Days With My Father

We first mentioned this incredible photo essay from Phillip Toldedano back in April and if you haven't checked it out yet, it's a must. A few weeks ago, it was announced that the Days with My Father book will be published in May! Along with the email announcement, Mr. Toldedano allowed subscribers to choose a cover for the upcoming book. The two options are below. I chose the first one but they're equally heartwarming.

Days With My Father

Hope everyone had a nice Thanksgiving holiday!

We thoroughly enjoyed the holiday break... meaning we completely overindulged in turkey and pumpkin pie. Spending the afternoon trying to get my life organized and get back to posting!

Cheers,

M&B

(image via martha stewart)

Working For A Nuclear Free City

Kingdom - Working For A Nuclea...

Clients From Hell

blog: clients from hell
about: a collection of anonymously contributed client horror stories from designers

excerpt:

I've been thinking about that logo you sent over

…. Do you think it would be possible to see what it looks like with a duck on the left hand side. Have been thinking about ducks and what they represent, think it would look pretty cool you know?

(10 minutes later, another email)

… Scrap the duck idea, I don’t know what I was thinking. Perhaps we could try swapping the duck illustration and try using a chair instead. Chairs are good. I have sent an image of a chair for reference.

The 90-Day Contract

The dude behind the new book, "The 90 Day Contract," Damon Alton, puts it this way: “Dating is stupid; I suggest you don't do it.” Nearly every aspect of our lives, everything from cell phone plans, to gym membership, is governed through a contract, “but dating is vague and ambiguous.” That ambiguity often leads to mind games, hurt feelings, drunk dialing, etc..

Don't commit to dating - try someone out with a 90-day contract!

(pause)
For reals?

New York Public Library

I've been spending a lot of my time in libraries these days.
There is something so serene about being surrounded by books.

The New York Public Library looks magical.
(image via here)

Blackbird

Blackbird Goodies

I just came across this amazing shop. It's filled with a wonderful selection of gift ideas for all the men in your life. With the holiday seasons approaching quite quickly, better get a jump start on your holiday shopping!

Holiday Gift Guides

With the last few holiday themed posts you could probably guess I'm starting to get into the festive mood. It is my goal to not only cut back on the gift giving this year but get it all done early. Been perusing these gift guides....

TreeHugger's Gift Guide

MAKE magazine's Holiday Gift Guide

Real Simple's 2009 Holiday Gift Guide

Martha Stewart's Homemade Gifts

Check out Real Simple's Holiday Gift Guide iPhone application...

the app includes other gift guides... ie. Cosmopolitan, Nordstrom, Sunset

and if you're still feeling Scrooge-ish - read this TIME article by Andrea Sachs "Why We Shouldn't Give Christmas Gifts"

(photos via Martha Stewart)

Have a great weekend!

Cheers!

M&B

Genetically Engineered Bacteria Reveal Landmines

This is incredible... AND it's a student-led project.

From BBC News -

Bacteria which glow green in the presence of explosives could provide a cheap and safe way to find hidden landmines, Edinburgh scientists claim.

The bugs can be mixed into a colourless solution, which forms green patches when sprayed onto ground where mines are buried.
Edinburgh University said the microbes could be dropped by air onto danger areas.
Within a few hours, they would indicate where the explosives can be found.
The scientists produced the bacteria using a new technique called BioBricking, which manipulates packages of DNA.
Alistair Elfick, from the university's school of engineering, who supervised the student-led project, said: 'This anti-mine sensor is a great example of how innovation in science can be of benefit to wider society.' "

Read the rest of the BBC article here

Stitchy Ornaments

from anthropologie

Bonnaroo 2010

Bonnaroo 2010
June 10 - 13 , 2010
Manchester, Tennessee


General admission tickets go on sale on Friday, November 27 for $209.50. After December 31, prices go up. If you've ever even entertained the idea of going, GO! Brooke and I had THE most amazing experience of our lives. Sure it's dirty and a bit overwhelming, but the music and people watching are incredible. We were b.roo novices the first time around. The next time we go, we will be pros. Guaranteed.

check out the site here for more info

Holiday Gift Checklists

Definitely going to use these checklists from Lifehacker. Even though I'm scaling back on the gift giving this year, I can still appreciate the help in simplifying.
Download them here.

