small talk

Sunday Soul: Heatwave

2010-11-28T14:31:00.000-05:00

Heatwave was founded in West Germany during the height of the disco years. Having an eclectic band line-up, the group consisted of members from the United States, Switzerland, Germany, Jamaica and Czechoslovakia. The groups leader, Johnnie Wilder, Jr., hailed from Dayton, OH and eventually recruited his younger brother Keith to join. During their heyday, the band recorded such classic tunes as 'Always & Forever', 'Boogie Nights' and 'Mind Blowing Decisions'.

Enjoy!

'Like' and Be Rewarded [Big Brother]

2010-11-26T12:45:00.001-05:00

Currently, somewhere in Singapore, someone is shopping, using a rewards card and receiving discounts on merchandise simply for liking that business on Facebook. Welcome to the future.

Now, you may be curious as to how such activity is possible. One word: Taggo. Taggo, combined from the two words tap and go, is a service designed by Aneace Haddad. The goal of the service is to bring fan recognition to the actual point of sale; merging online with the real world. It also moves consumers away from coupons and having a loyalty card for every store they visit--which, if you're an avid shopper, can be a bit excessive. How do you use it? Simply by using a plastic contactless card with an unique identity number. And what is that exactly? Well, chances are you have one of these in your wallet already if you are a commuter or use a pre-paid phone card. If you are neither, these are not at all hard to come across. Once you have this card with the unique number, you register it online with the Taggo service. From there you Like shops and business accordingly, tap and go.

The soft launch of Taggo is taking place in Singapore because Haddad says it is a growing market for Facebook as well as tap and go. There are nearly 9 million tap and go cards in use in Singapore and business are putting up Facebook pages before they are even securing web domains.

While there haven't been any reports released yet to detail the success (or lack thereof) of Taggo in Singapore, it does seem like one really good idea for business in the U.S. Esepecially those business eagerly seeking new ways to cut down costs.

Read more on this at BBC.

Small Idea Raises $366,865+ on Kickstarter

2010-11-25T09:00:00.000-05:00

In the keynote delivered in June, Steve Jobs mentioned that the latest iPod Nano could do many things, suggesting that it could even be a watch. Well Chicago-based designer Scott Wilson set out to make the iPod Nano do just that. Under his MINIMAL imprint, Wilson has designed two Nano watches: TikTok and LunaTik. TikTok is a snap-in design while the LunaTik is a premium conversion kit.

The original fundraising goal set was $15,000. The project has gained a lot of popularity and support receiving nearly 5,000 backers. The fundraising initiative was launched on Kickstarter nearly one week ago and, to date, this project is has received the most donations on the site. The project has currently raised $366,865, 2448% more than the initial fundraising goal, and the pledges keep coming in by the minute, literally.

Kickstarter is the largest funding platform for creative projects in the world. Every month, tens of thousands of amazing people pledge millions of dollars to projects from the worlds of music, film, art, technology, design, food, publishing and other creative fields.

Visit this project on Kickstarter here.

Storytelling with Tim Burton and Twitter

2010-11-23T11:25:00.000-05:00

The Cadavre Exquis or Exquisite Corpse, Stainboy, is the latest project from the mind of Tim Burton. This crowdsourcing technique of storytelling works by each participant adding to the story in one-sentence sequences, building off of the last sentence added. If you would like to contribute to Stainboy all you need to do is tweet your sentence of what happens next and hastag it with #burtonstory. It's kind of like choose your own adventure in a social media friendly sort of way. Anyone with a Twitter account can participate between now and December 6, 2010. The best tweets of the day will be selected to build the story. Watch it unfold on the official website.

This social media campaign was launched in efforts to build excitement for the Toronto International Film Festival which will be honoring Burton and his work this year.

Sneakerpedia? [Swipe!]

2010-11-22T12:01:00.000-05:00

Today's blog post comes from Kiss My Black Ads. It's where I keep up on all of the latest multi-cultural advertising campaigns. This one is for all of the sneakerheads.

Sneakerpedia Trailer from Sneakerpedia on Vimeo.

This is one of the smartest marketing coups of all time. If this works and I believe it will Footlocker is poised to run things in the minds of sneaker-heads throughout the known universe and beyond. In a mixture of social networking like Facebook and a collaborative encyclopedia project like Wikipedia, the network Foot Locker presents to the world Sneakerpedia .

Sunday Soul: Sly & The Family Stone

2010-11-21T13:49:00.000-05:00

With me being back home in California, this Sunday Soul is dedicated to none other than Sly & The Family Stone. Hailing from San Francisco, CA. many consider Sly & The Family Stone to be the first to have a racial + gender integrated line-up. Collectively, they were undoubtedly musical geniuses. But like most bands springing up in the height of the hippie-era, they indulged in some pretty heavy drugs which would ultimately cut their genius short. The band was only active between 1967-1975 but they managed to release at least a solid 5 pioneering funk/rock albums. You'll find some albums post 1975 credited as Sly & The Family Stone but in actuality, that's just Sly.

There's A Riot Goin' On is a really great album in the same vein like Fleetwood Mac's Rumors. The band itself was going through a bunch of inner turmoil and disagreements and though that sounds terrible, on wax, the results were amazing. This album debuted at number one on the Billboard charts as did the lead single "Family Affair". This album eventually went platinum.

Enjoy!

The 44th Annual Kent State Folk Festival [Posters]

2010-11-18T14:00:00.000-05:00

These anti-social media/pro-social interaction posters designed by Cleveland ad agency Marcus Thomas.

Digital Marketing Lessons from Kanye West

2010-11-16T13:54:00.001-05:00

Kanye West's 5th studio album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy is being released Monday. Before I rush out to the store to physically purchase my copy (sorry iTunes), I decided to take a look at just how well Kanye West and his G.O.O.D. team are at marketing albums--or, marketing his albums at least.

After spending some months out of the media (and creating his new album), Kanye came back ready to get engaged. So what does he do? He meets the media in their space. No fancy interview set-ups just Mr. West and crew talking to the media while they are at work. What's interesting is Kanye's particular interest in new media. Though it was a surprise visit to Rolling Stone some could call it expected since, Rolling Stone is, after all, one of the leading music media outlets. It was his surprise visits to Twitter and Facebook that got me thinking Kanye West single-handedly changed the term of SMT. All of a sudden the Satellite Media Tour turned into the Social Media Tour. And it worked very well. Outside of Will.I.Am speaking at a Twitter-sponsored conference earlier this year, it's safe to say that no celebrity has ever actually visited the sites that engage a significant amount of their fan base. Since Kanye's Visit, Facebook at least has seen visits from rappers Yelawolf and Raekwon. Soon after his visit to Silicon Valley, we then saw Kanye engage with fans over another popular tool, UStream, where he was able to answer questions live from his laptop and fans could see him and interact. He even gave his fans a sample of the song he planned to make his next single. And I'm sure Kanye will not stop his social media brigade here. In case anyone at G.O.O.D. is reading, I propose getting on Foursquare quickly. (And if you're curious as to what the specific strategy is, email me. I can't give the world these free ideas.)

