I am in the car on the corner of Ridge and Broad waiting at the light with my son S. We have just passed the Fairmont prison better know as the Eastern State Penitentiary, which is decked with Gargoyles for Halloween. My son is certain that the old Quaker prison is a castle. The prison is famously noted as the first penitentiary devoted to the reform of inmates and not solely the punishment. Unfortunately, the method of solitary (confinement) or reflection actually led to the deep psychological decline of many of the inmates. My son asks me to promise that we will pass the castle on the way home and I do.

My sons’ understanding of castles is rooted in their experience of knights and dragons, wizards, witches and of course the army of the dead. It is true I have indulged these gothic ideas. My husband and I did get him the Scully Skeleton castle for his birthday and I did venture to make him a scully bones castle cake. Of course, Lego and Playmobile are also equally to blame for having these toys so readily available. It can be argued that I didn’t really have a say. Or it is possible that the creators are so culturally in tune with my aesthetic nuances that I happily accept and embrace their cultural artifacts? Either way, the battleship grey, dungeony medieval boy castle is now a paradigm set in stone.

Is it our paranoid American vision that has morphed boys castles into hollow fortresses that must be protected? Why are their castles devoid of the life? Do they know what they are fighting to defend? Wait, can’t reflect on that now…I’ve got to fight off the army of the dead. Why? Because they are out there!! Frankly in many sword and sandal, zombie, man action movies the heroes are never really fighting for their homes, as they are often already on the run. The home, the way of life all these things have already been lost. The whole first act has been spliced into a three minute visual narrative of a wife and kid/family/homestead being sacrificed, think Gladiator. For some men it is the perfect formula, a nod to the foreplay and on with the game. These knights are solely fighting to survive and then perhaps for the possibility of love or to avenge love. Just because…there should be a love interest or an adoring witness to their fateful heroics.

Which brings me to the grail next door or rather across the street. It’s a whole other game when they go across the street to their grail friend’s house. Which they do happily. For there, they are greeted by pink and purple legos. There the castles are frosted with lipstick confection. At her house there are twinkling mirrors that tell them how beautiful they are and what great princesses they make. Just across the street the boys find a very different kind of castle. The pink grail castle is a Palace with glass turrets, faux marble entryways, and floral moiré taffeta drapes and Louis IV style furniture. Forget La Revolution…Marie Antoinette lives!

And how do my boys react to this taffy colored paradigm? Naturally they find their niche. S finds the cop or Storm trooper Lego’s that the girl’s father has inserted into the mix. M takes the Legos and builds cars for the mini-Polly pockets (don’t click that link…I warn you. ) to ride in. They focus on building. Sometimes they will play with the dolls. This means taking the doll’s clothes off… and changing them and then having them drive around in the cars with transformable features. It doesn’t matter that the car’s transformation is from 2 seater to limo with a hot tub. In fact, that has a certain appeal too.

Ethnographers love to study the toys of different cultures. Toys they understand represent the cultural legacy or lessons they wish to teach their children. The dolls of the Inuit are made from soap stone and fur. These are the materials of their livelyhood. They are clothed in the traditional costume of their day. The toys create a continuum of understanding, a cultural norm. So what happens if I allow the skull Castle to remain empty? Empty of history or purpose? Is Survival the fantasy I want my sons to aspire to? To be a soldier, because carrying swords and guns and being powerful is fun…and everyone loves a hero? What confection do I have to conjure to rectify and bring Peace or purpose to the war games?

I will take a cue from the creators of I am Legend with Will Smith. Here is a man, a doctor/scientist (positive role model in many people’s eyes. Though I am not personally a big fan of doctors, but for the sake of the story.) who naturally loses the beautiful wife and kid, finds a cure for the zombies and saves the world. But wait what is the world? At the end of the movie the lone female and the orphan come with the cure in hand to the fortress gates of their new home. There they are greeted by the idyllic, homespun community of robe wearing agrarians and intellectuals. The community is a cross between a college campus and a Jedi academy and an artists commune in the hills of New Mexico or Ithaca. Wait that’s just where I want to live. I am mixing my fantasies theirs, mine, their fathers.

This is what I propose:

Week one we make the main house a communal meeting house.

