Foxymoron

Call for contributors

I'm looking for contributors to the Foxythings blog. If you haven't visited it, it's a new blog of beautiful design and ideas. The slogan is simple: indie and eco-friendly ideas and stuff. So far, I've written about sustainable homes, indie fashion designers, technology that turns your dance moves into energy and other stuff. If it looks good, isn't harmful to the earth and supports small businesses, then it's welcome on Foxythings, or rather, it is a foxything.

Interested contributors don't have to have a background in design or environmental issues. I don't. The important thing is that you're interested in finding and promoting good and positive ideas and products. So if you or someone you know fits this description and can put a reasonable sentence together, e-mail me. Don't worry, it's not a big commitment. I'm just looking for a few good people to share their idea of a "foxything" once (or, if they like, more times) a week. C'mon, e-mail me.

If you don't want to or can't contribute but like the blog, please link it from your blog or site. It's still getting off the ground and we could use a few more blog friends.

Thanks!

Shop, shop, shop!

Why hasn't e-commerce picked up in Hong Kong as it has in North America and Europe? Like with many issues in the SAR, it comes down to space. This is a big city with population of more than 7 million people, it's a number comparable to mid-large cities in North America, (Toronto's 5.3 million, Washington DC's 8 million and Chicago's Metro's 9.4 million). And yet, most people would never think to purchase things on-line, unless their desired product is unavailable for purchase in Hong Kong.

Without providing exact statistics, I think it's fair to say that the average four-person home in North American home is at least five times larger than the average four-person home in Hong Kong — probably more. Add this to the fact that most single twenty to thirty-somethings remain at home until they are married and you can see why there is so little personal space. Folks just need to get out of the house and I don't blame them. I love my family very much, but I can't imagine sharing a  600 sq. ft flat with my parents and Grandma without spending a lot of time outside.

mp3: Scapegoat Wax - Space to Share

It's because of the little residential space that shopping has become a large part of Hong Kong's identity. Nowhere to go? Head to the mall. If we had a national pastime, without dispute, shopping would be it.  (Eating is just fuel.) The ability to bargain is part of the game but more than anything, this is a city used to leaving the house to touch, see and smell products before purchasing. And that is why I think on-line shopping isn't (yet) popular in Hong Kong.

mp3: Beth Orton - Shopping Trolley

Foxythings

When I was younger, I had dreams of being an architect or a designer. Influenced by my father (a real estate agent) and the art classes my parents enrolled me in, I often drew blueprints of my dream homes. I found some of these plans when I was back home in August, and they are nothing close to what I would consider a dream home now. When you're 10-years-old in 1990 and live in the suburbs, the concept of a home is literally square.

mp3: Commodores - Brick House

I know now what design can be, and it's obviously not limited to suburban brown brick boxes and strip malls. Beautiful design has so many possibilities and is not limited to the pages of Wallpaper* (although I love that magazine). The Internet is a great way to open eyes and see what wonderful things designers around the world have created. The web is the biggest shopping mall in the entire world and it's so hard (but fun) to try and keep up with the innovative and pretty designs in everything from architecture, fashion, furniture, home products, packaging and more.

mp3: Rufus Wainwright - Pretty Things

The way I look at it is that design is not just about pretty things. Good design can lead to better living: eco-friendly products, products to help the elderly, etc. To explore good design and also research more great ways to shop on-line, I've created a blog all about products and small companies I think people should know about, Foxythings. It won't save the world but maybe you'll find some things and ideas you'll like.

mp3: David Bowie - The Man Who Sold The World

Whatever happened to my dreams of a career in architecture? Grade 12 physics, that's what. We're all better off if I stay away from building things.

I'll Show You Mine If You Show Me Yours

It's a time of change for Foxymoron. I will play around with the layout and update links soon. BUT I need your help. Please point me in the direction of your favourite blogs. I'm looking for the hidden treasures of the blogosphere. I'm open-minded in terms of content. I like blogs that have personality, humour, and it helps if it has a sexy design but the most important thing is that it is a well-written blog.

