paper trail

Origami In the Pursuit of Perfection from MABONA ORIGAMI on Vimeo.

reunited and it feels so good

The morning after a hella debaucherous halloween party this past october, I was hit with the realization that A) i lost my camera or B) that it was jacked! In any case i immediately began morning its loss and exactly how empty my life would be without a camera which i not only loved but was with me at all times.

Cut to christmas day when i receive a phone call from the homie rudy, who was with me that night, with the news that he had found my camera in the backseat of his car. The same backseat we drunkenly combed for my camera, and the same backseat that he allegedly checked soberly. You can only imagine my excitement, afterall at this point i had fully coped and accepted that a new camera was eventually going to be purchased.

Only to add to the excitement where the pictures taken from that night. So with a week away from the new year, I would now like to present Halloween 08.

turn on the bright lights

steady friction in this bitch

fucking santi! numero 6 on Spin's top 40 albums of the year and numero 2 top single of the year!


typography
11x17

cansei de ser sexy

12.11.08 @ echoplex

color theory

we are the world

I was incredibly pleased to see this band as the first opener for the CSS show last night at the echoplex. Now while their sound is definitely electronic, it is by all means as eclectic as their live performances. 50% choreographed performance art and 50% sheer electronic genius, they definitely command your attention!

here's a glimpse into their madness:





mas informacion here!

tech: vintage edition

If you find yourself wondering exactly what this piece of wood is suppossed to be, you'd probably be surprised to learn that it is in fact the world's first mouse!

On dec. 9, 1968, Douglas Engelbert, director of stanford research institute's augmentation research center, unveiled, for the first time, the work that he and his team were doing. Among some of the innovations shown were the the world's first mouse, the first hyperlinks, and the first navigable windows.

It blows my mind to think that this was only 40 years ago, at the rate of technology, it will definitely be exciting/potentially scary to see where we are 40 years from now.

In any case a big ups to Engelbert, who literally helped the computer beccome more personal.

Oh and speaking of hyperlinks, more on Engelbert aqui.

the rat is dead

this thursday at the echoplex: be there or be square!

musica: a day with andrew

downloaded this album last week and have been playing the shite outta of it. this is trevor andrew pro snowboarder/santi's (aka santogold) bf. the album is fun, dancy and synthy (i know its a bit trendy at the moment but i heart any/all 80's influence!) so he definitely deserves to be your next guilty pleasure.

stand outs include: chase money, no good and youngboy.

tho not his best track by any means, enjoy this video for "bang, bang" featuring (vocals only) Santogold:


para mas informacion click aqui

perdido

straight geekin out! this is what my xmas break is gonna look like:




in stores now!

brooklyn go hard

Great track even greater video. A true testament to the power of typography!

Jay-Z on iLike - Get updates inside iTunes

more info on the artist: evan roth

tech: beats 2.0

If you have yet to play with the Dr. Dre and Monster collab known as the Monster Beats by Dre Headphones, then you must trust me when I say they are phenomenal! (If you have not then swing by your local bestbuy) The sound is so insane that it nearly warrants the $349.99 price tag. I say nearly only because there are very few things in life which I would drop that kind of scrilla on and lets just say headphones, despite immense sound capability, is definitely not one of them.

However with that said, coming straight outta of the gate are the new Beats in-ear headphones!


Let me just say that if they are even remotely close to providing the sound, bass and clarity of its older brother than it will definitely be a contender for my gift wishlist. Allegedly the word on the street is that the sound is so big, you'll feel like you've got speakers in your ears! It also claiming to be the world's first "tangle-free earphone cables" (and those of you who work out feel me on the severity of this issue!). It also offers in ear noise isolation! and like most of the "smarter" in-ear buds, includes several different cone tips for the right fit. And at the reasonable price $149.99...you best believe i'll at least toy with the idea of purchasing this them.

they drop in 2 weeks, and i"ll let you know as soon as they hit my store!

clinton 2.0

So shes obviously NOT the pee or the vee pee but obama announced it today...so say hello to the newly appointed secretary of state: Hillary Clinton.

And what exactly does that mean? You ask.

