Mood:  chillin'

Mega tower designed to buffer population growth in London (via io9).  It is designed to hold 100,000 people and serve there every need from shops and schools to theaters and governmental offices.  It would even pull fresh water from the clouds that it reached up to.  But I wonder, if the mega tower planned in Japan could cause some earthquakes, what would this one do? 

Lilypad floating city for climate refugees (via Inhabitat).  So, if we're prepared for the flooding of the earth, we could do it much more fashionably than what was shown in Waterworld.

Flooded London by Squint/Opera at the London Festival of Architecture 2008(via Inhabitat) gives a little better idea of what we might be dealing with if the seas did rise.  I wonder though, how London's mega tower will deal with this. 

I've been amazed by the ingenuity behind the Echo Park Time Travel Mart since I first heard about it.  These time travel vacation posters are too great to properly discribe, and the 826LA nonprofit creative writing program behind it all is inspired! (via io9). 

Federation Island, just one man-made island Covered by Life in the Fast Lane (via Neatorama).  Considering that a lot of the man-made islands in planning and in process are built up from the sea level, mightn't they get flooded along with London? 

Modular Moonbase plans for eventual planting by Ares in the next decade (via io9) 

Something a little closer in time:  the Oasis mammoth cruise ship will be launched next year by Royal Carribean Cruise Ships (via Neatorama) 

And finally, a little wearable futurism.  The TX54 concept watch sticker at Timex 2154 competition.  Hopefully it will come to be before 2154.   (via Popgadget) 

Mood:  bright

The whole Christmas in July thing is becoming so prevalent that even channels like ABC family start to inexplicably run Christmas specials mid-summer.  Well, I too indulge in some senseless Christmas now and then.  Mainly because I love this movie too much to only watch it during one part of the year, I invariably end up watching White Christmas sometime during summer.  This movie began my love of all movies Danny Kaye.

I know this isn't like cheering for a dark horse or anything.  A lot of people love this movie--or just accept it as one of our Christmas classics.  There is a reason why I'm not likely to run into too many people who have never heard of White Christmas.  Its just a good movie.  Though, I wonder if perhaps its the musical angle that keeps it from being run as much as, say, A Wonderful Life.   For musical phobic people--there is one plus here:  most of the music and dance numbers are neatly confined to the stage and the practice room of an entertainment industry within the film.  There are few unsubstantiated breaking-out-into-song-and-dance moments ala Seven Brides, Oklahoma and Hello Dolly.  Makes you wanna watch it now right?  I knew it would.  

Mood:  a-ok

Perhaps because I am an idealist and a dreamer, I seem to always be attracted to people who band together to address issues many of us take for granted as being untouchable.   Sometimes these groups are underground (to the terror of the government), and sometimes they establish themselves in public, but they remind us that there is much more going on in the world than immediacy;  there is a past to protect and a future to plan for.  I'm kind of envious of the participants.  Maybe one day I will be part of a similar such movement.  So, I dug through some of my saved links and pulled out a selection of commendable organizations.  I am probably missing a lot--but I only came across these by chance.  

Untergunther (previously on Bean) a subdivision of les UX is a secret underground opperation that 'tries to improve hidden corners of Paris.'  They made news last year for restoring the Wagner 19th-century clock at the Pantheon in Paris.

Long Now : "The Long Now Foundation hopes to provide counterpoint to today's "faster/cheaper" mind set and promote "slower/better" thinking. We hope to creatively foster responsibility in the framework of the next 10,000 years." 

Insitute for the Future : "Our research generates the foresight needed to create insights that lead to action. Our research spans a broad territory of deeply transformative trends, from health and health care to technology, the workplace, and human identity."

Chaos Computer Club : The Chaos Computer Club in Germany--one of the largest hacker organizations--is not so much about computer programming, teaching and hacking as making sure that human freedoms and privacy are honored the world over.

Mood:  cool

Blast!  as my mom would say.  So, I'm going through all the saved links and images I've got, and been ignoring, about things I want to post and I realize that I have a healthy collection of skulls and skeletal imagery ranging from the beautiful to the cute and ridiculous.  So, I want to say something about human fascination with being reminded about death and mortality and how the themes frequently pop up in cultures all over the world, but its not assembling itself in my head right now.  I think I'm giving up, but I'll still share with you the beautiful and the cute.  It will be like The Day of the Dead in July.  Perhaps I will follow up with Christmas in July--I'll have to get on that, since July is almost over.  

