Karipap

A cool Malaysian online animation production, Blue Karipap tells the story of "a bunch of youths with big dreams who hang out at a small urban café called the Blue Karipap." Right now they're up to episode 4. Helmed by the mercurial illustrator Sidney Tan.












the Karipap Krew (left to right): ah tat, dexy, massive, and mr and mrs bo.

Auto-things, Transform!

A friend pointed me out to this cool website. It's got some really tricked-out transformers.

Rollout!

Intriguing Weezer/Beach Boys similarities

While surfin' around on the net for Weezer's Pinkerton mp3s album, I came across this peculiar information about them.



Weezer - Blue Album



Beach Boys - Do It Again

... Karl Koch, 22 January 2002, explaining the Beach Boys inspiration for the Blue Album cover: "...when the Blue Album was being recorded, there was a lot of brainstorming going on as to what this record would look like . . . Rivers dug out a cassette. . . a cheapo Best of Beach Boys collection called WeezerBeach BoysDo It Again . . . the cover was really cool in its own rather hokey way, featuring the Beach Boys smiling for the camera, standing in a line of sorts, with a soothing blue background. Rivers said we had to acheive this effect on our cover, and so the idea of lining the guys up in striped shirts in front of a blue background took form...


... Pet Sounds was released in 1966, Pinkerton in 1996. Both albums were not commercially successful and dismissed by fans of the bands' earlier works. After many years, both albums have grown in stature to the point where they're considered each band's best album. And both titles are 9 letters long and start with "P" (submitted by "Gregg") Editor's additions: both albums have Japanese women on the back covers; both albums have pictures of their respective leaders at the piano, despite the fact that it's not their primary instrument -- Brian on the back cover and Rivers in the booklet ...

... Cuomo and Wilson both have physical defects on the right sides of their bodies: Brian, with his near-deafness in one ear, and Rivers with his shorter leg that required breaking and resetting ...


Let Me Know The Truth via Matt Brundage

* I think Pinkerton is their best album ever.

Sprint Waitless

Sprint Waitless, Sprint's viral marketing website has some cool tips (videos) on how to you can cut down time wasting. The "Quick Peel An Egg" is awesome.

Bolasepak!

A friend recently completed shooting this documentary on street football culture in Malaysia. I'm sure if you scour youtube you can spot it somewhere, at least until the sponsors get their act together and post the docu on the website. (found it!)



About the website... while it is aesthetically an eye-candy (the rusty comic book-feel works for me) the site is actually poor in terms of functionality because you have to keep running after all the different things visitors are supposed to be experiencing. It kinda feels like playing football, but it's so hard to score!

Anyway, do check it out and give us a shoutout on what you think about it.

Ready, Set, Mech!

If you don't have too much to do at your work desk apart from visiting Bzzt3!, then maybe you might want to check out readymech.com, print out some of these nifty cut-out dolls, and doing the old cut-and-paste routine! :)

Here's a sample of what we're talking about. Oooh, how cute, it's a dodecaheathen!

Web Design Competitions in Malaysia

I've come across a couple of web design competitions in Malaysia a couple of months back. Being a graphic / web designer myself, I was really tempted to submit an entry for these competitions. Somehow, I hesitated when I realized a couple of things.

By submitting an artwork... "You grant XXXXX and its sponsors an unrevokeable right to reproduce your entry or some part of that entry"... Some of the sponsors are graphic/web design companies. Suspicious.

It does make sense for the company. It is definitely cost effective and faster to have a competition, with the first prize being say RM2000 (second prize gets RM200, and third gets RM20 - thats so bloody ridiculous). Then charge your client, say RM5000 for it. Plus you'll get tons of other entries that you can reuse for future clients and not have a need to hire a web designer. With that pool of resources, you could then lower your fees, which in turn, destroys the market and wonder why local websites suck (of course the good ones will turn to other countries to 'cari makan').

Should give their marketing guys a pat on the back.

An article related (kinda) to this topic I found at Adland.

** I can't deny that by having a competition, it gives students a chance to earn some mullah and make a name for themselves. Maybe the comp should be open only to uni / college students? And probably list down all the designs submitted so people could see if the company ripped off any of the designs?

"Light" Graffiti

The concept is called "Light Graffiti". Getting your message across using lights. This isn't really new overseas but would be cool to see Malaysians embracing this new medium.




Flashpoint teaches you how to convert cheap and cheerful disposable cameras into a propaganda medium!




One particular concept of Light Graffiti is LED Throwies. It's a bunch of LEDs taped together. Instructions on making 'em!

Theres a group of kids, Graffiti Research Lab, who are doing some "research" on this concept. Some of their projects include taggin' a skyscraper!.

Woogleworks: Design for persons with Disabilities

Woogleworks features the works of a Kuala Lumpur-based industrial designer, who is trying to affect change for persons with disabilities through better designed (functionally as well as aesthetically) products.

