1. After an inaugural exhibit at the Chelsea Hotel, No Longer Empty has taken over the defunct Capitol Fishing Store with a new installation.

2. British artist Richard Woods re-decorates City Hall security booth with bright red bricks. This ain't Buckingham Palace, alright?

3. Amateur historian Andrew Carroll searches out New York's unmarked historical sites. Who knew Chester A. Arthur was sworn in at Kalustyan's Market?

4. New Zealand PSA uses rain sensors to release fake blood. (Via Animal NY)
http://animalnewyork.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/bleedingbillboard.jpg

5. A Swedish software company has bought the Pirate Bay for $7.7 million with hopes of charging fees for downloads.

6. Payola 2.0: bands get caught making fake accounts to game the Hype Machine's system.

7. Fame-hungry artists, take note: Bravo is hosting casting calls for "The Untitled Art Project" (executive-produced by mother of new twins Sarah Jessica Parker) at White Columns July 18-19.

8. Happy Meal Dept: A Connecticut teen was arrested for selling marijuana in Chicken McNuggets boxes.

Water typically isn't my beverage of choice on a Friday night in New York (although, we're BFFs on Saturday mornings -- but that's another story). However, the water enthusiasts-turned-nightlife promoters behind SoBe Lifewater have convinced me otherwise. Between MJ, Farrah, OxiClean pitchman Billy Mays and the pseudo-passing of Jeff Goldblum, I desperately needed a drink or six. Thus making SoBe Fridays' kickoff bash the place to be, complete with DJ sets from PAPER-friendly peeps like Paul Sevigny, performances from party anthem-er Asher Roth and oh-so-easy-on-the-eyes crooner Robin Thicke. Add an open bar with yummy cocktails, a SoBe lizard mascot, and you know, like every damn NY nightlife promoter/DJ/socialite/blogger/beautiful person you could imagine and you'd think you were at the PAPER Nightlife Awards Part Two. But the biggest star of the night was, no surprise here, Michael Jackson. Thicke dedicated his short but lively performance to the King of Pop with a spot-on MJ impersonation and plenty of covers. The evening ended like every other club this week -- and as it should -- with a Michael Jackson moon walking mess of a dance party. So now you know where I'll be every Friday this summer -- keeping hydrated while still getting my party on with an H2O cocktail. (Talk about an oxymoron!)

Noise-darlings Holy Fuck have been making moves in the experimental-rock scene since 2004. For the past few months they've been traveling the roads, blowing minds one city at a time with their tumultuous tracks. As they round out their international tour in the US, the band has been slipping psychedelic 3D postcards into our mailbox. Today Holy Fuck greeted us from Tucson...

Postcard by Yoonha Park using a Canon EOS 40D, LOREO 3D Lens in a Cap and Trick3D app for iPhone.

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Sanaa Lathan and Gabrielle Union

Last Friday I was quite the busy girl as I hosted a HBO and Belvedere sponsored "Dinner With Bevy" for the fab actress Sanaa Lathan. It took place in Miami during the American Black Film Festival, and Sanaa brought along her famous pals like director Lee Daniels (can't wait to see his new movie, Precious), actress Gabrielle Union (her dimples are so deep, you can swim in them) and NBA All-Star Dwyane Wade (I wanted him to "dunk on me" all night). The evening culminated with a rousing sing a long of the late great Michael Jackson's "Wanna Be Startin' Something"! Momma say momma sa ma macousa, indeed!

The very talented illustrator Joshua David McKenney has started a Facebook frenzy with his amazing series of watercolor portraits of friends like David Favale, Maya Judd, Nicolas Alexander, Antonia Thompson, Kwesi Blair, Mark Langrish, George Sotelo, Eric Spear and yours truly. Having a McKenney watercolor as your Facebook profile pic is the new badge of cool. "I was bored on the bus to Boston and I decided to do a doodle of my friend," McKenney tells me. "I did a few more friends. Pretty soon there was drama breaking out amongst my friends as to who I had drawn first. Well, I also got dozens of emails from people I don't know asking for drawings of them and their pets. It's a fun project. Lets see where it goes." Tomorrow, Mark Langish is hosting an opening of McKenney's watercolors at his loft, but your best bet to get your portrait done is to befriend Joshua on Facebook and join his fan club.

