WHAT UP, EVERYONE?!?  Thanks for stopping by the old VIMBY blog.  Many of you come here everyday for your information and we appreciate that.  But, we are no longer writing fresh posts here daily.  The fact is, we’ve outgrown this space.  We have too many passionate bloggers posting too many relevant blogs and the shit is just getting buried.

We’re leaving these pages up b/c so many people have linked to them and like to refer back to them.

But, from now on, you can  find up to the minute news and info throughout our VIMBY Blog Network:

Candied Cartel, led by Tamika, will keep you up to speed on graffiti, contemporary art, vinyl toys, bike culture, music and more.

The Lipstick Diaries, headed by Pauline, will focus on female fashion, gadgets, nightlife, art, music, and more.

In the Gnar, is headed by Nick, our newest blogger.  Nick, who was actually featured in a VIMBY video about his BMX zine, rounds out his action sports blog with contributors from BMX, skate, and surf.

Mario will continue to keep you up on the latest in hip hop, streetwear, and nightlife over at Up on Thingz.

Lastly, all the rest of us crazy opinionated fools have launched Our Kitchen Sink, a hodgepodge of the rants and raves about movies, music, sports, politics, tattoos, and more.  In addition, Our Kitchen Sink will feature How To tutorials from other leading bloggers on everything from photoshop secrets to green living and urban survival.

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Of course, if you want to keep up on everything, you can find the newest posts from each of our blogs on the homepage of www.vimby.com

Okay, I’m sure you’ve all been tagged in like 25 notes from your friends on Facebook listing 25 random things you didn’t care to know about them.  I refuse to do one of those, so instead I decided to create this list of 25 things that, based on reports to this point, it seems Chris Brown did not do to Rihanna.  As you can see, it could have been much worse:

1.  Marry

2.  Slime

3.  Punch

4.  Bite

5.  Drive Home

6.  Sue

7.  Ignite

8.  Strangle (How’s she supposed to breathe with no air)

9.  Electrocute

10.  Threaten to Kill

11.  Confuse with Jordin Sparks

12.  Confuse with a sandwich

13.  Introduce to me

14.  Jello (verb)

15.  Nunchuck

16.  Tar

17.  Feather

18.  Serve*

* I’m trying to give the guy credit where little credit is do, but he is a hell of a dancer and it would have probably been very easy for him to serve her.  But, he at least took the high road on that one.

19.  Throw a Sheep at

20.  Ollie

21.  Terrorist Fist Jab (debatable)

22.  Deep fry

23.  Give swirly

24.  Breast feed

25.  Respect

So, KCAL TV in Los Angeles is receiving calls reporting that the suspect in a low speed car chase that just ended in Studio City is DJ Khaled.  What makes it more f-d up is that the suspect is supposedly wanted for assault with a deadly weapon.  More to come when the facts roll in.

And Khaled, if I spoke too soon.  Apologies.

This is definitely my favorite blog to spring up in 2009. Two L.A. based comedy writers (admittedly friends of mine), just launched No Room Service, Just Snacks and Shit (www.nrsjsas.com) this weekend. It is a blog totally devoted to absurd rap lyrics. Definitely worth a daily check.

A few of my favorites:

“You say you sellin’ furniture. I don’t believe you. You work construction. I don’t believe you.”

- Kool Keith, I Don’t Believe You

NRSJSAS says:

If someone were ever to tell me that they sell furniture for a living or work construction, I would never not believe them. If they were lying about that… they must have the most boring jobs ever because that lie sucks.

“You can ask Dr. Phil. I’m ill.”

- Erick Sermon, Like Me

NRSJSAS says:

Here’s how I imagine that would actually go…

Someone: “Hey Dr. Phil. Is Erick Sermon ill?”

Dr. Phil: “Who?”

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Seriously, it’s hard to pick a favorite. The site has only been up a few days and I have already fallen out a few times reading it. Other artists highlighted include Lil Wayne, Jay-Z (who’s responsible for the blog’s name), GZA, OutKast, Nas, Three 6 Mafia, the Clipse, Eminem, and so on. Being that one of these writers is constantly chatting or texting new lyrics to me, I’m assuming they’re not going to run out of material anytime soon.

Shepard Fairey was arrested last night in Boston, on his way to the Institute of Contemporary Art for a kickoff event for his first solo exhibition, called “Supply and Demand.”

Two warrants were issued for Fairey on Jan. 24 after police determined he’d tagged property in two locations with graffiti based on the Andre the Giant street art campaign from his early career, police Officer James Kenneally said Saturday.

Ouch!  That’s harsh.  On his way to his opening?  Was that necessary?

Fairey has spent the last two weeks in the Boston area installing the ICA exhibit and creating outdoor art, including a 20-by-50 foot banner on the side of City Hall, according to a statement issued Saturday by the museum.

The museum said Fairey was released a few hours after his arrest, but authorities did not immediately confirm that.

