Maritimes

Bonobo 50 Minute Mix - Boiler Room

2012-02-16T05:43:00.002Z

BR#77 Bonobo from BOILER ROOM on Vimeo.

Pyskessa

2012-02-04T00:52:00.000Z

My friends Kieran and Duncan Bruce have just won an award at the Clermont-Ferrand short film festival for this haunting film entitled 'Pyskessa'. The narrated poetry is perfectly matched to the film:

Pyskessa from Juan Camilo Olmos Feris on Vimeo.

Surf Lesson 1#: How not to surf N.Cornwall Wedge, with yours truly

2011-12-17T11:44:00.000Z

Back from a session in October with a few bodyboarders in N.Cornwall, still clearing the saltwater from my head!

Owen - No Place like Home

2011-10-27T09:23:00.000+01:00

Looking forward to the new Owen album on the 8th November

Offshores and Misplaced Beers

2011-10-23T19:41:00.000+01:00

I spent the last weekend with a few friends, getting blown around by offshore winds and misplacing beers . Despite the blustery autumnal winds, I can't help but fall in love with that Cornish corner, a small beach tucked up snugly beneath those imposing ochre cliffs. A corner where shelter, a small left peak and a few friends is all you need to forget yourself - and get out of that wind.

Pictures: Murray Ash Photography

Withnail and I - Hamlet Soliloquy

2011-10-17T22:29:00.001+01:00

Quiver Surfboards

2011-09-02T17:16:00.001+01:00

I just bought a new surfboard! I've been riding Quiver boards for the past year and have been pretty stoked on how well they go, as well as displaying great longevity - my last board is still going strong after 12 months, including 6 flights and numerous heavy surf. The local shaper Luke Hart loves surfing and is a cool chap, you can tell how much he wants people to get on with his boards which is refreshing in an industry increasingly driven by the bottom line.

This little number is the 2011 'Dirty Truck' model, so called because it is designed to go to work in all conditions. Its designed to be ridden short so this one comes in at 5'5 x 18'3/4 x 2'1/4, its also shaped in the new EPS superfused blank, with dual parabolic stringers and glassed in two layers of 4oz epoxy glass. Its amazingly light and feels much fresher and 'poppier' than a standard polyurethane board. So far its going great in the English waves, flying through flat sections with ease. Its real test of course will come this week as the September swells are on the way.

Check out this video of Alan Stokes riding the same board at small Fistral/Watergate (starting at 2.30min).

StRaNGe Beautiful LIFE - Episode 3: Summer lovin from StRaNGe Beautiful LIFE on Vimeo.

Dreaming of El Salvador

2011-08-23T20:33:00.006+01:00

Have you ever surfed a wave which is so incredible that you don't even have to do a turn? That throws endless sections over a relatively safe cobblestone point? That isn't accompanied by a horrendous rip traveling down the point? That only has about 15 surfers in on a good day? I have, and it makes me smile thinking about it.

(Punta Roca, 2011)

Back in March me and my friends Josh and Chard made it out to El Salvador, A crowded speck of a country lying slap bang in Central America, a real melting pot of North American consumerism, Latino full-blooded machoism and of particular fascination to me, Josh and Chard, some of the best right hand surfing point breaks in the world.

(K59 - K59 named after kilometre signs lining the roads)

Despite being a country racked by civil war and more recently gang violence, Salvadorians are some of the most friendly, hospitable people you are likely to ever meet. Good infrastructure and its relatively compact size also makes its one of the most user friendly countries in the region for a surf trip. The coast offers a variety of classy righthanders that either casually meander down rocky points or offer fully screaming walls for the initiated. All within a crowded, reggaeton blaring, 25 cent bus ticket distance from each other.

(Chard and me, Waiting for the bus at Puente Sunzal)

We were lucky enough to stay near Punta Roca, a J-Bay-esque righthand pointbreak on the outskirts of the ramshackle port town of La Libertad. A place where tales of drug peddling banditos and surfers being held up for their boards by gunpoint on their way to the surf break is very much part of Central American surf-lore.

(George cutting back at Punta Roca)

(Enjoying some tamarind juice post-surf, with Punta Roca in the background)

The good news is a new boardwalk and investment from the government means that La Libertad isn't the crazy place it used to be. When we stayed there we were lucky enough to have a friend George sort us out with a self-catered apartment close to the tourist orientated area of El Tunco. He was working at the recently opened luxury surf camp AST Surf Tours situated within paddling distance of the point of Punta Roca. Run by 'Baja Bill' a Californian expat whose enthusiasm for the surf in El Salvador was matched only by his passion for the post-surf morning cerveja (nothing on this planet is more decadent than drinking a beer at breakfast).

('Baja Bill' knocking back some ceviche and cerveja's with Chard, Josh and George)

Bills hospitality to us, nothing more than a rag-tag bunch of British surfers was nothing short of legendary, letting us use the camp as our hang out between surfs, despite our best efforts to tempt George (his only Western employee) to ditch his marketing work at the camp to come and party with us at any opportunity.

Here's a short video edit of our trip (surfing action starts about 1.20 min) that george put together for AST (soundtrack courtesy of Caribou).

Japanese Anti-Smoking Poster

2011-08-21T19:44:00.000+01:00

Howies - Store Design

2011-08-19T09:51:00.000+01:00

My sister just bought me a top from Howies for my birthday, stumbled across these images of their new shop - Pretty much exactly how my shop would look if I had one!

Four Tet -FabricLive 59

2011-08-08T21:53:00.000+01:00

This is going to be epic, any album with a cover depicting an octopus to the face is good in my eyes. Release date is early October.

Porcelain Unicorn

2011-07-29T17:39:00.000+01:00

Winner of Parallel Lines, a competition to create a three-minute film using only six lines of dialogue: "What is that?", "It's a unicorn", "Never seen one up close before", "Beautiful", "Get away, get away", and "I'm sorry"

Existential Star Wars

2011-07-24T09:24:00.000+01:00

Jade in Chy

2011-07-16T21:31:00.000+01:00

Lesson 1: How to Cutback - Thankyou Dane

2011-06-28T11:36:00.000+01:00

Picnic by the Sea

2011-06-23T21:28:00.000+01:00

At once I knew I was not magnificent

2011-06-21T21:14:00.001+01:00

The new bon iver album is beautiful

Shred-Tastic!

2011-06-14T19:18:00.001+01:00

Im not really sure why he shreds the tampons at 1.03!

Three albums I Want

2011-05-24T09:10:00.000+01:00

Bon Iver - Self Titled

Tom Vek - Leisure Seizure

Death Cab for Cutie - Codes and Keys

Dimitri watched with dismay as everything he and the party fought so hard for crumbled in front of him

2011-05-14T22:23:00.002+01:00

This is awesome

2011-04-26T20:04:00.001+01:00

Transit Vans and Tans - A Surf Trip through Europe

2011-04-05T15:41:00.007+01:00

Transit vans are a wonderful thing for the travelling surfer, cheap to buy, cheap to run and even cheaper to live in.

After an honest life burdened with building supplies they are now begrudgingly forced to spend their twilight years overheating in summer queues on the A30, rusting in beach car parks and being smashed down foreign toll roads.

I have a theory that Transit vans never truly forgive their new surfing owners for ruining their plans for a quiet retirement. Therefore, any surfer buying a sub £1000 transit for that next ‘big trip’ will have a hazy fog of fear hanging over their purchase, a specific kind of fear that can only be realised in spectacular fashion, such as cataclysmic engine failure on a French paegé or rear tire blow out to rodeo flip on a Moroccan track. After 3 months on the road through Europe with my friends Harry and Sam, sleeping top-to-tail in a short wheelbase Transit, I’ve grown to live with that fear. It’s like seeing your ex flirt with strangers on Facebook, its emotionally traumatising but you can deal with it.

Our ‘big trip’, despite not being very original, was beautifully simple. Drive south, surf lots, get brown, sample the local poison and drop a few bon soir’s along the way, the classic European surf trip if you may. With the effortless ease of Eurozone travel and the occasional flourish of our E11 health cards we could instantly become a burden on unsuspecting countries resources with little more than a Gallic inspired shrug of the shoulders or hastily constructed GCSE level apology. In addition, the prospect of sampling some of Europe’s pounding autumnal surf tipped the weight heavily in favour of jacking all commitments in and heading of on the road.

