days to come.

nubian drifter.

2010-07-14T01:34:00.002-04:00

i've been hard at work, with a friend of mine, on a blog that chronicles our travels. that's why i haven't been on this one as much. but i will still be posting from time to time, so if you think about it, drop by.

new fav song/video

2010-07-14T01:25:00.001-04:00

CRANK THE VICTROLA. by DJPHSH

2010-06-24T17:19:00.001-04:00

CRANK THE VICTROLA. by DJPHSH

love this.

2010-06-17T18:16:00.000-04:00

neglect.

2010-06-17T18:07:00.002-04:00

ok. so i've been busy with other aspects of my life, and haven't had the will to touch my blog. but… it happens. c'est la vie. i'll try and do better. big smiles.

why is this so sexy to me?

2010-05-23T20:04:00.001-04:00

VV in taxi.

2010-05-17T16:52:00.001-04:00

inspiring.

2010-05-11T23:52:00.003-04:00

may 17. buy this when it drops. janelle monae is seriously a beast for this album. it's a conceptual masterpiece. she easily and seamlessly transitions from genre to genre without confusing the listener. and she bends time and space to take us on a euphonious journey through her mind. i'm in love.

RIP lena horne

2010-05-10T02:02:00.003-04:00

i remember the first time i was introduced to the talented woman that is lena horne. i was about 5 or 6, and my mother played for me the film, 'the wiz,' in which lena played glinda the good witch. her presence alone made me stop and take note. and then when she opened her mouth, and the voice that poured out, filled with so much exuberance, so much strength and confidence, made me fall instantly in love. out of all the jazz ladies, because of this memory, she is easily my favourite. she's left behind a legacy of timeless music, elegant beauty, and a sweet spirit. RIP.

born free.

2010-04-26T22:54:00.000-04:00

the gaslamp killer

2010-04-11T23:03:00.004-04:00

i never got around to posting this... but i got the pleasure of seeing/hearing/photographing the gaslamp killer spin at unit in tokyo. he's a dope dj/producer, and his sets were amazing. very high energy. from the music to his disposition. he was a really cool dude. pics from the event are featured above... below is a youtube clip of his music.

lake geneva

2010-03-31T17:39:00.004-04:00

i recently had the chance to visit geneva, switzerland, and was blown away by its beauty, calm and serenity. the above two photos were taken whilst my friends and i picnicked on the lake.

rabbit.

2010-03-31T00:34:00.001-04:00

the house of all our dreams.

2010-03-30T14:35:00.006-04:00

check out this amazing house, casa son vida, in palma de mallorca, spain. it's an amazing piece of architecture. definitely drool worthy. i can't even imagine being the owner of such a glorious place. well, one thing's for sure: i'd be the host to some amazing parties. anyway, to see more photos, head over to wallpaper's site.

window seat

2010-03-28T18:30:00.005-04:00

controversy. badu's new video is definitely something to discuss. it's an open table for discourse. makes us think. what's really going on with the world? when we shoot people down who have differing opinions and varied outlooks rather than talk with them, pick their brain and simply agree to disagree. this ties in directly with the post below-- the danger of a single story. let's educate ourselves, people. let's not live blindly. badu hit the nail on the head with this one. but then again, she usually does.

the danger of a single story.

2010-03-26T13:58:00.004-04:00

my friends and i started our own book club some time ago, and one of our selections, "half of a yellow sun" by a nigerian author called chimamanda ngozi adichie, resonated with all of us. it was such a poignant piece of literature. at any rate, a friend of mine recently brought to my attention this lecture where adichie speaks on the dangers of a single story, or rather, how dangerous it is for a person to have a biased view of the world-- if one takes at face value what one sees in the media, without having been to a place or known its people, instead of being their own judge. this speech had a profound effect on me, as the message is something i try and spread wherever i go. suffice it to say, watch the video below. and pick up any of her books if you're in need of a good story.

