Crazy for Cupcakes

when I moved to New York one of the first things that I noticed was the craze over cupcakes. a recent phenomenon, a handful of premium cupcake shops have opened up where you have Magnolia (supposedly made famous from a S&TC episode), Crumbs, Cupcake Cafe, and Burgers & Cupcakes. with lines spanning blocks, these shops have decided to quickly expand to other US cities, although mostly LA. I actually had the opportunity to try a cupcake from magnolia and to my straight heterosexual surprise I was quite delighted by its light, fluffy, and beautifully delicious effect. although I wouldn't line up to get my hands on cupcakes cakes let alone most things, I can definitely see the appeal of doing so (I actually recall getting someone cupcakes for her birthday).

now the question that lingers in my mind is how long will America's obsession with these cute cakes last? will it falter the same way that Krispy Kreme did by making itself too accessible, ultimately losing its desirability because you can get them anywhere? an indie theater that i recently went to has decided to meet the demands of its female audience by offering cupcakes at its concession stands along with tea and coffee.

whatever its fate, I'm sure something else will come along that will grasp our appetite for all things small and sweet.

C

Lebron plays HORSE

so the Lebron James trick shot challenge finally came to an end a few days ago after a one on one game of HORSE with David Kalb of California. what impresses me about this is the playfulness of LeBron's initial challenge, along with the actual showdown.



I remember someone once asking me (paraphrasing Noam Chomsky) about the uselessness of professional sports as it really has no impacting influence on real world issues, like poverty for example. but in essence, the fact that it is a means of escaping the real world and our daily lives is what in fact makes it important.



anyhow, a kid at heart i found this challenge and its conclusion quite interesting and enjoyable. check the vids.

C

three three six seven three

after a couple of days of rigorous discipline which involved two bottles of vodka plus a few pounds of chicken wings and quesadillas, i ran the globally organized Nike 10km Human Race. with 10,000 people to compete against in New York City alone, plus another 29 cities across the globe (which would make it 300,000 runners in total), i clocked in at 51 minutes and 10 seconds ranking 33,673 in the world. with my original goal of coming in the top half of the NYC race alone, ranking just beyond the top quintile put me well beyond my goal. sure its not the olympics or even a marathon, but it was quite an experience.

a race 10 thousand deep with bottle-neck straight-aways where any lack of judgement in the space between and pace of other runners meant that somebody was hitting the pavement (and i saw it happened more than once). on the starting line i actually got stuck in the middle of the pack so i had to take any and every opportunity to pass 10 to 20 runners at a time. this meant strategic bursts of speed, peripheral angular cuts, occasional off-track running, and taking wide corners in order to burst by those trying to stay tight.

i saw a couple of people get their legs accidentally clipped by other runners dropping hard to the ground. others trying to run on the grass ending up with a face full of mud. and one getting inadvertently tackled from behind as he suddenly stopped for a gatorade at the refreshments table to the chagrin of the runner right behind him.

the finish line was quite intense as they designed it to be coming into a stadium full of family and friends in the grandstand. when running toward the finish line i actually turned my head to the right to catch a break from the actual race and bank a few moments of joy and goosebumps.

Chino NY

more visuals and commentary available from hypebeast:
http://hypebeast.com/2008/09/nike-human-race-grand-finale/#more-39020

The Human Race

this sunday i'll be running in nike's worldwide '10 km human race'. when i head of the event it was a no-brainer as i totally slept on the last race that nike did in TO a couple of years ago. plus, i had been steadily running for a few weeks already so this gave me something to work toward other than (successfully) shedding some pounds.

but i honestly dont know what to expect of it. most races...rather "runs"...that i've passively been exposed to through pictures and television commercials from previous events show participants laughing and smiling and holding hands and hugging and blah blah blah. but those are races...i mean "runs"...being organized by some charitable organization. it has been coined a 'race' which is good news, and it is nike after all. and who knows competition better than a company that sells us the ability to associate ourselves with a competitive lifestyle or state of mind better than nike? they've actually taken this race idea to new levels enrichenning the competitiveness of it by creating feuds between neighbourhoods.

what i'm unsure about is the kind of mentality that i should start putting myself in as i know how high the levels of my competitive nature can get, and i really dont want to be overly aggressive and disappointed if everyone is there for a sunday stroll, or be caught off my game if i show up leisurely while everyone there is salivating at the chance to leave someone in the dust.

