4F

Alberto Santos-Dumont (20 July 1873 – 23 July 1932)

2006-11-10T16:29:00.000-05:00

While most young people of the U.S. are taught that the Wright brothers were the inventors of modern flight and aeronautics, most of the world outside of the U.S. credit Alberto Santos-Dumont of Brazil for the amazing achievement of being the first to master aeroplane flight. While there is some argument about who was actually first, the Wright brothers or Santos-Dumont, clearly Santos-Dumont was far more influential in the future of aeronautics and aircraft design. After watching the NOVA PBS special "Wings of Madness", I too have become a Santos-Dumontian and acknowledge Santos-Dumont as the father of modern aviation.

Hell hath no fury...(Update)

2006-07-25T11:48:00.000-04:00

Well, I must say that we must have been duped for a short period of time. It appears that our friend Emily and her juvenile attempt at getting even with her cheating husband was all a hoax; a part of a viral marketing campaign by Court TV.

New York Times Article
New York Post Article

No Juice

2006-07-24T12:24:00.000-04:00

After 7 days, over 9000 people in Astoria Queens still have no power. One Astoria shop owner expresses their disatisfaction with the Con Edison power company by displaying a sign in a window.

Hell hath no fury...

2006-07-19T12:04:00.000-04:00

So i'm taking a little break from my downtown office to run a couple of errands. I'm heading out of the Wall St. train station and see a young woman holding a flier that reads "Lost Dog". Seems rather normal, I figure that this young woman must live in Batter Park and her dog must have gotten away and is lost. After looking a little closer, I see that the "Lost Dog" that she is looking for is not of the K9 variety but of the homosapien kind. Yes, she is passing out lost dog fliers with a picture of her husband; her cheating husband. Did I mention that the flier reads that her husband is cheating on her with her best friend?

Yes, this woman is wandering around the Financial District handing out fliers with a picture of her cheating husband. To top the situation off, the flier has a URL where you can find video of the cheating in progress, as captured by the private investigator that was hired to validate the indescretion. The husband in the picture is dressed in the typical Wall St. manner so I'm assuming he's a banker or trader or something along those lines and must work in the financial district. I'm sure that she's done a very good job of handing these fliers out to his friends and colleagues on the street. When I got back to the office and tried the website, it was a bit slow which suggests that there was MAD traffic hitting the site. I can imagine now, all of this guys blue blood friends and colleagues on the trading floor giving him the business right about now.

Here is the flier that was handed out (pdf)
Here is her blog (http://www.stevenisacheatingdog.com)

Rack 'em

2006-02-27T11:09:00.000-05:00

The photo shoot went well. I was happy with most of the work. Slate was fairly accomodating with my intentions and turned out to be a really good place to shoot. There are a few things that I've learned during the course of this shoot that I can take forward with me to the next shoot.

1) Keep the guests at the shoot to a limited number.
I think that we had the perfect number of guests to entertain each other while I grabbed willing participants for shots.

2) Have a core group of models/participants througout the shoot.
Having a core group that is dedicated to appearing in shots is important. Helps keep the flow going througout the shoot. You can shoot candids or use guests for spontaneous shots from time to time but having the core subjects is important.

3) Don't be in such a hurry to get a shot. Stop. Focus. Be Patient. Pay attention to the light. This should help my overall efficiency with respect to quality shots.

I'd like to thank Richie for some excellent tips during the shoot. It always helps to have a more experienced photographer to bounce things around with. A big thanks goes to my lovely assistant "Mary Mar" aka Alex aka Mary. This would not have happened without her effort and patience. I'd like to thank everyone else for coming out and I'll see you at the next shoot - On The Roof at 4F.

Photos from The Slate Pool Room (2/24/2006)
Slate NYC

Show Me The Patacas!

2006-01-28T20:22:00.000-05:00

Noun: pataca (pu'taaku)

The basic unit of money in Macao

Derived forms: patacas

Type of: Macao monetary unit

Encyclopedia: Pataca

iGroupie

2006-01-20T14:06:00.000-05:00

While engaged with an iFriend of mine-someone that I have never met in person but we have mutual friends and we communicate via a network communications medium such as the Internet, cellular, or PSTN, using applications like instant messenger, e-mail, and the telephone; I realized what the Internet geek was missing in life that would validate him/her as a cool and iconic figure...THE GROUPIE.

Lets face it. There was nothing really cool about those 80's hair bands even during the 80's. They were just little nerds, dorks, or little pussys that were in the marching band or music class in their highschool years. Somewhere along the way they figured, "The only way to be cool as a musician is to form a band and get chics!"...And they were right. You can be an ugly, untalented teased hair, drug addicted, alcoholic and be a superstar idol, as long as you have groupies. No groupies, no love. From anyone.

For the bloggers, and technology gurus and geeks, it's got to be all about the groupies from here on out. Here's to the iGroupie.

