Chic & Swag Friday

"Free yourself from yourself."
Cee List

B60 Sloop

Architect John Pawson has designed the B60 sloop in collaboration with naval architect Luca Brenta.

Beau-T-ful !

The Bridge Pavilion

The Bridge Pavilion over the river Ebro.

Mondrian South Beach by Marcel Wanders

Mondrian South Beach, a hotel and apartment complex with interiors by Marcel Wanders, opens in Miami Beach on 1 December 2008.

4 clips click:» VIDEO INTERVIEW OF MARCEL WANDERS

Raf Simons, Tokyo and Osaka

Raf Simons’ two new flagship stores in Japan – his first ever – are bold statements in art as much as fashion. The Belgian menswear designer, known for his young, tailored aesthetic, turned to acclaimed international artists Sterling Ruby and Roger Hiorns to create two thoroughly unique retail experiences.

London Design Festival 2008

Sydney

Architecture

Zaha Hadid have designed cultural buildings for Saadiyat Island, which lies just off the shore of Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates.



Ando’s Maritime Museum concept takes its inspiration from Abu Dhabi’s natural surroundings, landscape and maritime traditions. It has a reflective surface visually merging sea and land. Its ship-like interior has floating decks which guide visitors through the exhibition space.

Christian Audigier

I absolutely LUV these metallic leggings!

Chucks

Chuck come in assorted colors & designs. Mainly everyone in my family owns a pair of Chucks or Ugg boots. :)

converse.com

Hookah Pipe

Egyptian styleSyrian style
A hookah (Hindi: हुक़्क़ा, Urdu: حقّہ, hukkah) is a single or multi-stemmed (often glass-based) water pipe for smoking. Originating in India, it has gained popularity, especially in the Arab World. A hookah operates by water filtration and indirect heat. It can be used for smoking herbal fruits, tobacco, or cannabis. Hokkah pipes come in assorted colors,deco & sizes.

I don't smoke, but I do like the designs of the hookah pipes. They are nice art pieces !

Bob Marley

Bob Marley was born on February 6, 1945. Brilliant and evocative music Bob Marley gave the world; music that stretches back over nearly two decades and still remains timeless and universal. Marley has been called "the first Third World superstar," "Rasta Prophet," "visionary," and" "revolutionary artist." These accolades were not mere hyperbole. Marley was one of the most charismatic and challenging performers of our time.

Bob Marley's career stretched back over twenty years. During that time Marley's growing style encompassed every aspect in the rise of Jamaican music, from ska to contemporary reggae. That growth was well reflected in the maturity of the Wailers' music.

Bob Marley was a hero figure, in the classic mythological sense. His departure from this planet came at a point when his vision of One World, One Love -- inspired by his belief in Rastafari -- was beginning to be heard and felt. The last Bob Marley and the Wailers tour in 1980 attracted the largest audiences at that time for any musical act in Europe.

Bob's story is that of an archetype, which is why it continues to have such a powerful and ever-growing resonance: it embodies political repression, metaphysical and artistic insights, gangland warfare and various periods of mystical wilderness. And his audience continues to widen: to westerners Bob's apocalyptic truths prove inspirational and life-changing; in the Third World his impact goes much further. Not just among Jamaicans, but also the Hopi Indians of New Mexico and the Maoris of New Zealand, in Indonesia and India, and especially in those parts of West Africa from which slaves were plucked and taken to the New World, Bob is seen as a redeemer figure returning to lead this.

Bob Marley never wrote a bad song. He left behind the most remarkable body of recorded work. The tiny Third World country of Jamaica has produced an artist who has transcended all categories, classes, and creeds through a combination of innate modesty and profound wisdom. Bob Marley, the Natural Mystic, may yet prove to be the most significant musical artist of the twentieth century.

bobmarley
niceup

SPEECHLESS!!!!!!!!!!!!

Barack's High School graduation 1979

Barack Obama, in 1979 gets a hug during his high school graduation in Hawaii from his maternal grandparents, Stanley Armour Dunham and Madelyn Payne, both natives of Kansas.

Go Vote!

Nas Black President Lyrics

[Intro: Obama]
They said this day would never come.
They said our sights were set too high.
They said this country was too divided;
too disillusioned to ever come together around a common purpose.
They Said, They Said . . .

[Hook (2x): Tupac]
And though it seems heaven sent,
we ain't ready to see a black President
And though it seems heaven sent,
we ain't ready to see a black President

Yes We Can ... Change the World (Change the World )
(They Said!)

