Saturday 28 February 2009

Monster Children present Cobrasnake & Todd Selby



Monster Children Gallery Presents "Predator' and 'Home Alone'.


A double feature of photographs by The Cobrasnake and The Selby.

DATE: MAR 6

TIME: 6PM
@: Sydney's Monster Children Gallery.


More info at Monster Children site



Ely Kim




Ely Kim: " I am a graduate student at Yale studying graphic design. I LOVE to dance and I enjoy clouds, mangoes, smiling, and puppies".


BOOMBOX from Ely Kim on Vimeo.

The Playlist is effing R.A.D.


Check out his site:

We Like Him

It's about him and the fan club he created for himself. Fucking hilarious. Click on 'Lovely Fanclub' then the puppy to view his first issue...

French Rail Network - Réseau Ferré de France


Commercial for French rail company RFF from Leah Chun on Vimeo.

Love it.

Leah Chun is a Los Angeles based illustrator/animator who loves to read comics.

SWIFTY - NICE PRODUCE - NO VACANCY



DATE: MAR 5
TIME: 6PM
@: NO VACANCY

UK artist SWIFTY TYPOGRAFIX

Check out more info at the Nice Produce Blog

Go Font Yourself - Ben Frost!!


DATE: MARCH - 4 WED

TIME: 6:30PM

@: DON'T COME GALLERY

Sydney-sider Ben Frost, will be showcasing his work, alongside many other talented artists.

Yay for Ben Frost.

Tuesday 24 February 2009

Google L(aTtitude) and Bed(me)post

Those social networks and those 'not so'..

Continuing with the topic of social networking applications, I recently stumbled across Google Latitude. It's very similar to the application Twitter, a site that is purely dedicated to status updates; very similar to the feature found on Facebook; but Latitude takes it that step further.

Google Latitude is more like a tracking device, a device that tells other subscribers your exact location and even provides images/maps, at your discretion. However, Google do promise that the user has complete control over how much information is released. Hell, you can even say your somewhere you're not.

Check our this great site Another Advertising Wanker and its write-up on the application:

'Social. To be, or not to be?'

Really does just show how society's voyeuristic needs are only increasing and that there are those who are only happy to keep the "beast's" hunger at bay. You know what they say: 'Supply those who demand'.

A further note for those whose 'little black book' is weighing them down. A program called 'Bedpost', which is anything but a 'social' site, allows you to keep track of those you 'bed', where you bed them, and an overall rating. Pretty neat, huh?

Jesus 'they' will stop at nothing.

Curious? Bedpost

For statistics sake, it would be rather interesting. However, rather than play the waiting game, if there are any nymphomaniacs out there who would like to volunteer and attack any lasting shreds of dignity, let me know.

It's even compatible with iPhone! YAY.

Friday 20 February 2009

Facist Book


Facebook has become a form of communication. It can be likened to other communicative verbs such as 'to text', 'to phone', and 'to write'. So these days a simple 'facebook me' is more than suffice.

Since its launch in Feb 04 it's slowly become the word on everyone's lips, it's integrated into their lexicon, and it ain't even in the dictionary, yet. Sooner or later when that time comes for the Oxford English Dictionary to update, to scrawl through our linguistics, and submit their final list, founder Mark Zuckerberg will be the proud father of his 'spawn'. Go figure.

[The general rule of thumb for the
Oxford English Dictionary is that any word can be included which appears five times, in five different printed sources, over a period of five years.]

The world (currently 150 million users) is going crazy for this social networking site; a spin-off of a
Harvard University program called 'Facemash'. Thousands of photos are being uploaded hourly; 'friends' are clicking through your photo albums and reading your wall posts. Others are obsessively trawling through 'friend lists' trying to 'up' their own.

A general belief is that, although your personal life is living on the World Wide Web, only you know the password and therefore only you are in control of your privacy. Wrong. As much as we'd all like to believe this idealistic mantra, it's so far from the true. The words 'private' and 'Facebook' are like chalk and cheese, an oxymoran if I've ever heard one. Once you've uploaded it, it's for the world to see.

And now things have gotten even more complicated.

I'm going to take a stab in the dark and presume that a small percentage, of the 150 million Facebook users, have never read its 'Terms of Service'. I'm going to take a step back and assume just as many, or more, don't even know what a 'Terms of Service' or 'TOS' is.

