mistermcneilo

BLOMMIT.COM

2009-04-07T06:23:00.000-07:00

BLOMMIT.

A weekly cultural entertainment experiment in which seven people respond to a single topic.

Check 'em out. People vote from several topics for next week's topic and then all seven of 'em do a post of whatever they want related to the topic. With topics like Napkins, Body Odor, Vanity Plates, and Child Birth ... well, you can see the potential there. It get's funny. As far as I know, all seven of them are Brandcenter students as well. One of em, Jordan Childs, was my adLab teacher. I'm actually jealous cause I wish my friends and I would've come up with a blog idea like this.

BLOMMIT

Mommy Lopez

2009-04-03T12:11:00.000-07:00

Remember this video of my mom dancing?

Finally put it back online. Originally, I had it up for this viral video contest off filmfights.com and it won. And then a couple weeks later I heard it ended up on College Humor. My mom still doesn't know it's ever been online. So uh... don't snitch.

Mom's Music Video from Neil Lopez on Vimeo.

DUMSKEME Spring '09

2009-03-23T21:42:00.000-07:00

Check it out.

Some of the guys behind Illusive Media in VA Beach, have recently launched their new clothing label Dumskeme, along with a Spring '09 Lookbook. I interned with Illusive Media a couple summers ago and they are fun guys and they know their stuff. Expect
clean, on-point designs and clever ideas. They're fresh out the womb and already have a HUGE spring collection. Shomi informed me that they're not even done with photo shoots for the current lookbook. They even have photo tees printed, which I feel need to be put on billboards. People need to see babies smoking cigs on I-64.

Check the lookbook here. And here's a behind the scenes video montage of the lookbook shoot via the Dumskeme website.

Dumskeme 2009 Spring Lookbook Photoshoot from Dumskeme on Vimeo.

A.R.E. Weapons - "F What You Like" Directed by Austin Peters

2009-03-18T14:17:00.000-07:00

Found off Heron Preston's blog. Pretty tight song/video by NY band A.R.E. Weapons. I really like the video by Austin Peters. He's an up and coming director, I think right about my age, studying at NYU and featured in Heron Preston's The Young And The Banging NYC "yearbook" yes, this is basically a re-post but shit was dope. i liked the video a lot. kinda gritty and raw feeling to it. nice lighting and nice color tones. I'll be on the look out

A.R.E. Weapons "F What You Like" from THE FEAR on Vimeo.

Pervin' at the BNP Paribas Open

2009-03-18T00:26:00.000-07:00

Told you I was gonna do a post on hot women's tennis players. Often people associate hot women's tennis player with Anna Kournikova and Maria Sharapova and that's it. But there's way more to it and a lotta unknowns out there to the general public. I happen to think Maria Sharapova is overrated. But that's me. Bottom line is: women tennis players are fit. Oh, and Anna Kournikova didn't suck at tennis, she was actually really good. You have to be when you go pro.

I took these (other than the obvious ones) during my trip to Cali for spring break at the BNP Paribas Open in Palm Springs. Click to enlarge.

Ana Ivanovic

Dominika Cibulkova

(she's my favorite. 5"3, slovakian, u should hear her talk. i imagine it's what slovakian angels would sound like)

Jelena Jankovic.

The ultimate butter face.

Maria Kirilenko

(close second. prolly the prettiest on the tour. this is her SI shoot. what a smile)

Sorana Cirstea.

(Romanian dime piece)

Nicole Vaidisova

(she got Reebok pumps on her tennis shoes, that makes her cooler)

As you can see, I wasn't too concerned with straight face shots. I did think twice about doing this post but then I was like eh whatever. Don't judge me. Think of it as I'm just doing the WTA Tour and some of it's lesser known players a promotional service. Oh, and just so you know all these girls are currently or have recently been in the Top 40, which is damn impressive. Not just good lookin, they got skillz too.

There are a lot more but then the WTA Tour's gonna have to start payin me.

Konichiwa Schwartza

2009-03-16T14:26:00.000-07:00

I was hearin bout this all over the radio today... apparently the famous Jewish-American comedian Jackie Mason has called President Obama a "schwartza" in one of his standup acts. You might know Jackie Mason from Caddy Shack 2, History of the World, and The Jerk. People are freakin out cause some think the term is the Jewish word for "nigger" Others say it's a literal Yiddish translation for "black" Here's some words of defense from Mason himself, from the TMZ article...

We spoke with Mason by phone a few minutes ago, and he was outraged at the criticism, saying, "I'm not going to defend myself. Chris Rock has told a lot more jokes about whites than I have against Blacks. What about the demeaning words Blacks say about Jews?"

Mason added, "If it's a racist society, the white people are the ones being persecuted because they have to defend themselves." Mason called people like Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson "professional racists."

Mason added, "I'm an old Jew. I was raised in a Jewish family where 'schwartza' was used. It's not a demeaning word and I'm not going to defend myself."

I don't know about the whole 'professional racist' thing but Mason does kinda have a point. I'm not outright defending the guy, but the literal Yiddish translation for black could be schwartza, and we call black people black people every day. In fact, I think it's more awkwardly tense to refer to black people as African-Americans all the time. There's too many syllables in the term and it makes someone seem like they are trying too hard to be politically correct. If schwartza does carry around the stigma of the word nigger in the Jewish community than that's another story. Cause it's not like Mason and Obama are pals and even if they were, you can't be talkin bout our President like that.

Today at the bank, I walked in and these black dudes were making 'pots and pans down a stair way' noises, laughing, and saying konichiwa to me. This has been happening to me ever since I stepped foot on my first school bus in kindergarten. I remember the ching-chang-chongs vividly, and I suspect many Asians would relate. Now I can take a joke, even a racial one. But I don't really like to tolerate it from people I'm not cool with. I take more offense from that sorta thing. BUT you don't really hear about these kinda racial jokes/slurs in the news or at the proverbial water-cooler. However, when a black person gets a hint of racism, whether it be in a humorous manner or not, shit can hit the fan. Let's be real. I mean, we all know like some sort of unspoken law that the n-word is dangerously off limits, unless you wanna get your ass beat. (But you know college fratbros prolly say it in the private comfort of their bp tables) As a minority, I feel that black people are totally entitled to taking offense to what they deem racist. Anyone is for that matter. BUT I feel that some black people can be a liiiiittttttlllle over sensitive with this kinda stuff. Especially when you consider the point Jackie Mason about Chris Rock and other black comedians. I'm a man of comedy and I watch my fair share of standup and yes, white people do get it pretty rough from black comedians. I feel sorry for 'em sometimes. The white man has lost his cool in part of this. The stigma of that unrhythmic, awkwardly two steppin timid
nerd is forever stained in our heads. And yet, one schwartza from an 'ol Jewish comedian and the gossip blogs are set ablaze.

But like I said, racism can't be tolerated and black people are entitled to their right to take offense. But damn, ease up on it. I get it from you guys all the time. Yes, I said you guys. And I get borderline racist remarks from other people all the time too. All I'm saying is we all get shit said to us, so if we want we should all be allowed to exercise the right to racial over-sensitivity !

Scanwiches

2009-03-16T10:17:00.000-07:00

I think if you know me, you know I love a good sandwich. There's nothin better in my book. That being said, I appreciate this site I found off The Blaaahg that prolly found it from Jeff Staple's blog.

Scanwiches

They scan sandwiches. Scanwiches. Get it?

Aw Inspired

2009-02-25T21:13:00.000-08:00

Get the title? Well you might after I show you these ads I saw in my roommates One Show book (2000). Came across 'em and I lol'ed. I wasn't LMAO or ROFL'ing but I had a good, decent laugh.

The campaign was based in Singapore I believe and for the Toyota Corolla. Sorry, for the quality of the pics but it's good enough to see the image. The copy on all three reads, "Corolla, for overprotective parents."

(click to enlarge)

Yeah I know, the first ones the best. But they are all so damn cute right? And it's brilliant (and prolly necessary since it's based in Singapore) that they are all asian kids. Not sayin asian kids are hands down cuter, but I feel it'd be a lot different if these were freckled, white kids. Aw, indeed. See, these are the kinda ads I like. There is no screaming benefit over bearing my attention, no feature barking numbers and unfamiliar car jargon at me, no safety awards being bragged about like I care. I wouldn't go as far as to say I trust the Corolla as one of the safest cars but because of their humor, I'm more inclined to take a more thorough take on the vehicle. What sells me the most about the product or company with ads like this, is that I can tell that whoever is in charge over on that side is confident in their product and has the character, sense of humor, and intelligence to approach their advertising like this. So, I feel like I am dealing with a brand stocked with people that are well cultured, smart, modern, outside-the-box, and seeking to be at the forefront of things. For me, this makes it more personal, and ultimately more effective, because it reaches a level beyond seller/buyer. And of course, what made these print ads win Gold (top honor) in multiple categories, is that they also executed them exceptionally well, perfectly on par with the creative level of the idea behind them. They created pretty much iconic images. And by iconic, I mean it'll be in your head at least for the day.

Basically I am saying that if you think about it, its rarely ever a stand out feature of a product that sells or makes the ad successful. It's the thinking process that the brand chooses to represent themselves, executed through the ad, that is attractive. That's my IMO.

I don't blog anymore

2009-02-22T22:13:00.000-08:00

and it fuckin sucks.

I partially blame Twitter. I partially blame how busy I've been lately with pickin up another internship and a job at Movieland. but then my mind takes its full circle ride and than I jus realize i need to blame bein lazy. and that's on me. So, I figure ima take baby steps. Baby steps are better than no steps. That's what ima tell my future kids.

But as long as I've mentioned it... fuck Twitter. nah j/p but tweeting ideas is so much more easier than posting a blog. Tweeting to blogging is like lyposuction to Rockyesque training. it's the easy way out in expression. but on the real, i don't mean 'fuck Twitter'. It has it's definite advantages in the social networking scheme, especially for businesses focused on advertising and marketing. RVA mag, who I'm interning for now really understand this concept and are making moves in asserting themselves in that business. It's a bit creepy concept Twitter, I know. Letting people know what you are doing at all times and vice versa with the people you 'follow'... Yeah and our parents thought MySpace was dangerous.

Well when it comes down to it you jus gotta loath growing old and shake your head and say "oh, what a crazy world we live in"

But I've digressed...And I plan on NOT proof reading this blog post in worry that I'll read thru and decide to not publish cause it's lame & disorganized and I'll fall deeper into this rut and become a once a three month blogger. so, uh like I said...baby steps.

Cadbury. You know, the chocolate eggs?

2009-01-25T22:15:00.001-08:00

first of all, don't you hate prolonged lazy ruts that your favorite blogs or you and your own blog get into. me too. btw, Happy New Year, Happy MLK Jr. day, and Happy Inauguration Day.

Soo, this is a repost from the Dumskeme blog. But I had to do it cause the video made me laugh. First there was the Phil Collins gorilla drummer and then we had a airport vehicles version of Nascar. Now we have the Eyebrow Dance w/ two talented kids. Oh yeah, they are advertising chocolate eggs filled with creme. Maybe you see something there I don't. but WHATEVER. these ads are funny and make me feel good. Maybe Cadbury eggs somehow do the same? Iunno but keep that shit comin.

Cadbury - Eyebrow Dance from Kobe Derie on Vimeo.

Seein this ad prompted me to check out the Cadbury website which is called GLASS and a HALF FULL PRODUCTIONS. That's a good 15-20 minute time waster if your DTF. Lots of lil tid bits to look out and good interactive fun.

well Cadbury, ya welcome for the plug. send some eggs over to the Brothel.

