralph Stackpole, Jose Moya del Pino, Otis Oldfield, Jane Berlandina and William Hesthal. In the spring of 1934, while the muralists painted, a strike shut down the Pacific Coast. Unemployed longshoremen and their union threatened to strike; by early summer they had brought waterfront commerce to a halt. Artists included subtle references to the event in some murals.

The Coit Tower project was considered controversial because of Mexican artist Diego Rivera's influence over some artists and the city's determination to separate politics from publicly-sponsored art projects. When the murals were completed, members of the San Francisco establishment were dismayed by the work's political content. The San Francisco Art Commision even delayed the opening of Coit Tower, while considering destroying the murals. After much debate, the tower was finally opened to the public - murals intact - in October 1934.

Conducting scientific experiments. Click photos to enlarge and view detail.

Panning for gold following the California Gold Rush.

In this portrait, notice the well-dressed people in the background, hoping to profit from others' hard manual labour.

Various flowers, including calla lilies vyed with oranges for crops grown in Bay Area fields.

California oranges grown in the Central Valley.

Gathering the harvest at area farms.

Picking grapes from the vineyards.

Baking San Francisco sourdough bread.

Producing milk for sale to area markets.

Milking the cows at a local dairy.

An abatoir and meat-packing plant.

A butcher's shop.

Moving cash at a city bank, with armed guards standing watch.

Reading the news - a public library's reading room and a private one at a toney gentlemen's club.

Scenes from a typical city rush hour, including a traffic accident in the upper left of the mural. At the newstand, one of the headlines screams "Police robbed; accuse Dillinger." In the forefront, a businessman is being held up by two armed men.

Popular transport methods included the ferry to Oakland.

A soda fountain and lunch counter for office workers.

A grocer's selling wine.

The working press.

Stop the presses! San Francisco labor relations were a main focus of the day. Some headlines feature news about the artists' murals painted in Coit Tower. In this mural, the bookshelves contain socialist tomes by Karl Marx, as well as Hebrew texts. At the time of their creation, scenes such as this were considered controversial, due to thinly-veiled political statements in the artwork.

Working class men lined up for work. This mural refers to often-difficult social and economic conditions for the working class following the Great Depression. Unemployment was high and wages low, for those lucky enough to find jobs. Long strikes in 1934 made it difficult for many families to make ends meet.

Keeping steam trains running and laying miles of railroad tracks.

Another surveyor.

This is the third in a series of pieces about San Francisco.

Vertigo

"It whispers of dinner at Vertigo on shaky ground.
The dusky garnets matched the merlot
at The Redwood Room,
where Gustav Klimt paintings
shimmered in the soft light,
jazz murmured like a fever
and your hand clasped mine."*

Vertigo brooch created by Jocelyn Krodman, in homage to the Alfred Hitchcock film noir masterpiece Vertigo. The pin contains lines from the movie and the man in the center spins around, just as in the Vertigo trailer and film credits.

The 1958 thriller, starring James Stewart and Kim Novak, was  filmed in San Francisco. I don't know if it's still there, but for a time there was a terrific restaurant called Vertigo at the base of the Transamerica Pyramid Building. For more San Francisco film noir history, go here.

I met Jocelyn - who graduated three years ago from the Savannah College of Art & Design - in Savannah, Ga. and bought the brooch, as well as some lovely necklaces and earrings she made. Photographs of more of Jocelyn's imaginative work will appear in an upcoming post.

Email Jocelyn here for information about purchasing her original creations or read updates on her website.

*Excerpt from the poem The Garnet Necklace by Tara Bradford. This is the second in a series of posts linked to San Francisco.

Film noir in the City by the Bay

The etched and frosted glass-adorned main entrance for 1360 Montgomery, where key scenes in Dark Passage, featuring Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall were filmed. In the movie, Bacall helped Bogart, an innocent man wrongly-accused of murder, elude capture after his escape from San Quentin.

Film noir enthralls me.  These black-and-white films of the '30s, '40s and '50s and their snappy dialogue, suspenseful stories and simple romance are pure escapism, worthy of multiple viewings. Some of the genre's best were made in San Francisco, including Dark Passage, The Maltese Falcon and Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo. Recently I was staying in an apartment around the corner from 1360 Montgomery building, at Union and Montgomery in the Telegraph Hill Historic District. I didn't realise my proximity to cinematic history, until my friend Tangobaby reminded me of the address.

The afternoon I arrived in San Francisco after a long absence, I took photos of this stunning Art Deco building, unaware of its film connection.

Steps leading from the hill above to the Malloch Apartments at Filbert and Montgomery Streets.

The apartment building with the sleek lines of an oceanliner has Art Deco exterior murals and glorious views overlooking San Francisco Bay.

