The sun is shining, the breeze is, er, breez'ining and you are proudly driving through your neighborhood in your brand-new Pontiac Silver Streak!  1950 was a very good year, cinematically: comedies like "Harvey" and "Born Yesterday" raised everyone's spirits, whereas dramatically the apogee were "Sunset Boulevard" and "All About Eve" (for my money one of the best films of all time). And among the hit songs that year were "Irene Goodnight, " first recorded by Huddie 'Lead Belly' Ledbetter, and let's not forget this lovely tune: So take in a movie, or turn on the radio, or just fasten your seatbelts and have a fun, bumpy Open Post, darlings, and a joyous Canada Day! Photo Credit: AK

  Getty Here's Naomi Osaka at Wimbledon on Monday sporting an all-white kimono-style ceremonial dress for her walk-on look to the court.  Designed by Hana Yagi, the look pays homage to Osaka's Japanese heritage while also honouring Wimbledon's traditional white monochrome dress. When interviewed after her 6-1 7-5 victory, Osaka also shared that her ensemble was inspired by Lucy Liu's character in the film Kill Bill . "She has an all-white kimono, and I remember thinking that was really cool and amazing. Then it kind of just went from there. It was like my interpretation of that while also paying a lot of love and respect to Japan." What an icon. Congratulations to Naomi! Sources: TSN, Laoist Nationalist

Greetings hors, and welcome to Monday's Open Post and The Peckerwood Book Club - combined! Can you believe? We can do that, you know. It's allowed.  Meanwhile, take note, in 2026, there are over a dozen active celebrity book clubs and counting, everything from Oprah's long-reigning club to Natalie's Book Club curated by Natalie Portman to TeamTime hosted by Dakota Johnson to Service95 run by DuaLipa . That's a lot of recommendations and a lot of books. Do you take their recommendations seriously? Or are you like Jonathan Franzen, who refused to have his book included as a 2001 Oprah Book Club pick because he found her selections overall to be "schmaltzy" and "one dimensional"? They reconciled a decade later, but the point was made. Book club celebs aren't universally loved, and they aren't always the best pickers. The latter point was made by Oprah (again) when she selected Jeanine Cummins' 2020 novel "American Dirt" as ...

Woman Bathing (La Toilette), ca. 1890-91 Mary Cassatt

  Here are Brooke Shields and George Michael on a date in 1985. The two briefly paired up after Shields revealed that she had a crush on the angelic-voiced singer while on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. Shields reflected on her romance with Michael in her memoir, There Was a Little Girl . She was famously a virgin at the time and believed that Michael was simply respecting her boundaries by moving slowly. Of course it was later revealed that he was gay, but the two remained friends long after their short-lived romance.  They both look so sweet, don't they? 

Two Trees, 2017 Peter Doig

It's 1966 and the top movies of the year are all holdovers from 1965 but that's okay, because they're all supposed to be pretty great: "Thunderball," "The Sound Of Music" and "Doctor Zhivago."   I've only ever seen "Thunderball" in its entirety ( "The Sound Of Music" and "Doctor Zhivago"  were just too long for a kid to watch on a Sunday night before school) and it's a lot of fun. However, I've heard the Ray Conniff version of "Lara's Theme" from  "Doctor Zhivago"  since I was but a wee homo (hey, my grandparents watched Lawrence Welk religiously!). Since it's your '66 Ford Fairlane, you get to decide what we're seeing this evening. After all, it's Open Post, darlings! Photo Credit: AK

  Here's Madonna doing a shoot for the Summer 2026 issue of Interview magazine. Photos are by Nadia Lee Cohen and styling was done by Mel Ottenberg.  Source: Interview Magazine

Greetings music sluts, and welcome to another edition of Manor Music Monday! Today, DJ Li'l Scratch is bringing you an unsung modern jazz diva who's not as celebrated as she really ought to be. But then isn't that most of us? Are you unsung and uncelebrated? Maybe it's time you did something about it. Speak up, flaunt your feathers, point out your attributes. If no one else is, then you'd better, amirite? But anywayI'mgettingofftrack, tonight at the Manor's "Yes, Yes! Now Make a Circle!" bar and lounge, DJ Li'l Scratch will be playing this diva who's not only a jazz chanteuse, but an actress, composer, playwright and published author. Feeling lazy? Don't hang around her. Oh, and do you think you have to move to New York when you're young in order to chase fame and become a jazz great? Yeah, she blew past that old saw, too.  Question: Is her first name pronounced "Nina" or Nena?" Enquiring minds want to know. But reall...

The Cathedrals of Art, 1942 Florine Stettheimer

  Credit: Broadimage Perhaps something about a physical feature you've never noticed? Your personal style? Maybe a lovely comment on a personality trait. What's something someone has complimented you on that has really stuck with you?

The Champion in Single Sculls (Max Schmitt in a Single Scull), 1871 Thomas Eakins

 

In 1947, the best-selling books included "Gentlemen's Agreement,"   "The Diary of a Young Girl" by Anne Frank and this children's classic: Among the top movies were "Miracle On 34th Street," "The Lady From Shanghai" and the film noir masterpiece " Out Of The Past," here synced to the theme song of its remake, "Against All Odds." I love that video because it gives Kathie and Jeff the happy ending they didn't get in the movie. Oh, get your minds out of the gutter, I didn't mean that kind of happy ending! Not that I'd have a problem with one of those (giving or getting), but oh well, have a Happy Open Post or a Happy Ending, either or both! Photo Credits: AK, Wikipedia

Credit: Clint Brewer/Backgrid Here are Katy Perry and Justin Trudeau enjoying some cuddles at a park in Santa Barbara yesterday. The two lovebirds had a picnic with Perry's 5-year old daughter. This still feels very weird. How are you Canadian Peckers feeling? I suppose Justin's a chip off the ol' block after all.

Greetings music sloots, and welcome to another edition of Manor Music Monday. Today, we're going to meet a ghost - but not the spooky kind. This is a "ghost singer," one of the select few who did not make a name for themselves by providing the singing voice for popular movie stars during Hollywood's Golden Era. It was all very hush-hush. For years this ghost singer remained silent, as her contract forbid her from saying a peep, but tonight, at the Manor's "Bean Flick Lounge," DJ Li'l Scratch will be playing some of her best tunes sung for other people - and more. So let's unveil her, shall we? Why, it's that ghost-tacular singer herself, India Adams, who began her career as a high school lass singing with a friend's three-piece band, performing at various clubs around Los Angeles. It didn't take long for an MGM talent scout to take notice and to hire her for a prime ghosting role in 1953: providing the singing voice for none other th...

Americana, 1931 Charles Sheeler

  Here's David Beckham receiving his star on the Hollywood walk of fame this Friday. He was joined by his family: Posh, Romeo, Cruz, and Harper Seven (remember when she was born?! Damn y'all we are old).  Notably missing from the event was the couple's eldest son, Brooklyn. Victoria and David famously fell out with their son in recent years, culminating in him sharing a public instagram post alleging years of control and mistreatment. Thankfully for everyone, Tom Cruise was able to attend the ceremony instead! Here is in a totally natural-looking photo. I wonder who has the most filler in their face? Mazel! Source: Frazer Harrison/Getty

  Self-Portrait, ca. 1937-38 Leonora Carrington