"Through the Looking Glass"

Work in progress....

2008-06-26T08:01:00.004-05:00

Here's a pic of my most recent painting...
It's not done yet, but it's getting there.

On George Carlin's passing

2008-06-23T19:58:00.001-05:00

By Jennifer Huberdeau

NORTH ADAMS – Psychology professor Timothy Jay remembers the year 1986 very clearly – his work with cursing was featured for the first time in the Wall Street Journal, he was interviewed for the ESPN film, “Autumn Ritual,” for a segment featuring the role of swearing in football, and comedian George Carlin took an interest in him.
“It was a big year for me, my research hit the main stream,” Jay, a professor of psycholinguistics at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, said Monday. “It was around October when the film came out. I was teaching class and when I came back to my office I had a pink note on my desk saying George Carlin had called. I had to ask the secretary if “the” George Carlin had called.”
Carlin, 71, who died of heart failure on Sunday, had seen Jay in the ESPN film. He was especially interested in Jay’s work which focuses on cursing, the meaning of words, indecency and obscenity laws.
“I called him and the first thing he said to me was, ‘Man, are you for real? Is this what you really do for a living?,” Jay said. “I met him in the spring at the Starlite Theater in Latham, N.Y. He’s been a friend, colleague and cohort for the last 22 years.”
He said he learned of the comedian’s death during the early hours of Monday morning, after being awoken by a thunderstorm.
“I couldn’t go back to sleep, so I turned on the radio,” Jay said. “I just listened to several radio stations for the next hour. I just met him in May out in Northampton. He would have me come meet him before he went on for a show. He had two sold out shows in Northampton. I went to the first show and talked to him about his recent work.
“He was working on another book and he said his work this time around was more autobiographical. He was really happy and his life very full.”
Jay remembered how Carlin told him about his second wife, Sally Wade, whom he was still married to at the time of his death.
“When his first wife, Brenda, passed away about 10 years ago, I had gone to see him at the Mullien Center,” he said. “George was at the end of a long hallway, coming out of the greenroom. He said, ‘Tim, I’ve met the greatest woman. Oh, before I forget to tell you, Brenda died. It made sense to me that he would do that. The last few years had been hard with Brenda with the drug and alcohol abuse. The woman he was telling me about was Sally. I was so happy that night that he was happy.”
Carlin’s routine, “Filthy Words,” better known as “The Seven Things You Can’t Say on Television,” was the subject of the U.S. Supreme Court case, The F.C.C verses Pacifica, which ruled the routine was indecent but not obscene but could be controlled by the Federal Communications Commission, is still considered one of the foremost censorship cases.
“George had all of my books,” said Jay, who has written numerous briefs on censorship for court cases around the country. “I dedicated my second book, ‘Cursing in America’ to him. Occasionally, he would call me and ask for a legal brief I had written.”
For Jay, the most flattering compliment paid to him by Carlin was said to his daughter.
“I was in Colorado visiting my daughter and George was performing in Colorado Springs,” he said. “I took my daughter, her husband and a friend of mine to meet him. He said to my daughter, gesturing with his hands, I have this much of my bookshelf filled with your father’s books. It’s something he never told me.”
He said one of the things he admired the most about Carlin was his interest in the English language and how he used that interest in his comedy routines.
“Although he was a high school drop out, he was very intelligent and had this wonderful insight about language,” Jay said. “As a scholar of language, I really admired his sensibility about the way it is used and manipulated.”
Over the years, Jay was able to introduce many of his colleagues and friends to the comedian turned actor and author.
“Through his generosity, I was able to bring many of my friends, students and colleagues to his shows,” he said. “George never gave me just one ticket – it was always five or six. We’d go to his shows and come home hurting from all the laughing. A lot of those people who have gone with me over the years have emailed or called me. I’ve lost a friend.”

Carnival Time

2008-05-14T21:31:00.010-05:00

The carnival is in town..... it opened Wednesday evening to lack luster crowds. I expected to see more teenagers there on opening night, but it was nice to spend a night there with the kids without a huge crowd. These pictures were taken much later, after the kids were in bed and I returned with the new Finepix s1000f in hand and good friend Amy in tow.

I have to admit that we were a little disappointed. The place was basically deserted with only handfuls of people wandering around. Most of the rides were vacant with only the carnival workers hanging out on them. The Ferris wheel wasn't working, but at least it was lit.

