Back With All Sorts of Cali Germs...

Gat damn... these vacations away from the internet are pretty swell. Good looks to all the fam on the West, specially Mo & So, for all kinds of dope hosting keeping kids fed and inebriated.

Extra shouts to Urn for holding down News & Booze... told you the dood is much more entertaining than that kid Ant. We'll get him posting regularly just as soon as he puts down that crack pipe (DC Whaaaaaaat). In the meantime, I'll uh... put down the abacus?... and get to randomosity (apologies if you've seen all this stuff over the last week... I'm behind the curve).

Actually, crap. The only thing I gots is that thing PostSecret that I guess was in the Times last week.

How bout... The Rub this weekend? Flyer by Via for Tenth ...speaking of which, Spring/Summer boxes are 'sploding the 10 Deezy studio; help clear some space in DUMBO by copping the freshness at your local "cool guy" store (Denim this season is punch-you-in-the-mouth dope).

Oh oh, also... Via Summer Seasonal will be poppin off Saturday, June 25th, at Eleven... details and flyer soon. We'll be celebrating the official release (finally) of Captain P's Gumbo Funk EP, and all will be shweaty.

Also... MED's Push Comes to Shove is out today motherfuckerrrrrrrrs. Good lord I been waiting for him to drop an album since uh... high school? Don't sleep on these Ox cats...

Reporting Live from Nowhere

One Bird Chirp: The Town of Cheverly Byrdgang posts up.

Maaaaan...work today was AWFUL...where was my Mexican when I needed him? I plan to go so hard this 3-day weekend, I dunno if I'll be able to fit this event into my schedule (said the soft British way) but y'all should if you're in or near DC and otherwise unoccupied. More info here.

No, Gwen, THIS shit is bananas.

And in other endangered species news: Not to make light of creatures on the brink of extinction, but c'mon, "harmless" crocodiles??? Then why'd y'all take the photo from so far-a-funkin way, a distance from which, might I add, I can still see their big-ass teeth? Hey, Scientist: While you're busy telling me lies, you should be protecting those questionable crocodilians from this guy's kick collection. Or this guy's.

By the looks of it, maybe Spector saw a specter? (via Catchdubs).

Extensive shit: Damn, even how you wipe your buttocks is even a cultural divide. (Good lookin', Ms. See-Say)

For reels: Piston Honda/Adam Braha Lough's first feaure Bomb the System is becoming available for mass consumption in NY and LA this Friday, but the cultural co-opters with cash from Toyota Scion are sponsoring the New York premier the previos day. Detalles aqui.

Couldn't decide on a caption for this site...A) "Do Androids Dream of Electric Human Resources?," B) "Creepiest Link of the Day Goes to...", or C) "Via's Next Investment"...

...but there are definitely a rack of people out there who spend too much time around computers.

Lemme not be one of them.

This is Yao Bling...Thugsy Bogues is off tonight.

I know this ain't no O Magazine. No more self portraits after today...swear.

Sorry for the delay, folks. Had to make Anferny sweat a lil bit more than just just that nice SoCal weather he's surely enjoying right now. I know son musta been like, "Damn, I shoulda known I couldn't leave one of those people in charge. They're so lazy!" Well, we Reds prefer the term, "labor empowered", but whatever. I'll try to get with the News-n-Booze program, since, under penalty of Singaporean-style caning, I've been told not to proselytize too much up in this beeyotch. So I'm coming atcha 'trictly guerrilla chic, mates. 'Trictly.

I was also late finding out about this event, but there are still enough shows left for those in the DC area to catch CinemAFRICA's current showcase at the AFI Silver Theatre in Downtown Silver Spring. I'll report back later if I manage to catch either of the movies.

And while we're visiting the "Centre of the World" (as Fela and Roy would say), perhaps we can take some notes for the next Via party? Straight of out the Congo: the Konono No. 1 stunnaz.

...or maybe we could just invite this guy.

