The answer: Both.

I’ve been working on a side project for the last 6 months that is now finally (beginning) to come to fruition.  After 1 photo shoot and a very brief video shoot, I’m moving forward with an international “blogumentary” project entitled “Shake The Dust.”  The documentary, which will ideally be shared in the form of videos, words, and photos through Loose Luggage, will also be cut into a final mini-feature documentary.  It will cover break-dancing and b-boy culture in countries across the globe– from Brazil, to Uganda, to the Middle East, to Cambodia.

As I move forward with this project, which, I confess, is my heart, I must appeal to you all, my friends:  we need funding.  We are shooting next week here in New York City to work on putting together our first webisode as well as a promo to help us begin raising money.  In the mean time, we’re working on researching everything from grants to commercial partnerships to make this happen.

I’m already so excited about the potential of this project– not only as a stand-alone piece of art, but also as something that pushes the future of this blog.

Right now this page will operate as the “Shake the Dust” homepage.  I need a few things from you all:

1. A web designer.  I’m looking for someone with web design experience who wants to jump on board and VOLUNTEER (in hopes of future pay once we get funding).  If you’re interested, e-mail your resume/examples of work to adam@shakethedust.org.

2. Funding!  If you know any grants, public or private donors, or great brands interested in commercial partnerships (or just want to donate a bunch of money yourself) please let me know.  All of our funding is being run through The Harrison Center for the Arts who are acting as our fiscal agent.  They will be insuring that all of the funds are handled properly and with integrity as well as helping make any donation TAX-WRITE-OFFABLE.  Again, e-mail me at adam@shakethedust.org.

3. Dancers/Connections!  We’re working on developing connections with B-boys and street dancers across the planet.  We’re excited to partner with people in places like Cambodia, Korea, Uganda, among many other places.  We’d love to hear from you dancers– and anyone else that is involved in the break-dancing/b-boy world.  Once more: adam@shakethedust.org.

4. Follow me on twitter.

Before I show you a little preview of things to come, I’d like to introduce my partner and cinematographer: Mr. Patrick Jones.  You can check out his reel here.

Thank you all for your continued interest in the things that I put up on here.  I look forward to exciting days ahead…

Cat’s out of the bag:

Shake The Dust from Adam Sjoberg on Vimeo.

Of course that’s the ideal… but I’ll always find ways to get distracted. This morning I had breakfast with my friend Katie. We had a delicious breakfast at a little place in Santa Cruz called “The Seabreeze Cafe.” Check it out (especially for breakfast) if you’re in town. The really great thing is that they serve coffee outside while you wait.

Only in New York City, my friends.

After the movie was over I overheard some snobby kid saying he didn’t like it because it was too “corny.”  I kind of wanted to punch the guy in the face.  Because I was deeply moved.  Please go see this movie.  Tell everyone you know.  It’s the kind of movie that there should be more of.  Check out the trailer, and then watch for local listings:

Announcing the top 10 at Murphy-Goode today. I’ll let you all know as soon as I do.

“We want to hire a social media whiz (your title will be “Murphy-Goode Wine Country Lifestyle Correspondent”) who will report on the cool lifestyle of Sonoma County Wine Country and, of course, tell people what you’re learning about winemaking.   Did we mention that the compensation was $10,000 per month Plus accommodations in a beautiful home in picturesque Healdsburg, a popular vacation destination in our neck of the woods. Working hours are flexible. And all you have to do is experience wine and good living…”

Now out of around 2,000 applicants, I was selected as one of the top 50.  But it only get’s more competitive from here.  So I need your support in a couple of ways so that I can get this amazing job!

1.  Please please please Watch and favorite my video.

2.  Follow me on twitter if you don’t already @LooseLuggage and RT about my video.

3.  Subscribe to this blog.  Tell your friends about LooseLuggage.com

4.  If you have a blog, re-post this link to your blog.  I can use all the publicity I can get.  Not that people need an incentive, but any blogger that posts this link to their blog will get a bottle of wine and t-shirt on me IF I GET THE JOB.  Just let me know you posted it so I can add you to my wonderful list (first 20 bloggers I should say…

5.  And lastly— if you really believe this would be the job for me, tell your friends, loved ones, enemies, co-workers, etc. etc. to watch my video as well.  If you can’t remember all this information, just tell them to go to www.tastethegoodelife.com (that’s GOOD with an E).

