Anish Kapoor At The Royal Academy of Arts

I recently received a request for more posts on London. My response to that is simply qu'ils mangent de la brioche. But not really. I am a man of the people and not one to ignore the howling masses. So, without further preamble:

One of the best things about living in London is the quantity of museums and galleries that are so generously sprinkled throughout the city - kind of like the chocolate sprinkles on the doughnuts at Greggs. PS if you haven't tried the yum yum at Greggs than you are living a pale, empty existence. Seriously. But back to the topic at hand - Since moving to London a couple of months ago I have been able to visit many different museums and galleries around the city such as the Tate Modern, National Portrait Gallery, and little galleries around Brick Lane to name just a few.

This past weekend, based on a strong recommendation from a trusted source, I went to the Anish Kapoor exhibit at the Royal Academy of Arts. Absolutely one of the best exhibits I have seen in a long time. The piece titled Svayambh was mesmerizing because of its sheer size and like a moth to a flame, I couldn't resist touching the wax on the track. There was also another piece aptly titled Vertigo that was a collection of these large shapes of stainless steel. The way the shapes were formed resulted in these amazing reflections that actually ended up making feel like I was losing my balance a few times. Later in the evening, on the way home from a night out with the dudes, I was telling my friend about the exhibit and started to feel a little bit of vertigo again. The last piece from the exhibit that I want to mention is Shooting in to the Corner which is a great piece of mixed media where this cannon shoots large rounds of wax through a doorway into the corner of another room. Once again, the size and scope of the piece is impressive. A live web-cam of the piece can be seen here. I believe the cannon is fired approximately every 20 minutes or so.

I want to finish up by saying that the combination of the large scale pieces and the brilliant colors of the Anish Kapoor exhibit left a lasting impression on me and the way the various pieces interacted with the surrounding gallery was fascinating. If you ever get a chance to visit one of his exhibitions you will not be disappointed. I promise.

Finally

After years of procrastination, laziness, desire for more storage, concern for making ends meet in a foreign country without being gainfully employed, Bob Loblaw's Law Blog I can now say that I am a proud owner of a shiny new white 32GB iPhone 3Gs. I can't wait to ride the tube tomorrow and enjoy an episode of Samurai Champloo. Or maybe I will watch Princess Mononoke. I could even go the live action route and watch the season 7 finale of Curb Your Enthusiasm. The possibilities are endless. I have a feeling I am going to spend many hours sifting through the app store tonight. Any suggestions on which apps I absolutely need? Feel free to leave them in the comments along with any disparaging remarks regarding how I am such an "early adopter" of technology.

The Monte Carlo by Launderette

Having difficulties finding the perfect gift for the gentleman who seems to have everything? Been scouring the shops looking for the ideal accessory to bring out your inner Don Draper? Planning a relaxing holiday in the south of France and need a tie to wear to dinner? Well look no further. The stylish folks at Launderette have exactly what you have been searching for - The Monte Carlo Bow Tie.

As Launderette so aptly put it - "The Monte Carlo bow tie is for the man about town. Wear it to a Grand Prix after party or a NASA hearing. Easy to dress up or down in its emerald green and navy stripes."

So don't delay. Place your order now. Supplies are limited. And don't despair ladies, there is also something for you - the popular Shuffleboard Dress is still available.

PS Refreshing your browser and exploring the various pages of the site will reward you with some pretty good photos. Simply disregard the dork in the bow tie.

The Mature Game of Kobe Bryant

Remember that Michael Lewis piece in the NY Times earlier this year? Kobe Bryant does. From a recent piece in the NY Times on the maturation of Kobe Bryant's game:

"And after a New York Times Magazine article last February depicted the Houston Rockets’ Shane Battier’s use of analytical data to guard Bryant, he went to Grover’s assistant, Mike Procopio, and requested the same type of report on the Rockets’ tendencies."

The full text of the article can be found here. It is an interesting assessment of the evolution of Kobe from a statistical standpoint and also gives a greater understanding of just how seriously he takes his job and how much effort he puts into being the best basketball player on Mother Gaia.

Nike Pro Combat Uniforms

The new Nike Pro Combat uniforms for the Missouri Tigers are pretty sweet. I love the black on black helmet and the black on black pants. The Vapor Trail 2.0 gloves are sick as well. The flywire stitching on the shoulders is a subtle detail that pulls everything together quite nicely. Click here for the photo gallery.

Behind The Backboard

Kobe continues to impress. His shot last night against the the team formerly known as the Seattle Supersonics was ridiculous. See for yourself:

Should have been a chance for a three point play as well. Regardless, it is nice to see The Lake Show rolling again now that Gasol is back. Are the playoffs here yet?

