CRAIGSLIST
How do you diffuse a potentially creepy situation? You draw cute pictures and romanticize it, of course. Australian-born Sophie Blackall is a Brooklyn based artist who has done just that. Over the course of her career she has illustrated over twenty children's books; and has won several awards including the Ezra Jack Keats Award, a BCCB Blue Ribbon Picture Book Award, and the Founders Award from the Society of Illustrators.
Her latest book Missed Connections veers of her normal path and delves into the hidden romance on Craigslist, believe it or not. In 2009 she started a blog where she posted a series of paintings based off actual anonymous Craigslist 'Missed Connections' postings. For anyone not familiar with Craigslist's 'Missed Connections,' it's a forum where one can post anonymous messages to strangers they were attracted to but failed to approach. Example: "Saw you in the subway, stared at you from Canal to 103rd Street. You looked a little uncomfortable, but I kept staring anyway as sweat beaded up on my upper lip. Hope I didn't creep you out. If you felt the spark too, get in touch. (p.s I swear I've never done this before.)"
In case you missed it earlier this summer, a Vancouver couple posted an ad on Craigslist that immediately got the attention of any Jurassic Park lovers.
Vancouver residents Rheanna and Justin just launched www.fuckinrad.com/petdinosaur, where they insist their offer still stands. They list their qualifications, offer news about their job hunt, and take the time to answer common questions, such as "do you guys have a weird dinosaur fetish?" and "are you guys serious?" (The answers, respectively, are "ew, no" and "like the plague!")
If you would like to hire either Rheanna or Justin as a pet dinosaur, you can email petdinosaur@fuckinrad.com.
Imagine if social media was around back in the Clinton days? It would have surely proven that there was more than a little Lewinsky going on in the ol' oval office. In fact, it's safe to say over centuries people would have gotten away with a lot less. Social media (especially Facebook and Twitter) are the new-age whistle blowers. Whatever scandal comes about, you can almost guarantee it's going to be outed on Twitter within hours. Who would have ever imagined this little one-liner, social status update site would become a place for breaking news in 140 characters or less? I certainly didn't.
The Collective
Cuisine: Eclectic/New American
Price: Moderate
1 Little West 12th
(at 9th Ave)
New York,
NY 10014
(212) 255-9717
www.onelittlewest12.com/collectiveny
When hungry diners first walk into The Collective, a Meatpacking District newbie set to open on St. Patrick's Day, their growling stomachs might momentarily get side-tracked while their curious eyes adjust to the bizarre choice of interior decorating. Think: your great Aunt Toots' (the one that is one over-flowing junk-drawer away from being on Hoarders) apartment crossed with an Andy Warhol eye for sophisticated irony, and topped with garage sale treasures. Still not with me? An example of a seating option in this new eatery may include a flea market bought sofa reupholstered in...a few pairs of jeans. Peculiar, unusual, grotesque, yet seductively eccentric, and dare we say...shabby-chic.
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