IMA BE REAL W/ Y'ALL

2008-12-21T09:36:00.000-08:00

this is NC-17 stuff.

i recently found this never-before released photo from my old camera of the back of my head the day I got home from surgery. In all it's swollen, stitched-up, horror-flick beauty... Enjoy but don't vomit.

Jamaica pics soon..

Bill Cosby at Siegel

2008-12-09T18:21:00.001-08:00

I had the pleasure of having an evening with Bill Cosby this past Friday night on behalf of VCU's 40th Anniversary. Two hours of straight laughs, inspiration, and awe. No one on the corner have swagger like Bill! Sorry, I couldn't resist. But it's true! This guy is the best impromptu speaker and story teller I've had the opportunity of hearing. He's also got this thing about just his voice that a lot of really natural and genuinely funny people possess. It is easily recognizeable, you are immediately captivated, and just single words in isolation can crack you up. Same thing on the facial expressions. He's got the whole perturbed, in-thought, crazy yet wise old person type aura and his facial expressions match it up perfectly. True genius and at 71 he hasn't lost a touch of it at all.

lookin old right here Bill

I think if you've ever seen an episode of the Cosby Show you know this face. it's awesome.

check my friend's post here for more pictures and some quotes and jokes from the speech.

On another note, I leave for Jamaica in a couple of hours for my sisters wedding... I know you're jealous. It's cool. I will take many photos for you and I will eat some real Jamaican jerk chicken from a street vendor in your honor.

The Eatery Campaign

2008-12-06T16:29:00.000-08:00

Had a mock campaign final for Ad lab class. Here's my shtuff. I did a campaign for The Eatery, home of the two piece, prolly my favorite restaurant in Richmond. It's aimed NOT at potentially new customers but rather strengthening the local loyalty & morale by embracing all things uniquely The Eatery, towards a local legend/landmark type status.

You're gonna have to read the creative brief to understand some of the ads. So I suggest doing that...

Who are we talking to?

We are talking to the people who know all our secrets. Who we see 6PM every day when work lets out and we just made our fresh batch of sweet tea. To the people who don’t mind that that sweet tea is in a questionably sanitary pickle jar. Our locals, our regulars. Scratch that…our BELOVED locals, our ENDEARED regulars. This is for the customers who love us for us who we are. And I mean LOVE us.

What is the thing we want to tell them?

People who live in Virginia know that Richmond is the closest thing to a real city they have. There are people who say Richmond has the potential to become the new Brooklyn. Both are right. With the Brandcenter, one of the top art schools in the country, an equally prestigious medical school, a thriving art community, and a culture founded out of the tradition of the South; Richmond is on a level of its own. There is definite logic in its potential to draw intellectuals, artists, and creatives to the area. Plus, with the economy, gentrification of Brooklyn, and increasing globalization; this idea becomes more realistic. But with this advent of a creative community will come eventual gentrification, just like what is happening in Brooklyn and the Lower East Side in the past. Tourists will flock, admirers will move in, and the local identity will be muddled. Most restaurants are fine conforming, making things pretty, raising prices, fancy pants-ing things, commercializing for the dollar. Sort of like a low self-esteemed sell-out slut. Probably a blonde. We are gonna do it through our personality. Like the girl you marry. Like the women that becomes legend out of love. Shakespeare worthy type stuff. We’re out to build local loyalty and morale. The Eatery is Richmond and we’re out to become a Richmond landmark. (literally wold be great but I mean more figuratively in your heads) And we’re gonna do it from within.

What reasons support our position to the larger audience?

Our sweet tea and two-piece fried rice is legend.

It is rumor that we employ specialists from Miller and Budweiser because our food does wonders for hangovers.

Eating here is not a meal. It’s an experience.

We don’t regulate the weirdo’s because the weirdo’s are like tableside pianists for your meal. They are entertainment and character to the spot. Richmond people watching at its best.

We have no big chain aspirations. We keep it raw, real, and just plain good.

What do we want them to do?

Stay loyal.

Be canvassers for our ongoing grassroots campaign to be a Richmond landmark.

Create a reserved parking spot in your brains called “The Eatery” where all our favorite qualities are retained and held as standards to any other hole in the wall type spot.

What media are involved?

Print ads, out of home ads including stickers, banners, posters, flyers, website, blog.

"The Eatery Hall of Infamy" Ad campaign. depict famous regulars that contribute to the distinct character and personality of The Eatery as well as exempliying it as a prime people-watching spot.

"Zagat Abductions" Ad campaign. Ads emphasizing the anti-gentrification stance and embracing of locale.

"Hangover Cure" Ad campaign. Depict the cheap, comfort, and curing aspect of The Eatery food.

(click to enlarge for detail)

I know I know my design skills are pretty sub-par right now. I'm makin moves on that. These are fictitious ads, keep in mind. I'd like feedback very much. And lemme put out there ... criticism > praise. So bring the hate. I'll be better from it. Any questions? leave a comment. Thanks.

I love it when my girlfriends take pictures together.

2008-12-05T07:31:00.000-08:00

Movieland at Boulevard Square

2008-12-03T15:10:00.000-08:00

(these are just sample images, actual place is not done yet)

With no disrespect to da Byrd... Richmond's gettin a dope movie theater come February. Byrd Theater is awesome and will still be awesome but this Movieland at Boulevard Square is supposed to have leather seats, real live butter on their popcorn, no Ads before movies, and the best part is they are gonna run independent films and less widely released films. So all the shit you see being nominated come Oscar time but never saw playing at your local Regal or AMC or the films you saw killin it at Cannes or Sundance.... well, they will play here. Don't quote me though, they will still be playing all the blockbusters so they will have to be selective on the indies.

It will be the first Virginia theater from Bow Tie Cinemas based outta New York. Check this blog post for more details.

Who wants to see a movie come opening night?!

Better Late Than Never

2008-12-01T20:29:00.000-08:00

New Clipse mixtape, Till the Casket Drops, is finally here. Download here or click the album cover.Thanks Complex. I'm downloading as we speak..so no thoughts yet. Also check out their long anticipated clothing line Play Cloths.I went to the launch party at Cmonwealth Norfolk. Forgot my camera so I'm still waitin on photos from some trick ass hoe who let me borrow hers.

Something long awaited that also dropped just now?
Wale's Nike Boots video. Not the Lil Wayne remix. Sorry lollipop lickers.

HENRY

2008-11-26T15:10:00.000-08:00

well I just started interning over at Henry. Come by the shop and praise my name... let Billy and Rudy know they made a good decision in letting me help out. In the meantime, let me lay down the links...

Henry
Henry Blog
Henry MySpace
Henry Facebook

right now they have me runnin the blog so better check it out...RSS feed, bookmark, make it your homepage, do whatever! stay tuned. I just updated it with the BLACK FRIDAY SALE. see below..

(click to enlarge)

anyways, everyone go be merry and enjoy your Thanksgiving! then come spend Black Friday over at Henry!

a KiD named CuDi

2008-11-21T00:57:00.000-08:00

so I pregamed a lil TOO long and showed up at the Kid Cudi show round 9 and shit was over! flyer said 7-10, so I was kinda pissed bout bein lied too. oh well right? Kinda took a down turn on my night but I hit that second wind and hit up the SOHH after party and Kid Cudi himself was there partyin with the homies. I wish I had photographic proof but I don't so just take my word for it. Now if you know me, I used to smoke a bit but now I don' much at all. Every now and then I will hit a blunt if the situation and surroundings urge me too, which is rarely. well tonite called for it as I sparked an L with Kid Cudi, are-teest of the "stoner anthem of the year" ... Day N Nite. Dude was mad cool and very humble, very down to earth. I was kinda bummed up till the after party bout missing out on N.E.R.D. at ODU cause of class complications and what not and I thought my whole night was gonna be a bust but it turned out pretty dope. definitely a memorable night. if pictures surface I will update but for now just take my word for it and be on the look out for Kid Cudi, cause if you don't know you should do your homework cause he's blowin up more n more as i speak.

funny KiD Cudi & Va$htie video.
i used to date her. nah i'm jus playin.

JUST ONE OF DEM DAYS

2008-11-16T15:35:00.000-08:00

I was driving earlier today and this Monica song came on 106.5. I remember this song back in the day when I was a kid. straight 90's joint. My sister played it A LOT, I think she had the track on a mixtape she made or somethin.

While listening in the car I realized something I wasn't able to understand back when this song first came out....this song is about girls on their period. I mean, she just wants to be all alone....it's just one of them days...don't take it personal? Think about it. I find it quite nice and respectful of Monica to make a song about being on her period instead of just straight bein a bitch to her man while she's on it. She doesn't ruin that dude's day. She isolates herself. She heeds musical warning. Take note ladies. I think a free service should be done to provide women of the world this song as their dial tone on their cell so that when their significant others call....they know. A dude'll be all like "Ah it's Sunday morning, had a lil too much fun with the homies last night, I'ma call my girl to get some waffles. yeahhh, waffles" I mean, the song starts out with IT'S JUST ONE OF THEM DAYS... acapella. There will be no voicemail after that.

Baby baby baby baby baby! (yeah, I sat and listened for the exact # of baby's) Don't take it personal...

I won't Monica. I won't.

HISTORY HAS BEEN MADE ... BY US.

2008-11-04T23:35:00.000-08:00

Barack Obama is now President Obama and in celebration, tonight was pure craziness. Truly a once in a lifetime moment, something I've never experienced and prolly won't ever again.
It feels good to be right in the middle of history being made.

Here's to newly blue Virginia and President Obama....

this dude started a trend

one of my favorites. dancin on broad st.? i wish everynight was election night.

told you the dude started a trend...ppl climbin shit.

me included.

this guy was tryin to get thru past the dorms on laurel. to say the least, he was mad scared.

i don't blame him ppl were bangin and jumpin on 007 ME. the guy pictured tried to keep heads off.

these are called "Krazy White Girl Gets Arrested...cause Yes, She Can"

don't ask what she did. i don't know. i just arrived on the scene.

oh i wish she spit.

more heights.

more music, drums, and dancin.

I couldn't get on TV for Channel 8 news (I'm small). So, took a picture of em.

dude was pretty far up there for a good 20-30 minutes. if only this was clearer. pretty much encompasses the night.

Be Merry & God Bless America.

11/4/08

2008-11-04T15:04:00.000-08:00

ONLY NY Clothing

2008-10-30T19:23:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to plug one of my favorite brands on the come up, ONLY NY.

If you know me, I am infatuated with NYC. I think the movies were a big part of it...films like Manhattan, Annie Hall, Do the Right Thing, Home Alone 2, Big, Ghostbusters, When Harry Met Sally...shit, even You've Got Mail. and a dozen movies since then.
Anyways, I'm a fan of many brands that have come out of NYC...i.e. Supreme, Pegleg, Staple. I came upon ONLY NY at Reed Space's Black Friday sale last year. They're a lifestyle brand that comes out the west side of Manhattan. They do mostly tees right now but are expanding. Really simple, clean, classic looking
designs...a lot is Keith Haring inspired. Fall '08 has recently (like last week) dropped. Check some of the tees and caps below...

practically bought, love my snapbacks

man, what is it about girls drinkin 40s? hot in my IMO.

Richmond ppl check ftwrk for the Fall line. ONLY NY also has an online shop, selling stuff from previous lines and gonna b updated soon.

NO RESERVATIONS: THE PHILIPPINES (SOON TO COME!)

2008-10-22T21:17:00.000-07:00

From Anthony Bourdain's blog ...

The People Have Spoken.