Lastly, to end my blog premier with a bang, here's the C-to-the-O-double-M-O-N in his recent performance on the Tonight Show (via 3030 Radio). Yeah...it's taped-off-TV stylee...but I know that ain't nuthin to all my 80's wire hanger antennae soldiers out there (y'all know the revolution wasn't meant to be televised). BE, Common's self-proclaimed return to sense, drops this Tuesday...here's a preview for the non-pirating (mm hmm) parties out there as well as his in-store intinerary.

A-IGHT?
More later/sooner.
Holler.

East Bay to LA

Not gonna be back in time for Memorial Day hijinks, but for me brethren in the city, do yourself some road tripping: Zipcar. Get the Beemer.

Waste some time:

Sugar Bush Squirrel

Contagious Media Showdown

Peas kids, be nice to Urn.

Loose Ends

Yaoooo... don't mind the absence, just trying to get some things in order before I'm audi. Doing the next production run for shirts to hit up shops and keep kids laced for the summer, we'll update the linkage page soon enough to let you know what new spots Via's available at, and uh... what else, what else... Summer Seasonal to look out for, end of Junio.

Also, in the vein of such greater tag-teaming blarghs as Poplicks and The Stencil, News & Booze is picking up another contributor velly velly soon. Urn's gonna be filling in durn the inturm, so expect a bigger betterer blacker look for the next week.

Ah, and also... come to Habana Outpost (NYC's first solar-powered restaurant and market) this weekend... Cap'n P's gonna be chilling with Busquelo at his booth doing the flea market thingaling. Flyer here. This means BK gets some of that Mexican grilled corn, right? Bout it bout it...

Com-PUTO.

Peace out Kris Ex?

Got some fam performing at the Knitting Factory next Monday for In Tune: Asian-Americans in Music!. Ease to Kevin and Taiyo, I'm sure you guys shalt rip proper.

KOSMag Issue002 out now. Release party flyer here. Queeeeeens.

Garnier Manga Head ...holy hell. These fools look like they just rubbed spooge all up in it. That's a matte effect?? Go to the "What is Manga" section of the site and slap your face reading shit like "Why is Japan So Cooooooooooooooool?" and "...in a world where everything is made up of bright colors and bubbles..." (via catchdubs)

Thirty-Eight Ways to Win an Argument from Schopenhauer's "The Art of Controversy" ...Oso Def comes correct as usual. Nobody is going to tell me I'm wrong ever again... but if they do, they'll promptly be labeled as fascists, atheists, Nazis, dog-humpers, or just ugly (thank you rule #32!)

DZ on the breaking stupid video report: Common (feat. Kanye) - Go ...we like motion graphics like the next group of design nerds, but wtf... why does this feel like more of an MTV promo than a music video? Stop with all the 'cool' transitions already. Hell, don't even stop there. More scantily-clad girls, less bald-ass Common.

We Loiter Real Nice

There's still a thin layer of sweat I need to scrub off from Wonder-full... one of the few instances where I can tolerate being in a room smashed up on other folk for a couple hours, but ey... es Stevie. Dancing with the glasses fogged in a steamy-ass room of smiling pretty people belting out Mr. Morris... well worth that $20 ticket. Oh wait, thas right. Tauruses free suckaduck.

So What The Fuss Video (Visually Impaired Version featuring narration by Busta Rhymes) ...I tried watching this at work the other day sans sound and couldn't figure out what the deal was (I hadn't read the description either). I kept imagining the video would be transmitting on some crazy frequency that somehow entered people's brains like in Kenna's vid for Hell Bent. Also I think I was high at work.

Random Image from ix.

Yao! Hoop Dreams is out on Criterion! Miss Turner beat me to this one.

Thought Thieves

Eliza pointed me to the Albion Castle's Auction over the weekend. She say: it's a historic landmark castle and former brewery with hand- carved caverns for the cisterns of natural spring water welling up out of the ground. I keep imagining it as a display and event space showcasing artists and limited production pieces. Yeah I dunno... I'm more into the idea of haunted castle tours and Nerf-styled Counter-Strike missions.

