Ruby New Shoes

Turn Yourself in to a Clever Cloud

2007-08-18T07:29:00.000-07:00

I've just found this on Amelia's brilliant blog and had to link through to see it for myself... Just as she had problems trying to explain it, I fear I'm about to do the same... Basically, you type words in and the game builds up... Oh hell, just try it for yourself... If Amelia can't explain it, nobody bloody can... Well, it beats writing on Facebook walls anyway...

Wooden cars to make a comeback

2007-07-17T10:58:00.000-07:00

When I heard that classic, or should I say vintage, wooden panelled cars were all the rage in Southern California, particularly amongst the surf set, I naively thought to myself "Sure, it's probably just a bunch of hippies who cant afford a new car", but I was wrong. Initially picked up because of their exremely low trade values, surfers would buy 'woodies' as the cheapest means of getting around town with their hefty surf gear. It wasn't long after that the love affair with woodies evolved. Afterall, anything made of wood that is continually exposed to the elements requires regular care and attention in order to sustain and maintain some level of reliable performance. Over the years these wood panelled wagons have become extremely desirable, some fectching ridiculously high trade values. Yet, for me, it's not about the 'cool trend' that it seems to be, but the potential application such a concept may have in a future context. As everything seems to be going 'green', including the facade of my local McDonalds, I expect that we will see a whole lot more goods, products and services carefully packaged in an aesthetic that says "eco-friendly" or "sustainable", largely because people want to take part, participate in the 'make our world a better place' project. With this in mind, would it not be 'eco-friendly' for car plants to harness the wood panel concept and reduce the extent to which they rely on metals, at the same time giving the people the opprtuinty to say "Hey! Look at me, my car is 50% sustainable sources. I'm greener than you are". Why not extend the idea to smart cars, instead of plastic intechangeable panels it's all about screwing on to a wooden framework. Totally sustainable urban friendly wheels? Radical no?

Krusty-Os & Kwik-E-Marts

2007-07-14T06:29:00.000-07:00

Burbank, California is fostering a unique marketing partnership between the Fox Network and 7-Eleven. Selected 7-Elevens stores across the US are being transformed into Kwik-E-Marts, The Simpson’s favoured local convenience store. As part of a campaign to boost awareness of the new Simpons Movie the Kwik-E-Marts will be complete with life-sized replicas of Apu, Homer and other Simpsons characters, as well as limited edition food items such as Buzz Cola and Krusty-O’s cereal. E numbers anyone??

Brits Abroad: Banksy V Hopper

2007-07-14T06:22:00.001-07:00

Love this. Funny. So what if it isn't FRESH, needs to be seen. Eveybody must recognise the original, and here you get it with some humorous additions... nice shorts fella!

Reality Bites

2007-07-14T06:00:00.000-07:00

Bringing the images of airbrushed faux beauties into line with reality is the ambition of a fellow blogspotter. The blogsite in question is offering a downloadable sheet of photo real cold sores that can be printed on clear labels for stealthy and realistic results when applied to ads and marketing in the public domain. Setting out to make a statement against the unobtainable and unrealistic perceptions of beauty being instilled in the public, this sticker campaign seems to be gathering steam since kicking off in February. Keep your eyes peeled

Cornwall Up & Coming

2007-07-02T05:50:00.000-07:00

Cornwall iz da shiz!
Went down to Cornwall the other week for a little break, Sennen Cove to be exact. It's absolutely stunning. Amazing beach framed by steep long grass sand dunes and very little development other than the very slight beach front parade (thats if one pub, one cafe, one fish and chip bar and an art gallery can be considered a parade!) Situated only a 20 minute cliff top walk from Lands End, it's a place to be seriously considered by all. The thing is, if what I saw and read while down there is anything to go by, the future potential is a whole lot bigger than Sennen Cove. With the prospect of a warmer climate creeping north and the growing taste for less commercialised, more wholesome short breaks, Cornwall is bound to see large benefits. The south-west English county has long suffered with economical issues largely sprung from the loss of mining as a key source of employment. Add to the scenario the fact that most of Cornwall does not received piped gas, that they are wholly reliant on fuel tanks in their sheds and gardens - an expensive and inefficient source of energy, and you have a Low Wage High Cost existence. However, this may soon cease to be the case as Cornwall has just received £20 million to develop and test a scheme of wave harnessing to produce electricity on a scale that could potentially spell out a future of self sufficiency for the County. This in turn should free the people to make a whole lot more of their limited disposable cash, a situation likely to boost the local economy. Healthy local prospects attract investors, considered investment in an area attracts business and lays a path for entreprenuerial activity... it's all eye's on Kernow. Watch this space.