Which made my arrival in the Philippines even more shaky. Of all the people who watch NO RESERVATIONS, it's been Filipinos who have been consistently among our biggest fans and most vocal about our having yet to film in their country.

"You've been all over Asia," I hear again and again," … so WHY haven't you come to the Philippines?!"

Well … I'm here. And the pressure is on. Luggage yet to arrive, I walk, unshaven, unwashed and in dirty clothes through the lobby of my hotel and everybody, it seems, watches the show.

Finally. He's going with that dude Augusto who was runner-up in the contest I talked about.

I'm excited.

ON MEETING WALE AND BUN B

2008-10-18T17:23:00.000-07:00

It was cool.

(click to enlarge--better res.)

First time at Stussy DC and whaddya know Wale and Bun B walk in to do some shopping. I was mad tired and was bout to tell Myung and Sara we didn't have to make the trip to Stussy and Commonwealth, and we could just go home. Sure glad that didn't happen.

For my Fall Break I also had the best Korean food of my life. Shoutout to Sara's grandma! I should've taken a picture to capture all the deliciousness forever.

First time with soju also (like Korean vodka) and first time drinkin at actual bars. Korean bars are awesome by the way and so is soju.

Fuckin class on Monday.

BANKSY'S THE VILLAGE PET STORE AND CHARCOAL GRILL

2008-10-12T00:21:00.000-07:00

You wouldn't of known it was Banksy unless someone told you, but Banksy has added on to his work in NYC from the rat murals to his first real exhibition/gallery/installment, "The Village Pet Store and Charcoal Grill"

A quote from Banksy explaining the installment from this NY Times article..

“I wanted to make art that questioned our relationship with animals and the ethics and sustainability of factory farming,” Banksy said
in a statement distributed by a publicist, “but it ended up as chicken nuggets singing.”

The blog entry over at wrongwroks will explain it better than I can so I'll link you HERE.

Here's the visuals from the entry: pictures from the actual exhibition and a video of the animatronics...

pet fishsticks

a superficial rabbit

my favorite, bbq sauce feeding chicken mcnuggets

UPDATE: MORE VIDEOS from House of Naked,
posted by Johanna who's Brandcenter alumni

TV-watching monkey from Johanna on Vimeo.

Pet store windows from Johanna on Vimeo.

Pet sausages from Johanna on Vimeo.

89 7th Avenue
West Village
New York, NY 10011

Open free to public until October 31st.

reeeaallly wish my plans to go to NYC for Fall break didn't fall through. why?!?

SOURCE: wrongwroks, NYtimes.com, House of Naked

ADAM TENSTA - DOPEBOY

2008-10-08T18:49:00.000-07:00

I admit, I outsource a lot of stuff from Everything You Love to Hate, but I had to put this video up here. The songs pretty tight, the videos better. It'd be mediocre without the visuals. You don't see a lot of dopeboy songs that sound like this and with videos with such visuals, but it makes for some feel-good, no-cares kinda mood. and i'm always down for that.

Adam Tensta "Dopeboy" feat. E-boi from Niklas Johansson on Vimeo.

LEGEND OF THE MYSTICAL NINJA

2008-10-07T22:55:00.000-07:00

Ahhh shit. Just won this on eBay...

(click for eBay listing, nellolopez holla)

ah, the Legend of the Mystical Ninja. If y'all never played this, step your game up. Used to play this all the time when I was little but beating the game alluded me all those adolescent years. BUT, i'm in college now. Whatever that means. Hopefully it means I'll beat it. Come over to the Brothel if your tryna play. (14 S Harrison, WHERE I STAY, refer to it as the Brothel from here on out) It's two player co-op.

On a side note, I think I've decided to try to bring "ill nana" back.

NOTORIOUS TEASER TRAILER

2008-09-28T00:16:00.001-07:00

DIESEL'S XXX DIRTY PARTY

2008-09-25T18:10:00.001-07:00

presented this video in AdLab class today as an example of getting information from blogs. It's Diesel's viral video ad for it's thirtieth anniversary party. Funny, quite funny.

Diesel SFW XXX
by svenstar07

I would say it was mostly successful with a side of definite awkwardness.

CONSEQUENCE "DISPERSE" by RIK CORDERO

2008-09-24T06:48:00.000-07:00

This is my current morning wake up and watch. The song just makes me happy and wanna drink OJ on the balcony and yell at sad looking people walking to class to cheer em up. The video accentuates this feeling. Again, Rik Cordero's that dude.

Consequence feat. GLC & Really Doe - "Disperse" from Three/21 Films on Vimeo.

SUBTLE INSULTS

2008-09-19T07:16:00.000-07:00

A subtle insult..

can be worse than a crack on yo momma.

is NOT a double-take and a look-away with disgust.

is NOT being picked last in teams.

will not hit you immediately.

will leave you thinking that went successful but not as planned.

will eventually leave you feeling semi-worthless.

will motivate you.

This has probably happened to you as it has most certainly happened to me.

I hate subtle insults. I can only think of two examples at the moment. There are more. Probably not as bad as the following but.. Ehhhh, I take that back. They are probably just as bad.

"Hey, who was that guy?"

This one is rare. Only b/c you'd have to have an inside man to fill you in on the insult. It's actually not subtle at all when after you and your friend run into someone you don't remember and then afterward you admit to your friend that you had no idea who that was. It's pretty blunt actually. The subtlety comes into play when you're the person being played and you can pretty much read that the person didn't remember you....(that chinky squint in their eyes like even indoors the suns rays disfigure your face from recognition OR that delayed and unneccessary enthusiastic sounding Fonzie "Heyyyyyyy" like it took em a while but they got you, they got you.) I know the behavior. I've done this.

The insulting thing about this subtle insult is that who wants to be forgettable? Unless you're a secret agent or a fugitive, you shouldn't have a desire to be forgotten. If people easily forget you, it says something about your character and your personality or lack thereof. I'm not saying you go out and out of your way and be extravagant, loud, obnoxious, flashy with your Kanye shades. I'm all about being yourself but if people don't recall you as yourself than your'e not interesting. You're bland. You're dull. You're a blank piece of paper. Or perhaps you're not being yourself, which is just as worse. I've remembered people for their gear, for their funnyness and I've also remembered people for being fuckin assholes and for being so weird, dirty, and dandruffed up I was scared to be around em.

I'm saying..if I found out you were playin me and ACTIN like you remembered me when I ran into you..well I'ma MAKE you remember me next time. That's for damn sure.

"OMG, I have a friend who looks exactly like you." OR "OMG, you remind me of this guy I know so much."

I added dramatic effect a bit there with the OMG, but you get the gist.

Let me be clear that I have taken under consideration the potential confusion in presenting a situation like this. Some people may be flattered by someone calling out their resemblance to Beyonce or Kim Kardashian or Brad Pitt or Tyrese or something. Good looking people. But really, this is America. The individual over the collective group. This is not China. Considering that, you should strive to be your own person, unique, distinguishable, and all that good stuff.

More than often though, when something like this is said, the person in comparison is not a celebrity, nor good-looking, nor even really cool. It's always some loser that has nothing in common with me. In my case, the person is usually just Asian, sorta chinky, and has black hair. Plus, when you remind someone of someone else, you don't know if that comes with positive or negative connotations. "OMG, you remind me of this guy I know sooooo bad...." could follow up with an unspoken thought like,"...mm yeah. this dude and that motherfucker Dave look exactly a like. Hm, I wonder if Dave still be suckin dick on the corner tho.." You just reminded a person of a corner workin, dick suckin, crack head. And of course the person is gonna follow up with something like, "Oh don't worry, it not a bad thing." Like these people are authorities of trust on who people can associate you with.

Anways,

A subtle insult is not wholly bad. And for the reason provided by the last little bit of italics above. It will motivate you. It may motivate you to talk shit. It may motivate you to get a haircut. It may motivate you to get new clothes. It may motivate you to switch up cliques. The point is, it will make you take more risks. And it is as truthful as it is a cliche..you cannot get anywhere without taking risks. Take that as literal or metaphorically as you want, but its the troof.

SO, like I said before..If you don't remember our first meeting I'm gonna make you remember the second meeting. And every other new meeting of a person after, I'm gonna make sure I don't make whatever mistakes that I made with you.

THOUGHTS OF A GRASSROOTS CAMPAIGN CANVASSER

2008-09-08T21:20:00.000-07:00

Man, I need to step my juggling game up. School, got a job now too, bein out and havin fun, nappin. Gotta juggle right. May not seem like a lot, but I'm not a machine ok.

------------------

Yeah, anyways gotta job, started last week. I'm a canvasser for Grassroots Campaign Inc. , funded by Moveon.org Political Action. Mumbo jumbo: our goal is to register 10,000 voters in Richmond 500,000 nationwide and our aim is true and we're tryin to get Obama elected. I hit the streets 3+ days a week and get people registered to vote or get em an absentee ballot. You prolly seen hundreds of people doin the same just like me but NOT just like me, cause I'm so fresh at it. Virginia is going to be one of the closest states in the election. It could really tilt decisively, either way. I stumbled upon this job from a flyer but I'm pretty proud of myself for gettin involved like this.

On the other hand. Don't hate me when I say this... but this is a job to me. I get paid $8 an hour. I'm not certain yet on my vote. If McCain approached me with the same exact job but for $12 an hour I would have to consider transferring. I'm just keeping it real. I haven't explored the avenues yet/enough to make my mind up. but I do know that I'm not liking Sarah Palin. Bitch is crazy from what I have learned. People says she's pretty hot for her age and job status but I rebuttal by sayin she's just a Tina Fey poser and Tina Fey is much hotter in my IMO and also much much funnier. also, perhaps more qualified.

But back to the task at hand: I like the job even though I'm usually put in some pretty stupid locations and I have a serious sweating disorder (ladies?). Walking the streets and interacting with people is much better than office work or making subs. I think I fell in love with this kinda work with the Quiznos cup dancing I did over the summer of '07. But yeah, I run into some interesting people and I've learned some interesting things...

Here are some thoughts/experiences... of a Grassroots Campaign Canvasser:

- you'd be surprised with how many my-age people are already registered to vote. campus is almost a dead-spot now cause of how many "No, already registered" replies you get. I'm glad a canvasser got to me while I was here over orientation or I'd just feel lazy. The youth is rising.

- i feel like it's cool to be young and for Obama. that's the trend with people on campus and theres not a lotta reason coming from them.

- at the same I've run into a lot of old white people that you'd immediately stereotype and be like "closet racist. conservative. hick" but they'll start a conversation with me and be all about some youth movement, and barack is gonna change America for the better, and I feel good bout myself.

- met a bum Russian guy (btw bum Russians are the tannest Russians you will meet, apart from tennis player Russians). He kept talking bout how he had recently visited a black history museum and saw lots of slavery stuff and that he could not wrap his mind around Barack Obama becoming president without being assassinated. Overall, he was a humble guy tho. Said he used to be a Russian solder. I asked him how long he had been in America. He said 4 days.

- Met Jerome a convicted criminal, perv, proud alcoholic and we conversed bout him gettin his drunk on and his history of fuckin fat girls.

- The few individuals who aren't registered to vote and still say NO are either felons or apathetics. I've run into more adult apathetics than my-age student ones. If I run into an apathetic I usually break out with the quota plea (which isn't a lie, I have quotas to make). "Well, just register. You don't have to actually vote. Just Do it for me??? I gotta quota to make or I'll be fired!" From there, if they persist with the NO.....fuck em.

- Recently, we had to switch our approach from "Hi excuse me, are you registered to vote yet?" to "Hi excuse me, do you support Barack Obama?" Drastic change, drastic effects. I've heard some of the most passionate NO's of my life with that grab. NO's that scream out "no way am I voting a nigger to lead this country" NOs that make me turn away like a little kid. NOs that make me re-think if this countries ready for some real change.

