It's The Only Explanation

The inability to die, discoloration, blank stares, missing patches of flesh... I agree with A Socialite's Life: I think Amy Winehouse might be a zombie! You can't kill yourself if you are already undead!

More Evidence here, here and here.

The Whorror of Horrors

With all the sexiness of a lower case L, here are the best moments of this hate-spewing scourge, She makes me sad to be a women and thank God I am not a Republican.

Odd Person of Note: Florence Foster Jenkins

Florence Foster Jenkins had been a very wealthy but very sheltered girl but in her later life, after receiving her large inheritance, she finally got a chance to pursue her lifelong dream, to be an opera singer. Only thing, she was absolutely awful, worse than awful. She seemed to not be able to hit one note, chose very vocally challenging songs, and did it with a sincere passion, and lavish costumes! She started having concerts that became very popular—many couldn’t get through a whole performance, rolling in laughter and had to excuse themselves. In 1944 she sold out Carnegie Hall! With some scalpers getting as much as $20 a ticket.

“Some may say that I couldn’t sing, but no one can say I didn’t sing.” —Florence Foster Jenkins

There is a play that has been written, ‘Souvenir’ (Stephen Temperley), hilarious. The Studio Theatre just staged it last season with Nancy Robinette (here in Washington DC). 

To hear a legend, click here. This video makes my cats ears go back.

More on Florence Foster Jenkins here.

Pic of the Day

Odd Person of Note: The Edies!

The famous Big Edie and Little Edie Beale were wealthy society girls turned delusional hermits. Cousins of Jackie O, all the family girls always married prominent and wealthy. After Big Edie’s divorce, the mother and daughter lived exclusively in their East Hampton estate, Grey Gardens. The two of them, with very little money, didn’t leave and allowed the mansion to deteriorate to a crumbling, hoarders den with 300 cats and raccoons in the attic. When the Health Dept. threatened to tear it down, Jackie and her sister bailed them out and repaired the home.

The classic documentary Grey Gardens (1975, Albert and David Maysles) is the delicious voyeur’s peep into the bizarre world of the Beales. Although it had only been a few years since the refurbishment, the movie shows Grey Gardens is well on its way back to its former state. 

Apparently they are making a movie for 2008 about Grey Gardens, Drew Barrymore stars as Little Edie.

"My mother doesn't believe in kitty litter.  She prefers boxes and paper.  And she's the cat lover.  So you can imagine how I suffer." - Little Edie

"Jackie was twelve years younger than I, and although I was never jealous of her, I never liked her.  You know what Jackie wanted?  She wanted the house.  Yes darling, that's the truth, and she did everything she could to get it.  Then Jackie sent her sister Lee, who I've always been absolutely terrified of- I think she's a big criminal.  Lee and her boyfriend came around and started to tear the house down with axes.  Don't go near any of these people for God's sake, they're all insane!" - Little Edie

"Of course the house isn't perfectly normal.  The house has to be done over.  You know how hard it is to get plumbers in the autumn." - Little Edie

You think it would look sexier with the bra underneath? I think it would. - Little Edie

Grey Gardens Trivia

Odd Person of Note: Michael Carroll

The tragic Michael Carroll won 10 million pounds in the British lottery and earned his tabloid title “Lottery lout” by using his winnings to be the biggest jerk ever. Of course, he bought expensive homes, cars, cocaine and jewelry—but he also spewed death threats at most, was a notoriously paranoid thug and avid racist. To the horror of his neighbors, he turned the back yard of one his residences into his own private demolition derby. When he ran out of derby cars, he and his entourage would smash the luxury cars!  He became an infamous tabloid media monster, amateur boxer, drug addict, and criminal. He squandered his millions in an astonishing 18 months, he also lost his family. Not surprisingly, he inspired countless news articles and a documentary.

Clip from Keith Allen's documentary on Carroll "King of Chavs" 1 of 3... check em all out, they made me crave Stella Artois. 

7 Lottery Winners Who Lost Their Millions

Curse of the Lottery, THS Investigates on E!

Odd Person of Note: The Collyer Brothers

I read a book a while ago called 'Ghosty Men: The Strange but True Story of the Collyer Brothers, New York's Greatest Hoarders: An Urban Historical', a very descriptive title indeed. These very wealthy brothers lived in a townhouse in Harlem (5th and 128th). They seemed to share a hoarding problem, packing the entire house from floor to ceiling, fortified with booby traps. Becoming recluses, the house eventually led to their unfortunate and rather grisly demise. This left the enormous problem of the packed house on the hands of the city. The excavation turned up a massive list of things ranging from a Model T Ford to decades of newspapers and drew quite a crowd.

A couple years after I read this book I had the pleasure/horror of visiting a property being cleared of a life time of hoarding. It brought home how sad this behavior is.  Fascinating nonetheless. Some of my pictures below.