I Miss The Old New York

Here's a video I came across showing how gritty the Time Square/42nd St. subway station was.(circa 1986) Those were the days.

Summer Essential

What makes the perfect summer shoe? This is very subjective, and up for debate, however I know what I like and what makes sense.  Lightweight, preferably canvas, these are my prerequisites to summer footwear that's why I'm going with the classic era from Vans perfect summer footwear; you be the judge.

Happy Land Not!

On 3/25/1990 the Happy Land Social Club in the Bronx NYC caught fire killed 87 people trapped in the unlicensed social club. Most of the victims were ethnic Hondurans celebrating Carnival. Julio Gonzalez who set the fire was charged with 87 counts of arson and 87 counts of murder, González was charged with 174 counts of murder- two for each victim he was sentence maximum of 25 years. It was the most substantial prison term ever imposed in the state of New York. He will be eligible for parole in March 2015. R.I.P to the Victims and blessings to there family's.

Brooks!!

Back in  December 2010 when I first saw the Vans Vault x Brooks Saddle Co-Lab. I was like this is great but I will never own the sneakers or the saddle. Reason being the sneakers are not available in my size and the Brooks saddle will cost to much and there limited to 500 pieces. So I gave up any idea of owning either item.This pass Thursday on an unexpected road trip to my 2nd home (Philadelphia,PA) I ran into a friend and told him about the Vans x Brooks Saddle he was like hold on and placed a phone call and was like if you want one I can get you one for a fraction of the price after being told the price with little hesitation I was like cool. Within one hour I was the proud owner of saddle #401.

RIP Elizabeth Taylor

Full-screen Beginning as a child star, as an adult she came to be known for her acting talent and beauty, and had a much publicized private life, including eight marriages and several near death experiences. Taylor was considered one of the great actresses of Hollywood’s Golden Age. The American Film Institute named Taylor seventh on its Female Legends List.

Sunset!!!

 In Acapulco,Mexico, There's the sunset chapel it's a memorial that will eventually be surrounded by a "garden" of crypts. With its bare-concrete structure that appears eternal, and its slatted walls and glass cross that allow the light to perform its daily magic in the space, Sunset Chapel looks and behaves like a modern-day Stonehenge. Mysterious and stark, yet reassuring and calming; protective, yet part of the surrounding nature. At 1291 square feet in size, the chapel evokes  a surprising sense of strength.

House Call!!

Dr. Ben Carson was the youngest Director of Pediatric Neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital at age 32. He attended Yale University, where he earned a degree in Psychology. He also attended University of Michigan Medical School, where his studies shifted to neurosurgery.  In 1987, Carson made medical history by being the first surgeon in the world to successfully separate twins conjoined at the back of the head.  Dr. Carson has written three books: Gifted Hands, The Big Picture, and Think Big. On June 19, 2008, Carson received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President George W. Bush and went on to have a movie made about his life titled Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story, with Academy Award winner Cuba Gooding Jr. in the lead role.

Top of the morning!

Happy St. Patrick's Day.

R.I.P Nate Dogg

R.I.P to hip-hop singer Nate Dogg who passed away at age 41. He will be missed.

THE ESSENTIALS:ITEMS EVERY MAN SHOULD OWN

Straw Hat

A sun hat is not just a fashion accessory; it is also a skincare essential, being much the best way to protect the face from damaging sunrays. Panamas also keep you cool, because the air passes through the woven straw and, in moments of need, you can fan yourself with one. The width of brim should correspond with the size of your head. For most men a mid-size fedora balances style with utility, and can be worn with any summer outfit.

Up Up And Away!!!!!

National Geographic Channel has created a real-life version of the animated film Up. Launching a house thousands of metres into the air using balloons. A team of scientists, engineers, and two world-class balloon pilots successfully launched a 16' X 16' house 18' tall with 8' coloured weather balloons from a private airfield east of Los Angeles, and set a new world record for the largest balloon cluster flight ever attempted. Using 300 helium-filled weather balloons, the lightweight building reached an altitude of more than 3000m and remained in the air for about an hour. The filming of the event from a private airstrip, will be part of a new National Geographic Channel series called How Hard Can it Be?, which premieres in the fall.
 

