Jason Toney

Roy Jones, Jr.

Todd Kelley cracks me up forever with his IM convo on the subject of Roy Jones, Jr, getting knocked the fuck out. I'm still laughing.

Common AIRspace

"You could live in the sea, I could be a bird. We'd be together,lovers forever." - AIR, Venus [buy the album] While I was sitting in traffic trying to get to The Standard for some poolside drinking, eating, chatting, ogling, & sidekicking everyone else was actually going to the show.

Apple Juice Kissing

"Feel like a king cuz I just kissed my baby." - The Meters, Just Kissed My Baby [buy the album] More often than not, when a woman leans in to kiss me for the first time she goes for my bottom lip. More round and full than the upper, it's like a homing signal to the uninitiated. She will lean in, eyes closing as she's locked on target and place her mouth on that one lip. There's also a tendency for this first timer to head directly to the sucking of that lip. Now, in the heat of making out, lip-sucking is divine. You can nibble on it if you like. We're having fun and passion and hot lip on lip action. But on this, our maiden voyage, can't I actually get my mouth on yours and not have your teeth snagging on my upper lip and give me a little time to learn the contours of your face, to learn the rhythm of our breathing and get in tune, to have my eyes closed wondering if the pictures in my mind are matching the images in yours before you start literally sucking my face? Why does kissing you, first timer, so often make me feel like my mouth has been in a heavyweight fight? Be easy, my dear. I know we are in this bar and we have had these drinks but let's take it slow. My kisses aren't sprints. My lips run marathons. And, i'm just sayin', I'll bad kiss you here all you want but I don't think you're making the after-party and you sure as hell won't be here for breakfast in the morning. My mouth has standards.

LA Insight - Leave (Get Out)

"The way we want to go is where we have to go." - Zap Mama, Show Me the Way [buy the album] I'm a couple days late -- a brotha has thangs to do, them thangs -- but here's a little LA Insight! 1. When you can only get out of LA for a weekend, where do you like to go?

I'm always dreaming about Santa Cruz and a whirlwind run up there for some breezy walking along the pier and main street and eating at Pink Godzilla Sushi. Always. Where is my ultra-bitchin' roll? Where is it? Lately, though, when I can actually find the resilience to get away, I head up to Ventura and see The Trues.

2. Where do you stay when you go there? (lodging and/or region)

Well when The Trues lived there I stayed with them. The last time I was in SC, we rocked the University Inn.

3. Where do you go on vacation to get as far out of the LA lifestyle?

Hmmm. I don't know. I revel in the lifestyle so I rarely need to get away from it. I do like the stark contrast between the bay area and here, though. Gosh, three questions in and I haven't even left California.

4. For longer vacations, 1-2 weeks, where have you been that you would go back to?

I don't vacation nearly enough I don't think. I went batshit crazy the week I spent in Omaha. New York stresses me out but I'm probably going to spend a week there in November.

5. Where do you dream of going, but haven't been?

Greece, Rio, Japan, Senegal, South Africa, France, Amsterdam.

6. Where have you been on vacation where you thought "I could settle here"?

The east bay. Seattle wasn't bad, either...although the vibe wasn't really me.

7. What place in Los Angeles makes you feel like you're already on vacation?

Hmmm. Any time I get to the other side of LAX, I feel like I'm in a completely different world so Redondo Beach, Manhattan Beach, all the beach communities in the south.

8. Where in Los Angeles would you warn tourists to stay away from, even though a lot of them end up there?

Universal Studios/City Walk. Citywalk is so much better when all you freaks aren't there and the theme park isn't really worth the price in my opinion.

Yes. Exactly.

"Time moves faster when you're loaded." - Phoenix, Summer Days [buy the album] The editors at The Fader Magazine editorialize this month:

In recent months we've grown more convinced than ever that there's a new music listener in America: you. We see you out there, someone who thinks about hip-hop but doesn't need to wear baggy pants all the time, someone who's into garage rock when it's real and not a major label Next Big Thing fabrication, someone who wants to know more about dancehall patois and production but doesn't need the weirdo homophobia, someone who wants to know what in the hell is going on with music in London right now beyond Dizzee Rascal...You can collect records without being a geek. You can check blogs without living out your fantasies online (well, most of them). You can go to a show without going home with someone in the band. Right now, it's just about the music and you have to have it. Right. Now. All. The. Time.

Yes. Exactly that.