Kanye West understands the importance of cross-marketing and he is always very clever with his choices. Cross-marketing in music is rather simple because all you need to do is simply feature another artist or be featured on another artists song. Hip-hop makes it even easier because hip-hop invented a little something known as the remix. So how does Kanye cross-market? He remixes a Justin Bieber song and gets Raekwon as a feature. Now, I have to be honest here. Prior to the "Runaway Love" remix, I've never heard a Justin Bieber song. I saw a music video of his playing once while shopping but I had never actually heard his song. All I knew about Justin Bieber is that he is the equivalent of Justin Timberlake circa 2000 but without the help of being in a boy band. That means he is every tweens dream. I also knew he sold quite a lot of records for a 16-year-old, broke a YouTube record and he is Usher's protégé. While I'm sure Bieber's fans had probably heard of Kanye West, I'm almost certain they had never heard of Raekwon. The only way to get the remix of course was to visit Kanye's website and enter in your e-mail address. So Justin gets some exposure to the hip-hop community and Kanye gets some help adding names to his database. This, people, is a mutually beneficial relationship.

And then there's Kanye's branding; something he's always been conscious of and great at keeping up with throughout his career. The lesson here: consistency is key. He uses the same font and (almost) the same color for every release of his G.O.O.D. Friday songs (with all of the features). He uses www.kanyewest.com as an online hub. There, you can also see his short film 'Runaway' and purchase his album through a link to iTunes. Speaking of 'Runaway', another great way to get people hype about your album is to create a movie around it. Michael Jackson was great at this, most of his music videos were considered "mini-movies". And Prince's 'Purple Rain' is another great example.

For the most part the above mentioned helped Kanye West push his album a great deal. But we also can't forget the nude pics and the recent performance on a Delta Airlines flight. Nor can we forget that a former U.S. President is currently name-dropping Kanye West to sell his own book. Of course none of this would be as successful without having a great product. And since Kanye West has yet to disappoint me since his 2004 debut, I'm going to go ahead and say everything was well worth it.

Sunday Soul: Aretha Franklin

2010-11-14T12:57:00.000-05:00

Aretha Franklin is the reigning Queen of Soul in case you didn't know. Throughout the course of her career, she has been a woman of many firsts. She was the first female inducted into the Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame in 1987 and the first to have 14 million-selling singles which is the most for any female artist. She is ranked #1 by Rolling Stone magazine on its list of "100 Greatest Singers of All Time", has won 18 GRAMMY awards, has been in each of the top 10 positions on the Billboard Hot 100 charts and countless others. If you are unaware of the power of Aretha Franklin's voice, please get familiar.

Lady Soul was Aretha Franklin's second #1 album on the R&B charts.

Enjoy!

Photoshop for iPad

2010-11-12T16:00:00.000-05:00

The good people over at Adobe are always looking for new ways to get you to spend too much money. Currently, they are exploring the growing tablet market and developing ways you can use their premier product, Photoshop, on the go with your iPad or Samsung Galaxy. Tentatively referred to as the Photoshop Companion, it appears that Adobe is making a way for users to use color mixing and content-aware fills on the mobile devices. With the Adobe Creative Suite already being "too damn high," I wonder what the cost of this app will be. Click here for more information.

Bernie Madoff's Stolen Riches Up For Auction

2010-11-12T12:31:00.000-05:00

You remember Bernie Madoff right? The Wall Street guy who was basically stole millions from the rich through some sort of elaborate ponzi scheme? The guy who stole so much in millions those who were once rich became middle-class or poor? Well, the government is auctioning off his things this Saturday, November 13, 2010 in efforts to get some money back. From the looks of some of the items available for auction, you can tell this guy was just spending money just because. Crystal ball? Leather bull foot stool? Leather cigar holders? 19th Century beds? Yep, all that plus more is available. Sign up to auction and/or view the items through the U.S. Marshall's website. The auction will take place at the Sheraton New York Hotel & Towers located on 7th Avenue at 10:00AM.

Out Of Print And On Your Shirt

2010-11-10T08:00:00.003-05:00

Out Of Print is a t-shirt company fueled by cover designs of out of print books. Starting at $22, fiction aficionados can show appreciation for their choice of literature classics from the likes of F. Scott Fitzgerald, Arthur Miller, George Orwell and Ayn Rand amongst many others. You could even get cozy with a sweatshirt for winter and keep your kids looking intellectual as well.

From the website:

"Out of Print celebrates the world’s great stories through fashion. Our shirts feature iconic and often out of print book covers. Some are classics, some are just curious enough to make great t-shirts, but all are striking works of art.

We work closely with artists, authors and publishers to license the content that ends up in our collections. Each shirt is treated to feel soft and worn like a well-read book."

Kid Robot X Heinz

2010-11-09T09:00:00.000-05:00

While San Francisco is banning McDonald's Happy Meals from being sold, children can still be encouraged to play with their food with Kid Robot's latest collection of Dunny toys inspired by Heinz. Created by toy designer Sket One, these toys are fully functional and can house ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise and relish. Kitchen's beware!

Grocery Shopping At The 'Ceria

2010-11-08T09:00:00.006-05:00

Ceria sets a new standard in the retail shopping experience and boutique concepts. Located in Southern California's city of Ventura, this streetwear boutique is build around the concept of the old carniceria's. And in case your spanish is a bit rusty, that's español for market.

From the website:

"Carnicerias are known throughout the west coast, particularly in the Latino community as a market to get anything you need in a setting that is fun, makes you feel at home or simply dubbed “your neighborhood specialty store.” Carnicerias serve as being your inside source for goods you can’t find in typical grocery stores making the roots of the culture more accessible. We intend on operating by these same standards bringing you limited edition, one-of-a-kind footwear and men’s & women’s clothing. We intend on bringing you brands not typically found in any apparel shop obliging to the same reasons why carnicerias were formed. At Ceria, you’ll be able to learn about the roots of a brand you purchase and be surrounded by the music and art that fuels its creativity. Your favorite brands are not just sold, but showcased in our unique setting, store layout and display cases."

Sunday Soul: Ohio Players

2010-11-07T01:53:00.000-04:00

The Ohio Players have the greatest album covers of all time. At least, that's what I'll always remember. They may have been considered risqué during the times of their release but now they are iconic images that do a good job of summing up the essence of music in the 70s: sexy. Most covers for The Ohio Players albums consisted solely of a beautiful woman, half-naked or naked, in a sexually suggestive pose.

Hailing from Dayton, OH; The Ohio Players originated as the Ohio Untouchables in the late 1960s. After a few member changes the group solidified itself as The Ohio Players in 1970. Over the span of twenty years, the group has brought listeners across the world such classics as "Love Rollercoaster", "Fire", "Skin Tight" and "I Want To Be Free".

Download.

Gentlemen, Size Matters

2010-11-06T00:01:00.002-04:00

At least, that's what Durex Condoms is going with for their latest series of ads for their Durex XXL brand of condoms. These were spotted on the internet, of course, but it made me realize that I have never seen a advertisement for condoms in real life. I'd love to see what other brands could come up with. The footprints in the sand after the jump literally made me LOL.

Influencers: A Short Film

2010-11-05T00:01:00.001-04:00

INFLUENCERS FULL VERSION from R+I creative on Vimeo.