Having all graduated from University the year before, we now found ourselves struggling to come to terms with the life of full-time employment (or lack of), financial responsibilities (debt), and a new social scene (diminished). Throw in the standard post-university break-up blues - still unresolved despite attempts in Cornwalls finest nightclubs and the prospect of getting away from the complications and cold of home was a tempting one. Our need to escape to somewhere new, different and exciting echoed Charles Baudelaire’s famous exclamation in favour of escapism - ‘No matter where! As long as it is out of this world!’

We decided to take the Plymouth to Northern Spain ferry, our logic being that this waterborne chariot would deliver us closest to the cylindrical French beach breaks to the east whilst also minimising the potential for our van to attempt a rodeo flip on the alternative route, requiring the long drive down through France. Our only long-term plan was to arrive in the south of Portugal by the beginning of November where a friend had organised us an apartment.

Within 20 hours of leaving Plymouth, we had disembarked the ferry and quickly found ourselves weaving through the steep mountain passes that characterise the Basque coast. The road perilously clinging to the rock face would occasionally offer us a glimpse of the sea, causing us all to scramble to the closest window enthusiastically trying to gauge the size of any potential swell. Finally arriving in Hossegor that evening tired but stoked to have suddenly cranked the temperature up to the summer dial, it seemed along way from the thick October mizzle that we had left behind.

We awoke the next day to crisp green shoulder high lines, groomed by a localised offshore breeze. The waves casually peeled off the outside sandbar offering long, rippable rides without any of the typical board snapping potential usually found on the steeply shelved beaches. We followed this routine for the next week as we gorged on a true mix of conditions, not always perfect, but at the very least user-friendly. Anyone familiar with southwest France will testify to the sheer variety and power of the waves, one day you might spend bodysurfing a 2ft shorebreak surrounded by scantily-clad French beauties and the next you will be tackling a mutant longshore current that’s sole purpose is to terrify, embarrass and humble you, in the order it deems most fitting.

In between the surf we kept busy by designing a routine designed to facilitate our lifestyle with a minimum of expense and effort. We had one main agreement, this involved spending as little as possible on things deemed non-essential, thus leaving us more money to spend on the finer things, such as food supplies, medium strength lager and a constant supply of rolling tobacco. Our agreement dictated that ‘free-camping’, wherever possible, was a necessity. Through trial and error we learnt that the secret to successful free camping is overcoming the two basic needs that cannot be conducted in the van, these are presented as followed:

1) Going to the toilet.
2) Cleaning up your act - both physically and metaphorically.

Once these obstacles are facilitated, free camping can commence. Choosing a free camping plot is a lot like choosing a partner, be prepared to compromise on small details and revel in unexpected perks. Our first spot was isolated enough to not warrant suspicion but still close enough to the hustle and bustle of Hossegor if we wanted to party. Importantly its immediate proximity to an amenity rich yet poorly guarded campsite solved our two basic needs quite sufficiently.

After 10 days we drove to the beaches surrounding Biarritz, in order to find some shelter from the building swell that had rendered our sandbar an unrideable mess. After an uncomfortable night spent in the beach car park, worryingly popular with single men cruising around late at night we decided that it was time to head to Spain.

For the next month we lived simply and when the weather and waves refused to co-operate we would uproot and drive south. I discovered that there is something beautifully optimistic about the European surf trail with its legion of devotees and assorted fleet of vans. The belief that no matter how cold, wet or blown out it gets, round that next bend could be that session, that girl or that perfect free camping spot you have always been searching for.

PitPilot Magazine 2011

2011-03-29T19:29:00.001+01:00

UK surf magazine 'PitPilot' recently ran a shot of me surfing Porthleven last winter. Im chuffed with how it turned out and considering it was my first shot in a mag, making the centre spread was a bonus. Big thanks to the editor Tony Plant for considering an unknown miscreant like myself and of course Geoff Tydeman who took the photo.

Collaborative Genius

2011-03-26T17:13:00.000Z

Four Tet / Burial / Thom Yorke - 'Ego'

Mount Kimbie: Crooks and Lovers EP

2011-01-04T13:09:00.000Z

A beautiful photographic trip of Mount Kimbie's recent world-wide tour:

Wave Cloud Sand

2010-09-25T11:25:00.001+01:00

WAVE CLOUD SAND from CIRCULATE on Vimeo.

September to September

2010-09-20T12:22:00.001+01:00

For me the year will always start and finish in September. I still like to think in terms of the academic year, even though the clear irony of starting-a-fresh juxtaposed with the gradual decay of autumn doesn't really make a whole lot of sense. I suspect its probably just a case of mild institutionalisation from my time in education, but heck, it feels right so I'm sticking with it.

I've spent the past year (from September to September) living and working in Cornwall. A place full of rugged beauty, cool 'pards and occasionally fun surf.

On the flip-side it has also has a propensity for dank, dark and sometimes lonely nights in the much less agreeable veil of winter, spread out like one large unassailable hurdle. Made worse this year by the rare appearance of the El Nino weather pattern, resulting in a constant hard frost on the beach out front.

My year at work has been spent working on a small EU funded project designed to help small businesses promote themselves in a struggling economy. My role was engaging, varied but most importantly flexible enough to let me pursue my passion for surfing on the rare days that the swell, wind and tides were favourable. This was a good thing.

Whilst I have enjoyed many of the projects I have been involved in, my chosen career path feels like the inevitable consequence of wide-eyed decision to study marketing at University rather than a burning desire to work within the industry.

A decision largely based on the retrospectively naive confusion between the pleasure of consuming products and the less gratifying task of manufacturing such consumption.

Even less satisfying is the promotion of other peoples products or services. Far removed from the intrinsic value of seeing the influence of ones output, the sense of achievement and value derived from work is diminished.

The close connection we all have with our inner being and individual output is one way we judge our personal ability. In a knowledge economy, this internalisation is a clear interpretation of personal ability and self-worth, giving us a unique placing on the spectrum of society.

Everyone will be familiar with a job, past or present where they have little influence or achievement, generally manifesting itself as a rather melancholic state of affairs. Ask any child what they want to be when they are older and most will choose a job where the output is a clear consequence of the effort applied (e.g. Pilot, Teacher). The reward is always a result of the correct application of personal ability, however modest.

As a result, reducing the gap between cause and result is my singular future career goal.

A career goal that I look forward to applying after meeting some more great people, exploring unfamiliar places, growing my hair longer and optimistically searching for a glimpse of the green flash.

Surrealism, Guinness and Teacups

2010-09-19T15:31:00.000+01:00

2010-09-17T12:09:00.000+01:00

For the perfect idler, for the passionate observer it becomes an immense source of enjoyment to establish his dwelling in the throng, in the ebb and flow, the bustle, the fleeting and the infinite. To be away from home and yet to feel at home anywhere; to see the world, to be at the very centre of the world, and yet to be unseen of the world, such are some of the minor pleasures of those independent, intense and impartial spirits, who do not lend themselves easily to linguistic definitions. The observer is a prince enjoying his incognito wherever he goes.
Charles Baudelaire

Nuit Blanche

2010-09-15T14:36:00.001+01:00

Volcom SidFish Surf Comp - Porthtowan 2010

2010-09-14T13:58:00.001+01:00

A couple of shots of the surf contest last weekend. My professional surfing dream ended prematurely in the first round but I still had a awesome time.

Photos courtesy of Porthtowan Shaper: Dale Walker

IKEA Cats Parody

2010-09-13T12:52:00.001+01:00

This parody of IKEA's recent viral video is awesome:

Beautiful Coffee

2010-09-10T15:08:00.002+01:00

Pop!

2010-09-06T15:19:00.003+01:00

Inspiration

2010-09-01T09:27:00.000+01:00

Form

Perseverance

21st Century enlightenment

Music to make you stagger

2010-08-02T19:55:00.000+01:00

Crystal Fighters - In the Summertime (Brookes Brothers Rework)

Lyre Le Temps - Hold The Night

Stray - Frost

Roots Manuva - Jah Warrior

Childhood Imagination

2010-07-20T14:34:00.000+01:00

For more check out www.timmacpherson.com/

My favourite facebook advert ever!

2010-07-14T11:02:00.001+01:00

My friend Robin makes bikes:

2010-07-13T11:28:00.002+01:00

Check out his very cool use of bamboo in the frame of this fixed gear bike:

Bamboo is awesome because:

- It grows very fast

- It's renewable

- Its strong (apparently stronger than steel)

- It's flex properties are conducive to shredding

- It looks sexy

For more info drop Robin an email on: therising@msn.co.uk

Cave Explorer

2010-07-12T15:13:00.002+01:00

Marketing Yo! - BP: 'Beyond Petroleum' and Back Again

2010-06-28T12:15:00.009+01:00

When you play poker, you should expect to get dealt bad hands. Inherent to the enjoyment and ultimate success of the game is the very clear distinction between participants - winners and losers.

