21-45

mr. chop – straighten it out
guilty simpson – coroners music
mf doom meets clutchy hopkins – air
dj mitsu the beats – playin’ with crime
people under the stairs – hit the top
wale ft bun b – mirrors
guilty simpson – my time to shine
shuanise – baggage for sale
the raah project – trick of the light
the 1960’s jay are jazz revolution again – it’s jay are
colonel red – soulsidal
bibio – lovers (leatherette remix)
the sa-ra creative partners ft jay electronica – love czars II
slum village – players
share my bed – player has butterflies
boxcutter – lamp post funk

22-45

the clonious – bugs n’ fools
paul white – dream state
hudson mohawke – joy fantastic
silkie – the horizon
b.a. baracus band – mama said knock you out
lefto x fela – lefto edit
jimi tenor & tony allen – three continents
havana cultura – no existen palabras
eugene blackwell – early jam session
shawn lee & clutchy hopkins – 70mph isn’t fast enough to get out of nebraska
subeena – solidify
life force trio – auntie’s harp
the clonious – leaving belief

Dear « messengers of peace » readers,

Please let me open your innocent eyes to introduce this post: If you’ve always thought Second Life was a world exempt from any kind of violence and aggressiveness, a world where people would be able to communicate and share their space with no prejudice and no bad intentions, a dream world then, let me tell you that maybe your real name is Laura Ingalls Walder (from Little House on the Prairie) or that you must immediately stop taking your anti-depressants (Don’t be ashamed! French people are one of the first consumers of these pills in the world, so if we can deal with this addiction, why couldn’t you?).

Yes, Second Life just like the real one is the place where all aggressions are possible! I won’t talk here about the way our fashionable eyes can be hurt seeing an avatar who wears the proof of its terrible bad taste on its shoulders. I won’t explain how some fashion faux-pas can wound a sensitive SL soul forever. I won’t demonstrate against some designers worse than the H1N1 flu trying to contaminate our wardrobes with the ugliest clothes ever imagined. No, I just want to talk about a stupid, basic, even not original case of aggression.

Some days ago, as I was shopping (again) at Cupcake sim, a girl nicely greeted me. After a certain delay, because I was focused on my wallet and some &bean items, I greeted her back. She was accompanied by two of her friends and I eventually understood she just wanted to tell me she really liked the way my avatar looked. I don’t really know what happened next but one of her friends starting to be more and more verbally aggressive against me. Was that because I had kept speaking English when they were French just like me (It’s always hard for me to switch between languages even for my mother tongue, as we’re used to speak English in SL)? Was this because I had something bad on my nose, on my clothes, on… Whatever! The fact is she decided to insult me in a very “florid” language I really can’t translate here, and for no reason!

I love provocation, I love using coarse expressions sometimes – even in my posts!- just to loosen some inhibited minds up! But this was not provocation: just pure vulgarity and simple meanness. Anyway, thanks to this charming person (I was about to write her name in these lines, but she doesn’t deserve this attention) I’ve learned I was a cunt, a bastard, a nigger, and some other instructive details.

This aggression was so sudden that I was unable to be quick at repartee. How surprising! I’m usually quite good in this exercise, but it had made such a long time since I last had been directly mugged that I was too miffed to say something smart and cold, as I’m used to. My fingers were shaking on my keyboard, my real heart was wildly beating in my chest. The only words I could eventually answer were: “You’re just pitiful, dear. Get lost and go to hell: you just have no sense of humour, of fashion, of any intelligence”. I can’t stop laughing when I read it now: a mix of polish style with coarseness, and a fashionista’s point of view. I know this is ridiculous. For once, I did not feel proud of anything at all!

At first I was about to report this event to LindenLab; then I decided to contain my anger: I put on this famous, wild and incredibly vulgar song of Peaches (I love them), and decided to use my rage to create an outfit! And this is the reason of this post.

This was easy: A short time ago LeLutka, Aoharu, and ANEXX released some creations which (all mixed together) perfectly meet my vengeance’s impulses. I equiped myself with lots of accessories, like a dress from the Doctress Q outfit (by Bare Rose) which includes  useful sharp “tools”, piercings from Deviant Kitties, dangerous gloves by Gear Shift, my Spike earrings (yes I know I already blogged about them) and even boxing gloves at any case…

Believe it or not, making this outfit helped me to get my calm back. My mind was peaceful again. Yes, no need to fight or to be violent against violence: FASHION FOR REVENGE!