Facebook's Terms of Service (TOS) used to say that when you closed an account on their network, any rights they claimed to the original content you uploaded would expire. Not that long ago, this sentance was added:

"You may remove your User Content from the Site at any time. If you choose to remove your User Content, the license granted above will automatically expire, however you acknowledge that the Company may retain archived copies of your User Content."

As you can imagine there was a lot of protest against this, and in response Zuckerberg and co. reverted back to the original clause; that is until a solution can be found..

Tuesday 17 February 2009

Joaquin Phoenix Quits & Turns to Rapping.

I don't know whether to laugh or cry. Unfortunalty the Joaquin Phoenix team have taken Phoenix's recent David Letterman interview off the web. It is now, no longer available for viewing. This is indeed a shame, because I would have liked to hear your sentiments on the issue.

On 11 Feb 09 Phoenix was a guest on the Dave Letterman Show. Unfortunately his mind couldn't make it, so his body took one for the team. He was supossed to be on the show promoting his new movie 'Two Lovers', but it seems even grutting was too much effort.

'Two Lovers' director James Gray, who also directed the 34-year-old star in The Yards and We Own The Night, is concerned that he played a role in Phoenix's recent behaviour saying that Phoenix's character experiments with rap in the movie, which is loosely based on Gray's own life experience.

James Gray:

"I found out he's built a recording studio in his house and he's working with Diddy. I tried to talk him out of it. He got very angry."

He's working with Diddy? P. Diddy? The artist formerly known as Puff Daddy? WTF.

After Phoenix announced his career change decision, on David Letterman, he was mocked by the host and studio audience.

Joaquin said: "I have been working on my music. I am doing hip-hop music.

"This isn't a joke. Why are they laughing?"

As the laughter grew louder, an upset-looking Joaquin insisted: "I am serious about this. What is it with this maniacal laughter in here? I don't get it. Is this supposed to be fun?"

While many believe the actor is mentally unstable others wonder whether the whole thing is a charade, a hoax set up by Phoenix himself.

Here is his brief interview with E! Entertainment Channel. Casey Affleck seems to be as confused as the rest of us.



Here is Joaquin's debut as a rapper.. in which he takes a rather sudden trip.. You know what they say about first impressions...

The Simpsons - New Main Title



This made it's way to cyber-space around 14 Jan 09. It has spread like wild-fire. According to Viral Video Chart the clip has had 1,617,719 views and been posted on 765 blogs.

Nice. So I guess that makes me 766?

T - Mobile Advert - 'Life's For Sharing'



This was once my station.

Suprisingly enough I was never witness of such an act.

15 Jan 09: no ordinary day at Liverpool Street Station, London.

Kerrry Skarbakka - The Shower


Bad day?

'The Shower' by philosophical photographer Kerrry Skarbakka.

Flight of the Conchords - Ladies of the World



Flight of the Conchords- Ladies of the World directed by Nima Nourizadeh.

Adidas House Party - 60 Years of Sole


Everybody loves a house party right? Especially when all the right people are in attendance?


Especially when there's graffiti, finger painting, pixie dust, gambling, fireworks, Russel Simmons, Missy Elliot, Katy Perry, David Beckham, Mark Gonzales, The Ting Tings, Estelle, Method Man and even, former Russian tennis champion, Ilie Nastase. Well 2009 marks the 60th anniversary of Adidas & in order to celebrate they're throwing a party. Although this shindig is 'invite only' you're more than welcome to join in the year long celebration with new products galore.

Director Nima Nourizadeh was in charge of the latest commercial for Adidas, a minute-long film shot at a house party where everyone’s dressed in, you guessed it, Adidas. Granted it is a lot of fun, heck I watched it two times over, but one can not surpass the fact that it is a rather self-indulgent, ego- fuelled, hipster-esque way to celebrate 'originality'. For God's sake, everyone is wearing Adidas!! Does that not scream uniformity let alone, conformity?

Admittedly, I do really like this clip and it does exactly what Nourizadeh and Adidas intended. It gets you excited. However, credit should also be given to 60's band 'Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons' for creating the banging tune that is; 'Beggin'. **Download enthusiasts note that the version in the video is the Pilooski re-edit.

So put on your party shoes and celebrate with Adidas' multi million-pound campaign known as “60 Years of Soles and Stripes”.


Friday 13 February 2009

Modular - Bang Gang Deejays - Free - LAS VEGAS

God, I love to know everything that is going on. And quite frankly, being the barer of all the right things, makes me feel good in all the right places.. Being 'in-the-know' brings me a copious amount of pleasure, but sometimes it brings me pain. I swear if Journalism wasn't my calling, I'd totally be in PR or Event Management. My diary can be likened to that of the Sydney city grid map; fluid lines running into one another, arrows here, dates there.

