Let a clairvoyant help you with your holiday shopping

Subports, the new text-to-buy retail platform that we blogged here in October, is producing another exciting retail experiment, entitled “Clairvoyant.”

In this pop-up shop, taking place in New York City between December 10th and 12th, visit clairvoyant Judith Aurora Ryan who will read your mind and help select just the right gift for that special (and hard to shop for) person.

Sound risky? Well, don’t worry—even if you’re suspicious of psychic abilities you can count on the gifts, with contributors like Kiosk, City Reliquary, In God We Trust, Amron Experimental, Other Music and more.

All items will be sold via text-message (this is part of what enables Subports to organize such a cool event in the first place), so you’ll have to sign up with them either prior to or during the event.

Clairvoyant, presented by Subports
Noon-10pm, daily
December 10, 11, 12, 2009
303 Grand St., Brooklyn NY 11211

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At Design Miami, Moss Marshals McClures Mechanical Menagerie

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(Photo: UnBeige)

(mcclure).jpgAmong our favorite finds at Design Miami, which wrapped up Saturday in the sunny city’s Design District, is the metal menagerie created by Cathy McClure and exhibited by Moss. The 13-member family of mechanically articulated “Bots” includes cats and dogs (pictured above, “My Good Friend” and “Bassett“), a horse named Buck, and a prize piglet (“Some Pig“) who is up on his E.B. White classics. McClure’s charming bronzes suggest creatures rescued from the burn unit of a doll hospital or plucked from the aisles of a Toys”R”Us in hell. Their post-apocalyptic quality is the product of deconstruction and reconstruction. McClure begins with plush robotic toys that she skins to their plastic bones. Preserving the mechanical organs, she disassembles the carcasses and then recasts the limbs and armatures in bronze, eventually revivifying them with the original circuit boards, batteries, gears, and voice-boxes. For McClure, the work is about juxtaposing disposable objects with unique pieces. “The underlying plastic object embodies more potential for my imagination than the stuffed object layered with intricate marketing identities,” notes McClure in a statement posted on her website. “This contrast between the discarded forgotten object and the cherished precious one underscores societal contradictions and reintroduces us to the magical quality of flipping frogs, drumming monkeys, and slowly turning carousels.”

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(Photo: Moss)

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

Core77 Righteous Gift Guide Highlight: Books to Help You Get Rid of Your Car

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Instead of adopting a highway, consider the opposite and ditch that guzzler instead. This pair of beautifully written texts covers all the angles. In addition to revolutionizing pop music in the early 80s, David Byrne has spent the last 20+ years riding his bike through New York City and dozens of other cities, and Bicycle Diaries, his recently published book, is crammed with graceful odes to the joy and sensibility of urban cycling.

Once inspired, move on to Chris Balish’s step-by-step instruction manual for living a car-free life, How to Live Well Without Owning a Car. The book includes some convincing statistics about the true costs of auto ownership and tips on getting just about everything done sans combustion engine…from commuting to shopping to dating.

>> Start with Bicycle Diaries from Amazon
>> See 76 more righteous gift ideas the Core77 Ultimate Gift Guide

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SpaceShipTwo by Virgin Galactic

In California yesterday, space tourism company Virgin Galactic unveiled a craft designed to carry passengers on short flights into space. (more…)

Uniform Wares Watch

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Ever on the lookout for a clean, no-nonsense watch, the inaugural collection by London-based design and manufacturing company Uniform Wares gets our vote of design distinction. The style, inspired by the form and graphic detailing of British industry wall clocks, achieves its look from meticulous tailoring, with every nuance carefully considered. Features include precision Japanese quartz movement, a satin anodised aluminum case, a urethane strap and four-year battery life. They come in eight distinct colorways and sell for $141 through the Uniform Wares shop.

via Dezeen


Shenzhen Hong Kong Biennale photos

Here are some more installations on show at the Shenzhen & Hong Kong bi-city Biennale of Urbanism/Architecture in China this week, including work by Beijing studio MAD, Japanese architect Sou Fujimoto and Los Angeles office Ball Nogues. (more…)

Core77 Forum Topic: Death and the Internet

Featured Forum Topic of the Day:
Death and the Internet…
by Ross McCoy in general design dicsussion

Something has been bothering me for the last few months. I keep getting notices for me to “reconnect with him/her” or “help make ______’s experience better” from facebook. While this is not exactly a bad thing in general, it makes some uncomfortable/inappropriate suggestions due to friends having passed away. Things brings me to a bigger question. In this digital world we live in, how should we deal with death and the internet?

>>Read and Reply

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Dutch fashion launch at Droog USA tomorrow night

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Droog is celebrating the launch of an exclusive selection of Dutch fashion at its New York store tomorrow evening between 6:30 and 8:30 pm. The details are scant, but it sounds like they will be introducing garments and accessories by designers Corné Gabriëls, Pascale Gatzen, Gluejeans (jeans made with glue, pictured above), Painted, orson + bodil and Jan Taminiau.

If you plan to attend, be sure to RSVP to info[at]droogusa[dot]com before 2 pm EST tomorrow.

Dutch Fashion @ Droog
December 9th, 2009
6:30-8:30pm
Droog New York
76 Greene Street
New York City

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Bundle Up In Cute And Cozy Fair Isle Sweaters!

imageMaybe it’s because of their abundance of sheep, but the Scottish people sure love their patterned knits! I first featured houndstooth for the home and now it’s time to get cozy with fair isle. (Fun fact: Fair Isle is actually a tiny island found in the north of Scotland!). The term can refer to any knits that have stitches that are knit alternately in various colors. Whenever I see these knits pop up in stores and magazines, I know it’s time to dress warmly! By the way, this is an awesome alternative to the dreaded “Christmas sweater.” One of my favorites this season is the Fair Isle Snow Sweater from Free People, with a low neckline and cutout in the back. If you’re looking to accessorize with fair isle, then check out the super affordable Fair Isle Scarves. For more warm fair isle knits that are great for winter time, take a look at my slideshow!

view slideshow

Core77 Righteous Gift Guide Highlight: Adopt a Highway

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Adopting a highway is like hiring a cleaning lady for our shared thoroughfares. For not that much money, you can give your friend, family member, organization or company all the credit for funding the maintenance of a stretch of highway, to be announced by road sign.

>> Donate to Adopt a Highway
>> See 76 more righteous gift ideas the Core77 Ultimate Gift Guide

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