- Seth hair in natural black by MADdesigns

- Vixen II skin by Curio

- Mini top #1 by Emery

- Black short riders jacket by Aoharu

- Black Rockin’ pants & belt by LeLutka

- Transparent skirt from the Doctress Q outfit by Bare Rose

- Black Five belts boots by ANEXX

- Shadow Godfists by Gear Shift

- The Line piercing set by Deviant Kitties

- Left Spike earring by Paper Couture

- Noir Désir, Sacré Coeur necklace by LaGyo

- Evillast gloves and hat by HaT MechaNic

- Poses: “Raw7″ by Reel Expression (first pic), “kung fu or whatever” by Sunflower poses (third pic), “MaitreyaFModel 07-15-16″ by Maitreya (second and last pics), “Female standing No.2″ by MissiM (fourth pic)

Pictures taken at The Block.

21-45

people under the stairs – hit the top
othello & dj vajra – same team suckas
wale ft bun b – mirrors
raekwon – 10 bricks
jay z – thank you
q tip – feelin’
mr. chop – t.r.o.y
the roots – how i got over
people under the stairs – step off
speech debelle – better days
georgia anne muldrow – run away
the clonious – if joe had the power
tokimonsta – let me trick u
four tet – love cry
florence & the machine – you got the love (the xx remix)

22-45

dubbledge ft tb – glaciers of ice
what’s the science – inspiration
kylie auldist – in a week, in a day (ashley beadle street soul edit)
phil upchurch – black gold
share my bed – player has butterflies
suff daddy chinatown chill
deviant & naive ted – beauty

**tokimonsta in the mix**

tracklisting unavailable

las ondas marteles – love in outer space

21-45

shafiq husayn ft fatima – lil’ girl
sa-ra creative partners ft jay electronica & ta’raach – love czars II (remix)
q-tip ft norah jones – life is better
four tet – love cry
mark pritchard – the hologram
joy orbison – hyph mngo
mr. chop = t.r.o.y
pete rock & cl smooth – for pete’s sake
the beginning of the end – when she made me promise
alice russell – let us be loving (the clonious remix)
georgia anne muldrow – killa peach
samiyam – catch me riding dirty
ras g & the african space program – lisa bonet

22-45

raekwon ft ghostface – criminology pt 2
nat king cole – day in day out (cut chemist remix)
soil & pimp sessions ft jamie cullum – stolen moments
dam funk – mirrors
hudson mohawke – 3.30
monopoly – the george machine
dorian concept – trilingual dance sexperience
hudson mohawke – trykk
j dilla – on stilts
the clonious – oily glue
weldon irvine – love your brother (sanctified version)
gp presents havana cultura – no existen palabras
moondog – frog bog
little dragon – never never
new look – everything
cooly g – love dub refix
build an ark – this prayer for the whole world

Visioneering Studios was honored again this year with multiple Solomon Awards at the annual Worship Facilities Expo conference in Charlotte. Following up on wins in 2007 (Most Innovative Church Facility and Best Overall Church project for Crossroads Christian Church in Corona, CA) and 2008 (Best Church Architect for Central Christian Church in Beloit, WI), Visioneering swept the Solomon Awards in 2009. We took home awards for: Best Overall Church Project and Best Church Design (2,001+ seats) for Mariners Church in Irvine, CA; Best Church Architect and Best Church Design (801-2,000 seats) for Elevation Church in Charlotte, NC; and Best Church Design (301-800 seats) for Northside Christian Church in Spring, TX. Our construction partner on Elevation Church, Cogun, Inc., also won a Solomon Award for Best Building Contractor for their work on that project, where we successfully used Integrated Project Delivery to complete the project. Mankin Media also won two Solomon Awards for their Audio, Video, and Theatrical lighting systems on our project for Southeast Christian Church’s Youth Building in Louisville, KY.

While it is nice to be recognized for projects we’ve done the most important thing to us is that in each case we were able to partner with dynamic churches and tailor a design to meet their unique DNA and serve their specific ministry needs and goals. We love working with churches who love reaching the unchurched…whether they have 5 acres or 100, whether they have 200 in attendance or 20,000, whether they are in a rural small town or a major metropolis, whether they are a church plant or a 100 year old congregation, and whether they are unknown in the “church world” or are a major national influencer. If their heart is on the unchurched and they have a vision and mission to reach them we want to be their first call. So if your church fits one of those categories and you are looking to renovate, build an addition, or start a new campus, give us a call.

