Yin and Yang of New York

One of a series of awesome pictures by photographer Stephen Wilkes of New York from day to night. Kind of like time lapse photography on steroids. The website described it as a 2-D version of time lapse video.

Flying Rhinos

Mission to transfer endangered Black Rhinos to a secret location. Don't worry, they were a) blindfolded, b) asleep.

Festival of Lights

It's Diwali - the five day celebration and festival of lights. Here's a satellite image from NASA of India on the first day of Diwali.

Flederhaus (Hammock House)

Yet another reason to visit Vienna :) This simple and fun open air "hammock house" was recently erected in a public park. Great views and a comfortable setting...what more can one ask for?

Yes? No? Maybe...?

Gorgeous seaside retreat

I'm ashamed I haven't updated my blog in so long, especially since it doesn't involve anything strenuous and only reposting things I find interesting....* sigh* Forgive me

Here's a home that I came across on Freshome.com that really struck a chord with me. I love all the clean lines, the neutral colors and the minimalist vibe.

See more pictures here :)

Narrowest home

How about that? Soon to be the world's narrowest house. It has a retractable stair that comes down so you can enter the 14.5 square meter "home." A little claustrophobic for my taste but what a cool concept... I hope that one skylight is enough to provide ample natural light.

If only I had an iPhone...

So I'm gonna break my blogging dry spell (Blame it on the vacation) with this awesome little wood/bamboo iPhone 4 cover. What about the rumors that iPhone "5" is coming out soon?

WWF video

The world is where we live from WWF on Vimeo.

The evils and costs of commuting

Let me quote a study about happiness for you:

"The daily activity most injurious to happiness is commuting."

Apparently there are over 3.5 million Americans who spend more than three hours commuting each day, and a person with an one-hour commute has to earn 40% more money to be as satisfied with life as someone who walks to the office. What does that even mean? I guess if you were to quantify that, those three hour commuters have to make 120% more money? I'm sure that's faulty logic and it's pretty difficult to quantify happiness and opportunity cost. Nevertheless, it goes to show that commuting is injurious to daily well-being. I know my mother swears that she'll never return to commuting those 2 hours a day anymore. So when it comes to weighing the choices in real estate - they're saying the larger house in the suburbs does not outweigh the tortures of daily commute. Food for thought indeed...

























Click image to enlarge


Along the same lines, I saw an infographic (my faves) on the amount of money various US cities spend on gas (and also commuting t0 an extent). Topping the list in the "Guzzlers" category is San Jose, California with $216/month and the lowest in the "Teetotalers" category is New York, NY at $102/month.

Sure this might be accurate when it comes to commuting by personal vehicle. However, if you look at the lowest cities - they consist of New York City, Brooklyn, Washington D.C., Boston, Denver, and Chicago. I'm willing to bet that many people in these cities commute just as long as those in San Jose but via public transportation. So would it be fair to say that people in NY and happier on average than those in San Jose? Ehh... I'd like to see if commuting by car (personal driving) vs public transportation have different levels of impact on happiness levels.

Either way, I know that if it ever came time to purchase a home, I'd be willing to sacrifice some space for convenience. To quote my friend, everything in life..."pros and cons, pros and cons!"

Pinocchio

Too cute :)

"Snail Mail My Email"

When was the last time you actually took the time to send out a handwritten letter through post mail? I think mine was...sometime during high school?

Check out this new month-long project called "Snail Mail My Email" that runs from 7/15-8/15. The project founder, Ivan Cash, is going to do the writing and sending for us while we continue to be lazy bums and type our message. It just might be a bit disconcerting for the recipient to read a letter that's personal in content but completely unrecognizable in handwriting...

O.M.G.

Can you believe it? "The Only Complete Swiss Army Knife." 87 tools, 112 functions, 2.75 lbs, and $1,200. This behemoth is ready to serve in the event that you need to repair a divot, scale a fish, check your tire pressure, set a bicycle chain, and of course pick your tooth.

Our collaborative future

Yet another informative diagram. Share people...SHARE!

I wish I could take advantage of all these websites, but many only seem to have a solid participant pool in the large cities like NYC, SF, Boston, etc... I'd totally rent out my car/spare room and be a task runner :)

Hmm...am I a cat person then?

"Wish I'd thought of that"

First of all...submission credit to Chanelle White~ She emailed me this rad link that she discovered on one of her most frequented blogs - How About Orange.


How simple and economical!

2011 Mediocrity

Introducing the 2011 Mediocrity! It's "a car that feels like every other sedan on the road today."

Play with the website, look at the specs, the photo gallery, and take the mediocrity quiz. It's a hilarious little advertising campaign by Subaru.

Style with a conscience

Why not fight off the summer sun with a pair of shades from one of the following socially conscience companies? All of these companies subscribe to the 'buy a pair, give a pair' philosophy.

TOMS Eyewear - TOMS has expanded its market to sunglasses. Prices hover around $140.

Warby Parker - At $95 a pair, these are more affordable. They have sunglasses as well as prescription glasses.