Week two we make the multiple homes for our variety of families.

Week three we make the well, the water wheel and the wind mill. Okay we can add a pool, but with the waterwheel there must be a naturally occurring water source so a waterfall with a nice pool at the bottom would be better.

Week four we invest in bean sprouts and create a mini field. No, no cows…all that methane, how about kangaroos..I heard a story on NPR..yes of course we need to make a radio station and a building for a press or a house for the “server”. Don’t forget a sewer system and Wireless access for all.

Week five the artist studios, ceramics, glass, textiles, wood and or recycled materials, printmaking and of course painting. Oh and don’t’ forget the music and dance halls and Martial arts studios. Science lab? Planetarium?

Week six we create the library because after working in the fields, apprenticing with their guild teachers we do want our children to be literate. Of course their reading writing and math skills will be trained in their field and guild apprentice work, but we do want them to have a special place to dream and play in the languages of letters and numbers.

Week seven we create the fire stations and police stations because there is always some robe wearer going rogue.

Week eight we will rest…reflect and say..this is good…

Week nine we will write a letter:

Dear Lego and Play mobile,

My sons and I have created prototypes for the stuff you might keep behind the Architectural Facades of your castles. Because we believe that if you are going to fight the army of the dead..you should at least know what your fighting for. Could you reproduce these with organic and or recycled materials for the many willing consumers looking forward to Christmas? Oh and as creators, we will accept 20% of your net profits.

If you choose not to take up this great offer…then we will be forced to act and create our own venture. The competition will be fierce and the battle possibly, long and bloody with swords and what not, but with true purpose..we will prevail!

Sincerely,

Woewifey and sons, Think tank – our motto- Destroying the army of the dead one toy at a time

p.s. Could you give my wife a job?

Respectfully, her husband.

I am no longer a toys-R-us kid! Although, I did freak out over the amount of Playmobile in the big book last Sunday.. Ok so maybe I am, but I want to move out! Yesterday, dad was saying he does not want me to move out. Ever really. I am thinking January.

On another note, my heart goes out to those affected by the terrible shooting at Fort Hood. I think about the soldiers that thought the fort was a safe place, some place where they could not die in such a brutal way. I will be keeping the families in my mind.

Also, whats the deal with stock brokers, and investment bankers getting the swine flu vaccine before children, pregnant women, teachers, and general young people. I am in the prime group for getting swine flu and I cannot find the vaccine. I felt bad for getting the regular flu vaccine when I know older people need it as well, but my Mom insisted I get it. I hope the vaccine becomes more available, and investment bankers will realize they are not high risk and give the vaccines to people who really need it.

Happy Friday everyone!

Balenciaga looks for SS2010

Some more Balenciaga Looks for SS2010

If you don’t belong to the ‘bloggers/fashion hall of fame’, forget about getting in at the Balenciaga show during Paris Fashion Week. Only VIF (Very Important Fashionalities) may enter the Ghesquière kingdom. I know for a fact, because I’ve tried a few seasons ago. Flirting and joking with the security guy didn’t help (it just got me in at Ann Demeulemeester).

Can’t really explain what aura Nicholas Ghesquière has created around the brand, but it’s known as one of the most fashion forward brands. Where other designers are chewing on past trends, Balenciaga is all about innovation.Silhouettes and shaping are key. For spring/summer 2010 it’s leather, hoodies and distinctive details. This is what we will be wearing once the day comes to discover other planets, and still want to look fashionable facing the aliens.

Ghesquière says he was inspired by toys, and come to think about it, we see certain references to Playmobile. However, it’s a strong collection that defines that fashion is still moving forward, and some designers should take Nicholas’ example of experimenting in originality.

We also discovered a Dutch model walking down the Balenciaga catwalk: Patricia van der Vliet was third runner up in one of the seasons of Holland’s next top model. You don’t need to be the winner to become a succesful model…

Patricia @ Balenciaga

Od pewnego czasu rozgladam sie za nowym telefonem. Wybór padł na platformę Android. Polscy operatorzy oferują nastepujące telefony:

• Era – G1
• Orange – HTC Magic
• Play – HTC Hero

Oferta Orange nie wydaje sie zbyt atrakcyjna: 1199zł za telefon w abonamencie 75zl (1299zł w salonie).  Jak dla mnie za dużo.

