I love sheep. Really, I love just about all furry creatures. But something about sheep just makes me laugh.
I also love old technology (although I still don’t understand punch-card computers…). So I thought this exhibit at the Museum of Communications in Frankfurt was stellar!
Sheep made of rotary phones! This exhibit by Jean Luc Cornec has been circling the web for years, but I just saw it for the first time the other day. I love how, from a distance, they still look super fluffy – like you could walk up and sink your hands in.
I have to admit, though. After the initial glee, a strange sort of post-apocalyptic discomfort sets in.
I’m not a huge dessert fan, but every once in a while I get on a kick and need my sweet tooth satisfied. I think these little guys would be perfect to:
a) keep on hand and ready to go when my sweet tooth gets a hankerin’ b) keep me from eating an entire pie in one sitting
Perhaps you’ve seen this; it’s been making the rounds recently. But if you ever have trouble deciding whether or not to eat something that falls on the floor, perhaps you should consult this handy guide.
One of the biggest benefits of this: I now have proof that my cat should not try to eat that emausaurus across the street, as she is definitely not a megalosaurus. She can be such a bully sometimes.
Nicholas Felton is a man after my own heart. He is a designer of information graphics, with a keen aesthetic and a penchant for numbers. His designs are witty and easy to read.
But what I really find noteworthy is the visual appeal of his obsessions. For the past five years, he’s been producing an annual report of his life.
He even has an Annual Report Report. But for 2009, he took his data collection to a new level. He asked everyone with whom he had a meaningful interaction to fill out a survey. So this year’s report not only has data, but more context.
Apart from loving design and numbers, we apparently have other things in common, according to the report. We both carry backpacks. We both make puns about Juneau. We both eat a lot.
And we can all become even more like him by tracking the data of our own lives at Daytum. You can track whatever you like, however you like.
I am obsessive about phantom loads (you know, the electrical devices that suck power even when they’re not on?). I wake up in the middle of the night and unplug my phone charger. And my girlfriend’s. I use power strips for everything. I’m perhaps bordering on having certifiable issues.
So I have been looking for something that would ease my mind about these phantom loads. And yesterday, it came to me via Unplggd. (insert heavenly music here)
Oh, it is so beautiful. I would have settled for an ugly one, but this just rocks my world. Each module has one outlet on the rear, allowing you to plug in your device and wrap any excess cord around it.
When one of the devices enters standby mode, the surface starts to light up, showing you that it’s wasting power. After 3 minutes, if you don’t turn it off, the device, known as the EDF Energy Saving Adapter, will.
Sadly, this beauty is not available yet. And if/when it does become available, I’m not sure if it will be available in the States and work with our electrical system. So, I guess until then I’ll just have to keep dreaming.
Or, in this case, stop dreaming and keep waking up to unplug my chargers.
This is a pretty interesting infographic. Every year, the world uses over 1 cubic mile of oil (1.18 cubic miles, according to data from Nation Master and my calculations). That sounds like a lot, but it’s a bit difficult to picture. If you were to put all that oil in a giant cube and place it next to the Eiffel Tower (maybe you’re with Cobra Command?), this is what it would look like:
Back to the infographic: It would take a heck of a lot of alternative energy to replace that oil. The image suggests how many units of each alternate energy source would need to be built each year for 50 years to match the energy capacity of oil.
I don’t have the world’s greenest thumb. In fact, we tried to grow grass for the cats to eat, and failed miserably. Grass. I need plants that aren’t prone to dying. These uber cute little air plants would be perfect for me.
I love the little glass vials they come in. I’m quite fond of glass containers these days. Also uber cute, these tiny tiny terrariums (also available in itty bitty).
In fact, everything on this site is cute! And friendly to plant killers. Perhaps I’ll have to consider one of their air plant subscriptions…
With a name like infomancer, perhaps you can guess – I love robots. The only dance I do in public is the robot. I like to talk like a robot. I like to think my brain works like a robot’s (have you seen my about page?). I think it would be fabulous to have a robot. So, boy, do I think this is neat.
