1. So there's this pretty lame video of that girl who got a nose job and the one who had naked pics from that really bad Grease wanna-be flick that's popular right now with 8-12 year olds. Sounds like a drag, right? Well it is, except for the girl at the drive-thru window. She rocks. Check it out. I love when she finds out who it is and is upset because she thought it was Britney or someone more famous. And the fact that it's a Hollywood.tv video and she keeps calling it TMZ.

3. There's still one week left to checkout Chuck Close -- the new documentary by Marion Cajori -- on at the Film Forum through January 08, 2008. If you're a fan of Close, it's a must-see. "The new feature-length documentary of painter Chuck Close examines his personal working process and place in contemporary art as the reinventor of portraiture. Close's subjects - family, artists, friends - provide insight to his work and their own, rendering a collective portrait of a whole creative generation." Get tickets here. Don't forget this site for the film, Close's Wikipedia entry (his life has been pretty amazing), and this video interview with Close and Charlie Rose.

3. check back shortly for updates...

1. Checkout Vincent Skeltis. The Brooklyn-based photographer is set to release a book of photos -- Adolescence And The Virtues Of Maturity -- due out this spring. In the meantime, Skeltis and Daniel Jackson of Surface2Air and Bblessing have co-curated a group show that features works by Studio Von Birken, Brendan Donnelly, Daniel Jackson, Danielle Levitt, Justine Parsons, Andrew H. Shirley, and Skeltis. An opening reception for the group show will be held 01.10.08 at Bblessing (181 Orchard St) at 8pm. RSVP to: rsvp@bblessing.com. Don't forget to checkout TABLE BROS, this video of Skeltis at work in his studio, and this very raw interview with Skeltis on Gothamist from a few years back.

2. check back shortly

3. for updates...

1. After watching Stoked: The Rise And Fall Of Gator, I'm bound and determined to find myself a pair of 80's classic, black suede Vision Streetwear hightops. They're what I wish Chuck Taylors were: a little more fleshed out, but only ever so slightly, giving them more visual appeal than Chucks, which are just too plain for me. Checkout this image of my new dream shoe and I'm sure you'll agree. So far, the only store I've found that carries the Vision Street Wear Black Suede High-Tops is cheesey mall store Hot Topic. Given I don't know my size, looks like I'm going to have to make a trip to Staten Island or Queens to try them on. For a complete list of stores in your area, click here. I'm hoping one of the downtown shops is already onto this trend, though, and saves me a trip to the outter boroughs. Happy hunting.

2. Checkout Traphic the first visual book by Thomas “Marok” Marecki @ Italy's super cool go gallery. "TRAPHIC presents an interpretation of various networks, time frames, experiences and the general surroundings of modern-day existence, through a combination of visuals and texts based around the headline : ‘traffic’ + ‘graphic’ = TRAPHIC. The exibition TRAPHIC represents the natural and necessary result of Marok's linguistic and artistic investigation. This show carries out the concept displayed in the book through installations, graphic artworks and videos juxtaposing various urban materials and mediums close to street culture." Read the full press release here. Don't forget to checkout the site of the books publisher -- Unagi Books for more info and other projects of interest.

3. check back shortly for updates...

1. I really don't know what's happening to me. When this began, I made a pact with myself that I would NEVER cover anything relating to skateboarding or grafitti. As always, though, I'm eating my words. First, a friend tipped me off to a skate documentary on 80's skate legend Christian Hosoi (Rising Son: The Legend of Christian Hosoi) that had me glued to the TV. Then came Stoked: The Rise And Fall Of Gator, which I just finished and like even more than the first. The vintage footage alone is unbelievable. "At one point during the 1980s, Mark 'Gator' Rogowski was known to the world as a professional skateboarder, one of the first 'Extreme Sports' athletes and a Vision Street Wear model. He toured around the world, appearing with skateboarders (including skateboarding legend Tony Hawk) and BMX riders, promoting skateboarding as sport and a lifestyle. At age 17 in 1983, he was making $100,000 a year." Yep, you read it right. That all would change very quickly, though, as you'll find out. Checkout Gator's Wikipedia entry, this bio on NNDB, these reviews of the documentary on Rotten Tomatoes, and this trailer. Trust me on this one: even if you're a skater hater like me, you'll love this movie. I guarantee it.

