{ Dashus:land }

In the middle of my fabulous city...

 

The Trevor Project + Mraz + Me and My Peeps.

Last night I had the pleasure of attending a benefit for an amazing organization called The Trevor Project. The organization's main goal is to help lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning youth who are in crisis and considering suicide. The group runs a prevention helpline that takes calls 24/7. They also offer online support to young people through their web site. In addition to the work they do for teens at risk, they also provide guidance and assistance to parents and guardians of these teens. My dear and dedicated friend Jason, invited me to the event as a guest. Jason was asked to sing at the event and he absolutely rocked it out. The performance was stellar and brought the room to it's feet. Seated at my table was my parter RJH, my longtime friend Ashby, Jason, his manager Patrick and the utterly fabulous Rachel Harris. Just to my right was a table filled to brim with yumminess ~ Kelly Ripa & her husband Mark Consuelos, Trevor Award Winner and honoree of the night Vanessa Williams, Ugly Betty star Ana Ortiz, Ally Sheedy (who introduced Jason's performance!). A special treat for me was also watching the uber-talented and brilliant Dustin Lance Black (writer of the award-winning film MILK) give special awards to three youths who are doing amazing work in their communities. The night was truly special.  We got to really talk to Rachel Harris  who was thoughtful, lovely and every bit as charming and funny as you would expect. She coincidentally sat at the table next to us while I was out to dinner two nights before at my local favorite restaurant! Who knew we'd be hanging out a couple days later? New York is so strange and fabulous. I was so thrilled that Jason had asked me to attend. The Trevor Project is doing incredible work and is saving lives day after day. There were some very touching speeches by those who have been helped personally by The Trevor Project which brought a tear to my eye. I'm so thrilled to the extent that my friend Jason is lending his voice to LGBTQ community and their causes. Jason doesn't have to do any of this but he does with such willingness, compassion and love. He inspires me and I'm sure countless others with his thoughtfulness and commitment. To learn more about The Trevor Project, PLEASE visit their website. They are a tremendous organization with a tremendous heart. Watch FOXNY's coverage of the event below.

A beautiful sight on a city street...

A love affair...

After 10 years, I still adore you....

Up Up & Away...

UP THERE from The Ritual Project on Vimeo.

I love it too, boo.

New York goes 3D on Google Earth.

AMAZING. 

Up from down.

The pixels are coming!

My buddy Mark sent me this video and I LOVE it. This video is totally wicked cool. (Did I just say that?!) Anything with NYC as the backdrop is right up my alley. The pixels are destroying Manhattan! Just watch!


Thanks Mark! xox.

A pen to the streets...

UK-based Artist Chris Dent's pen drawings are worth a double take. They are amazingly detailed and absolutely stunning to view. His illustrations focus on metropolitan architecture with such style and substance. He has drawn cities around globe and has been featured in just about every publication you can imagine. I only featured his illustrations of NYC but I hope you'll take a moment to view his other varied work at his site - chrisdent.co.uk.

Breakin' outta the box, boo.

I LEGO N.Y.

Christoph Niemann is a well known illustrator whose work has appeared on the cover of The New Yorker, The New York Times Magazine and Wired Magazine. One of his latest works is entitled I LEGO N.Y. and I find it it so humorous and endearing. If you are familiar with New York than you'll likely think his take on some iconic NY symbols is pretty spot on. A few a my faves are below. The collection has ben made in to a board book. See all of them HERE.

50 People, One Question. Across the map.

I find this entire series lovely, engaging and interesting. Take the time and watch.

L.A. to NYC

42nd Street - Then and now.

I'm always fascinated by New York City and its history. For a while me and my boyfriend were watching the Ken Burns New York Documentary DVDs all the time. I'm in awe of the changes that this city has seen both good and bad. I stumbled across this lil' video on one of my fave blogs and thought I'd share. The clip is from the film Riot on 42nd Street. I live on 42nd Street and only a few blocks from Times Square so this video is particularly interesting for me. For those not in NYC, just West of Times Square is a neighborhood called Hell's Kitchen where I live. In order to get most anywhere, I must hall my ass through what is the most awful place in Manhattan - Tourist ridden Times Square. Tourists do not know how to walk in a straight line in this area. They meander around, pointing left and right, yelling, screaming and generally getting in the way. They may be on vacation and trying to have a good ol' time but they are also in a busy bustling fast paced city - they should act like it. :-) Times Square which used to feature strip clubs and seedy bars now is the home of not only a Ruby Tuesday's Restaurant but also an Olive Garden, a Red Lobster, a Dave and Busters, an Applebees and a TGI Friday's! In NYC!  All of the Middle American establishments can be found within a few block radius serving their beige food that represent the downfall of good American cuisine. Uuuugh. It's just gross. I'd much rather walk past a hooker with a limp than what I currently see. Aaaaaaanyway, I digress - The following video shows how the area near Times Square has changed so drastically. It's a fantastic lil' walk down memory lane 42nd Street. Watch. 

A little Joe for the soul...

One of my favorite New York photographers, as many of my readers know, is Joe Holmes. I find his work so special and so engaging. His photographs are the places he travels but mostly they consist of his home, New York City and the surrounding burroughs. I was checking out his site, joesnyc.streetnine.com, today and found a few really lovely shots that I wanted to share. His work is always so spot on. The way he captures what I like to call "slices of life" is so amazing. Check them out below and be sure to visit his site to see all of his work. It's brilliant. xx.

Time lapse NYC.

A few gems...

A subway song for the masses...

