Category Archives: Design

Fun is a’foot

Posted on March 18, 2012 | 2 Comments

Like roller coasters? Hiking, too?

Then you’ll love Duisburg, Germany.

Magic Mountain is an elevated walking path designed by German artists Heike Mutter and Ulrich Genth. Rising up to 147 feet above the ground, this serious climb mimics a roller coaster…and provides some amazing views for hikers.

And walking in a loop-to-loop? Pretty cool.

Leave it to my German cousins to come up with a way to make roller coasters healthy. What’s next? Subways that are powered by footpower? Buses that we pedal?

WALKING???

Whackadoodle.

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Posted in Design, Exercise, Games, Humor, Life, transportation, Travel, Walking

Tagged artists, bus, commentary, design, Duisburg Germany, exercise, Germany, Health, Heike Mutter, hiking, Humor, life, loop-to-loop, Magic Mountain, roller coasters, subway, transportation, Travel, Ulrich Genth, walking, walking path

Sticky art

Posted on February 25, 2012 | 1 Comment

What have you done with push pins lately?

Rob Surette created a portrait of Jesus. It’s 5.5 x 4 feet in size. It took him six months and 24,790 push pins to finish. The price tag for his creation?

$250,000

As we say in the country, good lord. Wanna see it?

You gotta admit, that’s pretty cool. But what’s really surprising is all the push pin artists that are out there. Rob isn’t the only one sticking it to the canvas (and the buyers).

Take at look at these other fine examples.

Here’s a display made of push pins:

…and here’s another portrait:

Well, stick me with a pin and call me impressed.

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Posted in Art, Business, Commentary, Crafts, Design, Humor, Life

Tagged art, artists, Business, canvas, commentary, crafts, design, eric daigh, Humor, Jesus, life, portraits, push pin artists, push pins, Rob Surette

Head case

Posted on February 18, 2012 | Leave a comment

I’m looking at world through frog’s eyes
Looking at the world through frog’s eyes
Looking at the world through frog’s eyes
And you can just hop off!

My apologies to Heywood Banks. And you can buy the frog hats, too.

(You know you want ‘em.)

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Posted in Children, Comedy, Crafts, Design, Dogs, Fashion, Humor, Life, Music

Tagged animals, children, comedy, design, Dogs, Fashion, frog's eyes, frogs, hats, Heywood Banks, hop off, Humor, knitted cap, life, Music, song lyrics

Royal flush

Posted on February 17, 2012 | 3 Comments

There’s Team Edward and Team Jacob. But in the doll making game…

It’s Team William all the way.

Mattel has released a Barbie and Ken version of William and Kate to commemorate their upcoming one-year wedding anniversary.

As you can see, they have given William a full head of hair — something he doesn’t possess in real life — and strengthened his jawline. And although Kate looks a bit like every Barbie I’ve seen, she’s pretty and her gown is spot-on.

No doll marker would risk offending the royal family.

That clearly wasn’t a concern for the Mattel designer selected to create the dolls that recreate the wedding of Bella and Edward in Twilight Breaking Dawn.

I’m guessing he isn’t a fan of the saga. And Edward in particular.

His doll’s face is flat and fat, and his hair looks like an old lady’s wig. I know the white makeup isn’t flatteringly on anyone in the movies, but it eliminates all detail here.

In the words of my friend Tina…

Barf.

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Posted in Children, Comedy, Commentary, Design, Entertainment, Humor, Life, Movies, News, Shopping, Toys

Tagged Barbie and Ken, Barbie bolls, Bella Swan, children, comedy, commentary, design, doll designer, Edward Cullen, England, entertainment, Humor, life, Mattel, Movies, news, Prince William, Princess Catherine, Robert Pattinson, royal family, royal wedding, shopping, Team Edward, Team Jacob, toys, Twilight, Twilight Breaking Dawn, wedding anniversary, white makeup

Please. Stand. Still.

