The Brilliance!

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We’re really internet and we’re really back. A website about things Benjamin , Chuck , Virgil , and various friends & guests think are interesting. Little-to-no specific focus, a bit odd, speling errors, and incredibly culturally relevant.

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Good Weekends!

Little late with the Tuesday morning post…but my birthday was yesterday so it kind of spilled into Monday a bit. Monday night more so. Anyway, quite a weekend. Headed down to the Chicago land area last Friday to witness my close friend Chuck tie the knock. Great wedding, the outside setting was quite beautiful – nice choice guys. Little late night dancing, open bar, catching up with old familiar faces…and wishing ‘The Andersons’ a great vacation in the South Pacific(!!). Put some work in downtown on Saturday at Barneys and Hejfina…seriously, how well done is Hejfina?! Love that spot. Then a brilliant night at the House Of Blues thanks the hospitality and generosity of Virgil and Lupe…the show was awesome. M.I.A. tore it down and set the stage well for Lupe to come out and smash it. Lupe, you got crazy stage presence…hip-hop needs that! Check the pictures captured with my iPhone – not the best quality, but impressive for a phone – on out Flickr page at the link below.

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LV Millionaires part II!!!

We are THE BRILLIANCE, we should not necessarily be the first on a google search to breaking this news. Man, I feel late, my Australian LV hookup friend tells me in passing the Millionaires are getting re-released in 3 colors and I am like….sure, yeah right. I vaguely remember someone saying that Pharrell said they were re-releasing them and even the real VIPs of the brand doubted the story. Undoubtedly, the crème de la crème of sunglasses designed by Pharrell, Nigo and Marc Jacobs are getting “retroed” in Purple, Teal, and Black. Save your pennies. Ridiculous I know, but design for design what would you rather be wearing island hopping in the Mediterranean?

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Mad cause I am stylin’…from the bottom up!!!

Its to the point now with sneakers that anything that’s not a Jordan Retro or a YSL high top it is super hard to get excited about it. Along comes alife with a diamond in the rough. This is proper recent sneaker evolution in my book. That colorway, those laces….they would go over nice with a fresh pair of jeans. While a lot of companies are following in Creative Recreations footsteps this is what I’d like to see more of. Classical references that are a little more grown up. Two thumbs up in my book. Jeans…Levis 501all white + RIT dye = a smart dude. Grab the purple go to town. Might as well be ahead of the curve. Up top this sweater sweater is a super serious piece. Again classic but progressive in the details. Super soft awesome fit. Random post, but it’s what just crossed my mind.

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I’m out!!

I’ve not posted in quite a while…it’s not that it’s hard to do or that I can’t come up with anything, but I’ve just been sidetracked with moving, working, and…oh yeah…getting married and leaving the country for like 2 weeks. Keeping in mind I’ve not gone without a computer, Blackberry or email for more than like a weekend in years…it’s an unsettling feeling, but it’s going to be good to break away from screens and technology for a while. I’ll be kicking back in beautiful French Polynesia, specifically Moorea for 4 days and then Bora Bora for 4 more days…with a brief stop in LA before we head out of the country. No doubt it will be the trip of a lifetime and certainly one of, if not the best place for a honeymoon. So yeah - I’m sure I’ll have a recap of what life is like on island time in a few weeks…until then… check out some pictures of where me and my soon-to-be wife Holly will be in a few days…And maybe when I get back I’ll even have some shots of Ben and Virgil dancing together at the wedding…maybe not though..

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Bobby breaks down the internet.

I like this post Bobby made…and matter of fact, I have mounds of respect for The Hundreds as a brand. I tip my hat to them, what they’ve done is impressive. Not that our opinion on streetwear matters…we never post about it. So yeah…very interesting post by Mr. Hundreds himself, Bobby…check the link. I love the internet, its without question an integral part of my life - how I earn a living, document my life, etc. And Bobby’s write-up encapsulates a lot of my feelings plus its just super interesting to hear it from his perspective having managed a brand that as he states has been largely built by internet awareness. REALLY INTERNET.

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Swizz Beatz - still relevant!

Don’t take that title the wrong, I meant it in a good way. Seriously, during the whole Pharrell phase that lasted a couple years I think people forgot about the amazing and for the most-part non-sampling producer known as Swizz Beatz. It’s like he was in hiding or something. Either way, he’s back now and I swear - every single one of his beats is a ‘monster’. I even went back and dug up some old classics. Remember ‘WW II’? Tugboats? I’m also quite the fan of this new video. ***How ahead of his time was he when he decided to call him self a maker of ‘Swiss’ beats?! Seriously.

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Fresh & Proper Food!

Yeah NYC has a leg up on Chicago in the bodega department. Like $2 egg and cheese sandwiches from behind the same counter kids peddle cigarettes seems like a perfect way to start an urban day. Anyway, Chicago we don’t have the luxury…but we have this new Milk and Honey Café that just opened up around the corner and has THE BEST breakfast sandwich I have EVER had. Bacon, egg, cheddar, tomato & chipotle aioli on awesome fresh bread, all panini grilled up. Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day and just like 20 mins ago it took serious restraint not to stop in. There was even an open parking spot right in front. So yeah, Milk and Honey, the cool logo and white interior trumps a bodega interior, but that’s what the extra 3 bucks must be paying for. Umm.

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Still Can’t Tell Him Nothing!!!

When I say that “Graduation” is an art movement along with an album I really mean it. The creativity and complete disregarded for status quo is super liberating. Enter Zach Galifianakis “Can’t Tell Me Nothing” video part 2. It’s kinda like if he doesn’t do it, who will? This kind of creative freedom puts the “artist” in POP-artist. Who knows what’s next…were 6 weeks out from the (now bigger) Sept. 11th unveiling…

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Bocas Del Toro!!

An island post! Its been a while right? Well, back at it…and this one is the quintessential ‘tropical paradise’ type. It actually looks a bit like something you’d fin din the South Pacific but its actually a Caribbean island right of Panama. Bocas Del Toro they call it. This post was actually prompted by one of my favorite magazines, Islands, but my good friend Kevin put me onto the location quite a while ago - sorry for the late post Kevin, ha. So yeah, it’s small, its lush, beautiful beaches, hike-able rainforest, super cheap resorts, kind of hard to get to, and has pretty good real estate available to foreigners as well. Some of the pictures in the new Islands magazine are just unbelievable - so beautiful. That classic palm lined beach that backs right up to jungle - perfect. Check out the link for this fresh resort called ‘Al Natural’. It’s a low-eco-impact resort, super chill, and super cheap.

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Martin Klimas photography!

Love this stuff. So unbelievably crisp – and so surreal with that whole ‘fraction of a second in time’ feel to it. I’ve always loved how stark those super hi-speed cameras make stuff look in test footage or on Myth Busters. This is a considerably more artistic approach to that. I just can’t get over how surreal it looks…also has this mind of ‘massive’ feel to it. Like everything is bigger. Love the birds…I bet that was a difficult shoot to organize and execute. Love the flower vases exploding/being shot as well…all of his stuff really. Thanks to Nicolai for the heads up on this stuff…!