Hot Chocolate City

My new obsession is Lucy. Specifically, the Lucy, a signature hot chocolate beverage at ACKC Cocoa Gallery, the hot new cocoa bar & gallery on 14th St. The Lucy combines blissful dark hot chocolate with chipotle & cinnamon - dreamy. The store also has one of the best selections of interesting chocolates I've ever seen in DC. For those who can't imagine their hot beverages without caffeine, they do have a full espresso bar too. Go see Delando, he'll hook you up.

Lesbian Sketch Comedy

So Logo has been a pretty hit or miss affair, but in YouTube sized bites it can be really darn funny. Case in point:

Pretty Pictures, Tough Story

I'm not feeling eloquent, here's all I got: read it. Stumbled on this graphic novel in the library last night and got wrapped up in it. Here's a proper review to do justice to a haunting story.

Upon further investigation, I'm loving Rutu Modan even more.

Gettin Some at Ben's Chili Bowl

Local crooner J Holiday has a new video out and it's entirely set at Ben's Chili Bowl. If you've lived in DC for more than a minute you've probably washed up at Ben's late at night or maybe played hookie over some chili fries. Anyway, I don't remember anybody behind the counter looking quite THIS good, even in my drinking days, but it's nice to have the U Street landmark shown some love.

Lois on the Loose!

On Christmas Day I was in Los Angeles at the home of a friend from 5th grade in St. Charles, IL. Lara was a picture-perfect Christmas hostess. We arrived to stockings for all of us and a huge stack of gifts that we opened after an amazing meal for 14 sparkling individuals. The first present I opened was a book - and it turned out to be written by one of my fellow dinner guests!
Lois on the Loose is a fantastic, zippy read about one woman's motorcycle journey from Alaska to Argentina. I highly recommend it for any fans of gonzo travel lit, motorcycling or those who harbor job-quitting fantasies. Lois Pryce is a delightful person to meet at a dinner party and even better company on the road. She blogs & shoots as she goes and you can catch a glimpse here. Her next book Red Tape and White Knuckles follows her Trans Africa tour and I can't wait to go along.

Word Gets Around

So of course, like many others, my New Year's resolution is to actually post to this thing! It seemed wise to start off 2008 with a tip o' the hat to the fellows who helped me get excited about marketing using blogs and social networking. James Burgin and Jon Ward were speakers at a marketing seminar I attended in LA. Their presentation was fantastic and for anyone interested in selling anything at all in any forum I highly recommend checking out their site: The Social Branding Center.

Taken from their blog here is their Social Branding Manifesto:

Old-school branding is based on seduction.
Social branding is based on conversation.


Old-school branding sits and waits for the crowds to come.
Social branding steps out and engages with individuals and communities.


Old-school branding avoids offending anyone.
Social branding is assertive, opinionated, and disruptive.


Old-school branding keeps repeating the same message.
Social branding keeps adapting to a changing world.


Old-school branding is driven by appearances.
Social branding is driven by ideas.


Old-school branding needs no social conscience.
Social branding must have a social conscience.


Old-school branding feels like work.
Social branding feels like fun.