punch buggy apprentice!

after living in the city for 2+ years, i've seen (and recognized) remarkably few celebrities. it's just not fair. i don't get out enough i suppose. the only other names on my "spotted" list are david cross, fred armisen (i PAID to see him), todd solondz (does he count?), and philip seymour hoffman. sad really.

but yeah. danny kastner (dorky shaggy guitar-playing guy w/glasses...wait, does he count too?) from season 3 of the apprentice was on the uptown 6 train this morning. he looked a bit confused/frazzled/tired, wearing a khaki jacket, jeans, and red (suede?) shoes, reading over some woman's shoulder. saw him right before i got off the train @ 28th @ 9:01 am.

yeah yeah, i was a TEENY bit late. the trains were messed up. seriously. shaddup.

www.kastner.com - personal danny
www.popstick.com - bizzy danny

and i'm rooting for kendra, but i know bren will win. he's a baby trump!

tastyview

yoshitomo nara is the new takashi murakami. smoosh is the new hanson.
nyc25 is the new mtv2.

caught the cmj 2004 clip-show episode of new york noise last night and saw, for the first time in a long time, some lovely music videos:

+ ted leo and the pharmacists - "me & mia" --> filmed above 595 6th ave [17th st] during a band practice, this vid is gritty, low budget, and exactly what every music video should be - a glimpse of the band in their element. versus the gimmicky "god knows" video from mando diao, there's no doubt who's made a better vid. or maybe i just like "me & mia" a lot.

+ bright eyes - "first day of my life" --> couples/families with headphones on. directed by the john cameron mitchell. he's done some work with the scissor sisters as well.

+ regina spektor - "us" --> most vivid vivacious vid of the lot. her fitted 40's-era skirt suit w/elbow openings is gorgeous, her mismatched earrings are quirky, and her voice is delightful - highlighted by the scattered single-frame shots.

+ beck - "hell yes" --> mumbleboy directs a blindingly bling-blingily bright blocky chop-socky "i love the 80's" acid trip japan pop mating with animated aol buddy icon masterpiece.

****and if anyone knows of an IT or tech-related summer internship in the city my 18-year-old brother could apply for, please let me know! thanks!****

ebay effluvia vol. 1 no. 4

the vinyl vinyl everywhere edition.

ebay links:
*most leftist* - (dj) unkle toy by kubrick
*leftist* - robot hellcatz
*middling* - devilrobot "hook" doll
*rightist* - dalek shower curtain
*most rightist* - non-vinyl paul frank snow globe "made with real water!"

hob nob job

Video Games Producer, MTV.com
Video Games Producer serves as production team lead for MTV.com's video games area & editorial coverage. Responsible for seamless execution & creative vision for area, including design, editorial & video production, wireframes, func. specs, production sched, resource alloctn, must have 4-8 years of exp building web content for major brands and/or video games content. Ideal: knows MS Visio, HTML editing tools (Homesite) & strong affinity to MTV brand (on-air and online), pc and console, gaming culture. Contact careers@mtv.com.

(source: digitalmediawire)

buffer zone

chelsea market baskets says administrative professionals day is on april 27th. delightfuldeliveries.com gives it a whole week, 4/25-4/29! providing bosses with some wiggle room when they forget i suppose.

maybe all holidays should have a buffer zone. think of all the avoided stepping-on of toes! all the 15%-more-thoughtful gifts! all the family dinners where everybody can make it! the 200% jump in greeting card revenue! the very idea makes me glow like the blind man after amelie helps him cross the street.

overheard in cubicle land...

"i'm totally starting to spread like cream cheese in the rear end..."

vote gamespot!

update 10:24 am 4.16.05: DANG! gamespot's gathered 46% of the vote, followed by the halo2 bees promotion @ 22% and gamespy @ 20%. rawk. if you voted, thank you! if you haven't, voting ends 4/29, so get in there!


tis time once again for the interweb carnage of the webby awards! visit http://peoplesvoice.webbyawards.com, take 30 seconds to register, and help move gamespot out of third place! it's in the "Games-Related" category under "Entertainment".

and under "Connections" --> "Personal Web Site" check out rtm86.com and day 26, my two new favorite blogs.

filter mini

filter mag is distributing a free mini-magazine in NYC starting in june. an LA version already exists and is published every two months (hardly an "up to the minute" source for pithy parties and hoppin' hipster hangouts). look for this newest entrant into the oversaturated NYC-event-calendar-free-publication cockfight at clubs, concerts, and of course, the ubiquitous urban outfitters.

the cat. the dog.

they did this exact promotion a few years ago, no? maybe just the dogs. still cute. i'm so there.

