Even if his looks could kill.
The guy who dresses like an assassin could turn out to be an angel.
Happy 30th Birthday to the coolest motherfucker I know.
This entry was written by Babes, New York, Photos and tagged Johan Gerdin, Lower East Side. Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink.
, posted on January 8, 2016 at 3:14 pm, filed under
One Revolution Around The Sun from MTV c/o Richard Turley on Vimeo.
I started wearing my wedding band again. To remind myself that I’m stronger than I feel. I recently interviewed Amy Jo Martin, who wore red nail polish every day for 5 years as a confidence trigger whenever she felt unworthy.
This is my wedding band. It’s an ouroboros. Eternal chaos and renewal. My physician told me that my life has been series of crises, one after the other. He referred me to a crisis therapist, but I never called. Because I never feel stressed or sad unless it involves a broken heart.
Otherwise, I’m stronger than I feel.
In our time of shiny happy social media feeds, I figured I’d try to review my year in earnest and show you all of the darker periods and how it’s ok. How I’m doing ok and whatever shit you’re going through – that too shall pass.
THE CRISES
Divorce
This was the year that my divorce was final. And although I haven’t spoken to Chris since I filed a restraining order against him, it marked a real sense of closure. I don’t talk about this often, as it is a particularly painful story – but it is over. The important lessons are to always put your personal safety first and never let a broken person, break you.
This was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to overcome, which is why I’ve chosen the ring as my talisman for courage.
My boss, the CEO of American Apparel, Dov Charney gets booted from the company he founded
This has been covered extensively in the news. And while it may be fun schadenfreude fodder for those who have participated in the culture of American Apparel in some way for the past decade, this had very real and difficult ramifications in my life.
While I had been living out of a suitcase since 2009, I was accustomed to the organised chaos and rhythm in which we ran the company. I’d written about my thoughts on this here. There was an extremely high level of uncertainty and instability.
When you’ve dedicated most of the waking hours of your adult life to working there as I had, it often feels like your career is all you have. Some malevolent force was fucking with the one constant, my every day, my foundation, my family.
I was fired
After 7 years of tenure, I was fired from both of my positions at American Apparel as Marketing Director and Retail Director of our Australian subsidiary. Under new management and within 2 weeks of a new supervisor – I encountered hostile bullying and discrimination, filed an HR complaint, 48 hours later I was out of a job, my US work visa, and $40,000 worth of unpaid bonuses.
This didn’t stop them from taking credit for positive work that myself and my colleagues were responsible for, after throwing us out the door.
American Apparel has filed for bankruptcy which make my shares worthless and legal claims effectively frozen. But bad situations give us the best ideas, my views changed in ways I never thought they would.
When cash is scarce, you figure out what your life essentials are. In things, in people, in beliefs. This means that I no longer put up with a lot of bullshit out of loyalty, obligation, or mercenary reasons.
My dog died
Miss you, Albert Einstein. You were a great physicist.
THE CURES
Now, remember how I said it’ll be alright? I had a destabilising year, but the pros always outweighed the cons and I thank Based God for the generosity of all the people in my life. Here’s what kept me afloat.
Great Sex
Incredible sex will change your life. Let’s not discredit how something so basic can alter your entire mood. I thought I was doing alright in this arena until I was dumbfounded by a specific experience. I asked my partner at the time how he became the best I’d ever had. For someone who never says much, his response was sweet and profound.
“It’s not me, it’s us. It’s about two people connecting, and we’re just very connected.”
Imagine going your entire life having never been vulnerable enough to share that kind of connection with someone.
Sometimes you have to love like you have nothing to lose.
And who knows? Your entire universe might expand in a moment of surrender.
Female Friends
No relationship is stronger than that of a female bond. I wholeheartedly believe this. I just broke up with someone I really, really, really liked. For every time I’ve been in a tailspin, the unconditional support and humour from my friends and sisters have always brought me back to some semblance of sanity.
Women confide in each other and listen, really listen and care. It’s a type of intimacy that may never be achieved through romantic relationships. For romance to work, there has to be some suspension of belief and female friendships are as real as they get. Ugly cries, guilty admissions, secret slobby behaviours, and mental hospitalization levels of cray are all safe territory in the context of BFFs.
Love you, bitches.
Home
I’d never been to Europe before, and this year I made it a priority to get to Paris. It wasn’t all that.
My favourite moments were centered on one-on-one time spent in my air bnb with some very special dear-to-my-heart dudes.
Hot showers shared, home made breakfasts, listening to lesser-known Bieber tracks. It made me miss home.