2. For all you photography lovers: powerHouse Books is hosting a book signing by renowned documentary photographer Steve Schapiro on Sunday, 01.13.08 from 1-3pm at B&H Photo (420 9th Ave @ 34th Street). "Schapiro’s Heroes brings together an extraordinary collection of stories in photo-journalistic tradition of people who have shaped our lives, our politics, and our tastes by the celebrated documentarian Steve Schapiro. In behind-the-scenes photographs, we visit the young Muhammad Ali and his Monopoly set, followed everywhere by the neighborhood kids; glimpse the warm family life and campaign of Robert Kennedy, who was so suddenly struck down; see Andy Warhol in photographs never before published; watch Ray Charles perform; visit the set with Samuel Beckett; and march alongside Martin Luther King Jr." Don't miss this one.

3. Gentlemen, start your engines: the much-anticipated Autumn/Winter sale @ Dover Street Market (17-18 Dover Street London W1S 4LT) begins promptly at 11am tomorrow December 27th. For those of you lucky enough to be in Londontown, get there early for the best selection! For the rest of us, there's the DSM e-shop, chock full of hot stuff, but without the sale prices.

1. Speaking of shoes, checkout Schmoove. I just got wind of the line and am already in love. "French Designer Max Rautureau brings the next step in footwear fashion for both men and women. Combining comfort, wear ability and the timeless character of a classic shoe, Schmoove has set out to redefine the ideals of what footwear fashion should be by pushing forward a modern aesthetic and allowing room for the individual to represent who they are." They're the perfect shoe for the guy who likes to wear sneakers, but wants something more. Click here for a sneak peak of the 2008 collection to see for yourself. Stores that stock the line: Steven Alan, American Rag, Traffic, Oak and more.

2. Checkout this MySpace video from their Artist On Artist series featuring Jennifer Jason Leigh and Marc Jacobs. "Acclaimed Margot At The Wedding star Jennifer Jason Leigh sits down with fashion icon friend (and fan) Marc Jacobs in this exclusive MySpace Artist on Artist interview. Groundbreakers each, the pair discusses in-depth their creative processes. Jacobs sings the praises of his talented team of designers, while Leigh does the same for her director husband Noah Baumbach. The two even list their favorite musicians, including Sonic Youth, Merle Haggard and opera." I've never been a fan of JJL and could definitely do without her in this video, but I'm always interested in hearing what Marc Jacobs has to say.

3. One of my all-time favorite bands -- Clap Your Hands Say Yeah -- is playing a benefit for Planned Parenthood NYC on 01/22/2008 at the Bowery Ballroom. Get your tickets now and, as always, don't forget to checkout their MySpace.

4. And what would Christmas be without a little Charo. Check this classic video of the "she looks like a tranny but she's not" Spaniard singing Feliz Navidad on Pee Wee's 1988 Christmas Special. She wants to wish you a Merry Chreeesh-ma. Is it me or do you too think Charo is Sophia Lamar's long lost mother?? Cuchi-cuchi.

1. Everybody knows how crazy I am right now about all white sneakers: Jordan 3 Retro Pures, Stan Smith 2's. I just can't get enough. French brand Spring Court has just launched their US website, offering up a few styles of all white kicks that I've got to get my hands on. "Heritage, Comfort, and Style. This has and will always be the spirit behind the Spring Court sneakers collection. With its distinctive elegance, it's no wonder why Spring Court has found itself on the feet of notable celebrities such as Kate Moss, Jude Law, Liam Gallagher, and, before them, Serge Gainsbourg, and John Lennon. With its trademark old school aesthetic, the Spring Court collection is an exclusive footwear line carried at Steven Alan, Oak, American Rag, Fred Segal Conveyor and others." I'm crazy about the B4 Glove Classic and B1 Mid Cut Classic in white canvas. Check them out on their site. I have a feeling you'll agree.

2. check back shortly

3. for updates...