- In front of a Starbucks..One guy even said straight up, "No. Hell No. I'd rather shoot the guy. I'm serious."

- I've also met a lot of on the fence people or people that have normally voted Republican but have been so disappointed in and betrayed by Bush that they are supporting Obama. One guy exemplified what I'm talking about real well. He said, "There have been so many bumps in the government with the Republicans. We need to replace all the bumps and put new ones in. Change is a must. McCain is a crazy guy. He's sorta like that old guy that lived down the street when you were younger, who would shoot you if you ever threw a baseball in his yard."

that's all. I'm only 5 days deep. Job ends Oct. 6 so maybe more later. Politics baby.

BEIJING

2008-08-24T21:05:00.000-07:00

How could I not post something about the Olympics? Unfortunately, I've been so busy with prepping for the move to Richmond, the actual move-in, waiting for cable/internet, and getting started with classes....I haven't been able to get around to it. And now the damn thing is over.

SOO... instead, just a couple of quicky thoughts on the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics:

- the debate goes on..unanswered..what sport has the hottest female athletes??? the contenders thus far amongst my friends have been gymnastics, field hockey, volleyball, and of course...the sleeper: weight lifting.

- Last Friday in my 1st class of Advertising Lab we had to introduce ourselves. This one girl came up and introduced herself from Beijing, China. I kept thinking...she prolly chose not to do a floor exercise routine with a double somersault twist and perfect dismount as her introduction....as to not shame the rest of us. BUT I KNOW SHE COULD HAVE.

- Bob Costa mispronounced the word 'gala' in introducing the concluding gymnastics gala on air. As he was fading to commercial you could hear him say "gala gah-la, oh potato puhtaato" Oh Bob he prolly took much Ambien and went crazy at some point in Beijing.

- Alicia Sacramone....Hot.

- Misty May-Treanor....Booty.

- Was it right to even ever discuss doubt in the Redeem Team?!?

- Saw a lot of Chinese cheering on for other countries, especially the U.S. I'm convinced it's part of a very complex and detailed publicity campaign to tell the world, "Hey, we know you were scared of us before. But since the opening ceremony we haven't stopped smelling the shit in your pants. But hey, BUT heyyyy ...chill. we're good sports, MAD friendly, so let us in the trust circle. It's ok to be 'ehhhh' about it. Regret -- a small price to pay on our way to world dominance"

- the Chinese Women's Gymnastics team .... free-of-charge basic cable child-pornography. Ya welcome pedophiles, You're welcome.

- I don't know what to say about Michael Phelps. If I were to say anything witty or joke on him at all, I could just picture me and him in Shafer or somethin and EVERYONE watching....him saying, "Hey man, whatever. But um, who's the one with 8 gold medals and 7 world records, and who's the one blogging stupid quips?" And really, that would just do nothing for my reputation.

That's all. Can't wait for London.

IT'S ALWAYS SUNNY IN PHILADELPHIA

2008-08-14T18:54:00.001-07:00

new season soon. WATCH THIS SHOW. you don't see other shows out there doin music videos with Danny Devito dancin on top a bar and Jeru the Damaja rappin overr...

one of my favorite clips...DAY MAN

EVERYBODY NOSE REMIX VIDEO

2008-08-07T16:16:00.001-07:00

DANCE OFF: COLBERT V. RAIN

2008-08-04T16:02:00.001-07:00

Rain the Korean pop star on the Colbert Report. haha good sport. ya oughtta be proud Korea!

A TRIP DOWN JEFFERSON

2008-08-02T13:37:00.000-07:00

Had a pretty good day today.

Hit up....

...on Jefferson next to the Midtown Aquatic Center

i was walkin behind these Mexican kids and their family for a lil bit and I tell you... I looked like I coulda been their eldest sibling.

picked up some security for the move to Richmond

I wasn't that far from downtown, so I HAD to go pickup some....

...had to get my Big-Chic on. IMO, it's better than Chick-Fila and Wendy's concerning the chicken sandwich game. They don't carry a spicy Big-Chic so you still retain that belt Wendy's.

no picture, but that paper sign on the top right said "Say Hello When You Are Ready to Order"

this lady got out her car with a fury! and was tryin to complain and return her boxes of chicken. she dropped one and chicken scattered the ground. I know she felt stupid

ooOooeee. what they are famous for.. the Big-Chic Sandwich.

Itis y'all...

NEIL'S MANY DIFFERENT CARD COLLECTION

2008-07-31T14:50:00.000-07:00

Didn't know if y'all knew this ... but I got a binder full of 1992 US Olympic Hopeful and YO! MTV RAPS collectible cards.

pre Tour-de-Lance

pre Mayweather defeat (ugh)

the Man

idk who this is, but her stats on the back were mad impressive

i want this as a poster

its da joint!

the hosts

ice power

you know this dude was a pimp

.... and many many more.

get at me for trades...I need a mint ATCQ in my life.

p.s. i really need to get a fisheye

THE VIRGINS -- PRIVATE AFFAIR

2008-07-25T07:24:00.001-07:00

I ALWAYS LAUGH

2008-07-23T14:36:00.000-07:00

, I always laugh.

ALMOST PHILIPPINES .. ALMOST

2008-07-21T23:05:00.000-07:00

Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations just had their FAN-atic Special a couple of hours ago where he ended up traveling to Saudi Arabia with this lady. The special was based around fans submitting videos with the goal to be chosen to guide Mr. Bourdain on a trip to their destination of choice. Although he ate a whole roasted camel and some lizard for breakfast, the special wasn't all that great to me. In the beginning of the episode they showcased the 4 finalists who were picked down from over 1300 submissions and I honestly wasn't surprised to see a Filipino dude up there showing off lechon to Tony. It's pretty disappointing he didn't go with the Philippines. I've been waiting for a PI episode forever now. But I predict a PI episode soon! He said he gets a lot of shit for not going there and getting that far is a bright sign. Maybe next season.

Here's the submission video of Augusto, the man who didn't win me a Philippines episode...

It was good. I'd want to go..but kinddda biased. In the episode, Tony particularly didn't like that Augusto had not known that the film Apocalypse Now was filmed in the PI. He had never even seen the movie. ugh.. Whatever.

EDIT: If the opportunity arises, I might have to put this situation into my own hands. Hmm

ASHLEY HARKLEROAD IN PLAYBOY AUGUST

2008-07-21T10:45:00.001-07:00

There are definitely hotter women tennis players, in my opinion. Ima post on that later. But my birth month is lookin good...

click to enlarge yadda yadda yadda

TIME CRISIS? PPPLEASE

2008-07-21T09:15:00.000-07:00

This is an old post I came across on the Heron Preston blog.

He traveled to Bordeaux, France to some type of carnival and they had a game where you could shoot live ammunition at close range for -- what's that? well wouldn't you know it-- ALCOHOL, firecrackers/small bombs, and other misc. weapons as PRIZES. pretty crazy to wrap your head around. you def wouldn't see that in America or I'm sure you'd see a lot of venting people at the state fair.

FOLLOW THE LINK HERE to watch the video he posted of the game

http://www.heronpreston.com/index.php/?p=236

CLIPSE -- FAST LIFE

2008-07-19T15:58:00.000-07:00

Pusha T has a Man U jersey on... that's kinda whack. CHELSEA

POOR DAD

2008-07-17T10:39:00.001-07:00

This is a rough mark up of a monthly budget my Mom makes up that she posts on the fridge.

my Dad, otherwise known as Nello (Nell for short) handles the physical labor stuff....car repair, lawn work, house maintenance, etc. my Mom handles the finances, the bills, the taxes, the budgeting.

(click to enlarge)

Hence the "Nell's allowance" Poor Dad. Well, actually I respect my Dad for bein able to put aside his masculine pride like that. I guess he figures its orderly and it works so he's OK with it. But Ima be sure that it's the other way around with my future wifey. BELIEVE DAT.

BEEP BEEP who has the keys to the JEEP

2008-07-16T22:34:00.000-07:00

It's no news that my family likes vehicles.

I've always been at the house that had no drive way space available. I myself have had .. umm lemme think here... 4 cars in the 4 some years I've been driving (5 if I get to take over this new Jeep) It's not even like I'm beggin and whining for a new car every year. It just happens I guess. My Dad finds reasons to sell and has OCD when it comes to the condition of his vehicles. I started out with a Cherokee but gas prices and its V8 engine didn't mesh. Then had a '89 Jeep Wrangler which I loved but didn't run strong especially in the cold and that was no good for Harrisonburg and its hills. Then I had the 4Runner which had its engine die. Recently, I've been driving a 2008 Corolla which they intend on keeping cause it's so good on gas. Yeah, I guess my parents are ballin and yes, I'm spoiled. Don't hate please.

My parents recently just sold the Nissan Maxima so my Dad and I been searchin Craigslist and autotrader for a replacment for the vacant drive way spot. Lo and behold, we got up and drove to the super boonies in Spotsylvannia to pick up this perfect '98 Jeep Wrangler SE, which surpasses the Corolla:

Half doors, 5 speed manual, A/C, 4cyl, about 50k on a replaced engine

(CLICK TO ENLARGE PHOTOS)

It's perfect cause driving stick is much more fun and it's got A/C and you know I be sweatin! Green paint too, my favorite color and it goes best with the tan interior in my opinion. I don't know what it is about Jeeps but I love 'em. Bumpy ride, tons of add-ons, compact and easy to park, lots of fun, not to mention the road rule that when you're drivin a Jeep Wrangler on the road and you see a fellow Wrangler, ya gotta wave at em. That was always a dope thing when I had the other '89. Felt exclusive. It's a Jeep thing. This one runs strong and I'll definitely be hanging on to this one. I SWEAR.

paid in full inspired

2008-07-14T20:21:00.000-07:00

(click to enlarge)

cute azn baby - hey jude

2008-07-09T21:23:00.000-07:00

....aw. asian babies

Do chopsticks make Asian food taste better?

2008-07-03T16:22:00.000-07:00

It's not really that big of a deal. But it kinda annoys me.

First of all, chopsticks have been outdated and eclipsed by forks and spoons. I understand that Asian people, even my generation Asian people still use them. They were raised using them and it's part of their culture, ya know? So, it's cool. (I, however, don't. I wasn't raised with chopsticks, I was raised with the fork and spoon method of commanding and scooping rice. If any of you other Asians got beef with that, you can take it up with me and all my other pinoy brethren in the barrio.)

But Americans, WHITE PEOPLE, weren't raised with chopsticks. In fact, they were the ones who introduced the main use of the fork. So, I just don't get why whenever I go to eat at a Thai, Korean, or even a greasy Chinese buffet I see white people using chop sticks like it makes Asian food taste better or something. For instance, when a white family has rib-eye for dinner with some of that authentic og Uncle Ben's rice, carrots, beans, whatever.....You don't see them eat that meal with two sticks. I'm sayin, I'm sure Italian-Americans haven't started eating their spaghetti and meatballs with chopsticks so why use em to eat Low mein.

Be A N****R Too

2008-06-27T22:27:00.000-07:00

lil late but nonetheless, new Nas short film/music video directed by Rik Cordero.

The video/track certainly does not disappoint on the level of controversy when news first came out about Nas deciding to make an album called Nigger. the chorus includes a healthy dose of the N-word plus several other racial slurs. It also includes a cutscene of a hanging of a slave. The video also includes a couple of cameos such as John Cho and Andre Royo from the Wire.