Image on right is:  Sylvia Ji's amazing painting (via Right Some Good) 

Alicia Policia's Fabric Sugar Skulls (via Craftzine) and Artist Karla's skull plushies (via Drawn!)

Viva Calaca! animation music video about the day of the dead by Ritxi Ostáriz(via Drawn!) 

Something just a little different, but still the cute side of morbidity:  Anatomy of a Gummi Bear from Moist Productions (via io9)

Mood:  chatty

Suspended furniture at Better Interiors (via Apartment Therapy)

Bathtub couch from Reestore (via Inhabitat)

Ditte Hammerström's couch (via Style Files)

Bokja's collection of reinvented furniture (via Decor8) 

Coffin sofa from CoffinCouches.com (via Boing Boing) 

My beautiful backside sofa and princess daybed by Nipa Doshi and Jonathan Levien (via Apartment Therapy) 

Patchwork covered sofa from Squint Limited (via Design Milk) 

Zen Daybed at  LivingSpace (via Apartment Therapy) 

Naoko Kanehira's Cushion Sofa (via Apartment Therapy) 

I do already know that this is not a couch, but its captivating just the same:  Sit Bag Suitcase Chair from MayBeDesign (via Apartment Therapy) 

So this was obviously not a practical sofa shopping trip of the mind, but if I had the money I would've had a hard time picking just one of the above.  In the end, what is being shipped to me is very practical indeed--at least it seems so.  I am very excited and will tell you just how awesome the Either or Convertible sofa at Urban Outfitters turns out.

Mood:  cool

TechCrunch reports that Google and Viacom have agreed to preserve user anonymity in the handover of YouTube data.  Unique identifiers will be substituted for user IDs and IP addresses.  Please visit TechCrunch for the full run down. 

Needless to say, I'm relieved.    

Mood:  cool

How did I ever live in a world where I did not know that the ̀ìkov television tower of ̀ìkov, prague every existed?  Why doesn't my city have something truly strange, awkward, and creepy rising up out of its building covered stomach?  The Deputy Dog architecture blog, through a friend, brought this wonderful oddity to my attention.  I love the convoluted lines that information passes through.  Anyway, Deputy Dog has more info on the background of this tower, so go and learn.

Mood:  energetic

Most of the time I window shop online and scoff at the ridiculous prices of clothing and home items.   Then, sometimes I find something so perfect, or that would so perfectly fit what I want it for that I only wish I could afford the ridiculous prices of it.  I've got two today:

Mohop shoes provide near limitless sandel designs with one shoe sole.  I love this idea!  

I think, perhaps, I might not feel as self conscious in Popina swimsuits.  The styles are so flattering.  (via Indie Fixx) 

Mood:  happy

I am not a scientist.  I did fairly well in science in school and have always been interested but I found out in college that the teaching best suited to my type of learning was not the type of teaching that usually occurred in a science classroom.  Thus, all of my scientific explorations and contemplations have been done in my own way.  Bear with me then, as I hypothesize based on news about scientists testing early human bones to find out if modern man was a mix of early humans and neanderthals. 

As I remember, in science class so long ago, it was impressed upon me that early humans and Neanderthals were two different species.  At that time the idea of modern humans coming from a mix of the two was considered ludicrous--even though I thought it made the most sense.  One of the much used refutations of the intermixing idea was that two species cannot have fertile offspring.  

Well, apparently, the idea of intermixing has been more and more entertained since I was in science class due to some skulls that seem to be a perfect blending of the two species.  With the new and improved DNA testing and an uncontaminated sample of an early human, scientists have affirmed that the DNA shows no intermixing.

That was a long intro to get to my thoughts, but bear with me please.  My question is:  did the uncontaminated sample have the type of skull that shows possible blending?  I know its probably a sample taken after Neanderthals began vanishing, given that they thought it was a good sample to show whether modern human was descendant from a mix of the two species.  What I figure is that there is no way to say for sure that the two species weren't intermixing.  If the product of two separate species is sterile--as seen in mules and ligers--couldn't those skulls with both characteristics be evidence of interbreeding which created sterile individuals?  Perhaps this could've even contributed to the Neanderthal decline.  Although, I have to admit I know even less about the Neanderthal decline. 