Home being a person, and not a place.
Here’s to you, my people.
Happy New Year.
With love,
your girl.
This entry was written by Friends, Joey Ng, Los Angeles, Love, New York, Sex, Writing and tagged Albert Einstein, American Apparel, Amy Jo Martin, Divorce, DJ Slow, Dog, Dov Charney, DTLA, Echo Park, Endless Love Ring, Ilirjana Aлусхај, Kiara Sayer, Lena Vanderford, Lower East Side, Marie McNally, Marketing Director, MTV, Nora Kogan, Paris, Penelope Trunk, Refinery29, Silverlake, Social Media, Susie G, Thina Desancic, Thomas Duval, Tiffany Tyson. Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink.
, posted on December 31, 2015 at 5:09 pm, filed underWhy does it have to be so scary
especially when it means growing attached to someone else
heavy the heart that feels responsible for another
for their joy
and their misery
and every emotion in between
how do you know if this is it
what if something better comes along
why do we always assume
something better will come along
what if it doesn’t
what if
what if i’m the best you’ll ever have
it should be so simple, really
just put your hand on your heart
and ask yourself
do you want me now
and will you still love me
tomorrow?
This entry was written by Babes, Friends, Joey Ng, New York, Photos and tagged East Village, Fineline Tattoo, Kiara Sayer, Lil' Frankie's, Linze Mason, Lower East Side, Thina Desancic. Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink.
, posted on May 15, 2015 at 11:00 am, filed under
Photo Credit: Thina Desancic
The Lower East Side is the center of my universe. Orchard St. being the aorta, that is, if I only had a heart.
I have exactly 2 weeks left in my most beloved neighbourhood. So if you’d like to hop on some wheels and make me a deal, do it now.
It could be our last chance at
true romance or our
first dance with
no pants.
So if you’re calling,
Call, don’t text
and remember to
Call, to say, I love you.
This entry was written by Joey Ng, New York, Photos and tagged Lower East Side, Orchard, Stanton, Thina Desancic. Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink.
, posted on April 17, 2015 at 4:00 pm, filed underCrossing that bridge cuz I got there
I don’t check my emails
I do what I want and I been about you and I’m still about you
I’m blogging again
I’ll be fine
This entry was written by Friends, Joey Ng, New York, Photos and tagged Brooklyn, Thina Desancic, Williamsburg Bridge. Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink.
, posted on April 7, 2015 at 10:11 am, filed underIn new friends?
In no new friends?
In famous?
In family?
In separables?
In selfies?
In Drake?
In 808s and heartbreak?
Or where the path may take?
Happy New Year.
With love,
your girl.
This entry was written by Babes, Friends, Joey Ng, Los Angeles, New York, Photos, Toronto and tagged Albert Einstein Reed-Ng, Annabel Ly, Avery Ross, Bruce Venture, Cashmere Cat, Chelsea Claridge, Cory Wong, Dione Davis, DJ Slow, Dogs, Dov Charney, Four Tet, Gail Jong, Geng Grizzly, Hudson Mohawke, Ilirjana Aлусхај, Jayne Lies, Kiara Sayer, Kieran Hebden, Leanne Hebert-Nguyen, Lee Bannon, Lena Vanderford, Los Angeles, Lower East Side, Magnus August Høiberg, Mallory Blair, Marie McNally, Meredith Cheesbrough, Metta World Peace, New York, Pomeranian, Poodle, Reese Jong, Rocky Li, Ron Artest, Ross Birchard, Ryan Hemsworth, Sam Tiba, Selfies, Silverlake, Small Girls PR, Social Media, Susie G, Thomas Duval, Tiffany Tyson, Toronto, Twitter, Zohra O'Doherty. Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink.
, posted on December 31, 2014 at 5:05 pm, filed underIt’s been a while since I’ve done a food round up of my favourite breakfast product, the egg.
1. Kokuho Rose Brown Rice Bowl. Sqirl, Los Angeles, California
2. Eggs Benedict. Ordered In By Him, Malibu, California
3. Black Truffle Deviled Eggs. Ghetto Gastro, Long Island City, New York
4. Kewpie Mayo Deviled Eggs. Homemade By Me, Manhattan, New York
5. Poached Eggs, Grilled Lemon, Haloumi, Asparagus. Homemade By Me, Los Angeles, California
6. Sicilian Baked Eggs. The Smith, Manhattan, New York
7. Campfire Breakfast. Big Crow, Toronto, Ontario
8. Udon Carbonara. Marugame Monzo, Los Angeles, California
9. Egg White Omelette, Heirloom Tomatoes, Avocado. Homemade By Me, Los Angeles, California
Missing: every time I’ve ordered just plain egss and bacon. Eggs, over easy.
