lazyrobots

Inner City Pressure!

2011-02-19T23:31:00.001-05:00

That's right. This is how we do *bitches*.

On vacay

2011-01-07T13:15:00.005-05:00

Hi ya!

2010-09-18T11:58:00.006-04:00

So, how's it going? How have you been? I haven't seen you in sooo long. Yes, I've been absent from the blog for quite some time. Well after much laziness (ha ha) and feeling pretty uninspired, I'm back! Here starts my fall journal, available in paper and electronic form. It was originally supposed to be a summer journal, dedicated to the season that I love most. Then I thought hey, why not see what another season has to offer. I already have a crush on spring. I can't love winter. I just can't, and trust me I've tried. I need attention, and winter just can't be bothered. That leaves fall, yes, yes. So here it is, my effort to fall for fall.

My fall journal starts with Spuyten Duyvil, a wonderful Brooklyn bar with which I have a bit of history. They've expanded their garden area! Good thing I found this out just in time for the END of summer. Yess! Well I can always go freeze my ass off, wait this isn't winter, chill my ass off while I get to know my new friend fall. Oi!

The garden is where I found this little sculpture. I'm not sure what it means. I don't know why it's there, and personally I like my white men a bit larger, but fun was had by all.

The Father of Street Photography

2010-06-08T11:30:00.005-04:00

Before there was reality TV and the Sartorialist, Henri Cartier-Bresson roamed the globe photographing candid scenes of people in their daily lives. He gave people a glimpse of human diversity and became the father of photojournalism, eat your heart out, National Geographic!!MOMA is honoring him again; his last show there was in 1947, with a retrospective of over 300 photographs detailing a visual map of his trek around the world. Photos from India and Indonesian, the Chinese revolution, Gandhi’s funeral, postwar in the US, old cultures in Europe as well as portraits of iconic figures in the mid 20th century are all included in the show. I can't help but wrap my head around what it is that I love so dearly about his photography, it is a magical balance between subject matter and composition and appeals greatly to our fascination with travel. The show is a must see this summer!

Deluxx Fluxx Arcade

2010-05-02T19:45:00.003-04:00

Remember when you were in college and your walls were covered in blacklight posters and you spent all your time in there playing video games and doing mad drugs? Yeah, me neither, but if that past had been my reality, the Faile & Bäst Deluxx Fluxx Arcade would evoke flashbacks fo' sho!

Brooklyn-based duo Faile and collaborator Bäst have taken over a store front on Allen Street in the LES and transformed it into a classic video game arcade. The installation is complete with a change machine that dispenses tokens which you can insert into the games to obtain special screens.

This show is a lot of fun because for once, instead of not being allowed to touch the art, you're encouraged to interact with the machines and pushing their buttons often results in hilarity. I was particularly amused by a game that allowed me to turn the Eiffel Tower into a mushroom, back into the Eiffel Tower, back into a mushroom again and so on.

The Deluxx Fluxx Arcade will be open to the public until May 27. I would recommend visiting at night as the neon light bars on the front windows probably don't look as cool in the daytime. Check out some photos below.

Shepard Fairey's May Day

2010-05-02T18:24:00.004-04:00

Shepard Fairey has been making a lot of noise around town the past few weeks. First there was the mural on Houston, which may or may not be legal, then the Obey popup store, all leading up to the sonic boom that was his May Day opening at Deitch Projects last night, the gallery's final exhibition.

When we arrived shortly after six, the horde of eager fans outside Wooster Street had already wrapped itself the length of the block on Grand Street and beyond. Our friends had just given up their spot in line but we convinced them to get back in and let us join them further up. We took advice from the guy behind us in our original spot and grabbed some beers and brown paper bags from a nearby bodega to soften the realization that we were going to be there for a while.

An hour and a half later, we found ourselves inside the immense space with limited edition signed prints in hand. Hundreds of Fairey-stylized images of iconic figures lined three of the walls with a replica of the Houston Street mural filling the back wall. I freaked out a little upon spotting the Macklovitch brothers, A-Trak and Chromeo's Dave 1 at the opening.

May Day will be up all month until May 29 so be sure to check it out and say a proper goodbye to Deitch as well. Check out my pictures from the show below.

Stop the press - Banksy's married!

2010-04-13T23:27:00.002-04:00

And that's about the only thing you'll learn about him upon seeing "Exit Through the Gift Shop," aka the Banksy documentary that hits theaters this Friday.

The film, directed by Banksy, isn't so much focused on the notorious mystery artist, but rather French filmmaker/"artist", Thierry Guetta, aka Mr. Brainwash - a monster created by Banksy and a perplexing piece of living art which the art community has mixed feelings about.

What I enjoyed most was the footage of artists like Shepard Fairey printing out and piecing together his artwork at Kinko's and Invader, Guetta's cousin, plastering his mosaics onto the streets of France in the middle of the night.

Banksy himself appears in front of the camera, his face hidden inside a dark hoodie and his voice disguised by a voice box. He comes off as somewhat of a mischievous and humorous Darth Vader. You only get to see his hands as he works (which is where I spotted the wedding ring.)

This film was the most fun I've had at the movies in a long time while also being inspiring and thought provoking. Run, don't walk to the theatre to take it all in the minute it's out.

Happy St. Patty's Day!

2010-03-17T11:38:00.001-04:00

Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab!

How I love thee!

2010-03-16T13:16:00.003-04:00

His genuis lives on . . .
Lee A. McQueen 1969-2010

NG Solving My Identity Crisis: Part I

2010-03-01T14:41:00.009-05:00

While perusing fabulous jobs at National Geographic, I stumbled upon a project they are working on with IBM involving genetics, migration and DNA testing. The project involves mapping migration patterns of the human species through DNA testing and the call was for traditional, indigenous and original peoples to participate. Obviously, I jumped on board (see DNA swap testing kit in image!). Scientists for years now have already proven that sequences in all of our DNA can be traced back to Africa, so I'm looking forward to where my peeps went from there, the anticipation is killing me! The idea of giving ethnic groups with no written history a map of where they've lived and travelled is incredible and inspiring and giving me visions for my ph.d thesis! Go here for the Atlas of the human journey and stay tuned for results!

Happy 'Snowicane' NYC!

2010-02-26T23:32:00.002-05:00

Personally, I prefer "Snowtorious B.I.G.".

I'm going snowboarding all weekend. Have fun in the snow!

CR Adventure [Day Six] - Miracle blizzard flight home

2010-02-26T20:04:00.004-05:00

They tell us it's snowing in New York but we're optimistic. On the other hand, getting stuck in Cancun is far from the worst situation you could find yourself in.

At the airport, we meet up with the Chicago crew from Tabacón and compare photos from the rest of the trip. They are vastly different -- ours include sunsets and monkeys, theirs include bikini shots of hot girls they met.

On our first flight, I am mesmerized by a woman with a lifelike baby doll wearing its seat belt in the aisle across from our row. I'm pretty sure that baby is full of drugs.

On our second flight, one of our new friends who was bound for DC but rerouted to New York gets extra beers from the stewardess by telling her it's my birthday and it feels like it is. But soon, we will find ourselves back in frigid New York where a blizzard has covered the the entire city in a blanket of whiteness.

It's been real Costa Rica. I hope to see you again real soon. Pura Vida!

CR Adventure [Day Six] - Who's flying this small plane?

2010-02-26T19:52:00.003-05:00

We check out of the Costa Verde and pile into a cab for the minuscule airport of Quepos. The planes are so small that we need to be weighed to get on, yet strangely not ID'ed at all. I'm fairly certain that if you came to this airport and paid the $2 entry fee to get in, you could get on any flight for free. I'm saving that story for my next visit to Costa Rica.

We take off and notice that a giant grasshopper is along for the ride. I squirm a little as the pilots empty out the envelope filled with our flight info to try to catch it. No one is looking ahead, no one is steering or, say, flying the plane. A woman in the first row caches the insect and we all breathe a sigh of relief.

CR Adventure [Day Five] - Costa Rica = tough love

2010-02-25T21:47:00.004-05:00

I brought 85 SPF sunscreen to Costa Rica. Still, I managed to get a raging, awkward sunburn. All the sunscreen in the world can't save you when you're five degrees from the equator. Between that and the bruises and rashes from surfing, Costa Rica is starting to feel like an abusive lover.

It's our last day though and I can't allow myself to spend it in a hotel room so I opt to sit on the beach with Yer. Waiters from the nearby bars wander over to sell us five dollar drinks with real, actual flowers in them and I say that if you're going to be in a lot of pain, you might as well do it like this. This is paradise.

CR Adventure [Day Four] - Surfing

2010-02-24T23:39:00.003-05:00

Three or four years ago, someone clued me into the concept of Costa Rican surf camps. These are vacations with the sole purpose of learning how to surf. You surf by day and sleep in beachside bungalows by night. It sounds incredible and is definitely something I intend to do someday.