2010-03-23T16:25:00.004-04:00

i was in paris recently, and had an opportunity to visit le centre pompidou to see the soulages exhibit before its end on march 8. it was such an amazing display of his work; i was blown away by his talent, and his versatile use of the color black. the video below, although in french, takes a walk through the exhibit with soulages himself, and one can see first hand just how the exhibition panned out, and how strong and visually stunning his work is.

little dragon.

2010-03-22T16:16:00.000-04:00

little dragon will be in philly tomorrow night at johnny brendas. should be a good show. check it out if you're in town. tickets are only $12.

RIP nujabes

2010-03-13T16:10:00.000-05:00

your music will live on forever.

elevator fight

2010-02-20T05:36:00.000-05:00

paris nights/new york mornings.

2010-02-12T12:43:00.000-05:00

all hail mcqueen.

2010-02-11T10:59:00.000-05:00

R.I.P Alexander McQueen. To quote a friend of mine, McQueen "will live on in our closests & on our Amex bills."

georgia ann on the mic.

2010-02-08T23:08:00.007-05:00

get tickets to georgia's show here.

ghost riders

2010-01-25T17:08:00.000-05:00

photos by me

dries van noten 2010.

2010-01-24T18:31:00.001-05:00

from wallpaper.com

timeless.

2010-01-23T21:57:00.002-05:00

ear candy [sept].

2010-01-19T22:01:00.005-05:00

collaborate.

2010-01-19T18:25:00.004-05:00

positive effects of globalisation. the rochelle school's a foundation gallery, in london, is showing these new collaborative pieces by artists around the world. you can read all about it and see the whole collection over at wallpaper.com

random photos found in my archives.

2010-01-19T17:06:00.002-05:00

photos by me.

one life stand.

2010-01-19T16:32:00.007-05:00

so, hot chip is back with a new offering for 2010, one life stand. it sounds dope so far, though i'll admit i haven't given it a good enough listen to provide a review... but that's not what i do here anyway. i like people to decided for themselves. so, check it out if you get a chance. they usually don't disappoint. and to see when they'll be coming to an area nearest you, check out their site. watch their latest video below:

first spring.

2010-01-18T22:26:00.004-05:00

fashion house PRADA has collaborated with an amazing chinese artist, yang fudong, to create an innovative, visually stunning short film, which both effortlessly and brilliantly showcases prada's latest collection. set in shanghai, the short plays off the chinese belief that "the whole year's work depends on a good start in spring." i'm extremely excited to see how far the design house goes with this new visual marketing campaign. watch 'first spring' below...

i would like to call it beauty.

2010-01-17T02:17:00.002-05:00

the sleeping pills i swallowed have me a bit loopy. but this new corinne bailey rae album, the sea, is the perfect sonic backdrop for my headspace right now. i have never before now felt like i was making love to an artist through their music. she has me open. her melodies are reaching down into my soul. her voice is tickling the back of my neck. the live instrumentation is brushing against the rest of my skin. sigh. it's everything i need and more right now. it's listening to me. speaking to me. cuddling with me. and it will go to sleep with me. if only it were possible to make love to music. we'd both be needing a cigarette about now.

snow 1.8.

2010-01-09T02:16:00.004-05:00

photos by me.

mars.

2010-01-09T01:52:00.007-05:00

photos by me.

progression.

2010-01-03T16:06:00.001-05:00

we need more films like this.

written early 2009 [between journeys].

2010-01-03T16:00:00.006-05:00

"I am becoming frantically bored with life…or perhaps I am just crazy. I thrive on inconsistency, yet life here is too inconsistent. Contradictory but true. Life’s too fickle—does what it wants to do when it wants to do it. Perhaps I am only complaining because life is not doing for me what I think it should be doing. Life and its inconsistencies should be aligned with me, in agreement with the decisions I am making in my life. But the opposite seems to be happening. There are too many days where I feel unstable because events are conflicting. Activities are questionable, nonsensical even, but at times there can slip between the cracks some wondrous moment—a time where all pessimistic thought begins to disintegrate—and life is full of unsullied, awe-inspiring whimsicality. This is where the uncertainty comes into play. Those made-for-film moments are too remarkable, too startling to be continuous—nothing amazing is ever eternal. And to reach such a peak, to reach such random peaks at random points in one’s life, causes the in-betweens to be ruthless, ennui-laden moments where one begins to question one’s own existence. Twiddling fingers, sleeping, rummaging through cabinets for food that isn’t there, watching deplorable television programs and daydreaming rather than creating new realities become a habitual norm. And it is a norm that takes on a life force, has a mind of its own—strong willed—as it eventually becomes an aspect of ones life that is not necessarily capable of or liable to change. And a lot of time gets wasted. Pondering instead of doing. Imagining instead of being. Existing but not living. Longing for those peaks, those better-than-cocaine-high moments where things are soaring—life is actually grand. But those moments seem to only exist in the literature one is reading, the film one has set aside time to watch or in the art with which one has taken the liberty to become familiarized. Essentially, one begins to live in a fantasy.