One Giant Leap for Houston, One Big Step for Texan Kind

2005-10-20T09:14:00.000-04:00

Houston, there is no problem and all systems are go. This is the town that put men on the moon for this country and finally we have managed to put our own team in the World Series. Baseball was the first sport that I grew to love and I've been an Astros fan all of my life. I've been through all the heartbreaks; losing to Philly in '80, Charlie Kerfeld blowing the game in the 16th inning against the Mets in '86, being up 3-2 against St. Louis in '04 and not getting it done, and the Albert Pujols home run bottom of the ninth with 2 outs and 2 strikes in the game 5 of the '05 NLCS. Now there is redemption. We have finally made it to the promised land and it feels good to be an Astros fan. I'm going to the sports shop just after work and picking up my Biggio 7 road jersey.

Go 'stos!

Can I please get a World Series in My Home Town, Go 'stros

2005-10-18T11:47:00.000-04:00

First of all, sorry for taking so long to make another post, I do have a life to live.

OK now down to business. That was a heart breaking loss for the Astros to the Cardinals last night. We are one strike away from going to the big dance with the best closer in the National League, Brad Lidge, in the game. Oh agony when he allows two runners on base with the best hitter in the National League, Albert Pujols, coming to the plate. Enron Field err Minute Maid Park went amazingly quiet after Pujols jacked the most monstrous shot I've ever seen hit in that park.

I'm definitely worried. We were in the same situation last year with St. Louis and couldn't go to their joint and win one. Can we do it this year. That was such a crushing defeat, can our heads even get back into the game. One strike away!

I was just 8 years old when we lost the pennant Philly in 1980. I remember Tug McGraw (God rest his soul) holding up those 3 fingers to the home Philly crowd as to say, "3 more outs and we go to the dance." I cried after that loss.

Champagne Sundays : The NFL

2005-09-25T22:55:00.000-04:00

1st There was Billy "White Shoes" Johnson...
Then there was Butch Johnson...
Now there is Chad Johnson...
The Johnson boys really know how to do touchdown dances!

My man Rod Smart aka, "He Hate Me", has decided to change his name to "He Love Me" after getting so much love from the fans in the Carolina area. Much love for "He Love Me".

Whenever Vinnie Testaverde shows up to play, it's a bad sign for your team. The Jets are done.

Tom Brady really is the man, I'm on the bandwagon now.

Ladainian Tomlinson is sick. Did you see his line from the game against the Giants. 192 yds rushing, 3 TDs, and 1 passing TD. He already has my vote for MVP. If you don't get this guy the ball you should be fired.

Not the Wright Stuff

2005-09-24T19:43:00.000-04:00

Jarod Wright stunk up the Bronx today. Wright gave up 4 runs in the 1st inning and loaded the bases in the second with no outs; Aaron Small was brought in to clean up the mess. Small almost got out of the inning with no damage but poor defense by Cano led to three runs. Small shut the Jays down for the rest of the game.

Keys to the game:
- Wright stinks
- Cano seems to have hit the rookie wall.
- The Yankees inability to manufacture runs hurt them again.
- Small pitched a gem for 6 innings.

Rita

2005-09-23T15:00:00.000-04:00

Update!!!

Sat 9/24, 11:30AM

Just spoke to my Mother. Seems like no damage to the house and there is still power. A couple of small branches are in the street and a slight rain persists.

Sat 9/24, 11:00AM

Seems like Houston and Galveston dodged a high speed nuclear missile. Looks like Port Arthur got some damage as well as Beaumont. Poor New Orleans still took more damage from this storm than anyone else, I think.

Fri 9/23, 3:00PM

J-Rock sent a text message and wrote that he would call later. I'm sure he is in the throws of protecting what he's got in Port Arthur.

My Mother called. She said that Joyce and Napoleon have made it to San Antonio. She and the rest of the family left in Houston have decided to move to a hotel...yes they actually got rooms. I'm not sure if I like that idea. There are 6 or 7 or them and I think that they would probably be better served at home. I don't know, just me; I like to hold what I got and protect the home front. They are in a better position than I to make those kind of decisions.

Rod called again to let me know that the levees in New Orleans are starting to overflow. Mayor Nagin just can't buy a break these days.

Fri 9/23, 9:30AM

Rod called to check in. He and Gen have finally made it to San Antonio...14Hrs. Rod's Mom and Dad have made it to Round Rock, TX (an Austin suburb) and he'll make a visit to see them later today. Rod is going to get in touch with J-Rock. The storm is predicted to hit Port Arthur, TX which is J-Rock's home town. J-Rock's sister lives in New Orleans and had to evacuate to Port Arthur for hurricane Katrina, now she is again in the path of the storm.

Bo Mello checked in as well. 14Hr trip to San Antonio as well. He is with his brother on a military base where his brother serves.

24 evacuees die in bus fire
"There were indications that oxygen used by elderly evacuees could have had a role in the fire, Peritz said. There were a series of explosions, apparently from the oxygen equipment, he said."