While most of the products are still on the drawing board, Wai Lam (the designer) has been working with various members of the public to help make these products get through the prototyping stage and out the factory doors.

Designs with heart.

Kakiseni.com

Kakiseni.com is an art discourse/review/preview site that highlights arts events and activities taking place in Malaysia and the surrounding South East Asian region. They've got a good archive of articles, as well as a comprehensive directory of arts practitioners in the country.

Ch-ch-ch-check it out!

TalentDatabase.com

Talent Database is the world's most comprehensive directory for talent and creativity. Think of it as a global Yellow Pages that allows people from around the world to connect with top talent in all creative fields (eg. Design, Theater, Dance, Fashion).

It's a great way of networking with other creatives around the globe.

Humble Voice

Humble Voice is a social network for artists and those who appreciate them. Specifically for photographers, graphic designers, musicians and film makers (yes! you can upload your short movie to the site!). Even The Strokes are a member! (sorry, just had to drop a big name).

They've also got this point system going on, where you can trade the points with some really cool prizes (eg. a 1995 Vespa PX!!!!).

And their interface is waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay cooler than myspace.

10 Radical Moments in 20th Century Art

Extraction:

... For his artwork entitled 16 Jackies, Warhol used a photograph of a veiled Jacqueline Kennedy walking with the Kennedy brothers. The photo was taken by Henri Dauman at Kennedy’s funeral and featured in the December 6, 1963 issue of Life. Dauman did not discover that Warhol used his photograph until 1995, when The New York Times published an article about the sale of 16 Jackies at Sotheby’s for $ 418,000...

Link - Panterhouse.com

Cebu Provincial Detention And Rehab Center performs "Thriller"

I'm no fan of Michael Jackson, but this is surely impressive. OMG. Hahaha!

Stefan Sagmeister in KL! (Update)

Okay, I was a bit enthusiastic when I said the man himself will be in KL on Monday (23/7). He'll be here:

AUGUST 13, 2007. 2.30PM

SECURITIES COMMISSION
3 PERSIARAN BUKIT KIARA,
BUKIT KIARA 50490 KUALA LUMPUR

Ticket: RM80

Get Tix at:
ANTALIS MALAYSIA,
03-76278323
LEVEL 3A WISMA COMCORP,
37 JALAN PELUKIS U1/46
SEC U1, TEMASYA INDUSTRIAL PARK,
40150 GLENMARIE

OR

WHIMSICAL ARTICLES,
03-22834600
F19 1ST FLOOR,
BANGSAR VILLAGE,
1 JALAN TELAWI SATU,
59100 BANGSAR BARU.

About Stefan Sagmeister

Stefan Sagmeister formed the New York based Sagmeister Inc. in 1993 and has since designed branding, graphics and packaging for clients as diverse as the Rolling Stones, HBO, the Guggenheim Museum and Time Warner. Having been nominated five times for the Grammies he finally won one for the Talking Heads boxed set. He also earned practically every important international design award. // In 2001 a best selling monograph about his work titled "Sagmeister, Made you Look" was published by Booth-Clibborn editions. Solo shows on Sagmeister Inc's work have been mounted in Zurich, Vienna, New York, Berlin, Tokyo, Osaka, Prague, Cologne and Seoul. He teaches in the graduate department of the School of Visual Art in New York and has been appointed as the Frank Stanton Chair at The Cooper Union School of Art, New York. He lectures extensively on all continents. // A native of Austria, he received his MFA in graphic design from the University of Applied Arts in Vienna and, as a Fulbright Scholar, a master's degree from Pratt Institute in New York.

Reinvigorate - Measure. Analyze. Evolve.

Reinvigorate - A cool web application that lets you understand your users / viewers better. You can measure almost anything imaginable (eg. browser resolution, location, time spent on website). And the best thing of all is, it's free son.

But they're still in BETA, but wouldn't be a problem since its open to public (you'd just need to register and wait for they're invitation - I waited for about 1 week, and I tell you, it's worth it.)

Better still, now they have an application, Snoop that streams website and blog events to you live, in real-time. Available for both Mac and PC.

Flags By Colours

Flags by Colours - Country flags interpreted as piecharts that is proportional to the area of the color on the respective flag.

Lonely Planet Vs. PSP

Lonely Planet collaborated with PSP and released interactive travel books for several main cities in Europe. Genius

Malaysian Blog Advertising Companies

You've got a blog and you wanna make some extra dough. Here's a short list of local (Malaysian) blog advertising companies.



Popfolio.net
Popfolio.net, with its cool blog player - Poptopus, offers something unique for the blogging community and musicians / artists.

Bloggers - put a Poptopus player on your website and choose your favorite songs from Popfolio's library. Share your taste in music. And get paid.

Musicians / Artist - Upload your songs to Popfolio's library and get your fans to play them on their blogs. And get paid.




Adverlets.com
Banner / polls advertisements






Nuffnang.com.my
Banner Advertisements

Myspace blocks the letter "i"

This is really hilarious.

