Diva Awards, 2008.

Compiling this list was harder than I thought, and I found two prominent motif's in my list: political and pop-culture clusters. Read, comment, and enjoy.

Most Surprising Career Comeback Diva: Katie Couric's career
Biggest Comeback Diva: Britney

Best Surprise Diva: Gay Li-Lo
Biggest HOT MESS Diva: Amy Winehouse
Jailbait Diva: Mylie Cyrus
Like a Nail in your side, Diva: Joe _______.
Diva without a Cause: Sara Palin
Diva that finally made it: Rihanna
Biggest Diva in Charge: $4/Gallon Gas.
CNN Diva: Rachel Maddow
Most Proud Diva Moment: Waiting 45 minutes to vote
Best Diva Move by a Car Company: GM, Killin the SUV.


Reality TV Diva's: Crying break dancers on America's Best Dance Crew.
Most Entertaining Diva's: The Real Housewives of ATL
Best Diva Party: Gloria and Raul's Wedding.
Sloppiest Diva-Train: VH1 Reality Stars: Rock of Love Charm School, I Love Money - just all of them.
Best Diva Catch Phrase: Handle it!
Poppin Diva Gathering: Obama's Victory in Chicago
Poppin Diva Gathering II: Any/All Presidential Debates.
Most Awkward Diva Performance: WHenever John McCain would open his trap.
Most Aggressive Campaign Diva: Hillary Clinton
Diva's favorite movie:The Wackness
Diva that everyone wants to work for: Barack
Historical Diva Moment: Election Night, 2008. Sweet Victory.
Historical Diva Moment II: Opening Ceremony for the Beijing Olympics
Historical Diva Moment III: Obama's Speech on Race
Most Anticipated Diva of 2009: The Obama Trio: Sasha, Malia, and Michelle.





Biggest Diva of 2008: The Economy.

Hottie Alert: Kid Cudi

Hustler Watch: Kid Cudi from Eighty81 on Vimeo.

He is also on the 808s LP under "Welcome to HeartBreak." I'm pretty sure I told you about that one...

Ouch, on fire.

No Smoking in the White House

Obama will be challenged to live up to the no-smoking clause ban in el casa blanco, starting January 20th. His doctor stated that he has been on the nicotine gum for quite some time, and has tried to quite a few times, but Obama has admitted to sneakin a few within the past year. Overall, 21% of Americans smoke, down from 28% in the 1980's. Also, it takes the average smoker 7-10 times before they actually quit. I just noticed that my Pops' new Toyota, doesn't have a cigarette lighter, nor is it equipped with an ashtray. Much different story with our 1989 Volvo, which was equipped with both. Dear I say we're moving past a time to light up?
Suerte Obama!

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/29/us/29smoke.html?em

Skater: Thank you forclosure!

Fresno, California. The fallen economy and home sales have treated skaters very well. In this time of poor economic planning, pockets are empty and pools are dry. With that, skaters have taken it to the streets, and then to the backyard of these abandoned homes - and there are a lot of them.

Empty pools are transformed into mini skate parks, and are attracting skaters from around the world. Fresno, California has become one of the centers for this mobile-movement. Skaters are coming from as far as Germany and Australia to this agriculture county and suburban sprawl disaster. Foreign skaters use realty sights like: realquest.com and realtor.com, to find these concentrations of potential skate parks. Sacramento County is another popular destination.

Is anyone else noting the odd imbalance here? Usually people want to escape these areas, but now they're flocking to them. Could this dub Fresno ripe for urban infestation and rejuvenation? A neo-hub for cutting edge culture and infrastructure? Maybe Fresno is where its at???? what?!!?!?
Check back in 5 years.

http://bit.ly/TQMu

Louis Vuitton Don, a Louis Vuitton... intern?

Dang. Kanye wants to intern for Louis Vuitton, or Raf Simmons. Does this mean that my investment in his career has been worthless, or should I stay tuned? I must admit, I have been dying to see what his Pastelle clothing line would be like (now know as Past Tell); maybe an internship at LV would do him some good - and ultimatly me some good if I look to rock Pastelle threads. In the "Mirror" the London tabloid, Mr. West said he would leave rapping to the weekend's and would resort to making tea for the LV exec's if that meant he could learn the ropes of clothing design.

West is not necessarily quitting or retiring, and if he is claiming that - he might take after his mentor Jay-Z and quickly prove himself wrong.

Keep it Real: Kanye could never just make tea - too much of a diva to not have the spotlight.


http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/04/fashion/04ROW.html

If you wanna be BFF,

you should know:
i hate fake ass bitches.

Milk and Milli

I never see movies, but this week I've seen two.



