Spring 2010 Trends, According to WhoWhatWear

WhoWhatWear's predictions for Spring 2010: Extreme wedges, all-weather leather, accessory overkill, lingerie galore, pretty pastels, mid-blue hues, manicured ruffles, digital prints, cut-out dresses, khaki craze.

I agree overall, but think they missed this season's over-riding "African" theme - the khaki is really safari/military, and the most interesting graphic prints are tribal - as are some of the shapes, which are less "cut-out" than wrapped. And I'm all for "mid-blue hues," but I'm hoping, Chloe et al. not withstanding, that it won't take the form of the double denim "Canadian tuxedo."

The Lovely Not-Just-Skin-and-Bones

Model Crystal Renn is always described as "plus-sized," but she's just plain HOT. She's been front and central in fashion's latest "size wars," releasing her memoir, Hungry, and starring in the much-talked-about "size issue" of V Magazine. But according to her New York Times interview, she doesn't believe her recent popularity is necessarily a big victory for size acceptance. "When designers and editors choose one fat girl to salivate over, and revel in her avoirdupois, I'm not sure how much it advances the cause of using girls of all sizes in a magazine," she wrote in her book.

Things That Make Me Happy

Electropolis! Excellent and hilarious. Nice work, Sheridan College 3rd year Animation students.

Come On . . . Windfall Tax!

Democrats need to implement some strategic populism if they want to escape the November 2010 anti-incumbent wave, and bashing big banks could be the solution. And there's reason to hope that they'll implement practical actions, rather than just rhetoric. The NY Times reports that President Obama will attempt to recoup as much as $120 billion of the $700 billion financial bailout. How he'll do it is uncertain, but a windfall tax on profits, such as the British are considering, could be just what taxpayers and voters need.

Design Blogs: design-milk

Especially good jewelry reviews / finds.

Here, a piece from Gisele Ganne's mourning series.

Hallelujah, Kinda

Schwarzenegger Seeks Shift From Prisons to Schools

Governor Schwarzenegger wants to shift California's money out of prisons and into schools, a move that could thrill those concerned with social justice. California spends $10.6 billion a year on its 33 prisons and 12 community correctional facilities. 30 years ago, 10 percent of the general fund went to higher education, and 3 percent to prisons. Now, 11 percent goes to prisons, and just 7.5 percent to higher education. Unfortunately, he wants to accomplish this liberal goal in a conservative way - by privatizing prisons. The system would be better served by releasing low-level offenders. The state's prison system is vastly overcrowded, and a panel of federal judges gave it two years to reduce its current number of 170,000 inmates to 130,000. But the governor has refused to allow prisoners to be released early, and the correction officers union is not cooperating.

Important Political Stances

Some prominent conservatives would like Americans to know where they stand - against the insanely popular movie Avatar. Also against the environment, certain religions, and hot human-on-humanoid sex. But for the Iraq war and clear-cutting. Read all about it!