[Verse 1: Nas]
They forgot us on the block
Got us in the box
Solitary confinement
How violent are these cops?
They need an early retirement
How many rallies will I watch?
I ain't got it in me to march
I got a semi to spark
The game's in a drought

Public housing, projects
Cooking up in the Pyrex
My set, my click
Either getting money
Or running from homicide trial
That's if they ain't died yet

Trying to be rich
Still I'm pledging allegiance
A predicate felon, a ghetto leader
Lending my poetical genius
To whoever may need it
I bleed this from Queensbridge
Now living with my feet up
Never defeated
So a president's needed
Y'know these colored folks and Negroes
Hate to see one of their own succeeding
America, surprised us
And let a black man guide us

[Hook (2x): Tupac]
And though it seems heaven sent,
we ain't ready to see a black President
And though it seems heaven sent,
we ain't ready to see a black President

Yes We Can ... Change the World (Change the World )
(They Said!)

What’s the black pres. thinkin’ on election night
Is it how can I protect my life?
Protect my wife?
Protect my rights?
Every other president was nothin' less than white
Except Thomas Jefferson and mixed Indian blood
and Calvin coolers
KKK is like 'WTF, loadin' they guns up
loadin' mine too, Ready to ride
Cause im ridin with my crew
He dies - we die too
But on a positive side,
I think Obama provides Hope - and challenges minds
Of all races and colors to erase the hate
And try and love one another, so many political snakes
We in need of a break
Im thinkin' I can trust this brotha
But will he keep it way real?
Every innocent n!gga in jail - gets out on appeal
When he wins - will he really care still?
I feel . . .

[Hook (2x): Tupac]
And though it seems heaven sent,
we ain't ready to see a black President
And though it seems heaven sent,
we ain't ready to see a black President

Yes We Can ... Change the World (Change the World )
(They Said!)

Say a prayer for "do we have to?"
You ain't right, Jeremiah Wrong pastor
In love with a slave master
Sincerely yours:
USA most brave rapper
Jesse car-jacker
Uncle Tom-kidnapper
Ask around
Bentley Coupe off the Richter
B!tch-called-life, I pimped her
What?
Politics, politricks
Klan-shooter
Deacon for defense
Progress-producer
Nothing on the stove
A survival-booster

Gotta do what we gotta do
We ain't got no governors coming through - to help
anything we need done, we gotta do for self

New-improved JFK on the way
It ain't the 60's again
N!ggas ain't hippies again
We ain't falling for the same traps
Standing on the balconies
Where they shot the King at
McCain got apologies
Ain't nobody hearing that
People need honesty

[Hook (2x): Tupac]
And though it seems heaven sent,
we ain't ready to see a black President
And though it seems heaven sent,
we ain't ready to see a black President

Yes We Can ... Change the World (Change the World )
(They Said!)

[Outro]
It is my distinct honor and privilege to introduce the next President of the United States:
Barack Obama.
(Applause)

Nas

Nasir Bin Olu Dara born September 14, 1973 in Brooklyn, New York. His family later moved to the Queensbridge projects. As a kid, Nas wanted to be an instrumentalist. He often played his dad's (jazz/blues musician Olu Dara) trumpet. Nas was also into comics. But, he immersed himself into the hip-hop culture shortly after his parents Olu Dara and Ann Jones separated. That was when young Nasir Jones began to write short stories and poetry.

Nas made his hip-hop debut on "Halftime," which was featured on MC Serch's soundtrack to "Zebrahead." In mid 1992, MC Serch helped secure Nas a deal with Columbia Records. The initial concern was that Columbia, a major label, would dilute Nas' raw rap style. In 1994, Illmatic was released. The album, which featured production by DJ Premier, Large Professor, Pete Rock, and Q-Tip, and a relatively unknown emcee named AZ, was lauded as a masterpiec.

Following the competitive nature of east coast rap, one of Brooklyn's most prolific rhymeslingers, Jay-Z, found himself in a war-on-wax with Nas -- Queensbridge #1 draft. Although, many later claimed that Nas won the battle with "Ether," his esoteric, yet wittily ferocious response to Jay-Z's "Takeover," both rappers claimed victory in their most recent BET interview.