But for now, we only have five days so we settle for a surfing lesson which lasts approximately two hours. When our instructors pick us up from the hotel I find myself wondering why they're not in school as they look about 14 years old but they turn out to be in their early 20's.

We get up on the boards numerous times and completely shred the "mar" and own the "olas" all morning. My instructor can't say my name and insists on calling me "Caroline." Meanwhile, Yer sits on the beach drinking mojitos and listens to stories about how only women take surfing lessons here and that a 60-year old was even able to get up on a surfboard recently. I start to think that anything is possible in this country.

CR Adventure [Day Three] - Costa Verde

2010-02-23T23:12:00.004-05:00

We finally reach our destination, Hotel Costa Verde in Manuel Antonio. The hotel is nestled in the middle of the rainforest and signs all over the property read "Still More Monkeys Than People," which is a bit of a stretch but we do see a lot of wildlife while we're there in the form of monkeys, massive iguanas and even a sloth.

We upgrade to a "partially air-conditioned" room. It's not air conditioned at all but rather completely open. Instead of walls, there are only screens. It's like sleeping in the jungle, an amazing, and loud, experience.

Costa Verde has an adult only pool area and the bartender there makes the self proclaimed best Piña Coladas in the world. (He's not kidding.) There's also a plane converted into a room that you can stay in for a cool $500 a night. It's probably not the most authentic experience you can have but well worth checking out.

CR Adventure [Day Three] - Worst drive ever

2010-02-23T23:07:00.003-05:00

Besides the complete lack of cell phone service and ATM's, I think my least favorite thing about Costa Rica would have to be the driving situation. The roads are all winding and hilly and all cars have manual transmissions. It can be quite nauseating.

Getting up for the five hour drive from Arenal to Manuel Antonio is an effort not to be taken lightly. We are relieved when we stop at a tiny rest area/gift shop where we can purchase some food to soak up last night's hangover and some "Viajesan," Central America's answer to "Dramamine."

Our small shuttle consist of ourselves and an older couple enjoying their retirement the way I plan to enjoy mine. I can't help but wonder what they're thinking as we recall the previous night's shenanigans and giggle throughout the drive. Sorry oldies, that's how we do!

Lunch hour Session @ the MET

2010-02-23T13:33:00.005-05:00

I forget sometimes about those days as an undergrad of Art History at UGA, sitting in those musty auditoriums fighting to stay awake to the sound of the slide reel. Wow, can't believe I'm of the generation of the slide reel, yeesh! I never imagined, fast fwd, that those exact slides would one day be a hop, skip and a jump away between work and my lunch hour.

Next to the most famous wing at the MET (the Impressionists) is a new exhibition devoted to the very humorous and whimsical era of, Victorian Photocollage. The show automatically led me to day dream of what kind of collage I could produce using photos of my friends and watercolors, be warned! Filled with beautifully framed pieces and album after album of skillfully crafted photocollages, the exhibition evoked dreams of Alice and Wonderland. Playing with Pictures: The Art of Victorian Photocollage is small but so well worth the trek up town!

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CR Adventure [Night Two] - Tabacón After Dark

2010-02-23T00:33:00.003-05:00

After a long night of dodgy driving and Imperial consuming all over La Fortuna, there is only one way to relax - hot springs. But wait -- the hot springs close at 10pm. Or do they...?

What follows is a stealth mission that includes scaling walls and climbing up a rocky river in slippery sandals and flip flops. For some of us, including myself, the adventure ends under a bridge as a young worker scans the river with a flashlight and we're huddled up against the banks trying as hard as we can not to make a sound. We are adults. We paid good money to stay at the resort and use the springs all day. We don't need to go to jail over this.

So we head back to the hotel, minus one flip flop for Yer, muddy and disheveled to get a little shut eye before our 7am wake up call. But those who made it to the top spoke highly of Tabacón After Dark so if you find yourself in the area and thirsty for adventure, don't rule it out.

CR Adventure [Night Two] - Volcan Look

2010-02-23T00:17:00.005-05:00

The quaint little town of La Fortuna boasts one place to get your groove on, Volcan Look. You literally can't miss it as three enormous spotlights from its parking lot shoot its glorious location well into the starry skies. Parking isn't free but with just the right amount of B.S. you can talk yourself into the club for free (or just go ahead and pay the steep $3 cover.)

There are at least ten males for every female in Volcan Look and it only takes about five minutes of standing awkwardly on a dance floor before the swarming begins. The enormous club has a downstairs area which is closed but could hold a few thousand people yet only a couple hundred or so are there.

The music is fun and the drinks are practically free but the sausage party proves to be a bit much for most of our party so we don't kick it there for too long.

CR Adventure [Night Two] - Lava Lounge

2010-02-23T00:10:00.005-05:00

On our way to dinner, we run into one of the guys that sat in the row in front of us on the flight from Cancun to San José and next thing you know, we're in a car, heading into La Fortuna once again for some group dining. During said drive, we are told that in Costa Rica, if you go to jail, you can't just get bailed out and are likely to get stuck in there for a month. Good to know!

We end up at a restaurant called Lava Lounge, a clever name for a restaurant in a town that lies at the foot of a volcano. Coincidentally, two of our new friends have lived in Atlanta and appreciate the fact, as we do, that there is also a Lava Lounge there.

The cevice is not great but the Mojitos are and the friendly staff will gladly give you to-go cups if you can't finish yours before your crew is ready to hit the road and head over to the discotheque. My kind of joint!

CR Adventure [Day Two] - Arenal National Park

2010-02-17T21:54:00.004-05:00

Arenal National Park is somewhat of a letdown. You can't get very close to the volcano and while the view is nice, we don't see any lava or crazy wildlife so the excitement wears off quickly. Every so often, we get spooked when the volcano emits thunderous sounds and we jokingly videotape our last wills and testaments.

If I had it to do over again, I think a guided night tour might be more interesting. There's a restaurant at the foot of the volcano (that we never saw) which sounds like an enormous tourist trap but might also provide a picturesque setting to nosh on rice and beans to.

CR Adventure [Day Two] - Pisote

2010-02-17T21:46:00.003-05:00

We decide we don't need a guide and hop into a cab to the Arenal National Park. Along the way we encounter a Pisote, an adorable little creature which our cabbie, who speaks very little english, likens to a monkey. (It's not a monkey at all, more like a raccoon.)

He's kind enough to stop in the middle of the road (which seems to be a theme in this country), completely blocking traffic in both directions so we can photograph it. I am both pleased and slightly appalled but this guy's getting a good tip.

CR Adventure [Day Two] - La Fortuna

2010-02-17T21:41:00.004-05:00

We wake up early the next day and head into La Fortuna for a "desayuno tipico" of rice, beans, eggs and plantains. It is served on a big green leaf and accompanied with a tasty, smokey, greenish sauce which is amazing.

After breakfast, we wander around the small town trying to figure out our best bet for today's activities. It's either going to be a volcano hike or a hanging bridges tour. We settle on a hike to the volcano because it seems wrong to come to Arenal and not check out its main attraction.

CR Adventure [Day One] - Hot Springs and pool bars

2010-02-17T00:33:00.002-05:00

This is my first experience with volcanic hot springs, aka nature's hot tubs. We can't figure out what percentage of the small pools are natural and what percentage has been built by the resort. I manage to knock my right shin into a rock which quickly forms into my first bruise of the trip.

We spend the rest of the evening bouncing back and forth between the springs and the heated pool which dons a pool bar. Pool bars are now officially my favorite kind of bars, in fact I think Yer and I are going to write a book on them. That will be some strenuous research.

At 10pm, the springs close so we retreat to the hotel and fall fast asleep. It's been a long day.

CR Adventure [Day one] - Do you know the way from San José?

2010-02-17T00:28:00.005-05:00

At the airport in San José, we meet up with Yer who has been on the road since 9pm the night before. We find our driver and head towards Arenal. About a minute out of the airport, we nearly collide into a car that's inexplicably stopped in the middle of the road. The first bruise of the trip is christened onto Yer and we all fasten our seat belts.

Three hours later, we find ourselves at Tabacón, a thermal resort and spa at the bottom of the Arenal Volcano. We head to the hotel restaurant and splurge on dinner. I am disappointed that my scallop ravioli is actually shrimp ravioli but overall the meal is tasty. We head back to the room, throw on bathing suits, wrap ourselves in bath robes and hop into a shuttle to the hot springs.

CR Adventure [Day one] - Vayamos!

2010-02-17T00:24:00.002-05:00

We're only an hour into the trip and Jesse Hectic has already managed to drop $129 on a pair of Ray Bans at the airport sunglass boutique. We joke that she now officially owns her 11211 area code, have a laugh at ridiculous wraparound sunglasses and head towards our gate.