Friday Random Ten - Wanna Play Hooky Edition

"Elegant boy, beautiful girl, dancing for joy, delicate world." - Lizz Wright, Afro Blue [buy the album] I love the Friday Random Ten! Out of 6687 songs, 1589 artists, 35 genres, and 642 albums, we get... Friday Random Ten 1. Drop -The Pharcyde - Labcabincalifornia 2. The Memory - Roy Ayers - Another Late Night - Groove Armada 3. Center of Attention - Dj Babu, Dilated Peoples, Souls of Mischief & Pep Love - Duck Season, Vol. 1 4. I Remember - Sylvers - Sylvers II 5. The Wreckoning - Boomkat - Boomkatalog One 6. Y'all Know - Will Smith - Big Willie Style 7. Ejercicio #16 -Kinky - Kinky 8. Toyi Toyi Introduction/Kramat - Abdullah Ibrahim - Amandla! Soundtrack 9. Brand New Day - Miguel Migs - Colorful You 10. Stolen Moments, Pt. 1 - Common - One Day It'll All Make Sense

Big Brother Blogarazzi!

"The memory keeps me calling me back, to our love when we once had it." - Roy Ayers, The Memory [buy the album] It's always weird going to a wrap party or crew party for a show you don't watch. People are throwing out nicknames like "Cowboy" and "The Twins" and "The Horsemen" and I'm all "Who in the what now?" The Big Brother 5 Wrap Party was fun, though. The food was decent. Most of the people weren't lame, I spent it with a friend I hadn't seen in a million years, and I painted a chocolate pig that is the cutest thing ever. But as I was painting my pig, I kept feeling these eyes on me. Considering me. Sizing me up. Trying to figure me out. I know those eyes. I use them on others a lot. I thought I recognized the face but it seemed unlikely. I know the reality tv world like I was Rain Man and it was The People's Court so I cut glances at the person every once in a while but thought it was just that tendency in LA to run in circles where you see the same faces all the time even if you don't know them by name. After a while though, the goateed gentleman approached me, asked me my name, knew where I worked, knew I had this site! After having spent all day talking about my new desire to photograph bloggers all Celebrity Uncensored style, my eyes darted from bush to bush, shadow to shadow, expecting heavyset photogs to jump out and scream "Blogarazzi!" as they snapped pics of me with my hands over my eyes, shying away as ceramic pigs crashed down around me. Alas, it was Afsheen, who I had just emailed with the night before and who I will work with in the future -- like Monday the future -- But who knew who I was because there are now a few select pics of me on this site in a prominent fashion. I've inadvertently Blogarazzi'd myself. I should put black bars over the eyes of all my Blogarazzi pics to ramp up the salaciousness. I'm not very good at my stalker photography though. I didn't bring my camera so no pictures of Afsheen running uncomfortably away from me or the TVGASM people who I didn't even know were there til this morning but who I must've kept looking at because I was noticing the signed ceramic pigs being carried like running backs hold footballs. It was funny, though. I was there with a friend who works for Endemol USA and it appeared that I knew at least as many people at the event as she did and possibly more. I chatted with Dennis from Average Joe who shows up at many a party and who I've talked with several times before. Old school people I knew from shows like Bug Juice and Tough Enough (back when every show featured staffs splattered with strong connections to our Mothership) and folks from work who I didn't even know would be there. Good times. Afsheen says this was his first Cewebrity sighting. I don't know if I'm amused by that title or frightened. I still struggle with the real world and the virtual world crossing paths unexpectedly. I'm also fascinated by it. Blogarazzi!

