downtown LA

my friend Jaime took me to an area of Los Angeles i'd never been to.... downtown. she tells me that most people don't go to downtown. everyone goes to venice, hollywood...etc. she was nice enough to take me on a architectural tour. here are some photos i took with my point and shoot. (new nikon coolpix - not bad for $99, i must say)


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photos from Prague

4 days - 3 nights in Prague Czech Republic from Dan's bachelor party.
over 400 photos taken.
some of them were pretty good, i think.
you can see them here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/djtakefive/collections/72157618396467121/

Yanks

three weeks ago, i journeyed out to the new Yankee Stadium. as B and i got off the 4 train, i shuffled my way to the back staircase, as my dad and i always had used that sortie - assessing that it was the quickest. after taking 30 steps or so, it hit me -- the Yanks don't play in that stadium anymore. the new one is the other direction. it was a moment of confusion, but as shawn offered when i made my second trip last nite to the house that someone built, not unwarranted confusion. even inside, the stadium feels remarkably similar to the old one.

on this journey, i brought my trusty nikon. so, for those that have not been - welcome to the new era of Yanks bball..... stadium - awesome. on the field play this season so far, not so much.


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NBA D-LEAGUE 2008-09 SEASON TIP-OFF

Dan showing his announcer skills! :)

music and dancing in the park - with special shout out to jamie lidell

jazzified in NYC

this year, for the first time in 4 years, my dad and i will not be going to the north sea jazz festival. :( they pushed the date back from prior years - and my dad and his wife had planned on being here, in the states, during the time frame when the festival will take place this year. as a result, i am trying to visit more jazz venues in the city - hoping to soak in what i'll miss...

tonite jamal and i saw terence blanchard and his quintet at the jazz standard. terence composed many of spike lee's scores - and is considered a 'young lion' -- the new guard bringing incredible straight-ahead jazz to the masses. it was my first time to the small venue a mere 10 blocks from my house - inexcusable, i know! terence was a delight and his band was stellar - stand out performances by all. pianist from cuba, bassist from philly, sax player from tucson (tucson, i know!!!) - and drummer from houston. a wonderful combo, who ended the night with an ode to shaft (he's a bad mutha - shut yo' mouth)... you could tell they were having a good ole time on stage - the best kind if performance - and a wonderful end to a saturday night.

eat mor chikin

this past weekend, i went back to philly for my reunion - more on that in the next entry. this one i want to dedicate to chick-fil-A. first thing i did when i pulled into philly on the bus was to go to the Gallery Mall to grab the chick-fil-A strips with waffle fries and polynesian sauce. darryl and raffy thought i was jokin' when i called and offered to bring them some after just having gotten off the greyhound, in the rain. but it is NO laughing matter. :) wow -- it was good. their advertisng, speaking of laughing, is pretty cute. it centers around cows urging us to eat chicken, not burgers. (outdoor ad pictured above - some guerilla mktg clips on youtube). if you live in the northeast, you may not have ever seen an ad though...

ya see, they don't really have locations in new york - or north of it. apparently there is one at an NYU dorm, but i'm not sure if you have to a student/ faculty to get to it... i'll explore it more and report back. so as a result i go whenever i can. i even convinced dan & afia to head to a chick-fil-A directly after jamal/ jess' wedding ceremony in south carolina last summer. i think i might have also opted to fly through atlanta once, in order to score more tasty treats. i'm addicted. anyhow, if you find yourself in any close proximity to a chick-fil-A, stop in. it's good eatin'! -- and PLEASE bring me some.

impromptu yankee game

alvarez sent me an sms at 11:30am, as i was getting ready to show patti's apartment (which she found a sub-letter for today - congrats!). the text msg read : "yo - some yankee tickets fell into my lap for today. any interest in going 1pm game?" -- to which i responded, HELL YEAH! it was beautiful day for game - sunny but not too hot - and they gave out commemorative yankee stadium calendars to all in attendance. this is the last season in which the Yanks will play at the current Yankee Stadium. They will open the '09-'10 season across the street - literally - in the 3rd iteration of this, the mecca of baseball.


