Correction. Photo on right is Victoria Beckham mimicking Audrey...From Paris

U.U.U...From Paris

"Unfair. Unbalanced. Unmedicated." Some very COOL guy or girl penned this perfect descriptive phrase (if I knew who you were, I'd give you credit).

Now. Back to my 'unfair, unbalanced and unmedicated rant.' The killer whale Tilikum, has in fact, killed 3 humans. One in 1991 (British Columbia-woman lost her balance and fell into the pool". Then again in 1999, "a man was discovered draped over the back of this whale at SeaWorld") and the current trainer who was killed recently by Tilikum. Some say, because her hair was "too long". The trainer was growing her hair very long, so that she could contribute her hair to "locks of love", a program providing human hair to cancer survivors. Reporters stated that "Tilikum was behaving like an ornery child. Whales don't like distraction like long hair. The trainers long hair is likely what provoked the killing."

I know. You're asking the same question I am. "With all of this negative press, how is the whale, Tilikum, feeling right now?"

Clearing the dust and cobwebs but not the memories

Out with the old, in with the new

This morning, my family had a garage sale. This was anticipating our pending move from suburban, quiet, tranquil, very, very laid-back Austin, to a metropolitan lifestyle in downtown Chicago.

As part of the planning for this event, we knew we needed to get rid of a lot. We discussed many items that have followed us over the years and whether it was time to part with them. Most of these items were items we considered keepsakes: crib and changing table we used to bring the babies home from the hospital. Ok, these babies are now adults. But neither of them wanted either or both of them.

We also parted with a toolbox that my father made and I have carried around for years. Did not use it much, but we carried it around. He's been gone now 29 years. I could bore you to tears, if you're not there already, about the baby clothes, the baseball bats, and various other items.

I thought I would be really sentimental about this, particularly since this sale had so many personal items in it. But I wasn't after seeing one thing that really made my day.

We had a box loaded with beanie babies the kids had gathered over the years; certainly when beanie babies were popular. Throughout the day, as I was carrying sewing machines, vacuum cleaners, desks, bookshelves and other "stuff" to cars, I noticed quite a few small children carrying these beanie babies in their hands as they left the house and headed back to their homes with their parents who were looking for bargains. There were too many kids to count carrying these minuscule toys home with them. This box of beanie babies that had kept my kids amused over the short attention spans that small kids have were now going to entertain a multitude of new kids -- loads of new kids. And that felt really good.

As for the 'child' who helped us with this garage sale. She's 23 next week and this week when we hit the wall in preparation for the sale, she got us over the threshold. She took charge, organized things, responded to emails from folks asking if we still had this or that. So what once was a child carrying her own beanie babies around is now the adult. The memories will never go away; the new ones we'll make together as we celebrate her adulthood.

Killer Whales...From Paris

Mercifully, I'm moving onto another topic, so for those of you I have lost with my Audrey obsession posts, it's safe to come back to DB. What I'd like to discuss is killer whales. I was incredulous this morning when I watched a spokesman from Sea World say something to the effect (I'm paraphrasing and working from a completely annoyed state about what was said, so keep that in mind when I begin to rant)

"For those of you who have expressed concern for the whale, we wanted to reassure you that the whale involved in the incident has been fully integrated back into the show and the whale is an "important member of our team."

Okay. First of all-- WHAT? Have you heard anyone express concern over the whale? The KILLER whale that did in fact KILL A HUMAN. I know it's crazy to suggest that I would have stronger feelings for a human than a whale, but I do. I appreciate and value all living creatures (with the exception of cats) and I hold the belief that humans are superior creatures. Have we slipped so far into political correctness, that we don't even notice when the whale gets more sympathy than the human being who died as a result of what killer whales do--KILL?

I assume the whale is in group therapy to resolve any childhood issues.

My very smart daughter says: "Sea World knows what they are doing. People want to see

THAT whale and maybe they'd like to see that sort of blood sport happen again. It's about selling tickets."

Either way, it's creepy.

"An important member of our team?" That's what I say to my staff.

The Antedote To Gray-Frump-Suits...From Paris

Glamour Don't...From Paris

If you hop on the Fashionista link, you'll see this photo. As I understand it, this angry gal works in the Marketing Department for Jil Sander. Jil is a major fashion designer and Jil made this 'suit'. How do you spell ugly? Ill-fitting-frumpy-sloppy-gray-Jil-Sander-suit. This needs to be on the back page of Glamour with the red slash mark over it.

The Staying Power Of A Fashion Legend...From Paris

Why aren't designers looking at what Audrey Hepburn wore 50 years ago, and recreating the exact look? There is a market for classic, beautiful timeless pieces. Especially now, when many are making buying decisions with the long term investment in mind.

The Answer To ALL Your Fashion Questions...From Paris

Both previous photos are of Audrey Hepburn, taken from the 60s. If you ever find yourself wondering if a fashion 'trend' is a good idea, and worth the investment, ask yourself "Would Audrey Hepburn wear this (insert specific item here)? Let's put that theory to the test: "Would Audrey Hepburn wear an orange frumpy jumpsuit, harem pants, or a black dominatrix leather dress?" If you answered 'No', then you will also have your answer about whether to purchase the item you are considering.

Clue To The Fashion Question...From Paris

Here she is again. Decade for both photos? 1960s.

Fashion Quiz...From Paris

Who is this?

What year/decade?

Hint: She is not holding a cell phone or a blackberry.