Boy is left behind as his family evacuates

Thur 9/22, 7:10PM
Update from Rod, "35 miles in 8 hours."

Thur 9/22, 7:00PM

Bo Mello just checked in. He and his family are headed to San Antonio. It's slow going but they are going to try to make it out.

Thur 9/22, 5:00PM

J-Rock just checked in. He and his family are ok.

Thur 9/22, 4:30PM

Words I remember from my Grandfather:
"Son, I just want you to understand that it's not your fault that all of this is happening, and that there is nothing that you can do to prevent it; but it is your responsibility to help where you can and that is all I ask of you."

Just a thought of mine:
"If you can't get gas in Houston, you can't get gas anywhere!"

Thur 9/22, 2:00PM

Just spoke with my Mother. She and my Grandmother didn't make it out. They were waiting on other family members and now it's probably too late to get out. Fuel is hard to come by. Good news is that my Uncle Reggie and brother Jean are with them. Jean's friend Russel is there too. Jean and Russel are going to take some of the cars to a high rise parking garage later tonight, keeping them high above ground should help with debri or flooding. Mattie is in Chicago so she's safe.

I talked to Joyce as well. They are still at her house. I'm wondering if they should just stay put. It's almost suicide to try and make it out of Houston right now. It will take at least 18 hours to get out of town because of the traffic. Fuel is a problem so there is a chance that they might now even make it out and you don't want to be stuck on the road with no fuel. You can't get home and you can't get anywhere else. You don't want to be on the I-45 corridor when this storm hits... it's automatic death.

Thur 9/22, 12:30PM:

Al just checked in. He and his family have made it to Dallas.

People are trying to be smart. I see from television reports that many cars have extra gas cans and are not running the air conditioning in their car to save fuel. If you run out of gas, you are screwed. Good Luck to them all.

Thur 9/22, Noon:

Rod just called. He and Gen are headed to San Antonio right now. I-10 near his home is shut down but they are taking HWY 529 to Bellville as an alternate route. He's only been able to travel 3 miles from his home so far...he's been driving for a little over an hour now. He and Gen were going to fly up to NYC but there are no flights leaving now. He had to go, his Mom is calling on the other line.

Thur 9/22, 11:15AM:

Finally was able to reach Mark Hawkins:
Grid lock is horrible. He, the wife, and kids are going to hold up in their home located in Southwest Houston. Mark recieved a report from a friend that had left Clear Lake, TX at 8:00PM last night and had only gotten as far as Jersey Village, TX by 10:00AM ( ~45 miles ). Really shows how bad traffic is.

The word from Spencer Turner:
Spencer and his wife are hold up in their home as well. He's concerned about the panic going on right now. The roads are gridlocked and their appears to be some slight hysteria by a lot of residents. His primary concern about his safety and home is flying debri from the storm. Spencer was at Home Depot while I was speaking with him. He needed for supplies to protect the windows and other portals. The line is long he says; an attendent has just told him that the store will close at Noon regardless of whether people are still in line (The people that work there have to evacuate as well.)

Thur 9/22, 10:45AM:

I've been trying to contact anyone in Houston that I can but the telephone network is overloaded, wireless and landline networks. I've tried to call Rod & Al but got nothing. Tried my Mother and my Grandmother on their wireless phone and got nothing.

Latest Weather Satellite Image
Google Map of area from Houston to New Orleans

Wed 9/21, 2:50PM:

Crystal's Report
"Went on the hunt for bottled water last night. That shit is like gold, and there was none. Now the newsheads are saying we could potentially be without electricity for a couple of weeks. "

Wed 9/21, 4:00PM:

Hurricane Rita has just been upgrade to Catergory 5. The Family is heading out of town now. Traffic is at a stand still pace and all Tolls have been suspended to make it easier to evacuate. Shannon J. (My cousin) is reporting that all hotels in Texas have suspended reservations and are on a first-come-first-serve basis. no hotels are showing any vacancies. Some people are forced to travel as far as Oklahoma to find hotel vacancies.

Tue 9/20, 11:00PM:

I'm concerned about Hurricane Rita and whether or not it may do damage to my home in Houston. The hurricane has just entered the Gulf Coast and has been upgraded to a category 4 storm. As a precaution, my family has made emergency evacuation plans. They called last night to inform me as to what those plans were, if they evacuate they'll go up to the ranch in [about 200 miles inland] in Calvert Texas. Landfall is expected on Friday. I'm having huge concerns that Rita may turn and plow right into New Orleans. Again. That would be horrific. That city wouldn't be able to take another hit.