Above (l-r): Peter Davis; Joshua David McKenney

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Name: Idalia Buddington
Spotted: Bedford Ave., Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Age: 18
What she's wearing: All vintage clothing and jewelry, boots by Prada, bag by Pietro Alessandro NY
Idalia's song of the summer: "School's out for Summer" by Alice Cooper ("I just graduated!")
And now for some word associations...
Summer :. "Music festivals"
Rain :. "Tea"
Beer-B-Q :. "Lame"
Perspire :. "Gross"
Flip flop :. "Click clack"

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What happens when Ray-Ban and PAPER team up for a Sounds Like PAPER party? You get a crew of colorful kids acting wild in style. Here are some highlights from the Ray-Ban Colorize Photobooth, where the crowd became familiar with Ray-Ban's vibrant new line of shades.

1. Am I the only one disappointed by The Times' Taxicab Tales? Judge for yourself.

2. Bring your own cup for a discount on beer at the sustainability-themed CitySol Festival, which will feature solar tents, an area dedicated to bikes and performances by local acts such as Dead Prez and the So-So Glos.

3. The city allocates $1.65 million to LES arts center ABC No Rio.

4. Paul McCartney (who may or may not get back [no pun intended] his rights to the Beatles' back catalog) joined electric-car driver Neil Young this weekend for a string-shredding version of "A Day in the Life". Wow. Those guys look old.

5. Mayor Bloomberg is expected to announce the "Summer Streets" program, which will close selected streets to automobiles on August 8, 15, and 22.

6. A creepy video about Mexico's "Island of the Dolls"

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Under a colorized sky, the masses came to celebrate Sounds Like PAPER presented by Ray-Ban at the South Street Seaport. With performances by Kid Cudi and Chester French and DJ set by Les Savy Fav, the colorful crowd put on their summer bests and rocked out into the night. Special thanks to Asahi Beer and Vita Coco for keeping everyone refreshed.

Photographs by Caroline Torem Craig

Jennifer Creel is one of the most stylish girls in New York. And now you can buy Creel's chicness. Her new line of sunglasses, Modo for Jennifer Creel, are must-have-nows. At the launch at Bergdorf Goodman, I saw: Linda Fargo, Valesca Guerrand-Hermes, Christian Leone, Ashley Baker, Lydia Fenet, Jackie Astier, Topper Mortimer, Susan Shin, Amy Fine Collins, Nicole Miller, Kate Schelter, Annie Churchill, Jim Shi, Emma Snowdon Jones, Andrew Saffir, Lady Liliana Cavendish, Hunt Slonem, Lizzie Tisch and Melissa Foss, to name just a handful. Made of recyclable materials (bamboo frames!), for every pair of sunglasses sold, Creel will plant a tree, working with Trees for the Future.

It's hard to be upset with Nathan Williams of Wavves for forgetting to blog for PAPERMAG during SXSW because he got too drunk (that happened!) or for having a breakdown and being kind of a jerk at the Primavera Festival and ultimately having to cancel his Euro tour -- when he's just so darn cute! Check out the new video for his song "No Hope Kids", which plays out kind of like a tour diary, directed by Pete Ohs. There is something a little bit, "look, I'm just a fun-loving guy on my first European tour -- sorry about my breakdown!" about it. Wavves plays Bowery Ballroom July 15th with two of our favorite new bands Woods and Real Estate.