1. Have you tried Dry Soda yet? I'm a sucker for anything carbonated and have recently kicked my Diet Coke, replacing it with Canada Dry Club Soda. Now, though, I'm going to go half and half with club soda and Dry Soda. It's got all of the lure of soda, but with a natural essence. "A line of all-natural, lightly sweet sodas, flavored with fruit or herb extracts, and sweetened with a small amount of pure cane sugar. Combining the subtle essence of nature and the kitchen in four cuisine-inspired flavors — kumquat, lavender, lemongrass and rhubarb — DRY’s unique design and clean finish make it an ideal soda to pair with a great meal or a refreshing beverage on its own. For those who enjoy cocktails, DRY Soda also makes a distinct and sophisticated mixer." I can't get enough of the rhubard and lavender. The only problem: it has really limited distribution. In New York, it's available at Whole Foods and a handful of restaurants/bars. Check here to find out where you can get your hands on some. If not, you can buy it online. Watchout: this stuff is addictive.

2. I'm the worst one to be advocating this because I haven't been to the Queens Museum Of Art in 6 or so years, but it's time to hop the 7 train and checkout New York States of Mind on view now through 03.23.08. "The curated works reflect changes in the conditions of and responses to the space of choice – the city. In selecting an exemplary city such as New York, an urban sprawl that undeniably stands in the global imagination as a success story of economic and social cosmopolitanism, the exhibition also finely describes the promise and hazard of such a center. Aspects of modernity and processes of postmodernization, of under-development and over-consumption coexist in a postponement of policies, ideas and rights, as well as a gradual relationship of change within the same." Artists included: David Hammons, Kehinde Wiley, Carolee Schneemann, William Pope.L, Sarah Morris, Gordon Matta-Clark, Jon Kessler, Terence Koh, Patty Chang, and many more. Checkout the full press release here and no excuses!! Once every 5 or so years won't kill you.

3. check back shortly for updates...

1. For all you serious art lovers, Lucian Freud: The Painter's Etchings has just opened at MOMA. "One of the foremost figurative artists working today, Lucian Freud has redefined portraiture and the nude through his unblinking scrutiny of the human form. This dramatic installation illuminates the crucial relationship between the British artist's etchings and paintings." Don't miss it. For all you Leigh Bowery fans, there are some etchings of the late great Bowery included in the show. If you recall, prior to his untimely death, Bowery sat for Freud.

2. "For the bargain basement price of $275, the New Museum will provide you with the perfect accessory for your delusions of grandeur and persistent copraphobia: Gilded poo! The Museum actually sells capsules stuffed with gold leaf, "each approximately 1 inch long," in "sets of three," which they suggest that you swallow upon purchase. "Pure gold passes straight through the body and ends up in your stool resulting in sparkly shit!" according to their website. (The gold pills are made by Tobias Wong for long-ago Gawker fave Ju$t Another Rich Kid.) If you're an actual museum member, they'll knock the price down to $247.50. Does that include a museum staff member willing to bear witness to the these Turds of Treasure when they materialize? [New Museum]" (via Gawker)

3. check back shortly for updates...

1. For all you last minute shoppers--in New York and Tokyo anyway--stop by the PUMA Black Store and checkout these SUPER limited edition holiday bike packages. "The bikes come in four different styles: the BMX in pink with green accents, the Beach Cruiser in blue with white accents, the Touring bike in black with brown accents, and the Road Bike in green. There will only be one of each style available in the US, which means you are guaranteed to be the only one on your block, in your city, state and country with this bike. The footwear also marks the return of the iconic PUMA SPRINT shoe. Along with the shoe there will be a matching SPRINT jacket, modeled after the Urban Mobility lightweight jacket. The accessories, which include a courier bags, a belt and a small wallet, also makes perfect stocking stuffers. Regardless if you are buying this for yourself or a friend this is the ultimate holiday gift package." The Black Store in New York is located at: 421 West 14th Street. Phone: 212-206-0109.

2. check back shortly

3. for updates...

1. Who better to pop by for a little holiday cheer than coked-up Grace Jones dressed in fur and whatever it is you call that thing she's wearing as a top. Watch this classic clip of the black lady from another planet singing Little Drummer Boy on Pee Wee's Playhouse. I'm sure if this were redone today, they'd have Hannah Montana stop by to spread some wholesomely nauseating good girl cheer, but what fun would that be? Thank god for the 80's.

2. As the holiday season approaches, think twice before diving into that plate of cookies at work or going for seconds (or thirds) at all the holiday parties and Christmas dinner. I'm sure this classic infomercial clip of Susan "STOP THE INSANITY!" Powter will help you with your urge to overindulge. Don't forget this recently-made video of Ross The Intern (is that his really his voice?) interviewing the new and improved rasta Susan Powter aboard one of Rosie O'Donnell's cruises, where she teaches yoga classes. NO, YOU STOP THE INSANITY!

