Archive for the year 2012
2012
Ah, cardboard. Such a versatile creature. Even a humble, simple box can become so many things when you add in a little all consuming creativity.
Take these students from the Rhode Island School of Design for instance. With some old cardboard and lashings of design, they have created some incredible cardboard chairs.
These Industrial Design students took part in a week long competition to design an original child’s chair from one piece of 48″ x 80″ cardboard that would support at least 55 pounds of small child.
There were castle chairs.
There were mini villages, complete with cardboard characters.
And a very realistic looking log and hippos a la the Eames Elephant classic Vitra design.
All from one simple sheet of cardboard.
The entries were then judged by a classroom full of kids who sat, jumped, tore and played with the designs before picking their favourite. Each child then got whichever designer had made their favourite seat to sign it and then the children got to take that chair home with them.
It’s yet another example of the endless possibilities of cardboard and a great way to while away a rainy…
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Posted in: Creativity, Green
Location: New England, North America, Rhode Island, USA
Tags: being green, cardboard, do the green thing, Green, green thing, living green, living sustainably, Reclining Chairs, Reclining Chairs Made Out of Cardboard, recycling, sustainability, sustainable things
Despite it’s name, Iceland has a lot of volcanic activity and the UK government are thinking about putting it to good use.
By pumping low-carbon electricity into the UK through thousands of miles of high-voltage cables under the ocean floor, the UK can start Plugging Into Better Electricity in the form of geothermal energy.
These sea floor cables would not only link the UK to Iceland but would also connect the UK to a wider supergrid which would combine wind and wave power from Northern Europe with solar projects in Southern Europe.
The UK has been energy independent for pretty much forever because it has used its oil, gas and coal reserves. But since these are such finite resources which are proving more expensive and less sustainable by the minute, the government are looking at how to start delivering clean energy. Whilst laying down the cables will take time and money, hopefully this will be the pipeline to bringing renewable energy to every home in the UK.
(Spotted on The Guardian)
Posted in: Green
Location: England, Europe, Featured, Iceland, Photos
Tags: being green, do the green thing, Green, green thing, living green, living sustainably, Plug Into Icelandic Volcanoes, Plugging Into Icelandic Volcanoes, sustainability, sustainable things
Beautiful Spain has so many amazing things to offer: sun-soaked plazas, sangria and siestas. But best of all, there’s plenty to do in Spain for nada. Whether you’re saving up to make your trip last longer or you’re just a cheap bastard with no excuses, we’ve picked out the nation’s best free activities for your shameless taking.
1. Hike the Camino
Make a dramatic entrance and hike into the country via the Camino de Santiago. This famous pilgrimage, dating back over 1000 years, begins in the French Pyrenees and continues across to Galicia, in Northern Spain. Traditionally, pilgrims hike the route of St James’ Bones to obtain forgiveness for their sins, until they reach the cathedral in Santiago de Compostela. Walking (for a week) costs nothing (except all those calories and foot blisters), plus accommodation is close to free, with a pilgrim’s passport permitting lodging at special hostels (albergues) for a small fee. With costs so low, be prepared to give up mind, body and soul on this ass-muscle-building, life-changing, challenge.
2. Sunbathe Naked in the South
Lose those tan lines on some of the world’s most beautiful beaches on the Costa De La Luz. The Atlantic “Coast…
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Posted in: Arts, Culture, Economy, Food/Wine, Travel
Location: Barcelona, Europe, Featured, Formats (Special), Madrid, Photos, Spain
Tags: architecture, Art, beaches, Culture, Europe, free, hiking, mint, parks, religion, Sabatini, Spain, Travel, wine
Stanley Hotel
The 1980 horror film ‘The Shining’ has only gotten more terrifying with age. While critics and audiences were initially put off by the slow pace and unanswered questions in Stanley Kubrick’s production, it’s now considered one of the best horror movies ever made—hypnotic in tone, beautifully open to interpretation, and a pitch-perfect example of the director’s twisted sense of logic. Adapted from the original novel by Stephen King, the movie tells the story of a man’s (Jack Nicholson) descent into madness after he, his wife, and their young son become the winter caretakers of an isolated Colorado summer resort hotel, The Overlook.
The Overlook doesn’t actually exist, but it has a real-life counterpart which directly inspired it: The Stanley Hotel, located in Estes Park, Colorado. King reportedly got the basic idea for the novel after staying there for a night before the estate closed for several months. The spot’s long history among the living has been eclipsed by the popular stories about the dead, as many sources claim that the real hotel is, in fact, genuinely haunted.