For those young voters who look at Barack Obama as something of a super hero, perhaps this will make perfect sense.  Marvel Comics has announced that the President-Elect will meet up with Peter Parker in an upcoming Spider-Man comic.  Apparently, Peter is in town to photograph the inauguration ceremony when he notices two Obamas.  Parker uses a basketball to identify the real Barack before dismissing with the imposter.

As one of the lucky 240,000 with an actual ticket to the inauguration, I’m obviously excited about the prospect of seeing both of these guys together.

Direct from the Marvel’s mouth:

To celebrate the upcoming inauguration of Barack Obama, Marvel is proud to present an all-new story teaming up one of the world’s most recognizable political figures with the world’s greatest super hero as President-Elect Obama joins Spider-Man in “Spidey Meets the President!”

Written by Zeb Wells with art by Todd Nauck and Frank D’Armata, the story takes place in Washington, D.C. on Inauguration Day and finds one of Spider-Man’s oldest foes attempting to thwart the swearing in ceremony of the 44th President of the United States.

Fans can read it in its entirety in Marvel Comics’ AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #583, available in comic book shops nationwide on January 14th, 2009. Look for the special variant cover by artist Phil Jimenez featuring the President-Elect and Spider-Man!

“When we heard that President-Elect Obama is a collector of Spider-Man comics, we knew that these two historic figures had to meet in our comics’ Marvel Universe,” says Marvel’s Editor-in-Chief Joe Quesada. “Historic moments such as this one can be reflected in our comics because the Marvel Universe is set in the real world. A Spider-Man fan moving into the Oval Office is an event that must be commemorated in the pages of Amazing Spider-Man.”

For fans of Spider-Man and those wanting to own a part of this historic moment in American history, visit your local comic book retailer on January 14, 2009 to purchase the issue.

Check out the full story here:

Spider-Man and Barack Obama

“Because I’m good enough, I’m smart enough, and doggone it, 225 more people like me than like Norm Coleman.”

Ladies and gentlemen, it’s official.  With the state Supreme Court’s rejection of Norm Coleman’s petition, Al Franken is officially the junior Senator from Minnesota.  I am actually very excited to see what Franken does in D.C.  He’s whip smart and might actually remain a progressive once in the Senate.  But, I have to admit, I was watching the old clip of Stuart Smalley and Michael Jordan on SNL last night and it’s pretty crazy that he’s a Senator.  Of course, if a state can elect Jesse Ventura governor, this is not much of a feat.

What is amazing is that Franken won this race by 225 votes out of nearly 2.5 million cast.  Yet more proof that votes matter.

Some classic Franken moments (please watch the second one):

Stuart Smalley Saves His Family

Where Rush Limbaugh’s Ideas Come From

We don’t write about sports that don’t involve boards or bikes very often on VIMBY, but, after 3 days straight of football, I have to just reiterate that the BCS is a crock of shit.  I don’t care what happens in the BCS Championship Game.  If I had a vote in the AP poll, I would give my first place vote to Utah.

Now, let me be clear, I am a UGA fan; and I think the SEC plays at a level beyond any other conference in the nation.  Still, after watching Utah dominate Alabama on both sides of the ball, I don’t see how you don’t give them a split title.  I mean, it’s not like the Sugar Bowl was some fluke game where the favorite had everything go wrong and the non-BCS team squeaked out some last minute miracle.  Utah didn’t block a punt and Alabama didn’t make countless turnovers.  Utah simply came out and kicked their ass on both sides of the ball. Domination.  Period.  Undefeated.  No computers necessary.

I am not saying Utah is the best football team in college football.  But, that’s not what championships are about.  There is no rational fan who thinks the Giants were better than the Patriots last year.  That’s why you take the field.  And the Utes took it 13 times without losing.  No one else in the nation can say that.

College football is my favorite “athletic endeavor,” but I refuse to call it a sport.  I’m sorry.  It is not a sport when you tell have the participants at the beginning of the year, “No matter what you do this season, you cannot be crowned champion.”  That’s just not how competition is supposed to work.  

WORST NIKE AD EVER:

First of all, let me say that I do not mean to belittle the tension in Gaza.  I waver daily as to where I stand on the conflict that is unfolding there.  I don’t mean to toss my hat into an unbelievably complex web of hostility.

Still, I was reading CNN today and noticed this Getty Image and could not help but laugh.  This really is an unfortunate piece of marketing.  Nike cannot be enjoying this image being published on major news sources around the country, but it is actually a testament to how universal their brand has become.  Nike is everywhere.

There is a great deal of tension between the East and the West to be sure, but an image like this, as much as we may joke about it in the VIMBY office, speaks to the West’s pop culture influence in the most conservative parts of the world.   I feel for the Palestinians who have been displaced, but I still don’t think the best advice for a would be rocketeer is “Just Do It.”

We’ll stop writing about the election soon, we promise. But, personally, I am still reeling from this outcome. Yesterday, I posted a link to newspaper front pages from around the world. There have also been some wonderful political cartoon responses. Here are two of my favorites:
And Tom Toles’ perfect response:

Also, check out this clip of the Union Square celebration. Country First.