But despite the disappointment ...

It's still time for cotton candy, carmel and candy apples, fried dough and corn dogs....

Even if most of the rides looked like this....

which reminds me of the really creepy abandoned amusement park exhibit that Mass MoCA had in Building 5 a few years ago. That exhibit was awesome, but totally creepy at the same time. The rides all moved really slow, giving you the feeling that you were in some horror movie and left you feeling like you needed to keep your guard up because zombies could be hiding anywhere.

The Untamed Beauty of the Glen

2008-05-13T21:46:00.007-05:00

Over the weekend, my friend and I hiked Gould's Trail at the Greylock Glen in Adams, crossing over to West Mountain Road and eventually doubling back around to view both upper and lower Peck's Falls. I still don't know why anyone would want to disturb the natural beauty of this place, spoiling the landscape with campsites that will only bring trash and humans.

I'm also wondering why people are pretending that the wildlife in the area will go undisturbed? If you've been to the glen, you know that there are plenty of animals -- beaver, wild turkeys, fox, deer, and bear. There's some dispute between my friend and I over whether or not a large footprint by the Peck's Brook belongs to a cougar or a large dog. But despite our difference of opinion, there's no doubt that there are predators in those woods.

Then there's the issue of endangered species, both fauna and flora. I'm not sure if the jack in the pulpit is still on that list in Massachusetts, but finding these beauties along with red and white trillium is a rare one for me. It's actually been years since I've seen them growing up there and they happen to be located in the area for planned camping. I'm also disturbed by the fact that the plan calls for parking on grassy areas. Cars leak - oil, gas, anti-freeze, etc. - just look at any parking lot on any given day. Isn't that defeating the purpose, not that I want to see portions of the glen paved.

Why should such beauty be displaced for the benefit of a few. We need to be protecting these natural beauties, not coming up with some contrived scheme about how the glen is going to be the needed shot in the arm of economic stimulus the town needs for the future. PUH-LEASE. Putting campers in the glen is not going to get people into the downtown, nor is an oversized amphitheatre.

What the town needs to be doing is focusing its resources on an economic development plan that works with the owners of the two or

three empty factory buildings and helps brings something in to fill them, whether it be manufacturing, or a more creative use. They also need to work on being business friendly, not making arbitrary decisions about who can and can't have seating for their deli, or who would need extra insurance for a hanging sign and who doesn't.

Requiem

2008-04-29T22:52:00.003-05:00

Requiem

In a world torn apart,
drenched in chaos,
bleak and wreathed in despair,
I found myself.

My pain,
my sorrow,
my suffering
were becoming too much to bear.

I was tired.
Alone.
My soul hungered.

And then I found you.

Being near you
calmed my inner most fears,
contented the hunger,
ripped away my rage.

The sun shone
its golden rays,
and I saw them as if
it was for
the very first time.

And then I loved you.

However, you did not
feel the same.
Your words tortured me,
gnawed at my mind
and stilled the beating
of my heart.

I grew cold.

And then I hated you.

As the darkness and the pain
crept closer,
threatening to engulf
my soul once more,
I realized that
I needed you.

As so we began again ...

as friends.

A new stand-off begins...

2008-04-29T22:42:00.000-05:00

Bulimia never goes away. It hides and waits for an opportunity to resurface, like the old friend you can't say no to. It's a dance that goes round and round. Mia has been off the dance card for years, but recently showed up on my list. We've been dancing for sometime behind closed doors. I've been taking comfort in her euphoria when stressed. Other times, she doesn't show up, but the binging still takes place. Sometimes I take the lead. This time I have, but only because I let another old vice return in her place. So please forgive me if you see me doing it; it's a way to survive.

Random thoughts

2008-04-29T22:39:00.002-05:00

I want leggings with green and white stripes. I would wear them once a week.

Black eyeliner: you can never wear too much of it. But Tammy Faye Baker proved you could wear too much mascara.

Never ever wear bright red lipstick. It will make you look like a clown, a whore, or both. See Courtney Love for a prime example of red lipstick gone wrong.

I want one of those hats like the girl at the Cup and Saucer wears. I think it would look awesome on me.

I also want a big society hat and huge glasses like Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany's.

Is the stuff at Tiffany's really all that great or does the little blue box make it just seem like it?

