Thursday, November 20, 2008

Solar Vertical Lamp




I just wrote a post on Inhabitat about these solar vertical lamps that we found on Yanko Design.  They're essentially vertical blinds with mini photovoltaics that gather solar energy while you're away at work.  When you get home, you just close the blinds to light your space with these LED pixels in the shape of table lamps, floor lamps, or chandeliers.  You save tons of money on your energy bill, and they're definitely a conversation piece.  The only bad thing is that you'd have to have vertical blinds in every single window....and vertical blinds are just so ugly.  Still, a brilliantly simple idea.

Friday, November 14, 2008

REDCAT's Rooftop Bash


I ventured out this week to REDCAT's Rooftop Bash at the Standard downtown where I learned how to spot the Artsie hipster (as opposed to the Natural, the Dilettante, the Newbie, etc.).  We got there just in time to snag a pod and catch the tail end of the underwater live art installation (which looked to my art-ignorant eye like the drowning of a woman wearing a feather head dress projected onto a neighboring building).   At least the cocktails were delicious and free.  Never a dull night in Los Angeles.

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Talking Trash & Daily Dumps


As the final piece in Inhabitat's Green Home 101 series, I just wrote a story on trash and I now officially feel like I stink.  It is pretty phenomenal how much crap one person (ie, me or you) can create and discard throughout the course of a day.  I know Brian and I still throw out way more than we should despite our best efforts to recycle and buy bulk.  It really just takes planning and forethought and a healthy dose of environmental guilt (which according to the Washington Post is going strong).  With all this trash talk, I'm re-inspired to re-organize and de-clutter our house this weekend.  From top to bottom, I'm hereby establishing a new system.  If only we could get one of these Daily Dump clay composters from India here in LA.  I so, so, so want one...
 

Monday, November 10, 2008

Loitokitok Bound


So November 10th came around and my intrepid mother is finally off to Loitokitok, Kenya (near Mt. Kilimanjaro) with the Peace Corps.  I dropped her off at the @sscrack of dawn this morning.  Straight from LA to Kenya via Philly then Amsterdam.  It's almost like sending her off to military service with all the rules and regulations and packing restrictions.  At least they don't require a uniform or force volunteers to learn how to make wrinkle-less beds.  With the current economy, I can't blame anyone for taking a two-year guarantee.  I might consider public service, endoctrination, and eating beetles for that.  At any rate, I can't wait to visit her next year.

Opportunity Green 2008



I covered Opportunity Green this past weekend for Inhabitat, with my fellow Inhabitant Evelyn Lee.  The conference brought together a great cast of thought leaders in an attempt to bridge the gap between business and design, industry and innovation, money and ideas.  Here's a post to our first story and more to come later in the week.





Barack-the-Vote 2008

(The vote heard 'round the world - when California came in and the election was called)

Like most free-thinking people this Election Day, I was thrilled to be part of a defining moment in history.  We're all super heroes for throwing off the yoke of eight years of fear-mongering and incompetent leadership.  Brian and I somehow avoided the long lines and voted in no time at the local elementary school.   Kids seem to get what's happening even if adults don't.   It feels great to finally be inspired, to feel like my vote may actually have counted for something, to think that people are voting with their brains rather than their bibles for a change.  Who knows what the next few months will bring, but I'm hopeful.  And I'm glad to have shared the moment with close friends.
Superhero mural at Allessandro Elementary School/Deep Reflections by Little Kids/Brian's un-intentionally super-patriotic shirt/Pure unadulterated joy!