Signs You Might Be A Sons of Anarchy Fan

Found this via Twitter yesterday (by following SoA's creator and showrunner, Kurt Sutter @sutterink) and just couldn't help myself. Honest enough, I started rereading Hamlet a few weeks ago so I laughed out loud (and felt weirdly obsessive) as soon as I read #1. And it's true, most days I do feel like a missionary (see #5).

(via Small Towns, Small Screens)

1) You start reading Hamlet. You know, for fun.

2) If you weren't a motorcycle person before, you are now to the extent that you can tell a Dyna from a Softail Springer when you see them on the road.

3) In testy social and/or work situations you wonder to yourself, what would Gemma do? And for the guys, what would Jax do? And then you actually do it.

4) You can actually understand what Chibs is saying.

5) You view yourself as a sort of missionary for Sons of Anarchy. When you discover that a friend and/or family member hasn't seen it, you begin proselytizing the unconverted on the merits of the show. Bonus points if you tell them all that Katey Sagal will be robbed, just robbed, if she doesn't get an Emmy this year.

6) You label and evaluate people according to personalities of Sons of Anarchy characters. For example: "My boss is such a Clay about the monthly financial projections;" or "Honey, we knew when you started dating him that he was a total Juice."

7)You consider adding Nicholas Nickleby to your Netflix queue because Charlie Hunnam is in it. Either that or The Lady Killers because Ryan Hurst is in that film.

8)You buy a manual typewriter to work on your manifesto.

9)You download all of the music from all of the episodes from iTunes, make a playlist and it is all that you listen to.

10)You work "darlin'" into regular conversation in addition to "blow back" and "big picture."

11) You know how hard it is to get #sonsofanarchy to be a trending topic on Twitter and you still haven't given up hope.

12) You actually saw someone in real life in a cut and wanted to go talk to him but had to restrain yourself because there is no telling whether he was a Tig or a Jax.

13) Your plan when Season 2 ends? Watch seasons one and two straight through (because you totally saved Season 2 on your Tivo). By then there will be news trickling down from Kurt Sutter sitting on the top of Mount Outlaw about Season 3. Season 2 will be out on dvd soon too so you can bide your time with the special features until next August.

14) You know that, in a pinch, a skateboard is an effective weapon.

15) You divide the world into two groups: those who watch Sons of Anarchy and those who don't.

Amen.

(via Small Towns, Small Screens)

THE WIRE 100 Greatest Quotes

The best 10 minutes you'll spend today.

Punch cards

Clever concept.

by twelvezeroseven

(via one cool pick)

Character Interactions

My friend Mike emailed me this.... I easily spent a half hour pouring over it.
Click on the image for a full size view.

WWII in HD

I started on Sunday night.
I'm skipping Gossip Girls tonight.
I'm watching part 3 tonight.
I'm hooked.

The WWII in HD documentaries air through November 19.
The History Channel @ 9/8c

The series shows the war through the eyes of 12 Americans who fought in the war or contributed to it in some way. Using diaries, journals, and new interviews, it follows these Americans as their personal journeys intersect with one another throughout the war effort. Hollywood actors, including LL Cool J of “NCIS: Los Angeles,” Rob Lowe, Amy Smart, Jason Ritter, and Steve Zahn, portray the young voices of the Americans. The original Americans include a war reporter, an Army nurse, a young African American from Toledo who became a member of the Tuskegee Airmen, a second-generation Japanese American, and a Jewish immigrant from Austria who wound up in the Pacific Theater.

The series draws on more than 3,000 hours of World War II footage culled from archives and private collections around the world. Restored and enhanced through HD technology, the footage brings to light some riveting stories on America’s fight for freedom against the National Socialist armies of Germany, Japan, and Italy.

