Design for the Other 90%

Read about this exhibit on Coolhunting.com and I think it’s really inspiring. It’s easy for those of us who love design to get caught up in–and get used to — buying items for ridiculous amounts of money. But there is a whole population of people out there that struggle to eat, or to find access to clean water. Vitals of life that many of us in first world countries take for granted. Design for the Other 90% is an exhibit featuring designers that have focused on making products for those under the poverty line or who are recovering from natural disasters. The exhibit is broken up into sections including water, shelter, health & sanitation, education, energy & transportation. It will be on view from May 4-September 23 of this year at the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum. 2 East 91st Street, New York, NY 10128. If you’re in the area check it out! You can read more about what you’ll find at the exhibit here.

DWR X Airstream

How sick is this?! Design Within Reach has teamed up with Airstream and designer-architect Chris Deam to begin designing their very own Airstreams to be released in June 2007. Even though I don’t particularly like the DWR items they used to decorate this airstream, I think the concept is cool– maybe they’ll even let you customize the decorations at some point. Throw some Mies or Eames chairs in there– sick. Here are some more photos;

Check out the DWR Version here. Airstream has also been collaborating with other artists to create some absolutely beautiful airstreams. My personal fave is this Powell & Bonnel version from 2004. I’ve been sleeping on this trend. Hasn’t everyone at some point in their life dreamed of driving the country in an Airstream? Now you can do it in modern style.

 

 

Publikhair.com

I got a little love today over at Publikhair.com (via my previous mention on Pheed.net) and thought I would return the favor. It almost seems silly, though, because my ‘following’ is not on the same level. But regardless, thanks to my Seattle male counterpart for the shout. Check out his blog, and go here to help pay his bills.

This Table Will Self-Destruct

Saw this on Inhabitat.com awhile back and thought it was a really interesting project. This table, by Studio 1a.m. in Chicago, will lose one pixel per unit until it has self-destructed (or until they discontinue the line because it no longer serves a functional purpose). Above is the first table with only one pixel gone (in the front right corner). Below is a diagram of how the tables will lose their pixels. The checkout page has a running count of how many pixels have been removed to date. So far, the count is at 6. I wonder if the price will go down as you receive less table…

 

 

Fixed Gears on NYTimes.com

Saw this article in the NYTimes.com today and learned a lot about the history of fixed gears. If I didn’t take a nasty fall and get stitches in 5th grade, and if I didn’t live in an area completely surrounded by hills I might try to give a fixed gear a try– but I’m too much of a pansy and a lightweight. I must say it’s quite the expensive hobby– seems like every other week I’m hearing what new components my brother is buying for his bike that equal 2+ months of my income. But I guess it’s still way cheaper than a car, and much more eco friendly. Maybe when I live somewhere a little more flat I’ll try to work my way into it.

Check out the article here.

I want that…

Think Napoleon Dynamite–the couple who are buying tupperwear– and the wife that wants the ship. That’s how bad I want this Solid Poetry from Frederik Molenschot.

How perfect is this for Seattle? Molenschot sells exterior concrete tiles that when in contact with water reveal a delightful pattern. I’m not big into floral patterns, but I’m sure they’ll have costumized patterns available soon. Check them out here. Saw this post & got the images from Core77.com.

Help save the little guy…

VS.

Saw this website posted on Arkitip™ | Intelligence and thought I’d help spread the word. As a supporter of Arkitip & of all small publishers in general (My grandparents own a publishing company– Merryant Publishers– that publish my grandmother’s book series’ so it’s even more close to home) I’m sad that the ever increasing negative effects of media consolidation are still making it difficult for the mom & pops of the publishing world.

Apparently Time Warner is pushing for increased postage costs for small companies while securing lower prices for themselves. Read more about that here and if you want to get real technical read the resolution. Check this site out and do your part!

“is hilary clinton anti paintball?”

So one thing I really love about wordpress’ dashboard is that they provide you with all sorts of info on whose reading your blog; where they clicked in from, which links they click out to, and my favorite– which search engine terms they used to find your blog. It’s a remarkable way to know what kind of readers are trafficing your site and what trends are “blowing up”. For instance, a few weeks back I could tell those Mountain Dew Sue Teller ads were blowing up even though I blogged about it awhile back, because everyday my engine terms would be “Sue Teller” or “Mountain Dew Grandma.” I’m gonna start posting my favorite terms when I come across funny ones.  My favorite search engine term this week was “is hilary clinton anit paintball?” hahaha. I posted about the 1984 spin off Obama ad with Hillary, and also about Army recruiters using paintball fields to find recruits… so naturally my blog would be the perfect answer to this very important inquiry.

“I ASSURE YOU I AM 100% ANTI-PAINTBALL”

Pheed Me Cool Shit

Ok, so it’s not the actual FeedMeCoolShit.com that I’m blogging about, but it might be even cooler… Pheed.net is the newest edition to the Fresh Produce Blogroll familia and because he gave me a little airtime on his blog I thought I’d return the favor. This little mention is gonna drive hits like crazy– you’re welcome. haha.

