London is home to many keen cyclists and the advent of Boris Bikes (nicknamed after the mayor of London for non UK readers) in the capital has seen more and more people take up this sport. It’s a cheap convenient way to traverse central London, but the enjoyment levels of this activity do suffer with the vagaries of the British weather. It’s lovely to take a sunlit cycle ride on a nice day, less so when it’s sleeting so hard you feel like your face is being violated by Edward Scissorhands. Could Uberhood be the answer?
Uberhood is an umbrella designed for the bicycle which easily clips onto the handlebar and is meant to give you cover whilst you cycle. It comes in a a variety of colours and they say it’s suitable for both ‘blazing sun and driving rain’. Sadly, we only get to see it pictured on someone trying it out in the blazing sun (see video and picture) so we have no way of knowing if this could withstand rain, as I feel the ‘first umbrella for the bike’ might have some serious flaws if anything stronger than a sprinkle were to fall on it.
Nice concept, just not sure they really deliver on the execution. When they get it right, I’d like to see it on every Boris Bike, till then it looks like we’ll stick to buses and the tube when it’s really wet. $79 from Uberhood
Though it can often seem like a one way stream, blogging is far more complex than that- every blog post I write is researched and involves checking sources online and speaking to people- and in return, I get comments and respond to them. Through researching what I write I end up on a lot of different blogs- some science, some lifestyle and through this all I get a general picture of what other people are writing and thinking about. Problem is, for every blog that contains poorly placed graphics and bad spelling I’ll find one amazingly lucid and eloquent one written buy a fourteen year old with photographic skills which are far more advanced then mine.
For every event I go to or party I discuss someone else will have been to a better one in a cuter outfit doing something zanier- and I get serious green faced blog envy. My flat is a not a showroom, I haven’t dusted in a long-time and my photos aren’t arranged in cutesy artistic spreads on the wall- they’re placed wherever I managed to find some Blu tac. My life is not a showcase of aspirations, it’s comprised of mundane things like getting Boots Advantage points and moaning about excess Easyjet charges. My real life doesn’t compare to all these whimsical day in the life blogs, and don’t even get me started on ‘Outfit of the day’ posts as sites like Chictiopia and LookBook lead to massive feelings of inadequacy.
When you add to this the amount of blogs which enormously emotionally over share, you’re bound to feel a little bit stressed whenever you venture online.
Think of it this way-when I read certain blogs I expect certain things. I love the twee cat stories, boyfriend drama, casual sex flings and then- bam. A bloggers mother dies, their dad gets cancer,they try BDSM, all fine and above board for you to write about should you wish to, but when it’s very out of tone with your blog* it throws me. I don’t know what to do. My light reading has unexpectedly had a heavy veneer placed over it and though I want to comment I’m out of my depth. You own the blog- you can put whatever you wish on it, but as a reader it sometimes feel like you’ve overblogged- shared too much with the anonymous public and we don’t know what to do. I cried over someone’s blog post last week- in context**-and though that was understandable, I don’t want that to happen when I’m expecting a discussion on the merits of tea cosies versus towels (note: I don’t actually care about this topic). Read more…
Rock Paper Scissors is a game many people are familiar with. It’s used to solve arguments, make decisions and while away time whilst waiting for the bus. The more talented lucky may argue that there’s a stratgey to performing well at this game, and the lack of any props other than ones own body makes it universally acceptable. This humble game has moved beyond mere decision making and is now celebrated worldwide, with heats held in different countries, where only those with a fist of steel can win the coveted title of Rock Paper Scissors Champion. The UK Rock Paper Scissors Championship took place last week on the 22nd October 2011 and over 200 people gathered to try and gain a UK ranking in this sport. I decided to try my hand at gaining the trophy and this is my tale…
Training
Athletes warm up before games, so I embarked on some serious finger exercises. I practised moving my fingers to my thumb very quickly and used some stress balls to really help release the tension in my hand. I also practised a deadpan stare in the mirror- flat eyes, no smile- you’ll never know what’s coming next…
Strategy
To ensure I had the utmost advantage in my Rock Paper Scissors UK Championship event, I researched the sport thoroughly. I discovered that those in the know call it RPS or Roshambo (slightly less of a mouthful) and that it dates back to the Chinese Dynasty in 206 BCE (well, according to Wiki anyways) and that it has been used in court to settle a case (seriously). In terms of strategy there seemed to be dissenting points however- no one could tell me exactly what combo of rock paper scissors would always win. I learnt that three stones in a row is called an ‘Avalanche’ and this is commonly favoured by men, so I might have an advantage doing this version as a lady. It’s also reported that men traditionally open with stone, whilst women prefer paper- interesting. There’s also the notion of gambits- such as PPSPP which can be used to throw someone off guard. A traditional tournament game consists of two people over a table with a Referee in the middle. They call 1,2,3 and on 3 you open your palm. If you both have the same you repeat- and on and on till there’s a best of three win. Read more…
New Era is known for their caps, producing approximately 35 million per year, and they supply all the Major League baseball teams. New Era Introducing is their global way of nurturing new talent with a competition based around created a statement using the New Era 59FIFTY caps as the starting point. They’ve just announced the inner of this years competition and there are some pretty amazing New Era hats to feast your eyes on.