BP have recently been dealt a very bad hand by the powers that be (RE: Gulf oil spill) but instead of expecting the occasional stinker and dealing with it accordingly they seem to have been drifting in a ethereal cloud of disbelief, endemic management failure and successive PR disasters of epic proportions. It is now vividly clear that the fan has been hit from multiple angles with the proverbial faecal matter, the questions being asked are:

Why did this happen? How did it happen? Why was the response so poor?

The answers are probably never going to be fully known, but overall we can safely assume that BP forgot they were involved in a business which strongly resembled a game of poker and unaware of the adage: 'If you play with fire, then sooner or later you are going to get burnt'. So perhaps the really important question is: Why did they forget that that oil business is dangerous and volatile?

In one of the most well-known rebranding cases of the past century the esteemed branding agency Ogilvy helped BP reposition the company as a energy company committed to to a future 'Beyond Petroleum'. The new 'Helios' logo designed to mimic the sun and lowercase font aimed to dramatically soften the brands image - make it humble, make it forward thinking and make it relevant. This rebranding influenced every communication campaign and was implemented at the very heart of the company - BP even festooned its headquarters with aloe vera - apparently removing more carbon dioxide from the air than any other green plant.

BP had a new position which they believed in, that was worthy and for once gave them a value beyond a traditional commodity -they were truly 'beyond petroleum' in a lower case. They, us and we were in it together looking to a new future. You can almost imagine the BP marketing team sat in a office surrounded by aloe vera plants, carefully recycling office waste, dreaming up petrol stations with minimal environment impact and really living the brand. This was no 'greenwash' rebranding, this was a new era in corporate responsibility.

In a recent article in marketing week, Mark Ritson argues that brand repositioning is almost always impossible unless done incrementally and reflecting the core structure and values of a company. In this instance BP had attempted to change the fundamental DNA of the company through the marketing function - a position unable to rectify the credibility gap between the 'beyond petroleum' claim and the businesses 'bread and butter'. The digging up and processing of a dangerous, volatile, valuable commodity.

The promises of a greener future, beyond petroleum was one so achingly attractive to the company and consumers that it was communicated with ease and lucidity. However, all the benefits BP accrued from its 10-year, temporary repositioning will now be reversed and replaced by the much bigger reputational costs of failing to deliver on something they promised so successfully.

Does the atmosphere create the music or does the music create the atmosphere?

2010-06-25T10:45:00.000+01:00

Bop - Enjoy the moment (unquote remix)

Burial & Four Tet - Moth

Nathan Flake - You are Here (Four Tet Rework)

Castles in The Sky - Iceland

2010-06-24T15:24:00.005+01:00

Scientists, still not needed...

2010-06-16T17:57:00.000+01:00

I was going through my old posts today and found one I had written about 10 months ago, to me it is poignant because it still holds true. Whilst it appears initially to be about living without 'regrets', its really a personal 'calls-to-arms', written at a time when I felt like I was making the transition both physically and mentally of becoming a adult. It outlines the direction I wanted (and still want) to take my life. Check it out and let me know your thoughts:

"Regret is one of many myriad of feelings we regularly encounter in our lives. It is a feeling normally associated with a fleeting sense of loss, one of "I wish I had gone out last night" or a "why did I do that". It is an emotion that most, if not all of us are deeply familiar" Continue Reading....

(an unrelated but lovely picture of the sunset last night)

I miss the winter (swell)

2010-06-14T16:15:00.002+01:00

If anyone tells you there is no surf in England, show them this video....

(Its best not to mention that this only happens a handful of times a year)

Remix your Mind

2010-06-10T11:37:00.004+01:00

Last summer I was fully into the ambient blips and bleeps of 'Song about my Dog' an album by 'Bop' the Russian electronic maestro. Well, Medschool records have just released a new remix of the album - a unique take on a very unique set of tracks. This remix by 'unquote' is by far and away my favourite, the best ambient dub influenced track I've heard in a long time, reminiscent of the ghostly sound of Burial:

The Power of Time

2010-06-04T19:21:00.001+01:00

Thought provoking video on how our personal perspective of time affects our lives:

Thoughts on Smoking

2010-06-01T15:57:00.005+01:00

Ignite, whilst inhaling. Once ignition is achieved, inhale deeply and with full depth. Pause (contemplatively if possible). Exhale.

Sometimes I wonder how smoking would be described in an instructional pamphlet. I love the way that instructional statements expose the absurdity and frailty of the human condition. Take sex for example, broken down to its component elements one is left with as the Roman philosopher Marcus Aurelius described: 'the spasmodic rubbing together of two bodies, followed by the secretion of slime'. A description woefully inept at describing the emotional complexity, beauty or inherent dangers associated with said activities.

Smoking is one such pursuit often broken down to its molecular level: An addiction, youthful rebellion, a crutch, a societal curse. Yet such statements serve no descriptive purpose in understanding the motives, processes and the emotional connection that people have with cigarettes.

I believe quitting smoking is not procedural. But rather the realisation that smoking offers nothing to ease the inevitability of our 'being'. Its a philosophical rebirth - smokers smoke precisely because of the dangers and quit only when they come to the terms with their mortality.

You are probably thinking, thanks for that opinion - how about you conduct a scientific experiment or perhaps gain a qualification that gives some credence to your arguments? Well, my view is we need less, not more, scientific evidence for the dangers of smoking.

Its already clear - smoking kills you.

So, here's my view on how we can cut smoking takeup whilst not infringing on peoples right to smoke:

1) Cigarettes are a commodity not a product. It is my view that through marketing restrictions we can change how people interact with cigarettes and the smoking experience.

2) Cigarettes should be removed from the point of sale position in retail outlets where under 18s are exposed to them. Smoking should only be a choice for adults.

3) Cigarettes should not appeal to non-smokers. Brands should exist only as 'names' to serve existing smokers and give them an indication of the qualities of the product.

4) All cigarettes packets should be blank apart from the brand name in a consistent font and a short 2 sentence description on the back.

5) Regulate profit margins - cigarette companies should be forced to adhere to a maximum profit margin on cigarette products. Any cigarette which is currently priced highly is viewed as a premium product and as such aspirational. I believe the industry needs to be democratised, forcing the cigarette producers to abandon the value extracted using brands.

What does smoking represent to you? how would you regulate the smoking industry?

Addict

2010-05-30T09:53:00.004+01:00

"Words are, of course, the most powerful drug used by mankind."

Rudyard Kipling

Thoughts On the Lash

2010-05-25T11:34:00.006+01:00

Alcohol. Always struggled to spell that word. The combination of those 'o's sandwiched between the 'h'. Gets me every-time. I find myself having to take the phonetic caveman like Al-Co-Hol approach just to coax it out of my synapses and onto the ink. Now, this isnt quite how I intended to start this article. Yet, a rambling, stumbling start is ironically the perfect introduction to a topic that doesnt really make much sense at all: The lash, the piss-up, the tour or in simple terms getting drunk.

I've always been oddly fascinated by the English attachment to booze, a relationship fraught with emotional complexity, fun, randomness and pitiful addiction. University is the place that I learnt much about the subject. An educational institute designed to provide just about enough structure in which to hang a social life soaked in snakebite on. The peculiarity of University culture (and youth culture as a whole) is it expects you to get drunk but not be a drunk. Its the social equivalent of drawing a line in the sand and saying fucking dance on it. A fine line indeed.

In my experience there are three kinds of people in pubs 1) those who like talking 2) those who like drinking 3) those who like both. Generally the people who like both get laid lots. I've always fell into the second category. Given the choice between discussing the various merits of urinals or quietly sipping in the corner, I'm generally a safe bet on the latter.

The best social groups generally display an amicable ratio of drinkers to talkers. Those who fall into the ethereal gap between the 2nd and 3rd category are the most interesting, displaying a need to reconcile their desire for social discourse with getting blind drunk. Such internal struggles make make for interesting characters and fantastic drinking partners. You know the ones: 'good friends, with bad habits'

Uprisings - Kozyndan

2010-05-24T15:28:00.003+01:00

I just bought this Kozyndan print, a homage to 'The Great Wave of Kanagawa' by Hokusai. I particularly love the movement of the bunnies as they fall.