Some of the war scenes warrant caution for older children, however, because of the violence depicted, some light foul language and rear documentary shots of naked soldiers.

“WWII In HD” is extremely compelling viewing.

Alexi Murdoch

Watched "Away We Go" on Netflix a couple weeks ago and ever since I've been listening to the soundtrack featuring the talented Alexi Murdoch on repeat.

:: basic essentials of my life ::

(pic via here)

Oh! Sweet Nuthin'- The Velvet Underground

Classic.

DIY Weekend Project- Bird Feeder

Soda Bottle Bird Feeder Converter from Amazon - $10.95

(via Unclutterer)

Importance of Sex Education

This 11 year old school girl has a baby on her wedding day.

The pair went on their first date to their local park then met at his mum Violeta's house near the gypsy ghetto where they both grew up.

But within a WEEK of them meeting, their daughter was conceived. Kordeza admitted: "I haven't had sex education classes and I didn't know how to get pregnant. I'd never had a boyfriend and I'd never heard of condoms.

"I didn't know I was pregnant until my grandmother saw I had put on weight. I just thought I'd eaten too many burgers."

how to buy shoes

(click on images to enlarge)

Pumpkin Pie White Hot Chocolate

Yum! Perfect for a chilly day.

From Kevin at Closet Cooking

(makes 4 servings)
Ingredients:
3 cups whole milk
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/8 teaspoon cloves
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 ounces white chocolate (roughly chopped)
pinch salt

Directions:
1. Heat the milk, pumpkin puree, and spices in a sauce pan until it just starts to simmer and remove form heat.
2. Add the chocolate and stir until it has melted.
3. Pour into mugs and top with whipped cream and garnish with cinnamon.

Misc. Headlines

Artist Jack Daw's Golden Penny is Found

"Two years ago, Seattle artist Jack Daws made a penny using about a hundred dollars' worth of gold. It was a counterfeit. A good one, barely noticeable unless the patina wore down and the gold showed through, or unless somebody put it on a scale. (This is not a crime.) He put it into circulation at LAX while buying a Hustler. Essentially, he gave away a hundred dollars in gold. It was entirely possible that nobody would ever discover the sculpture in their chunk of change. But somebody did—...."

NC school officials nix cash-for-grades fundraiser

The school was offering 20 test points to students in exchange for a $20 donation. Rosewood principal Susie Shepherd had said that she approved the idea after a parent advisory council presented it as a way to raise money. Shepherd rejected the suggestion that extra points on two tests could make a difference in a final grade.

Wedding ring found amid 10 tons of trash

PARSIPPANY, N.J. - Sanitation workers sorted through 10 tons of trash to recover a wedding ring accidentally thrown away by a New Jersey couple. Bridget Pericolo had placed the ring in a cup that her husband, Angelo, threw out with the garbage before leaving for work Monday morning. When he realized the mistake, he contacted the town's sanitation supervisor, who suggested coming by the Parsippany dump.

Mystery of Argleton, the 'Google' town that only exists online

The town appears on Google Maps in the middle of fields close to the M58 motorway, just south of Ormskirk. Its 'presence' means that online businesses that use data from the software have detected it and automatically treated it as a real town in the L39 postcode area. An internet search for the town now brings up a series of home, job and dating listings for people and places "in Argleton", as well as websites which help people find its nearest chiropractor and even plan jogging or hiking routes through it. The businesses, people and services listed are real, but are actually based elsewhere in the same postcode area.

Whole Tree Architecture

Architect Roald Gundersen founded Whole Tree Architecture and Construction in 1991 (formerly Gundersen Design) with the philosophy of using renewable building material to create sustainable and affordable designs. Inspiring.

(via Inhabitat,)

apple + ghetto PC =

mac love .