This short film provides an interesting look on the world of influencers through trends, art and innovation. Worth the 13+ minutes you'll spend learning while watching.

One Photo Reviews [Internet Addiction]

2010-11-04T09:00:00.001-04:00

A review of Paranormal Activity 2

Everyone has a website. Having a website is equivalent to having a belly button: every human has one. And if you're one of those people without a website, it's equivalent to being a person without a belly button; you're an alien. With so many websites and blogs popping up literally ever second it gets a bit tough just trying to discover a new site.

So, please point your browsers to OnePhotoReviews.com. One Photo Reviews is a review of each new blockbuster movie, powered by Tumblr. From the website:

"My name is Scott and I love movies. I give thorough reviews of the movies I see. And by thorough review I mean one photo of me. These are my One Photo Reviews."

Because movie reviews are usually so intense and detailed, the whole idea of giving a full review in a facial expression seems insane. And Scott's reviews are hilarious. My favorite so far is his review of Machete.

Cash Money: Music, Film and now Books

2010-11-04T00:01:00.009-04:00

Slim and Baby--the multi-millionaire brothers and founders of New Orleans based Cash Money Records; who brought you such class acts as Lil' Wayne and Juvenile- are branching out into the publishing industry with the announcement of Cash Money Content. This venture already has a distribution agreement with Atria Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Publishing Company. Cash Money Content's initial titles include Raw Law: An Urban Guide to Criminal Justice by lawyer Muhammad Ibn Bashir, Justify My Thug an original novel by Wahida Clark and the late Iceberg Slim's classic urban memoir, Pimp. Bookworms can expect to grab the aforementioned titles from bookshelves everywhere beginning February 2011.

With Cash Money Records biggest star set to be released from prison today, we're sure Cash Money Content will secure the rights to a biography or--even better- an autobiography of Lil' Wayne. The multi-platinum rapper's story is sure to be a best seller. Especially if he writes it.

Read more on this new venture at the WSJ.

Muse: Joyce Bryant

2010-11-03T08:00:00.001-04:00

Joyce Bryant, an Oakland born and Los Angeles raised four-octave singer, often referred to as the Black Marilyn Monroe or the Blond Bronze Bombshell. Though she came up during the same time as Dorothy Dandridge (she was even the director's choice for the lead role of Carmen) and Eartha Kitt, she felt her only competition was Josephine Baker. Not wanting to be outdone while performing on the same bill as LaBaker, she painted her hair silver in a rush backstage before she was set to perform. The silver hair would become apart of her signature look.

Check out some rare footage of Joyce Bryant below.

Name This Film

2010-11-02T01:51:00.001-04:00

This movie features a male character in drag, costumes designed by Jean Paul Gaultier and a black President. What movie is this?

*Hint: The male character in drag and the black President character also co-starred in a 1995 comedy.

Click!

2010-11-01T09:00:00.000-04:00

This piece of machinery will make this analog girl finally transform into digital. This, ladies and gentlemen, is the Fuji Finepix X100. Outside of being a seemingly compact SLR, it also comes equipped with an HD camera. It will be available in 2011. I will have to have it.

Sunday Soul: Nina Simone [Halloween Edition]

2010-10-31T20:10:00.000-04:00

Today's Sunday Soul is the background music for tonight's themed dinner party.

Nina Simone is undoubtedly one of the most iconic singers to have ever held a microphone and one of the most prolific composers to have ever tickled the ivories. To take a quote from the Washington Post in its review of her autobiography I Put A Spell On You, "her artistry represents human indomitability." Often heralded as the High Priestess of Soul, Nina Simone recorded over 40 live and studio albums during the span of her career. "I Put A Spell On You" is one of her most popular songs and is laden with her signature sultry contralto.

Boo!

Halloween Treats [Food Porn]

2010-10-31T00:01:00.000-04:00

Found on bakeitinacake.com, a great food porn database.

For some, Halloween is all about the tricks. The suspense of causing fright, scaring children, haunting adults, dressing up in the best costumes and playing dead. For me, Halloween has always been about the treats. Of course in my youth the treats consisted of free candy being given out by local strangers (something I'd be weary of today). Now, treats consist of all of the unique ways people make pumpkins delicious. A favorite treat of mine in general happens to be cupcakes and this Halloween I am hoping to treat friends to many.

A little Nightmare Before Christmas from OnceUponACupcake

Ghost Cupcakes from SlashFood.com

Spidersss! Found on SweetestKitchen.com

Zombie graves by JamieAnne on Flickr.

Happy Halloween! Nom nom nom!

Light Up The World [Visual Inspiration]

2010-10-30T01:22:00.000-04:00

This is a DIY project I absolutely must re-create for my next apartment.

[via]

smART Power + Other Interesting Bits Around The Web [Spread Love]

2010-10-28T17:00:00.000-04:00

Internet connectivity issues have been at an all time high this week. Apologies for the lack of posts. Hopefully, this will soon be corrected. Enjoy the links below!

"To me, visual artists are just as capable as other artists of capturing a dialogue with people,” said Maura M. Pally, a deputy assistant secretary of state who is overseeing this two-year pilot program," from the NYT article on smART Power, the Obama Administration's $1 million cultural diplomacy program.

"When Crowley and Karp were asked how their social media platforms changed the world, Crowly responded that Foursquare has created “no big changes, but it does make my life more interesting.” While Foursquare’s intent is to enhance the experience of joining with physical friends to more fully explore the world, Karp described Tumblr as creating a different flavor of connection. Tumblr is about sharing common interests with strangers — those who are like-minded, inspire or ignite curiosity. Real relationships, projects and friendships, often result." - Is Social Networking the Great Disruptor?

"While MattyB hasn’t reached the success of other young YouTube stars like Greyson Chance or Justin Bieber, he is doing pretty well for himself, especially when you take into consideration the fact that he was born less than a decade ago. He’s got over 21,000 followers on Twitter, over 22,000 Facebook fans, and a cousin that’s a popular YouTube rapper as well to help him along." Ladies and Gentlemen, he's 7.

Mansions on the Moon have released a new mixtape entitled Paradise Falls. Download it here.

"Phusion Products’ Four Loko, or “blackout in a can,” is a $2.50 drink that lets you glug the equivalent of several cups of coffee and a six pack of beer in one fruity-flavored, 23.5-ounce beverage.
The drink, developed by three Ohio State University alumni, is most recently believed to have caused nine university students in Washington to pass out and require hospital care. As a result, Central Washington University became the latest school to ban the noxious beverage." Why anyone would drink 4Loko is beyond me but here is additional proof as to why you should not drink it (in case you needed to be convinced).

"Watching movies on Netflix was a welcome diversion from long hours of Xbox games during weekends. The game controller is now their remote control and the headset is their water cooler. Within their social circle, they tell each other what movies/TV shows to watch on Netflix, they watch them and comment on them, together through the Xbox headset. The era of the virtual playdate is born." via AdAge

"To society, it makes me regular. I just don’t get the same attention. And I’m fine with that. I can go in the world, and not worry about people being in my face trying to clock me and figure out, you know, “Hmmm…”all that kinda bullshit, I just go about my business. Dudes just look over me. But when I have that hair on, things are totally different." via Racialicious.

