May 30th, 2011
It’s about time that Effobe headquarters moved back to the Bay Area.
Oh, how I’ve missed the fog and the rain…
by Nick.
May 26th, 2011
Let’s talk sneakers. Here at Effobe we recognize that there’s has been an inherent relationship between sneakers and the streetwear industry, but what would happen if the sneaker industry would be in decline?
Here’s what I think: The sneaker industry is in decline. I’ve got no facts or statistics, but the way I’ve seen it through SoleCollector, NikeTalk, NSB, etc, designs, colorways and quality have been slipping for quite some time (I’d like to say for maybe the past 2 years). Take Nike SB for example: I feel that it used to be at the pinnacle of the sneaker game (behind its older, more wiser Jordan brand of course), and ever since, it has fallen from grace. I know how the saying goes, “to each his/her own”, but when I speak I feel like I speak for a lot of people. Money is tight these days, and it really has become a buyers market. Sellers can’t push their extras as easily as they used to. People are more often to take a deal than to give one. And if sellers realize that they shouldn’t cop an extra pair to sell, then there starts the deterioration of the secondary market.
But how does this affect the streetwear industry? Well, it does, kind of. However, I’ve noticed that among the masses there’s a fine line of those who buy into streetwear and popular sneakers, and those who just buy into streetwear. Its the comparison between the guy who will rock a Supreme t-shirt with a pair of AJ IIIs and the guy who will rock that same Supreme t-shirt with a pair of black canvas Chuck Taylor All-Stars (this is on a regular basis, because we all know sneakerheads have always been down with Chuck Taylor). So I feel that the industry may need to shift over to the non-sneakerhead bunch.
Anyone agree?
by Nick.
May 23rd, 2011
(continued from Part One)
The exit of Michael Scott ushers in the new manager…who is yet to be seen.
Okay, so I promised there would be a part two. There’s really not much to say…
Let’s just say that it’s disappointing on how they could just leave without letting us know who the new boss is…
Who is my pick?
ANDREW BERNARD
Why? Because he may not be great at sales, but Ryan the Temp wasn’t either. The key difference is that everyone in the office likes him. There isn’t one person who could deny how polite he is. Does he have a backbone? Who knows. Can he control the Stanleys and Dwights? We’ll see. Maybe he’s too nice? Probably.
Honestly I think its a long shot, but we’ll see what happens!
by Nick.
May 18th, 2011
(Continued from Part 2)
With all the war, pollution, and corruption going on in our world, sometimes we forget to stop and smell the roses. Amid a busy school schedule, I found time to visit the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach, CA. I’ve always been interested in aquatic organisms (having 2 myself), and this experience was simply educating and deeply fascinating. It really reminded me of the little things in our world that serve a greater purpose than we think. I highly encourage everyone to go support your local aquariums – they’re here to educate tomorrow’s generation. THEY’VE GOT THEIR OWN IPHONE APP TOO! Always a plus. Behold, more photos from such a memorable experience.
Clown fish. If it weren’t for “Finding Nemo” I probably wouldn’t have stood in front of the exhibit for 15 minutes taking pictures…
Some cool friends!
They were being fed!
Did you know there are 4 fish in this picture?
This fish was hovering against the glass of the tank and was moving really slow. I could tell it wanted to get photographed.
I ain’t done yet!
Stay tuned for Part 4!
by Nick.
May 13th, 2011
(Continued from Part 1)
With all the war, pollution, and corruption going on in our world, sometimes we forget to stop and smell the roses. Amid a busy school schedule, I found time to visit the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach, CA. I’ve always been interested in aquatic organisms (having 2 myself), and this experience was simply educating and deeply fascinating. It really reminded me of the little things in our world that serve a greater purpose than we think. I highly encourage everyone to go support your local aquariums – they’re here to educate tomorrow’s generation. THEY’VE GOT THEIR OWN IPHONE APP TOO! Always a plus. Behold, more photos from such a memorable experience.
Swimming in a tank of sharks? No problem!
Can you spot the sea horse?
A mutualistic relationship?
After my visit, now I know the difference between a sea lion and a seal
The whole time I was loving all the color. I’m a big fan of color!
I ain’t done yet!
Stay tuned for Part 3!
by Nick.
May 9th, 2011
I don’t know if I’m even qualified to give anyone tips on boosting their studying effectiveness but…
Ever wonder what kind of songs can pump you up before taking a midterm or final? I know that some people have whole playlists, but I personally like to stick to one song that I know will get me psyched up to crush an exam. I hope this works for you!
by Nick.
May 5th, 2011
With all the war, pollution, and corruption going on in our world, sometimes we forget to stop and smell the roses. Amid a busy school schedule, I found time to visit the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach, CA. I’ve always been interested in aquatic organisms (having 2 myself), and this experience was simply educating and deeply fascinating. It really reminded me of the little things in our world that serve a greater purpose than we think. I highly encourage everyone to go support your local aquariums – they’re here to educate tomorrow’s generation. THEY’VE GOT THEIR OWN IPHONE APP TOO! Always a plus.