Entrants came from all over the world, as the participating countries were the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, Spain, France, Sweden, South Africa, and the United Arab Emirates. Students from all these nations have spent the last few months creating unusual hat designs, and now the judges have finally chosen a winner.
To be honest, I think every entrant is a winner, and not in a ‘it’s the taking part that counts’, soppy way, but more, ‘would you look at the talent these kids have?’. Two of my favourite designs are featured above, a cute teddy bear cap, designed by UK artist Matt Saunders and a geek chic typewriter hat created by Spanish artist Pol.
I love it when people create work that is not only visually attractive but also makes a statement, and the Patterns of Science project by Ian Addison Hall fits this remit. Inspired by the similarities between human DNA and retro imagery, Ian created a series of pictures that used catalogues from the 50′s as a starting point. You get to see a large amount of nostalgic prints with a twist, as Addison Hall has re-imagined classic images by extending the print of the clothes to cover the whole of the models body. He says this is because ‘Using vintage catalogue imagery, each piece in this series explores the relationship between the patterns that exist in fashion and the patterns that comprise human genetic’.
The idea is that by replacing the models skin with textile prints, you get to re-imagine the models whole body as if looking at their genetic makeup, and there is a certain resemblance between DNA prints and the way that these retro flowers cover up the female forms. Read more…
In a break from normal posts, I’m going to share with you my favourite YouTube videos of the week. Regular readers will be very aware of my short attention span, and I fully believe the following are worth watching in their entirety.
Drop Test of the iPhone 4S vs the Samsung Galaxy S2
The last thing you’d want to do with the iPhone 4S is drop it face down, but the Electronic Breaks guys do just this- and test out the damage on a Samsung Galaxy S2 as well. Which fares better- watch and find out! I love that this was created by a phone insurance company- smart move on their part as this video has gone viral.
Breaking the News: A Tom Scott Video
Two guys, budget day in the UK and a goal to get into the background of as many TV news slots as possible. Created by Tom Scott who is my latest geek crush- comedy genius. Read more…
Yes, that is a nipple on top of the truck, and no, it DOES need to be there. The nipple truck- also known as The Milk Truck is a brand new feature in Pittsburgh, where it’s part feminist protest, part art installation. The premise is shockingly simple- it’s a rescue van for women in a breastfeeding crisis. Though it’s not something I’ve experienced firsthand, I imagine that breastfeeding can be pretty awkward out and about. Do you want to get your jubblies out in front of everyone- or should you use the sketchy bathroom to feed your babe? Add to that, a general lack of understanding of compassion about why a woman breastfeeds (E.g. ‘can’t she wait till she’s at home? Answer:NO) and it’s clear we need to re-educate people.
This is the modus operandi behind the Milk Truck- sick of getting stares in restaurants or ordered to the bathroom by the managers, the Milk Truck makes an in your face statement (hence the giant nipple) about breastfeeding, as well as give women a sheltered area to for their business.
To contact the truck, you simply summon the Milk Truck (you can call them by Twitter if you wish), they rock up with the neon nipple flashing, you get in and have your baby time and then you wave goodbye. During this time the restaurant owner will become very aware of the scene they have helped create by asking you to go to the bathroom/ cover up and will no doubt be less inclined to ask somebody to do so next time due to the scene.
Carnegie Mellon University art professor Jill Miller (the brains behind the project) says, ‘We are using The Milk Truck to start a conversation in our community about a basic human right: feeding a baby.When a woman finds herself in a situation where she is discouraged, harassed, or unwelcome to breastfeed her baby in public, she summons The Milk Truck. The truck arrives to the location of the woman in need and provides her with a shelter for feeding her baby. The woman feeds her child, the shopkeeper who harassed her feels like a dweeb, and the truck does what it does best – creates a spectacle.’ Read more…