Also... we don't own a tv at Park Place, so I'm always sorta out of the loop when it comes to movies in theaters. I did the obligatory support Asian cinema (pfffffft...) IMDB check on Unleashed, and read the following description of Morgan Freeman's character: Danny meets a kind elderly blind piano tuner (Freeman) on the run because he knows secrets some bad guys don't want known, who uses music to teach Danny some things about the world and about being human...

Ayo. I don't wanna jump to conclusions as I haven't seen the flick yet, but I swear to god, is Morgan Freeman playing a Magic Negro again?

Friddy

es official... First Warm Night is tomorrow... prepare for po-lice methinks.

after that debauchery, Nick doing some steady thuggin with the byrds. Spec Boog be there as well, amongst a gaggle of other rap cats.

Old Italian Cats Rocking Wu-Wear Wallies

busybusybusybusybusy... Via's grinding on all fronts (how much of this grinding is actually Via-related is questionable, but yknow... we busy. Quit asking). I pull a Stencil in a week to see suckers from San Francisco to Santa Ana to San Diego (Oakland too, but that messes up the alliteration) so posting may get a little more sparse... will try to find a suitable robot replacement post-haste.

Images of Japanese Vending Machines

WONDER-Full (Part VII) Annual Tribute To The Genius Stevie Wonder -It's that time of the year again... Spinna and Bobbito gonna throw the ill jamjam. Free for Tauruses, jeah.

Wallace & Gromit Do Cannes in Preview ...been waiting forever for this. Better be a Feathers McGraw cameo.

On the movie tip, Oso Def tells me The Story of the Weeping Camel is bomba. I trust him based on the website. Yip. You can pet the camel. Not that camel, jerk.

OhCeeDeededed.

Es hump day. I had a 4 hour meeting with no break at work, and the only thing I came out with is some statistic about 70% of dollar bills in the 80s had cocaine residue on them. I give straight links sans cynicism today. Tomorrow will be Smackdown! nite and I will be much more hype.

First Warm Night ...spread the word birds (courtesy of Oso Def)

Bike Kill ...fully remember Leo riding back from this thing last year and being all 'YO DOOOOOD... BICYCLE JOUST!'... while I'm sure the event was smelly, gat damn that looks fun. (via Crailtap!)

Masa finally fixed that god-awful URL of his; peep his stuffs @ D.E.

I missed this. Bummer.

Rassum Frassum Crispin Glover Haircuts...

...and I'm moving to Alaska.

A message from Kenzan:

to all the people who wonder why i travel in ungaro italian wool, this one is for you.
to all the people that dont get "random" searches every time: Stop bitching when they make you take off your shoes.
to all you terrorist looking mofo's (dark skinned) this one is for you:
The Gallant Mariachi, The Tex-Mex Rocker, and the Southwest Native Dandy
i will now be traveling with college level biology, chemistry, law, and accounting text books.

Did some poking around to find above narrator's website: La Pocha Nostra -Performance Art for the New Millenium... I have no idea how I never ran across this dood's work in Gallatin (NYU's version of clown college).

Singing Science Records! -are you peeping that cover art?? Thumbs up!!!

Oso Def thinks I can be a Fox News Reporter. I keep telling people if I just had a Dali stache and milkcrate to stand on I'd be running tings.

Impact of Email on Concentration and IQ vs. Cannabis
Doziness, lethargy and an increasing inability to focus reached "startling" levels in the trials by 1,100 people, who also demonstrated that emails in particular have an addictive, drug-like grip.
What the hell is doziness?

omigodomigodomigod... someone get us a subscription to Pizza Marketing Quarterly like... yesterday. Where else are you gonna find articles such as the brilliant Operating a Pizzeria in a High Crime Area? Peep the accompanying shotgun POV photos... CRAZY!

Skinny Wrists and All

First things first-- Flute and Dino are doing the Taurus birthday thing at Luke and Leroy this Friday the 13th. I may be dragged into this one as well, so if you see some dood who looks real uncomfortable and out-of-place, buy him a drink. Or a Black & Mild.