Peugeot BB1

I was in Covent Garden a couple of weeks ago and saw the new Peugeot BB1 on display. It was in a plastic bubble and there was a big queue to see it so I didn't get to touch it or sit inside it. From what I saw though, it looked awesome. I loved the shape and the ultra modern design of the interior. I have always been a fan of the Smart Car but I liked the design of the BB1 more. There was also a cool advert up that said something along the lines of the BB1 being the offspring of a scooter and car or something along those lines. Wish I could remember exactly what the tag line was. I think it is a concept car right now but it has already taken over first place on my list of micro cars that I want.

PS The driver's lady friend is hot.

Art of the Trench

I realize that at the speed of internet, this post is so two thousand and late. Who cares. I have had the best of intentions to post this link since the website debuted last week? The week before? It is all kind of a blur for me these days. Never the less, take a look at Art of the Trench, which is a collection of photographs that Scott Schuman did for Burberry featuring... wait for it... wait for it.... has the anticipation built enough yet????? wait a little longer.... and now the anti-climactic reveal - the iconic Burberry trench. I bet you didn't see that one coming did you. All bad jokes aside, the website is pretty fantastic. Makes me happy that I picked up my Burberry trench off the eBizzle a couple weeks before the site went live and trenches became the hotness.

Eddie Russia

This past weekend I was able to visit the Hayward Gallery at the Southbank Centre for a viewing of the Ed Ruscha exhibit. My previous knowledge/experience with Ed Ruscha was very limited. I knew that he was a seminal figure in the pop art movement of the 60s. I knew that his work was heavily influenced by the Los Angeles area and his experience with typography. I was also familiar with his piece titled Standard Station. That was about it.

In retrospect, I am pretty happy that I only had a rudimentary base going into the exhibit because of the excitement of new discovery as I walked through the gallery. I loved the iconic Los Angeles images such as the 20th Century Fox logo, Norm's Diner, the Hollywood sign, and the LACMA. I loved the tongue in cheek humor of the words that were chosen for the paintings. I loved the mixing of mediums - peptol bismol and silky fabrics?. But above all I loved the colors. The majority of the pieces utilized bright, rich, vibrant colors that added a sense of happiness and light heartedness to the entire exhibit.

One of my favorite pieces from the exhibit was a blue canvas with a quote from Hamlet painted in a spiraling nature. Sadly, the Goog has failed me in my brief search for a recreation of this painting. However, I did happen to write down the quote which was:

Words without thoughts never to Heaven go.

Here is a link to a large collection of the works of Ed Ruscha. Sadly, the digital copies on you computer lack much of the emotion and beauty of the full sized pieces. If there is ever an exhibit near you, check it out. It will be well worth your time.

Jay on Jools

After hearing about Jay Zed's performance on the BBC program Later with Jools Holland for quite a few days from my magically empowered flatmate, we were finally able to set aside some quality time and watch the replay courtesy of the world wide web. The performance of Empire State of Mind was revelatory. The Alicia Keys replacement Bridget Kelly absolutely stole the show for me. She is stunningly beautiful and her voice gives me chills. I might be smitten. Again. This is a regular occurrence I know. Check out the performance for yourself:

The 99 Problems bit was pretty cool as well. Arguably my favorite Jay Z song of all time:

Guy Fawkes Celebration

So I went to the Guy Fawkes celebration at Victoria Park this weekend. The fireworks were pretty legen....dary. Totally worth braving the "cold" and the long tube ride. I think it was my favorite display of all time. This was largely due to the proximity of the fireworks. They were literally bursting directly over our head and I felt like I could reach out and touch the flares as they streaked and floated around. Being so close to them added a level of depth perception that was absolutely fantastic. I couldn't stop smiling during the entire display. But wait, it gets even better. There was a dirty little carnival set up on the side of the park as well. I love carnival lights at night. The only thing lacking was a sweet ferris wheel. Here are a few of my favorite photos from the evening. The entire set can of course be found on my Flickr page.

Heart On A Sleeve, I Mean Pocket

I saw this fantastic post on Garance Dore's blog today. Maybe this is "true love?" Even if it isn't, I still want it.


PS I loved this photo from Cedric Bihr's (the man with the heart on his pocket) website:

I'll have a milk steak with a side of your finest jelly beans

If you are not watching It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia than you are living a hopelessly deprived life. It is the funniest show on TV right now. Seriously. The funniest. The improvisational nature of the show is pure genius. The cultural and current events commentary is rivaled only by the geniuses of Southpark. Milk steak? A side of your finest jelly beans? Little green ghouls? Come on. I can't stop laughing. Here are a few of the milk steak clips that absolutely kill:







This season is absolutely hilarious. It has yet to miss on one single episode, whether it be milk steak, Frank failing to hang himself because his neck is too fat, or Charlie poking his head out of the tent and discussing the money making possibilities of catching crabs. I wasn't joking when I said this was the funniest show on TV.

PS I am anxiously awaiting the arrival of November 17th and the release of the much anticipated It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia: A Very Sunny Christmas.