How 'BIG' is your 'TUNNEL'?!!!

2007-06-06T05:35:00.000-07:00

I think I just had my first 'WTF' moment. Seriously.

Perusing the masses of 'plastic persona' profiles on MySpace, as one does, I thought I'd check in on a few of the peeps I've stylesniped out and about recently. So I drops in on this kid, see what's up, casual fashion like. I comment on his new pics, as one does, read a few of the other comments, as one does, and I couldnt help noticing, as one does, that all the other comments were made by 'young' ladies all trying so hard to radiate a suggestively sexually persona and all very forward in their overtly sexed text speak. Funny thing is, this chaps tag line is as blatant as you can get, "I LOVE *****" (protecting the innocent!), so why do they still persist to try so hard??. Competition? Not sure.

Anyway, having absorbed all the hormonally tense exchanges I thought it time to move on, as one does, clicking on the profile link of one of his more 'forward' fans, as one does. I arrive, have a quick skim, a few mental notes, then off to the 'pics' link for a better look. BLAM! First comment, first picture, there he is. The little guy himself. Simply asking in true layman's terms "HOW BIG IS YOUR TUNNEL?"

Ok, excuse me for being a little 'old school' but hey, when was it consider ok to fire so low below the line? What happened to sparking up a conversation? WTF exactly!

"This cannot be" I thought to myself, "such a nice sounding chap (according to his MySpace profile of course!) wouldn't really be so crude as this, would he?". I skipped back to his profile to find a clue. Hoping for the missing link. Maybe she replied?? But really! Would such a detail really be disclosed so willingly in the public domain?? Sure enough, top of the pile, fresh in at number 1. in the comments chart was the swift and sweetly executed response "14mm".
"Errr, one minute, 14mm??" I wondered to myself "I've missed something here havn't I?".

Dashing back as fast as my connection would transport me, I clicked back into her profile, back into her 'pics' and in one glimpse there it was staring right back at me.... the ear ring! Wearing it well, the young lady in question has a dark mettalic looking, pipe like insertion in her ear lobe, the kind I used to affiliate with dredlocked Italian gabba ravers. tribal yet futuristic. Bloody hell! And there was me thinking that... well... need I spell it out ;-)

Get with the lingo... that's all I'll say.

"Daddy, what's a Blook?"

2007-06-04T12:17:00.000-07:00

The landscape for consumption of literary content is morphing at speed. People are reading more online than ever before. But as the popularity of The Blog places further strain on the market for printed matter, the actions of key players, including the likes of Borders (who will be launching the final Harry Potter at ‘half price’), suggests that something rather significant must happen with the delivery of literary works. ‘The Bloog’ (or should I say ‘Blook’?), following in the footsteps of The Blog, is a concept to which authors are warming, many of whom are publishing their works chapter by chapter in the popular and widely accepted online framework made popular through blogging. This year saw the first annual ‘Blooker prize’ giving credit to this new media format, I imagine the guys upstairs of the big bookshops and publishing houses might well be a little shakey of late. Surely, as with the music industry, the publishing world is likely to take further damaging blows from the effect of unfaltering uptake and embrace of digital media by the masses. First aid at the ready.

McMakeover To Go!

2007-06-04T12:02:00.001-07:00

“What’s red and yellow, and green all over?” If you were to be asked this, whether it be in a serious line of questioning, or in the more likely suited scenario of a ‘joke’, it is rather unlikely that McDonalds would spring to mind. However, judging by the ever so rapidly executed facelift of the McDonalds restaurant on High Holborn in London, this could be the tag line to surpass ‘I’m lovin’ it’. Risky re-brand? Or playing clever with the sub-concious?

FlickrVision

2007-05-21T10:49:00.000-07:00

The widely renowned photo sharing platform Flickr has been cross bred quite cleverly with the Google Earth mapping device in order to create a ‘photo-a-second’ streamed show of freshly uploaded photos and their geographical origins. Sound interesting? Probably will be for the first few minutes until the display wears the eye tired. The quality of photos displayed, both questionable and varied, are of such diverse subject matter that you are likely to be looking at a beautifully depicted ‘Chilean landscape’ one second, then crap mobile snap of ‘Dave’s shag from Saturday night out side the chippie’ the next. Random indeed.