Full Coverage: Hurricane Rita
How Hurricanes Get Their Names

Happy Birthday Alex

2005-09-21T10:59:00.000-04:00

Born Today :
1967 Kristen Johnston - actress
1964 Crispin Glover - actor
1951 Matt Blair - football player
1947 John Panozzo - drummer (Styx)
1947 Chuck Panozzo - bassist (Styx)
1934 Sophia Loren - actress (Oscar® winner, 1961)
1929 Anne Meara - comedienne, actress
1920 Jay Ward - TV animation producer (Rocky & Bullwinkle, Dudley Do-Right, George of the Jungle)
1917 Red Auerbach - basketball coach

In the Headlines Today:
1984 The Cosby Show, starring comedian Bill Cosby, premieres on NBC-TV.
1973 Singer/guitarist Jim Croce dies in a plane crash in Natchitoches, LA.
1973 Billie Jean King defeats Bobby Riggs in three straight matches.
1519 Ferdinand Magellan sets sail from Spain to search for a western passage to Indonesia.

Monday Night Football : Week 2

2005-09-19T01:14:00.000-04:00

Nice Broadcast Format!
That's what I've got to say about the new broadcast style for ABC
Monday Night Football. This format solves a lot of problems that the
one game approach always incurs.

People in the Eastern Time Zone (EST) don't have to wait until 9:00PM
to see Monday Night Football, there is now a game on at 7:30PM.

If the 7:30PM game is a bust [blowout, un-competitive, un-compelling,
or just a bore], viewers can now switch to an alternative game at
9:00PM.

ESPN Will get the lower rated game, ABC will get the higher rated
game, either way MNF is broadcast nationally.

The Giants are hoping to have their own version of the "The Triplets"
Manning might be capable of slingin' the rock, Tiki "High & Tight"
Barber stopped fumbling and became one of the best backs in the
league, "Plex" might have some grip. Can Strahan & Co. lock the
other teams offense down? in the playoffs?

Parcells is Pissed Off

Champagne Sundays : The NFL

2005-09-18T00:17:00.000-04:00

T.O. & Moss
Puttin' up digits, serious digits. T.O. & Moss make teamates
better. If they can allow Lawrence Taylor to be L.T. somtimes; and
Manny can just be Manny; then they can just let T.O. be Terrible and
Randy be a freak.

Fall = Futbol = Football

NFL : NCAA : UEAF

Jesse Jackson '88

2005-09-17T00:24:00.000-04:00

Spent the evening in Brooklyn hanging out with A-Kane. After calling it quits for the evening, I headed over to the 4 train to make the move back to Manhattan. To my suprise, I see a dude sporting an authentic Jesse Jackson '88 throwback tee shirt. It was starting to show its wear but in decent condition which means that he must only wear it on special occasions. You could tell that it was a prized garment for him and he wore it with pride. I just thought that it might not be so safe to roll with a Jesse Jackson '88 tee in this part of Brooklyn. (Some people may get why, and some may not! See this wiki article for background.)

Formula 50: No Groupies, No Love, Just 50

2005-09-15T11:16:00.000-04:00

Can you imagine walking down 1st Avenue and ya boy 50 Cent (aka Fitty) is painted across the side of a bus in a Vitamin Water ad. Yes Vitamin Water! Glaceau has decided to come out with a new line of vitamin water using Fitty as the front man for the brand. And what is this brand called? Yep, Formula 50.

No 40 ounce malt liquor, no vodka, no Courvoisier. Fitty's pimpin' vitamin water. Is it me or does this seem like a straight up bitch move for a guy with such a "street" persona. The ad located on the Glaceau website for Formula 50 vitamin water even has a tag line reading"...try a dose of Formula 50 and lose the pimp cup."

Don't get me wrong, this is a bitch move on Fitty's part but it's a bitch move that I like. I'm the first one in line to complain about trite in hip-hop. This is a welcome departure from the mundane hip-hop pimp game and others should follow. I can see it now, Marshal Mathers decides to do ads for M&M Mars and pimp a special "Slim Shady" bag of M&Ms: chocolate candies with a white candy shell. Nelly hookin' up with Band-Aid brands to pimp a custom brand of adhesive bandages.

Listen to Music, Not Radio

2005-09-13T20:45:00.000-04:00

Great graffiti illustration I found on a NYC phone booth located near Broadway & Bleeker. Radio really does suck. Is it me or does every hip-hop radio personality sound like Crazy Eddie? I really have a problem with the idea of being sold music. 90% of music out there is never allowed to be experienced by most listeners. The other 10% that we do get to hear is crap. "Genre", what the fuck is "genre"?
Step outside and go find the music people, the good music.

Japanese Barbecue Night

2005-09-10T22:17:00.000-04:00

My first experience with a Japanese barbecue was a good one. Mark and Kira picked a great place to help with my experience, Yakiniku Ju Ju (28th btwn Lexington & 3rd Ave), and a big thanks to them for picking up the check as well. For those of you that haven't had the experience, You order your various meats and they bring them to your table raw. There is a gas grill pit in the middle of your table that you use to cook the meat selection to your perfection. Personally I think that the restaurant is getting over pretty well because they don't have to encur the labor or hassle of doing the cooking for you. You can't blame them for under cooking or burning your meat either.

