The clock of our lives is ticking onward, it’s very persistent. I wonder if we could also call it unforgiving? Imbuing it with a human trait like that is unfair, let’s just say impartial. Time moves forward in an impartial manner, non-caring, non-worrying, non-judging. Is this helpful or harmful to life, to human life, to conscious life? I once heard that time is the aspect of our physical world that allows for the emergence of consciousness. We arise in time and we decline and ultimately disappear back into mere matter, in time.

While death awaits all but the most heroic of us mortals, it can also be said that the knowledge of our limited time, the self-awareness of our mortality, is what gives our life purpose and meaning. If we had unlimited time, and no risk of death, would we squander our lives engrossed in a never-ending stream of vanilla milkshakes and social media feeds. And would that even be a waste?

Quickies is a series where I use The Most Dangerous Writing App to write something random for 5 minutes every day or, you know, whenever.

Check out my Youtube Channel for vlogs and podcasts about design and life.

She looked around quickly, to see if anything had been taken. At first glance, everything was just as she had always left her office. Of course, her office was so messy that any passerby wouldn’t be able to tell at all. But for her, there was a certain familiarity, a certain “at home ness” that she had within the chaos. Every piece of paper, Exacto knife, camera, lens, or memory card, were things that she had, at one point or another in the past two months, placed, dropped, or pushed into its current position. Yes, for the average person nothing was missing at all, but to Quin Quickeye, something was definitely amiss.

She lifted a giant envelope containing company tax forms, for which she had neither the inclination to open nor the literacy to decipher. It was all in Japanese and, well, she didn’t read Japanese, certainly not at that level. She remembered placing this envelope on a pile of other important — better not lose these papers until you can get them into the hands of an accountant — envelopes. But it wasn’t on that pile now… it was next to her keyboard. So someone had perhaps gone through her pile? Or tried to hide something… what was missing? something must be missing? She looked at the desk where she had picked up the envelope from… and it was gone!

The only person who knew she had those photos was John Muffencamp’s lawyer.

Quickies is a series where I use The Most Dangerous Writing App to write something random for 5 minutes every day or, you know, whenever.

Check out my Youtube Channel for vlogs and podcasts about design and life.

His voice had never sounded so cold. It wasn’t the first time he had said those words, it wasn’t the first time he had used that tone of voice, but it was the first time that he had combined the two with such skill, such masterful hate.

It was designed to hurt, whether that was conscious or not, it didn’t matter, what mattered was the effect. No longer than 24 hours later she was found dead, alone in her apartment, in a now cold bath.

This wouldn’t be the last time that his words would drive someone to suicide or insanity.

In just one year he had risen from a PA at a national news program to its top evening news anchor. Delivering the news day in and day out with marvelous effect. Want to squash a political opponent? He would read, re-write, and deliver your hit piece in a way that would have the entire Twitter and Youtube verse reposting within 10 minutes “John Muffencamp eviscerates snowflake Karen”.

So when it came to fabricating the pretense for another illegal occupation of a sovereign country, which happened to have rare minerals needed for battery packs, and which happened to be under contract with the Chinese, John Muffencamp was the first person the CIA approached.

Quickies is a series where I use The Most Dangerous Writing App to write something random for 5 minutes every day.

Check out my Youtube Channel for vlogs and podcasts about design and life.

Séfu Switch Bag Kickstarter — Fully Funded in 16 Hours!

On Monday my fashion brand Séfu launched our first Kickstarter. Within 16 hours the project was fully funded, reaching its USD $15,000 funding goal. Just three days later, we’ve doubled our funding goal.

I’m Thomas Grové, the bag’s designer and Séfu’s founder. Our entire team has been thrilled by the response of our community and success of the campaign so far. What started as a passion project, as a gift for my son, is going to be in the hands of people from around the world. As a creator I can think of no greater satisfaction than sharing my work with others and having it improve their daily lives.