The secretary is in charge of foreign policy and representing the United States to foreign governments — they also serve as the head of the U.S. Department of State. It is the most senior position in a president's cabinet, and it is often filled by someone with deep foreign-policy or military experience. The secretary negotiates with foreign leaders and governments on behalf of the president, advises the president on foreign policy and supervises the State Department's activities overseas, including its consulates and embassies.

hijacking the mainstream

you can imagine my excitement when upon arriving home from a long day of work and school, i happened to find this image staring at me from the mailbox:



as we all know she is pregnant and the article talks about that, her music, the irony of her fiance (and his fam) and pretty much where she wants to go from here on out. so check it out on newstands everywhere.

or read it online on spin here.

nueva musica: Kanye West

What can I say about this album? It really surprised me, it feels like his most thematic collection thus far. From the powerful album cover, a deflated balloon in the shape of a heart, each song, though synthesized and danceable, really is deep rooted in some sort of heartbreak.

I have been killin this album and I'm still not over it. Stand outs are heartbreak, coldest winter, see you in my knightmares (feat lil weezy), amazing (feat young jeezy), robocop... okay, okay so the whole album pretty much kicks ass. but pinocchio story is by far my favorite track, its prolly his deepest and most vulnerable song yet. It was recorded live in singapore, and is truly touching as he sings "Do you think I sacrificed real life for all the fame of flashing lights?"

Though I question whether his truest fans will feel somewhat alienated. This is a completely different record and is not so much a hip hop album as it is a electro pop album. Afterall 808's is a reference to the Roland 808 and pretty much turns him vocally into a robot. In any case the album in my opinion is flawless.

2 thumbs up...so check it!

SpiritandPower7

So I came across this comment online regarding a story about obama's immediate actions assembling his team:

SpiritandPower7
02:39 AMNov 10 2008
"Even though i voted for McCain, I am going to pray for Obama because my God commands me to....I am going to leave the door open to seek the position of President, as soon as his voters overthrow him...If i become President, this Nation will be governed by The Word of God...If you refuse to obey the Laws of The Lord Jesus, you will be deported...The gay people will be permitted to be gay, behind closed doors....I will seek godly people for office and positions throughout ALL goverment offices, especially our military...It is a must to have the most powerful military to remain a superpower....I would revise all laws to reduce our expansions of prisons...Death penalties would be imposed immediately, based on all evidence, and the testimony of two or three witnesses....There would be no more appeals , PERIOD...The money we would save on prisons would be used fro children to get the proper education, they need so they can better themselves."


Now with the name "SpiritandPower7" aside, I, once again, find myself not at all surprised that this dude is a "christian" AND obsessed with power (as reflected by his name and words.) The fact that this mofo's god commands him to pray for Obama, whilst he would still deport those who refused to obey the "Laws of The Lord Jesus" AND immediately impose death penalties, with no appeals mind you, is completely twisted. It seems that he, like many of his kind, conveniently forget that his lord Jesus Christ did not judge (afterall he impregnated a prosititute) and was prolly one of the most tolerant peeps out there.

The amount of intolerance and hatred out there all under the umbrella of the righteous christian bible thumpers is sum scurry shit. So just a heads up, this douche is definitely part of the majority who voted yes on 8, and he prolly lives next door to you, or even worse, me!

fin

the change we needed

its official!!!
meet president elect barack obama:



history has been written and it is a true testament to the power of the people!

so now america, what next!? voting him into office is just the beginning. we must all remember that contrary to popular belief, obama is still just a man, and not a miracle worker. so ultimately we are the ones responsible for change, and subsequently must be held responsible for it. therefore we must now be proactive and make the necessary changes within our personal lives. it is up to us to pick ourselves up and take our country forward, into a brighter and more positive future.

one sign at a time

so i must say that i have tried my hardest to not blog or write about california's prop 8, which is to ban gay marriage. the reason being that i feel with all things considered, a bad global economy, young vets still in the middle east and a dying planet, it seems completely ridiculous that this is even an issue that we are debating. are we seriously that blinded by our own religious beliefs that we can not look past whatever a damn book says to see that in an attempt to "save marriage" we are honestly trying to strip away human civil liberties!?