History is the record of an encounter between character and circumstance.

- Donald Creighton

Last Thoughts On

The Block

Debt and Indenture in the Empire of Uppsala

© D. Erick Emert

And so the story of young Tom and Elizabeth Farmer begins.  Swallowed up by the administrative marvel that is the Indenture Service Office of the Empire of Uppsala, their father, Edsil, will be tried by the District Court of New London, Aingland, be found guilty and his children will be sentenced to serve ten years as indentured servants to work off his debt.

Tom and Elizabeth will be transferred to Uppsala where they will be in the custody of the ISO in the infamous Block.  There they will be trained and sold to a wealthy family as servants for the duration of their sentence.

The Block differs in many ways from The Myth of Kyrrell Swamp.  The happenings of the military and their war with the Vigroth natives are hardly a second thought to the ISO and their indentured community.  The inner workings of an Empire the size of Uppsala allows for little contact between differing agencies.  As for the citizens of the Empire, it is doubtful if any have ever heard of Thelra or even the river port of Selga.

Hopefully you can see the differences that these two stories sustain.    One is very much NOT like the other, yet both are set in the same Empire albeit at different times.  This is the advantage of extensive worldbuilding.

Next week we shall enter into a world much closer to home.  A romantic story between two graduating teenagers in the small town of Quaker Valley, Pennsylvania, circa 1966.  You will see how difficult settling characters in a fictitious town created inside an actual state can be.

Early sketch of Daniel Moore’s next painting, “Rocky Block”…

(I wish I could take credit for this)

The picture above was taken by a Birmingham News photographer.  Photoshop work, mine.

Found this on a blog…

Roll Tide!

my neighborhood is real ugly.

there’s a pretty rampant drug problem. the whole place smells like pee and swisher sweets. there are bones and crack baggies and broken glass in every gutter and the few planters.

everyone’s always yelling, because everyone else is yelling.

the garbage trucks are overbearing.

but there are a few things that I like about Belltown. And those are these:

1.) The Lava Lounge. It has a stupid name and is moderately intimidating and hip to look at. But on most nights, it’s fairly quiet. There’s indoor, table-top shuffle-board, Ms. PacMan, all-day happy hour on Sundays and a turntable. There’s Elliot Smith, Simon & Garfunkel, and very little lighting. It’s a good spot.

2.) Mama’s. Also on 2nd and Bell, Mama’s is just around the corner and so, so bomb. Also, the servers are usually very friendly and helpful, and there are lots of posters on the wall to keep you updated on local events. I dream of  Mama’s fish tacos.

3.) The 5-Point. What a gem. A true watering hole, in that you can get an adult beverage almost any time. And you can get a big nasty sandwich actually any time, as the place is 24-hours. It is also extremely dark and has been around for quite a while. It’s grimy and prides itself on taking advantage of “drunks and tourists.” All this while set against the lovely background of the corner at 5th and Cedar. Really hope it’s not actually closing.

4.) Olympic Sculpture Park. At the fringe of Belltown on the Waterfront, this is the only place I really like to run in my area. It’s just beside Myrtle Edwards Park, which is a nice expanse of grass with an awesome view of the Sound. There are ridiculous sculptures and a lot of people taking eachothers pictures. And, if you’re caught there just before an electrical storm, your hair will stand on end. Really!

5.) Regrade Dog Park. This is my dog’s favorite thing about the neighborhood. Just a block from where we live, and across the street from possibly the ugliest bar I’ve seen in the Pacific Northwest, the little patch of gravel and sickly trees used to be a pretty well known hotspot for crack dealing and other unsavory activities. Enter the dogs, exit the tweakers. Now, it’s usually populated until a little after dark by quiet old women with AKC-certified “babies” from the nearby high-rises. I think it’s kind of them to let my mutt and I in.

So, there you have it. The good parts of Belltown.

All five of them.

*Points if you get the reference.

