You give a little Lovebox and it all comes back to you

12 May 2009

It’s become increasingly popular to “donate your facebook status” to various charities and causes. And overall, it’s a great idea – you show your support, you can quickly raise awareness amongst all of your friends and you get that warm fuzzy feeling of having done something good. Karma points all around. But amidst the general chatter and noise of Facebook, a status update for charity is, literally, the least you can do. So what’s the next step?

Lovebox, a new London startup and brainchild of The House London, thinks they’ve hit on a new way to spread the word about charities and show some internet love for various causes all through a little pink box. In their own words,

Lovebox is a digital wristband to help raise money and awareness for different charities around the world via the web. Each month we add another good cause and featured charity for you to support…. Social networks and the internet help us share information quickly. Lovebox is a simple but effective way for you to show your support for charities.

Imagine checking out your favourite social network and all you see is Lovebox! Swap your profle pic for a Lovebox avatar.

As Lovebox is still in Beta stage at the moment, their features are pretty limited. All that is currently available is the downloadable Lovebox image – for ease of use when you’re ready to swap it in place of your current profile pic on various social networks, and their current charity of choice, Cancer Research UK.

There are a couple of issues with the service that hopefully will be addressed as the site grows. The selection of only one charity per month as the Lovebox supported cause is slightly problematic as not all charities appeal to all supporters. Also, convincing us self-involved web users to change our digital signature, that is, our ever-present profile picture, might not be quite as easy as convincing us to change our profile statuses. Also problematic is the fact that profile pictures are not clickable links so a sea of Loveboxes is all well and good, but if others don’t know what they mean and have no way of finding out, it can be a bit of a challenge to get the word out.

Yet issues and growing pains aside, Lovebox certainly has a lovely vision: a sea of pink hearts, Loveboxes, covering the face of social networks across the planet. From Twitter to Facebook, MySpace to Bebo, Hi5 to IMVU, a Lovebox just might become the universal sign of giving and charitable donations if the Lovebox team has anything to say about it. And the appearance of one box can cause hundreds of others on the network to sit up, take notice and consider supporting a charity themselves.

So what are you waiting for? Download your very own Lovebox and start showing a little love today.

International Buddhist Film Festival at the Barbican Pit Theatre

11 May 2009

Last Thursday I had the opportunity to attend the Opening Night Gala of the International Buddhist Film Festival at the Barbican Centre here in London. Now, I like Buddhism. I’m pretty sure in a past like I was a fairly devout Buddhist in fact. I’ve come to this conclusion for a number of reasons. Primarily my life at the moment is so awesome that I probably did pretty well karma-wise in a past life but also because Buddhism has always held a fascination for me, ever since my 10th grade religion project in which I annoyingly got stuck with Hinduism when I made it very clear I wanted to be in the Buddhist group (although admittedly Hinduism was quite interesting as well). In both my Japanese and East Asian art history classes, Budhhism formed a fairly central pillar for the art and culture we studied. In short, Buddhism is pretty darn awesome. Besides, who can argue with a belief system that basically says “be nice to people, not because something awful will happen if you don’t but because better things will happen if you do.”

In any case, the International Buddhism Film Festival selects a series of films with various levels of direct Buddhist influence from documentaries of the sky burials of Tibetan monks and dramatisations of the life of Siddartha to modern film like Donnie Darko and Stay which have underlying themes in tune with Buddhist believes.

On the opening night, I had a chance to see a 1925 silent film Prem Sanyas (The Light of Asia) and you can read my full review on Spoonfed – here is an excerpt:

There is no denying the stunning beauty, scope and power of the film, however, and I am lured into an almost meditative state by the sepia images, ornate sets and costumes and classic story of Siddhartha who became the Buddha. I am surprised when the end credits appear, having been drawn entirely into this masterpiece of classic silent film.

For me, the one element I think is missing from this festival is a series of optional post-film discussions with someone who can describe and lead a debate on the Buddhist films in the series. I’ll accept that Donnie Darko include Buddhist themes but I’d much rather be able to discuss that after seeing the film with others knowledgeable on the subject.

