As Serious As Your Life (Jay Dee Remix)

Four Tet

I've felt very serious this week. I'm trying to step my game up at work in hopes of gaining some new responsibilities and challenges. I'm taking ownership of my relationship with food (as in, I like food a lot) and in my responsibilities to those I care for and who care for me. And so, I'm serious right now. I'm so sincurr. Unplayful. That's not how I envision myself, particularly not me at my best but it feels very necessary. I've got big plans, or at least as big of a plan as things in my life get, and I am choosing to do my best to accomplish them.

But, damn. Where's the light and funny and free? I might be focused, man, but today, I'd love it if I could get myself into a wind parade.

Wind Parade

Donald Byrd

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Wale* is killing it for me today (and, ooh wee, I was going to open with something else but this go-go track is bom**)...

Breakdown (prod. by HitterQuitter Boyz)

Wale

Go-go music is still alive y'all! Let your back bone slip. Now, get your hipster dance party on

W.A.L.E.D.A.N.C.E.

Wale

We're not done. Take your hip-hop to the next level

Nike Boots

Wale

Tired yet? No? Hit rewind and bring those beats back.

*Not this Wale.

**This is my new slang (well, slang I'm aping from my sister and, really, it's old slang spelled differently) that I'll explain later.

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Geeks Doing Good @ SF Food Bank, originally uploaded by Jeremy Toeman.

I'm not sexy. This became readily apparent as I perspired like a pig tossing around 36 pound boxes of government issue pork and 24 pound crates of pasta Saturday morning while the sexiest geek couple of 2007 smiled and sassed their way through similar hard labor.

I am sexy. If the sexy Svetlana's interest in me teaching her a few moves at the 222 Club Saturday night is any indication. She was fun but nothing compared to the meal we had at Red Box Sushi.

Perfection in the raw, we ate the finest sushi I've ever had in the dark crevices of the Tenderloin with a young sushi chef, his downtempo grooves, and pre-new year sake for all. If there is anything calling me to San Francisco with ever mesmerizing tones, it is nights like these.

And people like Nathalie and Damon, who can turn a mellow afternoon in Hayes Valley or a low key early evening NYE pre-party into epic/memorable affairs. From catching the spirit at the ringing of the bells at the Asian Art Museum to decadent drinks and laughter at Absinthe to video game Karaoke at their home, they continue to prove they are special people cut from a different cloth than most.

I gush about my regular SF peoples every time I come back from the city but, interestingly, this trip didn't feature most of that cast. Next time, y'all. We're doing 1 trip a month to the Yay in '08. What's my reason for coming up in February?

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Ch-ch-ch-chea FTW, originally uploaded by gwen.

I'm exasperated every time FTW is used as "For The Win." Every Time I see it, I think "Fuck The World!"

Gwen finds proof that I'm not crazy. Everybody else is.

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My Own Private Sunshine

There's a shot I didn't post from yesterday's Olvera Street Photowalk. I made several attempts at the picture but with my point and shoot camera and novice skills, it was unphotographable. I stood in the middle of the street, alone, looking towards downtown. It was a gray day. Trying desperately to peek through the hazy skies was the sun. No one else seemed to notice. Where crowds had gathered to watch street magicians or dance to the tunes of one man bands or listen to the Spanish singer who dominated the central courtyard of the birthplace of Los Angeles or pray at the altar in the mission, it was me and my own private sunshine.

It wasn't an uncommon experience on the day. I was excited about the photowalk all week. I'd meet some new folks, do something I don't consider myself very good at, learn a thing or two, and enjoy a part of the city I am very rarely in. Except that once I was there, I found myself tugged away from the group. I followed sounds instead of sights. Children giggling. Delighted applause. Shuffling feet. Sobbing. Anger. Singing. Water gurgling. Dragged luggage.

I misplaced the other photowalkers but never felt lost. Stories began to unwrap themselves from my head and wrap around the scenes I was taking in: The Tale of the Homeless Dancers; The Baptism That Wasn't; The Road to Nowhere; The 31st Avian Brigade; My Father, The Statue.

And, I imagine, the sun watched me from the safety of the cloud cover and tall buildings, enveloping me in a story all its own.

Hello, Sunshine.