10km isnt that long of a distance when compared to a marathon, or even a half-marathong (get it...marathong : P ), but its not a 100m dash either. i've semi-calculated the distance while running in central park and i've concluded that its about 100-120 new york city blocks, or 40-45 minutes. anyhow, i'm pretty excited as i def want to be a part of this impressive event (its going to be held in various cities in many countries around the world on the same day), and i wouldnt mind finishing in good time (under 40 minutes and i'll be happy).

so lets pound knuckles (fellas), slap me on the butt (ladies), and wish me luck.

Hip Hop's Crown Jewels

alright, so I've changed my mind. it happens even to the best of us. after seeing these three pieces below, and reading a more detailed and sophisticated press release, this is actually looking to be quite an event. in all honestly, don't be surprised if you see pictures of my poor ass at the auction.

a few paragraphs taken from the official press release (available through URL below):

In hip hop’s evolution from the Bronx to the boardrooms of Madison Avenue and the catwalks of Paris, hip hop has always aspired to and celebrated the trappings of the “Good Life”. Pieces such as Sean Diddy Comb’s Princess and Baguette Cut Diamond and Platinum Bracelet embody the boom, says Minya Oh: “Sean Diddy Combs personifies hip hop’s bling lifestyle. He’s elevated ‘ghetto fabulousness’ and ‘urban luxury’ into public theater.”

Contemporary artists now pay homage to their hip hop forefathers by embracing the early motifs of hip hop jewelry such as the Gucci link and Dookie rope, but remix the styles to reflect the multi-billion dollar market that hip hop now commands. One example of this tribute included in the sale is Pharrell Williams’ Gucci Link Necklace, with its oversized links dipped in pink, yellow and blue multicolored pave diamonds.

These extraordinary artifacts feature the iconic motifs and visual hallmarks of hip-hop: the Turntable and Microphone; the Dollar Sign and Crown; the Gucci Link and Dookie Chain; images of Jesus and Nefertiti. Together, this constellation of signs and symbols wrought in gold, platinum and diamonds presents not only a rich portrait of hip hop culture, but also its vital international contributions to art, music and fashion.

The “Hip Hop’s Crown Jewels” auction catalogue will also be available in limited-quantity prior to the October 1 sale. This beautiful document includes significant contributions from Simon de Pury and Russell Simmons and promises to be a valuable addition to hip hop history.

http://www.phillipsdepury.com/media/113721/hip_hop_oct_pr_7_30.pdf

on a rock in the park during sunset

lost between days on my way to tomorrow

memories & scents gone astray with time

lessons be taught with mistakes once forgotten
my sunshine awaits at the turn of a dime

children's feet stumble when running too fast
parents that tend to their scrapes & their burns
moments of lust that become generations
hands holding hands of the people i yearn (for)

stares across cross lights, perhaps once i knew you
nothing to show but this ink and these scars
lead me your way to a place moist & lovely
stand upon me, be my moon and my stars

summer rejoiced like a newborn arriv-ed
slow burning days but no minutes at hand
shadows of lovers once controlled by desires
steps repetitious like pebbles & sand

if darkness prevails every twenty four hours
then what is the point of such complexing lives
when is the day of our simple conclusion
efforts to thrive, stay alive & survive

beautiful people walk asunder & blunder
seeing whats there, not what lies beyond
let me maintain this perspective so lifted
grant me the courage to live twice as long.

- written on a rock, in the park, during sunset -

Bling (!) goes Boojie (?)

an auction the likes that the world has never seen - focused on a collection of jewelry worn by rap stars such as Tupac, Biggie, 50, and Missy - has been scheduled for October 1 of this year. obviously the audience on hand wont be your typical tea sipping aristocrats, so I cant imagine who other than paid rap artists and athletes will be in attendance. even so, who would want second-hand bling? rap/hip-hops influence on mainstream america (and the world) is undeniable, but these over-sized morphings of metals and stones cant be taken for manifestations of all that hip hop means to achieve. and its not like these things could be placed on a wall for the sake of art or displayed in a case with a babe ruth autograph or miles davis trumpet.

"next up for bid is this lovely 7.5 by 6 inches gold and diamond pendant weighing 5 pounds and dipped in syzzur."