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learn somethin' new everyday - beer pouring

Last night Patti and I enjoyed a coupla beers at BUA, a bar/ lounge that I was introduced to by my friend Trevor, the Irishman. Apparently, T.Madigan knows the owners and was their first customer ever when the spot opened 3 years ago. Anyhow, I ordered one of the my favorite beers, Hoegaarden - and was going to have the bar-keep use the same glass for the 2nd pouring (doing my part to save the environment) - but was told that the instructions say not to. A freshly washed glass is always needed.

Wait. There are instructions on how to pour the beer???? Yup.

On the back label (pictured above) it reads:
1) Use Hoegaarden hexagonal glass (line drawing of someone cleaning it with water)
2) Pour 2/3 into glass (drawing of glass being filled)
3) Swirl bottle (bottle in motion)
4) Pour rest to form head (pouring)

Awesome.

Note: no mention of adding a lemon to it, which many bars do -- as Patti might say - "no fruit in my beer!"

hey now - you're an allstar

on my first week on the job, i had a wonderful opportunity to travel to the NBA Allstar Game in New Orleans. the basketball was great - both from the NBA Allstars, and those from the NBA Development League - but hey - i'm biased. :) i also wandered around with afia to experience some of the dynamic art galleries - and encountered a superb photography exhibit - and certainly did some shopping on the Riverwalk.

more important than the play or the shopping, though, was how we banded together to do community service in the new orleans areas that still need help rebuilding as part of the NBA Cares initiative. despite the rain, the work we did was very fulfilling - and i was pleasantly surprised that the star players who turned up actually worked, and did not just stand around for photo opps. Steve Nash and Jason Kidd came to the house we were painting to lend a hand.


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are you DUJEOUS?

when i was a junior at PENN, i met a cat named Aaron. he and his boy Theo gained some prominence as skilled hiphop MCs. when i was a senior, they collaborated to bring an open mic night to campus.

after i left school, Aaron continued his foray into the hiphop world - and soon he and a bunch of his friends from high school formed a group called Dujeous. you can visit their website to learn about them in depth. but suffice it to say, they are a hiphop band that rivals any other i've seen - including the Roots. armed with 3 MCs - a drummer - guitarist - bassist - keyboard player - and a trumpeter, they rock the house everytime. the "duj" have quite a following abroad and just returned from an asia tour. this past saturday, i went to see them at Mercury Lounge here in NYC. awesome.

go check 'em out. they won't disappoint!

mini vacation

i took a mini vacation and hung out in miami for a few days before i start my new job. dex was incredibly gracious to let me crash at his place, while he was in Finland. i got some rest and alot of sun - met new friends - and chilled out with old ones - and visited miami's burgeoning design district. the view from dex's apt is absolutely incredible - there are numerous shots included in the photo array below.


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the wing spot : superbowl edition

the wing spot
Originally uploaded by djtakefive.

i went to dan's place to watch the superbowl in brooklyn. upon arrival - he was headed out to pick up the wings/ tenders he ordered at the "wing wagon" on flatbush ave. ok - so, we walked into the freakin' chaos. probably 50 people waiting for their orders!!! people yelling out their names - numbers - time of order/ time they were told to pick up. some cat named Angel apparently ordered to pick up at 5pm. i know this b/c our friend screamed "ANGEL - 5 o'clock!!!!" every 5 minutes. granted, it was 6:10 and he still didn't have his food....

dan, who'd been told to come back at 5:30, missed the full first quarter of the game waiting to get his wings. (6:40pm) i'll be honest, i don't understand the draw to wings personally, but you gotta admire the dedication.

oh - and GO BIG BLUE!!!!
the Giants stood strong tonight.
congrats to Eli, Plaxico, Tyree and the crew.

