Monday 25 June 2012

Internet of food: Arduino-based, urban aquaponics in Oakland




Amazing stuff. Combine this with Tiny Homes and you can almost completely live independently. The future is awesome.
Life is all about relationships but that does not necessarily mean its all about being in a relationship. #independence #community

Sunday 17 June 2012

Munny:jewelry holder

 
Finished my second munny (a while ago, just haven't had time to get some good pictures of it)!
This was my gift for my girlfriend. 

The first picture is what I used as the kind of design I wanted for the munny. The blank munny was a glow in the dark one, since they didn't have the normal white ones. 

I had the whole idea of making the head open by a hinge in my head, but I didn't know how to actually make it, so I pretty much winged it the whole time, making mistakes along the way. I thought i could add clay and shape it by hand to close, but it never closed properly. Another challenge was trying to figure out how to fit the hinge on the munny. What i did instead was use the clay to reclose the head, but with the hinge and the screws in place so i didn't have to worry about cutting more of the vinyl on the head. After i baked it, I sanded down the clay and cut the head open again for a smooth sharper edges. 

I painted the munny by mixing red and brown for a kind of mahogany colour and used a thin paintbrush to add the gold lines. I was totally making up the design as I went, and after I finished I realized the lines in the head made it look more like a ninja... and the layer of gloss I added didn't look smooth. It looked too sloppy. A shiny mahogany ninja that could open it's head...

So i scraped all the paint off and repainted the whole munny and simplified the design. I didn't use the glossy finish. In my opinion it looked a lot better with a matte feel. It makes the colour look more uniform and simple. 




I originally wanted it to be a jewelry box, but the head was too small to hold anything, so I rolled some foam paper and hotglue gunned felt over it, then fit it into the head to make it a ring holder. It didn't turn out EXACTLY the way I expected it to, but it turned out great in a different way. 

- Mike



Sunday 10 June 2012

Gregory Isaacs - Cool Down The Pace



Decent Sunday morning find. Easy on the ears.
You're living right if you can make your family your friends and your friends become like family.

I found myself talking about my friends and I realized how much I owe who I am to some of them. They might not realize it but the little things I learn from them have helped me become a better person and get through tough times even when they aren't always there to talk to. (Cheesy sh!t but its true)
I probably would have given up on life if it weren't for some of these people because it's people like that who make you want to change the world for the better.

Good times with new friends, old friends, and CUPCAKES! hahaha

Saturday 9 June 2012

Mark Morrison - Return Of The Mack [OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO]




Really feeling some oldies. If you guys know some please post.

Sunday 3 June 2012

Despite all efforts, we are still flawed. Yet the successful use those as opportunities for change.