Andy Rooney is My Neighbor

2005-09-10T17:03:00.000-04:00

While standing outside yesterday I ran into one of my neighbors, the much admired Andy Rooney. I've been seeing him more and more lately driving his little BMW X3. Maybe I should engage him in a chat when I see him next...build a neighborly relationship with him because after all; that's what neighbors do. It would be a real treat to get to know, even just as a neighbor, one of America's most important commentators and someone you admire so. Boy, he seems like he's having a hard time driving that car of his. Maybe he should hire a driver. Love your work Mr. Rooney.

Thirsty Thursday: The Gallery Party

2005-09-08T23:40:00.000-04:00

Hooked up with Alex K. to hit the gallery review parties on the Westside tonight. We have a friend that was on exhibit tonight at the Art Gotham Gallery and hoped to show our support even if we can't afford to show him the money, oh and the free Heneiken and Amstel Lite help the cause as well. 27th Street, between 10th and 11th Avenue, is where the action was tonight. There are many galleries in the area and the first Thursday of every month is when all of the open exhibits happen so there are many people out gallery hoping tonight. Kimberly Dawn had some really nice stuff on exihibit, I'm just upset that I couldn't afford anything. Maybe one day. Thanks to the people at Aperture magazine (a favorite) for their free drinks too. I'll be out to support the artist again next month :)

Astrodome Reports From "The R"

2005-09-07T21:41:00.000-04:00

The following is a report from our friend "The R" in Houston. "The R" is devoting much of his valuable time to help with the hurricane Katrina relief effort at Astrodome. Please keep in mind that some of the information is written in jest before you start flaming the blog.

From "The R":

Thought I'd give you an update on your kinfolks at the Dome (aka Thug Life "TL"). I've had on-site reports from both locations. Here goes:

1. Gold fronts, white tees, and dreads are all of a sudden all the rage along Main St. Seems the Lil' Wayne look is hot in the NOYA.

2. HPD imposed a curfew. TL had a fit when they locked them out of the Dome at 11:30 saying they "didn't know it would actually be enforced"

3. Jacked a Wal-Mart truck today.

4. A lot of the food service establishments surrounding the Dome have been giving out free lunches. Seeing how generous Houstonians are, TL went to Pappadeaux. Cussed out the manager when he wouldn't comp the meal.

5. Second Baptist Church (2BC) has taken over the volunteer duties at the George R. Brown. They brought in computers so TL can find jobs online. Now the Deacons spend half the day chasing TL off of www.bigbootyhoes.com. At last report, TL runs for cover and grabs his Tec-9 whenever anyone mentions Monster.com (thinks it has something to do with Godzilla).

6. 2BC offered 15.00 an hour to able bodied men to help unload trucks of supplies. The only takers were over 50 years old. Seems H-Town is too hot for TL.

7. FEMA rented out 5 cruise ships to house TL. Plan put on hold. Why? No takers. Seems sleeping on cots on the floor of an asbestos-filled football stadium is much more comfortable. Besides, Diddy and Oprah don’t do live remotes from Galveston.

8. HISD was going to make an extra year of math and science mandatory. Plan put on hold. Why? Don’t want to make school too hard for TL.

Legal disclaimer: About 90% of this is ABSOLUTELY TRUE as verified through my sources. The remaining 10% is exaggerated to hell (makes for a better story).

Sushi with Carolina Herrera

2005-09-05T21:44:00.000-04:00

We enjoyed the company of one of the worlds finest designers, Carolina Herrera, at one of our favorite Manhattan restaurants, Totoya (63rd & 1st Ave). We regularly spend time there and found it pleasant that Ms. Herrera shared our taste and appreciation for the Fatty Tuna and the saki.

Champagne Sundays

2005-09-04T23:52:00.000-04:00

Today we enjoy our regular fill of Chandon Brut via California. We choose to spend this day in solace and pour a little of our glass out to respect and remember those who we've abandoned on the gulf coast borders.

...
Police shot and killed at least five people Sunday after gunmen opened fire on contractors crossing a bridge to make levee repairs, The Associated Press reported.
- CNN Website

Anne Rice on Old New Orleans

2005-09-04T17:20:00.000-04:00

From the New York Times Article:

But to my country I want to say this: During this crisis you failed us. You looked down on us; you dismissed our victims; you dismissed us. You want our Jazz Fest, you want our Mardi Gras, you want our cooking and our music. Then when you saw us in real trouble, when you saw a tiny minority preying on the weak among us, you called us "Sin City," and turned your backs.

- Anne Rice

Thoughts on the New Orleans Relief Disaster

2005-09-02T13:30:00.000-04:00

I have been following the coverage of the New Orleans relief effort closely and have a few thoughts concerning this and similar situations.

1. Maybe it's because I'm a Texan, but in these situations I'll have my AR-15 rifle for protection of my family and me, rations, and property. Some may not like the idea of weapons for protection but those people are naive and really don't understand the human condition and what happens to people when law and order have broken down and resources are scarce. A great quote from Columbia University doctoral candidate Ms. Mary A. Rojas, " The idea of civility and society that we take for granted daily is not REAL!"