Teraz Play: 499zł za telefon w abonamencie One Play 65. Hmmm niezle ale przeczytajmy regulamin promocji ‘Swobodny Internet’ bo tylko w tej promocji jest on dostepny:

• Pakiet może być wykorzystywany do pobierania danych tylko w strefie taniego Internetu w sieci Play
• Strefa taniego Internetu w Play to strefa, w której P4 świadczy usługi telekomunikacyjne w oparciu o własną infrastrukturę dostępową z wyłączeniem infrastruktury innych Operatorów Krajowych
• Poza strefą taniego Internetu w Play za korzystanie z Internetu jest naliczana stawka zgodna z Cennikiem Oferty One Play.

Okazuje się ze już nie jest tak tanio i swobodnie. Mapka zasiegu Swobodnego Internetu Play tutaj.

Na koniec oferta Ery: 49zł za telefon w abonamencie 60zł + 25zł (za blueconnect) miesięcznie.

Identifiée par le site The Cool Hunter, on s’interroge d’emblée sur ce sobriquet un poil racoleur… Si arborer un logo – sérieusement ou de façon décalée – et se faire l’ambassadeur d’une marque revient à devenir une “pute de marque”, le concept risque de faire grincer beaucoup d’annonceurs…

Du côté des putes, je pense que contrairement à ce que cette opportuniste de Naomi Klein a voulu faire croire, les consommateurs en redemandent et sont d’excellents professionnels.

Au-delà du bling-bling et des gens qui brandissent fièrement certaines marques sur leurs poitrails, on voit en effet des gens détourner des logos, se les approprier et/ou remettre au goût du jour certaines des marques qui nous ont touché durant notre jeunesse…

Quelques exemples croisés récemment :

• Un sticker Space Invader sur un laptop
• Un t-shirt Bambi en soirée
• Un féteeshirt - merci l’Obs pour cette expression - Mickey pour dormir
• Des tonnes de t-shirt de beaufs à la Goéland détournant des logos célèbres : “Heineken” devient “Enviedekene”, “Enjoy Coca-Cola” devient “Enjoy Coke”…
• Des soirées We are the nineties bardées de produits – fraises Tagada, vodka Carambar – et de marques des années 90
• Des romans-photos avec des jouets Playmobile
• Des milliers de vidéos en bonshommes Lego (cf. exemple du Wu-Tang infra, merci Tanguy)
• Des figurines Barbie à l’effigie de Karl Lagerfeld
• …

Et vous? Avez-vous déjà croisé des brand whores?Peut-être en êtes-vous une?

Source : The Cool Hunter , Post-it

http://www.flickr.com/photos/r_m_x/

These photos ran on The Gazette's Picture page, July 26, 1954.

  In the summer of 1954, the Junior Chamber of Commerce looked into buying a portable playground for the city. They discovered Detroit had purchased one for $30,000. That was too much for their budget, so they set out to create one.

An Around the Town item on Aug. 1, 1954, described its construction: 

WE’VE COME ACROSS a few statistics on construction of the city’s new Playmobile that you might be interested in. Members of the Junior Chamber of Commerce, which constructed the mobile playground and donated it to the city, put in 302 hours of work on the project—in addition to the Iowa Electric Welding Company’s work under the direction of Henry Malek. It took 20 quarts of paint to cover it. Materials that went into it included 222 feet of channel iron and angle iron, 110 square feet of 12 gauge sheet steel, 80 feet of two and a half inch pipe, 320 square feet of marine plywood and 184 lineal feet of two-by-fours. It all adds up to a unique and useful addition to the city’s recreational facilities.

   The Playmobile was used in the  Recreation Department’s summer playground program into the mid-1970s.

Today I accompanied Si Jae to assist in her Performance Art Class at Kookmin University (Kookmin Daehakyo).

I have never visited the mountainous northern suburbs of Seoul.  The university is situated in Songbuk-Gu, a very affluent neighborhood that is reached by driving past the House with the Blue Roof Tiles, through Sam Cheong Dong (one of my favorite parts of Seoul), through a very beautiful, clean, residential suburb and then, over a mountain.