Jason's Hollywood Minute

"The highest high, deep inside." - Brand New Heavies, Highest High [buy the album] I wasn't feeling hollywood enough this morning so when Jillian Barbarie flashed her sidekick 2 on good day LA this morning I knew what must be done. I hopped on the T-Mobile site and with that web only 50 dollar off deal I made it happen, made it happen. Now I'm just like Paris and Lohan (who so should star together in a buddy cop movie) except their's are bejeweled or bedazzled or something. I think mine will need a tattoo when it arrives. So best. So hot. So excited. This is how hipster I am. Instead of going to see Saul Williams at Amoeba Records and then going to his after-party at Tokio, I'm going to go to Mexicali and get drunk on margaritas and taquitos with friends because while I like Saul and appreciate the label invite, I'm not about going out in H'wood on a Tuesday night. Apparently I'm getting old. This is how scenester I am. For the last two weeks, I've been obsessed with Bijou Phillips. She's been showing up in random paparrazi photos and has been talked about doing random stuff at private parties and, well, I'm just curious. I want to know her deal. She's currently dating someone and I don't even think that's what I'm interested in. I just want to know what's her crazy? I want to go all Existentialist Detective on her and find out about her world. Well, I think that opportunity is on the horizon. The concentric circles of our mutual friends are intertwining and it's only so long before we fall into the shared area of our venn diagrams. Be ready. I promise to spill all the beans here. Unless she's totally cool and then she'll get a cool nickname here and all the juicy tidbits will end up on my LJ. I'm in love with Livejournal so much right now, I can't even tell you. And that's how ironic geekster I am. And, finally, here's a fashion tip. Tiffany Brown mentioned the chinese slipper trend on her site yesterday and I'm here to tell you -- I hate them. Ladies, much like the awful ugg boot, they just aren't cute. It makes whatever pants you're wearing them with look like they are pajama pants and that you just walked out in your house slippers. Your feet look like they are trapped behind chicken wire and it drives me crazy watching your feet always appearing precariously close to flying out of your shoe. Maybe they are comfortable, I don't know. I just know I hate them. Trend over. Put them away. Thanks.

The Most Important Meal of the Day

"I need food to satisfy my hunger." - Sia, Drink to get Drunk (Different Gear Remix) [buy the album] I'm always on the search for great places to have breakfast. It is my favorite meal of the day. Eggs, a good breakfast meat, fruit, and an excellent baked good are always on my mind. I'm sure I've regularly touted Jinky's in this space. It's my favorite valley breakfast spot and their morning quesadilla with the pea-based guacamole is divine. This weekend, however, I have been to two even better breakfast meccas. First was Toast on third. The wait is a little long and there's a running contingent of pretty hollywood hanging outside. Once inside, though, mmm mmm good. Get a side of fruit and marvel at the star fruit, the blueberries and raspberries, the fresh watermelon, and the persimmon. Persimmon people! At least I think it was a persimmon. It was exotic and tasty and something I'd never had before whatever it was. And I can't remember what else I had but it was delicious. But then this morning on a Sunday visit to Ventura, I finally made it to Allison's. The Trues, The Lovely Miss Anna Baby, and Felicious have been raving about the small cafe that's only open for breakfast and lunch, 7am to 2pm daily. I'd seen the biscuits but never had tasted the food until today. The biscuits are the size of a small saucer plate. They are warm, light and airy. They glisten like they have been kissed by the heavens. The butter melts as soon as it touches the perfectly baked inner realm. You get two with your breakfast. On the table there sits homemade raspberry jam. It both sticks and drips off the spoon. Not too sweet. Not too seedy. When it drips down the side of your hand you lick it off. To daub it with a napkin would be a sin. I hadn't eaten dinner the night before so I went big ordering the Big John's breakfast featuring chicken fried steak and gravy, three eggs and I had country potatoes instead of fruit. I devoured everything except the potatoes and only failed to eat those because there was no room left in my stomach. My belt needed to be adjusted but I was satisfied in a way that a breakfast hadn't done in a long time. I love you Allison and your sweet, tasty buns. I'm gonna eat 'em up girl. Eat. 'Em. Up. Damn.

Friday Random Ten - Indian Summer Cold Edition

"I'm so serious, I'm so sincurr." - Jay-Z w/ Cedric the Entertainer, Threat [buy the album] Trent and Rox are both up on it and it's meme friday so I'm in this joint like what. 1. Open up iTunes and put it on random. 2. Out of 1438 songs, 46 genres, 581 artists, 268 albums, we get... Friday Random Ten 1. Lord's Prayer - Dudley Perkins - A Lil' Light 2. Reprise - Clara Hill - Restless Times 3. December 4th - Jay-Z - The Black Album 4. Seems to Know - Julius Papp & Dave Warrin - Mushroom Jazz 4 5. Distractions (Bugz in the Attic Remix) - Zero 7 - Simple Things Remixes 6. ?uestlove Solo - The Roots - Live at Fenix ('99) 7. Flute Loop - Beastie Boys - Ill Communication 8. Pull My Coat - Eddie Jacobs Exchange - Soul Sides Black Label 9. Hot 'N Cold - Basement Jaxx - Ofrenda Summer Mix 10. Believer - Ben Kweller - On My Way