Private Sunshine (Big Lounge Album Mix)

Ashley Slater's

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"Housework is a treadmill from futility to oblivion with stop offs at tedium and counter productivity."

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Alison with the banned glasses, originally uploaded by maubrowncow.

White-rimmed Sunglasses Ain't Hip Hop. (full disclosure - I really want to say that it is Fat Joe doing the intro on this track but it may, in fact, be Joell himself. This post was once called "Fat Joe Says..." but I changed it in case I'm wrong)

Hip Hop (RMX f_ Jadakiss and Saigon)

Joell Ortiz

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So, on the first night of SXSW this year, I met and took a picture of this random guy at the blogher meetup. He was touting his yet to be published book called "The 4 Hour Work Week." I didn't think much of it. In fact, I may have actively poo-pooed the concept arguing that, of course Tim could do the 4-hour work week, he'd already made his millions.

Last weekend in San Francisco, I ran into Tim again. He was giving away copies of the book at Element Lounge during MJ's Web 2.0 Birthday party and I picked up one still being a non-believer. But, you know, Tim's an interesting guy and we had a brief but intriguing conversation so, in one of the few quiet moments of the weekend, I cracked it open.

I'm a believer now and, today, I'm dreamlining.

4 Things I want to have:

1. *Hip Hop Abs
2. The BMW 2007 M6 Convertible
3. Weekly Cleaning & Laundry Service
4. Complete DJ rig

5 Things I want to be:

1. A Chess Tournament Champion
2. *A Club DJ
3. A Great(er) Lover
4. Fluent in Spanish
5. Fluent in Tagalog

1. Visit Greece
2. *Write the Saunders Family History
3. *Live in San Francisco
4. See Bjork live in concert
5. Make a Documentary

Now, you may remember that I got on the 101/1001 train a few years ago (and failed miserably at it) so this whole list thing makes me a little nervous but I'll explain why this is way more effective and useful in the next post.

Next up: Next steps

This post's playlist:

1. La Raza by Kid Frost
2. Party and Bullshit (ratatat remix) by The Notorious B.I.G.
3. Laff At 'Em (Give It To Me RMX f/ Justin Timberlake & Jay-Z) by Timbaland
4. I'm Throwed by Paul Wall
5. Rehab (Desert Eagle Remix) by Amy Winehouse
6. Revolt (Le Tigre mix) by Lesbians on Ecstasy
7. Spit It Clearly by Dilated Peoples
8. Hip Hop (RMX f/ Jadakiss and Saigon) by Joell Ortiz
9. Don't You Have A Man (f/ Dwele and Little Brother) by Drake
10. The Lucky One by Au Revoir Simone

*represents the "4 dreams that would change it all"

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So for the photo-freaks among us: what responsibility does (or should) the camera-holder have to (a) respect the request not to be photographed in semi-public or semi-private spaces (i.e. at a bar or friend’s house party); and (b) not to post potentially embarrassing photos and videos of their friends and acquaintances (or hell, even strangers) online, especially with a name attached? (Actually, in some cases that can be grounds for legal action, so watch what you publish).

And for those who are camera shy: Do you find yourself self-censoring your behavior in public or avoiding events with your shutterbug friends?

- Ethics, Friendships and Flickr (or "Why I don't Drink Around Some Folks"), Tiffany B Brown, 12.07.06

Moo

One of the reasons I bought Moo Cards is because I'm uncomfortable taking pictures of strangers without their permission. With the moo card, I can ask a person for their permission to photograph them, show them where it may be displayed, and give them the opportunity to decline. I take pictures of friends regularly but respect their desires for photos to not be taken or for them not to be posted. I live a whole lot of my life online but I'm incredibly aware of the public private and the need to not let it all hang out. I would never want anybody who I spend time with to have to worry about how their actions might come back to haunt them digitally.

On a selfish level, I also worry that constant picture taking detracts from the moment (much the same way that my constant email checking detracts, I'm working on that, though. It's just...I'm internet addicted). If we're always recording the moment, we're not experiencing the moment. Moreover, It feels like we're planning how we'll remember the moment instead. There's a time and place for pictures and video.

It's not all the time and every place.

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Show us the best picture you took in 2006.
Submitted by Captured Moments.

Flickr says this is the most interesting photo I took in 2006.

Disco Machine

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