My current favourites:
On My Desk - simply put: the workspace of creative people.
Reading Toronto - ideas about space and living in Toronto.
Rich Girls are Weeping - I don't always know what she's talking about but she has good taste in music.
Creative Generalist - talking about ideas without pretense.
Teri's Things - I shouldn't pick favourites among real life friends but Teri's blog constantly inspires me (to write, to eat, to travel). She even inspires me to eat eggs and I don't really like them.

Of course there are many others, but  you can see those on the left...

Who are you reading?

Photo: Taken of Tai O, a small fishing village on Lantau island earlier this year. If you look closely, you'll see that the houses on the side of the river are actually over the water held up by stilts.

Apple Crush

I like the new Mac commercials featuring Justin Long from Dodgeball (Mac) and John Hodgman from The Daily Show (PC). My favourite is the "network" one above, but you can watch all of them (in better quality) on the Apple site.

Everything Starts with a Handshake

My friend Keiyu has launched his new website/business, Handshake. In short, it is a classified website specially designed for Hong Kong. Yes, there is a Hong Kong Craigslist, but Handshake is bilingual and prettier. Handshake, I think, is better. But it is new and needs more posts.

Before there is an official launch, it must have more public participation so please start a handshake. If you have services to offer, items for sale, looking for a date, want to promote and event, etc. let the world know. It's free, you can't lose.

I heart Internet

With my reconnection to the online world, I've been able to do some serious surfing on my day off. I don't know what the kids listen to these days but now with the WWW, I can investigate. Today's wonderful discovery comes not in the form of a band or album, but a website: Pandora by the folks who brought us Music Genome Project.

The site (via Creative Generalist) is simple. Type in the name of a song or an artist and based on the music — and just the music itself — Pandora will play songs it thinks you will enjoy. I've experimented with the site and it's been hit and miss. When I asked for something similar to the Stars, I got Garbage and other pop-rock that didn't sound quite as dreamy as I like the Stars to be. But when I input Bloc Party, I discovered We Are Scientists and Convoj, bands I enjoy and follow what Pandora says "electric rock instrumentation, subtle use of harmony, mild rhymic syncopation, mixed acoustic and electric instrumentation and a vocal-centric aesthetic." Clearly, this isn't perfect but by giving suggested songs a thumbs up or down, you can help Pandora adapt and adjust the settings to your preference.

If you are just looking for a good laugh, I suggest this video of screaming Japanese girls wearing steak hats. Har har har. This ones makes me chuckle everytime. Two questions arise upon my second viewing of this clip: 1 - Is screaming contagious? 2 - Is it wrong to want a Japanese schoolgirl as a pet?

R.I.P.

It's a sad day for me.

Today marks the very last issue of CBCRadio3.com. Although the site assures me my favourite site will return, it will not return as the current web magazine format it does now. Gone is the groundbreaking website of live music sessions with some of my favourite musicians. Goodbye quirky stories. Goodbye interesting photography. Soon, CBCRadio3 will reincarnate as a synergized site (with JustConcerts, NewMusicCanada and RootsMusicCanada,) and it better be good.

MSN is not the new Google

I was thinking about blogging about the sad beta version of MSN Sympatico's search engine, but Blogga Please beat me to it. Still, it's worth adding to the discussion since, well, I have nothing better to talk about...While checking some blog visitor stats last night, I discovered that some readers arrived via said engine when they searched for "guys getting spanked." I'm the 5th most-relevant entry, but if you type "grown man getting spanked," I'm #1 baby!

Everyone give a warm welcome to my new dissapointed readers.

Psst...I think they've already closed this window. Let's make fun of them...

Blog on blog

I've been thinking about the "technoculture" of blogs lately. Tuesday's BSS show was not only a wicked performance from some of this city's finest performers, but I also go to see a number of friendly faces from the past. And you know what we talked about? Blogs. Blogs!

Part of me thinks this is embarassingly geeky. But the other part of me is like eff it, you're reading this and who are you to judge me for being a webgeek who likes to write? I'm a journalist damnit! This is what we do. We write and people read and we secretly get an ego-boost when someone turns around when the Stars come on stage and says "You know what's funny Chiu? I know how much you love the Stars."

Haha. Maybe Chris is right, we need real world friends, but the funny thing is, most of us started off as real world friends. It's the way of the future kids, strap on your wrist guards and ride the carpal tunnel syndrome highway of information.