Los Angeles based artist David Choe has been making headlines for a seemingly trivial event that occurred in 2005. That year, Facebook (known as TheFacebook back then) invited Choe to its offices for a job. It was simple: put up a few masterpieces (and he did) and get paid. At the time, Facebook president Sean Parker — most notoriously known because of Napster and famously portrayed by Justin Timberlake in The Social Network – left it up to Choe to either take cash money then and there, or go home with company stock. Choe took the stock and went on his way.

Now those shares could potentially be worth $200 million (inflated much?) — the number every media outlet wants to hype, and is potentially more exaggeration than anything. But, nonetheless, he’s certain to become a multimillionaire once FB goes public.

The real story is the backdrop of America right now. Income inequality. Unemployment. Access to education. 46.2 million Americans living in poverty. There’s no doubt that David Choe has earned every penny from that stock because, frankly, he made a ridiculously brilliant business decision when I know most of us, including myself, would have taken a check, probably paid off student loans, put a down payment on a house in San Fernando, Ca and purchased a 2005 Toyota Tacoma (best truck of 2005!).

I’ve only been in San Francisco for a little under a year but have already been struck by the parlance of the young entrepreneurs in this town. It’s like there’s a secret password I’ve yet to crack in northern california that, if found, will lead me to a secret hub where investors will put me in one of those hurricane chambers full of $100 bills and say “go!” until I grab 10,000 of them. Basically, it’s like people are making it rain up in here! And it’s not a bad thing. Entrepreneurs are the spirit of this nation. But I can understand if some people might feel the slightest tinge of envy. After 2008, who can blame them?

The photo above was taken from an interview today to be aired Thursday between Barbara Walters and Choe. Dude looks super happy. But we would be, too. So, you know, who can blame him?

Upper Playground, the San Francisco based street art brand, has some exclusive photos.

photo via BW facebook

In the words of Clay Davis: Sheeeeeee-iiiiittt. By the looks of it, censorship lost.

Above, MIA greets millions of homes with the universal symbol for “let’s party” during the halftime performance at the Super Bowl. Here’s the hi-res shot.

Update: Sasha Frere-Jones Weighs In

The stage is, it turns out, an enormous screen pointing up. A late period hit, “Music,” begins. Happy to hear this in any setting, and the presentation is great. Breakdancers are leaping about on lit-up bleachers. This is incoherent but entirely fun. (“Music” means “dancing” in Madonna’s dictionary, so who’s counting.) Now here is (maybe?) Will Ferrell neutering himself by yo-yoing, crotch first, on a rubber band. Madonna, I appreciate your commitment to this alleged “wow factor.” But. Oh. LMFAO appear as d.j.s and sing the hook from “Party Rock,” which needs to end very quickly or I am going to stop loving humans. It’s like Jar Jar Binks showing up in a Ciara video.

Paul The Octopus was right all along, and Spanish fans were grateful. Spain beat the Netherlands 1-0 in extra time for their first World Cup title in the nation’s history. In Mexico City, fans packed La Glorieta de la Cibeles – a replica of the Cibeles fountain in Madrid, and waived flags, drank booze, hissed with excitement, and expressed semi-uncomfortable admiration for replicas of the World Cup trophy. Mexican police stood guard, but all was harmless. Above, three Spanish soccer fans celebrate by yelling in my direction. More photos here.

Ork Posters [via Official Site]

Mexico Vs New Zealand from Alejandro De La Cruz on Vimeo.

Kikkerland Samurai Umbrella [via Kikkerland Shop]

StoryCorps – the oral history project – will have a listening kiosk, while The Onion will air never-before-seen footage from their video podcasts. Lots of laughs and lots of tears. I think you should check it out.

Podpourri @ Galapagos Art Space [via Tumblr]

I’ve been asked to perform a piece that Allen Ginsberg used to perform with Philip, Ginsberg’s great Vietnam-era poem “Wichita Vortex Sutra.” Philip set it to music years ago, and there are a few great recordings of them performing it together, which you are just a google search away from, or try this YouTube clip, and at this point by the way are we still supposed to capitalize Google when we use it as a verb or adjective?

The Apple store isn’t a big venue so arrive early. Methinks hoards of storytelling fanatics will be arriving hoping to hear words like these. Hell, that’s why I’m going.

Official Website [via TAL]
Image [BK Paper]

Haiti is the Western Hemisphere’s poorest nation. They were struck with a 7.0 earthquake yesterday along with 32 aftershocks averaging 5.0 on the Richter scale. “Thousands feared dead.” Please donate. NPR has information on how to donate here. Our heart goes out to you, Haiti.

Occasionally a televised soccer game will display a graphic specifying the mileage of a midfielder. They run a lot. Sometimes the graphic will state 6 miles, sometimes 10. I was fortunate enough to see Zack De La Rocha of Rage Against The Machine perform about 10 times, and I’d guess he bobbed, thrashed, pogoed, quick-stepped, slashed, crashed and catapulted the equivalent of a marathon during any given show. You’re talking about 14-16 songs performed with the same energy as the song above. Loteria Chicana notified me of Zack De La Rocha‘s birthday, which is today. He’s 40 now. Happy birthday, homeboy. I’m betting you can still out-mosh any of us.

This day in Chicano History: Zack de la Rocha (1970) [via Loteria Chicana]