Sunday Soul: Freda Payne [Double Download Edition]

2010-10-24T21:38:00.000-04:00

Freda Payne is best known for her 1970's hit record "Band of Gold" to those much older than myself. To everyone in my generation and afterward, Freda Payne is best known as the sample used in Styles P's 2004 hit "I Get High". The original track used was "I Get High (On Your Memory)" from the 1978 album Stares and Whispers (Capitol).

Freda Payne began her singing career in 1969 on Invictus Records and recorded four albums with them before moving on to the ABC/Capitol Records conglomerate in 1973. While at Invictus Payne was considered more of a soul/R&B act, once she moved over to Capitol, she was recruited into the disco era. Outside of having an incredible voice, looks to kill and the feathered hair that gave Farrah Fawcett a run for its hair dryer, Payne is also an actress and she briefly hosted her own TV talk show. Freda Payne is also the older sister of former Supremes singer Scherrie Payne. She is still singing and acting today and, according to Wikipedia, she is also a Dame of Malta.

Unhooked Generation (The Complete Invictus Recordings) was compiled and released in 2001.

Enjoy & Enjoy

Kerry Washington Covers ELLE Magazine

2010-10-20T00:00:00.000-04:00

The beautifully talented actress Kerry Washington covers ELLE magazine for the November Women in Hollywood themed issue. If you can manage to ignore the gigantic white box for subscription information (very distracting), you'll see a lovely toned-down, natural portrait photographed by Carter Smith. Ms. Washington has come quite a way from her introduction on movie screens across America as the jaded teenage mom/older sister in Save The Last Dance with Julia Stiles and Sean Patrick Thomas. The Women in Hollywood issue hits newsstands on October 20th.

Here's a photo of Ms. Washington gracing the red carpet at the Women in Hollywood tribute party held in, well, Hollywood, CA on October 18, 2010.

Willow Smith Whips It Real Hard

2010-10-19T08:14:00.000-04:00

Yes, it's only Tuesday but I'm pretty sure Willow Smith is already having the Best Week Ever. If you are unfamiliar with the name, Willow Smith would be Will and Jada Smith's 9-year-old daughter. She released her very first single "Whip My Hair" about one month ago and she's pretty much the new craze as far as kids music goes. She's even caught the attention of Jay-Z and signed a deal with his Roc Nation imprint. In fact, I'll admit here that I am one of the Willow fanatics; she is completely selling me with her alternative, edgy 9-year-old beat. Above is Willow's first video for "Whip My Hair" which she released yesterday and it's already at over 100,000 views. Please watch it. You'll fall in love. As a native from the Bay Area, I'm loving the elements of Hyphy used in her choreography. If you missed her on 106 & Park yesterday, check out a clip from her interview with Terrence J and Rocsi below.

I've been waiting for an excuse to post the mash up video of Willow Smith vs. Sesame Street "I Love My Hair" segment aptly titled "Whip My Hair" (Fraggle Roc Nation Remix) made by my friend @MecJagger. This video is beyond adorable and appropriately fitting since Willow Smith is 9-years-old after all.

She Wore A Lovely Bowtie

2010-10-19T01:18:00.025-04:00

Meet Emma. She's a freelance Graphic Designer who lives in Berkeley, CA with her Scientist boyfriend. When she isn't designing she's knitting these adorable bows. I've been talking about how much I'd love to start wearing bowties but also how my wardrobe doesn't currently consist of many bowtie friendly pieces. I think Emma has just given me the answer. Currently, Emma is sold out but I'm keeping a close eye on when her store is updated. All of her designs are must haves!

More photos after the jump.

You're Nobody Until You've Been Banned, Kanye

2010-10-18T00:00:00.001-04:00

Kanye West took to Twitter to express his sentiments in regards to Def Jam banning his proposed album cover for My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy which is slated for release this November. The artwork was done by George Condo, an artist Kanye West has been working with exclusively for this upcoming album. Kanye tweeted that the cover is a picture of him "chilling on the couch with [his] phoenix". What do you think of the piece?

While expressing his emotions over the banned album artwork in a series of tweets, he coincidentally tweeted what may be my favorite tweet ever:

"In all honesty ... I really don't be thinking about Wal-Mart when I make my music or album covers #Kanyeshrug!"

Yes!

Sunday Soul: D'Angelo

2010-10-17T13:33:00.000-04:00

This Sunday Soul is a true testament to me getting, well, old as this Sunday brings the debut album from D'Angelo, an artist who debuted in my lifetime. Brown Sugar was released in 1995 and with that release the world was slowly introduced to this new genre of music, neo-soul and the whole movement of bourgeoning artists it would bring. "Lady," the lead single from the album, earned a number 10 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 charts. This is an album that is still in heavy rotation today and one that can be played, uninterrupted, from start to finish. Other favorites are "Jonz in My Bonz", "Sh** Damn Motherf***er" and "Smooth".

D'Angelo's image has always been that of the everyday brother from around the way but for whatever reason, the man had (and possibly still has) an undeniable sex appeal. He completely capitalized on this for his "Untitled (How Does It Feel)" video from the Voodoo album but that's for another blog post. Enjoy!

Download

I Moustache You A Question

2010-10-16T14:54:00.000-04:00

This November, I plan on giving a little extra love to the man with a moustache in support of prostate cancer. The Movember movement was founded in 2003 in Melbourne, Australia and began as a simple challenge amongst friends to promote awareness about men's health in a similar way to women's effectiveness of promoting awareness about women's health. The following year, the Mo Bros. (as they refer to themselves) became a group of 432 men who were able to raise awareness and $55,000.00 for prostate cancer. To date, Movember has gone on to raise over $42 Million dollars for prostate cancer.

So, how can you be down? First, you have to commit to growing a moustache for a full thirty days. That means on November 1st you start completely clean shaven and keep growing until November 30th, never letting a razor anywhere near your upper lip. Second, you join a team/start a team or fundraise solo. Similar to marathon runners and/or walk supporters, Mo Bros. raise funds through collecting donations from family, friends and colleagues. As an added bonus, Mo Bros. encourage each other to create videos about their month-long experiment. The best videos are honored at the Moscars, an online awards show and submissions platform.

Ladies can also support the Movember movement by raising funds and supporting a local Movember team. Growing a moustache isn't exactly required to participate.

Funds raised in the United States benefit the Prostate Cancer Foundation and LiveSTRONG.

The True Size of Africa

2010-10-15T23:44:00.000-04:00

"In addition to the well known social issues of illiteracy and innumeracy, there also should be such a concept as "immappacy," meaning insufficient geographical knowledge.
A survey of random American schoolkids let them guess the population and land area of their country. Not entirely unexpected, but still rather unsettling, the majority chose "1-2 billion" and "largest in the world," respectively.
Even with Asian and European college students, geographical estimates were often off by factors of 2-3. This is partly due to the highly distored nature of the predominantly used mapping projections (such as Mercator).
A particularly extreme example is the worldwide misjudgment of the true size of Africa. This single image tries to embody the massive scale, which is larger than the USA, China, India, Japan, and all of Europe ... combined!"

Kai Krause helps give people and their geographical inaccuracies a reality check with the "True Size of Africa" map.