DJ the DJ

you may or may not know that i still dj occasionally. recently i've been spinning at the nicest hostel in the country - located on 103rd and Amsterdam. my friend Sabrina runs events there and does a friday evening "beats and travel tips" shindig, which i've played at 6 times. yesterday, my boy D--J - [dalmar james] stopped in to chat, and hopped on the wheels. though he hasn't played in awhile, he still threw on some joints - like "Communism", "Buddy" and "Eric B is President". Dalmar also produces tracks, and is nice on the guitar. check out his myspace page to listen to some of the underdog's sound.

best 10 ever

my friends (Phil and Kelley) sent a note out to their friends this week -- requesting a top 10 list of hiphop songs ever. my response follows. i invite you to hit me up with your top 10 list.

---->

a tough question, my friends. a tough one.
i would prefer an album discussion, as many singles have been released, but a classic album is -- well a whole different game. in this new world of single purchasing, lost is the art of constructing a beautiful album worth of songs that build and shape not only one chapter, but a full story.

thus, i will answer your question and my question, as a hybrid ::: my favorite 10 albums {{and best song(s) on each}}

ok - so - here goes: (click song link to play the video)

1) illmatic - nas {{ny state of mind}} -- 'rappers are monkey flippin with the funky rhythm i be kickin'!!!' BEST ALBUM EVER. no doubt.

2) step in the arena - gangstarr {{who's gonna take the weight}} - the beat is stupid - the lyrics, nasty. primo & guru at their best.

3/ 4) ready to die - notorious big {{unbelievable & juicy}} - i can listen to these over and over -- classics both of 'em, just like the man. biggie smalls is the illest!!!!

5) low end theory - tribe called quest {{check the rhime}} - this album and this song were what brought jazz influenced hiphop beats to the forefront

6) great adventures of slick rick - slick rick {{childrens story}} - the best storyteller ever - period.

7) paid in full - eric b & rakim - {{eric b is president}} (though 'move the crowd' has the sickest verse ever) - another pair of guys who simply rocked it every time. though 'eric b is pres' is the pinnacle.

8) mecca and the soul brother - pete rock & cl smooth {{T.R.O.Y.]} - utterly fantastic.

9) 3 feet high & rising - de la soul {{buddy remix}} - the best crew/ collabo song to date. hands down. 'plug 3 gets all the buddy!!'. de la made hiphop fun and nutty -- and intelligent, without being heavy handed. though stakes is high is classic as well - this was another game-changer. man - the early 90s were incredible!!!!

10) enta the stage - black moon {{who got the props}} - the production on this whole album is magnificent and with buckshot's gruff monotone flow. wow. "who got the props, who got the props - 5FT, Evil Dee & Buck shot!!"

-- if i had an 11th --- Common -- {{I used to love h.e.r.}} off of Resurrection. the official ode to hiphop music.

-- and a 12th -- Souls of Mischief -- {{'93 til infinity}} off of album of same name. my west coast all time favorite.

monkdogz & art - frank & vera - good food & patti

on thurs, patti and i met up to see some art showcased by monkdogz, at their gallery on 27th between 9th - 10th Aves. they have bi-monthly events displaying new urban art. it's fun to go to the venue because there are numerous other galleries in the bldg that tend to stay open late and allow you entrance when monkdogz have their events. the events are generally well attended - so much so on this occasion, that the coat rack broke under the weight of the garments. (pic above)

patti was planning on meeting a friend for drinks - and invited me to join. we then went to a cute bar/ restaurant called FRANK/ VERA (eatery = frank, bar = vera). i'd been before - raffy used to love to go to the bar next door (Black Star) for their Wednesday reggae night. it's gone now :( -- and we wandered into Vera a few times afterwards. anyhow, the food smelled great, so patti and i decided to grub, as well as drink. we split the arugula salad, she had the mussels and i had the ravioli. good eatin'. the bartender had brought in his ipod that night, and suffice it to say i was pleased with his selections - which included some cuts off Black Moon's Enta Da Stage, and Nas' Illmatic. that's a very good way to get me to have a few more drinks at your establishment. no doubt.

the Florist

my pal from work, Floris (of the Netherlands), had a bunch of us over to his lovely home in Rye, NY this past sunday for some food and many drinks. the cranberry crusted goat cheese was spectacular, as were the chicken and pork sattes Floris made on his super-duper grill. the house his wife found for he, she, their daughter is the coolest place ever for kids. it's like the Webster home with 15 lil rooms and passageways and sucken floors. that - and the fact that the neighborhood contains all families where kids run free from home to home in safety and adulation - makes Fleur, their daughter, extremely happy. they have truly transformed their house to a home.