So here it is..

Live in Nevada or simply happen to be stopping by on your big fancy jet?

Take me with you!



Tuesday Feb 17
Modular, Filter and MFG Presents The Pool Tradeshow Opening Party
w/ Hercules and Love Affair (DJ Set), The Bang Gang Deejays & Treasure Fingers
Beauty Bar , Las Vegas, NV
Free w/ RSVP at http://www.danceright.net/pooltradeshow/

And it's FREIKO!

Wednesday 11 February 2009

"Eat or Be Eaten"

Recently nothing has ever resounded so deep within me, like this has. It pryed open my pursed lips, slid down my tongue and bounced off my tonsils. It waved goodbye to my oral cavity as it left my pharynx and prepared to enter my oesophagus. Approximately 25-30 cm later, it had reach it's destination. My stomach.

And you know what? It sat quite well.

The above is the kind of sentance, that when finished stares blankly at you, while the cursor impatiently blinks; surprised by the honesty yet hesitant to hear more.

What does it mean when you're willing to climb over people? Does it reek of desperation? Or are you just proving Charles Darwin's 'Survival of the fittest', a synonym for his 1895 theory of 'natural selection'? The truth is that, 'survival of the fittest' was actually a metaphor, unlike it's scientific descriptive counterpart, 'natural selection'.

Natural selection means any organism which is capable of reproducing itself on an ongoing basis will survive as a species, not just the "fittest" ones.

Sorry Charlie but today I think we'll chose the former.

Eat or be eaten is the 21st century's equivalent to Darwin's metaphor 'survival of the fittest'

So today's equation class is:

EOBE = SOTF

And unfortunatly it comes with a lot of baggage and when we break it down we find the big one: loyalty.

Loyalty: (noun) that comes with connotations of amicability, happiness, faithfullness, fidelity..

Everybody wants to reach their potential, which is an ambiguous term within itself, and in order to see what an individual can do you've got to reach further, walk faster, or fucking run. Whatever will get you to the finish line before anyone else.

The last thing you want to do is rest on your laurels, and because we are all ruled by that ethereal concept know as 'emotion' it's always harder in practice. But it ain't so difficult to become disheartened, especially, right now during this crunchy credit time.

I recently came across a facebook status that read as follows: X is getting used to taking rejection well. It made me sad, but it also made me angry.. and ironically enough i'm sure after writing it they did not realise the gravity of their words. A result of their flittering fingers being woed by that sturdy and ever reliable keyboard.

Why would you ever get used to rejection? It doesn't feel good and it's definitely not like forcing yourself to eat 'greens' because in the end you know your doing youself a service. It's like drinking metholated spirits and 'hoping for the best'. But I guess if you're crazy enough to drink metho then your concept of what's 'best' would be rather distorted.

The only thing you should do with rejection, is use it as a stepping stone, stand on it and you'll only be able to reach higher than before.

Moral of the story: Eat that last piece of cake, before it eats you.

Sunday 8 February 2009

Heat Wave


Yesterday, thousands of people fled to Chadstone shopping centre.

60,000 to be exact.

Unfortunately it wasn't to score a bargain but to escape the hottest day on record, 46.4C at 3pm. It trumped the previous benchmark of 45.6C recorded on Black Friday, 13 Jan 1939.

It was Black Saturday and as the automatic doors of the shopping centre tiresomely welcomed patrons the hot wind stuck like glue. The usually arctic temperature of the cooling system was no match for what Black Saturday had in store for Victoria.

This morning's headline read; "At least 14 dead in horror flames" and tonight the number has escalated to 65. The raging inferno, that is officially Victoria's worst ever bushfires, has swept through Victoria's bushland circling Melbourne. Rural properties in Bunyip and Maiden Gully and those suburban ones in Fentree Gully and Narre Warren perish.

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has announced a $10 million emergency relief fund for the victims of Victoria's bushfires.

Black Saturday occured 9 days before the tragic Ash Wednesday fires, a natural disaster that happened in South eastern Australia on 16 Feb 1983 . 65 people are dead and 640 homes have been lost. Sadly these numbers will only increase.

Up North, Queensland is experiencing flash floods and king tides. Go figure.

Friday 6 February 2009

Hats off to Brian & his Buns



When you're too cocky too care.. pun intended.