2. Many of these people, who are refugees, will never leave Texas.

3. Maybe young Black men and women will realize how important it is to vote. The reason that these people in New Orleans have been abandoned by the body politic is bigger than their race or their impoverished socio-economic status; these people have been left for dead because the majority of these people belong to a group that typically don't vote in high numbers and thus have no political value. In the minds of politicians, people with no political value don't matter.

4. I really don't think that New Orleans will make it back from this. The city was already headed for disaster before the storm. Many are now beginning to say aloud what many have been thinking since seeing the devastation..."Maybe it's best not to rebuild."

5. The politicians are looking like the fools that they are. I can't believe how out of touch with what's going on they are.

6. Why is no one talking about how poorly the governor of Louisiana has performed in this. She has left her people to die and no one has seen or heard from her since the storm. How weak of a woman. Long live Mayor Nagin.

7. There will be no victims fund, ala 9/11 Victim's Fund, to give the families of the New Orleans victims millions of dollars to help rebuild their lives.

8. Paul Krugman has a great article on the New York Times website.

9. According to the Bogota, Colombia newspaper El Tiempo, 750 thousand sacks of coffee may have been abandoned and destroyed while in the ports of New Orleans. The price of your Starbucks mocha latte just went up.

Katrina does The Big Easy

2005-09-01T17:05:00.000-04:00

Let me just get this off of my chest...The devestation that has happened in Lousiana and Mississippi is horrible and large scale, but it is no where near the scale of what happened with the Tsunami. 200,000 people died by the devastation of the Tsunami and we can't marginalize that fact by comparing the two events.

I just got a report from my man "The R" in Houston about the arrival of victims to the Astrodome there in Houston. Apparently the first victims to arrive at the Astrodome where actually people who took it upon themselves to hijack a school bus and drive it themselves from New Orleans to Houston. Sometimes you do have to take matters into your own hands.

Understanding Globalization

2005-08-31T15:42:00.000-04:00

For all of you that would really like to embrace and/or understand globalization a little better, I recommend Thomas Friedman's books "The Lexus and the Olive Tree" and The World Is Flat. Friedman is a columnist with the New York Times and someone whose opinions I respect very much. He was recently interviewed on C-SPAN and discussed both books in depth along with his latest written contribution on the Palestine-Israeli conflict.

I find it interesting how some can be against the idea of globalization. It's amazing how people protest against globalization in the name of helping the poor. As I see it, globalization has helped more poor people in the world than any amount of relief effort or protesting. Globalization may be the only way to achieve peace and prosperity in our world. Personally, I consider most of these protest organizations to be fascists [anti-WTO organizations, greenpeace, afl-cio, etc].

1. There is no such thing as an "American" job.
Outsourcing is how a truly "free" market economy is supposed to work. The golden rule of free market, capital economics is, "Do what you do best, pay someone else to do the rest." When you aren't the best at what you do, that job get's outsourced and workers are then re-trained to do whatever it is that they may have a competitive advantage in.

2. Globalization helps keep the peace.
You can't destroy those that are responsible for providing you food and capital goods via export. To conquere land in a globalized era is to send your corporations in and provide all of the people jobs, helping them secure food, clothing, shelter, and education. People who are working don't have time or the inclination to fight.

Champagne Sundays

2005-08-29T16:56:00.000-04:00

Another wonderful Champagne Sunday, sans the champagne. This Sunday we make our way to a lovely Pan-Latin restaurant on the Lower East Side named Paladar (161 Ludlow at Houston). Great margaritas and mojitos...where's the bub'. A shot out to our lovely dinner guests and the people who recommended Paladar in the first place, Eddie and Shalimar founders of Ghettoblaster Magazine. Mad flavor in this underground scene magazine and I recommend that each of you get a script for the mag so that you can stop being sold by big media.

Champagne Sundays

2005-08-22T09:11:00.000-04:00

This weeks Champagne Sunday features a great NYC brunch spot and the recipe for Mr. Hayes' champagne mimosa elixir that so many of you love so much.

Our brunch spot this Sunday was Pipa (19th & Broadway) which is the eatery located inside of ABC Carpet & Home. I recommend the Catalan Omelette and a Spicy Bloody Mary. The very interesting part to Pipa is the decor. There is an old world Spanish/Moorish look and feel to the place and the funiture reflects the antiqued reproduction atmosphere which ABC specializes in. I did find it odd to see various sub-urban type couples shopping among the tables and inspecting the various lighting fixtures that are displayed on the walls around, price tages and all. Yes the restaurant is a part of the sales floor! I had no reservations about smacking some suburban shopper leaning over my table to inspect the gaudy and ugly lighting fixture providing illumination above my table, even if it did cost $6000. That omelet was really damn good however, spicy....and the Bloody Mary hit the spot.