Night after, Flute's friend Andy of alt.coffee is throwing the grand opening for Cake Shop, his new bar/venue/cafe/comic book/record store (you heard right... the place screams second home).

O-Dub posted a thoroughly enjoyable interview he conducted with the late Weldon Irvine in 2000. (via Soul Sides)

Eyyy... it's Professor Duncombe's wife, Jean Railla of Get Crafty! (via Gothamist)

This may be an old story, but come-the-fuq-on... Smoking Chimp! C'mon! Thas dope!

Hungry March Band -Anarchist punk rock marching band from BK. Or something. Download songs here. (respeck to Oso Def on this one)

BiblePod. I read this on the train while scrolling through my Cannibal Corpse playlists. (ix the cynic sent this)

Roti on the Stoop

Mellow afternoon eating all kinds of good food on the stoop. Leave it to Naka to know more people in our neighborhood than we do (not even playing the race card... one of the folks was white, swear)... Shouts to our neighbor down the block (who knew?) Stacyann Chin for the tea invite. We'll be wearing out our welcome in no time.

Keeping it simple. Hope folks are enjoying their weekends.

Whoaly Crap

Yyyyyyeah. Once again, props to Senor Sasso on the Mars Volta show, but holy crap. Two and a half hours of rock opus, 20 minute songs with no end in sight... dare I say the whole thing was a little... jammy? Made me feel somewhat old too, standing in the back exhausted, all hard blinking like the lighting effects were on some serious Pokemon-seizure steez. But yknow, you build a song for 10 minutes and then spend the next 10 spiraling into noise and even the diehard kids with the teased fros are gonna start dropping. These shows (sans Conan) were much easier to handle, but eyyy... gotta experimentate, right?

How Much is Inside? -Goldschlager edition (via ixley)

Fuq a CDJ, we getting one of these. Thas right, lasers. What now? (another nugget by ix... see dood? Links can be fun without having to be about globalization and sustainability)

The Greatest Story Never Told -Reginald C. Dennis candidly breaks down his days at The Source in one of the illest articles I've read in a minute (via Poplicks)

Urn's catching on... John Cena's the troof! New video for I'm A Bad, Bad Man ...A-Team themed? Freddie Foxxx as Mr. T??? And just in case you forgot... Murs (feat. JOHN CENA suckas)- HUSTLE. Wrestling haters step to the back.

Barry McGee's One More Thing opens this weekend at Deitch Projects. Haaaaaapa.

Via famalam Caps & Jones are doing Eastside Gangbang tonight with Stak Chedda aka the legendary Lord Sear. I don't get paid every time I shout these fools out, I swear. BUY THEIR MIXES NOW NOW NOW.

And finally... the News & Booze Link-O-The-Week award goes to DZ. After Miss Testes put me onto this and ix forwarded me this, I was pretty much over the tee game. Via's not putting out dumb-dumb shirts any time soon, which apparently means we staying broke. So right before I threw in the towel (all this melodrama, by the way, is for the sake of hyping the following links... Via is squeaking by just fine thank you, and now available for coppage at Air Market), Danny Boy broke me off with the following inspiring images of THE BEST FUCKING SHIRT EVER:

Oh
my
God
this
shirt
is
the
truth.

The apparel transcends commentary. I wouldn't even know where to begin. Just... marinate over the weekend. Hope this makes up for yesterday.

Because You Only Turn 16 Once...

Eyyy... it's that time of the year again, the Taurus troika of Ant (5/4), DZ (5/8), and Urn (5/12) getting older (sure as hell not any prettier)... skinny Rainbow Coalition will be making the consolidated effort to wild out this Saturday at The Rub, where A-Trak's doing a guest spot (that track with Dipset, BTW, is banonos... even got all the fast-rap-backpackers at Park Place hype).