But perhaps that would be a little more academic than most involved in the festival mean to make it. At the end of the day, some private meditation on Buddhist themes and their place in films – modern or classic – is probably exactly what they meant to create anyway.

The International Buddhist Film Festival is at The Barbican from 7th-17th May, 2009

For more information, visit the Barbican’s IBFF website
Or the Festival’s official site.

Traveling Mamas and Skin Cancer Awareness Month

10 May 2009

Although mother’s day was a number of weeks ago now in the UK, this Sunday is Mother’s Day in the states.  So in honor of mums everywhere, and in particular my amazingly wonderful mother, Lila, here is a plug for a mum-created blog and a family health public service announcement.

The weather is warming, the days are longer and the rain is gone enough of the time for Londoners to get reacquainted with the sun. That’s right, summer is approaching. It seems apt, then, that May – the time when everyone is getting so excited about seasonal changes that clothing seems optional – is National Skin Cancer Awareness Month. I suppose National refers to the states but last I checked, people outside the US get skin cancer too so I’m taking the awareness across the pond.

People are increasingly aware of the need to slather themselves and their children with sunblock but it’s still important to remember that nearly 50% cases of diagnosed cancer cases are skin cancer/melanoma, even though it is one of the most preventable types. With everything from SPF70 super cremes to sun protection foundation makeup and chapstick, it’s a lot easier to protect yourself from sun damage these days than it was when SPF5 “tanning cremes” were standard beachwear.

One of my favourite travel blogs, Traveling Mamas, has done a feature on the significance of the month and are donating $100 to the Skin Cancer Foundation. I highly recommend that you check out the blog, the Skin Cancer Foundation, and remember to pack the sunblock this summer.

Waxy O’Connors in Leicester Square

8 May 2009

“Have you ever read Lord of the Rings?”

I nod, wondering what analogy is going to require a knowledge of Tolkien.

“Going into that pub,” my friend said, pointing at what could have easily been mistaken for a door to a set of flats, “is like walking into the Shire.”

After a quizzical stare at the red door with the intriguing overhang of “Waxy O’Connors” I shrug and descend into one of the most unique concept pubs I’ve seen. Designed as if built into a large tree, the Irish pub features natural-style wood work, dozens of nooks and crannies, multiple bars and at least three different live bands all playing in different parts of the enormous pub.

Waxys is located in Soho in central London and clearly a favourite with locals and visitors to the city. My guide for the evening is an old friend from Colby who is back in London for the weekend visiting her former haunts from back when she studied abroad in the city. Once in the pub, our attention is caught by a group of fiddlers kicking up some Irish jigs. The group looks as though they’ve just popped in for a few pints and happened to bring their instruments along – there’s no stage, in fact they’re sitting around a table filled with food and drinks, but they’re clearly there to entertain the other customers who are toe-tapping along while waiting at the upstairs bar.

We find a table – not an easy feat and one that required some rearrangement of the furniture – under the large tree built into the centre of the pub. Drink prices are a little steep – suggesting that Waxys is more of a evening destination than a local pub for drinking and socialising but certainly worth the visit. Now if I’m ever travelling through London with a Tolkien fan, I know the place most Shire-like to take them for a drink – and that kind of London knowledge? Priceless.

Waxy O’Connors
14 – 16 Rupert Street
Leicester Square
London
W1D 6DD
020 7287 0255

Billy Elliot at the Victoria Palace Theatre

7 May 2009

My newest review is live on Spoonfed for Billy Elliot at the Victoria Palace Theatre:

As I sit comfortably in my seat about halfway through the first act of Billy Elliot at the Victoria Palace Theatre, I get the sense that despite your usual song-and-dance numbers, this show offers something a bit different than most West End musicals. Whether it’s a unique approach to music within the show, a surprisingly earnest and engaging cast of children or the RBC quality ballet performances, Billy Elliot stands head and shoulders over most commercial West End tourist fare.

Read on: Billy Elliot at the Victoria Palace Theatre