BlackBook Magazine

Leave it to a Canadian to create the topless flip-flop. Everything they do is quieter, cleaner, and just more simple. Now, one crafty Ottawa entrepreneur has set her sights on improving the basic summertime footwear staple -- the flip-flop -- and has invented a flip-flop-style sandal without the flip-flop thongs. The new topless sandals simulate walking barefoot, but with a comfy protective rubber sole. Just imagine, says creator Keri Oakley Lavier, "No more tan lines ... no more blisters ... nothing between your toes!" But wait, there's video!

In the videogame 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand, it's East Coast vs. Middle East, as Fiddy sprays bullets across a horde of terrorists in an effort to recover his diamond-encrusted skull. No wait, it makes sense! You see, Curtis Jackson was playing a concert in the desert, and instead of cash, he was paid with a bling-bling skull. But when baddies steal it from him, 50 and his Gorilla Unit must valiantly reclaim what's rightfully theirs, like they do in the hood,with a massive amount of firearms. Maybe this explains how the rap star has been shot nine times and lived to tell about it. He just keeps hitting 'Continue.' Watch the highly entertaining trailer after the jump.

Artist Kari Altmann aesthetizes the standard "Not Found" error page one comes across when following a dead or nonfunctional link; her version is a serene, pleasant, Jeremy Blake-esque composition that seems far more inviting than the standard 404 greeting. Blake is an artist remembered for directing scenes from Paul Thomas Anderson's Punch Drunk Love and the music video for Beck's "Round the Bend."

It's nearly impossible for me to do dance without being under some kind of influence and without sunglasses, so I respect the people in the following video immensely. Film critic Erik Lundegaard posted it on his blog, calling it the best movie of 2008. Not so sure about that Erik, but I know a few who teared up while watching it. Call it joy, inspiration, or the realization that your life is being wasted in front of a screen, just make sure you have a hankie nearby.


Where the Hell is Matt? (2008) from Matthew Harding on Vimeo.

I think the following video is indicative to how God created the Earth. He spun it around, zoomed in, a river here, a fjord there, and then presto, we have a Google Earth.


Holographic Google Earth from Nicolas Loeillot on Vimeo.

The Port Authority can't even get one building in the air, while the South Koreans erect a whole new world with ease. Amidst delays and bloated budgets, Christopher Ward, executive director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, wrote that "The schedule and cost estimates of the rebuilding effort that have been communicated to the public are not realistic," which means the city will not hit their desired deadline of 2011, the10th anniversary of 9/11. It's now expected to open sometime in 2013, and some even say that's optimistic. Meanwhile, on the other edge of the world, South Korea has designed and begun construction of an entirely new high-tech city they hope will reinvigorate the country's sagging economy.

By now you’ve surely seen the Amy Winehouse whack heard ‘round the world, in which she hops into the audience this past weekend at Glastonbury and slaps a fan, presumably for grabbing at her. Out of all the things YouTube is good for (old Michael Jackson performances, baseball stadiums imploding, old Nazi propaganda), watching musicians wig out on fans runs high on the list. Thankfully the Limewire blog has compiled one of those convenient YouTube lists featuring some of the great musician maulings of all time. Enjoy!

When Noel Gallagher attacked the idea of Jay-Z headlining this year’s Glastonbury festival, you just knew Hova would have the last word. Well, it turns out they’re Noel Gallagher's words. Check out how he opened his set (all of which is available here).

Lacoste celebrated its 75th anniversary last week, and the occasion triggered some fond childhood memories: I called him Uncle Vin. And whether visiting him at his Palm Beach (Florida) house or back home in Rye (New York), one thing was certain -- I'd be walking away with new Lacoste tennis togs. And it was Uncle Vin, actually the uncle of my friend's mother, who introduced the iconic Lacoste knit shirts to America. According to the New York Times, in 1950, a friend of his, tennis player Billy Talbert asked Uncle Vin -- a.k.a. Vincent Draddy -- to look at some shirts designed by Rene Lacoste, the one-time French tennis star (Lacoste had been nicknamed ''the crocodile,'' and his shirts bore an embroidered likeness on the left breast).

Comedian Zach Galifianakis has been on the brink of breaking out for a while. He’s a vet of late-night absurdist cult comedy shows like “Tim And Eric’s Awesome Show”, “Wonder Showzen”, and “Reno 911!,” and has made appearances in more serious fare like Into the Wild. The trailer for Galifianakis’ new comedy Visioneers is so dark, it’s pitch black. Office Space on suicide watch.