Check him out, but be forewarned he’s a mystery and he likes lasers… and he makes graphics move.

The best thing since sliced bread…

In honor of last night, which was a complete throw back to my days romping around Rome, I thought I would enlighten all of you by exposing the lovely world that is boxed wine. I don’t know how many times last night I had to say “no, it’s not soy milk”– so I figure if I write about it maybe I’ll save other boxed wine lovers from having to offer endless explanation. Boxed wine sales have increased by up to 75% and apparently folks in Seattle are the best at not being prentenious and trying something new… It’s not just Tavarnello & Franzia anymore folks, there’s good stuff that they’re putting in boxes. Read more about that at The Boxed Wine Spot.

Here are some advantages to drinking boxed wine from Sunset.com;

1. You get more bang for your buck. Premium wines come in 3-liter boxes (the equivalent of about four bottles) and sell anywhere from $15 to $25 a pop. Do the math — you’re getting a good deal on a good wine.

2. There’s no pressure to polish it off in one night. Unlike a bottle, which goes bad within a day or two of uncorking, boxed wine lasts about four to six weeks.

3. You can drink it now. Forget about the whole let-it-age thing — boxed wines are meant to be drunk within a year of being made.

4. It’s transportable. Because it won’t shatter, boxed wine is perfect for picnics, the beach, and tailgates. Take the oxygen-tight bag out of the box and bring it backcountry camping.

5. You have a reason to use that carafe. A pretty decanter filled with red wine looks so good on your table.

Last night there was Bandit– don’t squat with your spurs on– by Three Thieves. If you’re curious about what makes a boxed wine drinkable/tolerable, here are some things to look out for (again courtesy of Sunset.com);

3-liter boxes. These hold the good stuff. Avoid the old-school 5-liter cartons.

The vintage date and the varietal printed on the box. You want more information than simply “delicious red wine.” More recent vintages are generally better — boxed wine is not meant for the cellar.

The region. Check for familiar winemaking regions such as southeastern Australia or the Napa Valley.

Cin Cin!

So Necessary…

We’ve all been there– what to do when your premium exclusive limited edition sneakers get scuffed?! The solution is Jason Markk, and now there’s even a tutorial. Now we can all rest easy– you’re welcome…

Greens Peace

Ironically enough my last undergraduate collegiate course is my hands down hardest. It’s about International Conflict and despite the fact that it’s kicking my ass it’s actually quite interesting. This week between reading about Realism & Democratic Peace Theory, our professor included this hilarious article by David Plotz called “Greens Peace: A Controversial New Theory about the True Causes of War & Peace– in 18 Holes or Less.” I’ve included the article in this post, but you can also read the New York Times Magazine article here. I might be one of the skeptical tennis fans, but this Plotz guy might be on to something- what do you think?

 

ince the rise of the nation-state, scholars and politicians have been struggling to answer the critical question of geopolitics: Why do some countries fight wars and others remain at peace? Yet to date, they have made little progress. Some contemporary thinkers, alarmed by Kosovo and Rwanda, predict that ethnic conflict will be the prime cause of war in the 21st century. Environmental scholars argue that scarce water and land will drive nations to battle. Students of the theory of interdemocratic peace contend that the structure of national government will be the driving factor. But policy makers should discard these dry, unsatisfying academic formulations and start paying attention to a much more powerful explanatory tool: golf.

Countries where golf is popular never fight other golfing nations — and don’t fight much at all — while countries without golf are strikingly belligerent. Have you ever met an Afghan who golfs? Are there any Serbs on the P. G.A. tour?

I can hear the skeptical tennis fans out there asking, Where’s the proof? Years of rigorous data collection and analysis — or at least days of casual data massaging — confirm the theory of greens peace. I consulted experts at the National Golf Foundation and Golf Digest and scoured the records of PlayGolfNow.com to determine which countries take their golf seriously and which are mere duffers. Because the only remotely reliable international golf statistic is the number of courses, I estimated golf’s popularity in each country by calculating the ratio of golf courses to people. Using well-established scientific and astrological methods, I determined that a country needs one course per million people to count as a golf nation. (Fewer than one course per million suggests that golf is confined to rich folks and tourists.)

About 50 countries meet the one-per-million standard. Golf-mad New Zealand leads the world with 136 courses per million. The United States has about 60; France, 11; and Singapore, 6. Sri Lanka, by contrast, has 0.1; Peru 0.08; China 0.05.

David Plotz is the Washington editor of Slate.com.

I compared the golf stats with a list of the 300-odd major conflicts since World War II, and the evidence is irrefutable. Golfing nations haven’t fought one another in 50-odd years, and they aren’t very likely to fight one another today. Of the 27 current major armed conflicts, none match golfing nations. Take a quick spin around the globe. Every peaceful European country loves golf. But Russia, at war in Chechnya, doesn’t hit the links. Non-golf Greece and non-golf Turkey have long warred over non-golf Cyprus. The former Yugoslavia has fragmented into five states. Only peaceful Slovenia swings the sticks.