Bats, Bugs and Drunks

Miss Rita, the middle-aged woman at the desk next to mine, is asking personal questions. That’s something she does every night. I’m 22 years old and this is my first serious job since being discharged from the U. S. Army, two years ago. The inquiring Miss Rita and I are clerks in the Social Security Administration — I’m a new hire and she’s my trainer. We are working the 4:00 P. M. to 12:30 A. M. shift on the seventh floor of the Falconer Building at 414 Water Street in downtown Baltimore, two blocks from the harbor. The year is 1959, deep summer, and I’ve made a new friend.

The windows are open, three huge floor fans blowing at full power. If the temperature in the Falconer Building rises above 90 degrees, we’ll be sent home. This happens often during the day shift, less so after the sun goes down. Miss Rita and I sit in the cross-ventilation and flip SS-5 cards and scribble name and date-of-birth changes into huge metal-covered ledgers, delighted with each other’s company. (This photo of an actual Form SS-5 shows a Miss Apgar requesting that her name be changed to Mrs. Lake. Click images for larger views.)

The evening passes to the rhythm of turning pages: flip, flip, scribble, flip, flip, scribble, scribble, flip. Against the background of dirty brick walls scores of other clerks’ bend to the identical task. The oily aroma of Baltimore harbor wafts in the windows and, when the wind shifts, more pungent odors come from the nearby wholesale fish market. The whirring fans cool our necks and blow the occasional card from desk to floor — or out a window. The strange sound of bat wings flutter in one window and out another. There is a gentle rustling noise as rat’s forage for sandwich crumbs in waste baskets, and the buzzing of blood-sucking insects foraging for us.

At the moment, Miss Rita’s job is to introduce me to the mysteries of entry-level clerking in the Numerical Register Section of SSA — and, it seems, to trade work information for personal tidbits. With anyone else her intimate prying might be offensive, but, somehow — I guess because of her odd sense of humor — it’s just harmless fun. Miss Rita’s constant stream of chatter, spiced with sexy double meanings, makes the long evenings of repetitive work bearable. In fact, they are downright entertaining. Anyway, there is not much of a private life to expose — I ‘m still in the process of trying to develop one. Somehow I manage to keep Miss Rita interested by making up outrageous but plausible tales about my exploits. She seems to especially enjoy the lies (these days we might call them “creative non-fictions”) that I tell about the erotic adventures of my mother, a born-again Christian, who would have been shocked if she knew that her son used her straight-arrow life for creative inspiration. Perhaps Miss Rita identifies with my fictions because she and my mother are about the same age.

On my first night in the Falconer Building — one of several rental properties which comprise the original SSA headquarters — Miss Rita gives me the grand tour. She points out the freight elevator which, she says, I can use at peak load times during shift changes, when the passenger elevator is often overwhelmed. She shows me the stairs and mentions in passing that they are handy because the freight elevator only goes to the 5th floor. She doesn’t comment on the empty booze bottles in the stairwell, nor does she explain the sleeping drunk. Our “cafeteria” is located by the elevator door on the 4th floor, Miss Rita says. That is, at 9 o’clock each evening an old man gets off the elevator and stands there selling cold sandwiches out of a large cardboard box. Finally, Miss Rita gives me a booklet explaining what is expected in terms of production and conduct. The publication also has a small map showing the location of the men’s room and fire exits. I can use the restroom anytime, Miss Rita says, provided it isn’t too often. “Two often” and it will reflect in my “rating,” whatever that is.

The Falconer Building is clean, at least compared to the steel mill in which I had worked prior to this job, and there is even a bit of external entertainment. As we young male clerks arrive early for the evening shift, we often gather to watch strippers sunbathing on the low roof of the nearby Gayety Show Bar, the keystone of Baltimore’s infamous “Block” of sleazy nightclubs clustered nearby. When the women are up there relaxing between shows we all go a little crazy. The younger clerks in the Numerical Register Section — male and female — are friendly, and I am quickly drawn into a sort of loose-knit social club. After our shift finishes at 12:30 A. M., few of us want to go home to bed — we’re still too primed with youthful energy — so most nights a meeting is called for a party or card game at someone’s home or apartment. Or we go out on a sort of group date, which usually involves bar-hopping, the only form of entertainment available at that hour. Some nights we simply cruise the city and talk until dawn at an all night diner. Often, I drop into bed at first light or later, sleep until two in the afternoon, then get up to start the work/play cycle again. Some of my new friends have been living this way for several years, but the fun will last only a few months for me. I have “EOD’d” (Entered On Duty) at the end of an era. The whole of SSA’s scattered downtown headquarters is scheduled to consolidate in a modern complex in the western suburbs of Baltimore in January of 1960, only a few months hence.