MILK
For those who know about Harvey Milk, this movie was a long time coming. The same can also be said for those who are not as acquainted with him. Growing up in SF, I never once remember being taught about Milk and his accomplishments, or even Moscone for that matter. Even taking a SF History class at City College, Milk was never discussed. This film educates the viewer of Milks accomplishments and also reminds you how far we've come and also what little has changed in terms of the inequity of civil rights. It was amazing to watch this film and see the parallel between the battles of the 1970's and our current struggles (enter: Prop 6 vs. Prop 8). It was these similarities that made some people wish Milk was released before November 4th in hopes to sway some voters against Prop 8, however the director wanted MILK to be about the Milk, and not misunderstood as a political ploy. Watching the movement that Milk created and the army of loyal participants that he recruited, reignited the aggressive political flame in my heart, and reminded me of what politics can be, and what having a strong vision can do.

Highly Recommended.


SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE
Have you seen City of God? Many have stated that this is the Indian version. There are of course some major differences: Slumdog is a story of a young man who is a contestant on the Mumbai "Who Wants to be a Millionaire?" and he is one question away from winning the top prize. The host of the show believes he is cheating, and tries to get the boy to admit so. The film takes you on journey of Jamal's life and the events that granted him the knowledge of knowing the answer for each question. Oh, and its kind of a love story.

I just noticed the MTV logo on the bottom of the Slumdog poster, now it makes sense why there was those MIA songs snuck into the movie, don't worry - it works.


Highly Recommended

LoveLockDown: A Review

808s and Heartbreaks, Kanye's newest addition to the music world. Initial reactions to the LP were of concern and confusion - Why is Kanye singing? Why the voice box? A love album? What? But if you serve anything up with a little attitude and a lot of confidence, people are bound to follow. Enter: Lil Wayne. Upon the release of 808s, Lil Wayne said "Kanye made it ok for a rapper to sing, about love." I bought the album, to show my support, and determined to figure out what the hell Kanye was thinking.

Diagnosis: Dub 808s a West-Experiment, an arrogant display of his creativity. If looked at with this lens: 808s is not the end of the world; its by no means College Dropout status. Also: the live performances of 808's have been painful to the max (e.g. SNL, GMA). Painful.

Recommendation: Kanye should have followed Pharell's lead with "Neptunes Presents....Clones" in which the Neptunes produced the album and had hella artists guest on it. I say this, because some of the tracks were for a diva with vocals, and Yeezy is just a diva.

Some honorable mention tracks:

Welcome to Heartbreak: His struggle between achieving fame but not family, and the surprise of unfulfillment found in his riches.

"my friend shows me pictures of kids, and all i could show him was pictures of my cribs...chased the good life my whole life long, looked back on my life and my life gone. Welcome to Heartbreak."

just saw this quote on FADER.com, as one of the sappiest lines sung by a male rapper.... told ya.

Paranoid: this track is an eco-royalty favorite, sooo $F-$ynthe too. To me, it represents what Kanye was trying to accomplish with this album.I can't help but notice how similar the beat is the Paul McCarnety Xmas song: Wonderful Christmas Time http://bit.ly/laz4

$treet Lights: is Kanye's comin of age track. This song could be the backround track for a movie scene: Kanye runs towards the camera, arms reaching in front of him - or - he runs down the street chasing his woman, but she's gone. The chorus and background singers are uber cheesy, but its a tear-jerker-track, and I can't hate on it.

An Eco-Royalty Salute

Happy Festivu$

Wishli$t: (not limited to special events).

- Hello Kitty:

Toaster.

HK Zippo.

- Congestion Pricing

- Lego Calendar- Limited Edition Sneaker'$

puma's 60th anniversery

Reebok Pump, Atmos edition.Watermelon Vans, straight CA style.

Breezy in boots with the fur...

She is mos def rockin the FloRida look. But it is the blurry fashionista behind the breezy in focus whose the outfit I adore.




source:
http://thesartorialist.blogspot.com/

<3

A French graf artist did a piece in an LA alley, dedicated to his wife. Thats love.


André from Arkitip, Inc. on Vimeo.

Palabra: A Series.

After much debate, and much abuse, this word has got to be defined.

Breezy bree-zee
adj.
n.

1. (a) a briskly informal (b) Airy, Nonchalant
2. Combination between two words to refer to a woman: Broad+Easy, yield the derogatory term Breezy.
3. Used to refer to a hot girl, or possibly, any girl; often used to confuse a girl unknowing of the term's definition.

It is best to analyze this term in the context in which it is being used.
"What up breezy" --> as a form of endearment.
"Damn, that breezy on the bus was hella loud" used in a more derogatorily manor.

source:
1. merriam-webster.com/dictionary/breezy
2. http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?page=1&term=breezy
3.http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?page=1&term=breezy

Braids, bangs, and thangs.

What if I changed my hair... to one of these two options??
The giant Beyonce braid might not be the most user-friendly, but shock value will totally make up for it. Holler

Mos Def a throw back to Me, a couple years ago. . . and a tribute to my alter (asian) ego.