Sunrise Lefts

2010-05-19T11:51:00.002+01:00

I want to dive into this video:

My Kind of Manifesto

2010-05-12T13:22:00.002+01:00

Summer Tuna

2010-05-11T20:19:00.002+01:00

Newspaper Club

2010-05-10T12:56:00.007+01:00

I've always liked newspapers. The convenience, the disposable nature of the medium, the physical rustle of the turned page and the much forgotten crumb catching potential conspire to make newspapers awesome. The much heralded death of print media - where newspapers are replaced by 'free' online content, has meant print runs are puttering to a halt and advertising revenues are wilting.

Last week I got to hear about a cool project called the newspaper club at an event held by 4ip, which helps people like you and me make our own newspapers. By taking advantage of printer downtimes, newspaper club is a cool idea with loads of applications for artists, students and businesses. Here are a few of my favourites:

Socratic thoughts on Surfing

2010-04-28T15:07:00.006+01:00

A philosophical approach to surfing:

One of the reasons surfing is such a fascinating sport is because it so delicately straddles the grey area between the physical and metaphysical pursuit of pleasure. A position shared by only a few activities, generally requiring the presence and enthusiastic assistance of another.

It seems like no-one has really tried to explain this unique connection, beyond the lameness of vague marketing statements: 'only a surfer knows the feeling' or pseudo-religious affirmations 'deep connections with mother nature'. So in the spirit of exploration and the keen sense that this blog has been lacking some briny tales of late, I'm going to attempt to look at elements of the surfing experience with a philosophical approach. What would the great minds of history have to say about localism, the state of the surf industry or even knowing ones limits?

Knowing your limits:

Everyone who has spent any time in the sea will have felt scared at some point. Sometimes those terrifying experiences can put someone off surfing for life, but mostly instead of reinforcing a instinctual reaction to avoid the ocean, most of us continue to enjoy the ocean. What is it about being scared that appeals to surfers? Is it that we are adrenalin junkies or perhaps even masochists? What is the specific allure of placing ourselves in situations where the cards are so heavily stacked in natures favour?

Socrates famously argued that the key to wisdom is understanding the limits of your knowledge or actions. A position he formulated when he was proclaimed the 'wisest man alive' by the Delphic Oracle. Socrates being a self-deprecating sort of chap, decided to disprove her assertion by visiting a number of people considered wise in their respective fields from music to politics. The one recurring feature of his conversations with these 'wise' people was that whilst they had inarguably great skills, they all believed their hype - Socrates however understood the extent of his own ignorance.

Knowing when to pull-back:

It strikes me that surfing affords its disciples a very simple medium in which to appreciate the true meaning of Socrates reasoning. For a surfing novice, being shaken up by a 2 ft shorebreak gives them a real sense of the limits of their ability in the same manner that an experienced surfer may feel when confronted with a stack of 8ft waves looming on the horizon. The core point being that we don't learn from pushing the boundaries or putting ourselves in terrifying situations, but from having a acute appreciation of our own personal limits.

In a society where we are bombarded with lofty messages of aspiration and where we are told that we can achieve anything if we put our mind to it, I think its particularly reassuring to know that a ankle sized wave can knock us over if we turn our back. It seems that surfers instinctively know when to pull back rather than to blindly paddle into oblivion- an appreciation that Socrates would argue is the key to wisdom.

Pulling back - N.Cornish Cove, Winter 06

Do you think we learn the most from knowing our limits or pushing them?

It doesn't fit..

2010-04-23T10:44:00.008+01:00

Readers of my blog will be aware of my fascination with the disused Cornish mine-shafts situated just up the way from my beach house. This fascination has led to numerous objects (and fireworks) being subjected to the 16 second freefall down to the briny bowels of the Atlantic ocean. As the days are growing longer and the surf is getting progressively smaller with the approach of the summer, I've found myself a'wandering the well trodden cliff paths with increasing frequency. The other day I arrived at the shaft and awaiting me was a wooden fence post encased in concrete.

Now, I've walked up here enough to know that that specific post used to be situated about half a kilometre down the path. I can only conclude that there is someone out there more dedicated to the pursuit of mineshaft measurement than myself. The fact that this post weighs about 25 kilos is testament to the physical penance that they must of endured to get this fence post this far. I especially like to envision the bitter disappointment when they realised that the post doesnt fit through the bars - The beaded sweat dripping from their brow, the fevered eyes and the resulting angry howl into the whistling coastal cornish winds... its a cruel, cruel world

Facebook and the Narcissistic Panopticon

2010-04-20T10:34:00.011+01:00

Welcome, please acknowledge my existence:

Everytime we post, like or comment on facebook we are not simply sharing snippets of social interaction but also creating an invitation. An invitation to be watched or to watch. The tangible nature of such activities gives us a sense of permanence or meaning in our lives, as the words and pictures we create are indelibly recorded online. The name Facebook even alludes to it's book like qualities and we don't just share information, we post it to each others walls for all to see. But what are the root causes of this very modern form of narcissism?

Are you watching me, or am I watching me?

The famous British philosopher Jeremy Bentham was a keen social reformer, fascinated by the way that self-reflection could bring lasting change to society. He conceived an idea for a prison called the 'Panopticon' which he argued could both rehabilitate prisoners and save society money. The fundamental concept of the design was a central tower situated in the middle of the prison where the prison guards could observe all the prisoners. The prisoners themselves are are housed in cells around the central tower with windows on both the inside and outside of the cell. These would have the effect of silhouetting the prisoners making them easier to monitor, plus preventing them from seeing who was watching them from the central tower.

Bentham argued that the prisoners would feel the glare of authority upon them, leading them to internalise their feelings of being monitored. This it was hoped would re-wire prisoners to ultimately observe themselves and take accountability for their actions.

A very modern narcissism...

Benthams Panopticon is a great metaphor for our relationship to social networking sites. Not to say that we are imprisoned by them, but the central concept behind feeling that we are being watched. The feelings associated with being observed give us a sense of self-worth and a keener understanding of the cause and effect of our actions. When we interact on facebook or write a blog post we choose to play by the rules of an open forum. By choosing to conduct our conversations in this manner it allows us to feel that others watch, listen and care about us. It is therefore, not narcissism that drives us, but a yearning to understand and contemplate our existence. Maybe facebook isn't such a waste of time after all...

Photography - Artic Circle

2010-04-15T15:32:00.010+01:00

I was lucky enough to stumble upon the photography of Phillip Toledano last week. His work explores the concept of absence, whether emotional or physical. From coping with loss, to acknowledging the temporary nature of our existence, powerful photography that poses as many questions as it answers.

'Arctic Circle'

Marketing Yo! - Internal marketing techniques of Mexican drug cartels

2010-04-13T10:13:00.016+01:00

Marketing is typically associated with highly visible elements such as advertisement, promotion or branding. However in larger organisations the importance of internal communication is essential to ensure that employees at all levels of the hierarchy are motivated and empowered to deliver a satisfying customer experience.

However, when that large organisation also deals exclusively in illegal drugs such as cocaine, the visible elements of the marketing mix (street dealing, word of mouth, price fixing) form only the tip of the iceberg. As the promotion of illegal products through traditional mediums such as advertisement or branding is nigh on impossible, the drug industry relies heavily on a frozen underbelly of internal marketing (IM) in order to ensure commercial success.

The Mexican drug trafficking industry is worth approximately $13 billion per year and is currently run by a cartel of 4 gangs (Gulf, Familia, Sinaloa, Zetas). A staggering 18,000 deaths have been attributed to the industry since 2006. As such, retribution forms the fundamental IM policy for the drug cartels, enforcing market dominance, route-to-market points, distribution networks, profit levels and of course 'scaring-the-living-hell' out of potential rivals. This surprising simple method of communication has formed the backbone of their internal communication strategy for years. It would appear that localised, high violence incidents are a cost effective way of reaching your internal market (i.e employees, competitors, average Mexicans). Ensuring high media visibility and social spread through word of mouth and social media channels.

The importance of internal marketing in the drug industry is ensured by the illegality of the product, oligopolistic industry structure and high fixed price. This systematically causes a spiraling of ever more extreme violence in order to ensure secure market position. This follows the same theory as the supermarket price wars within the UK but clearly with more ramifications for the losers.

This tit-for-tat method of IM has reached a point whereby the cartels themselves are struggling to maintain authority and clarity of voice through violence alone. What after all is the difference between the cartels if they all sell the same thing and are willing to kill anyone opposing them? The homogeneity present in the market (i.e same product, same brand values) presents a clear opportunity to differentiate, thus achieving competitive advantage.