Super nice guy and one of Zoo's illest (ex) riders Todd Jordan is having a photo show in Japon. (via freshnessmag)

WHAAAAAAAAT?!?!?! (read that like yer Lil Jon and get slapped like a mime)

No matter how many times I see this record in a bargain bin, there's always that urge to throw it in the stack. Along with another Emerson Lake & Palmer or Jim Croce dollar-eater. Anyway, good to know that Whipped Cream Lady Dolores Erickson is still out there doing the thing and selling her own oil paintings of... herself? Whipped But Not Beaten... I did NOT make that title up. Peep yerself. (Good looks to Kenzan on this one)

Fun tool for building panoramas (only for PC users... tell me how it works out for ya): Autostitch

Don't get me wrong, Moses is family, but this spread warrants a heavy dose of clowning. The dirty Mexican's gonna be housing me in the Bay this month-- how am I sposed to be comfortable around a moustache like that? Screams of Chester (of molestor fame) giggles and multiple weener comments.

Putting in Hours

Whoady long days... put in some extra hours at the cave today. Luckily I did some conserving of links from the influx this weekend, so there won't be too much post-work diggery. Passing out in a second...

Big sis Misa on some real fun stuff (remember that Onion article about moms finding out about blogs? ...nothing like fam checking in on ya):

1) PC EZ-Bake Oven
2) Marshmallow Shooter (this will provide hours of antagonism... thank god for online shopping)

Comic book Carlo pointed out this pretty fun read from Slate about Star Wars and fanfilms: Our most cherished sci-fi franchises are in a creative trough. Lucas' movies have spiraled into unwatchability

Many thanks to Oso Def for this one: World Press Photo Winner 2005
The main overall prize, the World Press Photo of the Year, is awarded for the single photograph that is not only the photojournalistic encapsulation the year, but represents an issue, situation or event of great journalistic importance, and does so in a way that demonstrates an outstanding level of visual perception and creativity. It has come to be regarded as the most prestigious award for photojournalism in the world.

Buying a Duck, Eating a Duck

How come everybody's gotta wait until the weekend to send me the random links? How about holding onto them until like Wednesday when I'm squeaking out articles about the internet and muppets? Ah well, Moonday's cornucopia of randomosity and its contributors:

Loyalty Day was yesterday, but I dunno, I feel some folks might have missed it in lieu of protesting uh, nuclear proliferation? (ix on politics)

From the Mogwai in the Midwest: Beyonce font! -exclusive typeface of House of Dereon

This was kinda fun: Cost of Living Calculator -apparently to maintain my standard of living in Pocatello, Idaho, I'm gonna have to make about $14 g's. Meth's cheaper there too, so, y'know.

From cousin Chau in the LBC... I thought this was pretty cool as a commercial for Nike, and I gotta admit that the idea of running around the urban environment doing ninja maneuvers sounds kinda fun, but I dunno... a bunch of doods doing flips off stairwells wearing capri pants and sleeveless tees registers a little on the herby side of things. One of the guys on the Urban Free Flow (good god that term is doodoo) page is also rocking a cowboy hat. Yyyyyyeah no. This is why they made skateboards.

Speaking of ninjas... He fought the law, and the law won
excerpt from the article:
When officers came to move him to a dry cell, Doogan assumed a fighting stance and dared them to get him, reports said.
"Open that cell door," he told the officers. "I want a piece of you."

Fun at the Tribeca Film Fest!
Nolte!
Kelly!
Lipnicki?

Brain Farts and Greenery

Duh me. I completely blanked on explaining the photo from April 28th's entry (also the one above) and big-upping our homegirl Eliza, the designer behind Graft: epiphytes for the urban environment.

Soundbite version- basically, Eliza makes variations of these felt pocket planters meant for kids to install on "existing urban infrastructural elements (chain-link fences, sign posts, streetlight poles, etc.)" that hold epiphytes (air plants) and the project's intended to "increase urban children's environmental awareness." We're all about anything that makes the city greener, and you can roll your eyes like we're all hippies, but don't front like you don't smile when you see plants (Eliza is suspiciously from the Bay Area though). For more info, hit her up at eliza.axelsonchidsey@gmail.com and ask about the illy chairs she makes.