Well before we leave the city, though, it comes to pass that my social life is greatly enriched as a direct result of information provided by Miss Rita. She tells me that a particular young lady, another Numerical Register clerk, is interested in me beyond mere friendship, and before long I am involved in my first “adult” relationship. I reward Miss Rita by continuing my stories, now more fact than fiction, and much more titillating than ever. I even expand the scope of the tales to include many of my young and ever-horny (at least in my telling) coworkers. And I notice that Miss Rita’s interest in our escapades become more intense the closer I stick to real life, which I take as a literary lesson. So as I become a better clerk, I also sharpen my narratives. Miss Rita especially likes to hear my juiced-up versions of our nocturnal forays to various “hillbilly” bars and other hotspots around town, and the house parties that follow into the wee hours, many of them ending in sleep overs. These stories require scant embellishment.

All of this happened a half century ago, late summer until the end of 1959. I spent 29 years with the Social Security Administration, taking an early retirement in 1988. Not long after the SSA headquarters moved to the suburbs, I realized that I didn’t want to spend the rest of my life flipping pages and scribbling in ledgers, so I took advantage of the Korean G. I. Bill and enrolled in evening art classes. That led to a temporary job in SSA’s drafting department, which in turn got me through what I called “the back door” of their large art department —where my first assignment was to help produce the original Medicare Handbook. Living and working in the suburbs was O. K., but I never again had an experience quite so rich in character or characters, or that made such an intense impression on me, as those early nights in downtown Baltimore, flipping SS-5 cards and trading punch lines with Miss Rita.

Copyright © 2009 Jim Sizemore.

A much longer version of this personal essay was published in the October, 1978 issue of OASIS, a magazine distributed monthly to Social Security Administration employees nationwide.

SOS …, een populair format tegenwoordig.

Na SOS Piet, SOS Goedele, nu ook SOS Sanchez.

De werfleider van het programma The Block van VT4 schiet de verbouwende Vlaming te hulp met een driedelig klusboek, vol met nuttige tips.

Film

Although volume upon volume is written
to prove slavery a very good thing,
we never hear of the man who wishes to
take the good of it by becoming a slave himself.

- Abraham Lincoln

An Invitation To Experience

The Block

Debt and Indenture in the Empire of Uppsala

© D. Erick Emert

We visited the small village of Thelra just off Rigga Sea and the dangerous lowlands of Kyrrell Swamp where a young girl was birthed to Lobot Cord.  We also joined Captain Benjamin Spooner Briggs on his first trip to Uppsala since becoming an OutSider in the great Empire.  Now we travel to New London, the capital city of the Rejoinder of Aingland.

Pretty much the world agrees that slavery is an evil endeavor.  With the exception of the native exterminations, the Empire of Uppsala has not been at war for over a hundred years.  Only a few of the native tribesmen ended up on Uppsala’s infamous block.  The great majority of slaves in Uppsala are people in debt who chose indentured service to repay their debts.

The Indentured Service Office or ISO is located in every major city in every Rejoinder of Uppsala.  It is a huge government bureaucracy with agents and investigators whose tentacles reach into every corner of the Empire.  The purpose is to supply the State (especially the wealthy) with forced labor without the evil ramifications of slavery.

The system starts with a complaint being filed with the ISO of a debt owed.  The ISO tracks down the debtor and explains the situation they’re in and what options if any they can choose from.  If the debt is small, it is handled locally within the Rejoinder that the debt is owed.  If the debt is large, the debtor is charged with a felony and tried in court at the Rejoinder capital.  The trail is basically for show as all deals were cut before the trial ever commenced.  The trail simply makes the conclusion legal.

Once a conclusion at trial is reached, the debtor is sentenced an amount of time it will take for the debt to be worked off.  Someone is then chosen by the debtor to serve the debt.  It might be the debtor himself, his wife or any number of his children.

After the trial, the debtor is transported to the Block in Uppsala.  Now, the Block is not some kind of auction block where the debtors are sold.  It is actually a whole city block in Uppsala.  Administrative offices, schools, barracks, cells, a laundry, a large cafeteria, tailory along with a large interior square where the debtors are arraigned for sale to the public.