This has culminated in both the Gulf and Familia gangs announcing with a choreographed poster, email and video campaign that they stand against the 'Barbarians, child rapists and bank robbers of Zetas". Even asking the government forces to stand back whilst they rid Mexico of the menace of Zetas.

This example clearly shows the challenges facing the Mexican drugs industry, but more crucially illustrates that importance of internal marketing in large organisations. If all else remember: customer satisfaction relies upon empowering and motivating staff to deliver (or else they get it).

Never heard a Glockenspiel like this.....

2010-04-06T15:07:00.001+01:00

Marketing Yo! Challenge the Brand

2010-03-29T15:56:00.011+01:00

"An unexamined life is not worth living." Socrates

In the spirit of self-examination, I've recently been challenging my work in brand development and marketing at every opportunity. As someone who has always treated the marketing industry with the kind of distrustful respect normally reserved for the sex industry or Lady Gaga, I felt it was important to explore the various positives and negatives of the the business function that considers itself a 'business butler' delivering us our every need and want.

The past week this has been in the form of reading Naomi Kleins cult book 'No Logo'. A self coined 'cultural manifesto for the critics of unfettered capitalism'. Whilst over 10 years old it presents a stark and provocative 'call to arms' against the rampant branding of modern society. Klein creates a compelling argument that organisational shift from product to brand focus has created an insatiable appetite for profit at the expense of moral and ethical obligation. An argument hard to ignore when coldly expressed with multiple examples of employee exploitation and corporate greed. So what is the answer?

Umm, Hard question. My current stance is this: I feel that brands play a significant and important role in helping us distinguish, choose and judge products/services. Without which we would be stuck in a rather dull world of white label goods, homogeneity and no 'Kinder Happy Hippos'.

For me the real challenge lies in halting the snowball effect of large organisations pursuing rampant growth for shareholder profit. The solution is probably not marketing related but could lie within co-operative organisations, which provide a prudent environment to explore growth whilst ensuring fair levels of employee well-being. Readers can be reassured that I'm working on this in between surfing and mulling my existence.

In the meantime, If you have 15 mins check out 'Logorama' an Oscar winning 'mindbomb' of an animation, set in a world entirely created out of Logos:

Marketing Yo! - Portfolio Extensions: How to avoid the 'K-Hole'

2010-03-23T12:04:00.016Z

Sometimes, companies just get it wrong. 'Krave' is Kelloggs triumphant response to the the rapidly expanding young adult (16-24) cereal market. An age group which they argue which was previously untargeted by breakfast cereals. An age group seriously underrepresented by a cereal they can identify with, a cereal which is to steal Kelloggs own words 'perfect in the morning, or after a night at the pub'.

I first heard about Krave back in February in an article by Vice Magazine entitled 'Surf the Krave Wave'. It concluded that the products ridiculous name combined with an accompanied bizarre press release was some kind of reverse-psychology, post-ironic PR campaign intended to go viral on the internet. One week later and Krave was on the shelves. So, how do these abominations of brands end up in the hands of consumers? The answer lies in the structure of these modern businesses:

Kellogg's does not make cereal, it creates brands.

The value of Kellogg's existing portfolio, is tied to the concept of brand loyalty. Flakes of corn are not the exclusive property of Kellogg's, but Cornflakes are. Cornflakes evoke a different response than equivalent products, therefore demanding a premium price. This emotional response means Kellogg's do not create products to match demand, they look at the drivers behind those demands and build brands around them.

"For young adults, enjoyment and taste are the key decision drivers behind their choice of breakfast cereal, Kellogg's spotted a gap in the market for this need". Talking Retail.com

Young adults rate taste and enjoyment as key factors in their decision for cereal choice, its not exactly a revelation. But its the key point in which the brand and product diverge. Kelloggs product development is rightly modeled around the needs/wants of its audience, but its brand appears to be 'targeted' at an outdated youth market stereotype. Kelloggs have created a product for the youth market, yet created a brand for Marty McFly from 'Back to the Future'.

"The style of the brand and the marketing is exclusively orientated around the youth market so that it will have 'my brand' feel to it. Krave will be the first breakfast cereal to surf the wave of the youth market." M.Taylor, Kelloggs Sales Director.

Cringeworthy, patronising drivel isn't it? The brand driven nature of modern organisations, emphasizes the need for them to understand the core audience and deliver [products/services] accordingly. When the values of a physical product and the values of the brand(s) diverge, portfolio extensions can patronise, exclude and confuse customers. Brand features not known to add value or promote loyalty.

Steal more, Copy less

2010-03-22T11:40:00.009Z

Thankyou:

I've received some great comments and feedback on my blog over the past few weeks and really appreciate everyone's thoughts. The highlight for me was having my Cornish-Fireworks-Mineshafts post described as:

"An article rife with sexual innuendo that fuses the subjects of mine shafts and fireworks into an exquisite representation of our fascination of exploring the unknown."

Big thanks to Luke over at WMSTCTD for that, definitely worth checking out his latest hilarious post involving an unfortunate radio track, 'hot girl' and lost love. Great stuff!

One way ticket:

So where next? Well, I'm liking the balance between my branding and marketing related posts: 'Marketing Yo!' and random nuggets such as my recent discovery of a semi-decomposed whale. I hope its a journey you enjoy dipping into, please keep your feedback coming and feel free to spread the love with the 'share/tweet' buttons at the bottom of every post.

Lastly, If you have 5 mins, check out this inspiring little presentation presented in the exciting pace of a 'Pecha Kucha'. I hope that together we can form a relationship formed on mutual theft:

Drink every sweat like it your last....

2010-03-17T09:13:00.014Z

'Pocari Sweat' is a Japanese soft drink manufactured by the rather ominous sounding Otsuka Pharmaceutical Company. First formulated in the 1980s Pocari Sweat has become popular throughout Asia and the Middle East as a fluid and mineral replacement drink.

Wikipedia describes it as 'A mild tasting, relatively light sweet drink, with a mild grapefruit flavour and little after taste'.

I would describe it as a lifestyle choice.

I particularly like how the simple, modest flavour is belied by the packaging which brightly and in capitalisation declares Pocari Sweat to be an 'ION SUPPLY DRINK'. The bright white font impyling that the product has somekind of electrical power that users can tap into. Its availability in liquid and powdered form only emphasizes its almost medicinal qualities.

Despite such omnipotent declarations, my relationship with the drink is not based on its taste, dubious health claims or ironic brand name. It stems from a much more basic need, a need to act irresponsibly.

On a recent surfing holiday to Bali, the after surf Pocari became standard. What better to hydrate ourselves? When me and my friend Josh held up the drink one morning, we decided that merely sipping it was inappropriate. When every can appears to sing from the hymn sheet of extreme hydration, how could we continue to enjoy it so responsibly? The drink demands to be smashed from every pore of its being, and smashed them we did. The pact was sealed, 'drink every Pocari like it is you're last'.

Sometimes its important to uphold the stupidest ideas, I would and will never sip another Pocari Sweat.

Marketing Yo! - Cognitive Fluency: How Simplicity Shapes our Decisions

2010-03-09T14:25:00.008Z

Last week I looked at the importance of brand consistency in an age of fluid ownership of brands. This week I've decided to continue exploring the vagaries of branding theory and consumer behaviour by looking at the concept of 'Cognitive Fluency':

Imagine that you are very rich. Rich enough that you have a large investment portfolio of stocks, shares and a few properties dotted around the world, hell you even have hot girlfriend/boyfriend (completed unrelated, but important). Guessing that sounds good? Well imagine that I tell you that I had a completely new investment strategy, one that could triple your money without relying upon any economic data or theory.

The new strategy is this: 'Invest in companies with names that are easy-to-pronounce'

Whilst your answer would probably be a simple 'jog on', recent research shows that the topic of 'cognitive fluency' or the measure of how easy something is to think of has serious ramifications for how we see, sell or buy in modern marketplaces. For example did you know that shares in companies with easy-to-pronounce names outperform those with hard-to-pronounce names? That repeating statements, or adjusting the legibility of font can adjust peoples perception of the truth of a statement?

"Every purchase you make, every interaction you have, every judgement you make can be placed upon a continuum from fluent to disfluent" Adam Alter, New York University Stern School

The concept being that simplicity or fluency is an adaptive shortcut, i.e if something is simple it means it signals familiarity. The link being things that are familiar are associated with positive past experiences. By visualising this as an imaginary continuum from familiar to unknown, companies can attempt to plot their products, services or marketing efforts against competitors. So now imagine you work for a company releasing a completely new technical product to the global mainstream market, how can you make that product seem familiar?