Coit Tower, another famous Art Deco landmark, as seen at twilight from the hill at Union Street, opposite 1360 Montgomery. Check back Thursday for more photos of the tower and its amazing interior murals, painted under the first New Deal federal employment program for artists.

This is first of a series of posts about San Francisco.

McCain faces lawsuit for campaign finance violation

The Democratic National Committee (DNC) is filing suit in federal court forcing the Federal Election Commission (FEC) to investigate Sen. John McCain, the Republican presidential candidate. The complaint says McCain violated campaign finance laws by opting out of the federal matching fund program, after previously benefitting from it by using anticipated matching funds to secure a private loan. That assistance helped his campaign in the GOP primary.

Earlier this year, the DNC filed a complaint with the FEC when McCain withdrew from the program. Last February, the Washington Post reported on McCain's scam, based on a "stern warning" to McCain from the Republican Chair of the FEC -- and noted the potential for criminal behavior by McCain: Knowingly violating the spending limit is a criminal offense that could put McCain at risk of stiff fines and up to five years in prison.

“John McCain poses as a reformer but when it comes to his own campaign, he thinks the rules apply to everyone but him,” said DNC Chairman Howard Dean. “Taxpayer dollars helped him secure a private loan to keep his campaign afloat; he got free ballot access which saved his campaign money and yet it’s clear he doesn’t think he needs to stick by the legally binding contract he signed. John McCain is breaking the law and doesn’t seem to care.”

Speaking of pushing the limits, it's hard to believe that in 2008 such idiotic racist nonsense is still perpetuated - at the Texas State Republican Convention, no less!

Sunset in San Francisco

Photo of a lone palm overlooking San Francisco Bay, taken from Telegraph Hill. Check back later for the first of a series of posts about my favourite American city.

Baby, you can drive my car

VW bug on the corner of Robson Street, May 24th, Vancouver, British Columbia.

If the car decorated with whimsical messages of peace and love isn't enough to bring a smile to your face this Monday morning, this hilarious short video set to The Beatles' song Drive my Car should do the trick.

Imagine the hours of effort it took to create this bold statement.

In the car's back seat, a small fountain gurgles away.

In your own life, are you a driver or a passenger?

Fete des Peres

Photos at Hippodrome de Longchamp, Paris.

To my dad and all fathers everywhere: May you always reach your destination of choice - and find it better than you'd imagined. Happy Father's Day!

Bountiful treasures at Saint-Sulpice

A 19th-century stone angel between a wing and a prayer at Sophie Pretelat's Anges et Demons at the brocante at Place Saint-Sulpice, Paris. Monday's the last day of the 31st Foire aux Antiquaires, so best get your skates on! Last chance until 2009! Take the Metro Line 10 to Mabillion, then walk two blocks to the brocante opposite the Church of Saint-Sulpice. You can't miss it, thanks to the cranes and scaffolding still present amidst the church's long-term renovation effort.

A marble child's bust with straw boater hat.

Rush-seated and rustic wooden chairs.

A sparkling chandelier. Today a gentleman sent email saying he'd purchased one of the chairs photographed in a previous post about the brocante at Saint-Sulpice.

Mercury glass gazing balls for luck, candlesticks and assorted curiosities in a 19th-century armoire.

An 18th-century commode and rose-coloured paperback books, as well as 19th-century lamps made from zinc urns at another stand at Saint-Sulpice.

A scalloped painted cupboard and stoneware pots de confiture.

Savannah: The collection

My daughter Jordana (right) and her design partner Ashlyn in the fashion studio at the Savannah College of Art & Design, Savannah, Ga.

Jordana, Ashlyn and models wearing their joint collection for Ruffian, New York. Jordana's coat (top, left) was featured in South magazine. It is currently on display at Saks Fifth Avenue, Phipps Plaza, Atlanta. For a close-up view, go here.

These photos were taken May 16th amidst a flurry of activity as students readied for their senior critique from SCAD professors and department heads.

I like the ruffles at the bottom of the trousers, as well as the red ruffled cumberbund.

The models were trained for the fashion runway by the famed "Miss J" of the television series America's Next Top Model.

For close-up photos and details of these outfits, go here.

Jordana pictured before the SCAD fashion show on Saturday, May 17th.

One of their designs for Ruffian (also pictured above) at the SCAD Fashion Show. Photo courtesy of the Savannah Morning News.

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On a different note, regular readers of Paris Parfait watch my banners change from month to month. Typically they feature my photographs of Paris and environs.

Today I'm pleased to introduce a new banner, created by the fabulous Tucson-based artist Vanessa Valencia. As you know, I'm a huge fan of Vanessa's work and own several of her paintings and art dolls. When I told her my ideas for a banner, she made them a reality, then added a little twist of her own - borders made from old film. Thank you, Vanessa!

