Botkier Sample Sale!

Ok. This is a special “Friends & Family” invitation we’d like to share with our readers…
Mark your calendars.
You can thank us later!
See you there.
J

NIKE night

(Special Invitation. Hostess with the Mostess, Leah, of Married to the Mob)

Last week, I was let in on a secret VIP night that Nike held for the street queen of New York City, Leah, of the clothing line, Married to the Mob (MOB). It was an invitation-only gathering of NYC’s coolest ladies who drank champagne and customized the sickest pair of sneakers. Very clever gathering for everyone. I brought the vinyl, Nike gave me the tables, and refreshingly enough, I was lucky enough to play an old school hip hop set to a room of women who appreciated the classics with respect. Lots of head-bopping and mouse-clicking and sneaker-making happening on Mercer street that night.

(Tabatha McGurr, MOB Blogger Extraordinaire)

PLAYLIST for MOB Night

Hip Hop Junkies - Nice’n'Smooth
Dwyck - Gangstarr
Voices Inside My Head- The Police
Brand Nubians- What Goes Around
Think About It- Lyn Collins
You Be Illin- Run DMC
Strawberry Letter - Brothers Johnson (Special Request by Tabatha)
Children’s Story - Slick Rick
Bucktown - Smif-n-Wessun
Passin’ Me By - Pharcyde

(Josh Porter of Nike. Leah of MOB)

Get customized at NIKE.com.

Married to the Mob and read MOB blog.

1st Tech President!

Lots has been said about Barack being “down” with the Internet. Sure, his email blasts are formulaic, but I still somehow felt special when my blackberry vibrated on election night with a note reading “We did it! I’m about to speak at Grant Park now”. It was those similar small notes that kept me in the game, made my ADD brain focus on important issues, and suckered me to give whatever little crappy donations I could. Even while I was out of the country — no matter what corner of the globe I was on — I was ALWAYS connected. For that, I’m grateful.

(Barack’s Announcement of Biden Pick was Texted to Supporters First)

It’s almost like coming out of a bad relationship with a flaky meanie ex-boyfriend. Then finally, one day you meet a new guy who slowly starts to train you that not everyone is that bad… that some people are consistent… and can be trusted. I’d say millions of Americans feel the same way in the sense that this guy got under our skin slowly, challenged our cynicism, and has spent his campaigning months earning our trust slowly.

But back to the role of the Internet —- This was the first year that the internet BEAT THE NETWORKS at announcing the presidency.

“Obama Wins the Presidency,” wrote Slate.com at 9:27pm. One minute after, The Page website declared “The Networks Won’t Tell You, but The Page Will: Barack Obama Will Be the 44th President of the United States.” Then 90 minutes passed and the networks began to announce it one by one. CBS and other TV competitors didn’t officially call the race until 11 p.m (until Barack’s electoral total surpassed 270). It’s understandable considering the 2004 “fake-out” when it was called wrong on the TV networks. But it’s official. The general process of announcing instant news on broadcast is a wrap! The TV process proved to be slower and lagging.

Right after the victory, Barack started a blog. The First announcement? The introduction of Rahm Emanuel, his new Chief of Staff. Did you know Rahm happens to be the brother of Endeavor’s Ari Emanuel (the real life agent played by Jeremy Piven on Entourage). How about that he has a Facebook page? Can it get any more surreal?

There’s a charming episode of Charlie Rose with all 3 successful Emanuel brothers — go to iTunes and download the show.

(Emanuel Rahm’s Facebook Group Page)

This is all old news. Let’s deal with the present issue at hand… Barack’s title of “First Tech President”.

It seems not only does he “get it” with online strategies… but it goes much deeper…. he’s also the man that will be championing Internet freedom and innovation. Obama has shared his third major element of his digital approach: Transparency. “We will put government data online in universally accessible formats.” This was the exact mantra Google mentioned earlier in the year.

The term is called “Net Neutrality”… and there’s a growing movement of companies and government folks who are championing this freedom of information. Obama vowed to defend net neutrality and deliver broadband Internet access to everyone in the country. Instead of “no child left behind”, one newspaper called it “no child left unconnected”.

Political debate regarding network neutrality focuses on whether companies operating lines handling Internet traffic should be allowed to charge for higher speeds or capacities instead of treating all users equally.