'Green The New Black' and 'How The West Was Won Wearing Sustainable Cotton Jockey Shorts'

2007-05-14T12:09:00.000-07:00

Sustainable definitely is the new black. Black, traditionally being a popular ‘non-colour’ amongst skater orientated street wear brands, now faces the prospect of being sidelined, at least for a teeny while, in light of the recently launched Planet Earth ‘Green Label’. Green Label? How boldly must it be spelt out? Although consumers in general seem to be switching on to sustainability and the eco-credentials of brands and product, are the skater ‘skwids’, as I like to call them, ready to mirror the conscious consumer habits of their parents and older folk? Vice magazine seems to think so, as they recently granted a two-page advert spread to UK stockist Route One, who are, quite aptly, self-professed “always first”. At the very back of my mind I hear a little MC style voice ring through with a little " I don't think they ready..." quip. Maybe a touch negative, but more importantly, what do you think? Are the 'skwids' up for being force fed the 'green dream'?

State Of Play has a political say

2007-05-10T08:09:00.000-07:00

Details as above. Knowledge is power.

Design Genius

2007-05-09T07:37:00.000-07:00

Luigi Colani, currently celebrated at the Design Museum for his works inspired by the most organically sleek forms in nature, is genius. It's a big word, I know, but the guy's got game, for real. His sketch style alone leaves many in the shade. Such a sweetly super choice of colours, something I can't help but be entranced by.
If you havnt felt inspired for a while then take yourself for a trundle down Shad Thames and indulge your visual senses in the many curvacious works of Colani. If the one genius isn't enough, then hit the top floor for Sottsass' collection of bright bold and colourfully live design pieces. End.

Streetwear

2007-05-09T07:04:00.000-07:00

To coincide with the launch of a rather interesting book entitled Streetwear by Steven Vogel I'd thought I'd throw this out there: Am I wrong in saying that Lily Allen's recent contributions to the corporate money making machine of the high street are 'streetwear'? If anyone professes to 'be street' it's her, right? Look at the above example, taken from her recently launched capsule collection/collaboration for New Look. The piece in question features a grafitti tag inspired embroidery detail. Grafitti = street, right? So, is it safe to say that frilly dresses on girls are 'street'? I'm confused. Most of Hollywoods A-list wear frilly dresses, yet, they are so far removed from 'the street'. So, how does it actually work? Who decides what is 'street'? More to the point I wonder how Steven Vogel decides what is 'street'. More still, I wonder to what extent the female streetwear contingent feature in the Thames & Hudson produced title. I guess I should take the few sheckles I have in my pocket and invest in a copy, or shimmy down to Borders and rustle through the pages whilst perched on one of their minty green jumbo cord sofas. Better stiill, maybe I shall brave it this evening at the book launch party in Shoreditch, where I would surely have the ripe opportunity to ask these many things of Steven himself. I'd like to settle it once and for all. What, in this day in age, is 'streetwear' and more interestingly, what ISN'T?!

Probably the Best Litter in the World...

2007-05-04T04:47:00.000-07:00

Apparently it only cost them £50k in advertising, which is actually a snip for the amount of talk that's gone on around it... Nice.

Back To The Top Of The Pops

2007-05-01T06:18:00.000-07:00

Yeah, this one goes out to all you pop pickers out there... word! TOTP, the globally reknowned UK music chart selection show is not, I repeat, IS NOT back! Yep, had all you kidult, 'Guilty Pleasures' going mutha's sweating for a second didn't I ? Didn't I ?! Maybe I didn't. Whatever. There's a guy with a mic and some cd decks who stands in the corner of the George & Dragon pub, Hackney Road on Monday nights. On said nights he does the Top 40 Countdown. "Last weeks highest new entry, this week moves up two places to number 3, it's..." Yes, exactly how you remember it. He does it bloody well, and if you, like many, are sucker for some pop nostalgia then you need to go down and show your support. Last nights highlight: Jermaine Jackson "We don't have to take our clothes off"... what a classic. Storming!
The George & Dragon, 2-4 Hackney Road, Shoreditch (Where else?!)