The University is Huge.  Si Jae is a lecturer in the Fine Arts Academy, and this particular class is for Junior Undergraduates and is an introduction to Installation Art.

Their task today was to endure a short physical warm-up outside the Buddhist temple in the mountain behind the university, and then split off into groups and create a site-specific installation in the surounding forest.

I was able to participate in creating two of the peices, and was asked to provide some feedback to the students.  I am not sure how valuble I was as a critic, but I had a lot of fun.  I’ll attache some images to this post when I get home.

Also, cracked out the Holga, so I hope some attractive photos will ensue.

We then met with the COMP Project Director (I am unsure how many people are actually in charge of this project).  She is a senior staff member at Kookmin Dae and her name is Ahn Shin Hee.  I am rapidly growing a contact base, I will probs need a rolodex soon!

I am back in Sam Cheong Dong now.  I can see what Hakima meant about the huge game of chess the the policemen seem to play. They really do look like Playmobile figurines.  Imagine a 360 Degree Panorama of Sam Cheong Dong with animated figurines playing chess…

Quand un accord à l’amiable est vendu comme une paie durable, la guerre devient un loisir pour les morales les plus coupables.

Cette époque possède tout, même le vide, alors afin de le combler, l’Homme invente le commerce identitaire.

À tout pouvoir contrôler, transformer, diffuser, on s’accoutume doucement au mouvement perpétuel sans chercher à posséder de la mémoire, à croire qu’inconsciemment chacun sait que demain n’existe plus.

Quand le temps ne fait plus office de porte parole de la rédemption rentable, les plus impudents hésitent entre l’immortalité pixelisée et la vie d’un dionysiaque en sursis.

Télé-achat et don de soi :

Le jour où la télécommande a perdu son travail, ce jour là, c’est le moment précis où l’Homme est devenu une chose.

La personnification des concepts se substitue de plus en plus à la personnalisation de celle-ci, au nom du changement, de la liberté ou de l’art, au final peu importe la cause, ou les conséquences ne s’appliquent pas au virtuel.

Tous pour l’art et l’art pour tous, pourquoi s’exposer quand tous peuvent exercer.

La personne s’abandonne aux personnages, entre culte de l’anonymat et schizophrénie passagère en y articulant son positionnement social en fonction de ces frustrations quotidiennes.

« Allo SOS suicide virtuel, je pense que je vais supprimer mon profil, je n’en peux plus. »

La sensitivité aux outils a domestiqué celle objectée pour l’individu, on s’exprime à travers des objets plus par commodité que par sécurité.

L’industrie de la pornographie a de l’avenir dans la métaphysique, concernant l’amour tout son côté biodégradable trouve son sens au milieu de rien.

Parle à mon clavier ma tête est anale :

Big Brother est une vision positiviste de l’avenir. Le réveil matin, lui, est un avant goût du nouvel ordre.

L’objet est décrit et nous décrypte par déformation professionnelle, voire mercantile, il s’arrange de l’alimentaire et redéfinit l’élémentaire.

Quand le boulier et l’imprimerie sont devenus un, il était déjà trop tard.

Tout ira pour le mieux tant que le discours du réel sera transféré dans la conviction de l’intime ou la configuration de l’extime et que celle ci sera proposée comme vitrine sentimentale et accessoirement existentielle.

Adieu la vie privée, bienvenue à la solitude pour tous.

Au vu de la demande humaine et de l’offre matérielle, le soi devient le dénominateur commun de l’autre, quitte à laisser le vent parler.

Pour l’artisanat de l’autocensure, contre l’industrie de la démocratie, est-ce vraiment un choix ?

Notice vierge et espace saturé :

La photocopieuse qui s’était crue unique.

Un objet se définit par son utilisation, voire son propriétaire, il anticipe la logique sans jamais la dépasser, ni la parfaire.

Je ne veux ni femme, ni homme, ni enfant, je veux une boîte à outil.

Un être sensible se définit par ses actions, sa moralité est consubstantielle à son rapport au temps et antérieure à sa rencontre avec l’autre.

La conjugaison c’est pour les gens.

