My new favourite store...

so... I happened to be in Paris last week (I think that was last week, I'm losing track I think I've been in 4 countries in the past week, and my sense of place and time are a bit off). Anyhow, back to what I was actually writing about... Clothes. I found a new favourite store in the whole wide world - Loft design by, the clothes are simple and beautifully made, and most importantly - flattering. So now I just need to find a way to get to Paris on a regular basis to go shopping (that's feasible right?).

Generation M

I hope I fit into this new Generation... Generation M (according to the manifesto), is about doing things that matter... Here's a little excerpt...

"Dear Old People Who Run the World,

My generation would like to break up with you.

Everyday, I see a widening gap in how you and we understand the world — and what we want from it. I think we have irreconcilable differences (...)

What do the "M"s in Generation M stand for? The first is for a movement. It's a little bit about age — but mostly about a growing number of people who are acting very differently. They are doing meaningful stuff that matters the most. Those are the second, third, and fourth "M"s.

Gen M is about passion, responsibility, authenticity, and challenging yesterday's way of everything. Everywhere I look, I see an explosion of Gen M businesses, NGOs, open-source communities, local initiatives, government. Who's Gen M? Obama, kind of. Larry and Sergey. The Threadless, Etsy, and Flickr guys. Ev, Biz and the Twitter crew. Tehran 2.0. The folks at Kiva, Talking Points Memo, and FindtheFarmer. Shigeru Miyamoto, Steve Jobs, Muhammad Yunus, and Jeff Sachs are like the grandpas of Gen M. There are tons where these innovators came from."

Written by Umair Haque as a message for the G8. Thanks Putting People First for the link!

If only all websites...

I was looking for some inspiration this morning for designing my website and came across this by Tin Huynh. its his portfolio website, and its absolutely gorgeous. I think it might make all the other websites I see look incredibly boring, like a standard business card... Do check it out and look at all the lovely little details that make it so very awesome!

Teaching each other

I keep thinking about this idea from Swiss Miss' Creative Mornings. What a lovely idea. I also saw a guy at the Tate the other day with a sticker on his t-shirt that said 'I am Smart'. I want one, I'm smart, I need a sticker. I was thinking about getting one and wearing it to our private view, just as a little validation for myself. Luckily I'm even smart enough to be able to make one all by myself!

Lovely Video

Here is a lovely video full of hope sent by my lovely friend Jen. I'm in a place where I'm thinking about possibly becoming an entrepreneur, this is a nice thing to see. All of us have the capacity to change the world, at least I hope so.

A place to check out...

I found The Centre for Human Ecology today via The Do Lectures Website... I'm in the process of attempting to clean up all the 'stuff' of my life and putting it into boxes, so I just wanted to keep a note for later so I can look at it.

How to make bioplastic...

Here's a video on how they do it... fun, but I found it embedded in an article about PLA - that's not PLA - thats Starch based bioplastic! Two completely different things. Oh I'm annoyed! I wonder if I can make a PR campaign for bioplastic. I think it needs one - people are still incredibly confused and seemingly writing articles about something they have no idea about and then publishing them. I expect more of treehugger generally, I really do. It also makes me wonder about the accuracy of all of their other reports. I guess like anything, one should take it with a GIANT grain of salt.

I do hate how I've been working with the material for a long time, exploring the small details of a complicated issue, and then the press paints with a giant brush to the very audience who would normally be receptive to the use of bioplastics as an alternative to petrochemical plastics... Sustainability is a complicated issue, and we are going to have to look at it like that, nothing in isolation is good or bad, but part of a bigger more intricate chain of events. Until then, I guess I'll toll away in my own little corner, and hopefully make a tiny difference.