 

Best Foot Forward!!

I love a woman with mean footwear. You won't find these in the mall.

Odd Future!!!

Odd Future live on Jimmy Fallon.

Shoe of the Day!

 Harris Pinked Stitched Balmoral

There’s nothing ‘pink’ about these Pinked Stitched Balmorals from Harris($550 usd). Featuring a classic cap toe design, and a six-eyelet closed balmoral style lacing system, along with rich leather uppers, these shoes are the perfect man’s dress shoe.

The other side of the World

On the other side of the world there's a area of ocean know as the The Dragon's Triangle it exists just southeast of Japan. The Dragon’s Triangle is similar to the Bermuda Triangle with its mysterious phenomena tales of missing maritime vessels and aircraft, reports of malfunctioning navigational and communication equipment.With all the strange occurrences the government officially declared the area a danger zone.The area is known to have volatile sudden weather changes along with undersea volcanoes which are abundant in the region. Some believe these naturally occurring environmental changes are the cause.There's are some  theories for the mysterious disappearances speak of extraterrestrials and lost kingdoms under the sea? Whatever the answer, the Dragon’s Triangle, along with it’s Bermudan equivalent, remains one of the world’s best kept mysteries?

R.I.P Biggie

March 9th marks the anniversary of the greatest rapper to ever do it. R.I.P The Notorious B.I.G. born Christopher Wallace.

Shoeicide!

The Isabel Marant hybrid  sneaker is made of leather,canvas and suede. There a wedge sneakers with a concealed heel that measures 2 inches. Isabel Marant sneakers have a round toe, a designer stamp at padded tongue, Velcro fastenings across front, perforated stitch detail, a mid-cab ankle with piped ankle support and a gripped rubber sole and sell for around $660 making it one hot shoe. It's a small price to pay to be ahead of the curve. 

Ron English!!

Well known artist Ron English pays homage to art legend Andy Warhol in the form of a limited sculpture/bust of 200 pieces ($200 each) all & all a very nice piece with Andy's signature hair do. I think I need two so I can use as bookends. 

92 & 94

The Armory Show kicked off on March 3-6 at Piers 92 & 94 in NYC. The Armory Show is one of the top international fairs that's held annually in NYC. It showcase's the most important works of the 20th & 21st century. The show left me at a lost for words it was like as if I was a kid in a candy store as every gallery offering something new and exciting. Here's a slide show of the pictures I took. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

Out Takes

The World Wide Wed is a great place were you will stumble across the craziest of items.

Check out my dude Ian Read he's the hottest thing in NYC before Melo.

Out Takes 15 from ian reid on Vimeo.

Style Icon of The Month!

                                               Mr Paul Newman 

Mr Paul Newman was just so darned good looking, and so impeccably attired, and so absurdly talented, we should all truly hate him. But to add insult to injury, the award-winning star of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, The Hustler and Cool Hand Luke was also an incredibly good guy. This shot shows that, back in the 1960s, he had the whole preppy look down to a T.

D-d-d-d-d-da da DAMN!

Check out this skate video Deahtwish: featuring the Lizard King & Theotis Beasley. Music: Cam'rom D-d-d-d-d-da da DAMN!!!!

Shoe of the Day!

The shoe of the day is the John Lobb William II ($1240.00). The Shoe is Double-buckle monk-strap shoe in a heavy leather. Finished with a toe cap construction and stitch seam detail. The shoes are handmade in England and are a classic style that will last a lifetime if cared for properly. The William II is a versatile shoe that's looks right at home with a suit or a pair of dark denim. This is a must have shoe for the well dressed man.

Worlds Fastest Car

I was reading an article about Ralph Laurens car collection going on tour. I knew he has a love of cars but I never knew how large is collection really is. The collection ranges from vintage Fords to super sport cars like the Bugatti Veyron. The Bugatti Veyron is the world fastest production car that's road legal. I'm a VW lover and guess how surprised I was to find out that the Bugatti is Designed and developed by the German Volkswagen Group. This super car has 1001 horsepower a top speed of 253mph,ten radiators and a price tag of 2 million dollar's. Check out the video as James May of Top Gear verifies the top speed of the Veyron.