3. I love this clip of Bing Crosby and David Bowie singing Little Drummer Boy. It's so classic. Again, I dare say this type of pairing would never happen today.

4. Um...yes. Um...no. Watch and learn. Warhol's classic interview style. And don't forget this clip of Warhol eating a hamburger. "My name is Andy Warhol and I've just finished eating a hamburger." It's hypnotic.

5. He may be the Governor of California now, but who can forget that Arnold was once a body building beefcake and action movie hero. Checkout these clips of The Terminator pushing products: a funny ad for Jim Beam, this cracked-out Japanese ad for some energy drink (you've got to see what they have him wearing in this one), and this tame, minimal commercial for ramen.

1. I'm sure by now you know JUSTICE. If not, drop whatever it is you're doing and checkout their MySpace. Our favorite new song on their debut EP is a collaboration between JUSTICE and Uffie. "Uffie (born Anna-Catherine Hartley in December 1987) is an American-born, Paris-based indie electronica musician, sponsored by the French music label Ed Banger Records." Checkout her Wikipedia entry here, this page of Uffie's remixes, this interview with her on YouTube, and this video for Pop The Glock. Don't forget Ed Banger's MySpace, where you can test drive songs by all the bands on the label. Of note: "walkman re-edit" + "Killing in the name of SebastiAn" and Busy P's Rainbow Man.

2. I got the card in the mail yesterday: it's time for Commes Des Garcons yearly Autumn/Winter sale. There weren't any other details, but if you're a CDG fan, this is the time to go.

3. check back shortly for updates...

1. Our friend Charles Lutz is up to something amazing: a series of work entitled Denial & Acceptance. The project "explores issues of authorship, originality, authenticity, as well as art commerce through the work of the most important artist of the 20th Century, Andy Warhol. Lutz takes one of Warhol’s most iconic works, 1964 Self Portrait, and recreates the work 12 times in 4 different hues, exact to the specifications of the originals and then submits them to the full authentication process of the Andy Warhol Art Authentication Board, fully intending for the works to be formally stamped, cataloged, and DENIED." So hot! Checkout the site to see for yourself.

2. Looks like the sex that's disappeared from New York has found a new home in Berlin, not that we didn't all already know that anyway! German club Basso is host to GOD, Terence Koh's orgiastic six (6) hour orgiastic film project. "Basso is looking forward to host the premiere of the uncut version of Terence Koh's film project G O D in its full six hour silent enigmatic artistic pornographic glory. There will be music and drinks by no:sler & molzberger before, during and after the screening. Lots of sex before during after too. Wednesday december 12th : 2007. Doors open 9pm. Film runs app. 10pm - fall dead and die and go to heaven." Warhol anyone?? If you're bored at work, checkout Koh's newly updated asianpunkboy site.

3. check back shortly for updates...

1. Our friends at Archetype Showroom & Gallery are having their holiday sample sale this Thursday through Saturday (12.13 - 12.15.2007) from 11pm till 7pm @ their NoHo location (676 Broadway, 2nd Floor, between Great Jones & Bond). What you'll find: men's and women's clothing, jewelry, handbags and shoes. Designers included: Arms & Armory, Black Sheep And Prodigal Sons, Digby & Iona, 80%20, H Fredriksson, Ju$t Another Rich Kid, Orthodox, and Samantha Pleet. Don't miss it!!

2. check back shortly

3. for updates...

1. I'm going to cheat on my favorite East Village Japanese restaurant this week (Sapporo East) to try the everyone-can't-stop-raving-about-it shio ramen at Ramen Setagaya, which opened recently. "One of the biggest events among Japanese expats, noodle slurpers, and culinary screwballs of every persuasion was the opening of this ramen bar, a first U.S. branch of a Japanese mini-chain. And for good reason: The shio (or salt-based) broth is a revelation—smooth with a mellow roundness, subtly flavored with various things like dried scallops and dried anchovies." Read the full review here on NY Mag's site. I'm really going to try my hardest to give it a chance, but I kind of already hate it. From the reviews on Yelp, it seems like a little bit of ramen for a lotta bit of money. Although I love the "high-end" ramen @ Momofuku, I wouldn't want it every night and paying $9-12 for a bowl of ramen is like paying $40 for a hamburger. Sure it's cool, but why not just go to Corner Bistro and eat a real hamburger? Review to follow...