Wigalicious

2008-04-29T22:38:00.001-05:00

As a young child, my mother would take me shopping at the old Kmart on Main Street (the old ugly one right on the street with its large plate glass windows, too crowded interior and restaurant in the back) and I would hang out in the wig section. I'd pull on the long curly auburn wigs, tuck my hair into the brown bobs and comb my fingers through the pale blond tresses. Back in those days the wigs were tucked in small boxes similar to cross-your-heart bras. I stare up at myself in the big gold mirror, dreaming of my own collection of coifs.

Dreaming of color

2008-04-29T22:36:00.001-05:00

If I could wear a different wig everyday of the week, I would. Really, I would. I would love to sport a pink bob, a florescent blue do, purple and pink. A green coif would be wonderful. I'm dying as I watch the manic panic colors resurface in the hair of teens and 20 somethings. I'm dying for hot highlights of fuchsia or electric blue.

Looking Glass Logic

2008-03-29T09:52:00.000-05:00

"There's the King's Messenger. He's in prison now, being punished: and the trial doesn't even begin till next Wednesday: and of course the crime comes last of all."

"Suppose he never commits the crime?" said Alice.

"That would be better, wouldn't it?"

If we could only win the lottery....

2008-03-28T22:31:00.003-05:00

Today was the first time I ever wished we had enough money to afford for me to be a stay-at-home mom. I'm just tired of other people taking care of my kids and telling me what they do wrong. If they would just listen to me, my kids would be good for them. Honestly.

In my home it's about preventing meltdowns, redirecting focus and choosing what behaviors to ignore. I've learned to only battle when its necessary. I also don't talk down to my children. I don't talk to them like adults, but I don't talk to them like they're dim-witted lower beings because they are 7 and 3.

I am also officially burnt out. I have to meet an impossible deadline for a side job that just sounded too good to be true. With the amount of work its taking and the fact that I'm going to have to take vacation time off to finish it up (hopefully) I'll end up making less an hour then what I make at my regular job. What's worse, is when I asked for an extension, I was told no. Funny, because the production of the piece isn't going to be done in the week that I've asked for. Word to the wise, don't take freelance work for a set price when it involves multiple pieces. I was paid more for a single 1200 word article on Bennington for a magazine. And 1,200 was only four out out of the close to 40 pieces I have to write. I was told that if I needed help, to pay someone out of the money I'm getting. I'm about ready to tell them to shove it and walk away from the project. Honestly, $400 is a lot of money for me, especially because I thought I could tuck it away to take a trip to Salem in October like I usually do. Instead I'm burnt out and disenchanted with the whole process. I mean, when I told the head one of the project that the advertisers I have to work with aren't cooperating, that they think they have two to three weeks to make a decision, he didn't believe that the ad reps would let that happen. Yeah, OK.

Happy St. Patrick's Day

2008-03-17T20:16:00.002-05:00

Fáilte ar ais (Gaelic for Welcome Back)
Today is St. Patrick's Day and being Irish, I love the day. But, I hate American traditions.

I hate that everyone thinks the traditional Irish dish is corned beef and cabbage. Sorry to say, it's not.
In fact, the Irish eat very little beef. Instead they feast on pork, mutton and salmon. The traditional Irish dish is a roasted bacon joint with cabbage.
For you see, on the Emerald Isle, beef was never scarce, it just belonged to the English lords who came and stole all the land and made serfs of all the Irish. During the great potato famine, beef and grains were in great supply, but unfortunately, the English lords needed to export their crops to make a mint instead of feeding the dieing masses.
When the Irish immigrated to America, the bacon joint was hard to come by and thus expensive when found. The alternative was the cheaper corned beef.
And you'll find this American fare hard to come by in Ireland. When I was there with MCLA, some of my fellow students were disappointed that the restaurants we ate in didn't cater to the tourists' palate on St. Paddy's Day.
While I'm of Irish descent and not fully Irish, it's the genealogy I can trace the most. On my father's side, my great-grandfather came to the U.S. in 1891 with our beloved Smith moniker. On my mother's side, my great-grandfather was William Bradley, who also came from Ireland. The name however was only kept by my grandfather and uncle, passed down as a middle name after my grandfather's father passed away when my grandfather was the young age of 2 and he was later adopted by his step-father at the age of 10.