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Attention, hipsters: You are a target market. And Paul Devitt of Beauty Bar is determined to sell you on his formula of the next-big-thing neighborhood plus kitschy, retro-beauty parlor decor. The newest and seventh installation in what Devitt likes to think of as his "anti-chain chain" opened recently on a dreary strip in Bushwick under the J/M tracks where the sun does not often shine. After 14 years on the more centrally located 14th street, the original Beauty Bar -- overrun with bachelorette parties and SATC-esque ladies nights out -- seems to have lost relevance with the hip young things he'd like to see coming around. So to give Beauty Bar's rep a bit of a makeover, Devitt figured if they wouldn't come to him, he'd just bring the bar to them. Thus was born Beauty Bar: Bushwick, where on a recent night two bartenders chose to forgo hairdressers' smocks for another kind of uniform altogether, sporting artfully disheveled hair and multiple tatts. Without the years-old patina of the Manhattan location, this place literally sparkles. Rainbow stripes of glittery paint running along the walls make you want to break out your white-trimmed track shorts, feather your hair (RIP Farrah), and lace up your skates. Beautician stations behind the bar have been restyled into a liquor shelf, while pastel vintage dryers converted into lamps hang from above. You can even take the gimmick to the next level with a $10 manicure-and-martini special. Just remember to take care on the dance floor -- you wouldn't want to muss up your newly polished look. Boogaloo Shampoo Thursdays feature Jonathan Toubin of New York Night Train spinning soulful 45s (special request the Jackson 5 -- RIP Michael) with other weeklies to come (could a Todd P sighting mean something's in the works?). On the cocktail end of things, hairdresser-themed libations ($8) including the Redhead (cherry vodka, raspberry liqueur, sweet & sour, and cranberry juice) and the Shampoo (rum, tequila, peach schnapps, sweet & sour) will soon be available. In the meantime, cheap well drinks ($5) and drafts of Six Point Sweet Action ($5) and Newcastle ($5) will do the trick. Sure, Beauty Bar may be trying awfully hard, but when it comes down to it, Devitt has hit the nail on its perfectly-coiffed head with this destination watering hole, saving locals (including the aforementioned hipsters) from drought.

Beauty Bar
921 Broadway
Bushwick, Brooklyn
(347) 529-0370

1. Bronx high school elects first same-sex "Best Couple."

2. Washington insiders relished the chance to dunk Rahm Emanuel at last night's White House Luau.

3. The only problem with Rhea Jeong's levitating turntable? It doesn't yet exist.

4. In other anti-gravity news, Michael Jackson's patent for (never-made) anti-gravity shoes in which to do the "Smooth Criminal" dance.

5. Don't miss Bryant Park's Word for Word series, which will feature Joseph O'Neill, Jonathan Ames, and others next month.

6. School's out for public schools, who get an extra day of summer!

7. Chuck Eddy, in a paragraph all of which should be read: "He was easily the greatest dancer of the past three decades, probably the greatest singer, and quite possibly the greatest songwriter. Which adds up the greatest entertainer, period."

Lou Reed's 1973 release Berlin recounted the doomed love story of Jim and Caroline: comprised of ten epic tracks, it painstakingly explored their at once magnetic allure (augmented by a drug euphoria), subsequent passionate disloyalties, and inevitable catastrophic collapse. As the somber follow-up album to Reed's comparatively gleeful David Bowie-produced glam-rock record Transformer (think "Walk on the Wild Side"), critics panned Berlin as an all-around fiasco: writing it off as mere creative foundering evolving from Reed's chaotic first divorce. The album was a massive commercial failure, ergo the public seemingly concurred –- or perhaps more accurately, was given little opportunity to judge the doleful narrative for themselves. Reed consequently refused to perform the album live in its entirety for the following 30 years.

Unbeknownst to Reed, his longtime confidant Julian Schnabel was a heartfelt and passionate fan of the mythic, little-known album (even proclaiming it a "forgotten masterpiece"). The two artistic masterminds conceived of an ambitious, plaintive Berlin tour in December 2006 spanning five nights at St. Ann's Warehouse in Reed's native Brooklyn. At the outset, Reed's desolate tale was conceived to be staged as a live rock opera (not unlike The Who's Tommy) and was at long last brought to fruition with the majestic backing of a full orchestra (boasting the likes of Sharon Jones and Antony Hegarty) and the Brooklyn Youth Choir. The resulting hypnotic concert film –- with its signature cinematic Schnabel propensities (fluttering shadows, ethereal grainy celluloid, sympathetic soft-focus) and St. Ann's fantastical metamorphosis into an awe-inspiring, lofty expanse –- was a veritable collaborative effort; poignantly captured and set-designed by Schnabel, his accomplished daughter Lola shot "home movies" of Emmanuelle Seigner as the fabled Caroline that were bewitchingly projected behind the sparse stage in tandem with Reed's sweeping narrative.

Last night at the Steven Kasher Gallery (who represents Lou Reed's photographic forays), the duo reunited for a booksigning for the most recent evolution of their Berlin efforts -– a boundlessly compelling Rizzoli-published tome edited by Schnabel documenting the tour. An arty crowd including Willem Dafoe and the habitual Chelsea gallery opening regulars less-than-patiently lined up with their freshly-released copies of Berlin in tow –- bursting with glorious stills from the concert film, images from Lola's "Caroline projections," original paintings by Schnabel and printed lyrics of Reed's moving verse. While graphically telling and visually stunning, perhaps the most noteworthy of the book's dreamy attributes is an exclusive candid conversation between Reed and Schnabel –- a rare glimpse into the intimate friendship of two of today's most revered contemporary artists.

