Considering I can barely make anything out of clay, I can't help but be impressed by the work of micro sculptor Willard Wigan. You have to admire the dedication and patience it takes to create something like this. Not to mention the fact that he's inhaled one of his sculptures before. Oops!

Nowadays, it's rare to come across a Hip Hop album that quite frankly stands as an album, meaning a collection of songs woven together by a specific theme, tone and style intended to take listeners on a distinct journey.  Long gone are the days of Tribe Called Quest's Midnight Marauders or the Pharcyde's Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde when you came out of it feeling like you've really experienced the artist or group's psychology and spirit when they recorded the project.

In this present era of free music when being a one-hit-wonder has become a measure of success rather than failure, BK-One's debut album, Radio Do Canibal, is a rare and very refreshing surprise.  The Rhymesayers Entertainment artist, best know as the producer/deejay for Brother Ali, has created a rich soundscape that takes listeners back to the streets of Rio de Janeiro during the 70's when street hustlers lived life to the afro-latin jazz/funk rhythm of that era.  

Returning from an inspiring trip to Brazil, BK-One gathered the staple Rhymesayers emcees (Slug, Brother Ali and I Self Divine) as well as other Hip Hop legends, including Black Thought, Murs, Raekwon and Scarface, to spit their signature lyrical venom over beats comprised solely of Brazilian samba, bossa nova and jazz samples.  Despite the compilation of various emcees, each song captures the same retro-Brazilian soundscape and spirit, resulting in an impressively focused album that is rarely heard nowadays.  Real Hip Hop is still alive and Radio Do Canibal is exhibit A.

  I do have to admit that the act of finger tapping purchase from an iPhone or iPad is sexy.  Mouse clicking is still a noble act.  Reconciling my AMEX statement reveals:

- Steam: if only PORTAL could take me back 15 gaming years.

http://store.steampowered.com

- iTunes: for compressed music, 5-minute instant gaming gratification, and appisodes of 132 dpi entertainment..

http://www.OhYouKnowTheURL....com

- Netflix: by default, we owe a portion of our earnings to NFLX.

http://eresearch.fidelity.com/eresearch/goto/evaluate/snapshot.jhtml?symbols=NFLX

- Video Copilot: designers, if you haven't already... tsk tsk tsk...

http://www.videocopilot.net

(Andrew Kramer will be god-like once achieved dot-com status.)

- TurboSquid: a quick way to up your production value with a few bucks.

http://www.turbosquid.com

See a bobcat lounging in a carpeted room, a 15-foot reticulated boa constrictor sunbathing under fluorescent lights, a dancing cockatoo ready to ambush you and much more. Star ECO Station is yet another hidden gem of Culver City. A non-profit exotic wildlife rescue center with a mission to educate and preserve. Plenty of opportunities to observe, engage, volunteer and be inspired--a perfect place to bring your whole family! 10101 W. Jefferson Blvd., Culver City, CA 90232. 310.842.8060

Create a product with less environmental impact, using renewable resources, and giving back a considerable amount - 20% of profit. Sounds good huh? That's the motto behind the fairly new product Boxed Water Is Better. Drinking water out of a box may sound weird at first, but we drink milk out of a box and that seems to be fine with most US Americans (Thanks Miss South Carolina ;). Plus that sexy box design is screaming for LA hipsters to start rocking this stuff like they're promoting it. Unfortunately it's only available in Grand Rapids and Chicago for the time being.