As I lay here racking my brain to find something interesting to do, I can’t help but be overcome with this absurdly intriguing desire to live some other life. In some alrernate reality. Some pseudo-noninterventionist reality that exists only in the worlds of Miller and Baldwin, Bertolucci, Allen and Almodovar, Khalo and Warhol. Some quirkily fascinating, complex and witty, deeply disturbing thing of a life. Pleasurable to say the least—and richly inspired. It seems, though, that my life will never be as one could imagine or wish one’s life to be, as I was not born into extraordinary circumstance, nor am I much of an anomaly that weird and fucked up people would be drawn to attaching themselves to me to suck me into their tragedies. No, I am not so lucky as to have been pulled into such ludicrous circumstance. So here I sit, alone in a dimly lit room—half crazy or at the very least pretending to be—praying for some incredulous thing to plop down into my lap.

A pack of unopened Gaulloises lay on the floor adjacent to my feet. I haven’t yet found the nerve to break the seal and indulge. I look down at the rectangular carton and smile; it seems to be peering back at me, mockingly yet apathetic—uninterested in me for my lack of gull, my inability to commit… my reluctance to partake. I look away, an attempt at salvaging my self-respect. To feel as though I have some sense of control, some level of pride. I glance at my arm and am struck by how flaky my skin is. I begin to scratch feverishly. I stop and blow on the appendage, bits of dead skin rising and falling, eventually becoming a part of the backdrop. I begin to scratch the surface once more—eventually I realize how unsanitary the act is. Abruptly, I stop. I rub my arm gently as if to comfort it. I close my eyes and breathe deeply.

I begin to stir, and I move from my position on the floor. I rise, and walk in circles around the disheveled room, stepping over stark white paper and clear plastic water bottles, once-white oxford shirts and saddle-brown wing-tipped shoes. A dampened towel strewn about, an eye mask directly beside it. Wire hangers, socks and coins—dollars worth of coins all splattered about as if the floor were a wishing well. I heard the carpet gasp for breath, as if it were being smothered by the objects; it was already on its last leg though, I thought, so why not let it die. I keep circling. Thinking I would eventually be inspired or grow weary and pass out from exhaustion—at least the act of my having fainted would add a morsel of excitement to an otherwise mind-numbing existence. Nothing happened though. Physical exhaustion never set in, only annoyance at the redundancy of circling a lifeless room.

Sleepless nights, such as the one I am experiencing at the moment, are so intense one hopes to die. The more one tries to sleep, the more tension gathers and builds between one’s brows, and the more absurd and random thoughts begin to appear in one’s mind— one can easily mistake this level of insomnia for going insane. I lay here, physically exhausted, body unable to move from this spot on the bed, yet my eyes are wide open—they are drying out from the lack of lubrication blinking provides. My mouth is forced open by an unremitting yawn. I am still awake, however.

I think I am going crazy…

…Or perhaps I am just fanatically bored with life."

an education.

2010-01-03T00:45:00.002-05:00

since 2010, for me, is all about continuing to discover oneself within the world, i wanted to share this trailer, as the film successfully depicts just that. have a look.

happy new year.