Mexicana Airlines is now my favorite airline. They don't mess around with mini plastic bottles of liquor but rather wheel the cart by with legitimately sized glass bottles of Tequila, Rum and Vodka sitting on top along with four different cans of Mexican beer. All of it is free as is the meal they serve on every flight.

DAMN THAT'S MY JAM

2010-02-08T16:47:00.002-05:00

Whatever happened to these guys? i thought they had a resurgence in the mid 90's.

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Bless Up at Halcyon

2010-01-28T12:01:00.003-05:00

Many years ago in Hotlanta, my roomie played a gig in a clothing store in Little Five Points. As my friend played records, the store employees passed out beers. I was there for a while.

A few hours and a very expensive pair of shoes that were at least two sizes too small later, I knew I had made a new friend and this wouldn't be the last time we met. It was my first "drunken shopping" encounter.

Enter "Bless Up" sessions, a weekly in-store performance by dj's of the local variety and sometimes beyond at DUMBO record shop, Halcyon hosted by Liondub. It's BYOB and for a store, Halcyon boasts an impressive sound system. My favorite week is the third Thursday of the month when the Dub War crew drops by but any week is well worth checking out.

Like the great Justin Timberlake once said, "what goes around comes around" and Halcyon is just the place to make up for all that music that you steal by drunkenly picking up a few pieces of good old-fashioned vinyl. Your ears and your karma will thank you for it.

PBR Art Contest Submission & Viewing Party

2010-01-28T11:31:00.003-05:00

Remember last year when I tooted my on horn on this blog about receiving an honorable mention in the PBR Art Contest? When we won said prize, the fine folks at PBR asked that we send them a copy of it for their collection for traveling art shows. The result is the framed beauty you see above.

Tonight, The Suffolk in the LES is hosting a submission viewing party for this year's contest. You can create art on the spot to submit, it's open bar from 9-10pm and the flyer promises "tons of PBR Swag and Give-aways." Sounds like a good time to me!

I can't help but wonder whether some of the entries from previous years, most specifically my baby, will be in attendance? I might just have to go and see.

The lost art of DJ'ing

2010-01-23T20:29:00.002-05:00

When I was in college, I was obsessed with Drum and Bass and DJ'ing. I would drive an hour to buy records the day they came out, begging the record store employees to stash new tunes and white labels for me and then come home and play my beloved gems on turntables, beatmatching every transition with the use of my very own ears.

These days, it's quite a different story.

Peep the guy in the picture above "DJ'ing" between acts at Brooklyn's Glasslands last Saturday -- with his iPod. He probably illegally downloaded everything on there too. Good thing his friend is helping him out because this is clearly a two man job. The chin stroking Asian guy in the glasses appears to be deep in thought over this mind boggling showmanship of contemporary DJ'ing. I can't blame him. I was too.

Rock on modern day DJ's!

Umm . . . is this forreals?

2010-01-07T10:22:00.002-05:00

Thanks Loneleeplanet for the fascinating update on how Hello Kitty is whoring herself out to the industry of combat gear. Who said a cute little Japanese girl can't be a badass sniper?

A Present to you from the Bots and Ross!

2009-12-24T10:22:00.001-05:00

Try JibJab Sendables® eCards today!

Happy Holidays!

2009-12-22T11:34:00.000-05:00

Lazyrobot's 2009 Gift Guide

2009-12-07T13:58:00.014-05:00

It's finally here, that dreaded time of the year where folks scramble from shop to shop trying to nail down that one perfect object that say to your loved ones, "I prreciate jou!" It's a difficult job to do and the bots are stepping up to the plate with this easy Gift Guide for the 2009 season! Bon Chance and Happy Holidays!

For the foodie: a jar of pickled scrumptious-ness from Brooklyn Brine

For the parents of that special someone that has everything: a Sodastream, a machine that can carbonate any liquid, say goodbye to those Perrier bottles!

For the "green-themed" Secret Santa at your underpaid workplace: Handisleeve from the Containerstore (aka heaven on earth) a reusable sleeve for those crappy office coffee cups

For the music nerd: a Stylophone Portable Beatbox machine, a wha, wha, wha? how cool is this and for $30?

For the friend who can't grow a beard: a Beard knit cap! $135 is a little steep but I'm sure some knitting genius out in the Internet has created a way to DIY.

For the fashionista that won't rob your bank: Rubbish Fashionable finger puppets, who needs Dolce and Gabbana when you have Karl Lagerfield and John Galliano on your fingers!

For the poor starving artist: a case of instant ramen and a year membership to MOMA, just in time to see the latest exhibition on Bauhaus and Tim Burton!

For the iphone obssessed/earth lover: iPhone solar skin, charging your precious with the sun!

For that special someone/wind beneath your wings or your dwarf friend: a day @ Spa Castle! you can stay all day and get all wrinkly for the small price of $35/weekday or $45/weekend, (if you're under 3ft, there's a special discount!)

You win some, you lose some

2009-11-22T20:22:00.003-05:00

Last night we showed up at Santo's Party House to the sight of an ambulance outside (apparently someone was carried out on a stretcher moments earlier) and only to be told that the Trouble and Bass party, featuring UK dubstep don Joker, was sold out.

Though major disappointment ensued, instead of going home, we opted to meet up with some friends and squeeze in a nightcap at B Side Bar, an East Village dive whose special consists of a shot of whiskey and a PBR for a mere 5$.

We settled into the very back room to consume our beverages and were surprised to see the walls lined with original screen prints from an artist named Brian Ewing. Most, if not all, of the posters were done to promote gigs for bands such as NERD, The Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Death Cab for Cutie. A lot of them were really cool and for a moment, we nearly forgot that we weren't brocking out to the sounds of the one like Joker during his first NYC appearance.

So if you find yourself on Avenue B, in the vicinity of 12th or 13th street, check them out and momentarily forget your troubles too. And if the artwork doesn't do it, there's always the special!

Coming Full Circle

2009-11-18T23:25:00.004-05:00

Nestled betwixt the culinary delights that are Taco Chulo and The Lodge on Grand Street in Williamsburg now lies a new bar called Full Circle.

Like most people living through these tough economic times, I try and do my share to help new businesses thrive. And true to my French roots, I am drawn to any drinking establishment that opens its doors within a quarter mile radius of where I live. So it wasn't bound to be long before I set foot in there. The experience turned out to be quite educational.

Last week, I learned about Brostep, this week, I learned about Brewskee-ball, the first ever competitive Skee-Ball League which calls Full Circle Bar its home in New York City.

Seriously y'all, Kickball is so 2000 and late. It's all about Brewskee-ball these days!

Full Circle boasts twice as many Skee-Ball lanes as nearby Hugs and four times as many as Redd's - that's right people, four Skee-Ball lanes. At $1 a pop (anyone remember the days when it cost a quarter for a game of Skee-Ball?) and combined with alcohol, this formula ensures much wealth for the owners.

Here's to many rolls to come, Full Circle!

Brooklyn Bowl: The Hella Late Lazy Review

2009-11-16T00:14:00.003-05:00

By now, you've probably heard of a little spot called Brooklyn Bowl. It's just a small bowling alley that opened up in the Burg earlier this year, close to the waterfront. Except, it's not. The Gutter was. This is actually a bowling/live music venue/bar/restaurant mega-complex.

I first stepped foot inside The Bowl during CMJ when DFA threw a party there. The scene is somewhat bewildering. There's a dance floor and an enormous disco ball on one side and bowling lanes on the other.

I went back just the following week to check out Dam Funk and was completely perplexed by the fact that the giant screens behind the bowling lanes were simultaneously displaying a Fader ad (it was a Fader party) Dam Funk's performance from the stage AND a basketball game.

That's right kids, you can now catch your favorite band or DJ while bowling and watching sports. What is the world coming to? ADD much?

On a side note, all this month you can bowl for free Monday through Thursday from 6-7pm during The Bowl's "Very Happy Hour." So if you haven't checked it out yet, now's the time!

Pratt Presents Sustainable Fashion

2009-11-14T22:35:00.006-05:00

This week in art openings includes an exciting exhibition curated by a colleague of mine and one of our fellows at the museum. "Ethics + Aesthetics = Sustainable Fashion"opens at Pratt University this week as part of a series of shows by the school honoring Design and Sustainability. Objects in the show support the important themes of "Green Fashion" promoting "Reduce, Revalue and Rethink," and features the latest and most innovative in American fashion designers. Some of these top dogs include, Alabama Chanin, Bodkin, Loomstate, SUNO, and SANS. Head over to TreeHugger for coverage on Green Fashion and check out the exhibition opening on November 20.

Damn, That's my Jam: From Memory

2009-11-14T22:13:00.002-05:00

Drum and bass is my first love and my long lost love all at once. When I heard this song on the Hospital Records podcast so many emotions came rushing back. And when I saw the video, it was all over.

Not only is this song amazing, but the message and the video will ignite your imagination and possibly prompt you to have your very own Office Space moment.

