Bansky vs. That Thing Called Global Warming

http://flavorwire.com/58098/pic-of-the-day-banksy-vs-global-warming

Happy Holidays

2010 at our doors

A wonderful gretting from the folks over at Wolff Olins...

http://www.wolffolins.com/2010/

Video by Michael Ciancio!

The Best of 2009

Nothing more than going a trip forces you to pack up your iPod with your favorites....

After 6 weeks on the road, I am back home in Switzerland and have made a complilation of my favorite tunes of 2009:

Albums:

The XX - xx

Mayer Hawthorne - A Strange Arrangement

Blind Pilot - 3 Rounds and a Sound

Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros - Up from Below

Little Dragon - Machine Dreams

Joe Purdy - Last Clock on the Wall

Various Artists - Dark was the Night

Yacht - See Mystery Lights

Bruce Peninsula - A Mountain is a Mouth

J. Period - J. Period Presents the Notorious B.I.G.

Tracks:

John Frusciante - Before the Beginning - The Empyrean

Modest Mouse - The Whale Song - No one's first and you're next

Bishop Allen - The Ancient Commonsense of Things - GRRR

The Heartless Bastards - Out at Sea - The Mountain

Vetiver - More of This - Tight Knit

Ben Howard - Cloud Nine - These Waters EP

Ólafur Arnalds - Ljósið - Found Soungs

Bon Iver - Blood Bank - Blood Bank EP

Bibio - Lover's Carvings - Ambivalence Avenue

Noah & The Whale - Blue Skies - The First Days of Spring

Pearl Jam - Just Breathe - Backspacer

Phoenix - 1901 - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix

Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears - Boogie - Tell 'Em What your Name is

Bassnectar - Art of Revolution - Art of Revolution

Patrick Watson - Man like you - Wooden Arms

The Rural Alberta Advantage - The Ballad of RAA - Hometowns

Volcano Choir - Island, IS - Unmap

Bowerbirds - House of Diamonds - Upper Air

Eels - Prizefighter - Hombre Lobo

The Avett Brothers - I and Love and You - EP

Rodrigo Y Gabriela - Tamacun - Rodrigo Y Gabriela

Elizabeth & The Catapult - Taller Children - Taller Children

Vollmar - Tell the Dirt - Tell the Dirt

Beirut - The Akara - March of the Zapotec & Real People

Yim Yames - Behind that Locked Door - Tribute To (The Beatles)

Brother Ali - Us - US

P.S. any song about Elephants:

Rachael Yamagata, Warpaint, Damien Rice, Laura Brino, Andrew Bird, The White Stripes, Aaron Thomas, Bishop Allen, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah!, Vashti Bunyan

Water Matters today like in 1993

Found this old poster at home. It says what needs to be said, or, has been said already.

A cold swoop

Mount Säntis is doing well for October.

Image Christian Hartmann / Reuters

Steve Kim

Beautiful paintings make me happy:

http://www.stevekim.net/

Producte Balear

I may have left the island, but they are keeping their beach-trash: http://www.productebalear.org/

Anagramorama

Elberachen = A Bench Reel

Tinatina = Attain in

http://wordsmith.org/anagram/index.html = fun for hours.

Fragments

more at vanessamarshphotography.com

"Liquid Shot" by Jonas Hovden

Don't you just love when great prints show up on t-shirts?

http://www.threadless.com/product/1437/Liquid_Shot?utm_medium=partner&utm_source=flavorpill&utm_campaign=200909-covers

Pre-baby

These images stunned the world decades ago, and they do it again today. Thanks to Ken Nock (http://www.myspace.com/knockav) for sharing.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/gallery/2009/sep/30/unborn-children-health-pictures

Goes well while in a car next to the ocean.

What is your sweet love?

Oh dear.

Makes me cringe. With a smile.

7 Wonders of Nature

I am naturally drawn to voting the Matterhorn way up there. Why not check out all of the finalists and cast your vote?

http://www.vote7.com/n7w

How do you snuggle?

Question 5 has me so stumped that I am quite sure my results are not accurate.

http://www.evany.com/sleeptest/

A good swiss blend

From music videos, to bits-and-bobs on the web, and a Ramadan diary to photography, Christian Bachofer surely has something for you on his blog.

Check check check-him out!

http://www.bachinational.ch/

Simplify

The world is so complicated, tangled, and overloaded,

That to see into it with any clarity, you must prune, and prune.

—Italo Calvino, If on a Winter's Night a Traveller

WWW.FILMTHEBLANKS.COM

The first day of a new life

http://www.theartofquitting.com

This one never gets old...

But I am "le tired":

http://www.jokefrog.com/flash/end-of-the-world.shtml

Up, up, up and away

Photo: Marilyn Newton / The Reno Gazette-Journal via AP

The Longest Train in the World.

Somewhere in middle america, where the trains don't stop.

Music by Mr. Jimi Hendrix.

The Catholic Boy has died.

Jim Carroll passed away this Friday, September 11th. He was just sixty.