Case in point, the launch of the Apple iPhone. Despite its plethora of features and many innovative features, the name is indicative of a simple function and both this name and physical design echoes other Apple products which customers are deeply familiar with e.g the iPod. The fluency of Apples communication is consistent from design, marketing, packaging, website and even through their retail outlets.

So full circle, we arrive back at the concept of brand consistency. However, this form of consistency isn't measured in deviation but how companies can consistently perform on that continuum of fluency. I wouldn't suggest that companies 'dumb-down' in order to gain customers, or that you should invest your well earned riches in shares of 'easy-to-pronounce' companies but at the very least, perform at level consistent with the values of your customers.

"People as Places as People"

2010-03-07T14:52:00.003Z

Modest Mouse are one of those bands that keep getting better with time. Their music videos can be relied upon to be pretty off-kilter and this is no exception, beautifully charting that special point in a relationship where your parents meet your new boyfriend/girlfriend. Just in this instance the boyfriend is a tree, an anorak wearing tree and the father has a penchant for chainsaws....

The Porthtowan Whale: Returns!

2010-03-05T17:54:00.004Z

Two weeks ago national newspapers reported that a giant 60ft Fin whale had washed up dead upon Porthtowan beach. Only problem for me was that I was in London at the time, and by the time I had arrived back, the big spring tides had swiftly dealt with the giant cetacean and my plans to have a picture taken straddling triumphantly atop of the beast with a frying pan were dashed.

Fast forward a week and I decided to check a little known cove nearby my house for a few waves after work, and there it was, in all its jelly like, semi-decomposed glory. The godamn Porthtowan Whale!

Cornish Mineshafts + Fireworks

2010-03-03T11:37:00.009Z

There is something deeply appealing about deep holes. It probably has something to do with suppressed freudian psychology or something, but all I know is that when confronted with something deep, dark, moist and tunnel like I get excited.

When I moved down to North Cornwall 'beach shack' back in September, I was excited to hear about tales of bottomless mineshafts in the local pub. Mineshafts, which according to my new friends were only about 30 mins from my front door. So off I went, with only an hangover for company in search of these 'bottomless pits'. What I found was better than I could imagine, protected by steel bars, the 'kite shaft' protected something bigger than all of us....

Imagine dropping a rock down a hole that could be heard for upwards of 16 seconds before becoming inaudible, epic tension growing with every second of its fall. Oh sweet depth, in all its infinite glory, plumbed by the terminal velocity of boulders. Beautiful. Sure enough, my weekly walk past the shaft became a ritual and the ritual became a journey. A journey that I knew had to go beyond rocks, beyond just me, a journey which needed friends and fireworks.

So fast forward to February 2010 my friends Tom and Harry accompanied me along with a firework to the 'kite shaft' and the rest they say is history:

Marketing Yo! - Brand Consistency and Brand Fluidity

2010-03-02T15:30:00.008Z

I can't remember the last time I added a blog post related to my work, so building on my recent branding experience at Gendall Design and a few recent case studies I’ve read, I wanted to look in detail at what features define great brands. Starting with the concept of brand consistency and fluidity:

When was the last time you had a bad Coca Cola? Perhaps it was warm, perhaps the glass it was served in wasn’t clean, but when was the last time you had a truly bad coke, one that tasted bad straight from the can? I don’t know about anyone else, but I don’t think I’ve ever had a bad coke. A perennial favourite at top of the worlds most recognisable brands, Coca Cola owes much of its branding success to the tenants of consistency and democracy. Qualities famously described by Andy Warhol in 1975:

"You can be watching TV and see Coca Cola, and you know that the President drinks Coca Cola, Liz Taylor drinks Coca Cola, and just think, you can drink Coca Cola, too. A coke is a coke and no amount of money can get you a better coke than the one the bum on the corner is drinking. All the cokes are the same and all the cokes are good. Liz Taylor knows it, the President knows it, the bum knows it, and you know it."

The predictability of Coca Cola is its defining core feature. Take for example taste tests, consistently Coca Cola comes up behind other sweeter tasting brands such a Pepsi in blind tests. The failed attempt In the 80s to launch ‘New Coke’ was a direct response to this apparent ‘want’ of the market for a different sweeter tasting Coca Cola. As you may know, ‘New Coke’ was a market failure, with huge consumer backlash which resulted in a swift retreat to the old formula of ‘Classic Coke’.

Charlie Frennette then Chief of Coke Europe recalled: “What we learnt, is that we don’t own this brand, the consumer does. That sensory experience of the formulation, and the minds eye interpretation of it, were inextricably linked. When we changed the equation [new coke] the consumer rejected it because they said, that’s not my coke.”

This example is pertinent, because it was a precursor towards the shift of brand ownership from corporations to consumers. The rise of social communications has empowered consumers (individuals and groups) to define the values of a brand or corporation. In this very different environment where the concept of brand is fluid, the ability for brands/organisations to ensure consistency is one of the last ways they can solidify their position at the helm of a brand.

“I consider a bad bottle of Heineken to be a personal insult to me”

Freddy Heineken, Former Chairman, Heineken

"Havaianas are the best flip flops, beautifully simple, charming and comfy. As much as we love logos,

great brands are so because of what they do and represent"

M.Willers, Wolff Olins on Havaiana Flip Flops

(Footnote: It is important to remember that the fluidity of brand perception in the public domain is not solely limited by consistency, but encompasses the entire operations of an organisation. Precisely why for many people the taste of Coke is tainted by their perceptions of its practices in third world countries).

If only the national elections were as much fun as university ones!

2010-02-19T10:14:00.001Z

Surfing Slow-Mo!

2010-02-15T11:14:00.003Z

Quiksilvers team rider 'Dane Reynolds' shows us how its done in super slow mo! My favourite part has to be the cut-back at 0.32 and the insane way the surfboard flexes at 0.56. Check it out:

Porthleven 06/02/10

2010-02-08T13:10:00.005Z

Sometimes, just sometimes everything comes together. This weekend was that time, the sun was out, the winds were light, the swell was all-time and Porthleven was on.

The harbour resembled a washing machine, the paddle out wasn't for the faint hearted

This guy learning first hand how hard it is to backdoor the peak at levy

The view from the bluff was great, families and friends hooting at every set that marched in

Contemplating the paddle out

Escape to the Land of Gods

2010-02-04T09:40:00.005Z

I was lucky enough to spend this January on the island of Bali in Indonesia. Surfing, eating well and just generally living the good life. Heres a few of my favourite pictures:

New Music: Yeasayer

2010-02-03T11:08:00.005Z

After producing one of the best summer records of recent years Yeasayer are back with a new album and new sound. Singer-Keyboardist Chris Keating described this new direction as "A sonic challenge to Rihanna in the clubs, where you feel the bass in your balls".

Listeners can expect a significant shift from the psychedelic and choral sound of previous work to a more electronic synth orientated feel. The pounding drums, and backing vocals on the track 'Madder Red' are reminiscent of the rambling excitement of "2080" on "All hour Cymbals". Whilst Yeasayer no longer sound like new-age druids communicating with the future, they increasingly sound like they are from the future.

Check out the single 'Ambling Alp' below:

Locks on the Gate, Keys in the River

2010-02-02T10:40:00.009Z

The locks upon the gates of Ponte Vecchio in Florence, Italy are put there by lovers. After locking their love to the gate they throw the keys into the river to seal their love.

The locks appeal to me, not as a romantic gesture which indicates longevity and fidelity but as a shared moment of permanence. A recognition that despite the future and all of its unknowns, that special moments happen and will remain as more than just fading memories.

I sometime wish that in real life with its transience and ceaseless glide that more of the shared moments in my life would have more permanence. A physical, permanent object such as lock to represent past events. Whilst its for the best that many memories such as grieving get easier with time, we cannot pick and choose what we forget. So inevitably lovers, friends and past events slowly unravel within the confines of our mind until we are left with a crumbling imprint of once strong emotions.

It is easy, if left to alone to internalise emotions to create false moulds out of the imprints left behind. Memories become quickly distorted and dont truly reflect moments which are firmly in the past. It is of course best to just work on the present, let the past remain the past and (as the following movie shows) let the future work itself out on its own.

View on ExposureRoom

I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud

2010-02-01T13:45:00.005Z

I wandered lonely as a Cloud
That floats on high o'er Vales and Hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd
A host of dancing Daffodils;
Along the Lake, beneath the trees,
Ten thousand dancing in the breeze.

