"Insight" by St. Louis artist Liz Steltzer

FASHION & BEAUTY
http://culturesurfer.com/Fashion.htm

The Guys-For all of you Dino fans out there(the model with the long hair), here's your chance to meet him.

The Dillard's Show-Part Two

R Bath & Body-Wendy & her husband have launched this business together & their products smell amazing. Seriously!

MUSIC
http://culturesurfer.com/Music.htm
Back Porch byCharlz Newman (combo of two of the band member's names)-This indie band is out of Minneapolis and is seriously good. We filmed them at the PlaySTL fest back in September.

ART
http://culturesurfer.com/Art.htm
Liz Steltzer-Liz is a very talented artist, super cool & smart lady, & she used to play pro softball. This is her interview from last month's Jack The Ripper art show.

Pic by Dan Elavsky

Yup, CultureSurfer is delving into that girlie (mostly) world of beauty. There are those who will argue that beauty, like fashion, is not culture. I beg to differ. Or I would beg to differ if it weren't my site. But since it is my site, I can do whatever I want.

BEAUTY
Pretty Sweet-the beauty bash put on by PrettyCity.com at Mandarin Lounge in St. Louis.
Mineral-based Makeup-Jackie from Jon Tomas salon talks about using mineral-based makeup at Pretty Sweet, the beauty bash put on by PrettyCity.com at Mandarin Lounge in St. Louis.

FASHION
The Dillard’s Show-Part One-At Saint Louis Fashion Week, Fall 2008

ART
Dallas Moses-curator of Jack’s Art Show at the Koken Art Factory

CYCLING
Cyclocross at Creve Coeur Lake-Part One-See Dan Elavsky’s beautiful photos put to music.
Ben Oliver-an interview with the Bissell team mechanic at the 2nd annual Tour of Missouri.

My wishes for this baby as he grows up:
-that he thinks an African-American, Asian, Hispanic or any other minority male or female president of the United States is the norm
-that he lives in a time of peace for as much of his life as possible
-that he thinks nothing of the fact that he has a top-rate education
-that he and everyone else he knows has access to excellent health care
-that his first car runs on electricity or air (or some other cleaner, renewable energy)
-that he feels he lives in one, undivided country
-that he sees color, nationality, ethnicity as something to be celebrated
-that he feels loved, not despised, by the rest of the world for his nationality
-that he is proud to call himself an American

Feel free to add your own wishes for this baby.

(No, I don't know him or his mom. I just couldn't resist taking this pic at the Obama victory party last night.)

*********************
Jeff & I with John & his wife at the Obama Victory Party. John said "Uncle Harry" would have been very, very happy to see Obama in office:

I had recently heard rumblings of increased crime in the U. City Loop. A teenager was shot during an argument back in August. A store that stocks very expensive jeans had recently been held up. It worried & angered me, but I didn't really think that much. I've been having plenty of anxiety over who we're about to elect as our new president, trying to get a web site off the ground in a bad economy, hearing about health problems of various friends, etc.

Friday night, my husband and I went to our beloved Tivoli Theater in the Loop to see "Rachel Getting Married." We left the theater at about 9:30, walked back to our car, & hit our favorite Mexican restaurant before going home.

Last night (Saturday night) we went to have dinner with some friends in front of a St. Louis institution, Blueberry Hill. Our friend mentioned there had been a police officer shot & killed Friday night in the Loop. We talked about it & then went back to discussing various things, particularly politics, as the husband of this couple & I are both political junkies. Then we went home.

I woke up this morning & turned on the Today Show. They broke for a local news update. I actually listened for once as I wanted to know more about the murder of the police officer.

It turns out he was a friend of mine. His name was Mike King. I hadn't seen him for years, I just hadn't run into him. I first met him around 10 years ago when I was the neighborhood liaison to the police department for updating the neighborhood on crime in our area. I think he also may have helped me out when we had major problems with some neighbors that finally moved away.

Mike was a great guy. He was really sweet & friendly. He didn't have that hard outer exterior that many cops (understandably) have.

Mike was murdered Friday night for no reason at all. He was sitting in his police car right in front of Starbucks, right where we had walked 30 minutes prior to get back to our car. We may have even walked past his patrol car & not even noticed him because there is always a police car parked in that spot.

The scum who killed him was a convicted drug dealer, apparently well-known by the police department. He just walked up to Mike's car & shot & killed him. They're still looking for the bastard as of this writing.

I can't even begin to express the sadness & anger I am feeling right now. For Mike's wife, for Mike's family & friends, for the U. City Police Department, for my community, for myself. Mike was only 50.

The Loop is where I go to relax and feel grounded. When I need to get myself away from work (since I work at home) I go to the library where I first learned how to read at the triangle table. I used to get my new shoes at the beginning of each school year at Lasky's, which was a mainstay of the area for years. The guys at the produce market know they can expect to see me almost every week. I've been going to the Tivoli theater since I can't even remember. Back when the floors were perpetually sticky, the a/c & heating were undependable, & I watched double features of almost every cult classic that was made in the early 80's.

This is where I most feel like me. Where I go when I feel lost & need to find my footing. This is where I go, above all, to feel safe.

And now thugs have taken over my neighborhood.

UPDATE-NOV. 4-
I just saw that they've caught Mike's killer. Thank God. A small amount of justice on the day of Mike's funeral should give everyone a small amount of peace.

Yup, we're still bringing you more fashion videos from Fashion Week but we're switching gears a bit to bring you some very whacky art videos. Apparently, the St. Louis art community gets even more creative than usual this time of year & puts on events like Jack's Art Show (as in Jack the Ripper, how funny & sick is that?-lol) and Art Attack, a fundraiser at which the audience decides how to destroy the pieces of art that don't win the auction. I must say that I have never, ever had so much fun at at art opening as I did at Jack's Show. You may notice that I was giggling a bit in this video and no, I was not drunk! I was just letting loose; no alcohol was involved.Really.

FASHION
Pics of the Meghan Fabulous Runway Show

Meghan Fabulous Runway Show-At the 2008 Saint Louis Fall Fashion Week (Check out the designer whose looks are worn by celebrities like Sharon Stone & Paris Hilton.)

Meghan Fabulous Interview-At the 2008 Saint Louis Fall Fashion Week

DANCE
Fire Dance-Part One-performed by Pandora’s Matchbox at Third Degree Glass Company

ART
Jack’s Show-The Jack the Ripper Art Show at the Koken Art Factory in St. Louis

Jeremy Hendry-interview with the artist at the February 2008 Art Coop opening


CYCLING
MTB Pro Race-Spanish Lake-October, 2008

Team Symmetrics Interview-at the 2nd Annual Tour of MO pro cycling race

POLITICS
Missouri Politicians at Bosnian Festival Speak Up for Obama