Rest in Peace.

and remember:

http://catholicboy.com/

8 years

Take one moment:

8 years ago, I was living in student housing as a freshman in university. With barely 3 weeks into studies, roughly 300 other students and myself were still finding our way to call the dormitories "home". Until the morning of September 11th. It was not even 9 a.m. in the morning that we were forced to decide who our friends were, and fast. We were away from our families. We were away from the friends we had left. What we needed, was a hand to hold, and a shoulder to cry on, as we watched in horror what was happening just a few state-lines away.

It is hard for me to fathom how eight years have passed. But I find my peace in knowing, that it was that day, that I bonded with those who remain my friends today - 8 years later.

Now, 8 years later, "practice runs" are being done on how to introduce that day in history to the history books. There are students in school today that were not even born yet when it happened. So young, that it seems a picture book might help:

http://hereisnewyork.org/

Forgive. Never forget.

Peace.

Esteban Diácono

It comes to no surprise to me that such a beautiful song was made by an Icelantic man.

What does surprise me is that the musician is a mere 22 years old.

And then there is the video...

by Esteban Diácomo, an Argentinian Freelance Motion-Graphics Designer, whom to my pleasant surprise, presents his work on-line in the easiest way I have seen in a long time when it comes to motion-portfolios.

See more of his work here: http://estebandiacono.tv

Chris Trueman

Truly wonderful paintings here, man:

http://www.christrueman.com

More bands with animals

Noah and the Whale release their "First Days of Spring", film and album. Here is the trailer.

Yummy.

Video embedded courtesy of Charlie Fink on Vimeo.com

New Math

My bestie Michael Ciancio (aka. the dragonfly) showed me this site.
It is absolutely wonderful.

http://www.morenewmath.com/

YouWorkForThem.com

I keep a close eye on this site, because it's just good. If it's new to you, visit their blog:

http://www.youworkforthem.com/blog/

where you can download a pdf of what they are all about.

Cynics vs. Romantics

"Cynics are generally right. Romantics, are generally wrong. But a romantic needs to be right only once in his life."

— Local Color

Crazy grapes

I quite enjoy that my driving instructor stares constantly at my left arm and ever so often murmurs "ahhh, I didn't notice that part before." Apparently, I converted him to an art-appreciator, in the broadest sense, and so I brought him a collection of M.C. Escher work to stare at: He, like I, should be focused on the road, mirrors, speed...

I did some research, again, on my favorite illusionist, and stumbled upon Shigeo Fukuda, who has made several 3D optical illustions. Such as the impossible triangle:

Impressed, I browsed his scuplture/video collection, and found crazy grapes:

http://www.illusionworks.com/mod/movies/fukuda/Grapes.mov

Makes you ask yourself: "What just happened?"

Bruce Peninsula takes on the Bremer Stadtmusikanten

Good band makes good poster for good fairytale.

Word treasure

Did you know the literal translation of the word "vocabulary" to German is "word treasure"?

Art & Copy

"The frightening and most difficult thing about being what someone calls a 'creative person' is that you have absolutely no idea where any of your thoughts come from..."

http://artandcopyfilm.com/

New York, I love you

"Don't ignore what's happening here, we are having some kind of powerful, weird alchemy, and you have to pay attention when that happens."

http://newyorkiloveyouthemovie.com/

Dork

Found at: http://team.idgrid.org/

A wish a minute

If you didn't look up at the sky tonight, don't forget to be up at the wee hours of the morning tonight, the Perseids are peaking...

A Little Bit of Trivia

Taken from Pretty Woman, this scene pretty much describes how I feel about learning to drive a stick.

Saturday night

Yiiiiiiieyyyp! It might get loud.

http://www.sonyclassics.com/itmightgetloud/

3 degrees

The cat made this collage.

The dog gave the whale a song by Grauzone: Der weg zu zweit.

I think they match well. You can listen to it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCOQtgeGUjA

And so when they sing:

Wir tragen Sterne

Wir tragen Herzen

Wir wollen lachen und wollen Scherzen

Dann wieder weinen und traurig scheinen

So muss das sein, So wird das sein

Der Weg zu zweit ist halb so weit.

They mean:

We carry stars

We carry hearts

We want to laugh, and want to joke

But then cry, and appear sad

So it must be, so it will be

With someone by your side, the path is half as far

A little corner of autumn

sometimes you stumble into old magazines...

wonderful illustrations by Alberto Cerriteno.

...and i guess this one is appropriate.

http://www.albertocerriteno.com

Life vs. iTunes Shuffle

I am sure many of you have seen chain letters/facebook posts etc., where you are asked to put your music player on shuffle and then see what song corresponds to certain questions upon pressing "next". I love these, because if you take a few minutes to think about the words of a songs name and how it maybe, just maybe, could relate to the question, it is quite awesome.

Here is my result from the most recent one I saw:

IF SOMEONE SAYS 'ARE YOU OKAY' YOU SAY?

She wants to move - N.E.R.D.

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOURSELF?

Let's get lost - Elliot Smith

WHAT DO YOU LIKE IN A GUY/GIRL?

Balllad for the Fallen Soldiers rx - J. Period

HOW DO YOU FEEL TODAY?