Anyways, the video is tight and can't wait to hear more off the album. Also can't wait to see more from Rik Cordero, the Filipino "Hype Williams" He's got a feature film coming out soon that's in post, called Inside A Change. Check out more of his videos at Three/21 Media

Thinkin Fashion Forward

2008-06-25T18:47:00.000-07:00

i've said it before and I'll say it again, I look at getting old with a smile. When you become old, life turns full circle and you can be a kid again pretty much. Being unapologetic is the norm. That being said ... Ima take full advantage and be the dopest old man still living. My grandkids will be lucky sons 'a bitches.

Here's some pics off the Sartorialist that best describe how I plan on dressing when I get there..

R.I.P. Mr. Carlin

2008-06-24T23:41:00.000-07:00

from Inside the Actors Studio...

James Lipton: Do you think that talent for comedy is purely genetic or can it be acquired?

George Carlin: I think you can learn to refine...certainly you can learn to deliver it and...improve the skills that are involved. But I think the essential quality for .. humor..is ingrained in the personality. It's the way of seeing the world.

definitely a point of view that will be missed

GWRIT 103

2008-06-02T22:31:00.000-07:00

yeah, it's been a while. whatevs. here's my favorite paper i wrote for gwrit. i was reminded of it when i went to WaWa the other day and noticed a day's supply of whopper jrs cost less than a gallon of gas.

American Values, Vanity, and Vices and the Energy Crisis:
A satirical commentary on American culture through Hybrid-electric vehicles

The consumption of oil energy has become just as much a part of the American life as Hardee’s Thickburgers, obese children on “Maury”, patriotic icons, celebrity worship, and lifestyle advances such as plasma screen TV’s and “tummy tucks”. We are infatuated with oil. The mere scent of a drop of unleaded gas at a Wawa station massages the nose and romances the heart. We need it. We love it. We consume it. The relationship is strong and “going steady”. But in recent years, the automobile industry has attempted to aide the economy and environment in what they claim is America’s best interest, and have attacked that institutional relationship of life. The development of hybrid-electric vehicles advance the miles per gallon on vehicles, minimize pollution deriving from burned fuel in motors, and significantly lessens the use of the preciously beloved entity we call gas. There is nothing more unpatriotic then the act of robbing our culture of such obvious traditions and its literal fuel. No offense against car companies in general, they do supply NASCAR with its primary equipment. But their innovative ideas to save our crisis are just hindering a more important value of the people. Despite this, more and more companies strive to excel the technology and it’s so called benefits. Terror in the name of Toyota, horror in the name of Honda, and fear in the name of Ford have plotted and manufactured serious threats to the giant, robust beauty of American identity.

Hybrid-electric vehicles are classified as being powered by more than one power source. Frequently and recently, however, they have meant to be cars powered by a combustion engine using petroleum and an electric battery drive. The car is run on electricity through a battery at times of little acceleration when the power of fuel combustion is not needed. Through extended drives such as on highways, the engine is coupled with the electric motor to produce kinetic force as well as charge the batteries. The Honda Insight and Toyota have the embarrassing honor of being the first hybrid-electric cars available to the general public, beginning in Japan in 1998 and in America as early as 2000. These cars also regenerate their batteries through transfer of kinetic energy when the brake is applied and the car is brought to a stop. This construction in mind, imagine a scene where a man walks out of his trailer and heads over to his driveway where his rough bearded friends are already sitting, playing Uno with a six-pack each of Milwaukee’s Best at their feet. One of the friends offers a beer to the swaggering man but he denies with a grin, as if anticipating the offer. His hands are full. He’s got a rag in his left hand and a bottle of turtle wax in the right. The man moseys on over to his driveway and whips off the No Fear covers off of his most prized possession, like a magician revealing a rabbit turned sexy assistant. Exposed, is a 1970 Dodge Charger with a ruggedly empowering 390 horsepower Hemi engine capable of making the toughest man in the trailer park fall to his knees in unworthiness. The car doesn’t even need to be waxed, but it’s smiling and anxious to be shown off. The drunk buddies of the man all chant, “Danggg.” Imagine a similar situation, with one significant difference. The man walks out of his trailer in the same arrogant fashion and boasts, “Hey fellers, check out all the little fuel efficient batteries in my car. Pretty extreme, eh?” “Dang”, would certainly not be coming out of the mouths of those drunkards. They’re intoxicated not ignorant. To even think of a battery being a primary component in a vehicle rather than solely, the heated, greasy, metallic appeal of a combusting engine; is radically wrong and awfully un-American.

Advocates of stock-car racing and NASCAR, namely the popular American public, view the owners and drivers of roaring engine-powered cars as classic patriot heroes. Mark D. Howell, author of the novel From Moonshine to Madison Avenue: A Cultural History of the NASCAR Winston Cup Series comments on this representation, “Stock car drivers, like the horsemen of the American West, occupy a special place within American culture. Just as frontier scouts and cowboys have become a romanticized part of our national history, Winston Cup drivers have become symbols of the character traits that Americans admire.” The iconic image of the stock-car driver would hardly be legendary without the iconic image of the full-bodied, petroleum combusting engine. Do car companies really wish to hammer the NASCAR hero down with hybrid technology and thusly, molest an inherent American tradition? What would be next, the cease of fireworks on the 4th of July or the ending of Nathan’s Famous hot dog eating contests?

Another claimed advantage of Hybrid-electric technology is that it significantly extends the miles available per gallon in the companies menacing vehicles. On highways the Honda Insight is able to exercise 68 miles per gallon, the Toyota Prius exercising 53 miles per gallon, and the Ford Hybrid Escape getting 40 miles per gallon. The arguments state that these facts are definite aides to the economy as the demand for oil will decrease and the efficient use of gas will greatly increase. Additionally, these vehicles are supposedly a partial solution to fossil fuel pollution in the environment. They produce minimal vehicle emission of pollutant gases to be dispersed in the environment. However, is the increase in cost for a reliable car for the American public compensated for, in these economic “advantages”? The cost of a Toyota Highlander is roughly $25,000 and in comparison, the price of a Toyota Hybrid Highlander is around $33,000. To a suburban soccer mom, looking to retire that epic mini-van, $8,000 means semester tuition for her children, a family vacation to Disney World, or perhaps exercising a good old American material value in the form of breast augmentation or Botox therapy. The costs don’t end there either. The maintenance and upkeep during the life of the vehicle, such as replacement batteries, costs the owner about $2,000 each. That’s another couple trips to the spa and maybe a slight face lift. What soccer mom would choose to accept the responsibility and empty pockets of that car? She’s not going to want to be taken advantage of. Americans love a good deal. Value is inherently another cherished moral in American culture. Why do you think the American public flock to such stores as Wal-Mart, Costco, or Sam’s Club in search of a jumbo sized tin of an assortment of flavored popcorn, or a gallon of Listerine mouthwash, or a hundred frozen hamburger patties every weekend? Besides the free samples, the bargain deals are what draw people. American people are proud of a culture in which they can obtain a year long supply of one-ply toilet paper in one cart and one visit at an economical Sam’s Club. A quote by author Robert C. Post in his novel High Performance, which comments on the culture of drag racing technology, embodies the economic philosophy of the drag racer, who is previously cited as an iconic model in American history. “Self-interest may guide us all, but the guises that self-interest takes can far transcend the quest for economic gain.” The people of America are always going to keep their guilty-pleasure products, bargain warehouses, and cultural values first before the degrading manufacturing of few, supposedly, economic advantages of hybrid-electric vehicles. If one dared to judgingly describe this mindset as unwise, cheap, and selfish; surely a true American will arise and flash a mega sized bag of Lifestyles condoms and laugh in the face of this obliviously ignorant individual.

The American people’s moral mindset is insular, defined, stern, deeply rooted, and refuses to budge in the plight of hybrid-electric cars. Do you think America and it’s values are just going to move aside for a rather rude technological advancement that could help the world and the looming energy crisis? In a very American phrase, the public would shout, “Heck Nawww!” It’s not to be mistaken with arrogance. It’s the institution of strong-built morals. It’s not ignorance. It’s just staying on that one track mindset, called the American way. It’s not materialism. It’s just knowing what you want and what you don’t and making a market out of it. America is just like that powerful 390 horsepower Hemi engine: revving, purring, and consuming oil with no intention to stop. When it comes down to it, American’s like what they like and they like it big. That’s a habit that will not be persuaded to die down. That’s American culture at its absolute fuel burning finest.

Legitimate Fears

2008-04-28T20:55:00.000-07:00

Things I am scared of. (w/ pics)

I don't get why these even exist, let alone given roles in the DreamWorks animated kids film Over The Hedge?!?

This image scars my mind EVERY time I confront long hallways. It's specifically more scary with little girls too. Actually, since I've seen The Shining some odd years ago, little long-haired pasty white girls have risen exponential amounts on my Most Feared list. Long hallways just throw it overboard.

Everyone knows clowns are troubled, tortured, twisted souls inside. Never had em at my parties, same goes for my future kids. I don't think bright colors, happiness, and cake & presents when I see these guys.... I think serial killer, pedophile, or abusive alcoholic.

65% of the KKK's feared reputation is their white ghost-devil like costumes and their red neck southern hick drawl, which because of its ability to put colored people in unease just from the sound of it, can be considered racist on its own.

From the film Mask with Cher and this guy, named Rocky Dennis. He wasn't Sloth from The Goonies kinda cute.

Thanks for making it comfortable for me to feel vulnerable. You make it easy :-)

i'm bout to blow this girl's mind

2008-04-23T11:34:00.000-07:00

Sasha Grey, famous teen pornstar (featured in the new Roots video "Birthday Girl"), talks on interracial sex and Asian men in the porn industry!

HOLLA ATCHYA BOY haha

..oh Jonah

2008-04-17T21:00:00.001-07:00

Dikembe Mutumbo is Awesome too

2008-04-11T19:05:00.000-07:00

BIG SHAQ DIESEL

2008-04-10T21:57:00.000-07:00

As an ode to the Big Shaq-tus and the rising Phoenix Suns (my team son) .... funny moments with Shaq...

SUP HATERS ?!?!

THANK YOU

2008-03-27T17:14:00.000-07:00

Again, a big THANKS to all who have prayed, wished me well, gave me shout outs, and checked up on me before and after surgery. Big ups to the people who visited me at the hospital too.

When you have surgery and in recovery, you really get an idea of who your better friends are.

RECOVERY

2008-03-27T16:31:00.000-07:00

I got back home from surgery last night and I'm in recovery mode.The pain is really bad at times. I get sharp, daggering headaches and my neck is really stiff and it's difficult to turn my head. They also had to shave the area in which they made the incision, so that looks really funny. They have me on a whole bevy of meds which helps significantly and I hope to be fully recovered in like 2-3 weeks.