Oh, and before you set off to search for your lucky pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, let me clarify a misconception posted on a local Web site. Ireland is NOT made up of 26 counties, it has 32. The 26 belong to the Republic of Ireland, while the other 6 make up Northern Ireland. That's why in Ireland, 26 +6 will one day equal 1.

Éirinn go Brách

I am from....

2008-03-11T22:56:00.003-05:00

This was written two years ago, from a poetry exercise. I thought it was worth another look.

"I am From..."

I am from Batman Comic books with worn page corners, from Bath & Body Works Warm Vanilla Sugar body wash and five dollar highlighting shampoo.

I am from the ancient mill’s brick row house, haunted by white walls and worn brown carpeting, with swirls and curls of strong nicotine flavored clouds floating through every room.

I am from the weeping willow, the orange tiger lily, the torn bark off a white birch tree. I am from the heaving branches that traverse from air to earth, the spots on orange petals fresh with dew, the thin wisp of white paper still clinging to life.

I am from broken promises and visits that never took place. I am from controlling and domineering rants, from Randy and Sandy and Rita the Irate.

I am from the unspoken hatred and resentment of a youth lost.From the realm where one is never good enough and should be thankful they are alive.

I am from Roman Catholicism, dutiful and confirmed. Cast out by the sins committed before marriage, unwanted by a faith once worshipped blindly.

I'm from the city of the damned, waiting for someone to be its angel, from polenta and chocolate cream pie.

From over the hills of Tyrol to freedom, the 12-year-old bride made wise by four years and two children, and the wide German woman with six daughters too many.

I am from fading yellow newspaper clips wrapped carefully in plastic pages, placed in black vinyl binders. From a black trunk full of plunder filled with in-package wonders. From a land of enchantment filled with castles and gnomes. Filled to the brim with ogres and a boy who can crow. I am from piles of clothes washed or not. From closets filled with toys that time forgot.

I am from keyboards that click in the night, from stories where facts were filled in just right.

I am from love, with two children in tow. From a husband who understands and is just a little sillier and smarter than I am.

Another watercolor for all to see....

2008-03-09T10:49:00.001-05:00

Taking back my favorite song...

2008-03-06T23:29:00.003-05:00

Have you ever had a song ruined for you?
I'm a big Alanis Morrisette junkie, but for the last few years, I've had to skip one of my favorite tracks on Jagged Little Pill because of an ex-boyfriend. I've been skipping over "Head Over Feet" for about 12 years now because someone put it repeatedly on a mixed tape. Yes, I said TAPE. Think John Cusak in "High Fidelity," not John Cusak in "Say Anything."
But tonight, I decided that I was taking back the track. That's right, I'm taking back "Head Over Feet."
It all started last weekend, when Archr and I were our shopping. The song came over the intercom at Wal-Mart in Pittsfield. I mentioned how this song was ruined for me. I was like, every time I hear this song, it makes me think of J and his stupid mix tape.
That being said, I decided that 12 years is too long to not listen to one of my favorite songs by Alanis. And when I did, I realized that the reason why I didn't have music at my wedding was because if I had had a wedding song, this would have been it. This song perfectly describes my relationship with my husband.
So I'm sorry J, but I'm over it. Dude, so over it. Come on, listen to the lyrics. We were 18. You could NOT have felt this way about me.
Sometimes, I'm so stupid. I've never danced with my husband (because the two of us don't dance) but if we ever do, I want our first dance to be to this song. Because really, he's my best friend and has been for about 9 years.

In case you don't know the lyrics, here they are:

HEAD OVER FEET

I had no choice but to hear you
You stated your case time and again
I thought about it
You treat me like I'm a princess
I'm not used to liking that
You ask how my day was

You've already won me over in spite of me
And don't be alarmed if I fall head over feet
Don't be surprised if I love you for all that you are
I couldn't help it
It's all your fault

Your love is thick and it swallowed me whole
You're so much braver than I gave you credit for
That's not lip service

You've already won me over in spite of me
And don't be alarmed if I fall head over feet
Don't be surprised if I love you for all that you are
I couldn't help it
It's all your fault

You are the bearer of unconditional things
You held your breath and the door for me
Thanks for your patience

You're the best listener that I've ever met
You're my best friend
Best friend with benefits
What took me so long

I've never felt this healthy before
I've never wanted something rational
I am aware now
I am aware now

You've already won me over in spite of me
And don't be alarmed if I fall head over feet
Don't be surprised if I love you for all that you are
I couldn't help it
It's all your fault

My latest works....in watercolor

2008-03-04T00:06:00.003-05:00

Passed over for the job...