Gentleman of Leisure is writer, erstwhile lecturer and notionally overeducated Martin Marks's PAPERMAG column on the things he likes and why.

When questioned about the identities of my favorite musicians, I’ve always said that Levon Helm (and Robbie Robertson, Rick Danko, Richard Manuel, and Garth Hudson of the Band) and Diana Ross (along with Florence Ballard, Mary Wilson, and Betty McGlown of the Supremes) formed the Holy Trinity of American Popular Music. This has been my strongly held belief for many years, and I’d only concede two points in the matter: that The Band was four-fifths Canadian, and that, as per its name, a Trinity usually suggests a triad of something. For some reason, I was never willing to reveal who I thought should join Mr. Helm and Ms. Ross at the top of America’s musical pantheon. Sadly, the third member of this Trinity passed away yesterday. And so, I thought I’d spend some time talking about what this humble columnist believes to be one of the greatest records of all time, Michael Jackson’s Off the Wall.

Off the Wall was Jackson’s first solo album, and the first of its kind. As a toddler, the album’s title track was my second favorite song, my favorite being Wham!’s “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go” (Sometimes, I cannot adjudicate for my infantile tastes). “Off the Wall” –- along with the rest of the album –- transcended disco, pop, Motown, and funk to create an eminently danceable mix of riffs and beats. I speak, of course, from experience, having first danced to Off the Wall’s “Don’t Stop ‘til You Get Enough” when I could barely stand. In college –- arguably, on other occasions when I could barely stand -– friends used to hold Jackson dance parties in their dorm rooms. And so grew my enamourment with most of Jackson’s catalogue.

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Maria Bonita

After six days, five nights, and one (hot!) date, I'm back from the lovely city of Sao Paulo! I spent the majority of my time attending shows for Sao Paulo Fashion Week, a sartorial extravaganza punctuated with excessive appearances by telenovela stars, excessive pints of Nova Chin tropical lager and excessive use of accessories in the audience and on the catwalk. The lowlights aside, I absolutely fell in love with the fashion scene out there. Overall, the collections were vibrant and infused with many elements of Brazilian culture from fabrics to colors. Besides, the obvious, Alexandre Herchcovitch, the other standout collections included Osklen, Maria Bonita and Neon. Check out some of my favorite looks from each brand to see why. In the end, I didn't find my 56-yea-old Brazilian billionaire but I did discover amazing brands I'll continue to support. One out of two ain't bad, right?

A bloodlust for sausages made me turn into a bit of an animal at DBGB. Daniel Boulud's new restaurant on the Bowery (GB doesn't mean anything but harks back to the old rock club, CBGB, which used to be nearby) has more than a dozen varieties of links from around the world. In the vast, industrial space's first days it was hard to get a reservation earlier than 10 p.m. (unless you're an advance planner, unlike me), so my friends and I decided to take our chances as walk-ins. The host told us that it was first-come, first-served in the bar area so we ordered some fine beers brewed by Captain Lawrence in Pleasantville, NY and, like panthers, circled a table that was finishing up. We sprang to grab their seats, not even waiting for the table to be cleared. Another foursome rushed in and tried to muscle us out of the way. I said we were there first. A man argued that he and his group had been there longer. He shook his empty drink at me and said, "See? Long enough to finish my drink." I shot back, "How do I know how fast you drink?" Chest thumping and a little swearing followed. We won.

It's hard to imagine that scene happening at any of Boulud's other fabulous uptown restaurants. Welcome to downtown, monsieur. The Viennoise ($14), a pork and emmentaler cheese sausage, the Vermont ($15), with smoked pork and cheddar, and the Polonaise ($10), a smoked pork and veal kielbasa served with cabbage and beets, quickly wiped the scuffle from our minds. We also split two burgers: The Piggie ($19), a beef patty topped with Daisy May's pulled pork BBQ and jalapeno mayonnaise, and the Frenchie ($17), dressed up with grilled pork belly and morbier cheese. The burgers, along with a side of perfectly crunchy and salty fries, were even more heavenly than the sausages. Yes, it was all worth fighting for.