2010-01-02T00:20:00.003-05:00

i am a couple days late writing this, but i doubt it's much of an issue. at least it's getting written. i'll start by saying "wow! what a year 2009 has been." for me, personally, it has been a year of reflection and progression. i was blessed to have been able to find myself in a number of situations where self-reflection was a necessity and, ultimately, a newfound self-awareness and self-betterment was able to come about. i was blessed this year to have stayed busy and on the go, with my feet touching american soil for only a short amount of time. i became immersed in a number of different cultures, made a number of lasting friendships, reconnected with old friends, was amazed by music, art and film, and realized my own potential in varied artistic genres. it's my hope, in 2010, that i can continue down this path of discovery and realization, challenging myself as i would challenge another, and remain consistent with carving out my niche. it is also my desire to continue surrounding myself with individuals from whom i can learn, and with whom i can grow, experience and live. x

biased view of the world.

2009-12-22T11:37:00.002-05:00

when one has a biased view of the world, or is biased towards that which dwells in this world, it can look something like this:

beautifully filmed.

2009-12-22T11:26:00.002-05:00

saw this in NYC this past weekend. speechless.

日本の秋

2009-11-30T05:53:00.013-05:00

autumn in japan is magnificent. it takes tokyo a little longer to catch up with places like nikko, where the leaves change a bit early. but the leaves have finally changed... and these photos are proof of it. it'll be bittersweet leaving this place after so much time spent here.

couldn't have said it any better...

2009-10-30T13:52:00.002-04:00

"Creativity is the basis of self-expression. Why are some people supposedly more creative than others, and why can't others open themselves up enough to be able to express who they are?

Creation is the birth of something, and something cannot come from nothing. When someone creates something: a painting, a poem, a photograph, the creativity comes from an idea, from a feeling, from emotion, or from a combination of ideas, feelings and emotions that are somehow "reborn" from all our experiences and perspectives.

Creativity is the desire to express ourselves. To formulate these expressions, we have to draw from our "reservoir" of experience, dreams, desires, and experimentation and mix together what was, what is, and what could be… I don't think you can learn it, it is rather something that evolves. Your perception of everything in your life fills up this reservoir.

Some people are drawn to create and express themselves, others are drawn to reflect, to analyze. But in the end, they all could be creative if they had the desire to explore the way in which they are integrated in the world of their experiences. Because creativity is really a rebirth, a true tone we feel for ourselves and for our world. Then our work becomes a real part of who we are. Maybe all this is a question of how deep we are willing to go…"

by Peter Lindbergh

with Lily, New York, June 1996

roids.

2009-10-12T11:15:00.005-04:00

oh, japan.

2009-10-11T06:22:00.034-04:00

oh, japan...

...night out in shinjuku.

all you can eat/drink complete with your own private room = ¥2600.

amazing. the japanese group in the room next to us matched our energy to perfection. we ended up all in the same room. drunk. laughing. socializing as much as possible w/ the language barrier and all. rare in japanese culture. so of course this was a highlight. moving on...

purikura. twice. arcade. no toilet (fml). picture us hurriedly walking around shinjuku trying to find a bathroom. thanks burger king. for the toilet, and for the amazing fries. moving on...

all night karaoke/all you can drink... again, with private room = ¥3000.

we sang, we laughed, we drank... until i passed out. (missed all of my selections... i wonder who sang them)... woke up it was 7am. friends were still going strong with the karaoke.... though some had passed out as well. moving on...

shinjuku station. maranouchi line home. makudonarudo. thanks for having my egg + cheese mcmuffin ready in 30 seconds.

sleep 'till 2:45. blackout curtains. magic.

oh, japan...

...night out in shibuya.

wake up sunday afternoon. call from nathalie. meet at meji-jingumae. food + drinks. then on to sunshine studio. amazing video installations, once again, being projected on the wall (stay tuned for an animation of sorts i made of the installation). drinks + coffee. conversation. moving on...

leisurely walk from shibuya to roppongi. and then on to akasaka. again... makudonarudo. walk upstairs... people are asleep waiting for the first train. jazz is being played. this can't be mcdonalds. just can't. but it is. more conversation. 5:15am. first train here. i walk them to train. and then walk home. sleep. but i'm sure i'll be doing it all over again tomorrow.