No Name no. 5 - Elliot Smith

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE'S PURPOSE?

Ah Yom - John Frusciante

WHAT'S YOUR MOTTO?

The Democratic Circus - Talking Heads

WHAT DO YOUR FRIENDS THINK OF YOU?

The Model - Kraftwerk

WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS THINK OF YOU?

Tick Tock - Raphael Saadiq

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT VERY OFTEN?

Skin is, My - Andrew Bird

WHAT IS 2 + 2?

One & Only - Timbaland

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR BEST FRIEND?

Jus 1 kiss - Basement Jaxx

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE STORY?

Underwater Love - Smoke city

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP?

Sonic Reducer - The Dead Boys

WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU SEE THE PERSON YOU LIKE?

Seven Nation Army cover - Kate Nash

WHAT WILL YOU DANCE TO AT YOUR WEDDING?

O Green World - Gorillaz

WHAT WILL THEY PLAY AT YOUR FUNERAL?

Ten Years Gone - Led Zeppelin

WHAT IS YOUR HOBBY/INTEREST?

Don't Dream it's over - Crowded House

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST FEAR?

Piccerella - Renato Carosone

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST SECRET?

You and I both - Jason Mraz

WHAT DO YOU WANT RIGHT NOW?

Nothing even matters - Lauryn Hill

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR FRIENDS?

O Solo Mio - Beniamino Gigli

Just one photograph

After stumbling upon the trailer for the new documentary about photographer, Eddie Adams, I spent some time viewing the images featured here: http://www.digitaljournalist.org/issue0309/lm01.html — 100 photographs that changed the world, compiled by Life magazine.

By name, I had no recollection of Eddie Adams, but one image of his does indeed remain embedded in all of our heads, changing forever the weight a photograph can carry, whether in truths or lies.

Take a moment for a photograph today.

718

Today Switzerland celebrates its independence. Only 15 years ago, was today made a national holiday.

Some fun facts about it's flag:

- other than Vatican city, it is the only flag that is square in design. Some theories are that this is to emphasize Switzerland's neutral political stance.

- the length of the cross's arms is 1/6th longer than their width, which why would explain why it looks ohhh-so-slightly off if you try making it with a + sign, in bold.

- according to it's branding, it's Pantone color is 485, and for web is FF0000, though it is not strictly controlled.

- the flag of the Red Cross is based on the design of the Swiss flag (being an inverse of design). This is an homage to Henry Dunant, the Red Cross' founder - a Swiss man.

- There was for a shirt time, a blue version of the flag (which p.s., is awesome), that belonged to the Greek Island of Icaria, which for just 5 months was an independant state back in 1912.

How about them apples?

See how the elberachen kids keep warm in the new "Apples" section at elberachen.com

Apple cozies by Jacqueline Dufresne.

Wear sunscreen.

We all remember this one right? If not, play catch up with the nineties here.

colors

I had this idea that Pantone should start manufacturing tattoo inks. Check out your colorstrology here:

http://www.colorstrology.com/

Cindy Stockton Moore's "Exodus"

I stumbled upon this painting while reviewing my Flavorpill subscription (www.flavorpill.com - choose your city) and so come Thursday I am planning a water-day.

See more of Cindy Stockton Moore's work here: http://www.cindystocktonmoore.com/

It's worth it.

Sasha Foster does the zodiac.

I am convinced I could be no other star-sign than that which I am: cancer. I generally avoid horoscopes because they are generally spot-on...high-lighting only the sensibilities that make a cancer a cancer - which most of the time makes me think too much.

I found this Sasha Foster's collection of Zodiac Illustration and instantaneously fell in love.

See more of Sasha Foster's work at: http://www.behance.net/Gallery/zodiac-embroidered-illustrations/217460

It's saturday

Spice up your Bloody Mary with one of these wonderful creatures.

Photography property of Vacuvin. More info at: http://www.vacuvin.com/Glass_Markers_Creepy_Creatures_567.html

W. H. Auden revisited

Spectacular type design and a great message to boot. See more about the designer here: http://www.jezburrows.com. Or, crave the t-shirt version here: http://supersuperficial.com/index.php5?depId=1&PageNo=2&proId=87

Freelancer's Union

For all you freelancers out there in the United States. Something worth looking into? Get informed at: http://www.freelancersunion.org/

Züri pots

First it was cows. Then benches. Then teddy bears. This year Zürich decorates its city with flower pots and botanicals.

More info here: http://www.myswitzerland.com/en/news.cfm?mo=v&id=332122

Sigg partners with Green Cross

Swiss bottle maker Sigg has partnered with the Green Cross, offering limited edition, re-useable bottles. Profits to the Green Cross.

www.sigg.com

it's LIVE

This whale has spouted.

www.elberachen.com

Isabella Rossellini's Green Porno - The Whale

See more at: http://www.sundancechannel.com/greenporno/?go=watch

How To Work Better, by Peter Fischli and David Weiss

How to work better, 1991

Silkscreen on paper, 24 x 17"

See more work at Matthew Marks Gallery: http://www.matthewmarks.com/index.php?n=1&a=115&im=1