Oh look, a slanket!

I'm all for the strange, the quirky and the innovative. Every now and again, we get presented with some spontaneous creation that raises our eyebrows, sends us speeding off to the nearest mall or tearing half of the house down to get to a computer and order that object in question. Now, ladies and gentlemen, we may have found the greatest invention ever brought to the brink of mankind: the slanket. Yes, a blanket with sleeves.

Have you ever found yourself in the endless struggle for the blanket? Or wanting to run around the house covered in soft, downy goodness? Or just snuggling up in your favorite, five-year-old coverlet only to find out that it's been stained with last night's spaghetti? Imagine the trauma.

Enter the slanket. American hotel group [heroes] Thompson Hotels have come up with this groundbreaking concept that can now let you kick back on your couch and lounge about in total, lethargic comfort. Eat dinner while wrapped in the soft embrace of your slanket. Never have to deal with the irritation of your commonplace blanket sliding off your shoulders when you roll around. The possibilities are simply endless.

You know its name, you know what it looks like, you know what you have to do.

Get it. 

Now.

Those [halal] shoes are mine, betch.

Halal shoes, you say?

Yes, halal shoes.

Technically speaking, only footwear that uses leather can qualify for this category. In order for the shoe to be halal, the animal from which the leather comes from needs to have been killed in accordance with Islamic shari'a laws. 

If the shoes have any trace of pig leather [which the majority do], then your tender tootsies, and subsequently you, can't attain religious bliss. Sorry, people.

Halal meat I can understand, but halal brogans? Halal flats? Halal heels? Halal moccasins? Do I see a new trend in the making?

Buy 'em now, wear 'em proud, save yourself a seat in Heaven.

Gillian Wearing

Emotions manifest themselves in strange ways. Many people parade about displaying a certain personality or image that they feel best represents them. And while we as observers can see these charades, can we really judge others based on our observations? Can we really see and know everything about them?

British conceptual artist Gillian Wearing takes this front on in a rather interesting way. Her world-famous piece Signs that say what you want them to say and not Signs that say what someone else wants you to say (1992-93) consists of a series of photographs that feature a person whom Wearing spontaneously stops on the street or in a public place. The person then writes something they feel or harbor within on a piece of paper and then pose for a photograph while holding the paper up. Some of the end results are witty, others strange, and others unexpected.

It fascinates me when people's exteriors give way to something totally different within. True, some individuals are very what-you-see-is-what-you-get, but at the end of the day, we really shouldn't judge books by their covers.

[Without sounding too cheesy or anything.]

Note: for those of you who are interested, Wearing does not have a personal website, so your best bet for more info would be to run a Google search. Happy hunting.

Really?

Fucking, Austria.

Population: 104. 

Located 33 kilometers outside of Salzburg.

What I'm saying is... Fucking is a TOWN.

Now I can say "I love Fucking" without sounding obscene.

For the record, it's pronounced "foo-king", not that other way you're thinking of.

Random note: this little village gets its sign stolen a lot by sniggering, foul-minded people not unlike yourselves. So to combat this little bout of kleptomania, the mayor of Fucking [tee hee] has the sign rooted into the ground with cement and welded to a steel bar.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fucking,_Austria

Cherry pop

[Does it even apply when you use that term on yourself?]

February 12, 2009: enter a new blog.

Lately, I've noticed that a lot of Kuwaiti people have been creating their own blogs. From talking about fashion and food to travelling and cars - we're seeing a lot of emphasis on the superficial and the material. Does the creation of this blog symbolize my assimilation into the Kuwaiti masses and my imaginary need to fit in?

No.

This blog will primarily be a creative outlet relating to my life, experiences, encounters and thoughts as a not-your-typical Kuwaiti in Kuwait. Music. Politics. University. Art. Architecture. Spontaneity. Road rage. The Avenues. Word of mouth. That rancid sandstorm outside.

Will there be more? You betcha.

And now, we begin...