09 January 2009
SneakAttach!
NY Mag made their picks of sneakers, but I thought they were all atrocious. So here are my spotlight kicks for 2008-09!
08 January 2009
HeyBreezy; throwback.
heywillpower is a major reason of my consideration to move to NYC. He won my ears when Julian took me to see his show at the Rickshaw Stop, and he won my heart when we saw him at the corner store at 16th and Valencia. Heywillpower made me realize that I need backupdancers, picture it.
07 January 2009
FruitVale, Oakland, California.
For those who have not heard:
On New Years morning, as most of us were staggering among SF streets - drunk and passed out in stairwells - riders on BART at the Fruitvale station witnessed a murder. Oscar Grant - a 22 year old father and Hayward resident - was on his stomach and unarmed when the BART officer shot him in his back. In videos released from riders on the stalled BART train, Grant was thrown and pinned to the ground when he was shot by another officer. The "two year veteran" was never questioned of the event, sent on a mandatory and routine paid leave, and has since resigned from BART. Today, Wednesday January 7th, there was a protest...
Oakland was a live and kicking tonight. I was already in Oakland when I got word of a protest of the BART shooting. I jump on BART at MacArthur when I hear that the Fruitvale station is closed due to "civil protest". I take the train to Lake Merrit and then a shuttle to Fruitvale BART.
Upon exiting the bus I see several news vans in single file spaces, their transmitting towers erected and bobble head reporters alert and dispersed throughout the crowd. I pass by the memorial of candles and posters that read "RIP Oscar" and "Police are supposed to protect us". I see a lot of young people, of all races. I maneuver through the crowd, recognize a few faces. Someone pulls at my arm - a girl I went to City College with (Drug Wars of Latin America). I slither closer to the speakers. Click, Click - document a couple scenes with my disposable. I stand behind the tall slender girl and her friends. One young man is speaking on the microphone, the girls are hollerin in support and get caught up in the moment, they joke with smirks on their faces, and the young man yells "I don't understand why y'all have smiles, this -ish isn't funny." He didn't see these girls, but they felt his criticism, and quickly dispersed in embarrassment. I look around and see another familiar face, Emily, with whom I've taken another class with (Environemntal Justice). Later on, another familar face: Manuel. I met him through my friend Romina, he is on parole and is now an organizer for a group that helps parolee's.
There was a lot of anger felt in this crowd, and I could feel the discontent and desire for change. Some quotes that caught my attention:
Again, the crowd. Young, old, black, white, Latino, and Asian. I saw people there that were community organizers, urban artists and entertainers - this was a different crowd from other protests that I've attended, this was a certain demographic - young, urban, ethnic youth. I stayed at this protest for two hours.
When I arrive home, I turn on the news, and the protest had turned into a riot. The group left the BART station and proceded to Broadway street, breaking windows along the way. Riot cops had flooded the scene and what looks like a plethora of arrests were made. Later, Mayor Dellums of Oakland encouraged the protesters to go to Oakland City Hall or go home. When the crowd moved to City Hall, Dellums tried to bargain with them to go home, saying that a thorough investigation will be made, and justice served. On TV, it seemed like a reenactment of MILK, but Dellums was less successful.
As a citizen I am disgusted, as an urban geographer I am disappointed. Watching the video of this event, I am astonished and sickened.
On New Years morning, as most of us were staggering among SF streets - drunk and passed out in stairwells - riders on BART at the Fruitvale station witnessed a murder. Oscar Grant - a 22 year old father and Hayward resident - was on his stomach and unarmed when the BART officer shot him in his back. In videos released from riders on the stalled BART train, Grant was thrown and pinned to the ground when he was shot by another officer. The "two year veteran" was never questioned of the event, sent on a mandatory and routine paid leave, and has since resigned from BART. Today, Wednesday January 7th, there was a protest...
Oakland was a live and kicking tonight. I was already in Oakland when I got word of a protest of the BART shooting. I jump on BART at MacArthur when I hear that the Fruitvale station is closed due to "civil protest". I take the train to Lake Merrit and then a shuttle to Fruitvale BART.
Upon exiting the bus I see several news vans in single file spaces, their transmitting towers erected and bobble head reporters alert and dispersed throughout the crowd. I pass by the memorial of candles and posters that read "RIP Oscar" and "Police are supposed to protect us". I see a lot of young people, of all races. I maneuver through the crowd, recognize a few faces. Someone pulls at my arm - a girl I went to City College with (Drug Wars of Latin America). I slither closer to the speakers. Click, Click - document a couple scenes with my disposable. I stand behind the tall slender girl and her friends. One young man is speaking on the microphone, the girls are hollerin in support and get caught up in the moment, they joke with smirks on their faces, and the young man yells "I don't understand why y'all have smiles, this -ish isn't funny." He didn't see these girls, but they felt his criticism, and quickly dispersed in embarrassment. I look around and see another familiar face, Emily, with whom I've taken another class with (Environemntal Justice). Later on, another familar face: Manuel. I met him through my friend Romina, he is on parole and is now an organizer for a group that helps parolee's.