Sunshine Studio Wall Art Installation from Vaughn Richardson on Vimeo.

documentaries.

2009-10-09T06:40:00.003-04:00

unique pieces.

2009-10-09T04:24:00.007-04:00

finding unique pieces of clothing, or other items, has been a constant for me since i've been here. i've gotten what i consider to be some pretty cool pieces-- nothing in excess, just some things that will remind me of my time here. i like searching for things. for me, it exemplifies the magic of tokyo. with stores not just at ground level, but above you and in basements, things can be easy to miss. so taking the time to look... to go in places... and then wait it out. and then... if i think about the item more than 3x, i'll go back to purchase. next comes the task of remembering where exactly the store is. yea... good times.

99 bottles [of ...] on the wall.

2009-10-08T19:36:00.002-04:00

words.

2009-10-08T00:37:00.007-04:00

so i haven't really written anything on the blog in a while, so i figure i'll take some time whilst i have a moment to splatter a few thoughts. i'll be redundant and divulge just how amazing tokyo is. such an organised, lively, diverse, interesting, complicated yet simple, respectful and might i add, CLEAN city. being here envelops you. you wish your japanese was better so you could do more. but it's not better... not even close! (lol) so you settle for the feasible, which is just as impressive! with so much to see and do and taste... so much at eye level, above it and below it... it's virtually impossible not to find yourself lost in wonderment. even in the rain, tokyo shines (as experienced with nathalie this week in a brilliantly eclectic neighborhood called koenji). as i type this, my mind races at a pace to where i can't catch up, thus the words escape me. so you know it must be good. it's more than good. it's... more. simply put. tokyo is more. you see more. do more. live more. drink more. read... less (unless you know kanji, katakana and hiragana)... but... explore more. spend more. eat more. walk more. experience more. think more. snap photos... more. find yourself bowing... more. being inspired... more. smiling to yourself... more. more. more. more. (whoa... seeing more spelled out so many times makes the word look weird/abnormal/not a word... or maybe it's the bits of foreign languages i've picked up scrambling the brain signal that sees the word as normal). anyway. suffice it to say, tokyo (and other parts of japan as well!... can't wait to do more traveling) is a place worth coming. do yourself the favor.

p.s... there are some good shows coming up back west [america]. i'm kind of feeling some type of way that i won't get to see them.

sigh.

yukimi [of little dragon]...

...if by the craziest chance you're reading this... COME TO TOKYO!!!!

my first prints.

2009-10-01T08:48:00.003-04:00

tags.

2009-09-26T22:25:00.011-04:00

...at jindaiji jin

chofu, tokyo, japan.

old school memories.

2009-09-17T04:59:00.002-04:00

new favourite place.

2009-09-16T13:00:00.003-04:00

stumbled upon this basement gem in harajuku with my homeboy on friday. went back the following night; stayed until 6am. was amazing. met a ton of cool japanese artists, djs and other creative minds. i think this might be my go-to spot in tokyo. [p.s. the lighting/vibe of the actual venue is way cooler than in this pic]

solitude.

2009-09-16T10:59:00.004-04:00

it's so easy to find solitude here in japan. in a park in the middle of a mall... and even on a crowded train. i love that about here. the opportunity for transcendence... even with all the noise around you, it's easy to get lost in one's self.

a straight line of vision.

2009-09-16T10:48:00.004-04:00

thanks to lily for telling me about this. i can't wait to check it out.

fantastic.

2009-09-09T01:25:00.002-04:00

this commercial won an an award for "best of" in its category... it's easy to see why. it's brilliant.

the haunted.

2009-09-07T08:43:00.002-04:00

junkadelic.

2009-09-04T13:10:00.003-04:00

ランダムな夜を [random night out].

2009-09-04T10:41:00.007-04:00

keepsake.

2009-09-03T11:06:00.003-04:00

for all you fashionistas/os... 'louis vuitton: arts, fashion & architecture' is on sale for £90 at louis vuitton locations and online at lv's website. a deluxe plexiglass version of the book, designed by japanese artist takashi murakami will be available in select stores soon.

time keeper.