Service après-vente et coups de reins malheureux :

Chers promoteurs du progrès à crédit, prophètes du futur comme paradis palpable, ambassadeur des liftings numériques…

Quelle sera votre réaction, lorsque votre progéniture fraîchement sortie de son éprouvette au nom d’un quelconque eugénisme, vous regardera droit dans la web cam en vous demandant un peu de temps de téléchargement affectif.

À l’issu de celui-ci, il avouera son projet d’avenir, qui ne sera qu’un vulgaire mise à jour du votre :

-Papa, quand je serai grand, je serai un répliquant !!!

-…

Only 3 Left in Stock!

D.Blawg suggests you ORDER SOON!

Although, you might want to check out the customer reviews first…

By	loosenut (Seattle, WA)

Great lesson for the kids!

I was a little disappointed when I first bought this item, because the functionality is limited. My 5 year old son pointed out that the passenger’s shoes cannot be removed. Then, we placed a deadly fingernail file underneath the passenger’s scarf, and neither the detector doorway nor the security wand picked it up. My son said “that’s the worst security ever!”. But it turned out to be okay, because when the passenger got on the Playmobil B757 and tried to hijack it, she was mobbed by a couple of other heroic passengers, who only sustained minor injuries in the scuffle, which were treated at the Playmobil Hospital.
The best thing about this product is that it teaches kids about the realities of living in a high-surveillence society. My son said he wants the Playmobil Neighborhood Surveillence System set for Christmas. I’ve heard that the CC TV cameras on that thing are pretty worthless in terms of quality and motion detection, so I think I’ll get him the Playmobil Abu-Gharib Interogation Set instead (it comes with a cute little memo from George Bush).

By	Zampano (New York City)

Durability: Fun: Educational:

Thank you Playmobil for allowing me to teach my 5-year old the importance of recognizing what a failing bureaucracy in a ever growing fascist state looks like. Sometimes it’s a hard lesson for kids to learn because not all pigs carry billy clubs and wear body armor. I applaud the people who created this toy for finally being hip to our changing times. Little children need to be aware that not all smiling faces and uniforms are friendly. I noticed that my child is now more interested in current events. Just the other day he asked me why we had to forfeit so much of our liberties and personal freedoms and I had to answer “well, it’s because the terrorists have already won”. Yes, they have won.

I also highly recommend the Playmobil “farm fencing” so you can take your escorted airline passenger away and fence him behind bars as if he were in Guantanamo Bay.

I have never been a fan of the circus, not the kind with animals anyway. But we saw Circus Smirkus this summer and it was everything you want a circus to be without all the unpleasant parts. No sad elephants or scary clowns, just kids being funny and doing these amazing feats of skill (feats of skill? an awkward phrase, I know but the things they did were too amazing to be described as tricks). Anyway, the boys were pretty psyched about circus tricks and practiced their trapeze routine on our swing set for weeks. I think we might need this Playmobil Circus Set for Christmas:

As much as I am not a fan of having too much plastic in the play room, I Love Playmobile. Everything they make is just so well done. They have smaller circus sets too, this is my favorite:

Oh look, one for the Princess too!

Zawsze marzyłem o niezłej stronie dla Palymobili – takiej w pełni interaktywnej, takiej po prostu fajnej. W podobnym tonie podchodzę do Lego. I zawsze chciałem, żeby tą wypaśną stronę zrobiła szwedzka Agencja North Kingdom (obszerne tzw. “work in progress” na firmowym blogu).

Jako, że jedna firma już dawno zaczęła stawić na niestandardowe i limitowane serie, w czym niewątpliwie pomagają jej artyści – Zbigniew Libera, czy Nathan Sawaya – zaczynam się zastanawiać, czy drogi moich dziecięcych zabawek nie rozeszły się.

Lego inspirując się celebrytami, same inspirują artystów, a Playmobile trochę podążając tą drogą, bardziej wykorzystują jednak (nie)zwykłość, którą opakowują – najczęściej – w różne kostiumy: historyczny, fantastyczny, realistyczny, melodramatyczny, etc… .