2. Now that I'm paying for all the music I download (I was getting too many viruses from file sharing software), it takes me a lot longer than I'd like to checkout new music. I finally got around to downloading the latest EP Kala by M.I.A. and, surprisingly, it's really good. I was totally expecting her to be a "one hit wonder", but she's at least a "two hit wonder" until the next EP comes out. Checkout her Wikipedia entry, her MySpace, and this page of videos on YouTube. Hot tracks: Boyz, Paper Planes, XR2, Bamboo Banga, and Mango Pickle Down River. Note: if you're promoting a new EP or artist, please send promos to our office for us to checkout.

3. check back shortly for updates...

1. Currently on view @ Colette: WE-ARE-FAMILIA. "WE-ARE-FAMILIA is an independent creative study on the concept of family, founded by New York creative directors/designers Jennifer Garcia and Christian Calabro. 50 artists, designers and musicians have come together to explore the powerful, complex ties which consciously and unconsciously touch all that we experience as humans. Presented in 25 one-of-a kind keepsake boxes made from recycled furniture and found materials, WE-ARE-FAMILIA showcases original mementos contributed by its family of artists." Included: Peter Kienzle on behalf of Superette presents us with an editioned digital drawing based on a classic Velazquez painting which incorporates 4 human versions of the PacMan ghosts. Check it out!

2. Our friends at TMD are having their annual holiday sample sale now through Saturday, 12.08.07. Two (2) of Tracy's designs were featured in the November Conde Nast supplement Movies Rock. Check them out here. The sale is on now through Saturday, 12.08.07. Today's hours: 11 - 7pm. Saturday: 10 - 4pm. Location: 264 Canal Street, Loft 6E Phone: 212.414.4085

3. check back shortly for updates...

1. "From the mailbag: 'some girl just had her purse stolen outside my window on 11th and A at 12:30am. there are so many loud teens in this neighborhood and drunk people at this time of night when she was screaming 'give it back fucker!' i didn't think anything of it until i looked out the window and realized what had happened, as she ran in her heels and continued screaming and running after the guy as he ran down towards avenue D. please post this. all of these rich girls and bankers really need to know they're still not safe over here. please move somewhere safer so the rents don't go any higher and landlords will stop harrassing rent stabilized tenants.' You heard the man, kids. Stop bugging the old people with your carrying-on and being victims of street crime at all hours!" (via Gawker)

2. If you're in Paris, checkout Ugo Rondinone's show The Third Mind @ Palais de Tokyo. He's been given carte blanche, which should prove to be very exciting. "Placed at the centre of the decision-making process determining the programming of the Palais de Tokyo, the artist is free to concoct an entire exhibition. With The Third Mind, Ugo Rondinone offers us a unique journey. An MRI scan of his influences, inclinations and obsessions, the exhibition is constructed as a stroll through a brain in perpetual activity, going straight to the source of the artist's references and discoveries." Artists work included: Vija Celmins, Brion Gysin and William S. Burroughs, Karen Kilimnik, Sarah Lucas, and,of course, Andy Warhol.

3. check back shortly for updates...

You may get more bang for your buck apartment-wise, but thank god I don't live in Brooklyn any longer. It'd be an okay place to live if it weren't for the people. Now imagine how many times this has happened when there's been no camera rolling to document it. If I never take the A train again in my life, it still wouldn't be long enough!! (via Gawker and The Smoking Gun)

Please don't tell anyone that I just downloaded all of these songs from iTunes and am playing them non-stop. Right now, if I hear one more angsty, too-cool-for-school indie band of yesteryear or today, I think I'll kill myself and I wouldn't want to ruin the holidays for my friends and family. Enjoy.