Surgery and staying at a hospital is something I definitely do not wanna do again. If I could describe it in one word, it would be: miserable. They told me to be at the hospital at 5:30 AM for surgery and surgery didn't even start till 7:30. I laid in a bed in my custom Gucci gown before 7:30 as two nurses and an anesthesiologist repeated the same questions over & over again. I was then wheeled to the operation room at 7:30, at which time I had to say bye to my parents. In the op-room they didn't even warn me before they gave me full blown anesthesia and knocked me out. Last I remember was some white lady sayin "hey buddy", me asking how they are gonna flip me over, and the hot nurse flashing me her titties (good memory).
So yadda yadda, I get wheeled to my IC room around 1PM. I'm just laying their in bed on drugs but still in pain, figuring out my new environment. I probably went through 4 nurses while I was there until the next day. Thank God, for the call bell. But the TV button on it sucks. You can only go up on the button so I would catch a glimpse of Family Guy but be all caught up in a pressing rhythm so I'd jump to the next station and have to go all the way up to channel 99 then go back to Family Guy.
Now I knew they were going to connect something that would go to my bladder so that my pee would go in a bag during surgery but I wasn't ready for what I discovered in the IC room. I took my hand and went down my pants to see if my dick was alright and I moved up to feel a tube comin out of my pee hole! I immediately asked the nurse if I could have it taken out. The process of taking out a tube out of your pee hole isn't really painful but it is very weird and uncomfortable. It was deep in there too. I felt like it was over but then she pulled again and another half came out. Man I didn't even know you could stick things in your pee hole like that. So, from then on, for a while I had to pee in a pee jug which wasn't the easiest thing to do. I'm not gonna lie, I peed on myself a lil bit.
Eventually when I got better and was able to walk around, I was moved to a regular hospital room where I stayed over night until I left Wednesday night. It was horrible in there...very dark, very small, and no TV. I had a roommate too who snored very loud and a neighboring patient in the other room who kept screaming crazy things and asking who was in his bed (referring to my bed and me) Later I found out he had dementia. I had a lot of crazy roommates who screamed crazy things but I won't talk about em like that, God bless em. Anyways, the nurses in the 2nd hospital room sucked. They would always move my tray that was comfortably next to me so they could take my blood pressure and then they'd forget to move it back. They would ask what I needed and I would say more water and they would never come back with it. And at about 4AM Wednesday morning I was prolly in the worst pain of the whole stay and I needed medicine bad but my nurse accidentally unplugged my call bell for some reason and it was torture waiting for someone to check on my roommate and having to scream "nurse" every so often.
I was so happy to finally hear I could go home last night. It feels good to be home in Newport News and my whole experience with surgery and the hospital was very unpleasant to say the least. But I hope this surgery is successful and pays off and that I encounter no reason to ever come back.

A Quickie Path to Becoming Well Cultured

2008-03-16T13:57:00.000-07:00

It's a love/hate kinda thing with stereotypes and blanket generalizations.. They are definitely funny and fun to use but at the same time, when turned around and directed at me, I get kinda mad. I think it's all about circumstances... who's usin em? and in moderation or in excess? is it for a laugh or for hate? how close are you with the people around you? But asides from all that, you can't really ignore the truth in stereotypes. They MUST be partially true or else they wouldn't even be considered stereotypes. So, in a way brushing up on your stereotypes is an unethical yet grudgingly effective crash course in familiarizing yourself w/ the ethnicities and cultures of the world. PLUS, if you step your stereotype game up you can be a lot funnier.

That being said, here's some links to some blogs that'll put you in the right direction.

Stuff White People Like

Stuff Educated Black People Like

Stuff Asian People Like

..still waiting on a Hispanic one, amongst others. I'll update once that happens.

THIS BLOG IS NOT DEAD

2008-03-14T20:59:00.000-07:00

No, just seriously un-updated. It's been about a month and a half now since my last post, but for legit reason. Those MRIs I mentioned in that last entry showed that I have a syrinx, which is basically an excess amount of fluid in my spine. I met with a neurosurgeon and I was told that this build up of fluid in my spine is caused by a Chiari Malformation. (I'll now plug the services of Wikipedia and Google at this point) and that is basically that my cerebellum, the back part of my brain, is herniated. It's enlarged and blocks the opening at the base of my skull and blocks normal circulation of fluid causing the syrinx.

Ahh yes. So THIS is apparently why I have to put food/drinks up to my lips to see exactly how cold/hot they are. I've had that loss of sensation or temperature in both my arms for a couple of years now but never thought much of it until about a month ago, when I got really sick out of nowhere and had to take about two weeks off of school (READ the post below). Although I feel a lot better since then, some symptoms persist and I was told at a follow-up appointment that I should probably have surgery to fix the syrinx. Because of the follow-up and not feeling better at that point, I've missed about 3 weeks of school and finding out I had to have surgery, I was going to miss a lot more...

Sooooo, I've had to say good bye to JMU a little bit earlier than expected. I'm taking the semester off, chillin at home until surgery, and going straight to VCU in the Fall. It kinda sucks but it's not too bad. Had to leave the roomies and I know all the Stacey's and Becky's up at JMU prolly miss me... no one to spit them that "you wanna feel-a-pino??" line anymore. And so I'm jus hangin out in Newport News enjoyin that home-cookin and watchin a lot of Americas Best Dance Crew. Which, I know, sounds great but it's not all so. I <3 Newport News but fellow natives all know it can get a tad bit boring... boring up to the point where you wish you had a class to go to in the AM.

BUT anyways... today I had my 2nd opinion at the Medical Center at VCU. My mom really persisted to get a 2nd opinion, I guess for safe measure and to ease her mind. I was basically reassured that I should have surgery , which didn't surprise me at all. I was told the surgery was going to be a 2-hour long process with a recovery period of abotu 2-3 weeks or so. It's a major yet low-risk and common surgery. What they do is they make an incision in the back of my head/neck and they have to cut a piece of my skull at the base opening to make room for that enlarged cerebellum to allow for regular flow of fluid. They say it's a pretty successful surgery and that most patients symptoms do improve over a gradual period of time.

I'm scheduled to go under the knife on Mar. 24th, the day after Easter I believe. I'm getting it done at the Medical Center at VCU cause my mom feels more confident about their skills. I didn't feel like telling ppl much about what was goin on about school and my surgery until after this second opinion so I could be sure about what exactly is happenin and when. The doc said I could be out of the hospital as soon as the next day but I could very well be in there for a day or two. Don't feel like you have to , but if any of you would like to visit or somethin (I'm not a girl, I don't want flowers. Bring me cash or slush Thai boba tea. J/K hah) than get in touch with me befor Mar. 24 and I'll let you know specifics. I think this all sounds a lot worse than it really is and I don't think it's that big of a deal. But I do appreciate all the support and prayers that I have received from family, friends and loved ones. Thank you...And if you're in Bad News, hit me up!

LEAVE OF ABSENCE

2008-01-30T13:45:00.000-08:00

i've been getting thousands, NO, literally millions of emails asking why I've been gone. no, i'm j/k noones been wonderin at all. but I jus wanted to let whoever know that I've been absent from my usual life for a while now cause I've come down with a viral infection or at least that's what the doctors say. So, I've been home in Newport News this whole time....MAINLY in my house..in or around my bed. I was headachey, nauseous, lightheaded, and dizzy all the time and it got worse whenever I would do ANYTHING. that and my vision got kinda crossed when looking at things far away and my left hand, the fingers are numb. well not numb, but it feels liek they r asleep. i'm pretty much all better cept the left hand. which I don't know, somethings wrong with my nerves cause if u know me, u know that I can't really feel temperature well in my right and left arms up to my hands too. that's why if you see me and you give me a drink, i always put it up to my lips first. That's my thermometer spot. and now my left hands all numb and shit.

ANYWAYS so I'll be back at school soon prolly... where I will be two weeks behind and so that should be fun. and on atop of that, I got scheduled an MRI for my hand and nerve problem and what not and thats at Friday at 5:30 PM. you know what's also around that time? the LUPE FIASCO concert at VCU. so now that's in doubt.

word. God if this is punishment for that iPod last year.... your powers are amazing.

JUNO

2008-01-17T23:13:00.000-08:00

I just watched Juno and I liked it. It was a good romantic comedy but definitely not in your traditional recipe of a romantic comedy. It has characters and sub-plots that represent a range of themes from teen pregnancy, adoption, marriage, reclaiming lost youth, and well of course the never ending questions concerning what love really is. The way the film addresses the latter and how it succeeds to be a romantic comedy based around sixteen year olds and an unexpected pregnancy makes it such a different yet well done romantic comedy. It's an off the wall, nice movie-date pick. Just make sure you're not a underclassmen couple in high school that is sexually active and not using birth control, cause than it may freak you out and you may not be able to enjoy the romantic part of it. Anyways, the film.... it will make you smile, it will creep you out, it will make you laugh, it might make you think of similar people you may know, but above all it will leave you satisfied. And I think you should see it.

p.s. Michael Cera, you are 2 for 2 in me liking movies that I have seen you in. keep it up

0.76 inches thick baby

2008-01-15T19:41:00.000-08:00

MacWorld '08 started today and Steve Jobs announced the Macbook Air, the world's thinnest laptop at 0.76 inches (at it's thickest). It seems to be built around wireless potential and capabilities. read more HERE and pre-order HERE.

This would be nice to have for travel and school but I have my MacPro so I'm not sayin I need the world's thinnest laptop but hey, am I not allowed to want??

Jollibee jeffstaple

2008-01-15T17:37:00.000-08:00

jeffstaple gave a shout out to Jollibee, the greatest fast food chain in the mother land (the Philippines), in his blog. which by the way, is a blog you need to check out. And moreover, Jeff Ng (more commonly known as Jeffstaple), is a dude you need to be familiar with. He's the head of Staple Design, Reed Space in NYC... and he is at the forefront of streetwear and design. All in all, hes an extremely knowledgeable, well-connected, creative, and fortunate guy. Just read his blog and you'll see all the places he travels to and all the latest toys he gets and what not. im jealous, thats all im sayin.

anyways.. that's tight he ate at Jollibee in Las Vegas. I'll be honest, I didn't even know they had em in America. I've only been to the PI once back when I was 8 or so, but I do remember Jollibee cause when I first arrived there my body was rejecting the home grown native food. Soooo, sometimes I would just eat fast food and there were Jollibee's everywhere..However, that's not the case in the US, but it would be nice to see a VA Jollibee..

there spaghetti was on point.

THROWBACK poem ... circa long hair

2008-01-13T21:20:00.000-08:00

I was going through my old mySpace messages ... and I had some from 2004! back when I started it. Anyways, I found this ... and apparently I posted a bulletin with this poem I wrote about when I had my long hair....

dear hair / a diary poem by Neil

dear hair whats your secret, ur trick
to pissing me off , man ur a dick
what more could u want, ive let u grow
ive washed u n washed u , do u see how u glow?
i dont ask for much but u keep cloggin the drain
i brush u, protect u , shield u from the rain
dont laugh mr Bangs, dont take this light
because of you my right eye has lost line of sight
have u heard the gossip? what people say?
some hate you some think ur real gay
SuperCuts aint far, i mean im not saying were done
I love you , but quit bein a bitch when i run

- haha embarrassing but funny as well

a TURN ON

2008-01-12T16:36:00.000-08:00

Alicia Keys at her sexiest..

THE BAD GIRLS CLUB ... POP OFF SON!!!

2008-01-09T22:59:00.000-08:00

THE BAD GIRLS CLUB... you ever seen this show?? They are on like episode 4 of Season 2 and I saw some of Season 1 and it's already lookin to be better.. Now this show does nothing to uplift or bring respect to the female population but as a totally unbiased, girls-jumpin-on-trampolin admiring, and bloody-violent-movie loving man.... I feel like this a wholesom family TV show that anyone can enjoy, maybe even learn from (mind you this is personal opinion, so fuck off, and yeah I got one hand typing and the other on my crotch).

So, if you have to go to confession after watchin the Real World than Bad Girls Club is prolly not for you. However, if you like Real World and want extreme Real World whored out, drunk, lazy-eyed, smellin like nicotine, and loosely sprawled out on the floor, passed out... than you'll prolly dig this. It reminds me of how some girls are at parties here at JMU.... all drunk, messy, and no class. It's all good when I'm drunk though but watchin this show makes me see in a sober state how annoying, sloppy, and unattractive really inebriated women can be. But let me not digress towards the elements of drunken attraction...