Check out this super cute car with robot wheels from MIT!
Image via MIT's Smart Cities
This little guy is as long as I am tall (actually I’m a bit taller – he’s only 5′ long). It’s a foldable, stackable electric car, designed by MIT’s Smart Cities for GM. The idea is that you arrive at one of the rental stations, swipe your credit card, drive away, and return to the back of another stack whenever you’re done.
Check out these sweet moves. The wheels can turn 120 degrees – all four of them! So you can pull into a parallel parking spot sideways. No more embarrassing Austin Powers moments.
But it must be slow, since it’s electric, right? Absolutely not! This guy zips around at up to 55 mph, hauling you, a companion and your goodies wherever your heart desires (as long as you stay in one city).
Did I mention the robot wheels? Each wheel basically has its own computer that controls all of its functions.
I live just a couple blocks away from a major intersection; it would be so fabulous to hop out the door and rent one of these for the day. I’ll look forward to 2011, when it will be available.
I still haven’t donated to any Haiti relief efforts. There are plenty of reasons for this – an overwhelming number of choices, laziness, etc. And, of course, it’s easy to justify – everybody’s donating right away. But who’s going to donate later? Lazy old me, that’s who.
Well, I figured I should probably stop lying to myself (I can always donate now and later), and just do it already.
I took some time today to do a bit of research. The amount of information out there is overwhelming; I had well nigh 100 tabs open in my browser. I’ve compiled a list below with some of what appear to be the top dogs. My criteria were simple – have a solid reputation (preferably a four star rating on Charity Navigator, which is designated with a star next to the name below), and no overtly religious ties. Most of those listed below also have a preexisting presence in Haiti.
Animals
It’s so easy to forget about four-legged creatures in times of crisis. But non-bipeds (and even non-human bipeds) need help, too. Don’t forget the non-human animals!
*Best Friends
Best Friends is part of the Animal Relief Coalition for Haiti. Their efforts are focused on providing animals with food, water, rabies vaccinations and safety. Their work in the U.S. is commendable as well, working to bring animal euthanization to an end. 100% of your donation goes to helping animals suffering in Haiti.
Health Related
*Partners in Health
PIH have been in Haiti for over 20 years, providing modern medical care to poor communities. They are based in Boston and have a worldwide presence of 11000 people, including doctors, nurses and community health workers. The organization has 5 fundamental principles: provide access to primary health care, free health care and education for the poor, community partnerships, addressing basic social and economic needs and serving the poor through the public sector. They are GiveWell’s top choice for donating to Haitian relief efforts.
Gheskio via Weill Cornell Medical College
Gheskio is an organization founded by a Haitian graduate of Cornell’s medical school, and was the world’s 1st organization dedicated to fight HIV/AIDS. They have provided free services in Haiti since 1982. They are currently providing humanitarian assistance and emergency care, as well as vital medications to people with HIV/AIDS.
Doctors without Borders
You’ve most likely already heard of this organization. They have a solid history in Haiti, and a good portion of their staff there are Haitian. They have already accomplished a lot: started running mobile clinics to reach people who haven’t been able to reach help, built an inflatable hospital in port-au-prince, restored operation to a damaged dialysis unit, and more. They currently hope to create a post-operative “village” to tend to those who need or have already received surgery.
*Physicians for Peace
Physicians for Peace also have a history in the country, working with the disabled and training prosthetists. Their main concern is with the disabled, and they aim to provide prosthetics and mobility devices – particularly to those who are newly disabled as a result of the earthquake. They believe one of the best ways to improve health care in the developing world is not just to provide it, but to teach and train local health care professionals.
Shelter
Much of the structural damage that occurred in Haiti was due to subpar materials and construction methods. Not that everything would be hunky dory if it were properly constructed, but the level of destruction and numbers of dead and injured would most likely be lower. These organizations realize that, and hope to change the nature of construction in Haiti.