We decided to join in with the suburbanites for a while to inspect some of the ABC wares. This is the most expensive place I've ever been in. The carpets are great and a nice wide selection. Not many shag carpets, which I'm looking for, but very nice none the less. The $1200 Cashmere robe was just my style, but I just couldn't fit it into my budget.

After some window shopping, we decided to repair back to the apartment and engage in the usual ritual; champagne mimosas, the New York Times, and my classical or jazz playlist on my iTunes-AirTunes system.

A big thank you to Mr. Hayes for introducing us his amazing Champagne Mimosa and here is the recipe:

3 Parts Champagne
2 Parts Orange Juice
1 Part Ameretto

For the champagne, we chose to use Chandon from Domaine Chandon. Chandon is a good champagne that we enjoy bare but makes for a good mimosa as well. I've been to the champagnois in Napa and it's an excellent visit. I wouldn't recommend using a very expensive champagne because you are mixing it with OJ after all; unless you just roll like that alla Envious or Diddy.

The American Class Structure

2005-08-17T16:13:00.000-04:00

I was once asked what parameters determine the socio-economic class of a given American family and how does one determine which class strata one belongs to. After a couple of blinks of the eye I offered the following:

There are 5 strata to the American class structure, each strata of class can be define by 3 parameters: home or dwelling ownership, need for ones own labor to serve as capital, and access to and use of capital assets.

1) Poor
Home Ownership ....No
Required to use Labor as Capital .... No
Access to Capital Assets .... No

2) Proletariat / Working Class
Home Ownership ....No
Required to use Labor as Capital .... Yes
Access to Capital Assets .... No

3) Middle Class
Home Ownership ....Yes
Required to use Labor as Capital ....Yes
Access to Capital Assets .... No

4) Bourgeoisie / Upper Middle
Home Ownership ....Yes
Required to use Labor as Capital ....Yes
Access to Capital Assets ....Yes

5) Aristocracy / Wealthy
Home Ownership ....Yes
Required to use Labor as Capital .... No
Access to Capital Assets ....Yes

The chart illustrates how the Poor, being the lowest strata of class, generally do not own their dwelling or home; do not, in many cases, have access to quality education in order to offer competitive labor skills in exchange for capital; and almost always have no capital assets to leverage.

The Proletariat many times are not home owners and choose to rent their dwellings either because of a lack of earning power or simply because the proletariat is comprised mostly of younger, less established members of society. The proletariat group exclusively uses their own labor for capital income with no capital assets.

The Middle Class tend to be homeowners or moving towards home ownership. They can be characterized as those that use their labor to generate income but still lack any capital assets for income. The Middle class tends to suffer the effects of taxation and inflation most of any strata. Without access to capital growth instruments, the Middle class suffer a precarious existence because of the squeeze from large amounts of debt from home and educational financing, taxation, and the rising cost of living.

The Bourgeoisie or Upper Middle Class is a strata derived from rapid expansion in a capital society. The tend to be small business owners or classic professionals still demanding their own labor as a capital instrument or highly paid executives for large corporations. They tend to own their own homes and have some access to capital assets whether it be a small rental home / apt or capital investment accounts in addition to any savings or retirement accounts. An upper middle class family still may suffer the precarious existence of loss of employment. Without using their own labor as a capital resource, the Upper Middle Class may be faced to liquidate many capital assets and may risk loosing their status as home owners in the long run.

The Aristocracy / Wealthy always own at least one dwelling as well as have access to substantial capital assets. Because of capital assets, the wealthy have no requirement to use their own labor as a capital resource. The wealthy represents the penacle of societal membership in the "ownership class and society".

Red Chair Grill

2005-08-15T15:30:00.000-04:00

Another successful diner party at the Red Chair Grill.

Thirsty Thursday

2005-08-12T11:41:00.000-04:00

For this episode, I join the Columbia U. Crew once again for an evening of Thirsty Thursday adult beverage consumption. Ms. Alicia A. started the night by getting us "On The List" at one of Manhattan's up and coming trendy Hotel Bar spots; the lovely Dream Hotel and it's AVA Lounge positioned atop the penthouse of the hotel located at 55th and Broadway (dreamny.com). I've had the pleasure of visiting Dream Hotel a couple of months prior and was thoroughly impressed by the AVA Lounge and its amazing view overlooking Manhattan. Trendy then (in the disparaging sense of the word) I would have to characterize the Dream Hotel as having an understated trendy atmosphere which didn't leave me or anyone else in my group feeling intimidated by the atmosphere or the people among us. This time, I'm happy to say that things haven't changed much. For this promotional event, there was a special drink menu with $6 martini's (about 1/2 the normal price) so big props for that.