Entertaining? yes. The fall of Feminism? maybe. I feel in like some sick and twisted way this show can be liked by some girls out there who are all like ...."why can guys sleep with a lot of girls and not be called sluts!?!?!"... AND .... "yayyyy I am woman hear me roar and hear me MOAN in my liberal sexual lifestyle"... all on that women's rights/equality tip. Not saying I'm against womens rights but watch Bad Girls Club and tell me if it does anything to say... HEY women are beautiful, respectable creatures. Nope, cause than you'd have to add that women ALSO.... may or may not whore it up sometimes and leave their kids to go on a reality TV show.

On that note, watch the show. Cause its wildy entertaining. comes on Oxygen on Tuesdays or somethin at 10. here's a clip of some action for ya...

the girl who gets stiff armed is a Mom and yea her titty pops out and if you notice, no evidence of shame or embarassment on her face haha oh the poor children..."that's mommy!"

P.S. I love women. I respect em. My mom is a hero of mine. And I'll be damned if I have a daughter that ends up on The Bad Girls Club. knock on wood.

A-Ron the Downtown Don

2008-01-07T20:31:00.001-08:00

...first interview from him in a while .. since he parted with aNYthing. seems like he's got big things planned for '08 and thats exciting to hear. aNYthing fell hard when he left... their design, quality, and creative spark.. and it's a shame cause it was one of my favorite brands. well heres the interview split in Pt. 1 and Pt. 2.

part 1

part 2

LOOKIN BACK ON 07

2008-01-02T17:58:00.000-08:00

FIRST, Skillz ... do your thing...

..especially liked the part bout T-Pain haha

SEXIEST VIDEO of '07

..every girl in that video is wifey material. every girl in that video is another pair of dirty boxers in the washer. every girl in that video will always have a spot in my top 8. every girl in that video .... WELL you get the point. ***special dibs on the blonde and the middle eastern girl.

some favorite YouTube-ables and other internet videos...

Silent Library

Grape Lady

TWO GIRLS ONE CUP... but i'll spare you the video, prude conservatives

THUMBS UP!

OTHER favorites/memories/good-laughs of '07:
- gigglin like a motherfucker
- callin girls pigeons (shout out to Sporty Thieves)
- wall ball in richmond
- John's luck or lack there of (this is a comprehensive list on its own)
- Entourage
- It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
- Vice TV
- Kid Nation
- Hell Date
- Lance knowing his cheese
- The Commons 885 G
- Superbad
- my Grandma being back from the PI
- my first ball hairs (sike)
- Leila and Grant Neuhart's wedding
- Andy partying with us
- Nadal/Federer Wimbledon final
- Welcome to NN sign stealing
- Halloween weekend at JMU
- having no Friday classes
- my sister getting engaged!
- my bff
- my Blogs I Read bookmark folder
- my Brooklyn Dodgers Starter cap
- Kim Kardashian's sex tape
- Cam's Rhyme Book Found
- Hurricane malt liquor
- thick long socks from Costco. Costco period.
- Vanessa Hudgens, Natalie Portman, Stacey Dash, girl who works at Commonwealth and girl who works at Alife NYC, Megan Fox, Beyonce, Va$htie, Rachel Starr

LOW POINTS, BAD TIMES, FORGETTABLES:
- losing the 4Runner
- Calvin King quitting drinking
- Harrisonburg radio
- Souljah Boy being nominated for a Grammy
- JMU people
- Motorola RAZRs
- Stefan getting arrested

THINGS I'M LOOKIN FORWARD TO IN '08:
- all of the above FAVES, but better
- staying STD free (not thru abstinence)
- ^^^ um having the opportunity to even be in a situation where the above is an issue... w/ a girl.
- Stussy Flagship store in DC opening
- transferring to VCU in Fall '08
- more Denzel movies
- California (hopefully) and hangin out w. Joe Jackson over spring break
- summer partying at Chewy and Bryan's soon to be new place
- nipple slips, vag shot car exits, celebrity sex tapes
- saving and making money
- Lupe Fiaco at VCU
- new Entourage, Thumbs Up! 30 Rock, Wire, the Office seasons

... yeah '07 you were good, I'm not complaining. '08 will prolly be better tho, sorry. I prolly forgot a lotta things but the lists seemed long already and I doubt ppl wanna read all that. Anyways, GOD BLESS and PEACE. happy new years, bring on '08.

Merry Christmas

2007-12-25T20:50:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to say Merry Christmas to everyone. Hope it went well for all and I love my family and friends. lookin forward to the New Year!

US PLACERS video

2007-12-20T09:06:00.000-08:00

haha in the tradition of Sky's the Limit... little kids playin big ppl never gets old.

GOOD EATS

2007-12-17T20:06:00.000-08:00

my Nanang (my grandma, that's what I call her) came back from the Philippines and she came back bearing gifts! One thing I was looking forward to was this ^. It's pucit or squid or calamri... whatever you prefer to call it. I call it pucit cause its Tagalog and that's what my parents told me. It's so damn good. Especially straight from the Philippines. It may look and dirty and gross to some but trust in me that it's delicous. It's served in it's own ink and that shit's on (ball)point! HAHA.

neways...Andrew Zimmerman, Bizarre Foods... holla.

Clipse over Weezy

2007-12-13T16:57:00.000-08:00

Dude knows whatsup in this beef. CLIPSE.
i dunno bout his dancing though...

IT'S FINALS WEEK

2007-12-10T00:47:00.001-08:00

it's the week of final exams, the semesters coming to an end, cramming, late nights, adderall, coffee, "procrastination!..... no breathing!... this is my last resort" (corny Papa Roach joke"

anyways, I'm not here to rant about my finals but I'm here to help you guys out by WARNING you to keep a closer eye on your friends around this time.

finals week = stress. And stress = herpes break out!

so if you have that friend who says "oh it's a cold sore!" like all the time. every other week... well maybe you'll figure out the truth this week. and then you'll know not to puff puff pass to this person, drink from their cup, hook up with em, or any shit like that. THAT or you'll have joke material on him/her for life, which is equally as good for your own well-being.

so thats my late-night procrastinatin WARNING and you welcome. keep a look out for your herpes-infested friends. peace and good luck on exams and all that shit.

the future ?

2007-12-09T00:54:00.000-08:00

I've been slacking with the blog, I know. I've been real busy with the end of this semester and generally more lazy too.

But anyways, here's an article I recently read from the New York Magazine about a kid named Alex Goldberg. The kid is 14 and has worked for Supreme, hangs out with the owner of Peasant, and currently works at Nike ID. what were you doing at 14?

you may think the kid is spoiled, cocky, a brat, or just an overall dick -- at the age of 14 years old, mind you. but ya gotta admire this guys attitude , what he's done with his environment and the connects hes made. New Yorkers are supposed to be assholes neways right? all i know is that i'm jealous of this kid and i'm not ashamed to admit it. I wish i had what he has when I was that young, shit. on the other hand, who knows how this kid'll be in the next 10 years or somethin. imagine his ego. you seen Superbad? you knwo the part where Seth talks about how he got two dozen handjobs and 3/4 of a blowjob from taht girl and he says it was the peak of his ass-getting career and it happend wayyyy too early...?

haha. well maybe that's whats goin on with Alex Goldberg.

NYC: Thanksgiving 2007

2007-11-28T21:37:00.001-08:00

(click em for a larger view)

I see this building every time I go to NYC. That's cause every time I go to NYC I stay in Queens and the Manhattan bound 7 train always passes this building right before entering Manhattan. It's like a graff temple. I finally got some pictures of it. Wish I had more info on the building tho..

Big Black Gay Man!!! IRAK.

Washington Square Park..

Joey Joey!

..and a lil Wash. park Fall concert.

Growth ... by AIM SN's

2007-11-20T00:54:00.000-08:00

lilnautica88 ... xxpunkonprankxx ... skimpydoo ... mistermcneilo (current)

i'm sure my list of screen names are a lot shorter than most people but still, it's interesting to look back on the names I chose as my AIM identity, at those specific stages of life. yeah i used the term "AIM identity" , call it nerdy, but our generation have redefined/destroyed social communication (depending on how you look at it). newho -- before I get too deep on that topic, which I think I might do another time... let's take a gander. yes, screen names are important and I'll prove it to you!

yeah.. lilnautica88. 11-13 years old? yep. my Mommy still shopped for my clothes but I strictly wore only Tommy, Polo, and Nautica. Wore gold chains, a cursive "N" medallion, gold cross, and no way! ...Nautica cologne. I was up on those Adidas Superstars when they were real hot around middle school. the Shake Ya Ass video was early porn for me and other fave artists besides Mystikal included, lil Bow Wow , 112, jagged edge, musiq soulchild, J Lo, Nelly, and others I can't remember. (don't judge me. i wasn't soft. I was experiencing first gf, first puppy love and jagged edge, 112, soulchild were my soundtrack!). anways lil bow wow, lil zane, lil wayne (cash money days) were doin it. so bam -- lilnautica88.

xxpunkonprankxx : 13-14 yrs old. woooooo... and the white washed label begins! started to listen to new shit like Sublime, Operation Ivy, Green Day, 311, RHCP, lots of punk and alternative, and got more into the Beatles and Simon and Garfunkel... wore less Nautica, took my jewels off, let my bling chill. wore tighter black shit basically. I swear I copped those white/black checkered Vans slip-ons before anyone else. I sported em in 8th grade. Most of my Azn pryde and gangsta friends were like "Neil! those are ugggggly. what happened, you used to dress so nice!" Well F yall b/c I think everyone has owned a pair of those in their life, since then. also, got introduced to what being SxE is from my sister's high school friends (hence the SN). I looked up to em... so whaddya know haha. no drugs/alcohol for me. mind you, this was way before the whole 7fight7, two-step, hxc scene. anyways, my AZN pride, pinoy boy for life, friends were like wtf Neil and all that???

skimpydoo: 14-16 years old? derivative of SKIMP. and if ne of yall know me real well and since I was that old then you know what Skimp is. this was around the time Jackass was buzzin and I was like ah this shit is funny and its good laughs for all, jackasses AND random on-lookers. I watched like all the CKY videos. and this was around when I took over the family Hi-8 camcorder. So I guess you can say this is when my infatuation with videography began, cause Skimp was born. It was mine, John, Vince, and Josh Morton's scrappy, embarrassing, immature, and well.. skimp rendition of the aforementioned influences. really this is all that explains the SN skimpydoo. that really consumed my life for a year or two. I don't regret it tho, no matter how stupid it was, cause we made $28 off copies and it's the foundation of what I feel like doin in college and life.

mistermcneilo: ahhh. 17-present err somethin like that. i've said it before and i'll say it again... alliteration is my fuckin fantastically favorite literary device. thats really it, somethin catchy w. my name in it. that's me. that's me not givin a fuck. and I think not given a fuck is a big part of maturing we're not told about. It helps you to become you. so, i'm not gonna describe myself cause well, you prolly know me as I am now. scratch that. I prolly couldn't even describe myself as I am now, even if I wanted to. things are more dynamic when your older, shit goes by faster (sigh, sad moment) and all I know is that mistermcneilo will suffice for now.

told you SN's were important! haha. alriggghhht let the nerd/geek/dork insults rain....go ahead. nah but really not tryin to get Boy Meets World on everyone but I think everyone goes through predictable stages in life and then eventually says fuck it and finds individuality on their own terms and yeah I just made that point through the most unlikely of metaphors -- screen names. For example, I bet any of my lady friends out there has had a screen name with "x's", "xo", or "fldhcky" or something like that-- at some point in their lives. and almost everyone has had their birth year in their SN at some point, i don't even know why, I guess to help the cyber sex offenders filter their prey. Anddd now to the present, i'm sure ur current SNs may have some meaning to them or fuck it they prolly DON'T, just simple shit that stuck.... but even just a bit, its you: too busy, organized, OCD, apathetic (a.k.a. the it's whatever ppl who will prolly laugh at me after reading this haha), utilitarian, emo, drama queen, insecure, needy, or whatever. there's no shame in bein guilty.

of course there are ppl out there who are exceptions --people who don't apply to this metaphor -- non-tech savvy ppl, traditionalists, our just straight poor ppl who can't afford the internet. But in terms of who I am and the culture I was raised with and still currently consumed by, this seemed to be an off-the-wall but fitting way to talk about growth....TO ME. So, maybe I'll post a MySpace bulletin or Facebook message for yall when I change my SN to NLopezBSdegree or somethin professional like that, when I'm grown up and searching for a career.... But ehhh, prolly not. they ARE JUST screen names right?