From the monsters of your childhood jumping around your boring work charts to the realization that you would rather be at home playing records and making music, it's all so very poignant. Also, it's nice to see that the old guys (Matrix) have still got it and the new guys (Mistabishi) are killing it.

Check out the video. You won't be disappointed!

DAMN THAT'S MY JAM (again)!!!

2009-11-14T22:04:00.002-05:00

what? that's what i thought.

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Rebuilding Central Park

2009-11-14T21:08:00.003-05:00

Recently, I attended a small soirée thrown by Agency Magma in their Tribeca location featuring local artists and professionals (alongside champagne and tasty Hendrick's Gin cocktails.)

On display in the Magma office were posters for a campaign called Rebuilding Central Park that my boyfriend had been doing illustrations for two weeks prior to the event.

Rebuilding Central Park is a fundraising effort to get trees replanted in Central Park to replace the hundreds which were lost or damaged over the Summer due to a Storm.

The campaign utilizes a very cool technology called QR Code. QR Codes are bar codes (like the one you see on the top of this page) which can be decoded with a QR Reader that you can download onto your mobile phone or wireless device.

Magma is encouraging people to donate their Facebook and Twitter statuses or their blogs to raise awareness for this cause (which is precisely what I'm doing now!)

So check out the site, raise some awareness of your own or if you're feeling generous, kick some funds over to Central Park. Let's use the world wide web for good and fix this tree situation! Thanks for the inspiration, Magma!

DAMN THAT'S MY JAM!!!!!

2009-11-14T20:00:00.001-05:00

you know you love it. wutwut?

Type rest of the post here

Dear Bento Box

2009-11-12T10:22:00.007-05:00

On the lunch agenda: fried rice with leftover rotisserie chicken, with peas and zucchini, pickled cauliflower, cutout pickled radishes, yellow bear sriracha container and a panda bear hard boiled egg, apples and cherry tomatoes.

Another reason to love New York

2009-11-07T13:32:00.003-05:00

Sorry for the crappy cell phone pic, but it was the only device I could whip out fast enough to catch the moment. Even the old cell came out after a prolonged fight with my tote. Note to self: get a new bag. Anyway, I'm leaving dinner the other night with my dude and I come across a marching band. Yep, a marching band. Granted we were near NYU but a marching band? Oh, and it gets better. As they draw closer and I see that they're just a bunch of rag tag musicians sans band uniform, I hear them exclaim IN UNISON, "Push it real good!" My jaw dropped as I fumbled for my phone. They were playing SALT N PEPA!? That's another reason for me to love new york. Here I am minding my own business wandering down a random street and I encounter a marching band playing Push It. Amazing.

Picture of the Day

2009-11-05T10:29:00.002-05:00

This is so bad ass, it hurts. Praying Mantis Samurai helmet from the MET's latest exhibition on The Art of the Samurai: Japanese Arms and Armor, 1156–1868

Too Late

2009-11-02T11:50:00.006-05:00

I just found out that the season for camping Malouf's Mountain has just ended. Their season begins on April 15th and ends October 31st. It would've been fun to reserve Halloween weekend to tell ghost stories around a campfire. A client told me about her great experience there and I neglected to check it out.

Supposedly, for the average New Yorker (one who lacks storage for camp gear), Malouf's Mountain supplies everything you need for a quick weekend hike: tent, campsite, fire/cooking pit, firewood, even food and drink. There is no better way to put it than how it is explained on their site so for my first post as newest lazyrobot member, I'm wussing out and quoting (hehe):

"Upon arrival, the first thing you'll notice is the privacy of each site. You will find a stack of firewood and your fire pit for cooking. You will see your covered platform which is especially nice because you're not stuck in your tent if it rains. There is also a cover over your fire pit. You can bring your tent or rent one of ours. Then, there is our chow box - it has everything you will need for your stay, from pots and pans to a pad of paper and a deck of cards.

If you think that's nice, wait until you see the bathhouse - hot showers on one side, flush toilets on the other, and in the middle, sinks for cleaning up and sinks for dishes. There are also two dryers in case your gear gets wet. "

I can't wait to hit this camp up next year. Hopefully, coaxing my fellow lazy-bots won't take as long as me waiting to look up this site.

2009-10-28T17:58:00.008-04:00

A few weeks ago my dude and I went to see Paranormal Activity. Paranormal Activity? you say, exactly. I knew nothing about the movie except the little blurb I read on a random movie listing website that was literally one sentence long. In a nutshell a couple is bothered by a demonic presence and they can't sleep at night. The same sentence is on the movie's official website. I thought okay, how are they going to stretch this one out, but I went along in the spirit of fun.
Let me just say right here that I love scary movies, but dear reader I haven't been afraid in a movie theater for a looooong time. Well...at least of what's on the screen. Anyway I go in not expecting much, footloose and fancy free, then the lights go down. I'm not going to spoil the movie for you, but I'll just say it was pretty scary in a creepy stick with you sort of way. I've been telling everyone I know that they should go see it and I don't ever recommend movies. The two leads are very natural and believable so much so that I forgot I was watching a scary movie. When the creepy stuff starts you're totally taken off guard. The movie was punctuated with gasps and actual screams, with more than a few guys chiming in. Go see it, go see it, go...see...it!

Dear Bento

2009-10-27T23:02:00.003-04:00

Nice to meet you! Let me introduce my four food groupies: veggie, cheese, egg, hummus, crackers and apple.

An open letter to the old Supreme Trading

2009-10-23T15:02:00.004-04:00

Dear old Supreme Trading,

First of all, what should I call you now? You've undergone a transformation into "N8" yet I still see you in event listings as "Supreme Trading." I get it. It's because you're located on N. 8th Street. That's pretty clever.

But maybe I'm not pronouncing it correctly. I mean is it the letter "N" followed by the number "8" or is it like "Nate" in the same way that "8" becomes "ate" when one says "L8er sk8er?" Letter/Number combinations can be confusing.

Second of all, I was under the impression that you wanted to be a nightclub now. What's going on with your sound? Do you realize how horribly screechy it sounds -- especially in that front room? Don't you want to be taken seriously?

Also, what's with the state of general disarray inside you? Honestly, are you finished? Your unisex bathroom is a hot mess. I don't invite people over while I'm in the middle of showering and getting ready. Maybe you should spruce yourself up a bit before letting people in too.

And finally, why did my friend Tom have to pay $20 for two Coronas and a PBR while we were at you? That's math I can't even process. Is that $7 a Corona and $6 a PBR or is it $8 a Corona and $4 a PBR? Either way, it's a rip-off. You're in Brooklyn. You need to price your drinks accordingly.

Sincerely,

A-Bot

POTD

2009-10-22T11:32:00.001-04:00

E.V. Day's costume exhibition (sans mannequins) at the New York City Opera.

An open letter to Cielo

2009-10-22T00:05:00.004-04:00

Dear Cielo,

Why is it harder for me to get into you than it is for me to get back into America when I go to Canada without my green card?

Is it truly necessary for you to inspect every cigarette out of a cigarette pack? Can I really not bring in my bottle of Aleve if it is no longer sealed. Because honestly, if I wanted to sneak drugs into you, I would just hide them in my underwear.

I don't really know how we got here. Rumor has it someone OD'ed. But honestly, don't you think you've gone a little far?

And by the way, if I see something, I doubt I'll say anything. Club kids stick together. This isn't the MTA and I'm not being inappropriately felt up during rush hour. Your patrons probably need a little something extra once they get inside to forget the fact that they're paying $12 for well vodka sodas.

Oh and also, you should know that people are now just doing their drugs outside of you before they get inside. Your methods are really just making it hard for them to pace themselves, which kind of sounds dangerous to me.

PLUR!!!!

A-Bot

Dear Bento Box

2009-10-20T14:24:00.011-04:00

I will master you, eat you and take photos of you. Why are you so awesome?

I've been obsessing lately over Bento Boxes and the amazing things you can do to the lunch box. Although originating from Japan, the land of all things cute, the art of lunch boxing is pretty much a global phenomena. We've all packed our lunches in one way or another, wimpy turkey sandwiches and a crapass plastic bag of old carrot sticks, left overs from the night before stuffed in a recycled take out container . . . sounds kinda depressing compared to the Japanese who have taken the "Sandwich Artist" term to a whole new level. I mean, a piggy rice mold and sunflower hard boiled egg? I'm not sure if I can eat another sandwich EVER again!

According to NY Times, (that's how serious this has gotten) the visual aesthetic of a Bento Box is a great way to command portion control and lure the non-foodie over to enlightened side of "really, really good lookin" food. Because of all of these reasons and because I love food and all things cute, small and hello kitty, I have pledged a vow to become a "Bento-ist" a Bento Artist! Stay tuned to Dear Bento Box for future photos and adventures!