Now as I'm writing this and clearly talking out of no where, I'm thinking that you will be wondering why I'm even talking at all.  Yeah, I don't know really.  But I let my mind wander some times.  And the louder it wanders, the more I want to share. 

Mood:  happy

The One Hundred Artists Project is available for purchase!  I just received my ordered copy and was oh so proud and happy to be included in this project.  Yup, I said included.  My humble contribution on the right.   So far, the project hasn't managed to drum up the attention I think it deserves.  Anyone interested in keeping tabs on the situation or joining in future projects should check out the 100 Artists Project network.  Proceeds from sales and art auctions go to the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund and the Hero Initiative.

I first heard about it on Drawn! and thought that maybe I could finally get off my butt and participate in an art project with other artists, for a good cause even.  So what's keeping you?

Ai Shinohara's paintings are deceptively dreamy.  I am particularly clumsy with a brush, so I can't help but admire the fine detail and variety of smooth color combination and blending. (via Right Some Good)

Mood:  chillin'

I've still been thinking about privacy issues and the forced invasion of mine and others right to keep certain pieces of information about ourselves private.  I've also recently signed up for three more social networking sites.  I even have a job in which I custodian of user information that I would not want shared should I be that user.  Well, eventually the amalgamation of all this actually got combined into one thought and I queried, 'what exactly do I consider information to kept private?'  (yes, I talk to myself)

The answer isn't simple.  I am not even sure I have formulated the whole answer yet, and I'm sure that it would evolve and mutate with time and the current issues of my life, but I still think its a question that a lot of us should consider.  There have already been articles concerning the vulnerability of online teens to future employer discrimination based on information shared on their myspace and facebook pages, the dangers of online shopping and keeping your passwords safe, and how the immediacy and exhibitionism of our online environments is causing changes in how we act as a society.  I've even done a previous post on the mindset of people who do share themselves online.  Obviously, I don't think visibility online is a bad thing.  To me, the online world is just another dimension to the off line one.  Granted, its another dimension with almost interminable universal memory--an ability that the offline world has yet to develop. 

Because the stupid and/or embarrassing things I've done can never be erased, its helped me to own up to the fact that its ok to be perceived as stupid, geeky, embarrassing, what have you.  Everybody is at some time, or thinks that they are.  I also enjoy the record keeping aspect of it.  More than old photos, online archives keep snapshots of how my life was year after year.  And though a life online can be ego-stroking and a misguided attempt at permanence, I don't think my audience/circle of friends is any bigger online than offline.

Back to the topic at hand.  I have publicly(through social networking sites) shared my music and movie tastes, some of my literature tastes, interests, daily thoughts, school and job information, location, social connections, craft production, artwork, and opinions on other artists, politics, and social commentary.  I have shared through consumer relationships all of my literature tastes, my bath product preferences, my food choices, my banking and credit information, my travel habits, my shoe size, and my choices of extracurricular activities.  I'm sure those companies have some more dirt on me that I'm just not thinking of at the moment.  I expect and hope, that this data shared with my consumer relationships is being properly kept private or, at least, anonymized before it is disseminated for statistical purposes.  Oddly enough, perhaps because of privacy policies I've read, I admit that I consider the identifying information I have given to my email provider, my Google log in, and YouTube login to be private in the same type of way.  Here I am talking about the back-end information; the information that I cannot even see if I don't log into the system.  My favorites list, my notebook pages, and my viewing history.   I know my movements online are tracked and recorded.  In some cases, like with Amazon, I even reap some benefits directly with their recommendation making system.  I also know that outright selling/sharing of this type of information by any email service, profile offering search engine, etc would lose those sites the traffic that makes it possible for them to make any money.  It will establish a level of distrust in users that will encompass even the parent and related organizations.

So, I've considered what I have already shared, and what I have shared with the understanding of privacy.  What are those pieces of me that I want and need to remain private?  Of course, I find it necissary to keep my banking and sensitive identifying information private.  I also consider some of my reading, activity, and viewing proclivities to be sensitive information.  And I have a strong desire to blip off the radar once and while.  Maybe its an innate predator/prey paranoia, but I'd rather not all of my movements were recorded.  What information about you do you feel needs to be protected the most?