A Lolcat from my art director, Rob

I think he should put it in his portfolio.

The Huxtables

Sure, they lived in Brooklyn. But the building the producers used for the exterior is actually a brownstone located at 10 St. Luke's Place--two blocks from where I work.

This screenshot might look more familiar to you.

West Side Story under the Brooklyn Bridge

Roots

Sunday morning I helped staff a family history booth in the Harlem Days celebration. I was a little nervous. I wasn't sure how excited my neighbors would be to do their geneology. I was pleasantly surprised though; they loved it. People sat right down and got to work remembering names and dates. I even got to help a couple people get on the family history website and look up their records. It was hard to pull myself away to go to church.

No End In Sight

I highly recommend seeing this film.

I'm not saying I don't think it's biased.

I am saying it helped me get a better grasp of what's going on in Iraq. For much of the data presented, I think it's really hard not to be biased.

MP3 Experiment Four

Last Saturday I participated in my first mp3 experiment, put on by the good folks at Improv Everywhere. An mp3 experiment is basically a flash mob set to an instructional soundtrack. Everyone meets at the same place and pushes play at the same time on their portable music player. They had us playing twister, shaking hands, high-fiving strangers, giving thumbs up, playing tag, making a huge human dart board, and doing a lie-down meditation. I was thoroughly impressed with the event. There is nothing more fun than providing entertainment for unsuspecting onlookers.

Can you find me in this meditation shot?

Here you can see the Deutsche Bank Fire going on at the same time. After the event my friends and I were walking through the Ground Zero area to visit Trinity Church. As the smell of the fire worsened, I remember making a comment about how bad it must have been during 9/11. I really can't imagine.

Little did I know that last week's fire would turn into a tragedy in itself.

Mp3 Experiment Four: Part One from ImprovEverywhere and Vimeo.

Mp3 Experiment Four: Part Two from ImprovEverywhere and Vimeo.

Mp3 Experiment Four: Time Lapse from ImprovEverywhere and Vimeo.

Dog Pee in the Lower East

BBQ

Life is good when one of your roommates is a cook and the other is an entertainer.

I rode the Cyclone and lived to blog about it.

For years I've wanted to ride the Cyclone at Coney Island, but for some reason never got around to it. That is, until three weeks ago. I finally went with a group of friends specifically to experience this historic ride.

I must say. This is the scariest roller coaster I have ever been on. Ever. It's insanely rickety and shaky and harsh. I can't believe it's still running after all these years. Just thinking about it gives me a headache. But hey, that didn't stop me from riding it three times.

We also took it upon ourselves to ride the Wonder Wheel, the tallest Ferris wheel in the world. It's yet another relic that is hard to believe is still standing.

Subterranean Flooding

Wednesday my 2 train crept at tortoise pace down to 34th St.--where it finally gave up completely. The reason? Heavy rains have caused the New York underground to flood. I ended up walking 12 blocks to catch another train and was lucky enough to ride the rest of the way down to work. My arrival time? 11am.

Others weren't so lucky. Since the entire subway system was affected, many New Yorkers showed up hours late to work, huffing and puffing and dripping wet.

I thought it would be a one time thing, but today the 2/3 line was down again. If this keeps up I'm gonna have to think about maybe getting a car.

Just kidding.

The Reinvention of Lauryn Hill

Lauryn Hill is my soul cousin.

Monday night I got to see her in a rare free performance in Brooklyn. After spending half the night waiting behind police barricades far away from the event, a kind officer finally let me in. (And by "in" I mean close enough to see the stage but still behind a fence.) Security was TIGHT.

The effort was worth it though. Lauryn was a riot. She has completely reinvented herself. Every song from Miseducation that she performed was reinterpreted to match her new grittier, rockier, reggae/ska sound. While her voice may be fading, her presence is as strong as ever.

I wouldn't expect anything less from a fellow Hill.

Check out these reviews of the event:
Rolling Stone/ New York Times/ Newsday

Happy Birthday to me.

Sunday I turned 26.

I spent the morning attending a service at my friend Reagan's church, Saint Thomas.

After making my way uptown and attending my own church services, I came home and unwrapped gifts from my amazing family. My roommate Aaron baked me brownies. (He's a professional pastry cook; that is to say they were not run-of-the-mill brownies.)

