LOL - Rakim and I go waaaaay back!

SATURDAY DANCE FEVER + AFRICAN ART + CRUISES, CAKES and more . . .

Dancin' dancin' danciiiiiiiin' - a dancin' machiiiiiiine - 7\1 Sat 7\1 marks PS.1's inaugural dance party for the Warm Up! outdoor dance party season www.ps1.org. The LEGENDARY dance party is celebrating it's 10th anniversary from 3pm tp 9pm. $10 gets into the party and to all the exhibits in the museum. The official FREE afterparty is located at the Water Taxi Beach (seriously). Check out details for the party here . . . good times.

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35th Annual International African Arts Festival - 6\30 - 7\4 This is a HUGE events that takes place every year in the BK. Complete with dance, fashion, music and art (oh yes and FOOD!) this 5-day event will be sure satisfy the artist in you. Friday 6\30 through Tuesday 7\4th. Click here for more details.

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Cruise through life - various dates If you didn't think that NYC had any natural wildlife to offer other than the Bronx Zoo, then you should check out the Audubon Eco Cruise to Harbor Heron Islands, where you can see thousands of herons in an island habitat (and at sunset). $25 ($12 for children under 12) If wildlife is a little too much on the wild side for you (punk asses) then you would probably opt for the Sunset Cruise. No birds here, but there is the sunset and a cash bar (for all you lushes). $20

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Who doesn't like cake (especially when it's free)? - 7\7 FREE cake tasting with other food and refreshments. C'mon! You can't beat that. from 5pm - 8pm @ 40\40 Club (6 W. 25th St and Broadway). Did I mention that I love summer in NYC? More info here

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A real trailer park If you've passed by Petrosino Square on Kenmare St. between Lafayette St. and Cleveland Place, prior to June 17th you probably didn't even notice anything was there. Normally it is just a decrepid little "park" if you want to it that. If you've passed by since then, you may have noticed a non-descript trailer in the park - which I guess makes it a trailer park (???). To alleviate your fears, it doesn't belong to some crazy transient, and it is okay to go up to the trailer. In fact you can go inside. A woman by the name of Kim Holleman has spent the better part of two years redesigning the interior into a fabulous indoor park\garden\oasis. I guarantee they haven't thought of this on "Pimp My Ride". Tues - Fri. noon - 6pm and Sat 11 am - 6pm.

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One of the biggest music festivals in N. America - eh! - 6\29 - 7\09 Just a short flight away (roughly 50 minutes) the Montreal Jazz Festival provides one place to sample a wide array of musicians whose sounds is influenced in whole, or in part by jazz. Not to mention that Montreal is absolutely BEAUTIFUL this time of year. UNFORTUNATELY - I can't make it this year >- but hopefully you can.

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1st Saturdays @ Brooklyn Museum - 7\1 FREE event filled night from 5pm - 11pm. Documentary showcases, live musical performances, exhibitions abound. More info here

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Movies with a view - thru 8\23 Watch independent movies on various rooftops throughout the city (really). Live music played before the movie. Go to www.rooftopfilms.com for more movies and locations

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SOMETHING RANDOM I was riding the train home from work the other day and noticed that this lady sitting in front of me was talking to herself. Not out of the ordinary for NYC right? Well, then I noticed she wasn't talking to herself (and mind you she was speaking a normal conversational volume). She was reading a book. I looked around for the kid that she was reading to. I looked to the left, where there was a bookish lady who had a almost non-descript smirk on her face. I looked to the right and there was an elderly woman who was looking the direction of the ads behind me, but I could tell she wasn't really looking at them. Holy shit man! This grown ass woman was reading out loud to HERSELF. I'm not trying to be mean but that was a first for me in a public space. Do you think I am mean for wanting to just bust out laughing. C'mon that is some funny shit. Oh and it was a self help book.

**Disclaimer - if you have a relative (or if you yourself) are hooked on phonics, i apologize profusely.***

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Notable Website www.assessment.com - check it out. Seriously it's great. Shout out to Y.G. for the site.

Sorry no playlist today.

I'll try to have more events listed for 4th of July (aside from the mundane fireworks ritual).

GOOD music + more . . .

TONIGHT @ 10PM Raymond Fiore www.raymondfiore.com @ R&R (416 W. 14th St. btwn 9th av and washington st. - across from LOTUS) $7 Stick around because the after party is at the Eclectic Ride @ R&R and free for those who stay reduced if you come after . . . so what are you going to do :-) Check out Timeout NY's write up on the ER - http://www.timeout.com/newyork/Details.do?page=1&xyurl=xyl://TONYWebArticles1/559/clubs/freaks_come_out_at_night.xml ********************************** For those of us who don't have a 40" Plasma in our offices, World Cup '06 is now viewable at work!!!! ESPN 360 is free until 7\19. Go to http://www.espn.com and click on the 360 link. That's right I just saw the Black Stars (GHANA) get handed to by Brazil :-( It was a good game though. Can I get a 2010 from anyone? ********************************** SOMETHING RANDOM Okay so I was talking to my girl today and as I was saying goodbye I opted to use the light hearted "see you later alligator", to which she replied "after a while crocodile". Now apparently that's a popular reply - to everyone but me. I need to get out more :-) ******************************** peace a.one

RAYMOND FIORE LIVE !!!

