BlackBerry's answer to the tablet boom: The PlayBook. Sweet.

[via BlackBerry]

I'll be honest: I wasn't that excited about the iPad when it first came out. I thought it was nifty but I wasn't ecstatic or SUPER impressed. But reading up on RIM's response by creating the BlackBerry PlayBook? I'm pretty excited. I WANT ONE. I rarely want gadgets. It took me until this past month to want a smartphone. But this beautiful piece of technology? Oh yes, please.

This is BlackBerry's official preview video:


The tablet is arriving in the U.S. in early 2011 and hitting the international market in the second quarter of next year. It boasts 2 cameras (a 5MP in the back and 3MP in the front, both of which can record HD videos), allows for face to face conversations, supports Flash and HTML5, has Wi-Fi (3G and 4G...4...G...), and syncs everything up to your BlackBerry smartphone (not that I have one...yet) so that you can opt to view on your tablet any content (email, BBM, documents, calendar, etc) that resides or is accessible on your phone.

And physically? It's just sleek, small, and beautiful.

CrackBerry has a video that shows it IRL and in comparison to the iPad. Goodness me.



Read more about it at RIM's press release on the BlackBerry PlayBook.

"There are leaders and there are those who lead."

This is a great TED Talk by Simon Sinek on how people can lead & inspire effectively.



"Martin Luther King gave the I have a dream speech, not the I have a plan speech."

Isaiah 61

Beautiful passage, IMO.

"...to preach good news to the poor
...to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim freedom for the captives,
and release from darkness for the prisoners.

...to bestow on them a crown of beauty
instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness
instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise
instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
a planting of the LORD
for the display of his splendor.

They will rebuild the ancient ruins
and restore the places long devastated;
they will renew the ruined cities
that have been devastated for generations.

...For as the soil makes the sprout come up
and a garden causes seeds to grow,
so the Sovereign LORD will make righteousness and praise
spring up before all nations."

Supakitch + Koralie: new mural.

A tad bit in love with this.

Spotted: Sad Panda!

So three days after writing about him on this blog, who do I spot but Sad Panda!



Down by Wall St., after a delicious brunch at Harry's Cafe.
He's not so sad because all of us girls gave him a hug.

Therapeutic blogging: on relationships.

Relationships are interesting.

When I was much younger, far too young to be in a romantic relationship, my mom advised me to take dating very seriously and to hold off on it as much as I could until I found someone I really wanted to be with in the long run. She warned me that though dating may seem fun and that constantly having someone care about you was nice, if I wasn't careful someone could be hurt from a broken relationship. Even though she's never been broken up with, she said that being the one to break up with someone hurts a lot too.

I'd like to think that I took my mom's advice well and was careful in choosing who I walked into a relationship with (100% record of having to be asked out more than once before I consented). Unfortunately, I still ended up with broken relationships.

The hardest part is that when you're in a serious one, you tend to invest more into one another. People have said that when you share a lot to someone and the relationship ends, it's like a piece of you is gone too because you gave those stories, secrets, moments, etc. to him or her (let's stick with "him" for now). But I think what's harder is that the other person is sharing with you his life...and when he's gone from your life, he takes his with him. And that's when you feel like part of you is gone.

It's been way over a year since the end of my last relationship, which happened to be my longest-standing and most serious one. While I don't desire to be back with him romantically (our life paths are just too different in direction), I still care a lot of course. But I'm no longer in a position where I can express that care in the same way; I've relinquished my rights. And what's incredibly difficult is knowing that I can no longer be part of certain parts of his life. His family is no longer my family; I've lost the privilege of adoring his baby cousins or saying hi to his grandparents during a long-distance phone call or laughing at his dad's super corny jokes. His friends can never really be my friends; we'll always have that awkward, unspoken knowledge that something went wrong in everything. Birthdays and holidays are now inappropriate times to celebrate with him.

It's tough. Even when you no longer have romantic feelings for someone anymore -- these are the things that make breakups (and post-breakups) difficult. But I think, maybe, that's how you also know you really (really) loved someone...when you miss all these other things so much (sometimes more than you miss the actual person). It's the remnants of some deep investment into one another's lives. It's awesome during the relationship; it sucks a ton when it's over.