The day concluded with watching the second installment of the eight-part documentary series on the history of NYC. This one focused on Walt Whitman, Abraham Lincoln's rise to fame in Manhattan, the poor living conditions of African and Irish Americans, and the Draft Riots during the Civil War. It was a fascinating watch.

During the showing Yancy unveiled yet another batch of brownies, and the advertising crew sang me "Happy Birthday."

And it was.

I helped put on this event at work.

Saatchi & Saatchi Healthcare Communications Goes Green

Underscores commitment to Vision of Inspiring Healthier Living

NEW YORK, July 26, 2007 /PRNewswire/ -- Saatchi & Saatchi Healthcare Communications (SSHC) yesterday held their first-annual planet-saving event, greenGIG, to inspire all employees to live a healthier lifestyle, both inside and outside the office. "This is a significant step towards achieving our vision to inspire healthier living," said SSHC President, Sam Welch.

"Importantly, this is an employee-driven initiative and not a management directive. Our employees formed an ECO committee called grassroots, in their desire to truly make a difference and build a more environmentally-friendly work atmosphere so that all SSHC employees can work and live in a cleaner, more environmentally-friendly world."

"Our hope is that greenGIG and all the efforts of grassroots moving forward will really educate and inspire people to take action both here at SSHC and at home," added Joanna Jacobs and Kel Arguello, ECO committee founders and co-directors.

Grassroots represents a cross-section of SSHC, with members from each of its agencies and from across different departments including creative, strategic planning, art buying, production, account management and operations.

Yesterday's event, greenGIG, was intended to educate all SSHC employees and inspire them on how to live a greener life outside the office. A range of speakers dedicated to the environmental cause as well as retail vendors who are supporting the environmental movement with their own products and business practices participated in the event.

Activities commenced with a presentation by grassroots and Sam Welch. Tishman Speyer Director of Sustainability, Steven Piguet and Thomas Scarola, Director of Engineering, Domestic Development, spoke on the collaboration with SSHC to help them achieve their vision. Other notable speakers included Miguela Craytor, Deputy Director, Sustainable South Bronx, a nationally recognized organization recently featured in Newsweek; and Theresa Pletchon, a teacher from PS 86, Kingsbridge Heights Bronx, who attended with schoolchildren who had produced art work showing how important the environment is for all of us.

As part of its collective mission, grassroots, in partnership with SSHC, will create a plan to seek measurable results in critical areas such as energy usage and waste. Changes will include changing the type of paper the company purchases to leasing environmentally-friendly company cars. These action plans will include establishing benchmarks and setting clear reduction goals to monitor SSHC's progress.

About Saatchi & Saatchi Healthcare Communications (SSHC)

SSHC, a member of Publicis Healthcare Communications Group, consists of three separate agencies providing integrated and holistic solutions to its accounts. Saatchi & Saatchi Consumer Health and Wellness specializes in direct-to-consumer, interactive communications and consumer marketing. Saatchi & Saatchi Healthcare Innovations, a mid-size agency, delivers groundbreaking ideas and creative client solutions. Saatchi & Saatchi Healthcare Advertising, the largest of the three groups, offers diversified expertise and services and specializes in strategic brand marketing and advertising. Web site: http://www.saatchihealthcare.com

Vote for Tiff!

My musician friend Tiff Jimber is competing in a contest for a record deal through LA's STAR 98.7 FM. Watch her video here, then if you like, go vote for her here. Hurry though. The contest ends today. (Click VOTE NOW! then scroll down near the bottom of the list to find her name.)

This is England

Last night I saw the film This is England. It's British. (Just in case the title didn't give it away.) Very British. In fact, it's about some English nationalist extremists--otherwise known as Skinheads.

The film is set in the summer of 1983, while the country was experiencing an influx of immigration in the aftermath of the Falklands War. A young boy who loses his father in battle finds himself befriended by the most extreme of Skinhead groups.

This is England offers a face and a voice to help understand the motives behind this highly racist movement. While it certainly doesn't justify Skinhead beliefs, it does make you think about how you would respond given similar turbulent circumstances.

I find myself thinking about racial and cultural issues a lot these days. The other day a man misunderstood a conversation I was having with some friends on the subway. He rather quickly became threatening, despite others on the train assuring him nothing offensive was spoken. Luckily, the situation passed without anyone getting hurt, but it opened my eyes to how present cultural tension is even a quarter century after This is England times.