The waves beside them danced, but they
Outdid the sparkling waves in glee: --
A poet could not but be gay
In such a laughing company:
I gazed -- and gazed -- but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought:

For oft when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude,
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the Daffodils.

Wordsworth (1807)

50 people, 50 secrets

2009-12-14T11:37:00.003Z

Quite possibly the best video I've seen for a long time: 50 people share their secrets with the world.

Social Media, Behind the Smoke and Mirrors

2009-12-09T12:23:00.008Z

Ahhh social media, the possibilities are endless: Chatting to your friends all over the world, sharing information, collaboration, generating grassroots initiatives, empowering individuals/groups it seems that we live in a time of unparalleled communicative freedom. The beauty of networked global audiences and traceable word-of-mouth conversations has not been lost on business community who appear like rabbits caught in the headlights of social networking and the plethora of web 2.0 applications. Despite the trepidation, thousands of businesses around the world are using Social Media, to interact, to communicate with and learn about their customer’s needs and wants. Far from the complicated smoke and mirrors image conducted by so-called ‘experts in the field’, it is simply bread and butter marketing strategy:

Good business strategy should always include feedback and dialogue. Without either you are simply rowing in circles, which is (last time I checked) not an effective strategy. Therefore, the much touted ‘era of dialogue’ is not a novel or modern panacea to business ills, just plain common sense. Consideration of long-term strategy should always precede social media action.

It is important to ask 4 core questions:

- What value will Social media add to my organisation?

- Would social media improve the brand experience for the customer or employees?

- Is our offering/industry suitable towards social media communication?

- Do we understand?

Out of all these questions the final is the most important. Does your organisation understand? Does it understand the value, the application, and the desired outcomes of social media? In my humble experience it is the companies that struggle with that question are the ones spending large budgets on the marketing equivalent of a ‘stab in the dark’. No points for guessing that they are largely stabbing themselves. The editor of the fantastic ‘Monocle’ Magazine recently described the relationship between large corporate’s and social media sites (in particular Twitter) as akin to seeing a middle aged man walking down the street with a youthful and buxom model in tow. Not an enticing image, and certainly not one that you would want to be consistently tainting and defining your brands value across the web with.

So how can large brands avoid this? There’s no easy answer, but time helps. Time to slowly update systems, time to ask what the employees and customers want, time to slowly build up a list of quality followers/fans/blog subscribers and time to consider the value of long term customer relations. The view that we need a ‘Social Media Campaign’ and we need it now, contributes to the view that brands infiltrate social networks in order to exploit users. Is it not better to carry on doing what you do best, to offer your fantastic products/services, to ask about how you can improve those products/services, to create a social media presence that encourages people to want to share with your organisation. Isn’t that what social media is all about? Isn’t that the point?

E-Card Fun!

2009-11-17T13:52:00.005Z

This is easily my new favorite website! An e-card for every occasion www.someecards.com

Free Music! Polyvinyl Sampler

2009-11-16T11:39:00.005Z

Polyvinyl records released their new 16 track mp3 sampler for 2010 last week. Ive not had a listen yet, but know that the Owen track (number 10) is a good 'un! Bound to be some gems hidden away in the rest of the tracks:

Download Sampler Mp3 (Link)

The download code is: MATH (Its free to download!)

What are your thoughts?

Bon Iver, give me more!

2009-11-13T11:33:00.003Z

There is something about Bon Iver that just makes me stop, watch and listen. This cover version of a little known song was recently sent over to me from my friend Tom, love the intricate fingerstyle guitar work up and down the fretboard at the end!

New Music: Shadow Orchestra

2009-11-05T12:14:00.004Z

Apologies for being a bit slow on the posts recently. Loving this awesome video, by the 'Shadow Orchestra' at the moment sent to me by Jade over at 'Roar Store'. Especially enjoying the echoey style tapping , stop-start video and squelchy dub interspersed throughout. There is something strangely comforting about this video, check it out....

3 Minutes of: Swell

2009-10-22T09:42:00.004+01:00

The much hyped Atlantic swell of last week finally arrived yesterday. I got up especially early, partly due to the sheer noise of the waves crashing on the beach down below my house and to check out the arrival of the waves stacked corduroy to the horizon. I've also learnt never to turn down the the opportunity to wear my full-length jacket with the collar turned up like a salty sea dog!

Heres some video footage I took, accompanied by the the guttural awesomeness that is 'Moderat' . Sit back, breathe in, breathe out and enjoy....

Best Fake Tube Sign Ever!

2009-10-14T15:29:00.001+01:00

Home Improvements

2009-10-13T13:46:00.014+01:00

Readers of my blog will be aware of my recent move down to Cornwall and my current residence in an internet/phone/TV free house overlooking the beach at Porthtowan. Whilst the views and surf are both great, as the evenings are starting to draw in I’ve found more time for indoor pursuits. Time to play the guitar, cook overcomplicated dishes, read the newspaper from front to back and importantly, time for home improvements......

Starting from a purely functional level, I decided a double bed would be nice. So I built one.

Apres Installation:

After realising my bed building potential, I turned my attention to creating a guest bedroom in a disused corridor. As you will be well aware, decoration can make or break a corridor conversion (see: Harry Potter’s bedroom). So using some stickers kindly donated for the cause by Volcom (they held a surf competition at the beach last weekend) and a 1930s hand-drawn picture of a naked woman reclining (kindly donated by my housemate Dan) the conversion was completed.

Next up, the lounge. Our lounge is unfortunately guilty of the ‘landlord-does-the-house-up-with-as-little-financial-investment-as-possible-using-Ikea-and-Argos-furniture-and-now-it-looks-like-a-crappy-catologue’ syndrome so often prevalent in modern homes. So building on my experience of interior design, and Dan’s impeccable taste in 1930s erotica, we went shopping. Stretching to a budget of £5 each, the task was simple. Decorate the mantle piece. A visit to the local market produced the following:

This is my favourite corner of the mantle piece. The queen (pictured and appearing on a commemorative mug celebrating her historic visit to Penryn in 1982) is juxtaposed with the a framed gorilla who dramatically informs the viewer to ‘Sod Off!’

The middle of the mantelpiece, generally considered the focal piece of any room is framed by paisley covered semi-matching rabbit and dog like creature who has a walking stick (Don’t know what that’s about). Bang in the centre is a small trophy that states ‘The worlds greatest lover’.

Lastly the business end. The Virgin Mary makes an appearance, why you ask? Dans response “Because she’s hot”. This is backed up by a portrait of Charles Bronson, the reason: he’s badass.

We are currently looking for a picture of Pat Sharp (Funhouse era) and John Major to complete the scene, however any suggestions in the form of comments would be greatly appreciated.

Autumn is here, Tesco told me...

2009-10-05T11:55:00.008+01:00

The passing of the seasons is often marked by the small events that provide sensory confirmation that change has occurred; the routine clearing of ice from the windscreen, the smell of freshly mown grass, the fragile crunch of leaves underfoot. Increasingly it seems as if these events have taken second place to the omnipotent power of corporations from media to retail who provide the subtle precursors to seasonal change, the removal of BBQs from shelves, the feature articles on winter clothing and the aisles dedicated to Halloween costumes.

The segmentation of the seasons into a yearly schedule of marketable events, in which our behaviour is predicated and anticipated far in advance of our actions has become intertwined with modern living.

Autumn is a time for reflection as the long summer days that held so much promise and life slowly retreat. It is the time to come to terms with the past, hunker down and prepare for the veil of a winter. Promoting and selling the latest winter coat or must have Christmas toy is merely a facade for manufacturing hope in something new for the future.

Yet, there is still something oddly comforting about the confidence of Tesco to start selling Christmas decorations in October or for the fashion industry to discuss next summers must-have fashion accessory. An understanding that on the whole this year will me no more or less remarkable than the last, people will still eat too much at Christmas, hearts will be broken on Valentines day and summer will eventually come round.

The Friday Wish List (Its back!)

2009-09-25T08:58:00.005+01:00

Every single one of Insights new 09 autumn flannel shirts:

The new 'Unmap' record by Volcano Choir (led by Justin Vernon of Bon Iver Fame)

Kelly Slaters new double stringered, expoxy/carbon all singing and dancing

tangent surfboard (5'10 x 18.5 x 2.2)

Graduating in the Dark Arts

2009-09-23T11:15:00.011+01:00

I finally graduated on tuesday and to avoid boring you before I begin Ill get the predictable and sentimental statements out of the way: "The chapter has drawn to a close, the curtains have fallen and I'm left to pick up the pieces". Well not quite, it actually turned out to be a great day to catch up with friends, plan mischief and generally act and dress like a extra in Harry Potter.