Mój bejbik ostatnio preferuje Playmobile, bo … Mapa Tata, Mapa!!! (czyt. bo podoba jej się małpa) potwierdzając moją tezę o tym, że nic tak nie rozwija wyobraźni i inwencji dziecka, jak proste zabawki.

Ja wolę klocki Lego, bo zostawiają większe pole do creative thinking – poza tym zawsze można dzięki nim pokazać się na takim Golden Drum.

Rada: Po prostu.

As seen here ::

We have two vehicles.  One is a van that, while it requires more gas, keeps the anarchists separated in the back.  The car, very fuel efficient, keeps them in close vicinity to each other.

Here is a snippet of what will come out of your mouth if you go on a “green” road trip with 3 kids all wedged in tightly for the sake of reducing your carbon footprint.  Screw the rainforest, I’m not doing this again:

“I said STOP LICKING HER WALLET.”

“If that egg breaks in the cupholder, so help me god!!!”

“No, your sister did not intentionally make her foot closest to you smell the stinkiest, so please stop harrassing her about it.”

“Take one for the team and let him smack you with his truck.  PLEASE. It keeps him happy, OK???”

“No, I can’t assemble Playmobile right now.  I AM DRIVING.”

“This is not really a good time to talk to me about how Herbal Essences makes your hair feel.”

“I know it would make the trip easier for you, but it is illegal. We can’t leave her at home for 2 days–she is only 8.”

“Why are your brother and his carseat under 2 inches of water?”

I am going to make a short post to make Maggie happy. Grrrr, Maggie! What do you have against my long yet detailed accounts in blog form?! It’s not my problem you are too lazy to read it all… =[

We currently have house guests – my mom’s friend from 10th grade (wow), her husband, and their 4 kids. The kids are Lili, Duncan, Aidan, and Maisie. Maisie is 4 and is currently sitting by the computer playing with my old and massive Playmobile collection saying over and over “big black hooorse and the cherry treee….” It’s so cute – I might just have to put that particular song on because I have it on iTunes. I bet she would sing along quite nicely (for a 4 year old!).

My mother just walked in after being at the store…”Air, why didn’t you call and ask me…?” she asks, in a very mean tone I might add. God, she is waaaaayyy too computer protective…as in she never lets others on…

Now I must go “be a helper” by feeding the kitties and giving children brownies because they are “starvin’ Marvin.” I hate it when my mom says that…and I just love how I’m the adult in the house cause my mom is as lazy as Maggie sometimes…that’s why I’M the one doing dishes…again…

Now Maisie is singing “party! There’s a party going on! Party, a Christmas party! That’s why we set up the Christmas tree!! Up up up up up up up up and away…up up up and awaaayy…don’t worry, be happy…don’t worry be happy now!” She is still playing with Playmobile…Oh I see – they have a Playmobile Christmas tree…

It’s adorable – I think I just might melt from cuteness…and so that I don’t have to wash the dishes…

~

OK, now that I have done dishes my mother told me to turn on her music. I refused. I refuse to hear “Sacred Yard” ever again in my life. If I do I think I shall have to shoot myself. We are now listening to Celeste’s (mom’s friend) music and it’s no better, but after looking through her iPod she does have at least 5 good songs. Not that she’s playing them…My mother has no good songs on her iPod except the ones I added. This is one of the many sad facts of my life.

I just heard the words “tree” and “prostitute” come from the kitchen where both the music and the mothers are. I’m officially scared.

Also, I regret to inform you all that I probably won’t survive the night because my mother will beat me for not turning on her crap music, and then I shall have to shoot myself because her punishment after beating me will most surely be to lock me in a room and blast David Wilcox music right outside my door. David dearest sings “Sacred Yard” along with multiple other suicide-inducing songs. I swear, it’s no wonder he’s divorced – I wouldn’t live with someone with that voice either! Therefor I will have to shoot myself as is explained above.

SAVE ME…

Or don’t…I have no problem sitting here bored…while I contemplate my imminent doom…all alone…without even my iPod to comfort me…for I have finally excepted that I left it at my guitar lesson and it was stolen. I think I shall attempt asking about getting on Guild Wars…I haven’t played in at least 3 months. Something’s wrong with me… O.o

And now…

I die…

♥ Airolyn