Defining an Era or Error: The Pump & Air Force 1

I had neither shoes while I was growing up, but the impact on hip-hop/urban culture was definitely felt as if you were a kid, and somehow you convinced your mom to buy you a pair of these over-priced sneakers – you were the man. Well, at least you better be, because from coast-to-coast, nation-to-nation, youth were being jumped/jacked/robbed of their footwear. Thus, when something as an increase in youth robberies; related to a particular shoe, then the shoe reflects a definitive era in our society, and becomes a part of our collective culture… anyhow, enough of the preamble, onwards to pics and video:

Reebok the Pump

The original Reebok Pump was made as a collaboration between Reebok’s Paul Litchfield and industrial design firm Design Continuum. It was released in 1989, as a basketball high-top shoe. It was the first shoe to have an internal inflation mechanism that regulated a unique fitting cushion in the upper tongue. The shoe was quite expensive compared to other retail athletic shoes at the time. It became something of a status symbol on urban basketball courts and eventually in suburban high schools.

After the success of the basketball shoe, Reebok designed pump shoes for football, tennis, and track. Some models used a standard CO2 cylinder instead of the pump for weight considerations.

Reebok Pump Commercial from Steve Fuller on Vimeo.

Air Force 1

The Air Force 1 was produced in 1982 and discontinued the following year. It was re-released in 1986 with the modern italic Nike logo with a Swoosh on the bottom on the back of the shoe. Little has changed to the Air Force One since its creation in 1982, although the original stitching on the side panels is no longer present in modern versions of the shoe. Since then, over 1,700 color variations have been produced, bringing in an estimated 800 million USD/year in revenue. The selling of the Air Force Ones online by certain retailers is prohibited by Nike who has restricted supply of the sneaker.

Nike Air Force 1 – Crafting Perfect One from tenk on Vimeo.

Obviously Nike won this battle as the ‘Air Force 1′ shoe remains a cultural staple as many rappers have referenced and even made songs about it (i.e. Nelly and his shameless song ‘Air Force 1). The Reebok Pump did not have the longevity as the Air Force One did, but it still remains as an advancement in shoe technology …. whatever that is worth.

.:: LiBM ::.

sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_Force_1_(shoe)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reebok_Pump

GNP for Women

How to increase the Gross National Happiness for Women

Gross National Happiness (GNH) is an attempt to define quality of life in more holistic and psychological terms than Gross National Product.  The term was coined in 1972 by Bhutan’s former King Jigme Singye Wangchuck, who has opened up Bhutan to the age of modernization, soon after the demise of his father King Jigme Dorji Wangchuk. It signaled his commitment to building an economy that would serve Bhutan’s unique culture based on Buddhist spiritual values. Like many moral goals, it is somewhat easier to state than to define. Nonetheless, it serves as a unifying vision for the Five Year planning process and all the derived planning documents that guide the economic and development plans of the country. 

After reading this I thought of a great correlational study; can the GNH apply to Women?  Women always complain about not being happy, not getting their way, so maybe if they followed (or more importantly, their man followed) some of the GNH 7 steps to happiness – modified for women, then women may achieve a high GNH.  But knowing women, they probably would never be satisfied.

7 Steps for Happiness

Now there are 7 steps that would lead women to overall good GNP; some of the steps are adapted/modified from Med Jones (2006):
1. Economic Wellness: Indicated via direct survey and statistical measurement of economic metrics such as consumer debt, average income to consumer price index ratio and income distribution
(Women’s Interpretation: you better not be sitting around the house and not pulling in any income – you have to support her shoe habit, because she can’t dare rock last year’s shoe in this season)

2. Environmental Wellness: Indicated via direct survey and statistical measurement of environmental metrics such as pollution, noise and traffic
(Women’s Interpretation: stop littering and care about the environment; more importantly stop leaving your ish all over the house)

3. Physical Wellness: Indicated via statistical measurement of physical health metrics such as severe illnesses
(Women’s Interpretation: don’t get out of shape and gain a pot/beer belly – or I will start singing Beyonce’s ‘Irreplaceable’)

4. Mental Wellness: Indicated via direct survey and statistical measurement of mental health metrics such as usage of antidepressants and rise or decline of psychotherapy patients
(Women’s Interpretation: if you want to sleep comfortably, watch football on Sunday’s, then do what I say – or I will raise hell)

5. Workplace Wellness: Indicated via direct survey and statistical measurement of labor metrics such as jobless claims, job change, workplace complaints and lawsuits
(Women’s Interpretation: he better not be flirting around with that bimbo receptionist at work, as she may need fully functioning tires to get home)

6. Social Wellness: Indicated via direct survey and statistical measurement of social metrics such as discrimination, safety, divorce rates, complaints of domestic conflicts and family lawsuits, public lawsuits, crime rates
(Women’s Interpretation: you can’t always be hanging out with your friends doing a whole bunch of nothing)

7. Political Wellness: Indicated via direct survey and statistical measurement of political metrics such as the quality of local democracy, individual freedom, and foreign conflicts.
(Women’s Interpretation: get involved in politics and abandon the “I don’t care” approach, if you need help, then believe what I believe in)

In summation, the GNH for women can probably be paraphrased, summed up, described as ‘Just Listen to her for peace’, or she will rip you to ‘pieces’ and/or will never allow you any ‘peace’ and quiet. And of course shoes, lots of shoes.

Just to show you that the whole concept of GNP is not a joke, check the following video:

LMC presents: Ann Muller & Gross National Happiness from another being creative on Vimeo.

Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gross_National_Happiness

Oxymoronic

Conflicting spatial memory

An oxymoron is a figure of speech that combines two normally contradictory terms. Sometimes it is done inadvertently or deliberately to be condescending, funny, and/or satiricial. Either way, there are countless examples of oxymorons that will be sure to elicit a reaction out of you. Enjoy:

Good grief

- Grief is never good, always a thorn in your a–

- by definition ‘acting’ is not a ‘natural’ behavior.

- by definition, a crowd can not be ’small’

Peace force

- How can war ever bring ‘peace’? Using force to bring about peace is just a contrast of ideals.

Pretty ugly

- How can one be visually stunning yet horrific at the same time?

Tight slacks

- I swear that many of the hip-hop hipsters are on this tip now …

- anything synthetic is not natural

Passive aggression

- something we do all the time; to coincide with societal norms

.:: LiBM::.

Timbaland and Rockstar Games collab

Launching on September 29, 2009 for the Sony PSP is pretty much a game that allows you to produce beats … just watch the video. Hip-Hop is getting that digital gaming money, can’t hate on Timbaland for that

Visually Fall

The majestic transitional season

Autumn (also known as Fall in North American English) is one of the four temperate seasons. Autumn marks the transition from summer into winter, usually in late March (southern hemisphere) or late September (northern hemisphere) when the arrival of night becomes noticeably earlier. Personally, I dig the fall because of the change in temperature; moving away from the extreme summer – but I don’t like the move towards the extreme cold (especially up here). Anyhow, here are some visual stimuli for your retina:

By Chris B Photo

By Tour of Nature

By MJ Agiellicz

By iunewind

.:: LiBM ::.