Here’s the politics behind freeing Internet for all:

Service providers contend that charging for priority on the Internet will promote investment in networks and let them better manage congestion caused by tremendous amounts of digital data traveling online. Internet firms, including Google, argue that service providers are making a money grab that would stifle online innovation and economic growth. Obama agreed that having “the Internet divided up to the highest bidders” would shut out startups and discourage innovation.

(”We have to assure free and full exchange of information, and that starts with an open Internet,” Obama said during an on-stage chat with Google chief executive Eric Schmidt.)

While speaking with “Googlers,” Obama said his priorities in the White House would include developing clean energy and using technology such as electronic medical records to help achieve universal health care. Obama also promised to put more government information online so people could track, and comment on federal contracts and legislation.

Case in point: 2 weeks ago, Barack announced his weekly Presidential address on YouTube. Why not? YouTube was probably the reason he won the campaign. He uploaded over 1800 videos that have been viewed over 110 million times total. The new Presidential addresses are aiming to — for the fist time in American history — create tight communication between public and president. Now, there’s no more networks in the way skewing the story for sensationalism or ratings or ad revenue. No more “big media” agendas in this case. The videos are being compared to the internet version of Franklin Roosevelt’s famous “fireside chats” between 1933 and 1944 - except you’re not stuck seeing them at 7pm. Your president will now be at your fingertips “in-demand” style any hour of the day.

Another major breakthrough: Barack plans to appoint the nation’s first Chief Technical Officer to make certain we incorporate technology into every decision we make.

Obama says: “I will take a back seat to no one in my commitment to network neutrality. Because once providers start to privilege some applications or websites over others, then the smaller voices get squeezed out and we all lose.”

Amen.

(Our government has a face now!!!! Yay!)

In the next few weeks, senior members of the transition team, various policy experts, and choices for the Cabinet (among others) will record videos for his website, Change.Gov. There is a blog on the site too. Each of the weekly videos will run roughly 4 minutes.

Stay tuned from your desks…
J

Eddie Murphy’s “White Like Me”

I think most of my office was not even around when this SNL video came out — but oh god, it’s one of the most famous. A reminder of how hilarious old school Eddie Murphy was…
J

Meet Matthew Frost

Born in London and raised in the south of France, Matthew Frost has made a name for himself as both a photographer and a filmmaker. Credited with shooting a half hour short film titled to commemorate the 10 year anniversary of Jalouse Magazine, as welll as shooting various commercials and music videos, Frost is in the midst of finishing a screenplay about a French foreign exchange student. With a collection of shot music videos for electronic group M83, Frost gave me the lowdown on what he has been working on recently.

You recently shot some editorials and portraits for Jalouse and L’Officiel. You have a relationship with Jalouse - as you made a short film to commemorate their 10 year anniversary. What was the motive behind this short film? How did this experience come into play?
I’ve been shooting for them on and off for several years now. So it was nice when they asked me to make a short film celebrating their 10 year anniversary. The story was quite simple but it was fun to be able to come up with a piece that was half french and half english since I know both (I grew up in France but my mum is British and my dad is American..).
and also great to work with Marisa Berenson (Barry Lyndon, Cabaret).

You are in the works of finishing a screenplay - a comedy about a French foreign exchange student. What compelled you to follow through with this?
As for the screenplay, since my experience co-writting “Wassup Rockers” with Larry Clark, it’s been sort of natural thing to want to step into the feature length world. The shorts as well as the commercials and videos I’ve done are all a great training to learn how to tell stories no matter how much time you have.

You have directed numerous music videos for M83. What is is about M83 that you find so appealing? What is your working relationship like?
The M83 videos are a good example. I’ve done several so far and it’s been a great collaboration. I’ve been able to make nice little narrative pieces that all have a common threat. I like that he (Anthony Gonzales) allows me to bring my own humor and sensibility to his music that is very ernest and sincere. It’s a nice blend!

What is your main passion….photography or filmmaking?
I like storytelling in general. Simple small observations that can be revealing and relatable. I think film is a great way to say so much with very little but it’s always a picture that you’re taking, so photography is at the roots of it all in a way even if you’re doing something that seems far removed from it like fashion. They’re all related!

What are you currently working on?
At the moment I’m finishing a series of commercial spots and pictures for an energy drink through Vice magazine (Virtue). Also finished a fun video for Klas Ahlund that just came out as well as a couple fashion editorial for some euro mags. Voila!