Drone Flying in Fireworks

Definitely a better show than what I watched last night. Plus, you get the 'bonus' of Andrea Bochelli, and who can ever have enough of listening to this song over and over again?

H0les

These glasses are conceptual accessories. 

They aren't sensible.

I am amazed how inexpensive these really are. Only $100, compared to high end sunglasses that do nothing but show you like to pay for a brand and cover the sunlight in only one shade? Bargain! you can keep your rose colored glasses, I'd prefer to see the world as a cacophony of rainbows.

Astronaut Sews Dinosaur Toy from Space Station Scraps

"Made in space!" Nyberg, an Expedition 37 crewmember, exclaimed in her caption for a photo of the toy giant lizard she uploaded to the pinboard-style photo-sharing website Pinterest. "I made this dinosaur for my son last Sunday, September 22."

Challenge Detroit

They'll live in Detroit. They'll work in Detroit. They'll play in Detroit. They'll give in Detroit.

Can 30 creative thinkers make a difference to a city in need? A Detroit economic and entrepreneurial development organization called The Collaborative Group is betting on it.

Devastated by the collapse of the auto industry that fueled the region's growth, Detroit has fallen into dire straits. The city, which has a poverty rate of 37.6 percent, is the poorest major city in America. Residents are moving out in droves: Detroit's population has shrunk by a quarter in the past decade.

Led by the vision of The Collaborative Group board member Doyle Mosher, the group's Challenge Detroit initiative is focused on building a young, educated workforce in the region, starting with just 30 people.

ISS Star Trails

Expedition 31 Flight Engineer Don Pettit relayed some information about photographic techniques used to achieve the images: “My star trail images are made by taking a time exposure of about 10 to 15 minutes. However, with modern digital cameras, 30 seconds is about the longest exposure possible, due to electronic detector noise effectively snowing out the image. To achieve the longer exposures I do what many amateur astronomers do. I take multiple 30-second exposures, then ‘stack’ them using imaging software, thus producing the longer exposure.”

Because, really, how many people have the opportunity to take long exposure pictures from space?

Starbucks Reinvesting into the Neighborhood

In under-invested urban communities, systemic issues such as consistent quality education, access to jobs and other opportunities for revitalization are further exacerbated by the financial crisis.

That is why Starbucks is taking an innovative approach in helping address these concerns by sharing the success of our stores in two neighborhoods.

One store in the Crenshaw neighborhood of Los Angeles and one in the Harlem community of New York City will be pilot stores for this new approach. A portion of each store’s profits will be reinvested into the neighborhood through two local non-profits, the L.A. Urban League and the Abyssinian Development Corporation. We are collaborating with these amazing organizations, which are leading holistic and sustainable change in their respective communities by helping to improve economic development, education and access to social services. This marks a new way of doing business and supporting our non-profits by sharing the success of these stores within their immediate neighborhoods.

What to do in Case of an Emergency: Redux

Similar to the safenow version of emergency protection, updated version from Frogman

My favorite charity with my almost favorite drink

A 64-year-old single malt Scotch whisky in a unique crystal decanter has sold for a record price of almost £300,000 at an auction in New York.

The decanter, crafted by famous French designer Lalique, holds 1.5l of the rare The Macallan whisky.

All the proceeds will be given to the clean-water group charity: water.

On a complete side note, if you need to pick a charity to ever give money to, choose charity: water. They have a great cause and need all the help they can get. Not that I can sway you, but I've given to them for years, and they deserve everything you can give.

The Social Network

Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross OST for The Social Network.

Free five track sampler! I have no interest at all in seeing the movie (considering my feelings for Facebook in general), but hey, free Reznor!

$76,500 Platinum Datsun Fairlady Z 432

40th anniversary edition Fairlady Z 432 created out of pure platinum, costing $76K+. Ad not for sale.

To be fair, it is a Z. Personally, I am happy with my blue 240Z, but hey, if I had the money to throw around to make completely random things, a Datsun is always a good place to start.

I totally need a new office chair

Vespa chair by Bel & Bel. I wonder if it would be acceptable to wear leathers all day to go with the chair. Or physically feasible.

Picturing the Past 10 Years

Teeny tiny piece of the chart by Philip Niemeyer. Click for full piece.

Ven Diagram of Mythical Creatures

Furry Puppet Studio

Creations by Zach Buchman and Maria Gurevich.
I love puppets. There is just something that takes me back to childhood when I see a well made, friendly looking puppet. These are totally the type I would buy, even if I don't ever actually use them for puppetry.

Finally a Reason to be Proud of Dallas

“What if one block in Texas became the sustainable model for the world? What if everything we knew and believed about design needed to change? What if we need to change along with it?” David Baker + Partners and Fletcher Studio answered these questions with their XERO Project, an incredible plan to connect the city of Dallas with greenways while bringing local agriculture, public orchards, community gardens, private planter boxes, and food stalls into the city. The project recently took first place in the Re:Vision Dallas design competition, and is focused around an energy efficient building that will include a rainwater collection system, solar panels and planted screens that will produce onsite energy and food.

What’s the most exciting part of the competition? Re:Vision Dallas is real. The competition is the result of a partnership between Urban Re:Vision and the City of Dallas to create an innovative and sustainable redesign of a single city block. “The competition created a chance to propel design beyond the typical, beyond the norm, and to lay the foundation for a future of sustainable development.” With the support of the city, the land has been purchased, and this block will soon become a reality.

..via Inhabitat

£11.74!!!

So I am big fan of wrapping presents. I like to experiment with texture, folding, adding things that shouldn't normally belong. etc. I am a dork with a couple of bags worth of paper in the closet at all times. The Container Store is a special place to me at Christmas with their gift wrap wonderland.

Shut up. Stop snickering.

But no matter how much I like wrapping paper, even I cannot justify $16.50 for one sheet of awesomeness. Especially $16.50 for pixellation, something my lazy ass could make myself.

But isn't it pretty?

What to do in an EMERGENCY!

Never Used the Toy This Well

The Etchasketchist! Try to beat him. Try it. Super double points for drawing the Mac vs PC ads. Maybe even triple.

Nerdiness!

Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog, directed by Joss Whedon, starring Neal Patrick Harris and Nathan Fillion!

Nature Asploded

Chaiten Volcano erupts during thunderstorm in southern Chile
Wouldn't want to be anywhere near the eruption, but would love to see this live.