There was a lot of anger felt in this crowd, and I could feel the discontent and desire for change. Some quotes that caught my attention:
"We need to Re-Think the way we dress, eat, and think"
"Don't just protest whats on TV"
"If nothing changes lets look at each other as brothers and sisters. If a brother says 'hello' don't look at him like he got shit on his face."
Recommendations like: "Block the BART train, block the doors, don't ride the BART train."
and the popular "Fuck the PO-LACE"
Again, the crowd. Young, old, black, white, Latino, and Asian. I saw people there that were community organizers, urban artists and entertainers - this was a different crowd from other protests that I've attended, this was a certain demographic - young, urban, ethnic youth. I stayed at this protest for two hours.
When I arrive home, I turn on the news, and the protest had turned into a riot. The group left the BART station and proceded to Broadway street, breaking windows along the way. Riot cops had flooded the scene and what looks like a plethora of arrests were made. Later, Mayor Dellums of Oakland encouraged the protesters to go to Oakland City Hall or go home. When the crowd moved to City Hall, Dellums tried to bargain with them to go home, saying that a thorough investigation will be made, and justice served. On TV, it seemed like a reenactment of MILK, but Dellums was less successful.
As a citizen I am disgusted, as an urban geographer I am disappointed. Watching the video of this event, I am astonished and sickened.
06 January 2009
Lace Fronts.
The Guardian noted how wigs were a surprising accessory for Christmas, selling well at stores like Harrods over the Christmas break. Stylists claim that wigs offer a great alternative to the damaging effects of color treatments and extensions. They actually noted how "Black women, especially in America, have been wearing wigs for quite some time," even giving credit to Beyonce, Kelly Rowland (really?), Halle Berry, for wearing them on the regular - adding that Oprah has over 25 to chose from. Now British clubbers and fashionista's are taking note and wearing them out; Marc Jacobs recently wearing one in a photo shoot.
One British clubber, Pixie Geldof - sister of Peaches, said her favorite look is the pink 'Britney Meltdown' bob.
Yikes.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2009/jan/04/wigs-christmas-bestsellers-sales-soar
Anthro-Diesel?
If you have a tender stomach, you might want to read with caution..
How green is too green? A surgeon from Beverley Hills boasted that he was fueling his car on fat. That's right, FAT! This bio-fuel was produced from lipo-suction excretions. This of course caught the attention of the CA Dept. of Health, which has strict regulations on what can be done with medical waste.
The doctor has since fled the country to South America, and his website advertising his actions has gone defunct. Even further, the validity of the doctors claims are being questioned, since his girlfriends Lincoln Navigator SUV, which he claims runs on the 'bio-diesel', isn't a diesel to begin with. Nonetheless, the Christian Science Monitor stated that "After all, if paunch were petroleum, the US would be Saudi Arabia."
I don't even want to think about what the exhaust smelt like.
http://features.csmonitor.com/environment/2008/12/29/can-we-run-our-cars-on-human-fat/
What makes you think I celebrate Kwanza?
Kanye spills that he is doint a collabo with LV on a sneaker line. THis is not, however, an internship.
When a Paparrazi asks if Kanye is enjoyin his Kwanza, Mr.West replies that he enjoys regular Christmas. Skip to 0:23 seconds, and I'm pretty sure a Pap' says "hows your christmas dude? You're hella stylin' today dude"
Damn, exercisin Bay-Jargon left and right.
Kanye mentioned how he would have worked for either LV or Raf Simons. Here is his Spring sneaker line-up. As Kanye recently said on his blog, '09 is all about the velcro-strap; wonder where he's getting his inspiration....
05 January 2009
04 January 2009
Gorge
(Spanish accent noted)
George was the magazine publication that JFK Jr. headed. It bridged culture and politics and is a model for what I would like to produce, but with a little more POP and a lot of ECO. It was launched in 1995, and ended in 2001 after advertisement sales fell, post JFK Jr.'s sudden death in 1999.
Check the cover for its first issue... does anyone see some MellyG rhetoric on that (maybe near the bottom?)
George was the magazine publication that JFK Jr. headed. It bridged culture and politics and is a model for what I would like to produce, but with a little more POP and a lot of ECO. It was launched in 1995, and ended in 2001 after advertisement sales fell, post JFK Jr.'s sudden death in 1999.
Check the cover for its first issue... does anyone see some MellyG rhetoric on that (maybe near the bottom?)
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