Architecture for Humanity (not yet evaluated by Charity Navigator)
I love AfH. They have a worldwide presence, and have done so much in their relatively short history. Their work is entirely based on the concept of being open source – and they encourage others to steal their ideas. The group is comprised of construction and design professionals providing pro bono work for affordable, sustainable development. Their presence in Haiti predates the earthquake, and they had already planned to spend a significant amount of time there. They will be working on reconstruction efforts, focusing on transitional and permanent housing, schools and community structures. They are partnering with Appropriate Infrastructure Development Group, Yele Haiti, and StillerStrong (Ben Stiller’s organization), among others. They’ve created 7 point plan for sustainable redevelopment, which you can find on their website.
*Habitat for Humanity International
HfH have set out three phases of work in which they’ll engage in Haiti. During early recovery, they will distribute recovery starter kits to families and restore Habitat Haiti to full capacity. The second phase is rehab and cleanup, which is in preparation for phase three: reconstruction and recovery. During this phase, they will construct transitional shelters as a base for future homes. They will also create Habitat resource centers in an effort to improve local material quality, building design and construction skills.
*CHF International
CHF have been around for over 50 years, and already have over 170 staff in Haiti, including many infrastructure and construction experts. They have spent the last four years working on USAID-funded infrastructure rehab and job creation programs. In addition to their long-term efforts, they are assisting in immediate relief efforts, providing transitional shelters and employing locals in cleanup efforts. When the immediate needs have subsided, they will focus on creating earthquake-resistant buildings.
ShelterBox
This one doesn’t quite fit with the others, as they provide temporary shelter only. But I think it’s a neat program – a standardized concept that allows the receiving individuals enough flexibility to make it fit their needs. ShelterBox is literally a box which contains a custom-made 10-person tent with internal privacy partitions, children’s pack (coloring book, crayons and pens), blankets, mosquito nets, water purification means, a tool kit, wood-burning or multi-fuel stove and eating utensils. The first tents that arrived in Haiti are being used to house the injured, women with newborns, other highly vulnerable people. They have thousands more tents on their way.
Food
*Action Against Hunger
This is the American arm of ACF international (from the French Action Contre le Faim). Thus far, they have lauched emergency water distribution points for immediate access to clean water and supplied sanitation equipment. Additionally, they are working to restore water distribution networks, providing help to women with young children, and working to prevent malnutrition, especially among children.
*ActionAid
In addition to delivering food, ActionAid is also delivering clean water, shelter, blankets and soap. In general, the organization works with poor and marginalized people to eradicate poverty, specifically in the areas of international policy, food rights, women’s rights, HIV/AIDS, education and emergency response efforts.
Children
*Save the Children
This organization was created to help children and families help themselves. They are delivering supplies to children and families, and have launched a radio outreach program to promote newborn/infant health. They are also working to reestablish schools as soon as possible, and are creating child-friendly spaces in Jacmel and Port-au-Prince.
In Summary
Keep in mind that donating money is the best way to help. Any donation you make now, you can claim on this year’s tax return.
If you’re a professional (doctor, architect, contractor, engineer, etc.), there may be opportunities for you to volunteer in the future. But not now. Consider this if you’re seriously thinking about it. If you are one of those professionals who has some time to donate later this year (or even farther down the line), pay a visit to the Center for International Disaster Information and/or Idealist.org.
Take a moment to look at that wall in the image above. On first glance, I thought it was a very interesting tile – perhaps made from recycled magazines. Well, not quite – it’s actually bundles of magazines. Check out the close-up below.
The wall is part of a remodel for graphic design firm Oktavilla in Stockholm, who do web, newspaper and magazine work. Architect Elding Oscarson created a marvelous space. Unified by the relatively raw finish of all materials used, the design features used by Elding Oscarson provide the perfect amount of punch.
If you’re wondering how it was built and if those magazines will topple over and land on someone, check out the video below. There’s a standard wall (studs with drywall) in between those two columns of magazines, and the magazines are held in place with a tieback system. It’s really fun to watch the wall go up – you get to see the whole process in just a few minutes (even less if you skip the night-time parts).
Check out the photographer’s other equally gorgeous shots here.