Savannah: The exhibition

Placard from an exhibition beginning May 30 at the Jepson Center for the Arts, Savannah, Ga. Jordana and her design partner Ashlyn were clowning around for the photo. Don't they look like sisters?

Jordana's leather jacket with hand-cut designs. See her cashmere coat here.

Ashlyn's jersey top with an embroidered design.

Two of their designs as part of the Ruffian Style Mentorship for Ruffian, New York. Check back later for photos of their entire collection for Ruffian, which closed SCAD's 2008 Fashion Show on May 17th.

Savannah: The designer

My daughter Jordana and her much-admired black cashmere coat with hand-cut designs, currently on display - along with a similar white coat - at Saks Fifth Avenue in Phipps Plaza, Atlanta, Ga. Michael Fink, vice president of women's fashion for Saks, selected each garment from more than 100 undergraduate and graduate student designs while serving as a juror for the Savannah College of Art & Design's 2008 Fashion Show on May 17. Andre Leon Talley, Vogue magazine's editor-at-large, pronounced Jordana's coat "gorgeous; just gorgeous."

I once worked in corporate communications for Saks Fifth Avenue in New York. Never did I imagine that one day I'd have a daughter whose designs were exhibited at a Saks store!

Check back later for more photos of Jordana's designs. And remember that job interview with a great company the Monday following her graduation from SCAD? They're flying her back for another interview, so fingers crossed! Your good wishes and positive energy would be much appreciated.

Bush + McCain = More of the same

John McCain's cavalier statement this morning on NBC that "it's not too important" when our troops come home has angered many people. On an Obama campaign conference call with reporters, Massachusetts Senator John Kerry said that to military families "it's the most important thing in the world when they come home." Sen. Kerry said McCain's comments are indicative that he is "befuddled about the situation our military finds itself in. Our generals have made it crystal clear that we cannot sustain our forces in Iraq at this level," Kerry said.

"Senator McCain, it is important when they come home," Kerry said. "It is important when we can revitalize our military."

John Aravosis makes the case that when it comes to McCain, age is an important consideration. Meanwhile, did you know McCain's still receiving $58,000 per year in disability income for injuries sustained in Vietnam - yet he says paying for soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan to have decent medical benefits is "too expensive?"

Israeli students plan peace conference

One of the wonderful things about blogging is of course the unexpected contacts made via the Internet. Recently, my inbox contained a message from a group of Israeli students "dedicated to raising awareness on the various conflict issues in the Middle East." As I lived and traveled in the Middle East for many years, I have an abiding interest in the region. I find it encouraging that these students have created a project called the Middle East Student Conference (MESC), which "will expose the complicated reality of the Middle East to the world" via a five-day international student peace summit.

From August 17 through the 22nd at Tel Aviv University, Israeli and Palestinian students - as well as students from around the world - will represent the countries involved in the conflict. They will be divided into regional and national delegations and simulate peace talks. Participants will be briefed by Tel Aviv University professors in subjects including Middle Eastern history, the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict, the art of negotiation, diplomacy and more. The conference will include tours of Israel that purport to "offer a deeper understanding of the realities of the situation."

For more information about the conference or to register to participate, visit the MESC website here or send email.

More antiques at Saint-Sulpice

Beautiful antiques and collectibles from Sophie Pretelat's Anges et Demons stand at Saint-Sulpice, Paris. The brocante continues daily from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. through June 16th.

Keep breathing

A private garden near Coit Tower, San Francisco. The garden features traditional roses, as well as abundant jade plants.

For the past two days, have been in the midst of a rare migraine attack, leaving me a bit melancholy. This morning I opened email to discover music and verse to match my mood. My friend Gracey sent this song and another friend sent Wendell Berry's poem The Peace of Wild Things:

"When despair for the world grows in me
and I wake in the night at the least sound
in fear of what my life and my children's lives may be
I go and lie down where the wood drake
rests in his beauty on the water and the great heron feeds.
I come into the peace of wild things
who do not tax their lives with forethought
of grief. I come into the presence of still water.
And I feel above me the day-blind stars
waiting with their light. For the time
I rest in the grace of the world and am free."

Wishing you all a peaceful Tuesday.

P.S. Susannah has a Popsicle-bright post guaranteed to make you smile.

And in the news: the wondrous, as remains of an ancient church are discovered in Jordan and the outrageous, as the Bush administration willfully protects war profiteers from prosecution.

From vintage clothing to sports equipment and toys

Vintage clothing at the 31st Foire aux Antiquaires, currently underway at Place Saint-Sulpice, Paris. The event continues daily from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. through June 16th.

A 1950s mink stole, a white fur muff, a 1940s hat and a sparkly crystal chandelier accented with smoky quartz.

A 19th-century dresser and chair with a cane seat has been updated with paint effects. Advertising fans, as well as antique lace blouses are also on offer.

