This is your face on drugs - Before and After Meth Addicts

If this isn't impetus enough to stay away from drugs, check out this book I saw recently at Pages, "A Time Before Crack" by Jamel Shabazz - From the abstract:

"Once upon a time before crack, inner city communities were blighted by poverty and unemployment—but not by the drug wars that tore families apart, destroying lives with needless violence and mindless addiction. Once upon a time before crack, pride and style were as inseparable as a beatbox and mixtape, or as a pair of shoes and matching purse. Once upon a time before crack, Jamel Shabazz was on the scene, working the streets of New York City, capturing the faces and places of an era that have long since disappeared."

WNYC Radio Lab - Episode on "Time"

So I'm completely and irreparably addicted to the WNYC Radio Lab Podcast. I've listened to all the episodes (some twice. As Tony Robbins would say, "get a life"). This particular episode is about TIME. Check it out; check them all out - subscribe on iTunes! And don't feel bad if you find yourself missing your subway stop because you're too engrossed in an episode. It happens to the best of us.

Heat Relief

The 7-11 seems to be the place to turn to these days when the weather is hot and you need a frosty treat. All hail the slushy! On the left is the former King of cool, the root beer float, and on the right is a slushy I spotted a few summers ago called 'The Bloody Zit.'

NY - Part 2: Penn Station

South Bronx

Because I'm in NY this week, I thought I'd post about a before and after I caught on TED.com. Majora Carter gives a before and after history of the South Bronx and talks about what she thinks the after-after should look like. For more information, check out the Sustainable South Bronx website.

Bloor and Spadina, Toronto, Canada

The north east corner of Bloor and Spadina in Toronto. My how its changed. The old Scotia Bank was so sharp, or Bank of Nova Scotia as it was formerly called. Beautiful font, interesting and prominent use of type, tall glass windows that let in ample light. Too bad its gone.

Awww Knut!

How can you not love this little guy? Well, here he is, all grown up.

Knut was abandoned by his mother at birth and was raised by a group of Berlin Zoo keepers. The little bear captivated the public and the Berlin Zoo featured daily shows with Knut. At the height of his fame he was featured on the cover of the German Vanity Fair. Now over 200lbs, Knut is too big for human interaction and will most likely be housed with other polar bears his age. Recently he was adopted as mascot for an endangered species conference being held in Bonn in 2008.

Grey Gardens

Here is 'Little' Edie Beale from the documentary Grey Gardens. The older shot is from her youth , the newer from around the time the documentary was shot.

If you havent seen the film yet, you must get it. You've never seen such beautiful tragedy.

Find out more at greygardens.com.

Amy Winehouse

I've been a fan of Amy Winehouse since her first album and love her still. But I hate to watch what is happening to her. There have been reports that she is losing herself to drugs. Others speculate that the young and naive Winehouse is heavily influenced by her new husband, and rumoured drug dealer, Blake Fielder-Civil.

Flora

Vogue Cover Archive

Vogue has amassed a large digital collection of their magazine covers. The archive begins with the magazine's premiere issue in 1916 and continues to present day. Check out the archive here.