2008-03-02T16:57:00.002-05:00

So once again, I'm passed over for a job because someone else has a master's degree. I've been passed over before, but I really wanted the job with the Berkshire Cultural Resource Center. I wanted it soooo bad. It was perfect - a job in the arts field, working with interns (I have experience as both an RA and with camps), working with Patrons of the Arts, etc. I have all this under utilized experience outweighed by a master's degree.
I actually cried when I found out about it. It's not that I don't like my job at the paper, I love it in fact. It's just that after three years full-time and 2 years part time, I feel stagnant. I'm not feeling personal growth. I've also always wanted a job where I work with the arts.
Well, I'll tell you what happened when Clarksburg had the decision to make between me and someone with a master's degree for the librarian position. They went with the master's degree and six months later, he was off to a better position. I didn't apply the second time.
I don't have any hard feelings toward the people who passed me over this time, I'm just hoping the same doesn't happen to them. I'd be there for the long haul.

Who should I be more disgusted with - SI or Barnes and Noble

2008-02-24T21:46:00.002-05:00

This isn't something I would normally post, but this magazine cover angered me today.

While checking out at the Barnes and Noble in Pittsfield, Ma. today, my 7-year-old daughter asked me why the lady on the magazine wasn't wearing a bikini top. Horrified that someone had set down a more risque mag, I quickly scanned the front counter racks for Playboy or another skin mag. Turns out, it's the annual Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue.

EXCUSE ME, but I don't want my 7-year-old looking at this. This belongs with the other nudie mags behind the counter or in protective plastic. This is just not appropriate for children to see. I DON'T want to see this either.

Has the adult porn star industry become so mainstream and acceptable that it doesn't occur to store managers that this magazine is inappropriate for the magazine rack that is not only prominent but at a child's eye level.
And to think of all the households this issue was sent to. It's pretty close to porn.

And speaking of unsolicited porn coming through the mail, I've had to stop my 7 -and 3-year-olds from getting the mail recently. Seems that since I subscribe to Time and Entertainment Weekly, the distributor of Playboy thinks it's OK to send me postcards with pictures even worse than this through the mail, offering 12 issues for $12. I can't complain, because the mailing lacks any information except an address to send your subscription to.

UGGGGH.

Romney and Berkshire County

2008-02-07T07:51:00.000-05:00

Following Super Tuesday's primary election, was anyone from Berkshire County really surprised that Romney took the rest of the state but fell to McCain in this portion of the state?
If you were surprised, then you've either recently moved here or have been living in a hole during his tenure as governor. I'd be surprised if Romney even knew where the Berkshires are. I doubt he's even stepped foot here.
Remember the terrible flooding in October 2006, well Romney (an arch enemy of the mayor) or maybe one of his aids called Mayor Barrett to let him know he was in the Berkshires.
"Where are you?," asked the mayor.
"Greenfield," Romney or his aid said.
"Enjoy Pioneer Valley," Barrett replied.
That's about how close the man came to actually know where we are, except when it came to budget time. That's when he liked to strip our budgets to bare bones.

How anyone can vote for this clown is a mystery to me.

Not sure if I like it yet...

2008-01-11T01:50:00.000-05:00

What do you think?

Check out where Entertainment Nerd is on the Web...

2008-01-05T16:26:00.000-05:00

Entertainment Nerd has made it onto No Control - a Web site that collects the best TV blogs out there and runs their feeds on its site. Here's a shot of today's title...Beverly Hillbillies: The Spears Edition. That's mine. You can find the original post and title on my other blog or see its repost shots below.

Happy 2008!

2007-12-31T18:30:00.001-05:00

Happy New Year Comment Graphics

Comments & Glitter Graphics for Myspace, Hi5, Orkut, Friendster

Ugh....