so, while out running sum errands on a seemingly normal sunday, i found myself driving into HG (as i do daily) when leaving the LB towne center to return home. when i noticed about 10 individuals, young and old, holding giant yes on 8 banners. now waiting at a seemingly eternal red light, it literally took every bone in my body to not start cussing these dumb fucks out. such obvious support for a prop which only spreads hatred and discrimination, had me double guessing the hatred i was feeling in return.

now ironically enough, it seems utterly humorous to see these people straight posted in HG. now for those of you who do not know of this city, let's just say that priorities are a bit skewed. not only does this city have a profit hoarding casino and a newly built bingo club (same owner) which can obviously only exist in a high poverty level, there is an unmentioned amount of homelessness surrounding said buildings. yet, instead of trying to better the community around them, by organizing a homeless shelter, a soup kitchen, or i don't know, how about promoting the importance of education and safe sex in an attempt to break the chains which surround po folks of color, they choose to promote yes on 8.

so that was on sunday, now only adding further fuel to the fire, this evening after leaving work to a crammed night of finals prep and last minute assignments, i came across a few more of those wretched banners. and just as i was thinking, "great, more hate!!" i continue to drive only to find that the banners immediately began to double and triple, they were literally placed about 5 yards from one another on BOTH sides of the street AND the median center divider!! (keep in mind this is major public street!) you could only imagine how irate i was. this was officially the straw that broke the camels back, and the time to hesitate was through, i decided i must remove this garbage littering my neighborhood in an attempt to help spread tolerance.

so i called for reinforcement, and after some hesitation, the shit was on! with accomplice in tow, we planned our strategic move, her on sidewalk and i on the god damn median! the hunt was on. we were as stealth as ninjas, even as a popo shined his lights at us, signs in hand no less, without missing a beat we both casually waved thus sending him on his piggy way. so spirits heightened, we ventured outwards to find more of these hate filled clusters. and after tracking yet another block of homes, the time had come to wrap it up.

so here i am, dirty as fuck, filthy hands typing away at my precious mac, having yet to start any homework, and needing to be at work at 6am, and all i can think of his how on the morning of the election, we did our small part to rid the city of hatred and garbage...one sign at a time.





total count: 52... what you know about that shite son!

fin

nueva musica: John Legend

so his new album "evolver", just dropped yesterday, and i gotta tell you the shit is tiiight!!! i mean it, from beginning to end this shit is like one great track after the other. its been a real minute since i found myself listening to an album for the first time and not wanting to skip any track whatsoever! so that should be a clear indicator of the caliber of this record. also the album features andre, estelle and kanye and they are by means wasted in their cameos, especially my boy andre!

so check it out!

CK

I recently came across this compilation of Calvin Klein ads that originally aired in 1995. I'll have to date myself by saying that I vividly remember being in junior high and watching these ads, not really understanding what all the hoopla was about. Now honestly, I got the 70's wood paneling scratchy porn vibe (my first porn encounters were of that variety) but aside from that, in response to the "controversy", I remember thinking that people just needed to relax, afterall it was just a stupid commercial.



However watching these ads as an adult, I now fully understand why their was such an uproar. It has nothing to do with the pornesque vibe in my mind, it is completely revolving around the pedophilic and unseen narrator/cameraman. Hearing the way he speaks to these young boys and girls really is extremely creepy, and though it is a commercial, I cringe at the thought of what happened after the camera was shut off.

I can only imagine what the peeps at CK were thinking when they okayed this marketing campaign. Obviously they intended to cause some controversy, as had been the case with prior campaigns, but this by NO means sells jeans! By connoting that a creepy man with a camera would pay you attention if you rocked CK jeans, it actually makes me NEVER want wear CK jeans!

I mean i've tried to wrap my mind around this, and aside from molestation is cool and desirable, I just don't get it. And needless to say nor did America, as these ads were quickly pulled after hitting the airwaves. I give them credit for thinking outside of the box, but not if said box is filled with porn and inside the basement of Uncle Chester's House.