DBGB
299 Bowery
(212) 933-5300
www.dbgb.com

Brad and Angelina. Lanvin and Acne. Steak and red wine. Some pairings are so sublime, they are seamless. Add Calypso St. Barth and 3Lab to this category, as the luxury retailer has partnered up with the luxury skin care brand to bring you the 3LAB/Calypso East Hampton Escape Kit, stocked with mini versions of 3LAB's deluxe bestsellers like the Perfect Cleansing Gel, Perfect "C" Eye Treatment and my personal fave, the Perfect Sunblock. Find it exclusively at Calypso St. Barth's East Hampton boutique or online at calypso-celle.com for $55.

Lauren Bush, the celebrated model and activist, is a shining example of how one person with good intentions and a creative idea can impact our world and change lives. The FEED concept was born in 2006 as a result of her travels with the United Nations World Food Program. Lauren, a WFP Honorary Spokesperson, was inspired by the plight of the people she met around the world and decided to help in the best way she could, taking a special interest in the hungry children being helped by the school feeding program. At the UN, she met then-WFP communications officer Ellen Gustafson and together, in 2007, they decided to create the first FEED bag. By the end of that same year the burlap accessory had raised donations to feed over 37,500 starving children in school for one year. The successful program continues to grow and by the end of last year FEED Project’s various partnerships led to over 50 million meals.

Earlier this month, Lauren launched the FEED 2 Kenya Bag. More luxurious then its predecessors, the tote is made of the signature burlap, traditional and vibrant Masai fabrics, leather handles and hand-beaded details handcrafted in Kenya by a cooperative of women. By purchasing the new new accessory, you will provide meals to two Kenyan children for a year through the UN World Food Program.

FEED 2 Bag ($195) is available at Bergdorf Goodman. For more information please visit www.feedprojects.org

My kid was looking through my iPhone photos, came upon this picture and asked me who were all those people in sunglasses. I'd taken the photo at the on again-off again auction of Michael Jackson's stuff that had been assembled in L.A. I remember thinking at the time how my impression of Michael Jackson had been totally changed by seeing his amazing collection of toy cars, vintage video games, Disney memorabilia and custom made furniture. He was no longer just the King of Pop and a pedophile. He was a man of substance who had devoted his life to amassing an amazing assortment of objets d'art that defied categorization. This collection should never be broken up, I thought. It was so singular. And so wonderful as to demand serious exegesis. I tried to explain to my kid about this amazing, talented man, but he was really wondering more about the sunglasses and what they were all doing in this photo.

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The storefront

Welcome to the dazzling world of Swarovski Crystallized. The company internationally renowned for their cut crystal has opened a new concept store in SoHo. It’s an impressive 5,000-square-foot space where customers can create their own jewelery, browse the company’s seasonal and limited-edition collections, consult with a computerized personal stylist service, or take five with crème brûlée in a slick on-site café. You could easily spend a day here there’s so much going on…

Fortunately, the store is organized so it’s not too overwhelming. A “Library of Light” featuring over 2000 Swarovski Elements runs along the entire left wall. It took nine people over four days to put together this color-coordinated display system. Shoppers can select from the vast array of cuts, shapes, crystals, charms, natural and synthetic stones to customize a jewelry piece that is totally their own. The store offers any equipment and hands-on expertise you (may) require to make it all come together. (Seriously, the assistant manager I met with was a Swarovski wizard).

Beyond the DIY fixings are Swaroski’s finished collections, which include rolling seasonal selections and designer collaborations. Right now you can find a range of styles -- from Indian-influenced baubles by Manish Arora to Christopher Kane’s chunky “It-pieces” -- selling at a reasonable $40 all the way up to $1000.

If you can quit ogling these goods for long enough, do make your way toward the back of the store and downstairs. The pièce de résistance here is the 33-foot, 2000-pound custom-made cascading crystal chandelier. Check it out above. There are also one-of-a-kind accessories made with Swarowski Crystallized Elements exhibited for creative inspiration. The store is a veritable treasure trove that will have the likes of Mr. Mickey going gaga!

Swarovski Crystallized
499 Broadway
(212) 966-3322
www.swarovski-crystallized.com