A Revolution of Color

Oh Lord, I love it. Pretty much a party for Nike fanatics to showcase their collections, like a museum of footwear. Dunks being dubbed a "Revolution of Color," being the first shoe that assigned color to different college teams, and thus assigned them an identity as well.
Yet another check for the "Yes you should move to New York" box.

My Goal:

"Make your own, create your own hype"
"Tell a story with your shoe"

hypebeast.com/2008/12/nike-playmakers-iii-event-nyc/#more-61863

Been around the world....

Bape is releasing a hoody for each city in which they have a store. . I adore any additional excuse to rep your city.

Nightgown Chic.

Fresh to death in Harlem, New York.



This image personifies why I liked the UP-UPtown NYC, and also probably the reason why I fit in so well.

Political Feed Box.

-Atm stolen from DALLAS mini-mart via forklift (There was $40k in the ATM, and both guys were up for $150k bail. Didn't these fools see the movie "Barbershop"?) http://bit.ly/2iBL
- Twitter turns cheek to Facebook offer (rejected $500million offer from FB, says they have 'more to do,' like learn how to make a profit. Enter: Yammer. Maybe Twitter should talk to CRAIGslist for sime $$ making tips) http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/12/03/why-twitter-turned-down-facebook
-Ex-Danity Kane member = SF Native. (Aubrey O'day is from SF, what?) http://bit.ly/sKPf

Back to the Future.

1920 - This drawing is an example of auto-utopia. The urban design of this 'ideal city' is dubbed "Functionalism" or "Modernist." It applies science to city planning- that is, to make a city function as a machine, and cater to private automobile performance.

This type of urban planning breeds auto-dependency: extreme iscolation of buildings/land uses, absence of public transit, and large, desolate streets - free from congestion. This image was produced in a time when the city street was viewed as a public space that fostered the urban community and culture.

Pretty much the polar opposite of SF.

A real life example: Brasilla, Brazil.



Trancik, Roger (1986). Finding Lost Space: Theories of Urban Design.
http://www.geocities.com/TheTropics/3416/bw05.jpg

Palabra: A Serie$.

There are some words that I use a lot, some more respectable than others. None the less, a refresher course of their definitions never hurt anyone. And so the series begins:

Vindicate vin-di-cate

1. to set free: DELIVER
2. AVENGE
3. (a) to free from allegation or blame (b) to provide justification or defense for

Getting in a gnarly bike accident vindicates me of any guilt from not riding.

Source: Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary: Eleventh Edition. (2003).

If I were president, America would be cool again.

Mos Def encourages Americans to be good Jedi's, among other things:

• Mandatory community service for athletes and ppl making $500k+
• Free breakfast for all the kids, everywhere.
• 100 year Moratorium on the following words/phrases: "In the Club" "Thats Sick" "Shawty"
• National TuPac Day, Skateboard day.

Others interviewed = Wyclef, MURS.



http://www.good.is/?p=12712

Oliver Laric

Poor Petigree = Unemployeed bitches.

After 40 years, BBC is suspending the broadcasting of the famous doggy parade: Crufts. This comes after the BBC documentary, Pedigree Dogs Exposed, (August '08) revealed how aggressive breeding methods can yield health problems in show dogs - shocking.

Out of the 229 breeds, 12 are dubbed 'at risk.' The BBC stated they would air the show if Crufts would exclude the 'at risk' breeds, the Kennel Club refused.

Some 'at risk' breeds include:

King Charles Spaniel- Syringomyelia --> when the skull is too small for the brain. A specific concern, because Prince Charles has one (you know what they say....).
Bull Dog - Cannot give birth naturally due to narrow hips. (thank god I dont have that problem)
Boxer - Epilepsy

An example: The Pug.
Now, 19th Century. Notice how the current Pug has no nose, and how the older Pug has a black girl doll.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/dec/12/bbc-suspends-crufts-coverage

$easonal Eats: Deciembre

The delay of this installment was due to my camera being jacked. November was skipped due to turkey fever. I just learned that Turkey's are actually native to North America, so there is some reason to the tradition.

Pretty much all thats in season are root vegetables and citrus, but here were some common motif's seen at the market this week...