Hopeful Beginnings
The hotel is named after Freelan Oscar Stanley, the inventor of…
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Posted in: Culture, Travel
Location: Colorado, Featured, North America, Photos, USA
Tags: Colorado: The Stanley Hotel’s Mysterious & Haunted Past, European cities, European travel, haunted hotels, London, Paris, quirky things about London, quirky things about Paris, stanley hotel, Stanley Kubrick, Stephen King, tips for traveling to Europe, traveling to Europe
Israel is roughly the size of the U.S. state of New Jersey, so I have to give the country kudos: For such a small place, they have a hugely diverse range of landscapes and destinations. From snow-capped mountains in the north, to Tel Aviv’s coastline to the vast Negev desert in the south, the Holy Land is a wholly rich place to travel.
The majority of Israelis I met were adamant that I had to visit Eilat, Israel’s Red Sea resort, particularly when they found out I would be traveling to Egypt from Israel overland. Indeed, I had no choice but to pass through Eilat and even spent a few hours there, waiting for my Egypt visa.
Unfortunately, I didn’t feel compelled to stay in Eilat, even though I probably technically could’ve. I don’t want to discourage you from visiting Eilat — I simply hope my reasons for not having spent much time there will help you decide whether or not you should.
Eilat is Busy
Call me crazy, but this just doesn’t scream “relaxation” to me.
I arrived in Eilat at about five in morning, having taken an overnight bus from Tel…
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Posted in: Culture, Travel
Location: Africa, Egypt, Featured, Israel, Middle East, North Africa, Photos
Tags: Culture, Egypt, eilat, global culture, international culture, international travel, On Israel's Eilat and Egypt's Red Sea Beaches, Red Sea, Travel, Traveling
Helen of Troy is thought to be one of the most beautiful women in the universe. I will admit I know little of the Greek myth other than that – and I have no idea what the concept of ‘beauty’ was back then. But, the myth of Helen of Troy perseveres and the world continues to think of her beauty as awe-inspiring.
So, too, we hear people marvel at the Mona Lisa and her enigmatic smile – often calling her, “beautiful.” One expects in her day, she did exude the beauty given to women of class.
In today’s world, neither woman would likely be labelled beautiful. These are women who appear, to me, at least, to be bare of face (no false eyelashes, or lipstick, or mascara, or under-eye concealer)… these are women who were confident, worshipped, and appreciated, for their femininity – more than the length of their eyelashes, or the color of their lips.
Mind you, I know women from time immemorial have used aids to enchance their cheeks, and lips, and hair – the better to appeal to the men in their lives. However, for the most part, women born before
…
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Posted in: Arts, Women
Location: Europe, Featured, North America, Photos, USA
Tags: a spiritual life, beauty, Beauty Is As Beauty Does: It's What You Do That Counts, Business, mind and body, Not What You Look Like, Reflections, spirit, Women
Owl Museum, Penang (http://www.pulaupinang.com)
Owl Museum, Larnaca
I was doing some research for an article for a travel site I contribute to, and came across an owl museum in Larnaca, Cyprus. It houses the largest collection of owls in Europe. What a niche subject for a museum! The collection belongs to Holy Bishop Kitiou and consists of 5704 ornaments and pictures. Frustratingly, however, I haven’t been able to find out much more than that. (If anyone has been, please let me know – I’d love to hear about your visit.)
Owl Museum, Larnaca (http://www.mousiotheasis.com)
I can completely understand why someone would have a fixation on these beautiful and mysterious birds but I got to wondering firstly if it’s the only example of an owl museum, and secondly are there any other serious owl collections out there?
Owl Museum, Penang
Owl Museum, Penang
The first one I came across is the recently opened Owl Museum in Penang, Malaysia. They sum up on their Facebook page just why owls are such interesting creatures:
Owls are fascinating birds, and
…
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Posted in: Arts, Culture, Travel
Location: Africa, Cyprus, Europe, Featured, Greece, Malaysia, Photos, Seoul, South Africa, South Korea, Southeast Asia, Southern Africa
Tags: European cities, European travel, korea, London, museums, must visit museums, owl museums, Paris, quirky things about London, quirky things about Paris, The Owl House, tips for traveling to Europe, traveling to Europe
Learn more about Heckerty™, a zany, 409-year-old,upside-down-on-her-broomstick, greenfacedwitch. Happy, hilarious, helpful -Heckerty enchants and educates kids everywhere. Stories are about memorable characters whose staying power is proven in many years of teaching by Ann Rachlin, who was also the Royal Storyteller in the UK.
The app entertains but also has genuine educational value in teaching kids reading and vocabulary as they play with the words, sentences and animations. Think of it as a fabulous mishmash of traditional English quality storytelling with top 21st century technology and creative talent.
Follow Heckerty and her catZanzibar™ to magical places with stories, games, puzzles and adventures. Additional Heckerty stories will ship in the coming weeks, with Heckerty’s Cauldron Cookbook™, coloring books & educational products in the months to follow.
Meet Heckerty runs on both iOS and Android and is currently available for $.99 from iTunes and Amazon, with Google to follow very shortly.
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