TIRED outline by PSYCHO TC5 !!!

2007-11-15T15:19:00.000-08:00

A while back I posted about Psycho's blog on 12ozprophet. Let me refresh yalls memory... Psycho is a true old school NYC graff writer, legendary in history and status. He was down with the even more legendary TC5 crew (The Cool 5), FC, and the Vamp Squad. Having a blog on 120zprophet is dope on its own but again, this dude's blog is filled with crazy stories you might think came straight from a movie. Here are the links to both 12ozprophet and Psycho's blog:
12ozProphet

Psycho Love blog

Anyways most proll don't know but I get up here and there and write TIRED and NOTME. Anyways, Psycho did a Tired outline for me as you can see and IT IS DOPE. Now if you don't believe me than check out the link to his blog, it's posted up on there too. Anyways, mad respect to Psycho and well uh... today was a good day.

peace

Dedicated to the Ladiez

2007-11-14T20:17:00.000-08:00

CULTIST

found this on The Hundreds Feed a while back... only online streetwear shop dedicated to the feeeemales. cause you know i be lookin out for yall. haha yeah ima dork. umm but yeah if ur not some sorta girl hypebeast or into fashion or w/e u should still check it out so when I see u in the street I'll do a double take. Nahhh, but get ur paypal and credit cards up on the Hellz Bellz, Keep, married to the Mob, CLAW money, and etc. shit. There's a lotta sex appeal in style and knowledge. But yall knew that. Anyways, these kinda updates probably won't come often so you Welcome ladies.

OH and a big No Homo to this whole post.
peace.

ANDY pencil outline

2007-11-14T10:54:00.001-08:00

just a lil pencil outline I did for my boy Andy. notice the HXC 757 background. gotta CORE it up sometimes, kno what i'm sayin?? (click the pic for larger detail)

NYC for Thanksgiving Break

2007-11-14T10:36:00.000-08:00

Yes, I am going once again for Thanksgiving Break. Apparently, my family is not too fond of the whole sit down, who has the honors of cuttin the turkey?, and family itis feast type thing. Which doesn't at all bother me. Staying in Queens again at the Sheraton. Planning on hittin up all the shop spots and hopin for some good Black Friday sales. And of course I'll be roaming Canal St. for the cheap shit! OH and this year I GOT TICKETS FOR the LATE NIGHT w/ CONAN O'BRIEN SHOW. yup for Thanksgiving Day, I will be in the live audience taping. look for me. I hope the guests are good, should be though cause its Thanksgiving Day.

Anyways, I didn't just make this post to brag. Pickups anyone? pickups? Yeah, lemme know if you want somethin in NYC, if you want me to hit up a specific shop, or even just to take a picture of somethin, just hit me up with requests and I'll let you know how far my wallet can stretch (that rhymed -- whoo whoo).

Peace.

PAYATAS: City of Garbage

2007-11-03T09:24:00.000-07:00

a show/documentary/webisodes by Vice TV. some insightful stuff. if your Filipino watch this cause you should and if you're not, watch this cause you should.

more episodes HERE
and more info too.

AW SHIT !!

2007-10-22T23:10:00.000-07:00

I suggest you VA residents check THIS
out. It's a search database for sex offenders in your zip code area. My Social Deviance professor gave us the link to figure this out. I don't know if I feel safer or more creeped out from finding out this info. some creeeeppyyy dudes in the 23608. and i think i went to school w/ one of em. aw shit!

Gotta make sure your neighbors are coooool.

WALE!

2007-10-22T19:27:00.000-07:00

Wale's gettin his well deserved praise. check this...

Wale WP Article

I'm a fan and you should be too. his new mixtape 100 Miles and Running is mixed by Nick Catchdubs and know.... "this is not the Draught 3 this is not Kanye mixtape and this is not a Fifty mixtape. This is something different you know what i'm sayin? If you love hip hop music and you love Wale than prepare to have the Ear-gasm of a lifetime..." - Wale

dl it FREE at his myspace PAGE

crystal gel

2007-10-22T19:24:00.000-07:00

i have a good friend whos Vietnamese and she just so happens to work in a nail shop. go figure! so, i thought this was funny.

anjelah johnsons mexican and indian i think. funny + hot = wifey

i guarantee you..

2007-10-17T21:08:00.000-07:00

you won't be able to stop reading.

Psycho Love
is a writer affiliated with the legendary TC5 crew... his stories are amazing. the blogs better than a book. if your a fan of NY graffiti or just wanna read about a childhood u wish u lived than read this blog from the start and go ahead and subscribe to it too.

Common + Qtip + Skillz VA Freestyle

2007-10-16T23:41:00.000-07:00

things like this make me wish i wasn't three hours away from and have class on Mondays.

Fiascogate and other news...

2007-10-15T16:28:00.000-07:00

T.I. just got arrested on gun charges. Didn't he just do Hip Hop vs. America? well that's good.

Nas' next albums is gonna be called 'Nigga'

hmm....

"Nigga's blazin up the BillBoard Charts"
"Nigga's are emptyin the shelves and flyin out the stores"
"white people love Nigga!"

... as for this Fiascogate stuff.
here's a link Fiascogate
if you hadn't heard bout it yet.

Welllll, Lupe messed up on Fife's verse on Electric Relaxation. it wasn't like he totally blanked out he just stuttered a bit
.

i love ATCQ and i love Lupe. but i feel like the mess up was blown out of proportion way too much. i mean, i know it was honoring ATCQ and they deserve a flawless tribute for all they've done but you can't go hard on lupe like some people have. Lupe's made it clear in interviews that he was hesitant to do the honor performance b/c of his lack of knowledge and admits to growin up on West Coast gangsta rap and had never really listened to ATCQ as a kid. Q-tip sounds really humble bout it all on the video interview on that mtv page. I think theres a lot of respect between ATCQ and lupe and it's bein made out to be more than it is. it's a case of the media putting words in people's mouth and bending the story for drama. HOWEVER, still no forgettin lupe's mess up of course. ya fucked up man, ya fucked up. i didn't expect it but i'm not buyin into all this Fiascogate nonsense and I def. don't like Lupe ne less. people r hatin too seriously and forgettin people aren't perfect.

...

2007-10-14T20:27:00.000-07:00

sandworm doors? yeah, i'm transferring to VCU next year.

in Future News: Teri Hatcher stabbed upon arrival at Manila Airport

2007-10-02T18:48:00.000-07:00

i don't know who reads this, if anyone at all. but i just wanted to put this up here if you hadn't heard bout it yet and to see what neone thought.

is this a midget or a kid?

2007-09-26T20:42:00.001-07:00

i mean seriously. his outfits all decked out and detailed like he told his mom to shuttup and stop dressing him. and whats he need a book bag for. you don't need straps like that for pre-school, as far as i remember. maybe he's selling drugs or something. well Goofy looking as the clothes are, this kid gives off a cool vibe. If this was a grown Japanese man he'd be a joke ... plus he'd prolly have red spiked highlights under that hat.
but maybe i'm wrong, maybe this kid knows whatsup. i mean look at him thuggin ....... showin everyone they're LOSERS.

Unk, Soulja Boy..... I got a grudge with yall

2007-09-17T18:04:00.000-07:00

yeah i got a bone to pick with you two. maybe it'd be better to just show you then explain, cause i AM PRETTY FLUSTERED right bout now.

yeah that's right. whatsup with you two makin HIT SONGS that make white people look stupid?!? you two are just plain WRONG.

I LIKE white people. I care for them. These people are my friends. I fear for their image and reputation at social gatherings.....

.... as you can see why. Yall probably plotted this... making chart-topping songs specifically for when white people get shitfaced drunk and wanna release all their pent up rhythm or lack there of. gettin these weapons of mass white-embarrassment put on the radio OVER and OVER again so that ur victims can't escape it. well I , won't stand for it. no sir. poor white kids could get hurt...

......SEE!! sooooo I stand sick of this. Why can't it just go back to beer pong, beer bong, and keg stands. but Noooooo, everytime one of your songs come on another white person drops their head in shame. it needs to stop.

well i need to calm down but this isn't the last you'll here from me you hip hop hit-makers.
i'm here for them. you welcome friends, my WHITE FRIENDS..

Black Book Tuesday!

2007-09-04T19:30:00.000-07:00

who are you lindsay

JENAS 6

2007-09-02T21:43:00.000-07:00

take some time out and peep this. we live in the same USofA but certain societies are light years apart.

i'm not saying what they did was right or nething but the prejudice is obvious and disheartening. sign the petition if you like things fair.
http://www.petitiononline.com/aZ51CqmR/

back to the land of beautiful white women

2007-09-02T21:15:00.001-07:00

Man.. so much has happened since I last wrote. I'm so damn lazy when it comes to this. My birthday was August 18th. Thanks to all the people who wished me happy birthday and gave me blessings. and thanks to the people who came to Richmond for my bday party at Alexs place. I had a bunch of fun pics from that night but sometime during the lezzi porn that went on some girl took my cam and decided to delete every single picture. Yea there were some swell pictures too ... shape ups, girl on girl action, friends, fam, post ups, and shot guns. I brought my blackbook up that I just got and Andy and Dennis threw up some nice shit that I will post up later... as well as some random drunken shit people wrote. it turned out to be like a bday guestbook by next morning. thanks for caring in ur inebriated state peeps.
Anyways, I'm back in Harrisonburg...started classes and everything. reppin the Commons! hard. it's pretty shitty, lots of stuff was broken and dirty on move in day and many things remain the same. For instance, we attempted to wash the covers of our couches and next thing we know the washer is flooding and our floor is soaked for like 3 days with detergent water. The moldy water smell was el terible! Oh and our fridge won't close all the way sometimes so often we gotta bang that piece with a hammer to keep things fresh. Other than that I can't complain bout much else... the place is nice and not as bad as I THOUGHT it was gonna be.
yepppp So i'm back where the demographics are 60/40 in favor of the vag and where that 60 percent is 95% unbelievably gorgeous. and of course, where I'm the only minority (let alone filipino person) in most of my classes. sometimes i still can't believe how exact opposite it is of Denbigh, Newport News, HOME. welp. this is 2nd home....ahhh JMU. ahhh Hburg. ahhh North Face fleece and assorted colors of swiss cheese Crocs. i predict a crazy year, let's hope crazy-good and not crazy-bad....

welp. cya later!

ATTENTION! ATTENTION!!!

2007-08-16T19:14:00.000-07:00

.... in need of a muse.

drywall

2007-08-09T23:08:00.000-07:00

Mayor Bee

2007-08-06T13:39:00.000-07:00