Skate, don't Hate - June 21, 2010

All the best decisions in life that bring us pure joy are linked to childish desires. It's the reason we get butterflies before a first kiss, secretly enjoy a good food fight, and relish activities that apparently we're "too old" for. It's the kind of enjoyment that is unsullied by the hassles and rigour of everyday life, and the realities of growing up. That's why I love this concept.



June 21, every year, just blow off whatever you got going on and go skateboarding, it's that simple! What could be better that throwing on your best 'killer penguins are forcing me to play drinking games with them, I can't possibly make it to work today' voice for the boss and going for a cruise. Live a litte, release the inner child. Check out the details on an event near you at http://www.goskateboardingday.org.

Go on, do something immure. I just sealed the cracks in my sister's bedroom and filled it with water. Uber nuisance or free pool. We'll see.

Luxury Lounging

It's 1am on a Saturday night, you've canvassed the clubs, been to that select house party which promised a 'choice array' of options, yet nothing has come through. The hour you spend talking to that new cute girl who you've been working seems wasted. You decide to cut your losses and head home, scratch the night and call it a loss, you can't win em' all.

All of a sudden the phone starts buzzing, and it's her, all is not lost.
You pick up and theres laughing at first, then the textbook slurring 'What you doing right now?'. Win.

So she's coming over to your place and you want to set the tone half way between the club and the bedroom, enter your ace new track pants to seal the deal.



These babies (from Joyrich) come in blue or black acid wash and I can't decide which I like more. Either way, check out their radical lookbook at joyrichclothing.com (and yeah, the blonde chick is suuuuuper hot, great minds think alike).

Nothing says I'm formal, but I'm also here to party like a pair of acid wash, form fitting track pants. And let's be honest, the next day when you leave the house in your favourite white T, with scotch stains from the night before, some big sunglasses, and your new purchase, people will argue in hushed tones "Is that someone famous or just another hungover idiot?".

Either way my friends, you're still the one wearing the pants.

Time to get FRESH

In many/all ways I'm like an excitable 12 year old when it comes to stumbling across fresh radical things. Every time I get super excited and declare that this is, hand down, the coolest thing i've ever seen. That being said, this time I mean it (at least until my next post) enough to implore people to buy me this new obsession as a present. Because lets face it, i'm not mde of money (more like impecable taste and sarcastic remarks).



The just released Chad Muska (a name that rings a bell for every kid who grew up in the 90s getting driven to the skate park by their mum) Blaster Watch is getting me excited. This timepiece, although not quite how you'll see the distinguished gentleman checking the time, is still both functional and a piece of wearable art. Because when you look this good, you don't need to know anything.



The sad thing is (cue 'gansters paradise', because its angry sad, not queer sad) is that I have very little faith that i could pull this off. Being in the well educated, white boy demographic I just dont see it happening. I'd be that guy who turns up for his first day of school in Harlem in suspenders and tries to join in the freestyle rap battle right before someone harshly pulls the needle from the turntables (because stereotypes have to come from somewhere). But one can always dream.

Check it out at http://caliroots.com/cali/product.asp?id=21839.

Until we meet again I'll be right here, jumping up and down on the spot like an insolent little shit until someone buys me the watch. Don't think I won't.

Not all wolves are good at Basketball

If you can't guess the movie you are retarded (industry test, not my own)



Illustration from Aled Lewis (aledlewis.com)

Ahwoooooooooo werewolves of london

Topical T's

Let me start by saying that I hate those kids who walk around universities all over the world wearing Che Guevara or Obama (or other variations, you know the type) T-shirts pretending, or genuinely, to being opinionated. The piece of clothng doesn't give any indication to a viewer whether they're pro or con, but the idea is that viewers think they have an opinion.

Simply writing about them makes me want to run into the quad and punch the private school kid with dreadlocks and a Che t-shirt practicing haki sac, say nothing, walk off, then get a Dr. Pepper or something (...Unforgiveable).

Phewwww... My shoulders feel lighter now, and let it be said that what im writing about is a cool concept and I include it because it doesn't aspire to any of that infuriating opinionated t-shirt crap.

Your blonde brothers from another (Swedish) mother, Sven and Jens (only two names i know that sound Nordic), have created T-Post, a subscriber T-Shirt service which created a monthly shirt design based on a large news story from the month leading into production. Although many of the designs are fairly routine, the concept is awesome as it's the gift that keeps on giving. How often do you get something awesome only to wear the shit out of it. Boom! T-Post. New shirts every month (You just may not be as stoked when it comes to the month where the central theme is an outbreak of herpes, or the moderation of animal-human marriage legislation, in which case shame on you, they are people too). Check out their back catalogue, keeping in mind that I think it is the concept rather than the designs themselves that deserves the radical stamp.



Check out www.t-post.se but don't worry, there's no immediate rush, there's only one shirt a month.

In the 40's 'radical' was 'neat'

Most classic cars are inherently beautiful, they have lines that are artistic not functional, bring about daydreams of careless summer afternoons, and are undeniably radi-cool. Plus when people hear you saying words like 'classic' and 'vintage' they always think you're saying something interesting and you must be the gate keeper of niche knowledge (until they realise that you're talking about Mortal Kombat on Super Nintendo or when porn used to involve more pubes, in which case they'd be right, ladies!).

As you looked at the picture before you read this (Gen Y is inherenty lazy... deal) you've already seen the beautiful and utterly unique lines on this 1948 Buick Streamliner by Norman E. Timbs. The design is stunning, perhaps even more so due to how un-functional it is; for a car that is staggeringly long it really is a one and a half seater, which is great because I have a thing for midgets.



But we all know the point of this car isnt the engine, specs, or fuel, the man driving this car is the king of cool. Period. It could be a penniless hobo trying for the world record for longest fingernails and he'd still get ass (true story, I read somewhere that women are shallow).



It's pretty much a guarantee that when this car was produced kids in overalls and plaid shirts would run up to this car as it parked in front of the local drug store and go "gee mister that car is neat-o". And yes, my image of the past is entirely shaped by hollywood films, you try faulting Pleasantville.

Good Day Sir...

It has to be scene to be believed

When i mention Bleecker Street you either think one of two things, and think carefully because the wrong answer can put you in dangerous territory of being considered 'uncool' in the eyes of people you don't know or care about.

Moving along, you either think of cheap beers and breakfast deli rolls in Greenwich Village (NYC, for those still not following), or the new(ish) online store that lets us on the opposite side of this liveable beach ball sample the fahion delights of previously mentioned area.

Recently I stumbled upon, and immediately purchased from Bleeckerst.com, the radical store which is which brings some of the choicest fashion from the streets of NY into Australia for those wishing to say "Man, I dunno where you'll be able to get these kicks, they're pretty exclusive" (which FYI, makes you a dooshbag).



My favourite amongst the bunch is Stamp'd LA who started as kicks customisers and have just opened their first boutique in LA which sports some fly art on the shop walls.

So for those of you looking for something a little different, check out the online shop and recieve some trans-pacific retail loving.

L8r

PS. I have thrown up a pic of the new Stamp'd LA kicks I'll be sporting, so if you want to be the only one on the block treadin in them we can organise some kind of alternate weekend rotation, or maybe I'll take mon-wed-fri and you take tues-thurs... we'll discuss later