Pennsylvania - Election Day

So here it is sports fans. Election day in Pennsylvania. Will this fucking thing ever end?

Photo by Miguel.

In the news...

A new article in the NY Post reports that

"The NYPD recorded and unprecedented 81.5 percent surge in graffiti-related complaints from 2006 to 2007.

During the same period, graffiti arrests spiked nearly 28 percent. "

and then goes on to quote Vallone

" "Unfortunately, because of the lack of police officers, the fact that they have to do double duty and combat serious threats like terrorism, minor crime, including graffiti, are on the rise," he added.

Vallone also blamed a pop culture that portrays graffiti as a cool, legitimate form of art. "

what a dickhead.

BK Bridge: aut viam inveniam aut faciam

I know I am bad

Baby: Sorry for not updating the blog like I said I would let me try and make it up to you with this

Bjork

you should see the stereogum.com enjoyed player here if you have flash

There are also a Radiohead cover album.

Vector Tower Defense

Vector TD
The Vectoids are on the move. Can you stop them?

Two sketchy transactions caught on google earth

S Vincennes Ave, Chicago


Filmore St, San Fransisco

Rocketboom

Guest Photoblogger: Big Baby Miguel

Graffiti from the train in Budapest.

Truck of the Faro's

This truck is around every weekend just around the corner from Great Jones Alley. I always really enjoy the view. In many ways trucks serve as the new trains in urban graffiti, minus the whole predictable route thing. That's why when you find one that parks consistently it's a thing of beauty.

New Gridskipper Post - "New York: I Drink Your Milkshake"

Take a look at my new post and first crappy photoshop job for Gridskipper.

Revok

I realize I have been a little light on the graffiti front lately so here is a detail from the a mural in DUMBO by the REVOK and some of the rest of the 7th Letter Crew.

In Which I Visit the Japanese Embassy

Today I had the distinct pleasure to visit the Japanese Embassy in New York for a Sake tasting. The attending group was surprisingly small, the Sake was amazing, and the sushi was some of the best that I have ever had.

One of the most surprising facts that I learned was that the Japanese Sake industry is in deep decline. Before World War 1 Japan had over 60,000 Sake makers in its 38 prefectures. Today it has just over 1,400 with an annual LOSS of 5-6 a year. The culprit appears to be an influx of foreign beverages, Beer, Scotch, and Whiskey especially.

This Fascist American LIfe

From Naomi Wolf: Fascist America in 10 Easy Steps


1. Invoke a terrifying internal and external enemy

2. Create a gulag

3. Develop a thug caste

4. Set up an internal surveillance system

5. Harass citizens' groups

6. Engage in arbitrary detention and release

7. Target key individuals

8. Control the press

9. Dissent equals treason

10. Suspend the rule of law

Dre Day in NYC

Dre Day in NYC

I was at the first Dre Day many years ago in Minneapolis. I believe that it was at the 7th Street Entry. After that it began to be held at the Triple Rock Social Club. It was always a great time, I highly reccomend attending. I wonder how the NYC flavor of the event will be different then the MPLS?

Free Music - In Rainbows Remix by Amplive

I am a little late to the game with this one. Haven't heard it yet but looks great. Check out the official website here.

"Download Amplive's Rainydayz Remixes, an 8-track collection featuring remixes of Radiohead's historic seventh album, In Rainbows. The songs are available in a zip file below and feature verses courtesy of Too $hort, MC Zumbi of Zion I, Chali2na of Jurassic 5, and Del the Funky Homosapien"

In which I quote from Gridskipper

"According to new NYPD statistics, graffiti complaints in Brooklyn rose 96% last year, with arrests in the borough increasing by 33%. Citywide, complaints almost doubled from 4,886 in 2006 to 8,866 in 2007, and total arrests rose from 2,962 to 3,786. Williamsburg leads the tagging trend with a total of 186 complaints.

“It's so expensive here, yet it looks like a dump,” long-time Williamsburg resident Mel Costello, 63, declared to the Daily News. “It's ugly. I don't care about someone's initials I can't make out. [The police] need to clean it up and catch these silly kids.”

But NYPD Assistant Chief Michael Collins blames the statistical surge on a new policy requiring officers to fill our a written report for each and every graffiti complaint. “We believe the increase in graffiti incidents is due to increased reporting, not an upsurge in the crime itself,” Collins explains.

Try telling that to Barbara Caporimo, owner of Shear Ecstasy hair salon in Bay Ridge: “I've had to paint over my [security] gates about 20 times in the past four years.” Her neighborhood took the number 2 slot in graffiti complaints, beating out other heavily tagged hoods such as East New York, Cypress Hills, Bensonhurst, Gravesend and Sheepshead Bay.

Queens D.A. Richard Brown fears the city is slipping back to the early-80s era of graffiti saturation, with a particular increase in gang tagging used to mark territory. At the same time, tagging on subways has decreased 45%; officials say the improvement is thanks to the NYC Transit "Eagle Team", a new anti-graffiti squad launched last fall. Have you noted any increase in tagging in your hood?"

WK Ultra - LES

Here is a piece in the Lower East Side which I believe is WK Ultra. It was dark so I couldn't make out much of it. Sorry about the image quality it was taken from my phones camera.

BK's Best BBQ

Hey Sportsfans,

I have a new post up on Gridskipper. Please take a look here.

Yes we can!

Here is a story from boingboing.net on the Shepard Fairy poster meme which the Obama campaign seems to have latched on to. Does anyone know where you can download the design?

Thursday Round Up

With Super Duper Tuesday fading in to the annals of history I must say I feel a little let down. It was a tight race before and remains a tight race now. I suppose that the news of Clinton inusing her own campaign with 5 million dollars is good news. But as DNC chairman Howard Dean has pointed out it will be ultimately be difficult for the party if things come down to the convention and deals are hammered out in shady back rooms. Let's hope that Obama continues to build his campaign and starts to pull away in the delegate count.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------



In other news Ratatat, the fantastic Crown Heights electro / Hip-Hop duo, has made their second remix album available for free download. Click here if that interests you.