Showing posts with label huntington beach. Show all posts
Showing posts with label huntington beach. Show all posts

Sunday 27 July 2008

Freestyle


I've pulled a calf muscle and forced to drop out of the Huntington Beach US Open World Surf Championships. It's a shame I know and I'm gutted not to be able to catch some waves this year but it has given me the opportunity to take a wander around the beach and see the event from the spectator side. The Xtreme Motorbike action (is that what it's called?) has blown me away. These kids are pushing it further than I thought imaginable.

This one is called the Lazy Boy
 
  
  

Friday 25 July 2008

Sunsets & Time


I thought I'd be clever and weave this post into something lengthy about time and running out but I think the pictures speak for themselves. The sunsets on Huntington Beach are astonishingly beautiful but the day care centre where the old folks are marking out their final days is somewhat different. No less interesting though.


The first image of the post belongs to a staff member's wrist at American Apparel which is a brand I've really fallen for. Who couldn't? Clean and fresh image, simple but noticably hip garments, and all priced very fairly with proper brand values including a positon on immigration that puts both the Democratic and Republican parties to shame (though perversely not George Bush pre 911). I've talked (at length) before about why I think brands in a product parity world can differentiate through having a position that sits outside the quarterly report. One that preferably upsets a few people too.


These are the sort of brand values which are the difference between those that stand for something and those that would like to stand for something but fail to have anything to stand for because that's what pretesting and focus groups do don't they?


Anway I've been thinking about time for quite a while and I think it's a long post in the brewing. It's got nothing to do with planning and yet everything to do with planning of course.


This last image is taken from the Nokia N95 and while not perfect is every reason why I'll miss having a 5 megapixel cameraphone once I buy an iPhone. Unless of course Apple dish up one in the future.

Saturday 12 July 2008

SoCal













Lots of intense political discussions with old friends, catching up with some 2.0 people, Mexico this weekend, San Fran/PSFK next week and Beijing on the other side of the Pacific Ocean.


It feels like a bubble here; particularly the Hummers. Completely removed from the the outside world and yet the ever present reminder of oil pumps and real estate for sale looms large.


Southern Californians though have to be some of the most generous and helpful on the planet. Pretty much every transaction or interaction is seamless and delightful.