(You can buy the above Bento Box from Goodbyn)

Drinking discoveries: The porron

2009-10-15T23:52:00.007-04:00

In a tragic turn of events, B and I were turned away from tonight's Poprally event because it was oversold. Apparently Spike Jonze put a hundred people on the guestlist. I am now thinking twice about going to see Where the Wild Things Are…

Still, the evening wasn't a total loss. We managed to squeeze in a fantastic dinner at LES restaurant Macondo. We arrived in time for happy hour, or as they call it "Porron Hour," and got to experience something new -- drinking out of a porron.

Porrones look a whole lot like bongs but they are actually wine pitchers that pour a very thin stream of liquid into your mouth. From 5-7pm, Monday through Friday, Macondo offers a menu of tapas for six dollars and each tapa ordered gets you a mini porron filled with beer with a hint of Fresca (it's tastier than it sounds.)

I learned from the coasters that "for centuries porrones have been used to easily share drinks around the table" in Spain. This means there's only one porron to wash when the meal is over as opposed to several glasses. Genius. Thank you Spain!

And thank you Macondo for introducing me to a new drinking vessel! I recommend heading down there and getting your porr-ON! The food rocks too. Macondo = win/win.

POTD - Picture Of The Day

2009-10-15T16:56:00.002-04:00

Hello Kitty - Interal Organs, kinda cute and kinda gross weird.
(Cheers to TokoyoMango!)

Latest news in Collab-ashion!

2009-10-15T10:46:00.006-04:00

Collab-ashion
Function: noun
Etymology: Brooklyn, Lazyrobots, from the Late Latin collaboratus, past participle of collaborare to labor together and Middle English facioun, fasoun shape, manner
Date: 21st Century

1 : to collaborate fashion ideas
2 : to sell out to giant fashion moguls
2 : basically making yo shizzle cheapizle!

Jill Sanders for Uniqlo, black is the new, New Yorker, may have to take a sick day to hit up Uniqlo, last time I was there, the velvet roped-off line was a bit lame!

Jimmy Choo for H&M, now, you, your mom and next door neighbor can be Carrie Bradshaw and this will leave you with enough $$ to take cabs everywhere, considering stiletto heels are not kosher for NYC streets

Speaking of artin' it up...

2009-10-11T16:29:00.011-04:00

...at the Museum of Art and Design in Columbus circle, you can definitely get your art on. They have an amazing new exhibit called Slash:Paper Under the Knife which features, duh, paper. There is a resurgence in the popularity of paper in the art world currently, not just as a ground but also as a sculptural medium. The new exhibit features some incredible ways artists are using paper. You definitely get the spectrum of paper uses as you walk through the two floors of the show. You'll see everything from the arts and crafts cut and paste to some intensely personal, imaginative and artistic pieces. My only complaint would be that when we went, 4 days after the exhibit opened, some artists were STILL installing their work. On the one hand it was nice because you actually got to talk to the artists about their works and processes, but on the other hand it was pretty lame to see unfinished pieces in a museum. Slash will go on until April 4th, so you've definitely got time to swing by and check it out.

Dexter is what's up at Sweet Ups on Sundays

2009-10-07T01:32:00.003-04:00

Living in the NYC, one must often sacrifice luxuries that suburbanites take for granted. Great big closets, washers, dryers and dishwashers are reserved for the lucky few. And for many people, including myself, cable television also falls into the "can live without" category.

The reasoning: you're not going to be home all that much so why not save that money for where it really belongs -- your local watering hole.

This usually goes by without a hitch but can be a bummer when your friends with cable -- a distinct group who are either older, have been in New York longer or are seriously coupling -- start talking about how awesome the last episode of True Blood or Dexter was.

But thanks to Sweet Ups, a quaint little bar on Graham Avenue near the corner of Grand Street in Williamsburg, I can fulfill my infrequent desire to catch cable programming without giving up my need to be out on the town!

Every Sunday night, Sweet Ups is showing new episodes of Dexter and featuring theme cocktails (such as the "Dexter Daiquiri" and "Miami Mojito") for you to throw away all that money you're saving on! It's a win-win situation.

See you at Sweet Ups, Dexter fans!

The pros and cons of shows in New York

2009-10-04T23:25:00.008-04:00

One of the things I enjoy the most about living in New York, and it’s probably evident from the posts you see from me, is all the great bands that breeze through this city that I might otherwise never see.

In the past 10 days, I’ve seen Phoenix, Fever Ray and Mono (the Japanese one). Here’s why each show was awesome and why you should be jealous.

Though the Phoenix show ran rampant with dude bros -- I’m talking hordes of early 20’s, backwards-hat wearing, straight up douche bags -- they played a fantastic encore including a song they co wrote with Air for The Virgin Suicides score called "Playground Love" and the commercially friendly “1901” not once, but twice!

Fever Ray was amazing but I couldn’t see anything. Seriously, it feels like the only people who like the same bands as me are guys over six feet tall and they all get to shows before I do.

Luckily, there were giant rave-type lasers to keep me entertained. And the sound was lush and bass-heavy. Also, this is Fever Ray’s only and last tour so I’m feeling very lucky that I caught them.

And Mono, well I guess the only bad thing about this show was that I saw them earlier this year with the Wordless Music Orchestra. Note to self – you’re never going to have a better experience seeing a band than when they’re backed by a 23-piece orchestra.

Still, they were stellar, as usual. Mono’s songs come in waves of all sizes, starting out with small rollers crashing gently onto the shore and building to epic tsunami-sized giants, the types of waves that carry sharks with them to snack on surfers.

Check out “Ashes in the Snow” from their latest album Hymn to the Immortal Wind to see just what I mean. And stay tuned to Lazy Robots for your habitual dose of cool music, art and adult diaper happenings from the NYC!

TGIF: Stupid Dancers

2009-10-02T12:32:00.005-04:00

These two all female dance crews are so dope they are stupid. Can't even stand it, even though We Are Heroes picked up this season's ABDC award, still think the Beat Freaks from season 3 were better all around dancers, poppers, isolationists, what have you. I did appreciate Hiro, We Are Heroes' group leader's wacking in this interview video.

ARTIN' IT UP! James Mother&#^@in' ENSOR!

2009-10-01T20:45:00.014-04:00

As summer winds down to a bitter hella cold, we're left often wondering, "what in the heck did we do during all those non-summer months,"(besides frequenting our usual drinking holes, I mean). The bots, I do have to say are great at "Artin' it up!" It helps that the NYC is loaded with art every corner we turn. But, as I write this blog I realize in lazy typical fashion, the art show in which I will speak of is, OVA!
The James Ensor show @ MOMA just closed :( damn, stan, my apologizes.

For those of you that managed to take any art history courses in your academic careers Ensor was this wacky Belgian Expresssionist painter who was crazy about the ocean, death and light. But MOMA surpasses these themes to present a show that traces Ensor's development as an artist and one who appreciated both human comedy and tragedy. Thankfully for those of you that missed the show, MOMA still houses a great interactive website here.

Ummm?

2009-10-01T18:57:00.008-04:00

So picture it, Brooklyn at the ungodly hour of 5am on a weekday. My dude is walking me to the train. We're walking in silence with the occasional yawn or a sleepy grunt that means, look out for that dog poo! In the distance by the very entrance to the L we're trekking to we see two women. Of course anyone that's accustomed to walking around during ungodly hours of the morning is a bit leery of anyone else you come across. Also due to their dress, and I don't mean to jump to conclusions here folks, but I'd say they were a couple of prossies. As we get closer we hear them chatting away. Then one goes "I said you need depends!". "What?", says the other. "I told him Depends!I said! You need adult diapers." What a way to start the morning, picturing a prostitute with a trick that needs adult diapers.

New York, I Love You: Ho Crusty

2009-09-27T01:15:00.003-04:00

Mmmmmmm....Just the way I like it!

Mustache fever

2009-09-23T21:06:00.004-04:00

After a heavily champagne drizzled baby shower in Manhattan's Upper West Side a few weeks ago, I made the pilgrimage to the very last stop on the F train down in sunny Coney Island. Our friend Neil was defending his Best Styled Mustache title in The Second Annual Coney Island Beard And Mustache Competition.

You would think that in a city like Brooklyn, filled with countless numbers of ironic hipsters sporting all styles of ridiculous facial hair, an event like this would be massive but it was quite small, boasting a modest 34 male and female contestants. Some were creative while others merely showed off their natural manly facial hair growing chops.

We didn't stick around for the judging and sadly found out later that our friend was dethroned of his title. We did, however, get to see a guy hammer nails and shove a drill up his nose, a woman swallow many swords a bearded lady juggle three machetes and facial-haired hopefuls drink whiskey shots out of a tube hanging from a man's nose.

You know, just another day in the life in the NYC! Check out some pics below.

And speaking of Mustaches, Jimmy Fallon held a Mustache contest of his very own last night called "Ultimate Mustache Fighter," where Geraldo Rivera's mustache took on John Stossel's mustache in a boxing ring. Most definitely worth a watch!