Cuddle Yourself This Winter

2010-10-14T12:00:00.000-04:00

Growing up, winter usually translated into a mildly cold yet very rainy season with the coldest weather being an average of 50º F. After spending some time down in the south, winter became colder, like 30ºF with the occasional bouts of snow, sleet, baseball sized hail, tornadoes and all other sorts of weather we never get to experience in the Bay Area. Now that I'm living in NYC, where the winters have things called snowstorms and issue freeze warnings, a coat like this would definitely come in handy.

This Raf Simons Heavyweight Velcro Parker is 67% cotton, 33% poliuretano and 100% guaranteed to keep your body warm through the harsh winter storms. Seen here in white, this piece is detailed with a Velcro adjustable collar and waist panels as well a Velcro fastening placket that covers the zip. This jacket is finished with deep hip pockets and a detachable, drawstring hood. Though it is a men's coat, I desperately need to find the women's equivalent.

Make Your Tweets Sing

2010-10-14T00:56:00.000-04:00

As if there wasn't any more time you could waste using Twitter, Orange has figured out a way to reel you in further with their Singing Tweetagrams. It's very simple. You tweet something, anything, and hashtag it with #singingtweetagrams and The Rockabellas will put it in song. Nice!

VIDEO: Erase Me

2010-10-13T15:32:00.000-04:00

Kid Cudi is not that awesome of an actor but I like the visuals here. "Erase Me" features Kanye West and is the lead single for Kid Cudi's sophomore album Man in the Moon II: The Legend of Mr. Rager which is due out November 9. The video also features McLovin.

Unrelated: why is it that I don't know McLovin's real name?

Shots! Shots! Shots!

2010-10-05T00:11:00.000-04:00

Don't get ready to say goodbye to warm nights just yet! These festive Strawberry Jell-O shooters are sure to give you one last hooray before the snow and winds casts a dreary, bitter cold over your nightlife. These would be perfect for homecoming tailgates, Halloween gatherings in the home or your next book club meeting. Who doesn't love a good margarita? Visit Naomi over at Bakers Royale for the complete how-to. Enjoy!

Sunday Soul: Average White Band

2010-10-03T11:39:00.000-04:00

The Average White Band (AWB) debuted in the early seventies and it's one of the classic "blue eyed soul" groups. The members actually hail from Scotland and most of them got their start in the R&B/Soul genre while backing American singers on tour overseas. Since their debut album, the group has been on the top of both the R&B and Pop Billboard charts. AWB has also been heavily sampled by the new-school/hip-hop generation. Some of the groups most notable samples include: Eric B. and Rakim's "Microphone Fiend", TLC's "Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg", and A Tribe Called Quest's "Check The Rhyme".

Soul Searching, however, is the band's first US Platinum selling album having debuted at #2 on the R&B charts and reaching #9 on the Pop charts. The biggest hit from this album is "Queen of My Soul". Soul Searching is also a personal favorite of mine because this album has "A Love of Your Own" on it which is only, in my opinion, one of the best R&B ballads ever.

Download

Outsourced: Just As Annoying On TV

2010-09-30T09:00:00.000-04:00

As a customer, there is nothing I despise more than when my customer service call has been routed to a "reliable and friendly staff person" or "associate"... on the other side of the world. In my experience there has always been a very distinct language barrier which has always resulted in an unpleasant customer service experience. When I first learned about the show "Outsourced", which appears on NBC, I was very skeptical. I figured, it would either be very funny or very annoying. It's the latter. And on top of being annoyed, when the show did have its funny moments I felt a little bit uncomfortable for laughing as the jokes seem to spawn from some sort of racism or prejudice.

Essentially, "Outsourced" is "The Office" or "Parks & Recreation" except instead of selling paper products or fixing parks, the characters in "Outsourced" are employed by an American novelty catalog company (something also annoying) and the office is a call center. NBC has found a winning formula and they do not plan on deviating from it any time soon. Arturo Garcia, correspondent at Racialicious, describes the show best in his opening sentence:

"Based on the pilot episode, Outsourced has the potential to be something rare: a show that’s pissing off people on both sides of an issue, but in reality is too bland for its’ own good."

Because I'm fair, I'm going to give NBC two more tries with this show. But so far it's already at a -1. Hang in there, NBC.

I Get Lobster Delivered From Maine When I'm Hungry

2010-09-29T18:00:00.000-04:00

So, you're a really great restaurant that specializes in procuring some of the finest lobster meals available in U.S. but the problem is, you are located in Maine. What do you do? You make like a smart American and outsource of course. Don't limit yourself to the confines of Maine, offer your meals up to the rest of the country via FedEx. For just $85 fine diners anywhere can enjoy Hancock Gourmet Lobster Company's Downeast Lobster Rolls (pictured above). Nom, nom, nom. Shipped fresh to your door from the coast of Maine, these traditional treats are made with big chunks of lobster claw and knuckle meat, enhanced by a little mayo and seasoning, all placed on a grilled split-top roll. Sure, ordering food from another state or even out of the country seems a bit ridiculous but when you have money, of course, none of this matters.

IDEO on The Future of the Book

2010-09-29T12:00:00.000-04:00

As an avid book lover and collector, I was never too thrilled at the idea of the e-reader. Amazon can keep their Kindle, Barnes & Noble's Nook is something I could do without and the iPad has me on the fence but only because I'm an Apple enthusiast. The reading experience is just one of many things in my life that I prefer to keep offline and out of the grasp of the digital hold. Turning pages, the smell of books, the cover art, the introductions we make based on what books we see people reading, the conversations with strangers that arise of reading books in public, the excitement of book clubs- these are all things that I thought digital books, or e-books rather, would change. However, IDEO presents a strong case for e-readers and the future of books in this video.

The Future of the Book. from IDEO on Vimeo.

Nelson is a genius idea and replaces my fear of e-books eradicating the book club. Though it may lead to the social 'in-real-life' function of books clubs, the knowledge and discussions shared through the platform may be more robust than any book club membership. And then Coupland comes along and pretty much serves as an excellent back-up choice for those who don't want as much information as Nelson provides but still prefers a healthy discourse on the book. Alice is a little less thrilling with the whole choose your own adventure bit but I could see the generation(s) that missed out on the great cult fiction that is Goosebumps really getting into it (enter sarcasm here). All in all, this IDEO presentation has opened my mind to the e-reader. Of course, it doesn't hurt that the demonstration was done using an iPad. #teamapple

Social Lying

2010-09-28T17:00:00.000-04:00

Meghan McCain, daughter of former Presidential candidate John McCain and author of Dirty Sexy Politics, was recently caught lying about her whereabouts through Twitter. Here's the skinny: she was scheduled to be at Juniata College as part of her book tour but opted for a vacay with her favorite "sinners" instead in Las Vegas. Insiders say she canceled her engagement at Juniata College three days before her scheduled appearance due to her "important professional to do list" that would keep her from making her scheduled appearance. Her Twitter feed, however, says otherwise.

Ha!

Everyday people lie about their whereabouts via Twitter all of the time. But the whereabouts everyday people usually lie about are usually false location tweets-- not everyone has fully accepted the whole check-in process- not blatant lies. Paris Hilton was recently arrested for drug possession. But her Twitter account said she was at home watching Family Guy during the time of her arrest. Many Paris supporters tried to prove that her tweet was a viable alibi. I'm glad those supporters aren't justices in the court of law.

