So after the amazing Podcamp Hawaii ’08 we had a BBQ and I had the opportunity to talk to Dina Kaplan, co-founder of Blip.tv and founder of the New York Founders Club. Dina, in conversation, passingly stated that she needed a photographer for the event. I said, “I’ll do it.” She didn’t believe me, she looked at my friend Carlos and and said, “Is he serious?” and Carlos nodded and said, “Most definitely.” Dina kept asking me if I was serious and didn’t believe me but in 5 minutes I was on the phone with friends setting up and finding flights. Not until that night while attending Kari‘s birthday Karaoke extravaganza with Matt Mullenweg, Eric Nakagawa, and Jess Mauer did I find a flight.
Three days later I was on a plane to New York City. I didn’t know where I was going to stay or what was going on but I was piecing this bridge together while I was walking on it.
I emailed my Aunt, Alice Philipson, telling her that I’m going to New York, by the time I had landed Carlos had set me up to stay with his family in New York and Alice has responded to my email reminding me that I have a cousin, whom I haven’t seen in roughly 10 years that lives in New York, Amy. Alice also told me that my Uncle Robert Philipson, an indie film maker, author, and scholar from Oakland, was coincidentally in New York doing research for a film and it was his last day. Amy then emailed me and said I could crash in Brooklyn and later met up with Robert and I at the New York Public Library and coffee later at Grand Central. That night I crashed with Carlos’s family who by the way are amazing people! Thank you so much for letting me stay with you all. Everything worked out! Ha!
Getting there was great, I played tourist until the big night of the New York Founders Club dinner which was at the “W” hotel on Lexington. Great night…
Met some amazing people.
Then Halloween! Wow, definitely was interesting. That’s all I’m going to say about that 
But I will show a video or two:(By the way, I recorded it sideways, not my fault and I don’t have the patience to figure out how to rotate it so just bear with me and tilt you head. Kthxbai! ^_^)
This is the subway on the way home, there may or may not be profanity but it is New York. Listen at your own risk:
Then randomly, the subway burst into patriotic song! WARNING: Turn your speakers WAY down…
Here’s my cousin as a Gangster Cookie Monster
Election Day started with me taking pictures of some skaters at Owl’s Head Park in Brooklyn.
Tony was the ring leader and it was a great time. Above he’s doing some mad trickage!
A couple more shots:
The election was truly incredible. I spent the entire night standing in Times Square watching the news on the jumbo screens that surrounded me. I met some really great people, which were all from California by coincidence.
It was exciting to see the voting process in action, made me proud to be an American. The energy and excitement in the crowd, being on TV, seeing history! One of the best nights of my life. So many professional photographers around me, the lights, the music, the reaction.
A sea of people
So many emotions:
When they announced the next president, President Barrack Obama…
Photo of President Obama on the screen
People crying as President Obama gave his speech…
People knocking down barricades and entering the streets to celebrate, climbing up cherry pickers, scaffolding, cheering. I’ve never been engulfed in such celebration and excitement.
So, I talked to Dina, I’ll be going back in a couple of months to photograph the next NY Founder’s Club dinner… I hope MC Hammer comes to this one like he did the one before this last one…
Photo of Dina
