natecooper.net

I love the beginning of this trailer. I hear the movie is good as well…

Check out this park and landscape in Prague. I have mixed feelings about modernist architecture. It always looks amazing in photography but often is bleak and imposing from the ground level. More recent construction like this, however, re-writes the perspective on a human scale. It looks very functional, almost inviting.

(via bad banana blog)

I read with some interest i09’s assessment of Clinton era Sci-Fi. Never really thought about it but the 90’s did have some great Sci-Fi.

The Obama election has to be hugely significant for people of my generation. Specifically those around 30 years of age. The first election I was able to vote in 2000 saw a great amount of quashed optimism. The second election in 2004 was sort of confusing and frustrating at the same time. No question we weren’t happy about Bush but at the same time there wasn’t a solid candidate to rally behind.

This year was different.

The night of the election an assembly of poor hipsters gathered at the Orphanage (our aptly named Bed-stuy home) and there were those who simply refused to believe that anything good could come of the election — even though they were fervent Obama supporters. My roommate turned to one and said “Just because we’re used to being disappointed doesn’t mean we can’t be happy for a bit.”

Indeed it is a bit bizarre to be even cautiously optimistic about politics for once. Obama is like a touchtone icon for America’s hope and promise for a better future. He also seems refreshingly (at least for now) like a unifying figure after eight years of the country within and world outside wedging itself apart. Perhaps it’s simply the fact that I’ve only ever lived in blue states but I can’t ever remember seeing pictures of our president (elect) posted up in corner stores and apartment windows. Daily online you’ll find ridiculous but hopeful headlines about the future utopia to come.

Here are a few to ponder over: Does an Obama Win Mean a Dark Knight Oscar? Can Obama Save the Auto Industry by Greening it on Day One?

The best and most all encompassing has to be Kottke’s When Obama Wins which randomizes promises of a better future with Obama.

If you find any other overly optimistic headlines about Obama’s presidency post them in the comments.

One of the funniest bits I’ve seen on there in a while.

Pictured above is among the more radical of interesting new takes on bedding design from an article on weburbanist.

I myself prefer the hammock but all of them present interesting ideas and something to think about considering how much time we (human beings) spend on average in bed over a lifetime.

To describe the fun of using Poladroid really just pales compared to experiencing it. This little bitty app closely replicates the experience of using a Polaroid camera. Not only does it take any picture you drop onto its funky camera icon and convert it into a Polaroid-like photo with faded colors and that classic white border. It also actually makes you wait for the photo to “develop”.

As you sit there staring at the little mini picture slowly come into focus through the brown developer you can actually use your mouse to grab and drag the images so as to “shake” it. When my roommate asked me if the shaking makes the photo develop faster; I replied “I don’t know! Just like a real Polaroid!”

This is a must see random app.

(via hrrrthrrr)

Kind of a little excited by seeing this pic.

I wonder how my recent arab-fetish fits into my desire to remake my room with all of these comfy pillows. I am totally in love with all of the decor in these photos. Click on the pic for more.

(via style-files)

John King has an article about Jan Gehl, an urban designer who was brought in to consult with San Francisco about the Fisherman’s Wharf area. Not my favorite part of the city but I like his suggestions about how to improve the area. Perhaps if they’re implemented I’ll be more apt to visit the area.

an excerpt
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Every city has its own topography and ambiance, says Jan Gehl, author of such urban design studies as 1971s “Life Between Buildings.” But he also says there are rules of thumb to keep in mind when crafting plans and reviving neighborhoods. Here are four:

Rein in the automobile. “For 50 years we were completely obsessed with making room for cars,” Gehl says. “We need to show respect for people who are moving about on foot or by bicycle.”

Accentuate the positive. “Celebrate the things that give a place its special character - views of mountains or water, historic buildings. If its nice for the locals, visitors will love to come there also.”

Emphasize the out-of-doors. “We do almost all our work indoors; we need to move in our leisure time. People want to walk, run, bicycle - or sit and enjoy the setting, have a cappuccino.”

Design for all ages. “Various groups in the population have various needs,” Gehl says. For instance, fold active playgrounds into a district - but put them where parents can relax with a glass of wine while children let off steam.

I wonder if bored police officers do such things with finger prints. Many more pics when you click on the pic.

(via baekdal.com)