Tech Rant -- Instaspam

Today's rant is over the sudden proliferation of spam comments on Instagram.
They look like this:

Two of my images are currently being targeted. 

Being the Instacop that I am, I investigate the perps:

Looks like the above isn't doing so well on the "hundreds [of] followers & likes".

My first action is blocking the account: 

Next I go to the image with the comments and report each one as spam.

Here's how:

Click down on the comment and slide left, you will then see this:

The grey   ! octagon   is the reporting button. 

Tapping on it will give you some options:

You can be a good Instacop on your friends' images as well.
Left swiping will give you the Report option (but not the Trash).

Let's clean up Instagram and eliminate the Instaspam!

52 Pick-me-up: Completion

•••••••• 

We have reached the last week of 52 Pick-me-up Style. We've been working our way through the rainbow all year, with additional emotional word prompts from Tori Hartman's Chakra Wisdom Oracle. Now is your chance to show me your best color, your favorite outfit, and, for all you "Jokers" out there [you know who you are], your loudest, craziest ensemble with ALL THE COLORS.

Toast the rainbow!

I'll leave the link open for a month. Keep in mind -- I will be showing fashion illustrations November 22 - December 17 at TAG Gallery in Santa Monica under the title "Fashion Rainbow". What does that mean? You might be "SpyGirled"!

I'm also hosting a 40+ Blogger Meetup to coincide with the show, December 2-4. Plans for that are still very nebulous. Sign up for the email list on the 40+ Meetup page to stay informed.


Toast the rainbow -- Link and tell!

It's Reigning Men at LACMA

There's a great exhibition of men's fashion, Reigning Men, currently at LACMA through 8/21/16.
It's displayed in several rooms and is organized thematically rather than chronologically.

The accompanying book is good as well. The photographs are straightforward, and the book gives full information on every piece displayed (much better than the book from the Met's China show last year).

Following are glimpses of the various sections.

Revolution/Evolution

Walter Van Beirendonck, FW 2000-01,  Ensemble from 1790s

Zoot Suit 1940-42

Langlitz Leathers 1951, Johnson Hartig for Libertine FW 2009-10

East/West

Tronbi 1925-35

Rudi Gernreich 1970, Banyan Robe 1720s, Banyan 1880s

Uniformity

Ralph Lauren 1979, Vivienne Westwood FW 1992-93

Detail of Thom Browne FW 2014-15

Jeremy Scott with Adidas FW 2013-14

Body Consciousness

Kean Etro for Etro FW 2014-15

The Splendid Man

Italo Zucchelli for Calvin Klein SS 2009, Johnson Hartig for Libertine SS 2014, Sapeur Suit 2005

Detail of Coat and Waistcoat c1800

I've loaded more of my photos onto Flickr and they can be found in the Reigning Men album.

52 Pick-me-up: Wine / Creation

••• 

We are on our last week of neutral colors for 52 Pick-me-up -- let's celebrate with wine!

Did you know that you can exercise with wine? (No, I do not mean "bending your elbow").

Um, yeah. Lizzy IS a bit perky.
I see from her YouTube channel, she also does workouts on the couch.
Or combine the two -- workouts on the couch with wine.
Or omit the "workout" part and have wine on the couch.
Cheers!

I wore wine twice this week, here are the outfits depicted in #selfiesketch style:

Linking up with Shelbee's On the Edge of the Week linkup

See the ongoing series here on Tumblr.

It's the final week to link any neutral, including those not mentioned like brown.
Wine / Creation -- Link and tell!

52 Pick-me-up: Silver / Confusion / Clarity

••• 

This week's 52 Pick-me-up neutral is my favorite metal for self-adornment: Silver.

My rings --I wear them 24/7, they all hold memories.
Linking up with Patti's Visible Monday. 

I featured my rings on my (sort of) new WordPress blog, where I'm doing a June Challenge in order to get more comfortable working with the platform. I want to create an e-commerce site on it (Blogger's search is terrible and I can't add a shopping cart). It's true, if you do something every day, you get more proficient -- unless it's cleaning up clutter. I fail at that one!

Full outfit:

Roxanne gave me the top -- I've gotta admit, it's one of the more uncomfortable things I've put on my body. Metallic yarns ITCH! As you can see, I put it on over a tunic -- still the THOUGHT of it made me itchy. I'm selling it on Poshmark for $10, if you're interested. It has holes and snags. Don't I make it sound ENTICING?

Disintegration seems to be The Thing for all the silver garments here. 

My Union Bay "fauxkenstocks" are falling apart too. [Sad face]. All of a sudden, all the glue is failing -- on the straps, on the sole. Do Birkenstock's last longer than a year? Maybe it's time to upgrade to the real thing.

On a happier note, how about those leggings?

They're my own pattern, recolored from a silkscreen print that I made in the 70s. (Read more here).

Society6 had one of their better sales ($5 off, free shipping), so I pounced.
Available here, if you want to be twinsies. (Disclosure: I will get about $2.50 commission).

Time to add your neutrals!

Silver / Confusion / Clarity -- link and tell!

52 Pick-me-up: Black & White / Destiny

••• 

What's in the cards for me as I turn 60? 

My year, according to the Destiny Cards app
Seems accurate, so far. 

I wore this Black & White ensemble on May 15, for International Fluevog Day,
John Fluevog's self-proclaimed day to celebrate his oeuvre.

Starring Fluevog Creepx that I got on deep sale in San Francisco.
Linking up with Patti's Visible Monday.

As part of the celebration, all the Fluevog stores had sales and special giveaways.
I ventured over to the Abbot Kinney branch in Venice. 
What a party!

Shoe frenzy!

Shiny! The Sparkler, released 2016
(All links are for your shopping pleasure, not affiliate).

Red Liz on left, can anyone ID the pale pink ones?

Meteor on left, Black Opposition in middle

Men's Granville

No shoes for man's best friend. Sad face.

I got into the fun and tried on dotty Propel

Lots of fab shoes, all beyond my budget.

Back home, I DID manage to get a pack of Fluevog playing cards online. With the Day's free shipping, I avoided the $8 shipping usually slapped onto $10 cards. 52 Pick-me-up, indeed!
...

But then on Friday my luck turned.
I was all set to photograph a Royal Flush with the Heart suit, but much to my dismay, the Queen and Jack were missing!

Oh noooooo!

I immediately did a live chat with Fluevog's online customer service.
Megan from Minneapolis was ever so helpful and a replacement deck is making it's way home.
Whew! Crisis averted!
Megan told me to use my partial deck for "craft projects".
I have the perfect idea and it involves the December 40+ Blogger Meetup. In the cards, my friends, in the cards.

Will it be my Destiny to see you in December?
Black & White / Destiny -- Link and tell!