Golden Brown by The Stranglers

Mad Men November 23, 1963

Following the intense Mad Men episode in which President Kennedy was assassinated, my friend Mike forwarded me the link to this article from The New York Times. In the article, "On Nov. 23, 1963, Some People Really Did Marry," the NYT City Room tracked down three people who, like Roger Sterling's daughter, had their weddings scheduled for the day after the assassination.

“This could have been an awful day,” said the character Roger Sterling on Sunday night’s episode of “Mad Men,” speaking to a half-empty wedding reception. “But here we are, not watching TV, but together watching the two of you.” (See related Arts Beat post.)

The outcome of the Sterling wedding was hotly anticipated among fans of the show ever since this season’s second episode, which was broadcast Aug. 23. In it, Margaret Sterling, the daughter of one of the guys with his name on the door at the Sterling Cooper ad agency, shows her father, Roger, the freshly minted invitation to her wedding, still months away: Nov. 23, 1963. The camera lingered on the invitation itself, inviting reality to dawn on the audience. The date is one day after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.

In real life, of course, no one saw this coming. Real-life brides-to-be had watched as the day they had been planning for months was pulled out of their control, and the nation’s grief and confusion — Was there a plot? Were others still at large? — threatened to drown out their wedding bells completely.

City Room called up The New York Times from Sunday, Nov. 24, 1963, and had a look at the wedding announcements. Amid the pillbox-topped veils, the hair flips, the orchids and stephanotis, we found a few New Yorkers who were actually married the day the Sterling wedding was supposed to have taken place. At least some of the announcements were written before the actual wedding day, so there was no way of knowing whether every one of those weddings went off as planned.

To read the rest of the article by Michael Wilson click here

Nomiya

Wow. Now that's a view of Paris.
http://www.nomiya.org/

(spotted on SeeSaw Designs)

Inara George

Have yet to listen to her latest "Accidental Experiment" but I'm looking forward to doing so. I discovered Inara after a few of her songs were featured on Grey's Anatomy (back in its prime). This will always be one of my favorites...

Fools In Love - Inara George

Free Airport WiFi courtesy of Google

Along with the exciting news that Google will be providing Free WiFi to 47 airports throughout the holidays, comes the need to protect yourself from hackers and identity thieves. Click here for a list of participating airports (LAX, O'hare- no, Austin and San Diego- yes!) An excerpt from PC World on how to protect yourself...

Public hotspots, which by nature are open and unencrypted, are notoriously insecure. Information you transmit via laptop, smartphone, or gaming device may very well fall into the wrong hands. There are ways to stay safe, however. We asked Edgar Figueroa, executive director of industry trade group the Wi-Fi Alliance, for some hotspot safety tips. They are:

1) Configure your Wi-Fi device to not automatically connect to an open network without your approval. By doing so, you'll be aware when you're connecting to an open Wi-Fi hotspot. "Many devices either come out of the box or are later configured to automatically accept any available Wi-Fi connection," Figueroa says. Auto-configuration is most popular on handsets and some consumer electronics products like gaming devices.

2) If there's a storage device or another PC on your home network, you may have sharing enabled on the laptop you've brought to the airport. "When you're connecting to a public hotspot, make sure that you disable sharing," says Figueroa.

3) If you're conducting business or sharing sensitive information, it's best to use a virtual private network (VPN), which creates an encrypted, private link across a public network.

4) Use a personal firewall, either the one that came with your Mac or Windows PC, or a third-party app from a reputable security vendor like Symantec. Firewalls come with a range of configurations. "You can configure a firewall that is somewhat impermeable, and then there are times you can have it pretty open," Figueroa says. "At a minimum, you'll want to know when an incoming connection is attempting to gain access to your system."

5) Should you pay bills and shop online at a hotspot? Well, it's probably not the smartest idea. If you must, however, "it would be best to do these types of transactions over a VPN connection," Figueroa says. At the very least, use a hotspot that has WPA2 security. Not every public hotspot offers WPA2, though.

Paper Pastries

paperpastries

"Confections for your Correspondence"