4sight - You want even cheaper? These are only $89 a pair, but they have way less styles to choose from.

141 Eyewear - Not sure how much they run. Frames are all plastic. Name says it all.

Proof - All wooden frames - pretty cool eh? Prices range from $90 - $130. Only one specific pair is 1 for 1, but the company does donate a "large" portion of sales to an eye clinic in India.

"Bed Blend"

What a clever idea!

Doubt I would ever sit on the chairs but it's visually arresting. The headboard also looks like it'd be comfy to prop up against with a pillow, and lends itself well to different kinds of reading lamps.

Saving the planet one car at a time

One of my favorite things in the world is a very pedestrian city with a well-developed public transit system, especially subways and metros. NYC, Boston, Vancouver, Paris, Singapore, Munich....are just a few that come to mind. It's healthier for the environment, healthier for your body, and healthier for your bank account.

Of course, you can only carry so much and go so far with public transit. What if you wanted to make an IKEA run or if you're under a time crunch? There's always Zipcar. But I recently found out about a couple of other nice alternatives such as relayrides.com and getaround.com. These websites allow you to borrow cars anywhere from an hour up to a day directly from other car owners. Everything (gas, insurance, mileage) is included. Personally, they're more appealing than Zipcar because there's no annual fee and the cars are scattered throughout the city. Also, you can decide specifically which car you want. There are some 'exotic' cars on there, albeit for the appropriate 'exotic' charge. I saw a red Tesla convertible...just saying!

I can't take advantage of this in little Oxford, Ohio, but as soon as I'm moving to a larger city it's bubye car!

Whipping Post - rugged goodness

Another website featured this amazing product line, which is how I found out about it. It officially has two products (actually 3 if you count the guitar pick), both of which I love but way too rich for my blood and obviously designed for men...* sigh*

I'll post them anyway as eye candy.

Check out their website if you're interested. Pricey but lifetime warranty http://www.whippingpost.com/

Thank You Moleskin

No explanations necessary...

That Wasn't Me - Brandi Carlile (yet to be released)

Another from my favorite singer - Brandi Carlile! She has apparently completed recording on her new studio album but no news on when it'll be released yet. This is a somewhat decent live recording of her performing "That Wasn't Me" - her favorite song on the new album. The few I've heard were all phenomenal but I have to agree. It's just so melodic and introspective.

Cardboard = lifesaver?

Who knew cardboard was so durable and could literally be a lifesaver? Check out this corrugated cardboard helmet that they claim to be 4x stronger than the traditional polystyrene helmets. They're lightweight and durable - score!

Random quote

Whatever you give a woman, she will make it greater. Give her sperm, she will give you a baby. Give her a house, she will give you a home. Give her groceries, she will give you a meal.Give her love and she will give you her heart! She multiplies and enlarges what she is given. So if you give her… crap, be prepared to receive a ton of shit!

My future home - wishful thinking

I'm totally digging this home! Love the abundance of natural lighting, the neutral palette and the organic elements.

"The First Grader" trailer

Did you National Geographic also has an entertainment division that produces movies? This month, NatGeo is releasing "The First Grader." Watch the trailer below. I haven't seen it and I doubt it'll come to little 'ole Oxford, Ohio, but it looks like an inspiring film and an homage to the power of education and literacy.

There are also several other films that look equally interesting on their webpage, especially "Desert Flower."

Moscow metro

Came across this Russian blog featuring photos of the Moscow subway system taken with wide-angle lenses. Everything is written in the Cyrillic alphabet so I have no idea what the captions say. Some (like the one above) are quite ornate and others are more akin to modern day subway stations seen elsewhere. I've always wanted to pay a visit to Russia to soak in the Soviet architecture, take the epic 7 day trans-Siberian railway journey, and of course to visit its famed metro system. It's supposedly the second most heavily used rapid transit system after Tokyo, and some places run 86 meters or 276 feet below ground!

However, I'm guessing this trip I have conjured up in my head will have to stay there for a while given the unrest and violence in Russia these days. The metro has always been a target for suicide bombings and political protest. The most recent bombing was in March 2010 and killed around 40 people. To be honest, that wouldn't stop me from visiting, but the anti-racist attacks definitely make me think twice. Anyone who are not ethnically Russian are at risk, and there have been reports of acid attacks and stabbings to Muslims, Jews, Central Asians, Chinese, Africans, etc...

Kickstarter

If you have a project that needs funding or a "kickstart," then check out the website KickStarter. This is just one example of what I love about technology - it's a tool to disseminate to the masses that wonderful idea and to receive support. Their slogan is "A new way to fund and follow creativity"

In a nutshell, Kickstarter is an all or nothing funding platform that allows people to present their projects and others to pledge donations. Every project is assigned a goal amount and pledge deadline. If you meet 100% or more of your indicated amount, then you get all the money. If not...tough luck, you get nothing. Of course there are other details and guidelines to hold people accountable.

Take a few minutes to browse the website and discover some projects; maybe you'll discover one you want to help support.