Coincidentally the graduation day fell on the autumnal equinox . If you dont know, the equinox marks the point in which everywhere on earth has 12 hours of light and 12 hours of darkness. It also marks the slow, inevitable and lumbering onslaught of winter in the northern hemisphere. It is fitting that the world me and my friends graduate into is turning to darkness, whilst the cloak of recession still bears burden on our backs. Im not planning on entering the dark side soon, but the 'forces to be' appear to disagree.

Its been along time..... and ive been busy!

2009-09-17T09:19:00.008+01:00

It seems like a lifetime ago that I last sent a blog post out, the truth is I've been busy. Busy making my life as simple and decluttered as possible. I work, I surf, I eat three square meals a day and I play guitar badly (really, im terrible!) At the moment these activities form the essence of my existence.

At first slowly unravelling my life and slowing down the pace made me feel guilty. This guilt was a manifestation of the selfishness I associated with removing myself from what many consider the basis of modern life. I was someone who overnight became unvailable by phone, by email, by social media.

I stripped away the veneer of what makes me a 'social' person, beneath modern communications blogging/tweeting/posting/txting is the original source of social interaction:

"Ummm hello, my name is pete"

In three weeks, ive met a ukelele player, ive hung out with tattooists, ive chatted with the creative director of one of cornwalls largest design agencies, cooked a fuck lot of salmon (I bought 20 frozen fillets for £10- bargain!), been in the sea everyday, built a bed out of salvaged wood and watched a hell of alot of sunsets.

Sometimes doing nothing means doing more....

My House on the Beach!

2009-08-18T14:44:00.004+01:00

From the 1st of september this will be my home! It has another double room at £75 a week if you are interested, with sea/surf views. The gas heater is being changed to a wood burner, Im hoping to collect and burn driftwood.

Beneath the veneer...

2009-08-15T21:54:00.004+01:00

Its always great to see a refreshing documentary once in a while. This Vice TV documentary on 'Blackpool' avoids snobbery by allowing the story to be told by the people within, without once seeing the interviewer. Interesting stuff...

New Music: Volcano Choir

2009-08-12T19:25:00.004+01:00

Im a big fan of the music of Bon Iver, and like many people extremely excited about his collaborative project 'Volcano Choir' which is due an album release in September. Here is the first free Mp3 taster from the album 'Unmap'. The song is called 'Island, IS' and represents a shift away from Justin Vernon's signature falsetto style singing with fluttering hive like background sound . My initial reaction was mixed with a part of me convinced that this was infact a coldplay record, however at 2.45ms in the song breaks into an ethereal display of mathrock reminiscent of the bands. 'minus the bear'. What do you think?

Surfing Yo!

2009-08-10T08:33:00.005+01:00

Despite my blog professing to be about the UK surf scene its been an awfully longtime since my last surfing related post. So I thought I would give my thoughts on whats up with surfing sub-culture right now. In my eyes the best surf commentator at the moment is Lewis Samuel, sole contributor to the excellent 'postsurf' blog. He is the single breath of fresh air in a sport which has become increasingly stale with the big brands controlling the direction of the sport. Kind of like a surfing version of a socialist visionary , L.Samuels is consistently challenging the status quo of the sport and has become the key alternative source of information for the disillusioned.

Probably the most absurd thing he has been ranting about recently is 'Power Balance' which is hologram stickers one places on his/her surfboard and through positive energy improves your balance. Sounds ridiculous? Well not to world champion Andy Irons or a plethora of other professional surfers who actually endorse this product!

This is unrelated, but check it out:

Moving out

2009-08-08T20:59:00.008+01:00

I finally moved out of my university room of two years today, it was an odd experience saying goodbye to a room has so many memories.... from a party room filled with friends, smoke, the smell of coffee and LCD soundsystem blaring from the speakers to my quiet sanctuary away from the world, it was my home.

There is something quite humbling about being able to fit all of your most valuable material possessions into the boot of a small car.

The Cornfield

2009-08-06T21:00:00.006+01:00

Today I walked to the cornfield, the cornfield is precisely a 5.4 min walk from my house.

According to my dad the corn is used to feed pigs on a nearby farm. As a way of avoiding paying tax on animal feed.

According to wikipedia people who are allergic to corn are often also allergic to peaches.

Scientists arent sure why this is the case.

Im not allergic to corn and figure that the pigs can share. When its ready im going to steal one.

Modest Mouse Video - Directed by Heath Ledger

2009-08-05T17:43:00.003+01:00

Modest Mouse are one of those bands who have always appeared to teeter on that precarious line between genius and 'what the hell is this custard junk'. Never quite producing that perfect album and creating the illusion that the songs are a mishmash of noise knocked up on a sunday afternoon. This music video (which has only just come to light) was directed by the late Heath Ledger, which is sure to give it some attention in the coming weeks.

The video is surprisingly dark, with a lets just say 'unique' role reversal. Check out the 'Captain' at 0.56 in the video, hes my favourite character! Why? because hes a badass, cigar smoking captain whale who doesnt take no shit from no-one! Enjoy....

Modest Mouse - King Rat (International Version)

La perfection. Tout Simplement

2009-08-04T23:16:00.003+01:00

I fall everytime for music videos which draw you in like this one....

We dont need scientists....

2009-08-03T16:26:00.008+01:00

regret |riˈgret|noun

a feeling of sadness, repentance, or disappointment over something that has happened or been done.
Regret is one of many myriad of feelings we regularly encounter in our lives. It is a feeling normally associated with a fleeting sense of loss, one of "I wish I had gone out last night" or a "why did I do that". It is an emotion that most, if not all of us are deeply familiar with.
However, I wonder whether the word 'regret' truly reflects a deeper sense of sadness reflected in situations where regret is associated with the past, present and the 'what could have been'. Regret itself doesn't imply the sense of guilt, fault or confusion often associated with significant loss. The world is a confusing place, and human emotions even more so. As such placing words like regret in situations where there is no correct answer just doesnt seem to make sense to young man like myself.
Im no saint.... I just want to understand 'why' to the best of my ability and make myself a better person. My dreams for the future haven't changed, just the methods in which I have chosen on that path. It has been said that 'The journey is the reward' well that journey can be exciting, exhilarating, scary, dull, sexy and incredibly powerful. I understand that everyones journey is different but I've found that in the form of friendships, families and relationships we can share parts of our journey.
It may sound completely unrelated but I distinctly remember reading an article when I was younger about 'surfing with friends' which stated that surfings greatest joy comes from sharing it with others. I believe this can be translated to ones life, my favourite moments have been with others and comparatively the parts of my life where ive been unhappiest with are the pieces where I felt cast alone in a vast sea.
Life is not about self-actualisation and striving for personal goals. Its about truly sharing your moments, from laughter, arguments, affection and sex with people who appreciate them and who have plenty more to share with you. Regret may be a powerful emotion but it should never be confused with a different, unique feeling which is yearning for those perfect moments where journeys become a journey with someone special.

A Thousand Words from Ted Chung on Vimeo.

The final countdown..

2009-07-12T17:14:00.011+01:00

As my training week comes to end, it is interesting to note the presence of apprehension in the air. Beneath the veneer of seemingly simple homework assignments, the mounting pressure of juggling the portfolio assignments (including this post!) in addition to tomorrows dragons den pitch has meant a late night for many is in order.

The days proceedings were occupied with an introduction to Search Engine Optimization, Google analytics and ad-words by Rob Eddlin of Niddocks (a local internet marketing consultancy). Over the week I've developed a respect for the awesome power and size of Google. Despite my initial astonishment that much of the internet software used to analyse websites is freely available (e.g Google Analytics) I'm starting to get a better picture into how Google has become a force to be reckoned with. By providing website developers/users with the tools in which they can optimise their offerings, Google secures its very future. Kind of like a tailor asking you to provide your own measurements prior to having a suit fitted!

Anyone who has been reading my blog will have noted my promise last thursday to "Integrate with the Robots!" or broadly speaking engage social media at every opportunity. This has involved a failed attempt to start a twitter account, but a more successful attempt to integrate Google Analytics with this blog. Readers of fridays post will have also seen my rather unambitious goal of 5 post viewings of one of my postings, well I achieved it! Whilst im not expecting a medal anytime soon, its a start!