When I look back and think of things I liked and miss about being in a relationship, it's not really about having someone to cuddle with during a movie or hold my hand in the park or buy me gifts or tell me I'm wonderful. Those are all great perks. But it's sharing a life with someone and having that someone share back with me. I think that's what I enjoy (and miss) the most in relationships.

Human Pac-Man.

Haha, my favorite part is the guy making all the noise himself.



Doot doot doot doot doot doot doot...

This coming Lazy Sundaze at Vault.

Green Street x Designed 2 Perfection x Team Vault release party. Free giveaways, mimosas, music, etc.

For some reason, I find sad-looking things to be hilarious.

Well, we all know Sad Panda. I saw him featured again in Gothamist, and as I looked at his picture, I just started to giggle. He's so cute. And so funny.



And just last week, I saw the new custom MUNNY from NERVISWR3K...the second picture (as seen below) made me crack up. I couldn't stop laughing for some reason. Even now, as I write this and look at the picture, I am chuckling. I sent it to someone with the comment, "Look how emo he is! Hahaha!" and the person didn't get me at all. Sad gabbie.

But really:



Hahahah. Yeah?

(Clearly, I have issues...I find sad-looking things to be funny...)

Cambie el mundo.

“Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes.
The ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can praise them, disagree with them, quote them, disbelieve them, glorify or vilify them.
 About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them. Because they change things. They invent. They imagine. They heal. They explore. They create. They inspire. They push the human race forward.
 Maybe they have to be crazy.
 How else can you stare at an empty canvas and see a work of art? Or sit in silence and hear a song that’s never been written? Or gaze at a red planet and see a laboratory on wheels? 
While some see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.”

— Apple Commercial, 1997

[via Swissmiss]

On bikes, namely in NYC.

On Friday, I had lunch with Christine and Kamran, who was in the process of picking out a bike (& ended up getting one the following day on his birthday!). We talked a bit about bikes and biking in NYC, as it seems to be a popular topic amongst my friends & acquaintances this summer. They asked me, "So with everyone around you biking now, are you going to get one? Would you?" Without hesitation, I replied no. Honestly, I don't think I have the guts to bike in Manhattan. Also, I have nowhere to store a bike currently. Add on my current income. Really, I never even considered getting one because it just seemed un-me.

BUT



I have to say that (coincidentally!) Design*Sponge just put up 2 posts in a row about bikes and for the first time ever, I want one. I know, I know, I have zero knowledge on bikes (except how to ride them kind of), and the ones featured in the post are probably not the ideal road bikes for the rough streets of NYC...but they're super cute & I can accessorize. So yeah, maybe having a bike wouldn't be too shabby. Not to mention, I was watching the news tonight and evidently, MTA is considering jacking the monthly unlimited up to $130 (that's a whole 'nother anger-inducing topic though; let's stay cheery).

Look how pretty! And eco-friendly, yeah?

DOTS: new graffiti documentary.

"Everywhere is a canvas. Everything is a canvas."

Read more about it here: DOTS.

Happy 25th birthday, Super Mario Bros!

To celebrate the anniversary, Nintendo released the above video, a timeline of the major Mario releases (sans Super Mario Kart & other spin-offs that feature Mario & co.)

If you don't want to watch the video of Super Mario Bros' history, Mashable created a graphic timeline:

"Super Mario Bros. was released in Japan 25 years ago today on the Famicom, the Japanese version of what Americans call the Nintendo Entertainment System. Since then, Mario has become one of the most iconic characters and entertainment brands in the world.

...Super Mario Bros. has sold more than 40 million copies over the past 25 years. In fact, it was the best-selling video game of all time until just recently. That title now belongs to Wii Sports, the game bundled with the Nintendo Wii."

- Mashable

Andddd 25 Fun Facts About Mario!

Look for my picture in Soho.

I love making new friends.