If you’re hungry for a good time tonight, though, please join me at Over Easy LA.
Good friends Ibe Soliman and Colta will be serving up hot tunes.
This entry was written by Events, Food, Los Angeles, New York, Toronto and tagged Big Crow, Colta, Deviled Eggs, Echo Park, Eggs Benedict, Ghetto Gastro, Home Cooking, Ibe Soliman, Little Tokyo, Manhattan, Marugame Monzo, Over Easy LA, Silverlake, Sqirl, The Smith, Udon. Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink.
, posted on June 26, 2014 at 3:01 pm, filed underThey say the best camera is the one you always have with you. Other than my iPhone, I’m blessed with toting around one of NYC-via-Belgium’s brightest Creative Directors and candid Ricoh moment capturer, Maxime Quoilin, with me at most times.
Borrow my +1 on this visual gangster’s backstage pass and enter his striking metropolitan cool aesthetic world of elusive DJs
like Cashmere Cat, Lunice, Baauer, Oneman, and more
at unforgettable parties
like Ed Banger’s 10th anniversary
with old friends
like myself and DJ Slow
and in new cities
like the parts of yours yet to be discovered.
To follow Max on his street cred level ups:
Instagram: @rsteadfast
Tumblr: rsteadfast.tumblr.com
Twitter: @rsteadfast
you’ll be hooked, bien sûr.
This entry was written by Art, Friends, Joey Ng, Music, New York, Photos and tagged Baauer, Cashmere Cat, DJ Slow, DJs, East Village, Ed Banger, Hammerstein Ballroom, Lunice, Magnus August Høiberg, Manhattan, Maxime Quoilin, Oneman, Photography, Ricoh, Rsteadfast, Thomas Duval. Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink.
, posted on December 9, 2013 at 8:58 am, filed underSome of you might not know
this but today is DJ Slow
‘s birthday
He’s turning 23
on the 23rd
which makes this his champagne
birthday
more than jtt
cuz
less than three
just hold on we’re going home
Happy Birthday, BB.
<3 <3 <3
This entry was written by Babes, Friends, Love, New York, Photos and tagged Coney Island, Cyclone, DJ Slow, Pelican Fly, Thomas Duval. Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink.
, posted on October 23, 2013 at 4:49 am, filed under“At its core, music journalism is just people pretending to write about a band in order to write about themselves so people pretending to read about bands can read about themselves.”
– from this article on music journalism by Luke O’Neil on Bullett.
On the music PR advice front, the article also says “‘A band put out a record’ is not a story.”
Now, I’m not a music journalist, but I will tell you a story to get you to see this band who put out a record and is playing a show.
Below are photos from 2007. That was my boyfriend at the time, Morgan.
Remember formspring? I have one. You can ask me anything on it. People haven’t in a long time, but I was reading through my old answers last night.
Morgan was on TV
and in a band.
People loved that band. I love that band. They played a few years ago at Pianos and that night I apologised for writing lots of mean things about him in the past. The thing is, when the people you love, leave you, it’s easiest to lash out and make yerself hate ’em than to deal with being sad and feeling alone.
I don’t blog bitchy bad things about dudes anymore. And I can proudly admit that I will always love Morgan as a too talented dude who will forever be way cooler than I will ever be.
He is in a new band now. They are playing at CMJ on the 15th at Baby’s All Right and the 18th at Santos Party House.
This is a song that Morgan produced and the music video for it that he also produced.
You’re gonna like the part where it goes ‘C’mon Honeeeeyyyy’ and the guitary deer-neer-neer bits.
Then you’re gonna go see WEAVES play at CMJ.
And while you’re at it and instagramming the shit out of all the shows you’re seeing, stop by the IMPOSSIBLE x The Culture of Me‘s CMJ Artist Lounge in SoHo to get those photos printed, like IRL, and say hi to Jeff Meltz for me cuz I’m in LA rn.
This entry was written by Events, Friends, Music, New York, Video and tagged Baby's All Right, Band, Bullett, CMJ, IMPOSSIBLE, IMPOSSIBLE Instant Lab, IMPOSSIBLE Project, Jeff Meltz, Luke O'Neil, Morgan Waters, Music, Music Festival, New York City, Santos Party House, Sweet Thing, Take A Dip, The Culture of Me, Weaves. Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink.
, posted on October 14, 2013 at 4:15 pm, filed under