Money... we all have some (well at least those of us who read blogs through expensive pieces of silcon hardware). Most of us want more money (I know I do). A lot of us have more than we think (including me). And, a few in our world actually have more than some countries' entire GDP (not even close). But what is this thing called money? The latest issue of Colors opens with the sentence, "Money is an illusion, a psychological relationship between an object and a value that has been given to it..." If you can look past the fact that Colors is one big advertisement for The Benetton Family (who own and operate numerous clothing brands including United Colors of Benetton and Killer Loop), you'll find some facinating editorial.
The theme of Issue #73 is as follows: Benetton analyzed paper money in one of their laboratories and found
traces of certain substances, the most common being: cocaine, oil,
blood, soil, sweat, feces and so on. They then conducted a bit of
research and documented different locations/cultures where these
substances are being used as a subsitute for monetary currency. For
example: in Colombia you can pay your medical bills with cocaine, while
in Iraq there exists a thriving black market for blood.
Hit the jump and after the clickthrough, you'll find a page that looks like the image below. It's interactive and as you click on each "stain" you'll download a PDF based on each particular substance.
Money can be a lot of things but what is it to you? I've heard Kong Hee say that your money is neither good nor evil. Money simply takes on the character of the owner. So, if you are a drug dealer, then your money is drug money. If you are stingy then, your money is stingy money. If you are generous, then your money is generous and blesses others. So, what kind of money do you have?
We always tell people "think big"... "dream big"... "the sky's the limit"... "the world is your oyster"... Well, in this case, canvas. With the help of express shipping company DHL, Erik Nordenankar has created the "Biggest Drawing in the World " measuring 40,076,592 meters x 4,009,153 meters. Using a GPS unit packed in a "Pelican" hardcase as his pencil, Erik shipped the case with specific cooridnates enabling the world to become the paper. 55 days later, when the case arrived back home, Erik downloaded the GPS information and the single "stroke" of 110,664 kilometers generated a simple self-portrait.
Check out the video below and then hit the jump for more pics and another behind the scenes.
Oh, did I mention that Derry, Northern Ireland was one of the stops when we were there? If you look closely, you can actually see us waving at the plane.
PeeWee Herman's giant foil ball doesn't have anything on this. For one thing, it's PeeWee Herman. I mean, he's cool enough... I don't know. The other thing is that for play, Lego bricks beat aluminum foil hands down 6 days out of the week and twice on Sunday. Flickr's Chasingfun proves my theory correct with a giant Lego ball. It rolled about 15 yards down 19th Street in San Francisco before they stopped it. Check it by clicking to enlarge...
In a time when "connecting" with people across continents is as easy clicking a little red button beside a screenname, Paul St. George is offering a more "analog" method of encountering others.
On Thursday, "an optical device called a
"telectroscope" was placed at the Fulton Ferry Landing in Brooklyn and
another one on the Thames River in London" enabling counterparts on the two continents to interact without the benefit of video conferencing or cable tv. The exhibition continues through June 15.
"Spectators
stepped up to the machine on both sides of the Atlantic and waved and
wrote greetings to each other in real time on wipe-off message boards. They
told knock-knock jokes, asked about the weather and found time for a
few shout-outs to Queen Elizabeth and the Manchester United soccer team."
Publicists will say only that it uses fiberoptic communication. St. George is sticking with his own version. Weaving
a tale that begins with finding plans in his grandmother's attic, he sticks to his story that he discovered a secret tunnel
under the Atlantic Ocean from New York to London which his great-grandfather
began over a century ago.
Click the photos below to enlarge and check out the official website for more information and to read about this incredible "discovery."
Knit graffiti... yarn bombing... cotton tagging... All of these apply to the newest form of street art that hit Houston, TX and is spreading. Knitta, a self-proclaimed yarn vandal "makes the world more beautiful", not by using aerosol but rather dressing up lampposts, street signs, trees and other objects with colorful knitting. Weird... quirky... unique... whatever word you use to describe it, it's like putting a flower in a gun barrel instead of throwing rocks or screaming. It's probably more of an anti-establisment statement than a lot of graffiti we find out there.
More than 3000 A4 sheets of colored paper were used to make this video for Gush. The piece is produced by the Solab production company, and is carried out by Romain Chassain. In this day and age of digital special effects (a great example is in the new Coldplay spot), there's something unique about going old school. Stop motion is incredible if nothing more than the sheer effort and time it takes. Check it...