A wicker dress form with bowler hat, papier-mache horse and a vintage quilt at Sophie Pretalat's Anges et Demons stand at Saint-Sulpice.

A box of well-cared-for sports equipment, in butter-soft leather.

A painted wooden train car and strange puppet.

An ancient wooden horse at Anges et Demons.

A table of early 20th-century bright yellow pitchers.

More yellow pitchers.

A vintage Chatelet poster.

Shoppers go from stand to stand at the brocante at Saint-Sulpice in the sixth arrondissement, Paris.

The famous Church of Saint-Sulpice has been under renovation for more than a year.

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If you're interested in the American presidential election, check out Mark Benjamin's Salon article about John McCain's strong lobbyist ties and his aim to stir up Cold War-like confrontations with Russia.

A lazy summer Sunday

During my three weeks away, the hortensia (hydrangea) finally bloomed. I was beginning to despair, as our late winter had gone straight to summer, skipping spring entirely. This is the sixth summer the hortensia has thrived on the balcony - despite lashings of high winds, storms and an accidental dousing of toxic cleaning chemicals, bright pink blooms always manage to emerge from the soil. I find that reassuring.

On this lazy summer Sunday, have been sipping cucumber water with mint, reading a hard-to-find magazine, writing a blog post, watching the French Open Men's final (won for the fourth time running by the young Spanish hearthrob Rafael Nadal) and doing as little as possible requiring actual physical effort. Now I must drag myself across the street to Longchamp for my usual five miles around the racecourse perimeter. Wherever you are, hope you're enjoying a lovely Sunday!

McCain changes his tune to pursue Bush agenda

Is there any position the Republican candidate for president doesn't change from one airing to the next?

On Wednesday, a McCain campaign spokesperson outlined a surprisingly reasonable position on whether to hold telcoms accountable for illegally spying on millions of Americans. Then the McCain campaign claimed to have made a mistake, saying the report "incorrectly represented" his position, which now is that "companies who assist the government" should be granted amnesty in the pending FISA legislation.

The revised position is difficult to reconcile with McCain's previous stance vis a vis the NSA warrantless wiretapping program. When the New York Times revealed the Bush administration's warrantless wiretapping program, McCain told MSNBC “Theoretically, I obviously wouldn’t like it."

When interviewed by CBS News, McCain was asked how he would feel if subjected to surveillance: CBS: "Well Senator, how do you personally feel about it. Not only are you a lawmaker, you're also a citizen. If you are on a phone call to somewhere overseas and you found out the government was listening in, how would you feel about that?" McCain responded: "In my case, or any other innocent American's case, obviously I wouldn't like that, just because of the privacy concerns....

In telecom litigation onging by the Electronic Frontier Foundation, AT&T is being sued on behalf of these "innocent Americans," all of whom have no connection to terrorism. Speaking to Matt Lauer on NBC's Today show that same month, McCain agreed "it is up to a court of law to find out if someone broke the law here and if punishment should be handed out." Immunity for the telecommunications companies, however, would prevent the court from ruling on the legality of the president's surveillance program.

More recently, McCain clarified his position on the underlying legal issues with The Boston Globe: "Does the president have inherent powers under the Constitution to conduct surveillance for national security purposes without judicial warrants, regardless of federal statutes?" the reporter asked McCain.

"There are some areas where the statutes don’t apply, such as in the surveillance of overseas communications. Where they do apply, however, I think that presidents have the obligation to obey and enforce laws that are passed by Congress and signed into law by the president, no matter what the situation is," McCain said. The Boston Globe reporter replied, "Okay, so is that a no, in other words, federal statute trumps inherent power in that case, warrantless surveillance?" "I don't think the president has the right to disobey any law," McCain said.

The Arizona senator previously has rejected the Bush administration's legal rationale for the warrantless surveillance program, sympathized with the millions of innocent Americans caught up in the NSA spying and claimed the Courts should have the chance to determine whether the law was broken. Given these statements, it is surprising and disappointing that McCain now supports the Bush administration's efforts to prevent courts from ruling on the claims of innocent Americans in telecom litigation.

Senate Foreign Relations Committee chair Joe Biden said the FISA statute "made clear the exclusive legal steps the President must take in order to conduct national security surveillance. President Bush chose to ignore the law and now it seems Senator McCain will continue this policy," Biden said. "Once again – there is no daylight between President Bush and Sen. McCain."

"We all share the goal of capturing the terrorists and protecting national security and we can do that without violating the privacy of the American people," he added. "Like President Bush, Sen. McCain is presenting the American people with a false choice—national security or civil liberties. We need a President who understands that we can have both. It’s what our values and our Constitution demands."

Meanwhile, a simple solution to the warrantless wiretapping debate exists: Congress can extend the orders established last year under the PAA and due to expire in August for a period of nine months or a year, letting the next administration and Congress resolve the issue.