Lazy Travelogue: The Portland edition

2009-09-22T23:03:00.003-04:00

Several weeks ago, I had the distinct pleasure of sashaying across the country to the quaint city of Portland (Oregon -- not Maine, an important distinction) for the nuptials of my dear friends Charles and Kathleen.

The wedding was on Sunday but we flew in Friday night to catch the bachelor and bachelorette parties. The boys hit up some strip clubs (typical) while the girls met up at The Fez for 80's night with the notorious DJ Gregarious.

That seemed pretty PG-13 to me, but as I tossed back my third or fourth $4.50 vodka soda and wondered if it was fair to consider Interpol and MGMT "80's," the evening took an interesting turn when Gregarious and his DJ partner ran up on stage to get down to their own bad selves in the buff!

Naturally, we jumped up on stage ourselves to join the naked dance party.

So if you find yourself in the ever so conservative town of Portland, OR, here are some Lazy recommendations of things to check out:

1. DJ Gregarious's naked romp at the Fez
2. Contortionist stripper, Satori, at Mary's Club
3. Voodoo Doughnut, where you can order doughnuts shaped like male appendages and female glands. (Just check out the menu…)

Anyone sense a theme here? Seriously Portland, maybe you should change your name to "Pornland?"

Damn, that's my jam: Telefon Tel Aviv

2009-09-22T01:11:00.008-04:00

Many people dubbed this past summer "The Summer of Death." But tragedy struck much earlier for me, as far back as January, with the death of Charlie Cooper, one half of the electronic music duo Telefon Tel Aviv.

I was lucky enough to catch Telefon Tel Aviv at the old Knitting Factory in May of 2008 (after an infamous David Mancuso loft party, mind you) when they were thrown onto the bill at the last minute to open up for Apparat (Score!)

I was somewhat apprehensive about seeing them again in light of Charlie's death but their last album, Immolate Yourself, a far more mature and fuller sound than the simple glitchy IDM I had loved from the duo early on, is such a beautiful opus that I couldn't pass up the chance to hear it on a loud system surrounded by other fans at Mercury Lounge earlier this month.

Joshua Eustis and "new member" Fredo Nogueira (who has previously worked with the duo) played many songs from Immolate Yourself, dedicating the OMD inspired "Helen of Troy" to the late John Hughes and ending it all with a cover of Bruce Springsteen's "I'm On Fire."

It was a decent show but sadly not as good as the last time I saw them.

Eustis remains undecided about the future of Telefon Tel Aviv but I'm certain we haven't heard the last of him and interested to see what he'll do next.

In the meantime, check out "I Made A Tree On The Wold," my favorite track from Immolate Yourself. It contains no beats -- just four minutes and 39 seconds of pure ambient goodness. Enjoy!

BANSKY Strikes Again

2009-09-21T18:34:00.004-04:00

Thanks to Arrested Motion for posting Banksy's latest stand against global retailer, Ikea. B has been busy this summer, he opened a show at the beginning of summer entitled Banksy vs. the Bristol Museum. Check out videos and images over at BBC.

A little help for all those beauty pageant contestants.

2009-09-19T14:50:00.002-04:00

Sooo, did anyone realize just how peace filled the month of September is? I didn't. Did you know that September 21st is the end all be all of peace? No? Okay, well lets get in a quick refresher before it's too late, and we're on stage under those bright Mrs America pageant lights and we have to back up the answer "world peace" with some facts.

The International Day of Peace was established by the United Nations in 1981, and it was celebrated for the first time in September 1982. It was unanimously decided in 2002 that it would be officially celebrated on September 21st as a day not only of peace but of ceasefire all over the world from then on. Now, this peace day is all about action. The website suggests anything from lighting a candle or having a private get together to public concerts and forums. People from all over the world are encouraged to participate.You can get involved on a local scale by following efforts on facebook and twitter.

Then we have, and here's where it get's a little tricky, Peace one day...umm day, also on September 21st. Launched in 1999 by filmaker Jeremy Gilley whose mission was to document his efforts to establish a worldwide annual day of non-violence and ceasefire on a fixed calendar date. It was through his efforts that the UN decided to adopt September 21st as the International Day of Peace. It is Gilley's mission to not only get the individual involved in observing peace but also governments, national and regional organizations, including those in the United Nations system. By 2012 Gilley hopes to introduce 3 billion people to Peace Day.

So next time contestants, back up your tired old wish for world peace answer with a little effort on your part. Have an International Day of Peace get together, organize a peaceful demonstration to educate others, light a single candle and have a moment of silence, for goodness sake.

Autolux @ MHOW

2009-09-16T10:58:00.007-04:00

Back in the day, circa 2005, when Soundclash Champion Graham M. was the gracious soul supplying me with habitual doses of MP3's in the form of cd's, I was introduced to some pretty choice bands including Ms. John Soda and Hot Chip. Last night, I had the chance to see one of those bands, the elusive, obscure, phenomenal Autolux.

Autolux never played in Atlanta and by the time I moved to New York, the only way to see them was on their opening tour with Nine Inch Nails (AKA large venues and opening sets.) Therefore, I'd never seen them. Add to that the fact that they haven't released anything since 2005's Future Perfect, a record that can only be described as "Perfect" itself, I had somewhat forgotten about them. But last night's show didn't only remind me how much I love them, it severely pshyched me up for what's to come from this band.

They played 50% old material and 50% new material. The new stuff sounded amazing. The encore blew my mind.

Their newest album, entitled Transit Transit, won't see the light of day until at least 2010 because none of the labels the band is talking to "want to put it out in the fourth quarter." Boo! Maybe if they changed their name to "Autotune" it would get automatically released and snatched up by the public like hot cakes because that's all anyone wants to hear these days.

At any rate, I'm sure it will eventually come out and rock everyone’s face off the moment it does. Autolux = awesome! Don’t sleep.

The freedom

2009-09-12T11:16:00.004-04:00

I've resisted twitter for as long as I can.

In the past few months a favorite pastime during the lunch hour at work is gathering around the one ancient desktop in the office and perusing fun websites. It so slow it takes the WHOLE lunch hour. When I say this computer is ancient I mean it's tower should probably take up a whole room and be covered in blinking lights circa 1950's sci-fi. When I say slow I mean this tortoise never, ever beat the hare. Usually the websites range from cute animals, awww, to hipsters and douche bags gone wild, whoa! Recently someone came in with a new one, twitter.com/shitmydadsays. In one word it's hilarious. In two words it's freaking hilarious.
So, this 28 year old dude lives with his 73 year old dad and twitters about the shit he says on a fairly regular basis. Granted not a terribly exciting premise unless the old guy is suffering from dementia...which...really...isn't funny. Anyway dementia aside, this guy is funny. He's old, he's tired, and cranky and has no filter whatsoever. Ahhh the freedom of kids and seniors. It kind of makes me impatient to get old and just say whatever I want without consequence, watch out for twitter.com/shitIsay in about forty years or so.

The Cove - The Must See Documentary of the Year

2009-08-28T22:51:00.006-04:00

Who would of known the dolphin trainer in the TV show Flipper would turn around and become this huge dolphin activist. An activist committed to saving thousands of dolphins who are being lured into this cove off of Japan and killed. Please go see The Cove, tell your friends to go see The Cove, tell your friends who are Japanese-American who have Japanese relatives still living in Japan to see The Cove. Please do it!

UPDATE: O'Barry just posted the latest news from Taiji, no dolphin killings at the start of the season!

Cocktail of the Week: Hemingway Daiquiri

2009-08-15T18:35:00.007-04:00

(Hemingway drinking his daiquiri)

B-friend was telling me about a lovely cocktail he just had at Huckleberry Bar in Williamsburg. H. Bar is known for their lusciously complicated cocktails and yummy food (which is just a bit classier than reg. bar fare). The daiquiri features Maraschino liqueur (no relation to red juice floating at the top of cherry jars) and goes by various other names but Ernie H. drank a version of it that was a tad boozier and in a glass that some called a "vase" (my kind of guy!). Spending some serious time in Havana, our favorite American writer fell in love with this cocktail and today it even exist in a the frozen form! Thanks Seriouseats for this great recipe, happy drinking!

Hemingway Daiquiri

Ingredients
2 ounces light rum
3/4 ounce fresh-squeezed lime juice
1/2 ounce grapefruit juice
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon maraschino liqueur

Procedure
Pour all ingredients into a cocktail shaker, fill with ice, then shake and strain into a goblet or a champagne saucer filled with shaved ice or skip the ice and pour into cocktail glass.

Ponyo!

2009-08-14T11:25:00.005-04:00

Hayao Miyazaki, the man responsible for two of my very favorite movies in life (Princess Mononoke and Spirited Away) has a new feature film out called Ponyo.

I saw a commercial for it the other night and immediately declared my intent to go see it.

And you know what? It’s HAND-DRAWN. How rare! I mean, why would anyone draw by hand in this day and age?