As mentioned, I learned A LOT from this visit. Besides information on sea nettles, bonnethad sharks, and clown triggerfish, I realized that I NEED A NEW CAMERA.
A lot of these underwater hooligans were really hard to photograph because of their constant moving. I did get lucky a few times. So I guess you could say these are the best of the worst (photos haha)!
The Aquarium of the Pacific sits along the water in Long Beach, CA. Architecturally, its very diverse. You’ll see more of this later.
Adolescent sea nettles
Moon jelly!
These are adult West Coast sea nettles. Why are they swimming downward and appear to be upside down? For them, perhaps upside down is right side up!
You can’t tell that this octopus is moving, but when I saw him, I instantly thought “Rolling in the Deep” (word to Adele!)
Something I really enjoyed about each exhibit was that each one was set up to both accurately simulate the organisms’ habitat and to be aesthetically amazing. Or maybe because the real life habitats out there in the world are naturally breathtaking. You’ll see what I mean in the coming pictures.
What a mean, spineless invertebrate.
Now I know why they’re mean looking, they be fighting all the time!
The Shark Lagoon! Pretty cool if you ask me. Here’s an exhibit where you can touch the sharks and rays. I never touched them though. Call me a coward? Think about this: If outdoorsman Steve Irwin (RIP) was wrestling crocodiles for years and years, and then gets killed by a stingray, what makes you think I’VE got a chance? Yeah, that’s what I thought!
Wait, are these really sharks? I thought they’d be bigger, like the ones seen in “Jaws” and on TV! SIKE, enter the various species of sharks. They’re tight too, I assure you!
Did you know that the stinger on a ray is not at the end of its tail, but at the base of its tail? The aquarium staff clips these stingers from time to time and say that its painless. I guess its like when we cut our fingernails.
What is that fish pulling? That’s a shark egg. I learned that these sharks are extremely happy, and the staff have to remove quite a number of eggs from this exhibit on the daily.
So there are tiny fish in the pool too? Why aren’t they eaten? That puzzles me as well. I do know that the staff feed them more than 3 times a day.
Below these pools are a more grand exhibit of those bigger sharks you’ve been waiting for. Sand sharks, black and white reef sharks, you know, those ones you wouldn’t want to swim with…
If you’re interested in visiting, there’s a discount at Ralph’s (supermarket). You’ll save $6 per ticket, and so for two adults it was under $40.
I ain’t done yet!
Stay tuned for Part 2!
by Nick.
May 3rd, 2011
LA is home to Hollywood. But it turns out, LA also has a bustling Fashion District that runs over 100 blocks with shops that sell clothing, fabric, buttons, beads, you name it! It’s conveniently located downtown, between 7th and 16th St.
Sure, you might wonder… “wait, don’t you run a clothing company with Nickalew? How would you be so oblivious about a Fashion District?” Well…as someone from Norcal, I really had no clue. But I had a chance to scope out the area this weekend. BETTER LATE THAN NEVER!
The view from the rooftops of 9th Street. I went right before closing time, so the streets weren’t crowded at all.
These shops mostly carry fabrics, but the choices are endless. Whether you’re a checkered-pattern person or a DISNEY aficionado, you’ll definitely find something that catches your eye.
No mini-excursion would be complete without some good ole’ ice cream on a hot day. But unfortunately, time was short, and I only had time to snag this pic. I guess you can’t have your cake and eat it too.
I could easily spend a day walking around Fashion District and getting lost in the backdrop of colors, designs and people. It’s definitely a place I will check out again. Expect a Part II!
by Edwin.
May 2nd, 2011
In my ongoing quest to find the cheapest and tastiest places to eat in Southern California, I’ve stumbled upon Albatros, in Lake Forest (5 minutes away from Irvine Spectrum).
What may be considered a hole in the wall, there hidden lies tasty and inexpensive eats (well, don’t they all?). The perfect place for a poor starving college student or after party snack, most items here are pretty much under $5. Seriously? Seriously.
For the first 17 years of my life living the Bay Area, I always thought a standard burrito consisted of meat, cheese, rice, salsa and beans (maybe some guacamole and sour cream if you want). But ever since I started eating at Albatros, I’ve always ordered their California burrito. Consisting of carne asada, french fries, cheese, and sour cream, I really don’t know how else you could whip up a recipe for such a tasty burrito…
Another notable mention is their Carne Asada Fries (which I guess is only a SoCal thing). a box full of fries topped with carne asada, cheese, sour cream, and guacamole. A very filling meal!
This was what was left…
You might sacrifice quality, but ultimately everything here is tasty, and you can’t argue with that. Did I also mention that they’re open 24 hours????????
by Nick.