Who knew porcelain has such great acoustics

Damn clever those Koreans :) The design team of Joon & Jung (based in the Netherlands) managed to discover the natural properties of ceramic/porcelain to provide resonance and amplification. They claim the speakers project a sound "resembling the distinct flair of an acoustic instrument right in front of you." If that's true, I'm sold. Also, it's SO aesthetically pleasing.

Minimalism

My lease ends in a couple of weeks and I will be subletting a friend's place for the summer months while she goes back home. In preparation for the move, I've been selling off a lot of my belongings. All of my furniture have been claimed (futon, night stands, giant bean bag chair, bookshelf, etc...) with the exception of a damn pair of red side tables - I shall remain optimistic. I've also sold some electronic gadgets, used books, gently used clothing, and my electric guitar. This was actually all before I stumbled upon a few minimalist blogs.

• The Minimalists
• Miss Minimalist
• Becoming Minimalist

They all basically extol the same principle: free yourself from materialistic possessions. Of course, they practice it in varying degrees. One woman has only a mattress on the floor and two chairs in her minimalist apartment <-- I'm not there yet; don't ever plan to be. To be fair, it's not entirely about possessions and anti-consumerism. The idea is to free yourself from all societal expectations and pressures.

I'm by far not an expert since I only recently discovered this whole blogosphere devoted to the practice. However, I CAN definitely say it has its virtues. There's something very liberating about being able to fit all of your belongings in a couple of suitcases or one car. Plus the apartment is less cluttered, easier to clean, and things don't get lost very often.

Why are some people so creative?

Came across this a while back but it's so cool I just have to share. It just goes to show how a lot of innovation can maximize a smaller space (46 square meters or 500 square feet). I love the neutral tones, the eco/sustainable feel, the clearly defined spaces, and of course the details. Those step drawers are so clever and practical!

Craftsmanship at its best

A terrific HD video about the making of John Cho Moore's bamboo, canvas and leather bags. Not sure if I'm a fan of the bag itself but it's inspiring to see the amount of time and passion that goes into his work. Wonder how much it costs...

iCovet

Awesome camera lens mug - comes in "Canon" and "Nikon" What's your preference?

Get a load of this...

So I took an EMT course a while back and decided to sell my book on Half.com to help pay back the tuition (that's another story in itself). I come into work today to grab an envelop and print out the shipping label. Of course it asks for the weight and I don't have a scale...so I decide to get my coworkers' opinions. You have to understand, this is a damn heavy book.

Here's what went down:

Coworker #1: I'd say like 2.7 lbs...maybe 3.3 lbs. (Gotta give her points for being so precise.)
Coworker #2: Definitely more than 5...I'd say 8 lbs. It's like a bowling ball.
Coworker #3: Ooo...that's pretty heavy. Um...probably between 5-6 lbs cuz a gallon of milk is 8 lbs.
Coworker #4: Definitely more than 10. (Us: WHAT? No way!) Well, it weighs more than my dog and he's 14 lbs. (Are you telling us the book is 15 lbs???)


We never did find a scale but I googled the book and the publisher said it was 90.6 oz which is a little under 6 lbs...so coworker #2 won. I just find it incredible that they could come up with answers varying from 3 lbs to 15 lbs! WTF???

Amazing cover of an amazing song

One of the songs off of Brandi Carlile's latest album - Live at Benaroya Hall w/ the Seattle Symphony. I can't even express how much I love her voice. Go see one of her live shows if possible - she will rock your world!

10 constants of air travel

I just read an article (again, on the Matador website) about the 10 constants of air travel. Not all of their comments I agree with, but all of them I've encountered.

1. The seat hogger: these people are everywhere; guaranteed to be on at least one of the legs of your flight. The worst one I encountered was actually a teenage girl who elbowed me *hard* in the ribs when I was sleeping.
2. The breakfast sausage: what can I say, I like airplane food - sausages included. Most of the time I'm just happy to be getting any kind of food at all!
3. The nasty flight attendant: "May I have a blanket?" "We're out"
4. The too-nice flight attendant: lots of "honey" and touching of the shoulder
5. The bathroom hogger: I once had to get up 5x for someone during a 3 hour flight.
6. The annoying child: 'tis the reason why invested in noise-cancelation headphones. For anyone who knows me, that's a huge investment.
7. The snorer: see #6
8. The movie you really want to see but can't hear: in my case it's the movie I really want to see but can't SEE. Yes, even as late as 2010, I took an international flight without the inflight entertainment system.
9. Faux orange juice: see #2
10. The bizarre neighbor: sure, sometimes they're bizarre and too chatty, but other times you can score the flight neighbor lottery. I met the most interesting girl once when I was 16 and on a flight to France. She was Greek, 22-ish, a naval architect, last one to board, and was in a huge faux/real fur coat. I still remember her name after 10 years.

For all you oenophiles

Matador's list of 15 epic wine regions to visit before you die.

Welcome

Nothing but random thoughts and select musings here. Just a place for me to unload my opinions and share things I think are cool.