This week . . . more to come

Brooklyn, BABY! + MySpace 101

So what's been up with you guys? Hopefully enjoying this sometimes hot, sometimes cold weather! I myself, am just getting over a little (what seems) like bacterial tonsilitis (yuck!). That $#!% is NOT fun! >:-( Dude! I was out of commission ALL last week, but I did get my narcs from the doctor in time to feel better for my boy's wedding out in LI. Before I get into the "meat" of things let me start off with what I think has got to one of the best Office tributes I have ever seen. If you don't know already I am a HUGE Office fan. Although I have never seen the British version and I only started watching into the middle of the second season - whatever! DON'T JUDGE MY AUTHENTICITY! :-D Okay so hear it is - In the upcoming days there are some VERY nice events going on in the BK! Hopefully some of you don't still think you need a passport and a bulletproof vest to get into Brooklyn. Trust me, Brooklyn is a cool place. I was just going to spotlight one or two events going on in the BK, but there is so much to offer I think I will make this my "Brooklyn, BABY!" issue (hey if you have a better name let me know!) So today I think I will focus on my 'hood - Fort Greene. I have been here for about 3 years now, although I do remember being in Fort Greene during the early nineties, when there were no gourmet delis, or sidewalk restaurants. When BAM's Mark Morris Dance Theater used to be (i think) a hotel (for who? I don't know . . . but you can figure it out). BAM was just a big forgotten structure - not even close the stature it has in the community now. St. Felix street did not have all those new architectural design driven homes on them (and actually they are sprinkled all over Fort Greene - these brownstones on steroids, I call them.) Here are a couple of reasons to visit my hood in the coming days . . . 1. Dance! Africa at Brooklyn Academy of Music: 5\20 - 5\28 Celebrating 30 Years of this festival BAM is bringing a virtual army of dance, music, film, and art events to the 'Greene'. I am tempted to say that there is actually TOO much to do, but I won't :-) For a comprehensive list of events click here. But here are some of my personal picks a. Literally ANY of the DANCE events will do. If you have ever seen any of these performances you know that by the end you feel as though you could go home and summon the energy of those energy (except for the whole couch potato physiology thing!) b. DanceAfrica: Gokh-Bi System Sat, May 26 at 9:30pm "Founded in Senegal in 1995, Gokh-Bi (Go-Bee) System has shared the stage with Kanye West, Erykah Badu, and A Tribe Called Quest. Marrying politically minded western rap with the indigenous traditions of their home country, expect to hear the Ekonting, for example, a rare, three-stringed gourd instrument virtually extinct in Africa. Pair it with deft rhymes moving effortlessly between French, Arabic, and English and you have hip-hop as you've never heard it before." - BAM c. Bamako (2006) 115min Wed, May 23 & Thu, May 24 at 4:30, 6:50, 9:15pm "Directed by Abderrahmane SissakoSissako, whose last film Waiting for Happiness played at DanceAfrica in 2003, returns with Bamako. The film audaciously stages a trial against the IMF and World Bank in a small African village, contrasting the political arguments against economic imperialism with the goings-on around the small town, including a film crew making a Western starring Danny Glover, who was an executive producer on the film. " - BAM d. Bazaar Sat, May 26, 12noon—10pm Sun, May 27, 12noon—10pm Mon, May 28, 12noon—7pm "Over 300 vendors from around the world transform the streets around BAM into a global marketplace, offering African, Caribbean, and African-American food, crafts and fashion. Rain or shine!" - BAM There will be an outdoor stage Sat, May 26—Mon, May 28, 12noon—6pm. It will feature a live showcase of poets, dancers, musicians, and storytellers. 2. " The French Evolution: Race, Politics and the 2005 Riots" by Alexis Peskine - 5\25 - 9\9\07 Opening Reception - Friday, May 25th 6 - 9 pm Museum Of Contemporary African Diasporan Arts (MoCADA) 80 Hanson Place Brooklyn, NY 11201 718-230-0492 Click here to view the press release 3. Sundance at BAM - 5\31 - 6\10 "With films straight from the 2007 Sundance Film Festival, sneak peeks of new work being developed with Sundance Institute support, and programs that take you inside the creative process, Sundance Institute at BAM presents nine dramatic features, eight documentaries, a screenplay reading, and 27 shorts from some of the most exciting emerging filmmakers in the US and around the world." - BAM For a comprehensive list click here 4. GreenPoint Beer Works (YES a brewery!) 529 Waverly Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11238 (718) 398-2731 newyorkbeer@yahoo.com Okay okay, so it's really in Clinton Hill (so sue me, it's close enough!). This little find was originally supposed to be the producer to the brews at Heartland brewery. Now they produce Brooklyn's own Kelso Beer. Call them and set up a tour\tasting! Well that ends my little "tour" of Fort Greene (okay and a little Clinton Hill too). I hope you enjoyed it and I hope to see you at some of the events above. Next time stay tuned for D.U.M.B.O, Fulton Ferry Landing (this is new to me), and Vinegar Hill. ****************************************** So I was going through some of my favorite websites and found this article on Fashion Indie about how to promote yourself (as a designer) on MySpace. Now love it or hate it MySpace seems to be here for the long haul so we might as well make the best of it. As a recent myspace member myself (shout out to www.myspace.com/theonlyardenthatmatters), I have found that I can keep in touch with a lot people that I wouldn't normally see on a day to day basis. But that isn't the point of this article. Although the article is geared towards fashion designers promoting themselves via MySpace, I think that many of their ideas can be translated to your personal use or for your own business on MySpace. Alright, alright I'll shut up now . . . [Fashion 101] MySpace Tips for Emerging Designers - With over 100 million users it is no wonder that so many designers are in awe with the prospects of marketing their fashion brand on MySpace. Offering an easy to use interface and the ability to connect directly to customers, thousands of emerging designers have flocked to the popular social network to expand their customer base. The following are some well practiced tips and tricks Fashion Indie has used to build our MySpace and use it as a marketing tool that drives thousands of emerging artists and members to our site everyday. [1] Don’t Make It ‘Your’ Space. If you are using your MySpace profile to promote your fashion brand it must reflect your brand, not you. This means personal photos should be at a minimum, video and music should have some correlation to your clothing or jewelry line, and all text (about us, favorite movies, heroes, etc) should be about your fashion line. Your best bet is to keep your Fashion MySpace separate from your personal MySpace. [2] At the Same Time, Don’t Completely Remove Yourself. It is smart to have at least one picture of yourself on your MySpace page. The best pictures we’ve seen are of designers at fashion shows, working on their line, or simple face shots that are professionally done. These images elude a level of success and make it seem that fashion design isn’t only your hobby. Click here for the rest of the article Peace. A.