The Switch Bag has hit a chord with practical and fashion conscious gamers looking to carry their Nintendo Switch with them in a bag that doesn’t scream “gamer”. The bag’s design goes beyond the typical thinking of “let’s use cheap materials to make a cumbersome bag that holds the Switch and all of its accessories”. The Séfu Switch Bag (which claims to be the best bag for the Nintendo Switch) instead goes with a minimalist approach. The bag is just large enough for the Switch and a few daily essentials. A removable center divide does triple duty: it holds 12 game cartridges, it protects the screen of the Switch, and it creates an additional large compartment suitable for easy access to wallet, keys, mobile phone, etc.

When users don’t want to bring their Switch with them, they can remove the center divide (it’s held in place by magnets) to create a larger space suitable for most mirrorless cameras.

What some Switch users see as a negative (lack of pockets, zippers, relatively small size), backers of the campaign have seen as the selling point. A no nonsense bag (some have even called it a purse) that looks great on both men and women. The Switch Bag compliments its simple yet functional design with high quality materials and components.

Simple, In Three Versions

The Deluxe Switch Bag is perhaps the only Nintendo Switch bag on the market made with 100% leather inside and out. At the time of this press release the Deluxe bags account for 23% of the project backers but 42% of funds raised. It includes classic brass hardware and a layer of Poron XRD Extreme Impact Protection foam on all sides sandwiched between the cowhide exterior and suede lambskin interior. Despite being 100% leather and 100% hand made (even hand sewn) it comes in at a comparable price point with other high end Switch bags that only partially use leather.

The Pro Switch Bag features Cordura Brand Nylon 66, well known for its durability. At the time of this press release the Pro bags accounts for 66% of the project backers and 50% of funds raised, clearly showing that fashion conscious gamers are looking for quality and value. It’s $45 Early Bird price point (a $20 savings on their MSRP) is significantly higher than most function-over-fashion bags available at toy stores or online. Séfu justifies the premium price point by using premium materials, components, and superior design. The Pro Switch Bag also include a removable center divide, a suede micro-fiber interior, a layer of Poron XRD along the bottom, and custom metal hardware similar to that found in high end fashion brands.

The Standard Switch Bag is the least popular version on the campaign with only 9% of the project backers and 6% of the funds raised. Séfu isn’t sure why this is. They hoped the lower price point would allow more people to get into their brand, but perhaps the market they are resonating with is less concerned about price and more about security. The Standard Switch Bag shares most of the same design cues as the more expensive Pro and Deluxe bags, even the same custom metal hardware, but it lacks the Poron XRD impact foam (it uses typical EVA foam), and uses magnets instead of magnetic buckles for its lid closure. One backer had this feedback: “All in all I liked the minimalist style of the Standard, but was afraid that the lid may open easily, so I had to change my mind and opt for the Pro for the buckle’s extra protection.”

What others are saying about the Séfu Switch Bag:

“I’m so excited about this bag. I was looking into buying a bag but wasn’t crazy about most of the bags on the market. Then I saw your video and loved the look of it.”
— Michi, a backer from Portland

“The Sefu Switch Bag is the result of their ‘Functional Fashion’ mantra — integrating all the elements of what makes a carry great, together with a minimal and understated design to go with any outfit and go anywhere. The simple look is intentional to not draw eyes, but is pleasing to the eye when you do.”
— Russell-Harvey Fernandez, One Tech Traveller

“Finally a bag that doesn’t advertise the fact you’re carrying a Nintendo Switch” — Hollis Jayden, member of a French Switch Group on Facebook

“There are countless Switch case options on the market these days, with a number of different companies stepping up to create their own console-protecting bags and pouches, and this new design is following that trend in style.”
— Ryan Craddock, Staff Writer at Nintendo Life

“The removable center divider with built-in game storage is a big step-up, IMHO, and I prefer the look of these bags as compared to the Waterfield cases, especially the option of a full-leather exterior. It just looks classier (less rugged) to me.”
— Kirbygirl, user comment at Nintendo Life

Important Links

• Kickstarter Campaign — http://kck.st/2NFBj9x
• Press Kit — https://goo.gl/Z5DM2J
• Homepage — http://sefu.jp
• Instagram / Twitter (but mostly Instagram) — @sefustyle