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my 100th post!!!!! >>> rum & friends

so, this is my 100th post on this blog. kinda cool, huh? it's exciting in this new age of technology to be able to share one's thoughts and ideas with your friends and colleagues - and the masses simultaneously. i hope you've enjoyed reading so far, and that you will continue to do so... and now, onto the latest edition.

last night my good friend darryl was in town from DC. he was in celebrating with some friends - one who's opening her own law practice (jane - pictured above) and one moving to LA to become an actor. now, let me briefly skip to the near-end of the night by telling you that as of today i am BOYCOTTING THE BRANDY LIBRARY. more on that in a moment.

i joined the crew at the bubble lounge in tribeca. i thought i'd been there before, but upon entry did not recognize the interior. here's the recap:

• the 6 of us shared a beautiful bottle of champagne from 1982, that Curly Rob (moving to LA actor - pictured above) ordered.
  
• one of the waitresses was absolutely stunning. (no picture of her though).
  
• apparently alicia keys was in the venue just a few hours before we were, sitting in the same area. according to our waiter, she was nice.
  
• the dj they had at the spot was not really mixing but played some stuff i liked but had never heard before, so I went over to talk to him. nice guy. been around the industry for many many years -- and, in a crazy coincidence, used to own filter 14, which he sold to my friend tommy frayne. i djed at filter 14 for the better part of 2 years, but it was closed down when the meat packing district got all gentrified. ;(

ok - so after bubble lounge, we went over to the brandy library - just a few blocks away. they accommodated all six of us by moving around some chairs, which was nice of them. Darryl and I perused the extensive menu and i offered the idea that we ordered some rum (one from his country of guyana - and one from haiti - pictured above). 80 and 86 proof, respectively. wow! we and the others, including curly rob, ordered another round of drinks filled with lovely liquor mixes we were unfamiliar with. then, it went down hill. we were talking, having a good time - recounting stories and experiences.. then the bar tender came over to us - rob - specifically and asked him to quiet down. i mean, we weren't yelling - we were seated - and nowhere near rambunctious. we were all a bit taken aback. we ordered a few nibbles, and then got another round. we were conscious to 'keep it down' and basically split into 3 groups of 2 to ensure our volume stayed a minimum. when rob went to order one last drink for he and his lady friend, he was told by the bartender that he would not serve him!!!!! are you f-in' joking me????? we were there for over 2 hours, he ordered 3 tiny drinks and food. w ordered the same amt of drinks, and he weighs 75lbs more than i, so he was not even close to being drunk, and a loooong way away from being obnoxious. rob was very composed - asked for the bill - and began putting his jacket on. i confronted the bartender. what i gleaned was this : the BRANDY LIBRARY is a turn their nose up, holier than thou place where you are not supposed to have a good time, only speak in hushed tones, and where the ownership makes excuses to get rid of unwanted guests, instead of being man enough to be upfront about their reasons.

i will no longer patronize their establishment, and hope you will not either.

straight animal style

tonite i headed out to brooklyn to meet dan & afia for dinner. after some indecisiveness, it was agreed we go to a mediterranean tapas place on bergen called BEAST. bad name - great spot. we shared 5 plates : manchego cheese squares, scallops with pumpkin puree, chicken skewers w. cous cous, chorizo and skirt steak with citrus something or another... then we split a banana pistachio ice cream dessert - but the big money offering of the night was the toffee sticky pudding. ho-lee geez-uss - it was good!!! despite the chill and the rain, i good time was had by all.

the best email birthday card i got this year. :)

from my buddy Scotty Cohen -- sad, but true... and certainly humorous.