Last weekend I met Roman, an artist living in Soho who is originally from Mexico, & we chatted about Polaroids, painting, transfers, human rights, life as an artist, etc. And then he took my picture and gave me the "negative" for free. You might find the transferred piece sitting on his table that he displays every weekend on Spring St.

Late summer gradation.

The colors in this Design*Sponge post are too amazing to not repost.


(this one is just perfection)







I've been having a love affair with warm colors lately...I bought a handful of orange, yellow, red decorative items for the apartment recently too. I think it's September getting to me.

Animal love & cruelty all in one post.

I've been up with KP, sipping wine & moving into our apartment (3 months later), and because I cannot sleep (I want to, but my bed is covered in jackets & hats & skirts), I'll post some pictures from last week.

Within a week, I visited this puppy shop twice.


Peaced.


This guy was dancing. So funny.


Favorite.


Not a dog. But funny.





Went over to Garland's last weekend to help him settle into his new apartment in Midtown...
This is what I discovered:


Steaming a bear that someone handmade for him. What a jerk, I know.


Donde esta PETA??


You can see the steam coming out...poor guy.

Let's colour.

Amazing.

Let's Colour Project

Breakfast time at the Tang household.

My dad works at night. Friday night, I gchatted him and told him I was on Long Island and could make him breakfast when he got back from work.

Me: Yeah, I can make french toast and bacon or something.
Dad: Uh...how about pancakes and brown sausage instead.

Punk.

During breakfast: [in Cantonese]
Me: Dad, that's a lot of butter you put on your pancakes...
Dad: Go big or go home!

Double punk.

Watashi wa Akio desu.

He's so big now compared to when we first got him over a year ago.






This is like a MySpace shot for dogs.

Labor day weekend.

Minus a few bumps in the road, this weekend was a pretty nice weekend to have before I return to my imminent death-by-boredom/irritation/anxxiety thanks to the academic institution I currently am attending a scheduled routine of classes & work. A bit sad though because I left my camera behind for a good portion of it.

Highlights:

• Traveled out to Long Island for a day: Parentals + dog
• Art projects & creative juices
• Back to Manhattan: celebrations + kids card games with a 21+ spin
• Amazing flea markets
• Puppy shops
• Brunch at Penelope
• SoHo/West Village wanderings + meeting new friends on the street
• Lots of sushi
• Rooftopping with good friends

So long, sweet summer.

Most beautiful music video.

[via FangFoundThis]

For a phenomenal visual + audio experience, you MUST check out http://thewildernessdowntown.com -- it's an interactive film by the amazing Chris Milk to Arcade Fire's We Used To Wait. Everything about it is beautifully done. By the end of it, I was a wee bit in love.

A Chrome Experiment, this is truly incredible; the start of changes for future of entertainment and film.

Fighting Gravity.

These guys are sick. No dance training, just some innovation.



You can watch it here on Hulu too.

End of the summer henna.

Jennifer's hand.


Mine.

Thanks, Jeannie!

08.28.10: SoHo wanderings.

First record Doug pulled out at Urban Outfitters. Perfect for this week.


Washington Square lounging + fashion icon spotting (not pictured though; I refuse to be a creeper).


Some sort of aerobics utilizing bouncy rollerblade-like footgear. Odd.




For a period of my prepubescent to adolescent life, I wanted to be a glass-blower.




Hey, Takashi Murakami piece just sitting on the floor of this gallery.


Wishlist watch.
(& added more Munnys to my phone.)


Wandered SoHo for hours upon hours.
Note to self: must purchase many a L'Occitane product.


Saturday, August 28th 2010.
Goal: Be inspired.
Result: Am inspired.

08.27.10: Pickles & paintings.

After a yummy lunch at Banh Mi and some Lower East Side wandering, David & I came across that pickle store that my AP Government teacher from high school used to talk about: The Pickle Guys. Awesome.



Then I forced David to paint the rest of the afternoon.



Took a break for sangria & roasted eggplant spread over bread...I think my taste buds danced a little.



After our painting ordeal, we dragged some folks to my favorite neighborhood Tavern on 13th St...where I found a tipsy friend sitting on recycling tossed on to the curb.



Love this fool.

Mellow days make me smile.