On particularly hard work weeks I find myself not knowing what day it is. My time at work during the day creeps more and more in to my evenings during this busy time and it makes my mind spin. On any given morning, the 42nd Street Subway Station, where I catch my morning train, is bustling with the sound of commuters, train screeches, lively chatter and general noise. However, on Thursday morning I get a quick and lovely reminder that the week is almost over. It's the sound of a fiddle and a banjo in the distance. Each Thursday morning, a talented group of musicians called The Ebony Hillbillies play Bluegrass music for the passers by. While I'm not a huge fan of the genre of music, I am a fan of truly brilliant and talented artists. I'm also a fan of New York City supported Arts programs like this one called the MTA Underground Music Series that bring a diverse range of mediums of art to a larger audience. Just think of the all the locals on their way to work, tourists from other countries visiting the city, transit workers going about their routine who all get to enjoy their amazing talent. This is another reason that I simply love New York. There are always little surprises just around the corner to make you smile. Watch a clip of the amazing Ebony Hillbillies below.

me, my guy & nyc.

A perfect evening's beginning.

Run, girl, run!!

This is absolutely fantastic! Watch.

An introduction to D*Face...

Check out his site here! www.dface.co.uk

NYC in Fall. A love story.

There is no place like New York City in the Fall. The weather turns crisp. Sweaters come out and the leaves change their shade. Afternoons are spent wandering around the city soaking up the season. I snapped a few shots with my iPhone recently during a walk around Central Park that I wanted to share. I hope Fall is as lovely where you are as it is here.

Coneycopia - An experimental time lapse short film.

NYC Circa 1940.

Here is a look back at New York in the '40s. The following is a documentary by James Agee, Helen Levitt and Janice Loeb. It's an incredible lil' snapshot of an earlier time in the streets of NYC. 

NYC - A Moving Portrait.

The many meanings of nine eleven...

Today, September 11th, is my Dad's birthday. I'm such a huge fan of my Dad. I'm named after my Dad and he is a man that I look up to immensely. My father is still such a rock for my family. He may come off rugged and quiet but he is one of the most sweet, caring and joyful people that I have in my life. All of my Dad's actions come from his heart. He is not a man of pretension. If you treat him well, he will treat you well. His manner is very simple and that it was why I've learned so much from him. So many people I've witnessed in my life thrive off of drama. To see someone so completely disconnected from that trend can teach you a great deal. Dad - Happy Birthday. My wish for you is that this year is filled with more health, love, friends, family and good times than you know what to do with. I love you.

Today is also a day that has become a day of remembrance. The attack on our soil was one that drove a stake in to the heart of our country. Having been in New York during and after 9/11, I have seen a city that has grown and risen from such deep wrenching fear and loss and become a more cohesive place. I know I will never truly get over the feeling of that day. The madness, the panic, the unsureness and the absolute feeling of helplessness is something that you cannot shake. Each year I think different things about the events of that day and how it has shaped me, my friends, my city, my country. I look at how the events that took place on that morning brought out the best in this country and sadly the worst. I saw the heroic and the willful in my fellow New Yorkers as they risked their health to work at Ground Zero directly following the attacks and then we saw our own politicians use the terror warnings in the years to follow as a voting tools. There is so much good that came out of that day in regards to our recovery and then so much negativity that still lingers 8 years later. That day's events crushed families, broke spirits, confused our faith and at the same time it inspired hope, taught perseverance and strength and brought a Nation together for a moment. As Friedrich Nietzsche said "What doesn't kill us makes us stronger." He couldn't have been more right.

Lastly, today is an important day to me because it is the 3rd birthday of this here blog! Dashusland is three! I began writing Dashusland on September 11th 2006. I had just gotten home from a fabulous week in Rehoboth Beach and I wanted to create some sort of artistic and cathartic outlet for myself. I love music and poetry and fashion and photography and art and I wanted a place where I could just document the things in my life that caught my eye. This blog has become some what of a living online journal of mine. This post will be my 1,507th post that I have written on this site since that first day. As this blog took off and I really found my home here, I made a promise to myself (and to you) on January 1st 2007 that I'd post at least one thing daily and I haven't missed a day yet. Whew! I look back at my HAHAHA posts that are filled with some funny videos, quotes, and photos that have caught my eye and I still laugh. I love my posts on ART, or the photos that I have snapped with my Blackberry and now with my iPhone that are part of my DASHUS:MOBILE series. I love my Quote related posts in my YOU CAN QUOTE ME ON THAT series featuring quotes and sayings that I found interesting or inspiring or provocative. I'm also enjoying the new set of photos that I'm calling UP FROM DOWN which is my vantage point on the city I live in looking up at all the skyscrapers that I adore. This blog is fun for me and I hope that you find it fun sometimes, too. I really enjoy writing it and keeping it current. The things I feature here are just things that I dig. Dashusland is my lil' outlet and my communication with you. I hope that you'll continue to visit me here. Please continue to comment on the site and to send me things that you think I'd find interesting. I LOVE that. Here is to 3 more super duper years of Dashus goodness. I promise ya. xox.

N.Y. Seen - Slinking in to night.

N.Y. Seen - A panoramic view.

Joe shoots New York...

I have featured Joe Homles' amazing pictures on my site many times. I love New York and I love the way Joe captures it time and time again. New York is rich with color and life and that is always highlighted smoothly in each of his shots. Each photo captures a slice of life that I adore in good photography. Each picture tells a story that is alive in New York right outside my door. Kudos Joe - again and again. You can check out his site here - joesnyc.streetnine.com