Mashable - Myspace Blocks the Letter "i"

Rasa Sayang Kuala Lumpur

" Rasa Sayang Kuala Lumpur is an independent campaign to promote love and local & international support for our city. "

Can't find much more info on this campaign, though it seems like a cool idea. Plus you can get their t-shirt for RM25! It's about time that someone did this with KL (similar to I Heart NY tees). Though it could have been much more effective if the word "Sayang" was in red.

More info at Rasa Sayang Kuala Lumpur

Stefan Sagmeister in KL!

Thats right, the design guru himself will be in Mont Kiara giving a speech on Monday or something. Will keep you updated for sure.

T-shirt Design for the hipsters

*I forgot where I found this, but will definitely link it once resurfaced.

Emo

this one goes out to the emo kids.

Click Here.

Get to know some Malaysian Bands

So you've heard the radio ads screaming "Support your local music industry!" or "Support your local independent bands!" etc. Yeah, I wanna support them but please sir, tell me where should I start?

Well my son, since you're not up for searching for them yourself. I'll give you a hand.

Ricecooker - DIY Punk Scene. They've got a shop set up at Annexxe, Central Market

I-Bands - Malaysian Independent Bands website, where you can unleash the rockstar in you (eg. upload songs, and check out other bands).

Junk - A sister company to KLuE mag. Band reviews, music events both local and around SEA.

Paper Heart

Paper Heart - I'm Too Sad

Interesting photography subjects + concept. Images of people crying.

* And the photographer, Jessica Williams, is only 20! Naturally cool.

Checkit.

A tribute to Radiohead's OK Computer

Okay, to celebrate Radiohead's OK Computer's 10th anniversary, the kids at Stereogum decided to compile several musicians to contribute / cover this legendary band's album.

The best part is, you can download the whole album for free at Stereogum's website.

Oh yea.

Okay, thats it.

Yeah. We all know about it. We've all talked about it. We can dedicated a whole website to it. But I'm just gonna post something about it anyways (since its the only football team that really matters to me).

It's funny how out of 10 guys in Malaysia, at least 7 plays football regularly (yes, futsal is considered football) and we're still ranked 154 (Fifa Official Ranking) out of 199 countries - we're sharing the rank with Nikaragua.

On one hand, some folks are doing something about it though pleading people to watch Malaysian league matches on the radio is kinda sissy. I miss the good old days where I used to go to the stadium every so often and curse at the players and referees. When there was a magazine dedicated to Malaysian football (that people actually bought). The times when people actually know the footballers, their hobbies and favorite color.

The players should really cut down on the Nasi Lemak Ayam Goreng Special and Teh Tarik "Khow Baik Punya".

I wonder, what ever happened to Titus?

When in Melbourne

If you're in Melbourne (eg. studying, visiting family, just hanging out), and you've run out of things to do, sick of touristy glossy brochure trips to some beach 8 hours away, or just plain curios on what Melbournians do after work (thats 5pm onwards).

Well then. Three Thousand is just the thing you need. Three Thousand is a snapshot of Melbourne's subculture that is updated weekly. They cover just about everything a hipster would need to survive in the city (eg. cool cafes/bars, night outs, cool+artsy music and threads, art galleries etc).


Oh yeah, and they have another newsletter for them Sydney folks as well - Two Thousand.

KL Sing Song 2007

Okay, this is a little bit late to post. The annual kl singer songwriter music festival is back! with an interesting lineup of acts featuring:

* Pete Teo
* Shanon Shah
* Mia Palencia
* Reza Salleh
* Melina William
* Azmyl Yunor
* Mei Chern
* Jerome Kugan
* Estrella
* Tan Sei Hon
* Michelle & Ling
* Meor

emcee: Fahmi Fadzil

Venue: KL Performing Arts Centre, Pentas 2
Date: 20 and 21 July 2006
Time: 8:30pm – 11pm
Tickets: RM25 (Adults), RM20 (Students, Disabled)


Tickets available at KLPAC (03 - 40479 000) and The Actors Studio, Bangsar Shopping Complex (03 - 2094 9400). Or email tickets@klpac.com. No advance bookings.

Tickets also available directly through Troubadours Enterprise. Call Tan Sei Hon (012 - 285 0931) for more info.

Yeah it's tonight. More info at :
klsingsong.blogspot.com

Have a listen at:
popfolio.net/klsingsong

Wolf Parade

Theres a thing about Canadian Indie (Alt Rock) bands that really amuses me.One of the great bands I'm talking about is Wolf Parade.

I first knew bout 'em from Three Thousand - a "web blog" of Melbourne's subculture - a couple of years back and just couldn't stop listening to their debut("Apologies To Queen Mary"). It's the combination of rawness (technically) and "I dont give a fuck if you think I sound whiny" vocals that really caught my attention.

Here's their very cool vid (Modern World - Apologies To Queen Mary)



check their myspace.