Karl Kani Jeans

For the past few days I've been laughing to myself whenever I think about these three words: "Karl Kani jeans." I didn't really know what they were. I just heard them shouted-out in a rap jam once. Here's a typical pair of his (Karl Kani a.k.a. Carl Williams') jeans, which peaked in popularity in the late '90s:



I've never been a big fan of huge-o pants, but I don't care - whatever makes people happy. Obviously, there's such a thing as too-tite, too. Matta fack, I'm daily tortured by my hatred of all my pants, and inability to find good replacements.

Chuckling to one's self about the name of a kind of jeans is no doubt an expression of some quiet form of mental illness, but we'll save that for another post. I just wanted to relay this paragraph from Karl Kani's wiki, which I felt compelled to research today to learn about the source of my chuckles:

"Inspired by the vitality of the streets of Brooklyn New York. Karl Kani, the young African-American designer of Karl Kani Jeans, encourages you to follow your dreams and accomplish your goals. Wear the clothing that represents the knowledge of African-American creativity and determination. Recognize the signature that symbolizes African-American unity and pride... peace, Karl Kani."[5] POOP

That's right, some internet tittermaker added that hilarious last word. And now I've shared it with you. You've been LIQUID METAL'd®!!

Oh, Street View

So I clicked on an article on nytimes.com called Rock Bottom for Decades, But Showing Signs of Life and learned all about a "distressed municipality" (read: hellish shithole) in Pennsylvania called Braddock (actually more of a borough than a town). It's about 20 miles outside of Pittsburgh and.. not doing so hot. The mayor, though he looks like a massive shaved gorilla and is mad tatted-up, seems very level-headed and best-intentioned, and has a Masters from HARVARD (killer school).

To give an idea of how dismal Braddock has gotten since the death of industry and crack wiped it out a couple decades previous, the magicmakers behind the upcoming The Road movie filmed partially in Braddock. That's from the book (read by everyone I've ever seen or known apparently - and they also LOVE to mention it) about post-Armageddon, cannibalistic desolation. Those images all you Road-readers conjured in your reading heads?? -- Braddock.

Anyway, it's a good article and so's the accompanying video. For kicks, after reading I Google Map'd Braddock, and was delighted to find they'd sent some hapless soul to photograph its every inch for Street View. While moseying down 6th Street, I encountered this gentleman (I think) flicking off the camera and either showing a gun or his dick, and I just thought it was perfect enough to share.


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Then there's this dude:

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LIQUID METAL wishes Braddock and the thousands of other American towns like it all the best.