2007-12-18T23:00:00.000-05:00

Ugh...I just read the wedding announcement for a girl I went to high school with. We were on the newspaper together, and I one point I almost punched her. Instead I hit a wall and made my knuckles bleed. I really disliked her because she was a pretentious twit. That's right Ali, you're a twit.
Let's just put it this way, she was our editorial editor and wrote this column on how Massachusetts residents needed to take more pride in the vernacular. She said that by using the word "wicked" instead of proper adjectives, we were degrading ourselves. I said, welcome to New England you pretentious twit.
So anyway, the editorial ran as a signed piece and she was chastised by a vast majority of the school. Years later I would revel in the fact that "wicked" would become so popular that a new definition was placed in the dictionary for it.
Anyway, I just read her wedding announcement and see things haven't changed. If you can make it through her gushy piece about tea-length dresses and strapless dresses with lace-embossed trimmings, you can see that the more things change, the more they stay the same.
Congratulations, pretentious twit.

This week in Britney Spears. . .

2007-12-18T22:45:00.000-05:00

Did you know that US Weekly magazine actually has a section of the magazine entitled This week in Britney Spears?
Well, at first I thought the big news was going to be that there was no change in the custody arrangement between Britney and Kevin, but low and behold, Jamie Lynn Spears trumped big sis.

According to an exclusive interview with OK! magazine: "Jamie Lynn Spears, the 16-year-old "Zoey 101" star and sister of Britney, told OK! magazine that she's pregnant and that the father is her boyfriend, Casey Aldridge." She is 12 weeks pregnant.

No one was more shocked then mother Lynne, who was reportedly told two weeks after Jamie Lynn found out. She was told at Thanksgiving.

Lynne reportedly told the magazine, "I didn't believe it because Jamie Lynn's always been so conscientious. She's never late for her curfew. I was in shock. I mean, this is my 16-year-old baby."

Maybe it was a big cry for attention. Jamie Lynn's successful career with Nickelodeon is now in jeopardy. She plans to keep the child and raise it in Louisiana.

I know someone who isn't going to win mother of the year.

Times Top Ten Fashion List -- My list of Fashion Don'ts

2007-12-16T22:35:00.000-05:00

OK. So I'm not a fashion diva, but I know what ugly and unnecessary are. I've got a list of 10 right at my finger tips called the Time "10 Must-Have Fashion Items."

1. Tent dresses. If you're not Kate Moss, which I'm not, the tent dress is hideous. "Light, airy and short, these billowy dresses were the perfect silhouette to beat the summer heat and gracefully disguise any extra pounds."
Yuck.
Talk about making you look like your trying to hide the pregnancy bump ala JLO.

2. White Sunglasses. OK, thanks Drew Barrymore for making the dorky over sized 1980s sunglasses-look come back. As David Spade would say, 1985 called and said it wants both you and your dumb sunglasses back.

3. High-waisted jeans. Once again, if you don't disappear when you turn sideways, then these jeans aren't for you, nor is this fashion trend. I don't want low-rise or high waisted. 1990s midwaist would be good, sans button-up fly.

4. Day clutches. If you have a need for the bejeweled FENDI clutch pictured in this magazine spread, then you live the life of Carrie Bradshaw. Fantasies and small handbags need to end at midnight.

5. Ankle Boots. So if going back in time to steal ugly sunglasses and bright tights (see #8) from the 80s wasn't enough, we needed to go back to the Victorian age for this thrill. Puh-lease.

6. Vests. "It looks great with tent dresses too." Alright, back in 10th grade, I had a closet full of vests - different styles and materials. If "What not to wear" was around back then, they would have stopped by and burnt my clothes. Sometimes, things shouldn't be overdone. This look works for Diane Keaton, only.

7. Fedoras. Somewhere, someone has been made very rich by Justin Timberlake and Kevin Federline. The rest of us have had to suffer through these hats. One guy, with signature style, yes. Everyone in Hollywood. No.

8. Bright tights. I love this trend. Not just when everyone is doing it.

9. Cocktail Rings. "Enormous, colorful cocktail rings were everywhere - at parties, on the red carpet and even in Tiffany & Co." Ohhhh, there's a reason to go right out and buy something that makes you look like you ransacked the costume jewelry from the Dynasty and Falcon Crest sets. Maybe we can score some shoulder pads too!

10. Red lipstick. Unless your Courtney Love or Madonna ala "Bedtime Stories" then red lipstick should be avoided. Clowns, you however, can still pull this look off and are free to continue your trendsetting ways.