RAYMOND FIORE performs LIVE NEXT TUESDAY 6\27 with the Kill 'Em Dead band, one of the livest bands in NYC!!!! See him on 6\27 @ 10pm @ R&R, the hottest live music venue in NYC, located in the MeatPacking District @ 416 W. 14th St. (btwn 9th av and Washington St. - across from LOTUS). $7 at the door. Raymond has been touring the NYC circuit for close to 4 years, performing in locations such as Joe's Pub, S.O.B's, CODA, Cherry Red, Sin-e, The Cutting Room and COUNTLESS more. He is definitely a crowd favorite and you will see why if you are lucky enough to catch him at a live performance. Named by BMI as one of their Artists of the Year, he is already on his way to making waves in the world of music. The Kill 'Em Dead Band, also the house band for S.O.B's, is one of the most respected bands in NYC right now. They have tearing down the house at S.O.B's backing some of the most well know names in music today. Whenever they are on the bill, you are sure to have a good time. The last time Raymond and the Kill 'em Dead got together a couple of months ago at Sin-e in LES, it was INCREDIBLE - which is an understatement if you happened to make the performance. This time around they are at a bigger and better venue, in R&R. Located in the former venue, RARE, they are garaunteed to bring down the house. If you love live music . . . If you love high energy . . . If you love feeling good, then I'll see you next week at R&R. Oh and then there's the afterparty . . . 11pm . . .right there . . . don't go anywhere, 'cause it's the jumpoff . . . more info to come - of course :-)

First Post and Recap

So this is the first post for my new Cure for Boredom blog. Hopefully the first of many! SO spread the word http://boredomboresme.blogspot.com. I should be posting some new stuff in a few but for those of you who didn't get through the entire last of the Cure for Boredom emails or for those whose email magically appeared in the deleted items folder I have a quick recap for you. Enjoy! TONIGHT!!! Spoken Word Benefit Extravaganza!!!!! 7PM @ M1-5 @ 52 Walker St. $15 w/ flyer http://www.evite.com/pages/invite/viewInvite.jsp?inviteId=ETCFNNNALGJAGRULSLNU&li=iq&src=email

DANCE THE NIGHT AWAY UNDER THE SUMMER SKY (sounds good huh?) - Lincoln Center's MidSummer Night Swing is baaaaack for all you danceaholics out there. Check out this year's line up http://lincolncenter.com/search/results.asp?txtprogOrg=Program_5&cboProgramID=5&session=BD77D1FC-C3BB-4046-ADAA-A3B90E92AE71&version=&ws=&bc=99 I hope you have your dancing shoes on!

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ROUND-TRIP TO PUERTO RICO FROM NYC is now $382 . . . But if you don't got it you can go to CAMARADAS EL BARRIO in Spanish Harlem and get a taste of PR for less $20 dollars AND enjoy some good authentic food and music from PR. Just so you know, you MUST and I mean MUST have the jibaro sandwich. It has got to be the best sandwich EVER! - no joke! And it is only 7 dollars. Anyway if you are feeling really ambitious you can have with a nice ice cold bottle of Chimay for an additional $10 and not the Premiere either, the Grande Reserve - that's that high class beer :-) Thursday night is the night to go, but be warned get there before 9pm as you won't get a table and it gets PACKED (like rush hour subway packed) after 9pm. Check it out - 2241 1st Ave.\115th St. - http://www.camaradaselbarrio.com/. Shout out to Stacey for putting me on to this.

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DANCE DANCE DANCE !!!!! - It's the OFFICIAL launch of the PS.1 Warm-up outdoor party series @ MOMA PS.1 in Long Island City - July 1st is the date and the 10th Anniversary BODY AND SOUL party is the event. If you love to dance or even listen to great music - this is the place to be. Party is from 3pm - 9pm @ $10 - http://www.ps1.org/ps1_site/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=55&Itemid=99

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HUGE!!!! CRICKET EVENT 7\8 - 7\9 - Come out to Floyd Bennet Park in Brooklyn and see the best cricket players from the U.S. face off against the best from the West Indies. http://www.floydbennettcc.com/event.html. Thanks to Ro for the info. And I know I have some cricket fans out there!

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And course . . . The play list

1. N.Y. Shhhh - Busta Rhymes (this is just straight FIRE!)

2. Kick Push - Lupe Fiasco (Another sureshot!)

3. Love Endeavor - Alice Smith

4. California Blue - Raymond Fiore - www.raymondfiore.com

5. Let's Do It Again - Julia Darling

6. Playing House - Kudu www.kudu2u.com

7. Crazy - Gnarls Barkley

8. Number 1 - Pharrell feat. Kanye West

ALSO . . . . I am building a small collection on music videos on YouTube (and if you don't know about youtube.com by now, then well . . . Well I don't know but you should check it out). Take a look. http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=94B032BEB1832EC8

Peace and don't forget to come back! A.