Posted on February 9, 2012 | Leave a comment

I spent a lot of my childhood motion sick. Cars, boats, planes, you name it — we just didn’t get along.

But what if the very floor could give you vertigo?

Don’t laugh. It’s happening.

Researchers in Jersey City, New Jersey have found that high contrast black-and-white carpeting is making people sick.

We’re talking headaches. Visual distress. Even seizures in epileptics.

Man…that boat trip is sounding better all the time.

They aren’t exactly sure why a high contrast repeating pattern can give the illusion of motion and make viewers sick. But based on their findings, researchers do recommend that you give carpet more than a quick glance before you make any purchase for your home.

Your home? I think this information is even more important for all the planes, trains, and automobiles out there.

Talk about a double whammy!

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Posted in Airplanes, Automobiles, Business, Cars, Commentary, Design, Furniture, Health, Home, Humor, Life, transportation, Travel

Tagged airplanes, automobile, black-and-white, boats, Business, carpet, commentary, design, epileptics, flooring, headaches, Health, high contrast, home, home decor, Humor, Jersey City, life, motion sickness, New Jersey, seizures, trains, Travel, vertigo, visual distress

Favorite places

Posted on February 8, 2012 | Leave a comment

While re-watching 500 Days of Summer recently, I found myself wondering…

What are my favorite buildings in Manhattan?

The lovesick architect Tom, played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt, was able to find inspiration in Los Angeles. I live in New York City, home to some of the most iconic buildings in the world. What speaks to me?

The Lucerne Hotel

When I was looking for my first apartment in the city back in 2006, this Upper West Side building immediately caught my eye. The realtor had made an appointment for me at a nondescript high-rise across the street; I just wanted to talk about this beautifully ornate structure.

I soon learned it was a boutique hotel with a decidedly European influence — a French restaurant occupies the entire ground floor — and that had it just undergone a major renovation.

But at the turn-of-the-century, The Lucerne was a residence hotel. Eugene O’Neill is one of its more storied occupants. I’m sure it was less grand back then, but the man knew his architecture.

I wish the darn thing would go co-op now!

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Posted in Commentary, Design, History, Home, Humor, Life, Travel, Walking

Tagged 500 Days of Summer movie, architect, architecture, commentary, design, Eugene O'Neill, European influence, favorite buildings, favorite places, French restaurant, go co-op, home, hotels, Humor, inspiration, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, landmark buildings, life, Los Angeles, lovesick, Manhattan, New York City, residence hotel, The Lucerne Hotel, Travel, turn-of-the-century

Spectacles

Posted on February 4, 2012 | 6 Comments

I’ve worn glasses since I was nine years old.

Some were butt ugly. A couple were stylish and fun, including my current pair of classic Ray Bans. But I have never liked any better than

THESE

Kudos to street artist Pavel Puhov.

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Posted in Art, Design, Humor, Internet, Life, Photography

Tagged art, commentary, design, eyeglasses, Facebook, glasses, Humor, Internet, life, Pavel Puhov, photography, RayBan, spectacles, street art, street art utopia, street artist, Travel

Lady luck

Posted on January 28, 2012 | Leave a comment

When it comes to bugs, I earned my wimp card years ago.

I’m not a fan.

But the ladybug? That’s one very different beetle. It’s cute, it eats a lot of harmful insects and it’s lucky. (That’s a scientific fact.)

If you like ladybugs too, you might consider this Ladybug Nightlight that my friend Stephanie sells at Stoopher & Boots on the Upper West Side.

Look at that face.

And you might stop reading right now. Because the rest of this post on ladybugs will freak you out. It did me.

Hungarian Artist Gabor Fulop also likes ladybugs. A lot. So much so that he created 20,000 and hand-painted them.

He then applied his ladybug creations to a sculpture of the human form, forcing viewers to imagine what it would feel like to have ladybugs crawling over every inch of their bodies.