If the government requires indentured servants, suitable individuals are not sold, but are selected.  In fact, upon the arrival of the debtor they take a battery of tests to indicate their talents to show where their skills might bring a higher price at sale.  Depending on the needs of the buyer, a debtor might receive intensive training to increase their indicated skill level.  The cost for this is added on to the length of time the debtor must serve.

No debtor is forced into sexual service.  However, they may choose sexual service in order to half the time the debtor must serve.  No children under the age of sixteen may opt for sexual service.  Sexual service can be opted only by the person serving the debt.  No family member may place a charge (such as a wife or older child) into sexual service.

In The Myth of Kyrrell Swamp, you met a few people who were in the charge of the Indentured Service Office.  One was Brigg’s lover, a crib girl chained to her bed in an Inn in Selga.  Later in the novel, one of Ahllie’s Lobot Cord members is sold to Briggs’ friend, Taylor.  She works as a singer/musician at his villa.

In The Block, you will meet the Farmer family.  The father owes a huge sum of money to a local gambling house.  You will follow the family’s story as two of his children are chosen to work off his debt.

The first two chapters will be given over for your enjoyment.

When one of the largest churches in the country approached us at Visioneering Studios we jumped at the chance to work with them. Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, KY wanted a facility that would bridge the culture gap and resonate with the younger generation. We designed them an 85,000 SF facility with a blow-your-mind 1,200 seat worship venue and four uniquely themed teaching suites for 250 students each. The hang-out areas abound and include gaming stations, coffee bar and lounge, fireplace, rock-climbing wall, and more. I captured this video at their grand opening back on April 24th.

The creative folks at Southeast also put together another video of the whole grand opening event on their website The Block.

See more pictures and another video clip from the launch of The Block on my Flickr page by clicking on the picture below.

The Block

I’ll be uploading a few other recent projects here in the near future. Let me know what you think.

21-45

tanya morgan – bang n’ boogie
q tip – shaka
micall park n’ sun – all 4 hip hop
suff daddy – the only way i know
sound species – cdr people
kid sublime – pityful times
sa-ra creative partners – melodee n mynor
amanda diva – colour blind
willie isz – i didn’t mean to
hudson mo’hawke – rising 5
natural self – midnight sun
erykah badu – the cell
quantic & his combo barbaro – the dreaming mind pt 1
wild tchoupitoulas – hey mama
eric legnini trio – trippin
roy ayers ubiquity – the black five

22-45

kissey asplund – silver lake
dorian concept – fort teen
zed bias ft jay electronica – the cauldron
joker – digi design
ramadanman – dayrider
dam funk – on and on
jay dee – african rythms
shafiq husayn – nirvana
black milk – bond 4 life
exile – thinking of you
dwilt sharpp – providence
dj hell – the angst pt 1 & 2
the heliocentrics ft vast aire – sirus b
georgia anne muldrow – roses
lelia – the exotics
slum village – fall in love

21-45

slum village – cloud 9
madlib – yo yo affair
shafiq husayn ft fatima – lil girl
the clonious ft muhsinah – one at a time
shafiq husayn – nirvana
sa-ra creative partners – i swear
natural self – midnight sun
karizma – early rise
mark pritchard – wind it up
major lazer – pon de floor
cooly g – love dub refix

**baatin r.i.p.**

slum village – fall in love
slum village – players
slum village – the look of love
slum village – eyes up
slum village – things you do
slum village – 2u4u

22-45]

k’naan – america
oneness of juju – african rhythms
fela kuti – chop and quench
fella cutie – water no get enemy
nomo – waiting
menahan st band – karina
reggie b – belief
burial – homeless
mono/poly – distant form
mike slott – home
scratch – too late
savath & savalas – el collecionista
mexican institute of sound – chif lideur
kindred spirits ensemble – the creator has a master plan (peace)
radiohead – harry patch (in memory of)

21-45

the roots – how i got over
major lazer – mary jane
soundspecies – cdr people
young black preachers – bums
speech debelle – go then, bye
rubberbandits – the greyhound shuffle

**covers special**

marc mac – runnin’
wilson das neves – california soul
jackson conti – upa neguinho
los fabulous festivals – el mensaje
the boogaloo combo – hot pants road
mexican institute of sound – sinfonia agridulce
baby charles – i bet you look good on the dancefloor
the bamboos – happy
johnny jones & the king casuals – purple haze
sergio mendes & brazil 66 – for what it’s worth