13. Who Knew (P!nk)
12. U + Ur Hand (P!nk)
11. Umbrella (Rihanna)
10. Toxic (Britney Spears)
09. Stronger (Kanye West)
08. Phantom, Pt 2 (JUSTICE)
07. Phantom (JUSTICE)
06. N**ga What? N**ga Who? (Jay-Z)
05. Ice Cream (New Young Pony Club)
04. Golddigger(Kanye West)
03. Gimme More (Britney Spears)
02. D.A.N.C.E. (JUSTICE)
01. Please Don't Stop The Music (Rihanna)

One of our favorite stores in the world--super cool Miami store BASE--has hooked up this.hearts.on.fire. once again with their Album Club Picks. The picks are a very well-curated set of some of the sexiest, coolest music anywhere. I love it because it's so different from my usual taste and always introduces me to new artists that I would not have heard otherwise. You can listen to samples and buy each album by clicking on the links below.

10. OTROS AIRES (DOS) / Electronic tango lovers rejoice! Barcelona-based Otros Aires has returned with the aptly entitled Dos, the follow up to their worldwide smash debut.

9. SWELL SESSION (SWELL COMMUNICATIONS) / Deep, leftfield hip-hop, up-tempo, broken beat, dance hall, and jazzy house, Swell Session is a grand musical experiment by Andres Saag, formerly known as Stateless.

8. ARTHUR VEROCAI (ENCORE) / Swank Recordings has put together an outstanding and eclectic selection of lounge music for their new compilation, Passport to Paris, which is guaranteed to transport you directly to one of the city's chic sidewalk cafes.

7. JOSH ROUSE (COUNTRY MOUSE CITY HOUSE) / Nebraskan Josh Rouse delivers on another set of his trademark laid back, 70's style folk and alt-country on Country Mouse City House.

6. SAMIM (FLOW) / Swiss/Iranian Samim's new disc Flow is filled with a combination of retro (90's) smooth house and cutting edge minimal techno, setting a new standard for dance music in 2007.

5. DIESLER (THE RHYTHM STATION) / Funk, Soul and Latin, jazz and up-tempo beats, combine for a fresh mix of lounge meets the dancefloor on Diesler's third release, Rhythm Station.

4. FLUNK (PERSONAL STEREO) / Flunk is like Bjork without all the weirdness. What we're left with is beautiful, stripped down melodies, and quiet, introspective lyrics, music which can aptly be describes as "sleepy eyed electronica."

3. GUTS (LE BIENHEUREUX) / By taking hip-hop elements and fusing them with "easy-listening", French rap impresario Guts done nigh the impossible and produced a lounge-like CD that both sides of the fence can love.

2. LONG RANGE (MADNESS AND ME) / Phil Hartnoll, one half of the legendary electronic band Orbital, has taken his past formula, teamed up with Nick Smith, and become Long Range, a not-quite-similar but still sounding very-close-to, fresh and updated version of his former sound.

1. PAROV STELAR (SHINE) / The third solo disc by Austrian Parov Stelar reveals his unique musical vision, with Jazz, soul, break beat and pop combining to produce some of the most sophisticated and sexy music out there.

1. If you're in LA on Wednesday, hit up the opening party for The Multiple I, an exhibition curated by Zach Gold and Julie Ragolia of Playground @ the Architecture + Design Museum from 7:00-11:00pm. Done with the support of GenArt and Nokia Nseries, The Multiple I features works from the artists of Playground 1, including Stuart Semple, Ju$t Another Rich Kid, Alex Norden, Clayton Cubitt, Terence Koh, Tierney Gearon, and many more. RSVP now!

2. Everyone's heard of Tony Hawk, but who the f*&k is Christian Hosoi? I just checked out an amazing documentary on the skateboarding legend and by the end of the film it was apparent why Tony Hawk, who was the rival of Hosoi, went on to become a millionaire and Hosoi a relative unknown. "Hosoi's skateboard career began to falter as a recession hit the US in the early 1990s, and skateboarding underwent a revolution with street skating becoming the dominant discipline, overshadowing the superstars of the previous decade (Hosoi and Hawk) and ushering in a new generation of pros. Hosoi faced bankruptcy after financial difficulties with a series of failed skateboard companies; in addition to a growing addiction to drugs." I won't spoil the story for you. You'll have to watch the movie yourself: Rising Son: The Legend of Christian Hosoi. It's an interesting look at an important point in the history of skateboarding. Not to mention a side of skateboarding (Hosoi's rockstar hipster persona) that you may have never seen before. Don't forget to checkout Hosoi's website, where the original Hosoi Boards are sold.

3. check back shortly for updates...