2009-09-03T01:40:00.002-04:00

Mama's Face from Didi Littlejohn on Vimeo.

a good friend of mine found inspiration in a san francisco alley, and converted a poem she'd written into a song, and made a cool vid for it. so i figured i'd share. love the message in it. love you, dee.

mt. fuji.

2009-09-02T01:59:00.002-04:00

i climbed mt. fuji. here's a couple photos.

blogger.

2009-08-31T02:31:00.003-04:00

who told my blogger to automatically convert to japanese?

truly.

2009-08-24T01:16:00.005-04:00

things were getting a bit intense in my city... so i fled to dc for the weekend to soak up some positive vibes and spend quality time with one of my best friends. we had drinks, as usual. debauchery ensued. anyway, we had a really chill, relaxing sunday. woke up [hungover]. chilled out for a bit before we got out. did some shopping. then returned and had a picnic on the balcony. topped off with a refreshing dessert of blood orange sorbet. and we got to chatting. venting. purging. and it was needed. i'm thankful for friends.

ear candy [six].

2009-08-17T23:44:00.003-04:00

retro.

2009-08-17T14:18:00.009-04:00

!$#@.

2009-08-12T20:14:00.005-04:00

i bought my ticket to tokyo today.... and it feels real good.
今日は私の飛行機のチケットを購入した。それが良いと感じている。

human steps.

2009-08-12T13:04:00.002-04:00

my dear friend tricia shared this with me. i was amazed at its beauty.

in love and war.

2009-08-11T20:34:00.008-04:00

promo pics for amerie's upcoming album.

design.

2009-08-10T23:37:00.013-04:00

hotel distrito capital in mexico city

ear candy [cinq].

2009-08-10T21:45:00.003-04:00

hmm... someone blew the whistle on this music post, so blogger made me remove it.
bastards.

land[s] of opportunity.

2009-08-10T19:59:00.002-04:00

america, over the years, has been known as the 'land of opportunity.' millions of people have flocked to the country with hopes to better themselves and create lives for their families. but what if, in the future, this changes? what would happen if this was no longer the case? if people stopped coming to america and headed for other opportunistic places? what's more, what if americans started migrating to other places? this thinking came about upon reading a recent article in the new york times that talked about a number of americans moving to china due to its rising job market and cheaper cost of living. according to the article, even people with no knowledge of chinese culture and/or language are making the move, and they are blossoming! could america lose its 'land of opportunity' moniker? could english fizzle as the world's 'primary language'? only time will tell. but i have a feeling we'll be seeing these types of migrations a lot in the coming days... as people are slowly becoming disillusioned by the american dream.

muse.

2009-08-10T19:45:00.002-04:00

freja beha. such a superior model. check out her portfolio here.

hot chip cover.

2009-08-09T22:01:00.001-04:00

late.

2009-08-09T21:48:00.005-04:00

i'm always late with watching good television shows. i guess this could be because i don't watch much tv aside from hgtv. but recently, i've caught up on shows such as united states of tara, weeds, true blood and being human. and now, my latest obsession, one which i've never seen but watched the 1st ep tonight, is six feet under. i reckon i'll finish all 5 seasons by the end of this week.

take better care of... mind|heart.

2009-08-08T19:31:00.001-04:00

once deemed essential,
now placed as an afterthought:
old and stagnant and stale...
malodorous.
archaic importance evident,
now used for storage:
streamlined and heavy and equipped with armored doors...
vaulted.
once taken care of,
now ran through:
bleak and chipped and damaged...
abandoned.

ingénieuses.

2009-08-07T03:42:00.006-04:00

so... two of my crushes are making comebacks. amerie + fefe. both ladies have something special going on... an unapologetic freedom about their persons. both seem to be hardworking, broad-minded + creative artists, who not only take what they do seriously, but do it because they love it, not for the accolades and perks that come with celebrity. they seem genuine. they also seem intelligent, not only in terms of how they present themselves, but how they approach the creation of their music. and i admire that about them. so... i wish each lady success as she embarks upon her respective journey.

good hair.