22-45

the chosen few – theme from shaft
alton ellis – it’s a shame
isaac hayes – walk on by
rotary connection – respect
david axelrod – you’re so vain
mongo santamaria – satisfaction
the boogoos – theme de yoyo
the selector – james bond
muhsinah – scatterbrain
willis – word up!
tamara wellons – smells like teen spirit
ramsey lewis – les fleur

**outer space mix**

sun ra – moonship journey
rev jamel & bob johnson – did you see those men
barry gray – theme from space: 1999

lisa hannigan – lille

I used to be a fan of the Triangle North of Manila, better known as TriNoMa. I remember, when everyone else was so fascinated taking pictures of themselves with the gigantic globe that was Mall of Asia, I’d cross all the way from MRT Taft to North EDSA just to have coffee at Figaro TriNoMa. Somehow, it’s kind of insane to do that when you used to live south of Manila. But anyway, I used to frequent that mall when there were little to none emo teenage cliques co-habiting my airspace (I swear those thick eyeliners have the power to double their presence), lost in some good book or in my own thoughts, whichever is more entertaining. TriNoMa gave me a sense of belonging and space. I loved the interior. I loved the sliding doors. I loved the zen landscape. I loved it, until other people loved it too. Weeks passed and I couldn’t get my favorite coffee spot anymore. Total bummer.

By the end of last year, SM North was clearly prepping up The Block with the Sky Garden. This time, I was already a certified “northerner” as we moved to QC mid of last year. It was hard to miss as I pass by the place whenever I go home late from work (which was like everyday), and every time I’d stare up in weird appreciation of these small “fireworks” otherwise known as synchronized soldering. The sight was euphoric. That, or I’m just plain weird. In the morning, when I’d come late for work, I’d see these white concentric circles and I didn’t know what they were. But I found them beautiful. Everyday. Until I discovered they were the framework for the walkway of the Sky Garden. I must say hi to whoever thought of putting them there.

I frequent The Block more often now than TriNoMa because of yoga. The Block is, well, still you’re typical shoebox SM mall — only with better interior (but still not quite as nice as TriNoMa’s) and classier boutiques. But do you know what makes The Block charming? It’s the hotspot. Yes my friend, there is wireless internet connection for as long as you are inside the shoebox. I know it’s not very original, Gateway has Wi-Fi and so do some Robinson’s malls but you got to admit it, it is still a charmer. Especially for people who depend so much on the internet to keep sane. Define sane. Okay.

Sane, adj. When work is always in order, deadlines are on track, and bosses are not yelling when you are away. There you go.

Going back to the Sky Garden, the feel is more modern — fast yet relaxed. No exaggerated jungle plants, no vines, everything is so precise with the landscape it looked so crisp, neat, and white but never boring. The art installations that may be seen along the walkway are eye candies, my favorite being the rainbow triangles and the black and white miniature buildings with cartoon windows. The mix between modern and Japanese zen was beautiful, although kQ (a high school friend) thinks otherwise. Hehe..

Now if TriNoMa had fascinating fountains that shoot up every 1.3872 minutes (kidding), the Sky Garden reinvents by pouring everything from top below, from that floor to the ground below, creating a breathtaking illusion of a 12-feet water curtain that did the trick. I may not be a professional art person, but I guess that’s how a layman like me would take it.

Dining choices along the walkway would also cater to varied tastes, from staple restaurant choices to classier ones. I would have to say it’s worth browsing through. I am in perpetual waiting for the opening of the Persian Grill. Sigh. I’d also like to grab a couple of beers with friends at the second floor of Padi’s someday. Al fresco is always nice. Green Mango’s frozen yogurt ice cream is love, and one day I might have to go inside Blushing Cupcakes for a fix. Well, there goes a few of my personal picks.

In a fast-paced world, convenience is very important. The construction of the Bus Bay below makes transportation less tedious and more organized from there to anywhere around the metro, especially on bad weather days. This is something that the front rival has to work on. However ironic, the application of this same concept of “shelter” seems to have not been properly applied for the Sky Garden, which you always find drenched from frequent rains. Yes there are staff who endlessly mop the walkway for you, which kind of reduces its beauty from genius to lack of common sense for whoever… well, I think I’ll stop there.

Now, I might have said too much. I’ll save your thrill. Go discover.