United Arab Emirates. Photograph by David Cannon/Allsport.

Do India or Pakistan golf? Of course not. Algerians shoot one another; Moroccans next door shoot par. Peaceful Thailand is a regular at the range, but belligerent Myanmar isn’t. Golf is sadly absent from Sierra Leone, Congo and Eritrea. The Middle East has hardly any courses; Iraqis still think a bunker is something you want to be in. Colombia and Peru have guerrilla wars but little golf. Venezuela has lots of golf but no war. Malaysia is crazy about the game, but Indonesia has been too busy brutalizing East Timor to pick it up. Taiwan loves golf; China doesn’t — which one of them invaded Tibet and India? Germany and Japan have become golf junkies since the Second World War ended; South Korea took up the game after the Korean War. Is it any accident they’ve remained at peace?

And the more golf you play, the more peaceful you are. Sweet-tempered nations like Sweden, Finland, Norway, Denmark, Iceland and Canada play the most golf. Of the 10 countries where golf is most popular, only the United States and Great Britain have a recent history of autonomous belligerence. But the United States has dispatched troops only against anti-golf tyrants: Iraq’s Saddam Hussein, Yugoslavia’s Slobodan Milosevic, Panama’s Manuel Noriega, Somalia’s Mohammed Aideed.

Two British conflicts do mar the record. The U.K. and Argentina warred over the Falkland Islands in 1982. (Argentina barely meets the one-per-million cutoff today, and I suspect that it wouldn’t have had enough courses to qualify in 1982.) And Northern Ireland’s Troubles set the golfing Irish against the golfing English. Apartheid-era South Africa also tarnishes the theory, with the white golfing minority violently oppressing the black, non-golfing majority.

hilosophers and social scientists will undoubtedly puzzle for decades over the association of golf and peace, but I have a few preliminary theories. Golf teaches players to be gentlemen. It relies on an honor system in which golfers police themselves. Golf has no physical violence, unlike basketball, soccer, football, rugby and so on. (Soccer fans riot, and at least one soccer match ignited a war. Have you ever heard of a golf riot?) Golf is not zero-sum. Your performance is independent of your opponent’s, and nothing you can do to your opponent can improve your score. War, which is founded on violence, cheating and crushing your rival, is golf’s antithesis.

Japan. Photograph by Michael S. Yamashita/Corbis. Angola. Photograph by Anthony Suau/Liason International.

Some cynics may complain that I have it backward: golf doesn’t cause peace, peace causes golf. Golf, they may say, presumes a stable economic and political system. Golfers have to be relatively prosperous people with leisure time. They live in countries that can afford to set aside valuable land and water for golf courses. People who have the time and peace of mind to play golf aren’t worrying about whether rioters are looting their stores or barbarians are swarming across the borders. (This argument parallels Thomas L. Friedman’s “golden arches theory of conflict prevention,” which holds that countries with McDonald’s are too prosperous and complacent to wage war with one another.)

But the far-sighted people of South Korea, who know firsthand the benefits of golf, are conducting a perfect experiment to prove that it can pacify even the most benighted nation. According to recent news reports, South Korea’s first significant capital investment in North Korea will include a multimillion-dollar resort with several golf courses to be built by the Hyundai Group. These will be North Korea’s first courses, and they may be the best investment South Korea ever makes. What better way to end 50 years of strife than to teach North Koreans to make par, not war?

Be true…

I haven’t really included quotes as part of my blog thus far, but now that I find myself on the cusp of a huge life transition I’m much more of a sap and find this Henry David Thoreau quote quite inspiring;

“Be true to your work, your word, and your friend.”

These are three things that are particularly important to me at this stage in my life- included in friend is family and self. Thoreau may’ve bored us all in Walden with his pages upon pages about beans, but at least he came through with the inspiring quotes.

I’m a bum… with a Ballistic 20 pack

I’m a huge bum and haven’t blogged in a really long time- even though I claimed I would be posting photos soon. Let’s just say the career hunt, working two jobs and finishing school has really gotten to me lately. I apologize. Here are a few pictures of the backpack my brother gave me. My favorite features include a built-in neoprene sleeve for my Macbook, and a side zipper offering access to the main compartment when swung around to the side (most convenient if I may say so myself!). The features and attention to detail are beyond amazing.  The pack is coated with polyvinyl chloride (PVC) so it’s completely waterproof and the white color will remain. The leather on the bottom is also coated and will stay white as long as I don’t dip it in mud or spill red wine on it. Visvim makes a real tough ballistic pack, and I can’t wait to rock it. Thanks MJB.

This was a sample that I had my eye on since last summer! One of these days I’ll work a job where I can take care of my people like my brother does. Ipods just aren’t cutting it for me anymore

Chocolate vs. Kissing

      VS

Which would you say was better? According to BBC News and Mind Lab, Chocolate “beats kissing hands down when it comes to providing a long-lasting body and brain buzz.” Who woulda thunk it?! I mean we all knew chocolate was good, but who knew it was THIS good. Read the full story here.