2009-08-03T13:49:00.002-04:00

whoa. this has been an ongoing debate within the black community for ages! so glad someone decided to address it.

ear candy [quatre].

2009-08-02T03:36:00.003-04:00

nostalgia.

2009-08-02T02:37:00.003-04:00

2009-08-01T14:31:00.001-04:00

happy birthday Dr. L. Ramona Howard. you've taught and inspired me so much. i'll forever miss you. rip.

Nicholas Hlobo.

2009-07-31T20:54:00.000-04:00

works by south african artist nicholas hlobo.

wake up.

2009-07-30T02:28:00.007-04:00

was chatting with a friend a few minutes ago. and we got to talking about all the bullshit in society today. societal "standards." global issues. religious wars. racism. violence. perpetual behaviours. delusions of grandeur. homogeneity. les fausses personnes. contentedness. laziness. small-mindedness. i could go on for ages. suffice it to say, look around you. take a long hard look. life is too short to deal with bullshit. wake up [peep the clip].

italian.

2009-07-30T01:51:00.005-04:00

italian design is it.

the rain.

2009-07-29T17:09:00.000-04:00

it really does something to me...

lovely.

2009-07-28T18:33:00.002-04:00

ear candy [trois].

2009-07-28T17:57:00.002-04:00

must. go.

2009-07-28T00:34:00.004-04:00

shown above is the blue lagoon geothermal spa in iceland. the seawater is renown for its healing powers and beneficial effects on the skin. "the blue lagoon geothermal seawater is a part of an ecocycle where nature and science work in harmony. the seawater originates 2000 meter/6562 ft beneath the ground where it is heated by earth’s natural forces. at this depth the temperature is 240°C/464°F and the pressure is 36 times the pressure on the earth’s surface. the geothermal seawater comes into contact with cooling magmatic intrusions and captures the earth’s minerals, resulting in this unique natural source known for its healing power and actives." seems like a fantastic experience. i'm putting this down on the list of places i've gotta visit in the next couple of years. get more information here.

curious to see this.

2009-07-27T23:56:00.002-04:00

story of what happens when a modern young man loses his computer.

state of mind.

2009-07-27T23:14:00.003-04:00

i don't know what it is about this summer-- or perhaps this phase of my life-- but i've been in a musical mood. not in the sense where i'm playing musical instruments or singing until my heart's content... but i've been collecting music like a fiend. listening to everything i can get my hands on. across genres. and it's really been an experience for me. my mind has been blown by a few recent discoveries... some gems, or diamonds in the rough, per se. and i've really began to cultivate a greater appreciation for music, its healing powers and everything else it offers. i hadn't expected be engulfed in a phase of such magnitude, especially insofar as music is concerned, because, well, in recent days i'd been in a cinema frame of mind so i didn't see the music state of mind approaching. what's more, although i've always loved music, it's kind of always served as a backdrop of sorts: playing whilst i hung out, partied, mellowed, read, wallowed in my thoughts, worked on my writing, etc. but now, it's so much more than that. i'm actively engaging with the music and lyrics, listening intently, and properly vibing off it all. i'm loving it... and my itunes library is fantastic!

new place.

2009-07-24T10:58:00.003-04:00

graphic artist anthony burrill is showing his latest work, in a new place, at kemistry, a gallery in london. i love what i've seen of these works. they are fresh and vibrant, with a hint of mid-century modern (as far as the geometric shapes and lines are concerned). read about and see more of his works here.

immersion: porn.

2009-07-24T02:56:00.003-04:00

pure comedy. just watch the first 3 minutes.

ear candy [deux].

2009-07-23T23:31:00.004-04:00

black in america.