From an AP news article that came out today: "'I realized that by using computers, what we were doing is that people who could draw by hand, the computer somehow entered in their heads,' Miyazaki said through a translator during an interview."

Computers entering in their heads? Who wants that? Hand drawing is the only solution!

As if Miyakazi’s previous work did not in itself seal the deal, Tina fey does one of the voices for the US version. It just gets better and better.

Sadly, I probably won't be seeing it until September since I am leaving for vacation Monday and the weekend is pretty packed. That is, unless the film somehow enters in my head…

Eternal sunshine on a rainy night

2009-08-13T01:44:00.005-04:00

Did you know the last two weeks of Summerscreen were cancelled due to looming bad weather yet both times, it never actually rained?

So with an ominous 50% chance of thunderstorms last night, L Magazine still decided to hold a screening of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and deem it "rain or shine."

Four words though: Still no porta potties.

On the plus side, apparently when there's a chance of a rainout, no one runs the door. This means outside food and, most importantly, alcohol is most definitely a go.

Not only did the dreaded rain never fall, but the movie was fantastic (as it always is.) Who wants to meet me in Montauk?

Afterwards, we stopped by Kiss and Tell at Rose Bar for some stellar sets from resident DJ Bethany and guest DJ Nick Chacona and then by Satellite Lounge for Percussion Lab's relaunch party.

Some nights, it's fun living in South Williamsburg, despite being "surrounded by Laundromats, bodegas and whooping car stereos" (according to TONY - see Arepa Arepa review.)

Damn, that's my jam: Bop

2009-08-11T00:17:00.004-04:00

I'd like to urge everyone to head over to the recently relaunched Percussion Lab website and check out some DJ sets.

And if you happen to find yourself overwhelmed by the 140+ choices you encounter there, might I suggest starting out with a 40-minute mix by Russian drum and bass producer Bop, submitted by yours truly?

If you like the mix, be sure to grab the full-length album he just released entitled "Clear Your Mind."

Per Boomkat: "... anyone who's ever been partial to glitchy, tricksy beat editing and soft, lavish synth designs is likely to find themselves hit by Bop's mighty IDM suckerpunch."

Mighty IDM suckerpunch! Don't sleep!

Redefining real estate

2009-08-11T00:14:00.005-04:00

He's not really selling *a* house -- he's selling house music (and he's selling it pretty hard to boot...)

You know what they say, "House is a feeling," an intangible thing which obviously makes it tough to market.

But this guy totally nailed it. Literally, he nailed a little white picket fence onto a rectangle of astro turf, threw in some potted plants for good measure and there you have it. House. Stick a "For Sale" sign on it and you're done!

I can almost see the light bulb that popped up over his head when he cooked up this brilliant idea.

Long live the sale of "House" on the Soho sidewalks! (The only kind of house I'll ever be able to afford there.)

Have a gander at this flippin' scenester

2009-08-10T22:54:00.002-04:00

I was going to submit the above to LATFH but then it dawned on me: I too have a blog. And I too like to poke fun at people when it is so clearly due.

Spotted yesterday at the Simian Mobile Disco show in Williamsburg's East River Park: one dude, sporting a pretty amazing hat, casually puffing on a cig and rocking an enormous New Kids on the Block duffle bag (circa early 90's, I would guess.)

What do you think -- hot or not?

Food Porn Sundays

2009-08-09T11:23:00.005-04:00

-Sweet and sour beef, Happy hour @ Baden Baden in K-town

- the best fish tacos in town and huevos rancheros @ Mesa Coyoacan

Did you know that Facebook is the new Disco?

2009-08-06T11:41:00.005-04:00

According to Rajendra Ro, who moderated a Q&A with The Last Days of Disco writer/director Whit Stillman and actor Chris Eigeman following a screening of the film at MOMA last night, the internet has become the modern day equivalent of nightclubs in terms of social gatherings.

Maybe it's just me, but isn't the modern day equivalent of nightclubs… nightclubs?

Ro's awkward comparison was met with uncomfortable laughter and started the Q&A off badly. It did get somewhat more interesting though. For example, I learned that Drew Barrymore's mom was in The Last Days of Disco. She played the Tiger Lady.

This was the fourth PopRally event I've attended and for the whopping price of $8, it included a pre-movie cocktail reception, a screening of one of my favorite films followed by a Q&A with one of its stars and the director and then another cocktail reception. You can't even buy one ticket to a new release for that in New York City!

Can't wait to see what you have in store for us next, PopRally!

Just another day in the life...

2009-07-23T23:44:00.004-04:00

... watching Cookie Monster and a pink gorilla bust out the Inspector Gadget theme song on a xylophone and stand up bass as I wait for the F train to transport me onto the next adventure.

I love New York.

Throw these guys a dollar so they can take this show on the road to India.

MC Hammerhead Sharks

2009-06-21T15:28:00.006-04:00

The Hammerheads made an appearance at Coney Island's Mermaid Parade this Saturaday to a day of rain and dedicated Mermaid fans. An important Flickr account holder claims [the hammerhead] "was by far the most original theme." Thanks man! We totally organized this hot mess in one week, kudos to everyone who participated!!!!

I've also posted some crazy video footage for your viewing pleasure!

The Best Recession Special EVER

2009-05-19T13:23:00.003-04:00

I don't know if I should be blogging about this latest find but, why not, everyone needs a recession break. Sweet Ups bar, sister of the infamous hipster dive/dance club, Royal Oak, is offering $1 mini-pitchers of beer from 12-5 every day!!!!!!!

Best New Pizza Joint!

2009-05-19T12:57:00.005-04:00

Huge fan of Williamsburg's latest brick oven pizza joint, Motorino. I've walked by a few times admiring the lovely glass facade and small but quaint outdoor patio. B-friend and I went this past weekend after a long walk around the block complaining about the lack of tasty restaurants in the hood. We started out with the roasted beet salad with mint and ricotta and the fingerling potatoes with ramps submerged in a very delicious pesto sauce. The apps were simple yet delicious and made with wonderful ingredients. We decided on the traditional Margherita DOC pizza and the Anchovie pizza. Both pies were well balanced and screaming out with simplicity, not too much sauce, not overbearing with cheese, it was all the right portions of ingredients on a very crispy, charcoal flavored crust. Oh, and btw, Motorino blows Roberta's out of the water.

AC @ T5

2009-05-14T22:43:00.003-04:00

Rainbow strobe lights underneath tables covered with white tablecloths, in turn covered with electronic music equipment -- Check!

Giant orb over which to project trippy visuals-- Check!

Large screen hanging on back wall patterned not unlike the tapestries your hippie room mate in college used to hang on the walls -- Check!

What we have here is not only the recipe for a most excellent mushroom trip but also all the ingredients for an Animal Collective show, in this case, at Terminal 5 last night.

I wish I'd been able to take a photo that better portrays the psychedelic setup but we were way too far back (as clearly illustrated by the picture above.) Brooklyn Vegan has great photos and a set list.

The show was absolutely amazing. The super long version of "Fireworks" was really cool and they even threw in Panda Bear's "Comfy in Nautica." My only disappointment was "My Girls" which I thought didn't sound very good live. It's possible I just like that song too much or maybe it's just overproduced on the album.

All in all, a top notch show. Can't wait to see Animal Collective in Prospect Park in August!

Beer belly

2009-05-14T22:24:00.003-04:00

Over a year ago, whilst polishing off a PBR at Trailer Park Lounge during Happy Hour, a concept was born. It fermented for many months but Brandon and I finally brought it to fruition and the end result earned us an honorable mention in PBR's annual art contest.

Three words, people - it's a beer!

Just wanted to share our baby with those of you out there in the blogosphere and all my Facebook and Twitter peeps who wanted to see the "honorable" piece. Is it just me or does it have my eyes?

Models as Muse, Exhibition at the Costume Institute

2009-05-05T12:01:00.020-04:00

Models as Muse: Embodying Fashion opens May 6!

The show has already opened up to a bit of controversy. Critics claim the theme of the show lack substance, some feel the show will not capture or in the least inspire the public who is going through a deep recession. Controversy over fashion designer Alaia pulling out of the show has also raised questions about Anna Wintor's (Vogue editor) influence and power over the Costume Institute. I think I lost it at, "fashion industry DRAMMMMMMMMMMAAAAAAAAAA." Overall the show will be successful because it's packed with entertainment and beauty, lots of important fashion photography, iconic magazine covers, etc. Big ups to the creative director, John Meyer and hair and makeup stylist, Julian D'ys who really turned a kind of boring topic (supermodels? really? ) into a visually appealing show, but I guess that's not so hard since supermodels are already gorgeous.

An Earth Day Haiku

2009-04-22T12:57:00.003-04:00

Happy Earth Day!