In 2008, Nas released his 2nd Def Jam album, Untitled. After drawing fire for the confrontational title, Nas bowed to pressure and decided to release the album without a title. Well, not exactly. You see, at the back of Nas' mind this is still his N*gger album, intact with the same songs and concepts. It's a testament to the MC's bravery that he lives to tell about every provocative moment of this album's journey.

On one of the decade's most anticipated hip-hop albums, Nas bares his soul like he's never done before. From the moving intro, "Queens Get The Money" to the dashing closer, "Black President," this is Nas at his most honest, radical, and glaringly optimistic.

Get past the bragfest and Untitled switches into full-blown political commentary mode. It's like Nas is saying, "That's the n*gger. Now here's the n*gga."

Supporting that point, an assault of staccato blasts leaps out of "America," as Nas transforms into a Rocky-like figure ready to tackle any obstacles. At its political core, Untitled is Nas' celebration of what he deems his life mission: hip-hop hero. The MC who declares the culture dead so he can resurrect it on an album called Hip-Hop Is Dead. "People are afraid of criticism, but I always put myself in sacrificial positions," he rhymes on "N.I.G.G.E.R. (The Slave & The Master)"

rap.about

Chic & Swag Friday

Google
Google has been known for a long time as the best place in the world to work. They offer free massages, gourmet meals, and professional haircuts at their beautiful campus in California. That right there puts them above 99.99% of the other companies in the world. At any rate, you already knew all that so lets move on.

Have you ever wondered how much a Google employee makes? Well this data isn’t extremely easy to find, if you don’t believe me just search Google. However, here is some interesting statistics.
Google Programmer in Phoenix - $174,000/year
Google Programmer in California - $197,000/year
Google Programmer in Chicago - $222,000/year
Google Programmer in New York - $242,000/year
(according to Indeed.com)

…and thats just in salary. What other financial benefits does Google offer it’s employees?

• 1) Google will pay $8,000 / year for you to continue your education. They just require you get at least ‘B’s in your classes.
• 2) If you refer another employee to Google’s staff and they stay for 60 days, Google will pay you $2,000
• 3) If you are thinking about adopting a kid, Google will contribute $5,000 towards all the legal and adoption fees.
• 4) Depending how long you have worked at Google you can get up to 25 days (almost a month) paid vacation a year!

Now their is one more thing that is very interesting about Google employees financial lives. According to the New York Times there are estimated to be over 1,000 Google employees with Google stock worth over $5 million dollars. Woah wait! There are over 1,000 people working for Google who are worth OVER $5 MILLION DOLLARS! Even Google’s former masseuse (did I mention employees get free massages) is a millionaire. Also, according to the New York Times, every employee that has been at Google for over a year is worth well over $250,000. Competing firms have said that Google alone has raised the average programmers salary by 50% over the last few year and with salaries and benefits like this I really don’t doubt it.

Click :Google's Amazing Zurich Headquarters

Blue Man Group

Space Tourism

The rocket takes off from Dubai, and cruises across the UAE until it reaches the tip of Oman and as it starts ascending the vista expands to 500 miles across the Middle East.

The cradle of civilisation could form the backdrop to the future of tourism, space tourism, according to astronaut Brian Binnie, as he paints a picture of a potential flight route and the experience, based on his own as test pilot of SpaceShipOne, the prototype to commercial space travel, launched by Virgin Galactic.

“The atmosphere is bristling and electric. You are tense, excited and nervous,” Binnie said. “And those core feelings only grow in intensity as you climb higher and higher into the delirious blue. As the shrill shrieking of the ship’s engine ceases, quiet takes over the rocket and you look out to space — it’s a mystery, it’s majestic, it’s so peaceful, it’s so serene.

Binnie gave the keynote address at the fifth Annual Orion Congress, held at Atlantis, The Palm on Saturday, as industry leaders discussed the future of tourism.

While a spaceport is not currently planned for Dubai, more than 200 tickets, and $40 million worth of deposits, have been bought with Virgin Galactic’s space adventures, based in America.

Fly!

Moth by Ab Roger Design

Ab Rogers Design created this London store interior for Russian fashion brand Emperor Moth.
Emperor Moth is a new, fresh, dynamic, Russian fashion label designed by Katia Gomashvili. Katia has commissioned ARD to create a new store in Mayfair and in Moscow.

I LUV color!

Peter/ Harnessing Anger

When I think of a hero, I think of people like Peter. Peter= True Hero!

"The games needs him
Plus the people need someone to believe in
That's what I call a gangsta"

Via Nas Hero

Yes Fresh!