Fruits:

• Apples
• Buddha's hand (pictured above, kinda like a giant lemon rind)
  
• Grapefruit
• Persimmon
• Pomegranate
• Satsuma Mandarin

Veggies:

• Brussels Sprouts
• Celery Root
• Daikon
• Romanesco Broccoli (pictured above)
  
• Sun Choke
• Winter Squash

100% Organ!c

The word hipster came up again in conversation today, and thus, the ever standing question of hipster looms once more. Why is there such a poor stigma with the word - and doesn't it ultimately infer something positive? Here's one person's take on the origin of the taboo-term:

The original meaning of hip: back in the jazz days, the Beat days, hip meant you’re “hip to something,” as in awake or alive to something. I love that. Hipster implied someone who was very much of the present moment, the modern age, the cutting edge. Codifying what is hip and not hip, as does VICE and American Apparel—and then making money of it—ain’t hip. - Waylon Lewis

To me, at this point -- if wearing glasses means being called hipster instead of loser, bring-it-on. holler

http://www.elephantjournal.com/2008/11/post-hipster-or-anti-hipster-what-comes-next-a-conversation/

10:45pm

I'm walking home from the N-Judah crossing Page street heading towards the Panhandle. Its 45 degree's, hood is over my head, strings pulled tight. Coffee cup in hand (have to write a paper tonight) and I briskly walk past a couple of junkie-esque- dudes.

Tweeker: Hey! Can I tell you something?
MellyG: What (diva 'tude noted)
Tweeker: Your butt makes me happy
MellyG: Good.

For some reason I thought 808 was a gun.

Kanye just released his synth LP titled "808s and Heartbreaks"
Which begged the question - What the hell is an 808?
I thought: "808, could mean 'gat' -- but guns and heartbreak? Too hood for Kanye." So I strolled over to UrbanDictionary.com in search of some clarity

808
a. Slammin ass system

b. Reference to the 'Roland TR-808 analog drum machine'
Released in 1981 and only produced for 3 years, TR-808 creates a deep bass drum [Love Lockdown], snappy snare, and a 'weird cowbell sound' [Say You Will]. Ultimately it is known for its synthesized drum sounds - and every kid in SF seems to be making music with
one.


Ugh, in this case Kanye should have just titled this CD 'Ode to an 808'...

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?page=2&term=808

De Ja Vu (and i'm not talkin Beyonce)

Meet the Press is NBC's longest running show, starting in 1947. Here is Tim Russerts first episode, airing in 1991, with a segment that could easily be dubbed as current.

Political Feed Box.

-Obama and Gore to meet this week- possible cabinet collabo? (I don't have high hopes for this; Gore has already been VP, remember? and didn't encourage ANY eco-legislation). http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21474241/
- Condoleezza Rice to focus on K-12 education post White House. (takin it to the streets? can't hate on that!) http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/world/2008-10/23/content_7133996.htm
- All Bay Area rappers move to ATL: E-40, Keyshia Cole, Too $hort. (According to Bravo's "Real Housewives of Atlanta" the ATL is like the Black Hollywood, but whatever happened to Bay Pride??) (k.chilla convo)

Meet the Replacement..

On June 13, 2008 reports of Tim Russert's death began to spread. I learned of this via text reading:
"Tim Russert died, I'm sad. - Dad"
Russert exemplified what media should be - unbiased and critical. I truly believe he was a public servant in that way. Pops and I would wake up ever Sunday morning, crack 'o dawn- which for me is 8am, to watch Russert crucify politicians by reiterating to them their own published dialogue, genius! Although the show has continued since his passing, to Danny and me, the MTP chair remains empty.

With rumors flying that new NBC personality, Green 360 radio host, and proud SF-flannel-wearing-lesbian- Rachel Maddow might fill Russert's spot, it was just reveled this Sunday that youngin David Gregory would be the T. Russ' replacement. Lets see if homeboy can hang...

Hot Cocoa =

my canon digital got jacked. so sad (head down and shaking side to side)

please send good vibes for a safe return!

Adolescent Nostalgia

My musical BFF during my tween years. Tragic Kingdom being the teddy bear that I resorted to. Just found out they're going on tour together. Gavin's gotta be pissed!! But Im oh so excited.

Anticipating how overpriced these tickets will be. Nothin like payin paychecks for nosebleed seats, holler!

nike+starbucks = clean energy advocates?

Starbucks+Nike+Sun MircroSystem+Timberland are all collaborating in a coalition dubbed Business for Inovative Climate & Energy Policy (aka BICEP). BICEP claiming that climate change will have economic effects and will work with business allies and Congress to push for climate legeslation that coincide with their "principles."

A taste of these standards:

Set short- and long-term greenhouse gas reduction targets

Stimulate 'green' job growth

Adopt national renewable portfolio standard

Capture vast energy efficiency opportunities

Boost investment in renewable energy, energy efficiency and carbon capture and storage technologies

Establish cap-and-trade system with 100% auction of carbon allowances

Encourage transportation for clean energy economy

Limit construction of new coal plants to those that capture and store CO2

I can't help but be weary of BICEP and their mission to 'go green.' More like scrapin the bottom for ways to stay in business. Today, I think actions speak louder than intentions, and the proof is in the puddin'. It might be what the market is waiting for. Big ass diva companies finally taking a stand... lets just see how far they can jump.

http://www.ceres.org/BICEP