Big gigantic thanks to the Pelz’s for pushing me to do it and believing in me like crazy and to Marcy Guevara for her amazing encouragement and camera-holding ability in the production of my video.

And remember, you can just tell people to go to TASTETHEGOODELIFE.COM.

Chad’s coffee roaster:

Chad himself.

James Nachtway:

And in a strange turn of events, I’m going to Long Beach tomorrow.  Back to California… I’m unintentionally becoming bi-coastal.

There’s a pretty expansive menu, with something for everyone’s taste. But the bottom line: for a mere $6.50 you can get coffee (decent), freshly squeezed orange juice (delicious), eggs, potatoes, and toast. And if you’re extra hungry, pay another $2.50 and they’ll bring you a plate with 5 juicy, flavorful pieces of turkey sausage.

The bus stop cafe has the ultimate combo: Good service (almost overly attentive), great location (Hudson and 12th street in the Village), great setup (hardwood floor, high, tin ceilings, large bright windows with views of the park outside), and delicious, unpretentious, hearty food.

My kind of place.

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Tonight I dealt with mildly frustrating congestion at an art opening at SEPIA International gallery a few blocks north of my apartment. But as I worked my way, camera in hand, through the throngs of people socializing, viewing art, and sipping wine and sparkling water, I realized there was a louder commotion then usual at an opening: it was the sound of kids. Kids crying and laughing and chatting. It was apropos for an art exhibit that is almost entirely about children.

The art: I am no good, especially when in a hurry (as I am right now), at trying to sum up my feelings about things that profoundly impact me. I usually fail to demonstrate the profundity and instead fumble over clichés and sentimentalities that come off more as melodrama then poetry. So check out some of these images, and then head over here to find out more about these wonderful artists’ work. Just click on “exhibitions” and than click on “The Intimate Line.”

Tonight the work of Elinor Carucci, Sunil Gupta, Amy Jenkins, and Angelika Sher lifted by soul.

I went to 86th and Amsterdam, 72 blocks north of me, and bought a filing cabinet off of someone on Craigslist.  I then carried it down 5 flights of stairs, down 3 streets, down into the subway on 86th and Broadway, and on the train back home– where I carried it a block to my apartment.  Everyone on the subway looked at me like I was a crazy man.

Yesterday I found a sale on Craigslist that I had to check out.  The illegal purse-selling industry took a hard hit when Mayor Bloomberg condemned a building that was found to be a hotbed for illegal-merch sales.  As a result, many businesses in the building were forced to move.  One recording studio was having a major 1-day-only sale.  So I headed over there with one agenda:  to buy a rolling office chair.  It went to Chinatown and found my way through the massive abandoned building to a large loft that was scattered with amazing furniture, office and household items.  It was like a midwest garage sale in the middle of New York.  Well, I got my chair.  $20 bucks, and 2 subway stops later, I was back with the final piece of my office set.

It was inevitable: I had to eventually blog about these wondrous cupcakes. Although I must admit I’m partial to Cupcake Royale when it comes to fancy fluffy cupcake deliciousness, that might just be because I’m missing Seattle. If you’re ever in NYC, and more specifically the West Village, grab yourself a cupcake from Magnolia… then head over to my place 3 blocks away for a cup of coffee to go with it (because you will have gone broke buying the cupcake). Magnolia is, I’m pretty sure, in all of it’s decadence, the center of the cupcake universe.

When my friend Laurel, who is the photo editor for The Printed Blog, informed me that the latest issue was out, I scurried all over Manhattan to try and photograph the three distribution locations (Wall Street, The Times, & Columbus Circle). Though it was a fun adventure, the only remnant I found was a single copy of latest issue blowing down Wall Street.

If you haven’t already checked it out, you can see the latest issue here. Some of my photos from this past summer were featured. Check it out!

Not here…

Not here either…

…or so the eye doctor told him. So now he has glasses. I think he looks like a proper pre-med student at Columbia now.

We had breakfast yesterday and then walked (in the beautiful New York weather) to the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine on Amsterdam and 112th street. If you’re ever in New York, check it out. It’s pretty impressive. Actually, impressive doesn’t even begin to describe it. It’s a massive Gothic cathedral in the middle of Manhattan. So great.

Go see this film if you can.  Be prepared for something powerful.