L'eau d'issey - that's old school!

2007-04-30T06:46:00.000-07:00

This is a crap snap of the super charismatic designer Issey Miyake at the opening of the '21_21 Design Sight' space in Tokyo.
The museum, part of the designers global empire, is only partially visible to the naked eye due to it being submerged in the soil surrounding the newly developed mixed use complex. The building was designed by the highly respected Japanese architect Tadao Ando (if you don't know, you better get to know). In contrast to the towering structure of glass, currently the tallest in town, next to which it is situated, the museum only briefly interjects with the rolling green grounds and cherry trees that outline the Tokyo Midtown plot. Beneath the grassy surface and down in to the belly of this beauty of a building is where things really open out. Looking and feeling very much like a bunker, it is minimal in it's make up; stripped to the bone, smooth, angular and simplistic in it's function. With the very least possible electric lighting installed, the interior relies heavily on a single triangular atria, that bleeds light from above, deep down into the interlinking concrete chambers that make up the body of this understated design piece. Definately worth a visit, and the selection of retail in the main development is pretty sweetG, with everthing catered for; PUMA 'Black Store' to 'DogDays' doggy deli. Google it and see for yourself....

Not so silenced Nuns...

2007-04-27T03:19:00.000-07:00

Reading through the papers this morning I found a most intriguing article in The Guardian about a group of Nun's in Sicily who have basically decided that although their vows of silence strictly disallow local gossip and friendly telephone calls, they are actually allowed to swap emails! They have even set up their own website where you can ask them questions about their lifestyle and get them to pray for you.

They are keen to portray the internet in a positive light; 'We hope to show that there is some good on the internet and not just bad things.' and are adamant that their time spent on the net does not cut into prayer time, which starts at 4.30am every day if your interested...

Check out the full article at Guardian Unlimited

Nirvana... Just a band...

2007-04-24T08:10:00.000-07:00

This song sums up so much about what I feel about culture... If anyone's ever heard me rant about kids in Ramones tee-shirts, they know I turn this up... 'Is it?' being a particular hatred of mine...

Thou shalt not steal if there is direct victim.
Thou shalt not worship pop idols or follow lost prophets.
Thou shalt not take the names of Johnny Cash, Joe Strummer, Johnny Hartman, Desmond Decker, Jim Morrison, Jimi Hendrix or Syd Barret in vain.
Thou shalt not think that any male over the age of 30 that plays with a child that is not their own is a peadophile… Some people are just nice.
Thou shalt not read NME.
Thall shalt not stop liking a band just because they’ve become popular.
Thou shalt not question Stephen Fry.
Thou shalt not judge a book by it’s cover.
Thou shalt not judge Lethal Weapon by Danny Glover.
Thall shalt not buy Coca-Cola products.
Thou shalt not buy Nestle products.
Thou shalt not go into the woods with your boyfriend’s best friend, take drugs and cheat on him.
Thou shalt not fall in love so easily.
Thou shalt not use poetry, art or music to get into girls’ pants. Use it to get into their heads.
Thou shalt not watch Hollyoakes.
Thou shalt not attend an open mic and leave as soon as you're done just because you’ve finished your shitty little poem or song you self-righteous prick.
Thou shalt not return to the same club or bar week in, week out just ’cause you once saw a girl there that you fancied but you’re never gonna fucking talk to.
Thou shalt not put musicians and recording artists on ridiculous pedestals no matter how great they are or were.
The Beatles - Were just a band.
Led Zepplin - Just a band.
The Beach Boys - Just a band.
The Sex Pistols - Just a band.
The Clash - Just a band.
Crass - Just a band.
Minor Threat - Just a band.
The Cure - Just a band.
The Smiths - Just a band.
Nirvana - Just a band.
The Pixies - Just a band.
Oasis - Just a band.
Radiohead - Just a band.
Bloc Party - Just a band.
The Arctic Monkeys - Just a band.
The next big thing - JUST A BAND.
Thou shalt give equal worth to tragedies that occur in non-English speaking countries as to those that occur in English speaking countries.
Thou shalt remember that guns, bitches and bling were never part of the four elements and never will be.
Thou shalt not make repetitive generic music
Thou shalt not make repetitive generic music
Thou shalt not make repetitive generic music
Thou shalt not make repetitive generic music
Thou shalt not pimp my ride.
Thou shalt not scream if you wanna go faster.
Thou shalt not move to the sound of the wickedness.
Thou shalt not make some noise for Detroit.
When I say “Hey” thou shalt not say “Ho”.
When I say “Hip” thou shalt not say “Hop”.
When I say "he say, she say, we say, make some noise" - kill me.
Thou shalt not quote me happy.
Thou shalt not shake it like a polaroid picture.
Thou shalt not wish your girlfriend was a freak like me.
Thou shalt spell the word “Pheonix” P-H-E-O-N-I-X not P-H-O-E-N-I-X, regardless of what the Oxford English Dictionary tells you.
Thou shalt not express your shock at the fact that Sharon got off with Bradley at the club last night by saying “Is it”.
Thou shalt think for yourselves.
And thou shalt always kill.