I know I've been throwing up a lot of vids lately here on DNSLNS and that makes me a lazy blogger. And my reblog below didn't help either. I promise a real post coming soon. But in the meantime, check out the newest from Lacoste. I love the minimalist approach and although it lacks the spice of Puma's Speed Legs, it's still hot.
I picked up a book that was close at hand this morning. The author, John Ortberg, wrote about talking with a friend, looking for spiritual direction. After describing telling the friend what was happening in his life, John writes,
What did I need to do, I asked him, to be spiritually healthy?
Long pause.
“You must ruthlessly eliminate hurry from your life,” he said at last.
As I was thinking about that response, I laid the book down and began to laugh at the cover of the book. According to the sticker, I could get the life I’ve always wanted for 30% off.
I wish that was true. I would rather not have to think about 100% effort, 100% attention, 100% devotion. I would love to have the life I’ve always wanted at a discount. But I think it doesn’t happen that way.
The challenge for me, for today, is that I have had three separate prompts this morning about slowing down. And just like getting things done takes 110% effort, the process of slowing down takes 100% effort. It takes ruthless elimination. And that’s hard on a day that I have to spend out of the office, with a meeting in the evening, and a project for Hope. And I know that I should give you an amazon link to the book, which would come by adding it to my store.
If you've ever wondered what RSS is or how to subscribe to DanisLinus or other blogs, here's a little video tutorial to make your life easier. Taking us back to kindergarten, CommonCraft has created a series of tutorial videos using good old fashioned pen and paper. No flashy production here. The genius is in the simplicity. I've got my own step-by-step...
1. Watch the vid below.
2. Click the orange billboard at the top left of your screen and RSS me. You know you want to.
BTW, there's a bunch more helpful videos from CommonCraft here.
The new video "Slow Fade" by Casting Crowns was produced by Erwin Brothers Motion Pictures (the company I'm doing some freelancing for) and it was selected and hit Yahoo's Music Video Premiere as their top video... check it.
Question: If you could live inside a Tetris piece, which one would it be? Pieter Peerlings & Silvia Mertens, architects in Antwerp, Belguim opted for the long skinny piece you hope drops when you're wanting to rack up major points.
Reclaiming the narrow space between two existing buildings, they built this clean, modern 645 sq. ft. home. "Four wooden floors between two existing walls, hanging in a steel skeleton, organize this house: downstairs for work, dining on 1st, relaxing on 2nd, sleeping on 3rd, and on the roof, go and enjoy the view."
via Archinect ... Hit the jump for more pics including where they take a bath.
I don't know why I'm so facinated with street art. Maybe it was my three years living in Los Angeles. Some things just stick... like the Lakers. But I love graffiti. I mean how many times can I post about Banksy. So, when I came across these on JS, I had to throw something up here.
When Maria and I were getting married, we went and registered like every greedy good couple is supposed to. And here in Alabama they put a high premium on "starting your China collection." I don't know what the deal is. It's not like you ever really use them. I wasn't that into it and luckily neither was my wife-to-be.
I have to admit though that if these tableware sets by Lovegrove & Repucci were around, I'd be zapping away with that little Lazer Tag thing they give you. And our generous friends and loved ones would've only had to drop $100 per five-piece set. Check out the YouTube ad for their previous set... New York Delft Tableware (Pic).
In reading God on Mute, I feel as though I'm reading myself...
There is faith for life, and then there is a darker faith for death. There is faith for miracles, but also for pain. There is faith for God's will when it's our will too, but there is also the grace to trust God when His will is not what we would choose. I don't pretend it is any easier for us than it was for Christ to exercise this darker trust. It may be one of the most painful prayers of our life... but it may also be one of the most powerful.
I'm ashamed to admit that, in my Gethsemane, I failed to relenquish control. It's something I've subsequently had to pray about, and I can only tell you that I've sensed the Father's love and grace. I guess Jesus, more than anyone else in heaven and on Earth, understands how hard it is for a human being to surrender to the Father's will. I do not feel condemend by my own petulance, but I do feel humbled, provoked and inspired by those friends of God who manage to choose His will instead of their own--even when every part of their heart and soul is screaming no!
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