Putin is very tough–he was high-up in the KGB. Garry Kasparov, the internationally renowned chess champion, who is a national hero &vocal critic of Vladimir Putin‘s govt., has been jailed. Bill Maher had him on about 6 weeks ago. He was going back to Russia to run in the pres. election.Chess is as popular in Russia as NASCAR or wrestling is here. It’s like–OHMYGOD-jailing Jeff Gordon or Hulk Hogan–DUH. Kasparov has brains, guts, & soul. 4 yrs back they took YUKOS, the Russian oil monopoly, away from young multi-multi billionaire, Mikhail Khodorkovsky, charged him w/ tax evasion, & threw him in a gulag–after he threated Putin politically.
Do you think Hillary Clinton or Mitt Romney, whom I think will grab their parties’ nominations, would ever put themselves at risk?

Everytime I turn on PROJECT RUNWAY another design assistant from my past shows up. 1st was the inimitable Santino Rice, whom I met when he was working for designer Galina Sobolev, at her company, SINGLE. I luv Santino & know he is wildly creative in many areas. Did you know he worked for Tony Duquette, legendary Hollywood genius, before he died in his 80s? There is a new photo book about Tony. I want to get it!
This season there’s Sweet P. She was an assistant at BEBE when I was designing there, a few years back. She’s nice enuff but– watch out–she doesn’t take criticism well! I HAVE NEVER SEEN ANY OF HER DESIGNS. Maybe she’ll surprise me! She started a co. that sounded like a good idea, making funky pajamas, I think. Apparently, it didn’t work out–but these things happen. SWEET P, GOOD LUCK!
The look by smug, fey Christian Siriano was the worst atrocity I’ve ever seen (& this show has shown me plenty). He should be arrested by the FASHION POLICE, but he makes for good televsion. The judges really had to hold their noses when they reviewed his design–but he’ll stay on a long while, I bet.

**UPDATE** August 25th 2008: New lawyer for slay suspect Natavia Lowery
I just heard Linda Stein, “realtor to the stars“, former Ramones (ugh) co-manager, & ex- wife of Seymour Stein (his big find: Madonna), was bludgeoned to death in her 5th Ave apt!!! She was hit–6 or 7times–w/ a workout stick!!!
Linda was always a lot of fun. What a horrible death! This is real Manhattan Babylon.
The personal assistant did it! Arrested today: Natavia Lowery, 26, who was previously employed at Rogers & Cowan PR firm. Afterwards, she withdrew $800 from Linda’s ATM. Lowery, who has a history of identity theft, confessed–saying Linda was abusive & blew marijuana smoke in her face. Is that reason to kill someone???

On ANIMAL PLANET there was an amazing documentary: Romeo & Juliet: A Monkey’s Tale—about warring packs of URBAN monkeys living in a Thai city. I can’t get it out of my mind. 1 group lives in a temple-like a mini-Angkor Wat-the others at the market. They’re so sophisticated in the cityscape:”car-jacking”, grabbing food from people & going to war. TAKE THAT MIKE HUCKABEE! There was an incredible battle after R & J “hooked-up”. Some of the males are huge, almost like orangutangs. Read a few years ago about some monkeys in Japan that ate from McDonald’s trash. They were SUPER-SIZED by the junk food!
Saw INTO THE WILD, adapted & directed by Sean Penn. It was a difficult film to make. I liked it & think it will get Oscar Buzz! Emile Hirsch will be a big star.

of the Final 24. I want to see the complete show about “the last day of Jim Morrison.” It reenacted what “supposedly” happened w/ Jim & Pam Courson. I was in Paris, seeing them, until a few days before he died. I took long walks, alone, w/ Jim around the city. They both told me many very personal things. Among the things Jim and I talked about was Oscar Wilde,who died in Paris,too!
Where should I begin w/ comments on this program?

1. Art Direction: they portrayed the beautiful haute bourgeois Marais apartment as a psychedelic hippy pad.
2. Sensationalism: footage of a bloated drunken Jim after an arrest was repeated as if that was how he looked at the time of his death. They allude to their states of mind & what  they “portray” happening as fact. See: My Take. HOW CAN THIS BE?
3. Content: They made it seem like his career was over. Who are the people they interviewed? BOGUS!!! Research, pls!!!

Jim was a talented serious person, who was only 27! HE LOOKED FINE & WAS IN GOOD SPIRITS, HIS DREAM OF WRITING A NOVEL WAS HAPPENING (I leafed thru the almost-finished, hand written manuscript) plus HE HAD MANY SHOWBIZ OFFERS! They made a thing about the Doors recording in LA. JIM & PAM LAUGHED WHEN THEY TOLD ME THEY WERE MAKING A RECORD W/OUT HIM!!!
Off topic: I’m so glad they suspended Dog: The Bounty Hunter. I can’t believe THAT TRASH is a hit. It represents all that’s wrong w/ this country.
Less bread & circuses, PLS!!