Ultimately though, this is just a reminder of how perspective changes as one ages. It is always interesting to be confronted with specific imagery as an adult that can be immediately plucked from your youth. Yet, more specifically, how your reaction and interpretation to said imagery differs now than it did then.

p.s check out a young bijou phillips at 2:02

870is

i know that we were not together for long, but i must admit i not only eyed you for a long time, i did very extensive research before making my move. a move i never once regretted (well mostly at least). in the time we spent together we did our fair share of living and traveling. we explored the cityscapes and nightlife of SF twice and we also roamed the beautiful and majestic scenary of hawaii. because of you i have a record of concerts, events, birthdays, friends and family.

though you will eventually be replaced by a camera with more megapixels, a better zoom, a more touch responsive scroll wheel and a bigger bang for my buck, it was you who helped me elevate my photographic skills to new heights and for this i will never forget you. and tho the last night we shared together was a testament to your ability to capture brilliant color and resolution in low light situations, you will always be my first, and thus a benchmark which others will have to live up to.

RIP

light brite

"In these green times, companies are looking everywhere to make a buck -- er, save the planet. Philips Simplicity didn't go much further than the sidewalk to find inspiration for its latest eco-friendly innovation, the Light Blossom, a self-sustainable street lamp that has triple-duty petals. They're peppered with energy-efficient LEDs to illuminate the street, naturally, but also have solar panels on top and can spin around in a stiff breeze to recharge. At night they'll emit a soft glow, intended to cut down on light pollution, but will grow brighter whenever a pedestrian comes by. It all sounds wonderfully efficient, but with lights popping on and off as you go, it could make that late-night walk of shame a little more conspicuous than you might like."

mas informacion aqui

vote

not only is our economy and the overall infrastructure of our country in jeopardy, so is roe. vs. wade! so this one goes out to all the female voters out there...if you vote mccain, i wish you a plethora of unwanted pregnancies and a future filled with welfare and dead beat fathers.

wtf!? wake up people!

mas informacion aqui

they're heeerre

freshly redesigned from one single piece of aluminum, check
smooth glass trackpad with crazy 4 finger gesture, check

para mas informacion including tech specs click here

and now i have a date with a razor.

middle child syndrome

so i just read a very short yet interesting article entitled "Can Birth Order Determine Your Career?" the article looks at how birth order affects your upbringing and socialization within a family structure and how these affect your adaptive patterns and personalities. but more specifically how these play into possible career advancements and success.

read the entire article aqui

but bottom line...first and only children tend to have a stricter upbringing thus creating more responsible and hard working individuals which equals a shit ton of cashflow. Middle children, who are caught in the middle naturally learn to mediate and compromise but are complacent and poor as fuck. While the youngest gets all the personality as a result of fighting for attention but ends up the cliched starving artist.

can we say population control!? any more than one child is straight greedy...and trust me, when you're thinking that your first child needs a friend or a buddy, doing so comes only at the expense of the following children. so don't do it.

fin

there there

typographic collage
mag and bible clippings
on bristol
16x16

proud mary

tech thursdays: Apple's Brick

okay so the buzz is really bananas at this point as rumors and speculation swirl about what exactly apple will release. the invites are out, so we know fashow apple is repping this tuesday.



there is also a lot of buzz about a brand new notebook all together, one with a very competitive sub-1000 dollar price point. but what we know is that they have been working on the "brick", which is basically a design process that allows them to construct an entire notebook case out of a SINGLE piece of aluminum with allegedly no screws. this kind of manufacturing not only allows them to shoot out notebooks in record time, it lets them easily toy around with designs. so there is now telling what kinds of products they will release from here on out.



but what we are all dying to see are the redesigned macbook pros!!! in my previous blog i posted some pics of supposedly leaked images of these machines. and they are pretty sick! and this new one which appeared on nvidia's website to promote their new chip seems to show a newer and slimmer macbook.



but in a couple days, all speculation will be put to rest. so mark your calendars!

its coming...

its official: the dates have been set for next years coachella...
April 17, 18, 19!!!

so start using those piggy banks.

the next announcement and by far the most important one is obviously the line up....it wont be out for a couple of months, but i know who i wanna see: Santogold, MGMT, Kings Of Leon, TVOTR, Wolf Parade, CWK, Chromeo... etc (the list can go on and on!)

and for all things coachella click aqui