I have to pick a peeve that most places refuse to understand...When it's hot outside ( > 90 degrees) don't make people what in line, in the heat, to get into your joint. Invite them in, offer them a seat and offer them cocktails. Why do places in NYC have this thing for checking people in on "The Guest List". It's not like you are giving the people that are "On The List" any preferential treatment. Everyone is going to pay the same price whether they are on the this "List" or not. Stop it already. It's ashamed to have a bunch of beautiful ladies standing in line with makeup and mascara melting because of the heat.

Speaking of ladies, for those of you that are single men on the prowl, this place was amazingly sparse of men. There were hundreds of attractive women there and almost no men. I thought to myself, "There is a lounge somewhere with a bunch of guys and all of them wondering where are all of the women." Well guys, the women were here. I was told that the Shecky's promotional group which promoted this event, tends to be very popular with the ladies. I would suggest that you prowlers out there sign up for this list and just show up (www.sheckys.com). There is a downside to having that much of a disparity in the guy to girl ratio as far as guys are concerned. Women tend to become un-approachable when the guy:girl ratio gets a little more than 1:3. Any worse in their favor and it turns into the next episode of Oprah's studio audience and the guy really is no more than an oddity instead of a worthy suitor. There were so many women and so few men (about 1:20 ratio) that the Columbia U. Crew got bored. After Ms. Alex R. bitched at the waitress because she didn't have a Jolly Rancher candy in her Champagne Martini and threatened to send it back, I immediately knew that it was time for the next spot.

Next on the lineup was Flute, a nice and cozy lounge billed as "The Champagne Speakeasy" (www.flutebar.com). Located at 205 W. 54th and Broadway, it was a short walk around the corner from our previous locale. Very cozy and plush with dim but adequate lighting, I knew that I would enjoy this spot. The music was a nice and soft selection ranging from classic jazz favorites to popular Marving Gaye hits, and most importantly played at a moderate listening level. I can't say enough on how annoying it is when the music is so loud that you can't have a conversation with your friends who are sitting right next to you. Message to promoters and DeeJays, if I want loud music I'll go to a dance spot, lay off the amp a little.

At this spot, the lovely Evelyn C. decides to make an appearance arriving ahead of the rest of the group. We walked in and were told that Flute was open only for a private affair for the evening. We had already seen Evelyn at the bar and immediately told the hostess that we already had friends enjoying their evening here and pointed out our friends. The hostess immediatly walks to them and asks if they were guests with the private party, replying that they were not. For some strange reason, the hostess then says that she may be able to find us a spot on the luscious sofas. We all were like huh! I thought that this was a private party? In any event, we take our spot amongst the luscious sofas and took a view of the cocktail menu.

Now is it me or do women never know what they would like to drink when they get to the cocktail lounge? I never have a problem deciding what I'm drinking, maybe because I only drink from a selection of 3 cocktails all of which are very likely to be found at most cocktail lounges and each is selected based on a couple of environmental and physical factors such as temperature, season, how much I've already had to drink. After about 5 minutes of going over the cocktail menu, various members of the Columbia U. Crew still could not decided what they wanted to drink. How can this be? It's not like in this crew there are strangers to cocktails or lounges. Is it that women are always in search of a better or more trendy cocktail drink? Are they continually experimenting with their tastes? Maybe the infinite number of liquor and mix combinations simply allow for a selection and choice possibility that is hugely overwhelming to the feminine sense of entitlement to choice. For all of those ladies out there, act like you've been there before and have developed some sense of bar room taste and decorum. When the waiter comes over to receive your beverage request, know what you would like; you otherwise come off looking like an amateur. I do digress. The crew requested their various ill concocted mixed drinks while I order my usual Grey Goose on the rocks with a lemon twist.

I felt right at home at Flute engaging in conversation with various members of the crew and doing a little of the usual people watching. The lesbian couple sitting adjacent to us was striking-ly lovely I must say. They made a really cute couple and because of their attire made it really easy to tell which of them was the "Fem" and which the "Don". She(Fem) had this really cute Stevie Nicks look going, while She(Don) had this great Kim Bassinger, alla 9 1/2 weeks, androgeny look going (sans fake mustache).

After knocking back a couple, it was time to for some din-din. We headed off to one of my favorite establishments for Thai Cuisine. Montien is a low key and intimate restaurant specializing in Thai cuisine and is situated just outside of Union Square on 3rd Ave, between 12th and 13th. Most of the dishes are spicy so a good ol' Southern boy like myself feels right at home. After walking in, Ms Alicia A. quickly commented that the smell resembled a boiled guinea pig. Wha? I wonder where she learned what a boiled guinea pig smells like, but I didn't have a chance to get into it with her because the booty call that she was waiting on had just come in on her 1989 drug dealer styled cell phone. We killed a bottle of wine and a bunch of food and decided to turn it in for the night. We are getting old, as it was only around 10:00PM. But just to show that are heart was still in it even if our energy level wasn't, we did have a spot picked out for more cocktails and possibly some dancing. Alas, it was not to be, so we grabbed a cab dropping the crew off at Grand Central and I headed back to East 62nd St.