Quote of the day: "Vegas is a religion. Casino is my church." -Meghan McCain

Read more about McCain's Twitter dilemma here.

Good Things In Stores Today!

2010-09-28T11:00:00.000-04:00

subCentric //Aloe Blacc Pt. 1 from Centric TV on Vimeo.

Aloe Blacc is an amazing musician. From his singing to his production, he provides a very different sound that isn't exactly retro yet isn't exactly too futuristic at the same time. Two weeks ago, I attended his album release party here in New York City which was held at the CV/Rivington Hotel. From there, I could tell he has a very wide array of fans. From hip-hop enthusiasts such as DJ Evil Dee and Tahir to the writers at Wax Poetics and even the Underground King himself, rapper Bun B. Though he's been active within the industry for awhile, Aloe Blacc's career received a major boost when his single "I Need A Dollar" was chosen to be the theme song for HBO's hit series "How To Make It In America".

Visit Aloe Blacc online for purchases and more information.

Accessories for Cyclists

2010-09-27T11:00:00.000-04:00

Though I'm sure as the winter progresses, we'll be seeing a lot less cyclists on the streets but this is neat nonetheless. First up, this SEIL bag concept by Lee Myung Su Design Lab. Essentially, it's a backpack that can be worn by cyclists to display short messages or emoticons to drivers and cyclists behind them. As I currently don't see many cyclists using their arm signals, I could see this preventing many accidents in NYC or any other major metropolitan area for that matter. See more in the video below.

SEIL bag by Lee Myung Su design lab from Ben on Vimeo.

It can be said that this whole green movement (excellent PR move to whomever coined this term and started this movement, by the way) inspired a new generation of cyclists along the way. Now, these same cyclists can get greener with Bamboocycle. If the name didn't quite clue you in, it's a bicycle made primarily from bamboo. Other components include alloy, stainless steel and aluminum. The Bamboocycle is made in Veracruz, Mexico.

From the website:

The Bamboocycle UH-02 is an urban cycle created with a sustainable and responsible design vision. UH-02 is simple, light (8.8kg) and stylish. It is designed for your daily commute to work, an adventure through the city or leisure riding on the weekends. It is designed to look and feel fresh in the urban visual culture and it comes in many different colors and styles to match your personality.

Street Etiquette Presents: The Black Ivy

2010-09-26T15:48:00.000-04:00

The Black Ivy is an editorial which features the debonair styles of Unabashedly Prep and The Brooklyn Circus. This editorial was inspired by the historical black colleges and universities across the US and the students who attend them. A fellow Clark Atlanta University alumnus, Kofi Dawson, is featured here along with new friend Jesse Boykins III. This editorial has been a smash among the interwebs, even being picked up by hypebeats.com and GQ.com! Congratulations to the gentlemen of Street Etiquette!

The Black Ivy from Street Etiquette on Vimeo.

From the website:

When Josh and I first started thinking about this concept, we saw it as the perfect opportunity to intertwine style, character, education and art with a culture that we are not only familiar with, but actually a big part of. The Black Ivy serves as a tribute to the first black colleges that paved the way for our generation and created a common ground for hardworking, likeminded individuals. What the original Black Ivy league did for folks many years ago is what we strive to do today with individuals that inspire, motivate and spark the creativity of beings around them.

View the slideshow at Street Etiquette!

Sunday Soul: The Pharaohs

2010-09-26T13:26:00.000-04:00

Growing up, Sundays were spent praising and cleaning. And unlike most households, our household always had a soul soundtrack on Sundays. Each week, I will extend a piece of soul (or funk/old-school/r&b/Motown golden era/quiet storm classics) to you. Enjoy these sweet, smooth sounds as you clean up or host brunch at your place.

The Pharaohs is one of those very rare soul bands that formed in Chicago during the 60s. A band so rare it is almost impossible to find their records out now and if you do find one, it's probably worth a pretty penny. This is a band that I only know about because they were label mates of my mother's on Luv 'N Haight Records (which was bought out by Ubiquity). Their sound was heavily influenced by Sun-Ra and James Brown in which it has a very raw ethnic groove centered around the funk. "Damballa" is my favorite track from this album and I've had that single for a while but have literally been searching for years to obtain a copy of the album in its entirety. Other favorites are "Igbo" and their cover of "Tracks of My Tears".

Maurice White was a member of The Pharaohs before joining the Ramsey Lewis Trio and eventually forming what we (youngin's) know today as Earth Wind and Fire. According to Wikipedia, much of their music was used in Afro-Sheen commercials. But, you know, that's Wikipedia so... Anyway, enjoy!

Download

Spread Love: 9/23/2010

2010-09-23T11:55:00.000-04:00

A collection of conversations gathered from around the web.

"They have 5 ‘suggested results’ as a maximum for a reason (in the previous version they were 10), and we suspect it has to do with psychological principles. Also, they have done their best to reduce every possible effort the searcher takes in order to get what he’s looking for." An interesting look at Google Instant as it relates to behavioral psychology has been presented by TheSocialTimes.com.
However, in other Google news it seems the search engine has come under fire with the Texas attorney general under the assumption of "any human interference in Google’s machine generated search results violates the principle of 'search neutrality'".
"The first bridal magazine tailored to the bride who craves culture and style. This is a niche magazine with a worldwide audience. The target market are women of color between the ages of 22-37 in the US and abroad." I encourage you to take a look at Munaluchi Bridal for wedding inspiration.
Have a band? Want to check up on your competitors? Well then you may want to check out TourIntel or, more specifically, check out Marcus Taylor's review of the service.
"It wasn't that long ago that a celebrity with something "important" to put out there, like an apology, would automatically say it through a tightly controlled protocol, like a set of engineered sound bites delivered via a well-staged interview. Now 140 characters or fewer suffices."- Simon Dumenco

Sunday Soul: Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings

2010-09-19T17:34:00.000-04:00

Franz Ferdinand Delivers

2010-09-16T12:57:00.000-04:00

This is part of a special, limited edition music pack for Franz Ferdinand. It contains the CD, liner notes, 3D postcards, 3D glasses so you can "see" the postcards, t-shirt and lyrics. All of this comes in a package designed as a mailbox. Clever! This was designed by Hugo Silva.

See more photos here.

Hire Him!

2010-09-15T11:31:00.000-04:00

Last year in the Bay Area, sending in videos along with your résumé introducing yourself to a potential employer were just starting to get popular. However, Graeme Anthony's CVIV (Curriculum Vitae Interactive Video) may have inadvertently set a precedent for many PR professionals on the job hunt. This video actually helps push along the interview process as he is already providing some answers to questions any potential employer may have. Brilliant! If you've got a job opening up, I'd say he's your man.

Sunday Soul: Betty Davis

2010-09-12T14:04:00.000-04:00

Growing up, Sundays were spent praising and cleaning. And unlike most households, our household always had a soul soundtrack on Sundays. Each week, I will extend a piece of soul (or funk/old-school/r&b/Motown golden era/quiet storm classics) to you. Enjoy these sweet, smooth sounds as you clean up or host brunch at your place.