2009-07-23T18:10:00.013-04:00

last night, as i signed on to the internet, i was bombarded with commentary on both twitter and facebook regarding cnn's special 'black in america 2.' i was quite surprised, as i hadn't a clue it was scheduled to air, and so i quickly turned to channel 202 to tune in to watch. i have to say, i was pleased to see the segments shown in the special, as they went into some things I hadn't expected them to touch upon. granted, they did not discuss what's really plaguing the black community and its inability to tear down social constructs by shaking racial stereotypes and the effects of post traumatic enslavement syndrome-- but i won't even go there, as even though it needs to be discussed, i'm not too sure that will ever happen-- but i was pleased with what cnn did show. i enjoyed the bit about the intelligent as well as the privileged blacks, as it should be noted: not all blacks are destitute. not all blacks speak in ebonics. and not all blacks rely on affirmative action. i also enjoyed the debate about exclusion on the part of old-guard, upper-crust black families, albeit brief-- the debate could have gone on a bit longer, and some real concerns could have been raised... again, i don't think it was cnn's intention to be controversial... instead, i think its purpose is, simply, to mollify black america... to skim over the issues so as to sweep these issues of race under the rug. but back to the program...

i was proud of the work of malaak compton-rock, wife of actor and comedian, chris rock. what she is accomplishing with her foundation is what i've wanted to do and have planned for my future for ages, and i commend her for a job well done. teaching kids [with a seemingly bleak future] that there's more to life than what is in your surroundings is an amazing way to open their eyes to life. taking them to africa to do charity work for families in worse situations... brilliant. show them that there's more to life than their own troubles. show them that the world is so much bigger than they know. life is short. grow. learn. see. succeed. that is the way to change. having a black president in itself doesn't change things. having people like malaak and other community-based leaders who are active... having students and educators alike who don't settle for mediocracy... having television programs that showcase blacks in a positive light that can overshadow the connery and buffoonery of certain programming today-- that is the way to change. we're not there yet... but we're well on our way.

reminisce.

2009-07-23T15:35:00.005-04:00

mario bros. 2

play it.

transformer.

2009-07-21T23:29:00.004-04:00

the transformer, by prada, is a temporary, futuristic, shape-altering structure in seoul, south korea, built by architect rem koolhaas. what's amazing about the structure is that it has the capabilities to change its appearance, and will do so for the last time in september. the inside of the transformer, naturally (as it was commissioned by miuccia prada herself), has been used as a place where art meets fashion. it opened with a fashion exhibition, transformed into a cinema house, and in september will embark upon its final transformation as a gallery for contemporary art. how amazing. it is prada's hope that this construction may one day end up in milan. i really want to see this wondrous and artful piece of architecture before it sees its demise in october. i think once i'm in tokyo, i might have to make the short trip to seoul to check it out. to see/read more, check out this feature.

almost.

2009-07-20T23:35:00.004-04:00

i've been living a secluded life of sorts as of late. not for any particular reason except for the fact that i've not felt much like going out [except for the occasional trek to d.c. to visit my partner in crime to drink wine + smoke cigs + talk life + discuss literature + the like]. at any rate, i almost forgot how it felt to sit outside and chill and enjoy. almost... i remembered how. the past couple of days have seen me recapturing that feeling of summer. sitting out in the warm breeze with a chilled bottle of water. shielding food from hungry birds nearby. friends by my side. laptops handy [of course]. sharing thoughts. challenging minds. sharing music. sharing experiences. it was a throwback to previous times. happy.

menswear.

2009-07-20T23:11:00.009-04:00

costume national spring 2010.

click photo for entire collection.

must see.

2009-07-20T14:23:00.007-04:00

where the wild things are. whoa. they've made my favourite childhood book (which i still own, by the way) into a film, and i must say... it looks smashing! the acting looks amazing, the score sounds brilliant, and the overall appearance of the film looks to be aesthetically pleasing. i'm really excited about this, as it brings back memories of time spent with incredible people when i was a tot. watch trailer below:

for more info, take a walk where the wild things are

ear candy [un].

2009-07-20T10:00:00.012-04:00

alternate reality charlie's angels.

2009-07-20T00:07:00.009-04:00

it's like one of charlie's angels met two of the pointer sisters and took a photo! how brilliant! I was looking through photos on NYmag.com and came across this gem. something about this photo excites me. perhaps it is the different types of beauty represented? i don't know. it's hot though!

Backstage at Marc Jacobs. February 2009.

In this photo: Models Sessilee Lopez, Eniko Mihalik and Chanel Iman