Transportation
Some people are lamenting the loss of possible future classic cars to
the cash for clunkers program. The NYT Week in Review ponders the
question and comes up with 4 possible classics currently eligible for
crushing. The 88 Jag maybe. The other three, I rather have a Pacer.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/09/weekinreview/09mayersohn.html?_r=2&hp
OTOH so many of us have fond memories of car camping in the old family
station wagon. Here’s a peek at a 1957 book on the subject.
http://daddytypes.com/2009/08/09/nomadic_car_furniture_ford_treasury_of_station_wagon_living.php
and a link to the full text of the book from the Internet Archive.
http://www.archive.org/details/fordtreasuryofst00reckrich
I had a (mostly non-running) Vespa in college and still think the
little scooters are the epitome of small transport design. Here’s a
chance to get one for yourself and matching mini for your fav sprog.
Very Pretty™
http://www.crunchgear.com/2009/08/10/everyone-needs-a-vespa-even-the-kiddies/
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Science
Highly efficient LEDs may be getting close. Good for flashlights, bad
for atmospheric room lighting (IMO).
http://www.core77.com/blog/object_culture/new_energyboosting_led_tech_the_breakthrough_weve_been_waiting_for_14272.asp
Ever wonder why your toppy sadist friends have thing for redheads?
Turns out carrot tops really are more sensitive.
http://www.boingboing.net/2009/08/10/are-red-headed-peopl.html
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Design
I have a terrible time with those little flash drives. They don’t have
enough bulk to prevent them hiding in the darkest recesses of my
purse, and the exposed connectors either get stepped on and mangled,
or so full of purse dust that they don’t plug in. If there’s a cover
for the connector it gets lost… etc. This may be the solution. Ugly
but nicely functional.
http://www.verbatim.com/products/detail.cfm?product_id=54232290–1143-3415–5F762303CCD7756E&cat_id=8263FD89-1143–3415-5F27986110DFB583
Frank Plant is an American Sculpture living in Spain. He builds
pictures from heavy gauge wire and small bits of the real world. His
blog posts show finished works, work in progress, and details of
building several of his pieces. Everyone who writes about him points
to his big red Kalashnikov hanging over a sofa but I like his smaller
scenes from everyday life things. Particularly Taking in the Laundry
and the series Sketches of mundane chores like vacuuming.
http://www.hierroglyphic.blogspot.com/
From Portugal a white stucco building covered with raised text blocks.
The typography and layout is wonderful.
http://www.the-refined.com/2009/08/typography-refinado/
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Bonus
This sort of belongs in Science but it’s here at the end so that I can
justify including this awesome I don’t get teenagers quote.
http://www.newscientist.com/special/ten-mysteries-of-you
“Even our closest relatives, the great apes, move smoothly from their
juvenile to adult life phases – so why do humans spend an agonising
decade skulking around in hoodies?”