Sigiriya, Sri Lannka

Our greenest moments
Pausing, breathing, living now
In awe of Earth’s hum

A Bit of Bushwick Street Art

2009-04-21T20:55:00.008-04:00

Brooklyn Flea is back!

2009-04-20T23:19:00.006-04:00

I wish the above photo better illustrated the sort of terror a group of guys toting brass instruments can create in the makeshift aisles of a crowded outdoor flea market but the idea of busting out my camera somehow slipped my mind as we tried and tried to evade them on opening day of the Brooklyn Flea Market on Saturday.

Don't get me wrong, I'm all for live music but on a sweltering day, as I make my way through an antiques/craft maze, searching for hidden treasures, it's about as enjoyable as giving my cat a bath.

Here's to hoping the band was just a bonus for opening weekend.

Also new this year is the addition of the Red Hook food vendors' infamous Pupusa Truck.

I'm torn here too. Pupusas are ridiculously tasty but the line to get them stretched halfway across the crowded courtyard.

Perhaps also a special treat for opening weekend? Or at least until the ball fields are back in business for the 2009 season? The Pupusa Truck can't be in two places at once, can it?

One thing's for sure -- it's starting to feel a lot like Summer!

Mustache sidewalk!

2009-04-19T19:59:00.001-04:00

Where else? Williamsburg. I wonder where it came from... Perhaps the Funky Face Disguises vending machine?

Through The Lens: Eldridge Street

2009-04-19T19:48:00.004-04:00

Brooklyn Flea Opens!!!!!

2009-04-17T15:22:00.002-04:00

This Sat., April 18 with 3 free gifts if you can find them in this scavenger hunt!

Dear MTA, you suck.

2009-04-10T08:48:00.006-04:00

yeah, as much as I entertain the thought of moving elsewhere I think about NY's public transport and feel relieved. As of late, not so much . . . even though $103/month still comes out cheaper than destroying the earth + car insurance, but c'mon, MTA, help a sister out!

Ladyhawke lights up Bowery

2009-04-05T02:38:00.004-04:00

The night was Tuesday, March 24; the spot was Bowery ballroom. And while many of my friends were packing up and getting ready to hit Miami for some Winter Music mayhem, I was checking out New Zealand pop star Ladyhawke.

After opener Hearts Revolution finished up (and my ears stopped ringing -- they were loud,) we waited for Ladyhawke to take the stage. As we did so, my throat began to dry up and I noticed a smokey aroma in the room. Apparently, a nearby building caught on fire and the deadly fumes were infiltrating the venue.

We waited a good 45 minutes until they decided to crank up the A/C to clear out the smoke and it was deemed safe for the show to go on.

Clad in a Nirvana t-shirt, Ladyhawke took the stage and proceeded to belt out her roller skating rink-style jams for about an hour. Highlights included "Paris is Burning" and an encore performance of "My Delirium."

Overall, it was a great show, well worth the after effects of smoke inhalation that plagued me in the days to come. If Ladyhawke swoops into your town, I highly recommend checking her out.

Note - I was disappointed when I didn't spot Brett or Jemaine anywhere in the audience. Come on New Zealand, represent! Also, I think Flight of the Conchords is conjuring up an unrealistic idea of what New Zealand is like in my mind, one where it's a tiny farming country and everyone knows each other.

Ellen's got the power!

2009-04-05T01:17:00.006-04:00

The Friday before last turned out to be a night of epic going out proportions as I paraded myself from the East Village to Gowanus and eventually to Greenpoint's Studio B.

We stopped by one of my favorite new venues, The Bell House, for the record release party of Brooklyn's Obits. I thought they played a solid set but some people in my crew longed for their smaller previous performances and found the sound problematic.

Studio B boasted a killer lineup featuring Gui Boratto, whose last album Take My Breath Away I highly recommend, and label owner, clothing designer, producer extraordinaire and general badass DJ, Ellen Allien.

Gui went on shortly after we got there. His set lasted well over an hour, almost 90 minutes in fact, and while it was good, it got a little old.

Ellen opened up with a Burial-esque number called "Rusty Nails" by Moderat (Modeselektor and Apparat) whose self-titled first album will be released on her Bpitch Control label later this month. (Catch Modeselektor in one of their few North American dates at Webster Hall next month.)

She proceeded to play real, actual records for the next two hours. It was refreshing to watch someone dig through crates, beat match by ear and mix just like in the old days - with no computer in sight!

My only complaint is that she played one song twice. And it wasn't a filler record but a rather memorable number that sampled Snap!'s "The Power" in big buildup, blowup style. Maybe the raver bouncing around behind her throughout her entire set in the DJ booth distracted her?

We also saw a girl get kicked out for climbing on a speaker. Twice. Oh Studio B... Good times!

Certainty Shelter

2009-04-02T23:35:00.004-04:00

My job is a little crazy. (OK, it's a LOT crazy.) But one of my favorite things about that madness is the circle of fascinating and talented people I've met and get to work with everyday there.

Today, following the perennial sh*itstorm that was my day, the coworkers and I set out to Canada art gallery in the vicinity of Chinatown to check the opening of my boss's solo show entitled "Luke Murphy - Certainty Shelter."

With the use of three Geiger counters pointed at a vase filled with Uranium, Murphy creates "perfectly random" radioactive bleeps which translate into aural beeps and moving visuals projected onto three walls in a dark room.

The result is strangely hypnotic and most definitely the kind of thing Murphy could bank with if he got into the business of setting up chill out rooms for raves.

Check out some videos I took here or check it out in person at Canada gallery. The show is up until May 3rd.

"New York is like a big pahr-ty, because music everywhere you can dance"

2009-04-02T23:26:00.002-04:00

The Lost Tribes of New York City from Carolyn London on Vimeo.

Krazy!

2009-03-30T20:07:00.005-04:00

The Saturday before last, the ladies and I ventured to far (north) east Manhattan for a Manga/Anime/Video Games exhibit at the Japan Society called "KRAZY!  The Delirious World of Anime + Manga + Video Games."

The show was small in size but big in visual stimulation. Highlights included a Nintendo Game Cube, mounted to the wall in a bubble (I have one in my living room! Should I sell it to a museum?") and sketches from a book called "The Afterlife of a DJ" (I can relate.)

The first room contained an enormous bookcase that you could browse through. The walls were covered in choice excepts. The second paid tribute to classic video games (think Super Mario Bros. 2) with stations where you could play them. The last room's massive walls were lined with numerous screens and smaller viewing spaces where you could watch Anime (provided you have a killer attention span as they were all playing at once.)

We zipped through it all pretty quickly but for anyone out there who's been laid off or just has lots of time to kill, I recommend checking it out as you could entertain yourself for hours (that is if Manga, Anime or video games are your bag.)

The show is up until June 14.

Nara at Niagara

2009-03-29T11:27:00.004-04:00

Remember when Japanese artist Nara was arrested the night before his gallery opening earlier this month? B and I unveiled more pieces to this puzzle at Niagara bar in the East Village the week before last.

We hit up Niagara for the Antagonist Art Movement's weekly party and more precisely, the musical stylings of the one and only J-Stroke. We were pleasantly surprised as we made our way through the narrow bar by the drawings on the wall. It seems Niagara was the thirst quenching spot frequented by Nara before his arrest and the bar owners allowed him to cover the wall space with black marker drawings of his characters.

Obviously, if I was in a foreign country and someone let me go to town all over his or her bar walls, I would assume this was par for the course and whip out my Sharpie to leave my mark upon every stop of my journey as well.

My favorite part of this story is that while Niagara had the foresight to cover Nara's drawings with plexiglass and leave them up for all to enjoy, perhaps realizing that they could fetch a nice chunk of change at some point, the MTA washed off the brick he drew on at the First Avenue L station and called it a day. And in the meantime, we have to eat their deficit with a massive fare hike. Geniuses.

Check out pics and other artwork from the Antagonist Art Movement party below!

K-Town

2009-03-28T13:18:00.010-04:00

(This is a bad example of food porn because I did not photograph the meals till we were done eating.)

This Thursday evening, a team of carnivorous set out for the Korean food challenge, hitting up the famous "Korean Way" block (32nd between 5th and 6th street). As we navigated the raining, bustling street, lined with hotels, karaoke bars and 24hour Korean restaurants I noticed that K-town was a hot bed for young Korean hipsters. We decided on Kun Jip a quaint restaurant with impeccable service! We started the night out with a few Hites, a Korean beer I had never had before and the usual Korean picked side dishes, featuring fan favorites, dried squid and a steamy egg dish. We also sampled some of the dumplings which we decided not to call home about and then decided on Korean BBQ, a grilled spicy pork and boneless short ribs, a seafood bibimbob and a spicy pork bone, potato casserole/soup. Everything was delish, transporting one restaurant guest to his "homeland" and his mother's cooking! The evening was rounded out with a lovely cold tea drink laced with Cinnamon and honey and a tea rice porridge.

Future K-town adventures will have to include a night of karoake!