Betty Davis is one bad mama. She was muse (and second wife) to Miles Davis, chums with Sly Stone and Jimi Hendrix, and also a model who appeared in the pages of Seventeen, Glamour and Ebony. After her marriage to Miles dissolved, Betty spent some time in London to further pursue her modeling career. She wrote songs while she was away and by the time she returned to the U.S., she was set on going to Los Angeles to record with Santana on her debut album.

However, upon arriving in Los Angeles, Betty Davis recruited some of the freshest funk musicians the West Coast had to offer--including Neal Schon of Santana and Larry Graham of Graham Central Station and Sly and the Family Stone. In 1973, Betty Davis released her self-titled debut album on Just Sunshine records; which was an unique blend of funk, soul and rock genres. All lyrics were written by Betty Davis herself. At the time of this album's release, her music was deemed to suggestive for radio and, despite her fame and performance to enthusiastic crowds, was not received to well by critics or mainstream America. The most popular track from this album is "Anti Love Song".

Download

The ArchAndroid Does Fashion's Night Out

2010-09-11T23:55:00.000-04:00

Janelle Monáe in Ralph Lauren for her performance in his SoHo store for Fashion's Night Out 2010

Janelle + Kellindo during the performance

Janelle + T.Brown on the keys

Andre Leon Talley and Janelle Monáe

Janelle Monáe performed at the Ralph Lauren store in SoHo for Fashion's Night Out in New York City last night. She gave an absolutely breathtaking performance and looked amazing while doing so. Andre Leon Talley, Anna Wintour, Jessica Alba and Halle Berry were a few of the star-studded guests in attendance. See video footage of last night's event on the Ralph Lauren Facebook page.

Online Geo-Location Goes Offline

2010-09-09T16:04:00.000-04:00

Are your friends prone to getting lost? Are you in a long-distance relationship? Check out MapEnvelope.

MapEnvelope allows you to create custom envelopes around specific locations that can be found using Google Maps. Use the envelope to send your event invitations in or perhaps a love letter to your significant other (with a map to your heart). Through the MapEnvelope service, you can enter in a location and a special custom message for the receiver. For the DIY brides out there with a tech-geek husband-to-be, this may be a really cute way to send out your wedding invitations.

[via PSFK]

Booty Like Beckham

2010-09-09T15:45:00.000-04:00

Victoria Beckham is all about style and grace. She's a natural at this style thing and she has been turning heads since her days as Posh Spice. She even keeps her family--husband David Beckham and adorable children Brooklyn, Romeo and Cruz- stylish when trying to avoid the paparazzi. In the recent years she's been noted as an international style icon and has even collaborated with premium denim brand Rock & Republic, Japanese retailer Samantha Thavasa and has already been co-signed by fashion's Queen Bee, Anna Wintour. Posh Spice took to Twitter to announce the debut of Victoria Beckham Denim's Autumn/Winter 2010 collection with a link to the promo video seen above.

These are now must haves. See more photos after the jump.

More photos and information at BLCKDMNDS and Victoria Beckham.

Fidel Castro: Not Dead & Blogging

2010-09-07T12:52:00.000-04:00

Apparently, the former leader of Cuba can haz internetz, loves blogging and all things Wiki. This proves we all share something in common with Fidel Castro. Don't believe me? Well take a look at the brief synopsis below from the LA Times.

Fidel Castro is back from the dead (his words) and has been reincarnated as an Internet junkie. Not only is he a prolific blogger on Cuba's online Granma newspaper but, it turns out, the 84-year-old greybeard consumes 200 to 300 news items a day on the Web and is fascinated by the WikiLeaks site, with its trove of 90,000 formerly secret U.S. documents on military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The "resuscitated" revolutionary is smaller and shakier than he was before the intestinal illness that prompted him to hand power to his younger brother in 2006, but no less verbose. He spoke with the editor of the Mexican newspaper La Jornada for five hours, during which he raved about the profound impact of the Web. "Do you know what this means, comrade?" he asked, like some sort of Rip Van Winkle waking up in the 21st century. The Internet, he said, "has put an end to secrets.... We are seeing a high level of investigative journalism, as the New York Times calls it, that is within reach of the whole world."

Sure, someone should take a few moments to point out the frequency of invalidity found on Wikipedia but I suppose his people will get around to that eventually. I wonder if he has set up a Google Alert for his name, if he is on Facebook, what his favorite music blogs are and, of course, is he is into tweeting.

Sunday Soul: The New Birth

2010-09-05T16:58:00.000-04:00

It's Been A Long Time- The New Birth (1974)

Office Adventure

2010-09-02T23:01:00.000-04:00

The office space of Selgas Cano is located in the middle of the forrest. Oh, the inspiration.

[Thanks Ciel Blu for this find!]

Visual Inspiration: MGMT & Cee-Lo

2010-09-01T12:20:00.000-04:00

Some inspiring visuals from inspiring musicians.

First up, the official video for Cee-Lo's virally popular "Fuck You". When the song was released on August 19th via a very popular typography-filled YouTube video, it was an instant hit. Now, here's the official version (with people) inspired by 1950s diners and rejected childhood/teenage love.

MGMT's latest video for "Congratulations" takes place in the desert outside of Las Vegas and co-stars an interesting looking creature that may/may not have been in an episode of Star Wars. Maybe.

Cut From A Different Cloth

2010-08-31T13:05:00.000-04:00

Woven mohawks--er- faux hawks

Now, here's a hairstyle that can really turn heads. These mohawks are created with various woven pieces (probably scarves), giving the tried and true mohawk a sense of elegance. This woven hair style is reminiscent of the Mexican braided styles of the past usually worn by Folklorico dancers today. This look is very forward and posh yet allows for you to still be the right amount of rebel. Nice! Check out more of Isabela Capeto and her Winter 2010 collection for the full looks on her website.

Once you've ogled over her line, check out CLOTH and their amazing textile bangles and scarves. From their website:

CLOTH arose to confront a lack of understanding among cultural groups in the United States and to successfully align fashion, social change and sustainability. Produced in the USA by displaced women from all over the world, your hood included, means no outsourcing or exploitation. This collaboration results in fresh designs for the visionaries of the world, the ones who make statements in everything they do, say, and wear.

CLOTH: Fashionable, sustainable and giving back!

Link love to FLY for the original posts.

Lies Disney Told Us

2010-08-31T12:29:00.000-04:00

Every little girl has come across a Disney princess at one point in her life. Whether that little girl knew she was being fed subliminal messages about (skewed perceptions of) womanhood or not is not a concern so long as the little girl desired to be that same princess for Halloween later in the year. Well, Second City breaks it all down for us in their "Advice For Young Girls From A Cartoon Princess" series. If only I knew this as a child. Check out the advice from Beauty and the Beast's Belle after the jump.

UK Passport Gets An Upgrade

2010-08-29T14:12:00.000-04:00

The 2010 UK Passport: Every citizen is now a hipster

International travelers from the United Kingdom now have new stylish passports as they jetset across the world. Beginning this October, the new 10-year passport will replace the current ePassport, which holds a special electronic chip with the holder's information, and will also comply with the United States visa waiver program. The new passport pages have a high focus on design central to landmarks and scenery found in the United Kingdom as well as a host of new security features.

