I have always been an ardent lover of Memorial Day Weekend. For the past five years or so, the holiday has even warranted its own distinguishing acronym, as it has become ever more deeply entrenched in our yearly excitement. MDW carries with it an air of hope – it signals (albeit not technically, since the summer solstice doesn't actually come until June) the beloved beginning of summer – grilling, going down the shore, strolling through the park, having a picnic – all of the activities that were not possible in early springtime are inducted back into our routines with the onset of MDW.

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We like this one more than their winter display. Although somehow … we still don’t like it.

FROM hamptons.guestofaguest.com: If you want a table this weekend at the club that seems to be taking the most momentum this summer out east, it"s gonna cost ya. $2,000 minimum to be exact! With Pink Elephant loosing the outdoor terrace that MADE their Capri location an actual usable spot, Dune may very well take over the award for best club out east this season...They definitely have all their ducks in a row, with every big wig from the city helping out, and a new decor (details to follow), they are THE unstoppable force to beat. Check out their invitations (above) for each night.

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So what if you are not Hamptons bound this weekend? Don't worry, there's still plenty for you to do in New York City sans massive amounts of tourists.

If you are going to be in New York City this weekend there are lots of fun things to do that will be LESS crowded because of the Memorial Day weekend. Here are my top 5 recommendations:

1. Brunch at Bubby's on Hudson in Tribeca and for goodness sake, save room for pie!
2. See Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.
3. Meet a friend for dinner at the newer (Vessey Street or Lincoln Center) or the orginal (Third Avenue) PJ Clarke's - they always have the best burger in the city. More»

Reading up on Queen Samantha’s remark on using ex-p2p (peer-to-peer for you people with lives) giant Napster made me think of the number of mp3 sites that I use for my fix. No, not the p2p stuff!

Believe it or not, there are a few fairly well-established mp3 distribution sites out there with plenty of variety for the discerning music fan. While they lack the variety of some of the major studio-endorsed artists people can find on iTunes and Napster, they make up for it with diversity, like a specialist shop a la High Fidelity. Unlike those shops, though, this one does not have snooty music snobs mocking you for liking mainstream stuff. If that does not seem good enough, they tend to also use different policies to download and cost much less as a result, so you can’t lose either way.

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FROM hamptons.guestofaguest.com: A GofG pal and I frequently talk about how we enjoy Amagansett and Montauk so much because their beaches remain the least touched by Manhattan glamour. When I beach, I do it casually, so maybe I"m really still a Hamptons girl, but I like the peace and laid back vibes that you can only find in Montauk. Now there"s a new kid on the block where everyone can enjoy the cool energy for a long weekend, mid-week retreat or just a cocktail on the water.

Rob McKinley (he"s designed it as well), Steven Kamali, Jamie Mulholland, Jayma Cardosa and Steve Kasuba have created the hippest new hangout in the Hamptons - The Surf Lodge. They are the grand Manhattan kings and queen of Goldbar and Cain - they"ve successfully had spots in the Hamptons and currently have the hottest beach spot on Paradise Island in the Bahamas at their Cain at the Cove. Cain at the Cove is like a lush beach/pool/club playground and I expect the Surf Lodge will be a great addition to the family.
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[Photo via Catwalk Queen]

It seems that Andy Warhol has been all over the city lately, more so than usual, from Gap ads to New York springtime fragrances, to not just one but TWO of his former townhouses going on sale. New Yorkers just do not want to let Andy rest in peace, especially not Interview magazine. This weekend, we came across these photos of Marc Jacobs channeling Andy Warhol on the next cover issue, the first issue since Ingrid Sischy exited the masthead. They're even flying Andy's wig from the Midwest to Paris. (Wonder if the wig has a handler.) So what is with magazines doing this whole former pop icon revival on the cover lately?

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OK OK. I'll admit to the douchbagery of it all. I kinda like, ok ok, I really like Vice Magazine. I like the way the authors shit on things from people, to music, to ideas, to themselves. I like all the scantily clad American Apparel ads on the viceland.com site, and I like the way that when Vice champions an artist (be them musical or otherwise), they do their best to blow them up, give them a little well needed and well placed publicity in the form of, say of video documentary of them practicing in their space or something like that.

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As we have been subtly mentioning recently: we are heading out east this summer. Starting RIGHT NOW. While I will be dividing my time between our New York offices and our Hamptons set up, The Undergrad (otherwise known as Claire Willett) will be putting the books down and working full time out east studying up on all things Hamptons. We are also planning to have many guest writers (including some old favorites like Single Threat), original videos documenting all of our adventures, and of course, tons of photos.

Most everyone in Gotham has, at one time or another, has known what it"s like to be the guest of a guest out east (the Weekend At Bernie"s story line didn"t just come out of thin air folks), but for those of you too far inland, you are invited to be our exclusive Guests of a Guest, no sunscreen required.

[hamptons.guestofaguest.com]
[GofG Summer Plans, Brought To You From The Undergrad]

Noelle Hancock"s piece titled "Are New Yorkers Actually Rude? Discuss!" for NY Mag"s Daily Intel, brought out quite the commentors. The first thing I thought of while reading it, was the poll that Reader"s Digest had done last year that I made sure to spread around my midwestern circles via emails, fbposts, phone discussions, and any other way possible...It was important for me that my friends from home KNEW that my city was nicer than they ever thought...the NICEST in fact in the WORLD...and a completely scientifically conducted poll could back me up.

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[Photo via Freshness Mag via asimko]

The Harper"s Bazaar August "08 issue has really got me smiling. Whoever else can"t laugh at seeing Homer and Marge Simpson all dolled up in top designer gowns in Paris has seriously got some issues...Matt Groening was the illustrator, with artwork by Julius Preite. Last night, Colette (located in Paris of course, with quite the hip website I must add) had an exhibition of the illustrations and brought out the likes of Karl Lagerfeld, Alber Elbaz and Marc Jacobs for quite the photo ops, standing side by side with their illustrations. See below:

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I have a confession: I am an Internet junkie. Like many bloggers, I spend hours a day staring at a glowing screen, perusing countless sites and blogs. If I need an answer to any question, I Google it. If I've never heard of something but need the information fast, I look it up on Wikipedia. Friends have gone so far as to call me an addict. So when I think about what Web 3.0 will bring, I want to know: How will it speed up the process so I can spend less time in front of a computer?

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