Sunday, June 21, 2009

Incrediable Works


Paintings normally require canvas and most theater takes a stage, but carvings can come out of almost any material - a fact which some talented artists have put to into practice in amazing ways. Most people are familiar with amazingly carved ice statues and perhaps even giant cheese sculptures, but what about eggs, pencils or books? Here are three approaches to carving used to create amazing art from ordinary (and often fragile) objects.


Lew Jensen, Don Lisk and Brian Baity and others have approached the art of egg shell carving in a variety of ways and with strikingly varied results. Some artists work layered reliefs into the seemingly one-dimensional shells, others are subtractive and emphasis the relationship between figure and void. One set of artists has even gone into the business of taking larger bird eggs to create lamp shades.


Mizuta tasogare & Kato Jado divide their incredibly intricate pencil carvings into four basic types and the rest they consider variations on these basic themes. Any mistake, they note, is fatal for an individual work which must remain intact throughout the delicate carving process. Creating link after link without breaking through thin wood barriers and while dealing with the material change between the graphite and surrounding wood is extremely challenging


Brian Dettmer is a kind of “book surgeon,” performing “autopsies” on old volumes with engaging three-dimensional results. He uses an array of precision instruments to create or reveal patterns within a given book or set of books, often taking advantage of the particular appearance, form and content of his subject material. In many cases, the connection between the material, process and product is overtly evident, as he reveals an interpretation the past through history books and the dissects virtual bodies via anatomy texts.

weburbanist.com/.../

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Brand new Wireless RothDock for your iPod and iPhone


Its time for you to find something new that can raise the capacity to use your iPod and iPhones. Every single day when you’re searching for your iPod accessories, you’ll find variety of new inventions. Now get rock and roll by streaming your favourite music throughout your house. The Roth Audio has launched its latest gadget for your iPod and iPhone. The RothDock has a wireless 2.4GHz receiver that enable you to direct the hi fi system and is enough to handle the distance in your home or office. Simply place your iPod or iPhone in the dock slot and enjoy your music from room to room while charging your iPod or iPhone. The iPod/iPhone in the dock can be controlled via a remote for added convenience. When your iPhone rings, the music will get...

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Photographs in 3D


Amazing new concept for taking 3D photographs using a standard camera and a very clever bit of software. Effect is amazing - would love to see how well this can produce a human face in 3D. A little more than just texture but the theory is the same.

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Solar Powered Fridge


This amazing solar-powered fridge was invented by Emily Cummins, a British college student. What is amazing is that the fridge can be built from household materials and without using any power it can stays at a comfortable 6° C. Now i will explain you how it works:
- this fridge is made up of two cylinders - one inside the other - and is not connected to any power source. Outer cylinder made of any solid material( eg plastic or wood) with holes drilled in the side.
- inner cylinder is made of metal and has no holes to ensure contents remain dry.
- the gap between the inner and outer cylinder is filled with a material such as sand, wool or soil, that can be soaked with water.
- In hot weather the sun’s rays heats this wet material and the water evaporates off. As the material is held against the inner cylinder wall, heat is removed from the inner chamber by the evaporation process, keeping it at a temperature of a cool 6c.
- resoaking material with fresh water will keep the fridge working.
With this fridge, Emily Cummins will help a lot the poor locales. What is your opinion about this fride?

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Saturday, June 20, 2009

Muslim Women


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1 Train to Rule Them All


It's that time again! The Straphangers Campaign has released its annual State of the Subways report, and this year, the 1 train topped all other lines. This is amazing news for the 1 train - it was only in 2005 when the Straphangers found the 1/9 to be the schmutz-iest! The 1 train got high marks for "frequently scheduled service, arriving with more regularity, fewer dirty cars, and better announcements," but it did perform "below average on: a chance of getting a seat during rush hours, and delays caused by mechanical breakdowns."
The most awful lines at the C (Crappy!) and W (Worstest!), with below average performance on "car breakdowns, chance of getting a seat during rush hours and announcements." But what's especially weird is that the L train comes in second, and then the 7 and 6 trains are tied for third place. We suppose various factors neutralize each other - and that other subway lines are just atrocious.
The G breaks down the most, while the Q breaks down the least. The B is the cleanest train, while the F is the dirtiest. You have the best chance of getting a seat on the G, while W is the toughest seat. Some other Interesting factoids:
- Trains are cleaner: "On the plus side, the cleanliness of the interior of cars improved form 79% rated clean in the second half of 2005 to 87% for the same time period in 2006."- Trains are breaking down more frequently: "The car fleet breakdown rate worsened from an average mechanical failure every 178,085 miles in our last report to 156,624 in this report."- The G is the most regular: "The G line had the greatest regularity of service, arriving within two to four minutes of its scheduled interval 91% of the time. The most irregular line is the 5, which performed with regularity only 81% of the time."- Announcement quality is the same: "Accurate and understandable announcements remained unchanged at 90% between our last and current reports" - the D and Q miss announcements 18% of the timeThis year's report was conducted in 2006, with methodology includes weighting findings on amount of scheduled service (30%), dependability of service (22.5% for regularity, 12.5% on the breakdown rate), and comfort/usability (15% for getting a seat, 10% for cleanliness, 10% for announcements).
Do you agree with these findings? What do you think are the best and worst lines?

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Friday, June 19, 2009

Amazing Black Bean Brownies Recipe


For those of you who have a hard time tracking down agave nectar (which is becoming much more readily available) substitute honey 1:1 for the agave nectar. Ania's head notes encourage you to keep these brownies in the refrigerator, they will slice much better if refrigerated several hours or preferably overnight. I used instant coffee this time around, but you can find natural coffee substitute at many natural food stores.

4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
1 cup unsalted butter
2 cups soft-cooked black beans, drained well (hs: canned is fine)
1 cup walnuts, chopped
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
¼ cup (granulated) natural coffee substitute (or instant coffee, for gluten-sensitive)
¼ teaspoon sea salt
4 large eggs1
½ cups light agave nectar

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line an 11- by 18-inch (rimmed) baking pan (hs note: or jellyroll pan) with parchment paper and lightly oil with canola oil spray.
Melt the chocolate and butter in a glass bowl in the microwave for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes on high. Stir with a spoon to melt the chocolate completely. Place the beans, 1/2 cup of the walnuts, the vanilla extract, and a couple of spoonfuls of the melted chocolate mixture into the bowl of a food processor. Blend about 2 minutes, or until smooth. The batter should be thick and the beans smooth. Set aside
.In a large bowl, mix together the remaining 1/2 cup walnuts, remaining melted chocolate mixture, coffee substitute, and salt. Mix well and set aside.In a separate bowl, with an electric mixer beat the eggs until light and creamy, about 1 minute. Add the agave nectar and beat well. Set aside.
Add the bean/chocolate mixture to the coffee/chocolate mixture. Stir until blended well.
Add the egg mixture, reserving about 1/2 cup. Mix well. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Using an electric mixer, beat the remaining 1/2 cup egg mixture until light and fluffy. Drizzle over the brownie batter. Use a wooden toothpick to pull the egg mixture through the batter, creating a marbled effect. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until the brownies are set. Let cool in the pan completely before cutting into squares. (They will be soft until refrigerated.)
Makes 45 (2-inch) browni

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