New security features include:

Moving the chip which stores the holder’s details to the inside of the passport cover where it will no longer be visible.
A secondary image of the passport holder printed onto the observations page
A new transparent covering which includes several holograms to protect the holder’s personal details

The background page designs look a bit hipster, like artwork you'd expect to find within MGMT liner notes, but it is good design nonetheless. Check out some more photos of the new passport design after the jump.

For more information on the new UK Passport visit: Home Office. Also keep an eye on the Home Office's Flickr for more photos to surface.

Smart Money: The Dollar Re-De$ign Project

2010-08-29T13:15:00.000-04:00

Could this be the new line-up of U.S. currency?

United States currency hasn't changed much since 1929. It was that year that the $1, $5, $10, $20, $50, and $100 bills became the standard forms of currency in banks and wallets across America. Sure, we saw slight changes to the green paper money throughout the years but those changes were made simply to secure the currency from counterfeits. With the European continent adoption of a modern, universal dollar across all countries and recent economic hurdles the American economy has been through it seems that our dollars could use a little touch up.

That's where the Dollar ReDe$ign Project comes in. The Dollar ReDe$ign Project hopes to bring about change for everyone. It seeks to rebrand the US Dollar, rebuild financial confidence and revive our failing economy. The DRP is an online free contest open to designers all over the world. Currently, the leader in the competition is Dowling Duncan--a graphic design studio with offices in San Francisco, CA and the United Kingdom. In their version of the new American currency, current US President Barack Obama is featured on the $1 dollar bill.

In addition to the cold, hard cash for all your spending pleasures, these new bills also provide both the consumer and the receiver a little American history lesson. You may notice that all of these dollar bills are vertical instead of the current horizontal format. According to Dowling Duncan, people tend to handle and deal with money vertically rather than horizontally. You tend to hold a wallet or purse vertically when searching for notes. The majority of people hand over notes vertically when making purchases. All machines accept notes vertically. Therefore a vertical note makes more sense.

$1- The first African-American President

$5- The five largest Native-American tribes

$10- The Bill of Rights: the first 10 amendments to the U.S. Consitution

$20- 20th Century America

$50- The 50 States of America

$100 – The first 100 days of President Franklin Roosevelt. During this time he led the congress to pass more important legislations than most presidents pass in their entire term. This helped fight the economic crises at the time of the great depression. Ever since, every new president has been judged on how well they have done during the first 100 days of their term.

The Dowling Duncan dollars are just a concept but we're hoping someone over at the United States Treasury is taking notes.

Rappers Judged By Word Count Too

2010-08-28T21:52:00.000-04:00

Rakim's "Microphone Fiend" ranks highest (so far as we can see)

If you thought rap was a world of bravado, infectiously catchy hooks, clever rhymes and questionable "lyrics" (see Soulja Boy & Lil' B), think again because Hip-Hop Word Count may or may not prove you wrong. The Hip-Hop Word Count is a searchable ethnographic database built from the lyrics of over 40,000 Hip-Hop songs from 1979 to present day. Songs are dissected for what they are at their essence: words. Words are then judged on a scale of 0 (illiterate) to 20 (post-graduate degree).

While there has yet to be a perfect score of 20 on a song yet (made public at least), there's a range of scores between 7 and 16 from artists like Tupac, Jay-Z, 50 Cent and Da Brat amongst others. Currently there are over 40,000 songs in the HHWC database and the data is all currently available to the masses via private Beta. Searches are conducted using Apache's Lucene.

Tahir, Founder of Hip-Hop Word Count (taken from PSFK)

From the website:

The Hip-Hop Word Count describes the technical details of most of your favorite hip-hop songs. This data can then be used to not only figure out interesting stats about the songs themselves, but also describe the culture behind the music.
How can analyzing lyrics teach us about our culture?
The Hip-Hop Word Count locks in a time and geographic location for every metaphor, simile, cultural reference, phrase, rhyme style, meme and socio-political idea used in the corpus of Hip-Hop.
The Hip-Hop Word Count then converts this data into explorable visualisations which help us to comprehend this vast set of cultural data.

The Hip-Hop Word Count is a project of Tahir Hemphill of Staple Crops, a creative enterprise based in Brooklyn, NY.

EMMY Scriptwriters & Jimmy Fallon Let Tweets Run The Show

2010-08-28T21:00:00.001-04:00

This year's EMMYs will rock... Twitter!

Television award show attendees and watchers will truly be in for a surprise at this year's EMMY Awards. Why? Because the producers along with this year's host, Jimmy Fallon, have turned to the popular social networking tool, Twitter, to come up with one-liners for the show. Specifically, the show seeks funny lines to introduce the award show's 38 presenters which includes Tina Fey, Betty White, LL Cool J and Tom Selleck to name a few. If you're interested in lending your wit in 140 characters or less to the EMMY's and Jimmy Fallon, all you need to do is simply visit the official website for the EMMYs and tweet your heart out about any of the presenters you choose. Alternatively, you can @JimmyFallon on Twitter and hashtag with #imonthemmys. What fun!

Jimmy Fallon doesn't disappoint as a comedian too much so hopefully it turns out that he just uses one to two of the suggested lines; wouldn't want this to turn out to be yet another corny awards show.

The 62nd Primetime EMMY Awards will be broadcast live this Sunday, August 29, 2010 at 8PM ET/5PM PT on NBC.

Tweet Your Art Out

2010-08-28T16:33:00.000-04:00

One day, a blue bird simply came along on the internet and tweeted something witty. Since then people have not been able to escape the bird or it's 140 character limitations on everyday conversations. Naturally, it would only be a matter of time before an artists out there decided to make the bird her own. Meet, Kiersten Essenpries, an illustrator who makes amazing illustrations from tweets.

Comedy: now served in 140 strokes or less.

The site is called Twaggies and there is where you can find more of her interesting takes on tweets. You can keep up with all of the shenanigans via Twitter (of course) by following @twaggies. And if you really, really like the art work (or the wit) you can purchase a Tweetshirt! See more photos after the jump.

Finally, Now We Can Sleep Through Those Pesky Earthquakes!

2010-08-28T15:43:00.000-04:00

Earthquake-proof bed: saves your life only slightly longer than everyone else's

As a native Californian, I'm all too familiar with the earthquakes. It's a touchy force of nature with us. A shake here, a rumble there and even a really strong gust of wind gets us a little jumpy. The fear of "the big one" is always lurking somewhere in the back of our minds so you can imagine the excitement Californian's simply won't be able to contain when they discover they can purchase an earthquake-proof bed. Never mind the looming dangers and disaster an earthquake causes and forget about your house collapsing with you inside of it. All of this can wait until you wake up. And, just in case your house does collapse on top of you, the bed’s thick frame can support a roof and the extra space inside its thick boards can store essentials like canned goods and life sustaining water.

The earthquake-proof bed was designed by retired 66-year-old Wang Wenxi. Wenxi designed the beds in hopes to help people survive several days before being rescued. "I experienced the Xingtai and Tangshan earthquakes giving me more understanding of such natural disasters," the retired 66-year-old said.

Remember folks, when it comes to your bedroom only you can create the earthquakes. Stay classy!