The last one is genius..- and I use that term very loosely-. It's like laughing in the face of adversity. When all else has failed Brian knows that he'll always have 'hefty lefty' or 'tighty righty' to keep him company on those lonesome nights.

No Vacancy- Suit up - Exhibition Launch



No Vacancy Gallery

Suit Up

Fri Feb 13.
Think about it.

Head to WeMakeGoodStuff for more details.

Thursday 5 February 2009

Pearl Necklace .. pending.




This is a 1954 advertisement for Tangee lipcolour.

A tad bit phallic perhaps?

I imagine the individual(s) who approved this piece were much less accustomed to this 'position' than their female co-workers. Or lack there of.

In the 1950s only 33 per cent of women were in the paid work force, compared to a staggering 94 per cent of men. Is that why this poor excuse for an ad was allowed to breathe?

You could argue that more than 50 years later there are many ads that would reflect a similar sort of deal. Purely because sex sells. The Lynx deodorant company is one of the biggest advocates of this mantra. Adult content pending.



Now in the noughties, the ratio of men to woman has managed to reach an almost balanced figure, however; it seems whether you have one or not, thinking with the 'crown jewels' is something that all advertising agents strive to achieve.

Just ask Paris Hilton:

Different Strokes



Experience heart palpitations and withdrawal symptoms when The Strokes are mentioned?

Well you definitely don't need to be sitting down for this news, but at least it's a start.

Introducing Little Joy, the second side project from The Strokes' Fabrizio Moretti and friends.

After the Jump --> Little Joy

Little Joy was released worldwide by Rough Trade Records, a division of The Beggar’s Group, on & around Nov. 4th, 2008.

Tuesday 3 February 2009

A Linguistic Jigsaw

When words are more than just respective groups of congregated letters, their effect is incandescent.. But not just any words, certain words, and when these pieces of lingo find one another and create the harmonious civil ceremony known as a sentence or phrase, I swear I see tiny sparks fly...

One phrase that has recently been lingering in my cerebral membrane is:

'Fleshy Gratification'



Who doesn't love a l'il bit of fleshy gratification, where it counts?

What's even more exciting than this glorious concept, is how time can completely influence the way you perceive the unification of our linguistic counterparts.

The first time I laid eyes on this 'textual duo' was February 2008, in London. I was reading the editors note in the well informed Timeout guide. A sort of bi-monthly bible, a 'what's on in your city' kind of deal. No sooner had my beady pupils scanned the line than had I whipped out a biro and underlined the beauties. I managed to interweave it into a couple of everyday conversations, once during a vis-à-vis and the other in a witty texto. Unfortunately, neither form of communication seemed worthy enough. Truthfully, I saw bigger and better things for my 'fleshy gratification' and maybe this is it?

I could get all Carrie Bradshaw on your ass and delve into the difference between relationships and a little bit of the ol' 'fleshy gratification'. Where a wo(man) is content with the sexual intimacy of another and not really bothered about the rest. Is that sleazy? No, not if the feeling is mutual and you're both benefiting. Emphasis on the mutual satisfaction bit.

Watching 'Reality Bites' recently, one of the many surly characters was of the opinion that 'sex ruins friendships'. The only reason this quote stood out to me was because no more than two weeks ago, two friends, on separate occasions, told me the exact opposite. Apparently, you have nothing to hide, once you've bared it all. Sounds pretty logical.

Just some local sex in your city to chew on.

Then you can reach for the other extreme - the extreme that takes' fleshy gratification' to a whole other level. But you'd have to ask pomie comedian/nymphomanic Russel Brand.
His are the words, on the pages, that are under the command of my flittering finger-tips. And I got to say, these words I talk of, they ain't so bad.

So check out: Russell Brand's 'My Booky Wook' ...

Disclaimer: This isn't the end of the 'Fleshy Gratification' saga.





Monday 2 February 2009

Checkers

Fallon is replacing Conan who is replacing Leno.



No one has funnier hair than Conan & no one can pull off a protruding chin like Jay.

Jimmy Fallon - where comedy goes to die.

What are you looking at?

My photo
I am more than prone to monologues; however, this is solely due to the manner in which they compliment a witty anecdote and their ability to resemble concrete evidence when it is so obviously lacking. I often wish I could emulate that aloof character who coolly stands in the corner smiling mysteriously as if she has a secret. However, I fear resisting the temptation to involve myself in other people’s conflicts and responding through body language rather than verbose banter may come across as contrived and arrogant. And, I am not willing to take that chance.

Ye Faithful