McDonald's Touts The Cat, The Dog as Happy Meal Premiums
Beginning April 15, McDonald's kids meals will feature 16 breeds of plush pals inspired by Artlist Collection: The Cat and The Dog. The brand, which is licensed by New York-based 4Kids Entertainment, is a kitten and puppy franchise from Japan. The collection contains more than 100 different breeds of kittens and puppies photographed with enlarged heads...(click here for more)

the $65 nail file

come on now. there has GOT to be something more worthwhile to product test than nail files. honestly. who has a preference about cardboard sticks covered in sandpaper??? i'm disgusted that you get paid to do this, aja. and supremely jealous.

how about industrial strength scissors? or mints? or rubber bands? or coffee mugs? or chapstick? maybe dog collars. i'm positive there are NYC dog owners just dying for an article on how metal studs on the collar are good/bad/deadly for their pets and desperately need further research on the benefits of canvas vs. nylon.

brit is preggers

update 11:22 am 4.14.05: UPN's brit & kevin reality show will premiere with a one-hour special episode on tuesday, may 17 at 9 pm. the following week, the untitled series, which includes footage from their private home videos (*shudder*), will air half-hour episodes tuesdays at 9 pm, followed by the new UPN comedy the bad girls guide, starring jenny "she's still alive?" mccarthy. i can't look away! it's like a quintuple-car-crash when the jaws of life are about to dig in!


the funny (and sad) thing is that i opt-in to receive these idiotic newsletters. i give them PERMISSION to litter my brain with useless tidbits that are utterly irrelevant to my life. to anyone's life really. ugh.

whole foods fun

spend $100+ at the newly opened union square whole foods store and you get a free clear green bag/cart/tote thing. a $23 value! no idea how long this promotion has been going on, or when it will end. it has no "spine", but it does have wheels, is of sturdy construction, and will definitely come in handy during my monthly hauls to the laundromat. it's gotta be the most high-tech low-tech promo item i've ever seen.

-27" total height ~ 22" basket height ~ 11" deep ~ 12" wide.
-2904 cubic inches of dirty laundry/random sundries/weekly groceries/childhood collection of pink bunny plush dolls goodness.
-tuff canvas and shiny green plastic not unlike the shade of "go-lights".
-"whole foods" logo emblazoned on either side in white.
-fancy wire & plastic 3.5" diameter wheels that snap out when needed.
-folds down to a manageable totebag-sized squareish 11"x12". approx. 1.5" thick.
-also has handles for your carrying pleasure.
-2 snap buttons at top middle to hold bag together when compacted.
-spiffy, as a whole.

the bakery was giving away bunny-bite-sized samples of carmelita bars too. they are only the most delicious substance on earth. it kind of tastes like crumb cake, but not as cakey, and with nuts, and chocolate chunks, and scattered patches of caramel. i couldn't resist going back for seconds on samples. yum.

their bath/body section is impressive too. two standouts were john masters' organic blood orange & vanilla body milk (moisturizer) and vanilla sand body oil from pooka. yup. those are tiny tiny seashells in the bottom of that bottle. indie rock.

where we live.

there are approximately 21,967 zip codes in the united states. dang, that's a buttload of people. and unless you want to pay some shoddy shady online vendor $80 for a database license, you need to go to wikipedia, look up "zip codes", and catalog them all into excel yourself.

i did so. not by choice. my fingers are tired. nap time.

cool zip code website --> CLICK HERE

ebay effluvia vol. 1 no. 3

the unlimited income edition.

i'm not sure at which point i'm supposed to start increasing the "vol" number. maybe when i hit a new month. anyway, the hits keep on coming.

ebay links:
*most leftist* - expensive sass/bide tee - "hey you electric beautiful"??? wtf? and it's ugly to boot.
*slightly leftist* - drum machine girl - not familiar with her? GO HERE (quickie) or HERE (longer cooler version) to introduce yourself, and feel free to jiggle your foot a little in your cubicle. it's an oldie but a goodie.
*middle ground* - barry mcgee vinyl
*slightly rightist* - stussy baby ragamuffin
*most rightist* - stussy sweater w/embroidered skulls

here's to a luscious lucas summer

haha. i'm dumb. what has spielberg done lately anyway? darn me and my love for alliteration.

union square (grammar) massacre

west village wanderings photoblog - includes gobs of fresh exciting tingly tangy fruity funny fuzzly blingity bling blong mind-blowing once-in-a-lifetime tourist distractions such as, but not limited to:

*mexx closing
*pinot envy
*window displays
*tree w/fruit of plastic birds
*your key to getting on comedy central
*the death of winter
*the birth of spring

"maps" collage

this is what my windows media player thought of the song "maps" by the yeah yeah yeahs when it got played on woxy.com this afternoon. haven't heard it? well, get on it! grokster is calling your name.

ebay effluvia vol. 1 no. 2

ebay links:
*left* - (fake?) green pumas from china
*second from left* - yo japan tank top
*second from right* - cat zakka homemade goods book
*right* - goofy adidas sneakers

happy monday. thanks and blessings.

ebay effluvia vol. 1 no. 1

i spend a bit too much time on ebay. mostly because i'm obsessed with an australian brand called "mooks". and an american brand called "volcom". anything japanesey. it takes 110% of my will power to resist the urge to drop cash on clothes that are vaguely interesting/hot/cool/different/desired. so i'm going to start catalog ing the best and most unique items' images and their ebay links. you'll see the original price, the bidding war that ensue(s)(d), the shipping charges, materials of construction, size, and whether or not it's still possible for you to own it for yourself, for as long as links are live, i suppose. so enjoy. i've combed the vast vintage gardens of ebay effluvia just for you.

ok ok, and for the fattening of my "i'm a unique snowflake" closet.

click on the individual images for paypal-prompting details via flickr

ebay links:
*left* - maroon elbow patch sweater
*middle* - pony/cow yoga sneakers by adidas
*right* - charcoal volcom blazer w/embroidery & screenprinting