I Want One!

2007-04-20T11:41:00.000-07:00

Strange isn't it, how as time passes, certain perceptions change. Take for example, this Toyota Space Cruiser circa 1987, possibly earlier. My auntie had one. She used to drive me up the Muswell Hill at 3:15pm to pick up my cousins who were at secondary school there. At that time primary school finished at 3:30pm so that doesnt quite work out does it? Well, I can explain that. I'd only get to ride shotgun in the bronzen Space Cuiser on the days I pulled a sickie. Cunning. The lengths I'd go to, to feel the warmth of the burgundy velour under my M&S beshorted, friction averse lower limbs... those were the days. But look at it now. 20 years on and this piece of far eastern automobilliery has come full circle. it's so retro it's cool. I can't help myself. I pass it almost everyday and everyday I look and admire. It's like making sure you sit on the right carriage of the tube in the morning so you can increase the likelihood of sitting opposite that chavvy tanned up, WAG like office chick. SOOO not your type, but there's something in the aesthetic that appeals, just a little something. Enough to merit the glance? Or do I REALLY want one? A Space Cruiser not a chav 'bird' of course!

Gum Point

2007-04-20T06:46:00.000-07:00

self explanatory really! Spotted this is on the high street. First time I've seen anything that actually tries to curb the nuisance that is second hand gum. Could well be harbouring some serious germs but what the heck, I say it's a bloody good show old chap!

Copyright Camper

2007-04-04T23:12:00.000-07:00

And there was me thinking that other parts of Asia were the prime spots for 'Snide/Fake/Counterfeit' goods. Look at this. Now, tell me if I am mistaken, but is this not a little bit too similar to the iconic design of automobile genius that is the VW Camper? Smaller, yes, but the styling and proportional details are cutting a very fine line. The rather nasty word 'infringement' comes to mind, but thats not my problem. I'll have a mettalic cherry red and cornish clotted cream two-tone delight to-go please. Chrome trims'n'rims of course! Ooochie!

Why?

2007-04-04T23:00:00.000-07:00

Why would you do it? Why would you buy your kid a dummy that makes them look like they got some crazy hill-billy, buck tooth dentistry issues going on? Maybe a one-time outing to the pub with babs in tow, it might be amsuing for your mates, but hey, novelty is novelty and then there's taking the piss. Still, the fact these are sold alongside pretty little baby pink all-in-ones suggest that they may well be desirable in this twisted world we live in...
what next? Taboo themed baby grows; mini hitlers and osama look-a-likes crawling round the creche corner of the local Beefeater on a Sunday?

Plastic Fantastic

2007-04-04T22:48:00.000-07:00

Errr, can you really sell high end cosmetic goods to adults using reference to a plastic doll with no ass? The accompanying imagery is completly misleading, Barbie? Real? I don't think so? Oh excuse me. Of course, I geddit, grown women WANT to look like a dodgy piece of taiwanese plastic with nylon strands for hair. Did I miss something?

DMs...

2007-03-16T07:28:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I've been ranting and raving about DMs ever since seeing some little Italian fashionista in a pair during Fashion Week and then I see this image from the Vice Global Trend Report and I'm like, okay - so you never know if they mean it or not, but hell - I can see it (a shame, since DMs don't seem to be able to see it at all, currently only stocking in one store in Camden and one camping store on Charing Cross road) but hey... I was always a monkey boots girl, but damn - I'm liking this look. Bring back the Seudeheads I say; it's all about the roll-up (alright, pin tuck Sniper) and an unlaced boot... yum.