Eames Postage Stamps

These stamps have been anticipated since December, and they're rumoured to be released soon.

They are the best 1st Class stamps since Malcolm X in 1999.

Search Flickr using Tag Galaxy

Tag Galaxy helps you visualize your Flickr search.

Enter a search term, and your results appear as a Sun surrounded by planets (which contain results that might be relevant to your search). Click on the Sun and your first 235 search results appear on the surface of a sphere, which you can then rotate on any axis to view.

It's a very compact search method.

One New Link Each Day from Dwell

The Dwell Magazine website has an interesting product of the day blog, which is also available as a desktop Widget for OS X. One new design each day.

Every Wednesday Our Street Floods

I stepped outside the front door today and the street was flooded. (Hang on. Didn't that happen last Wednesday too?!)

Last time the flooding was caused by a broken water main. This time it was a car accident. The kind of car accident that happens in movies: Two cars collided at the intersection. One car goes out of control, runs up on the sidewalk, snaps off the fire hydrant, water shoots into the air.

Adrift

This feels familiar. In a small town where nothing happens, two boys see their lives symbolically depicted in a comic book. With all the small town spare time available to them, they struggle to create a meaning.


Thanks Grow a Brain
Categories:Movies

DWR SF Floor Sample Sale

Bloated Eames Chair and Ottoman by Mark Wentzel

DWR has a sale this weekend at their San Francisco Potrero store, with prices up to 70% off floor samples, overstocks, and returned items.

I wish retailers wouldn't say that a sale is "up to" a certain percentage off. To me that means the good stuff will be close to full price. But since DWR only sells authentic reproductions of modern furniture, I'll be there looking for a mid-century modern bargain.

Friday, May 30, noon–5pm
Saturday, May 31, 10am–4pm
Sunday, June 1, 11am–4pm

Carole Migden, de Rat

Seen today in Sausalito: Poor positioning of a campaign poster reveals the truth...

Strike 1
In May 2007 State Sen. Carole Migden drove erratically, ramming her SUV into the concrete barrier on Interstate 80 and nearly running other motorists off the road. She later slammed into the back of a car stopped at a red light, injuring a woman and her 3-year-old daughter.

Other drivers had been trailing her car in an effort to make her stop. After the accident, motorists berated her for dangerous driving. Migden reportedly kept saying
"You can't talk to me like that, I'm a state senator."


Strike 2
Then in march of this year "...state regulators handed Senator Carol Migden a $350,000 fine for 89 -- 89! -- campaign spending and disclosure violations. The abuses reach all the way back to 2003, and include illegal personal use of campaign funds." -Sacramento Bee

Categories:Politics

California Academy of Sciences

Although it won't open to the public for another 4 months, the new Academy of Sciences building in Golden Gate Park is looking complete. There's no danger of it attracting attention away from the de Young Museum. But neither will it detract from the Music Concourse. It just seems to blend in as if it was always there.
Categories:Architecture San Francisco

"Hello, Creature of the Forest."

Photo by Hunter with permission from Shael Faber

The THINK! Motorcycle Safety Campaign

From the UK Department for Transport.

Categories:Movies Cars

Unintended Traffic Calming

Very early Tuesday morning an underground water main burst on the street outside our building, flooding the street and creating a small sinkhole. First to respond to the situation was a water department foreman. Then came tow trucks to remove parked cars. Lastly came water department workers with jackhammers. Very loud at 3am!

When I left for work, the water department were covering the hole with a trench plate. On the other side of the street Comcast work trucks were double parked. The combination of Comcast and SF Water Dept created a chicane outside our building, that had a excellent calming effect on street traffic.

Banana Bowl by Harry Allen

Life size. Cast in white resin. $150.
Part of Harry Allen's Reality line of products that includes the Hand coat hook and the Pig bank.

Lemonheads

These juicers are called Mr and Mrs Jones.
I'd call them Dick Cheney and Cokie Roberts.

Thanks Design Public

BAE-Navistar JLTV

One day this radiator grill might become as iconic as the Jeeps'. That's because this vehicle is the leading contender to replace the Army's HUMWV with a Joint Light Tactical family of Vehicles.

One thing BAE won't tell you, the photos don't show, and BAE don't want the competition to know: 4 wheel steering.

Paint Samples

I was walking around my neighbourhood today looking at open houses and noticed these homes:

Is this how people choose the colour to paint their homes in the 21st century?
I guess painters don't use Adobe Photoshop.

Where's My Tax Rebate?

The President had an idea, and Congress made it law, that individual American tax payers will receive a $600 tax rebate.

I filed electronically, and according to the IRS schedule my rebate should have been direct deposited to my account by May 9th. That didn't happen. Here's why:

"Recently, you may have received a letter from the IRS advising you when to expect your Economic Stimulus Payment (rebate). That IRS letter may have inadvertently left off some important information. Taxpayers who chose to have their tax preparation fees deducted from their federal tax refund will receive their tax rebate in the mail, not via direct deposit."
-TurboTax

New Treough Feature

As you stroll around your home town, snap a photo and email it to "drive80most(at)photos.flickr.com". In a few seconds your image will appear in "What You See" on the sidebar (refresh the page).

Give it a go. I'd love to see what you're seeing.

Blind Stool

Designed by Brian Richer and Kei Ng, and manufactured by Castor Design.
Cast in aluminum from a stool found in a duck blind in Ontario.

I've never sat in a duck blind, but I know it involves waiting and drinking. Lots of waiting and drinking, until the ducks fly by low enough to blast with a shotgun. During those hours of boredom a hunter might contemplate the patina of his chair, and find it worthy.

Categories:Furniture

LTI TX

This London Taxi is an unusual chose for personal use in San Francisco.


Categories:Cars San Francisco

What Music do the Designers Listen to?

From the Dwell magazine blog; A Top Ten play list chosen by well known designers. Here's one right now. Sam Jacob is a director of the architectural firm FAT (Fashion Architecture Taste), university lecturer and writer. This is what he listens to:

Ludlow Leather(ette) Platform Bed

Warm ... leatherette, headboard. Solid wood frame. Queen and king size in white only. Retails for $2300 at Modloft. Street price $~1500.

Thanks PadStyle
Categories:Furniture

Garage Conversion

Pull up the roller door on a nice day and enjoy the trellis plants and cooling breeze while retaining partial privacy and security. The plant box under the arch can be moved out of the way for entry/exit.

Blue Gun

The SF Police practiced arresting armed villains on the Presidio today. The villains wore some great injury makeup, but they didn't want to be photographed...
The police were using a replica firearm. It's molded from blue urethane to the exact dimensions, detail, and balance of the real weapon it represents.

Don't Make Fun of the President

My friend Randall says "Don't make fun of our president. One day his face will be on a stamp, and you'll have to lick the back of his head."

Green Porno - The Sex Lifes of Insects

Isabella Rossellini plays the insect in this series of short films about the private lives of insects.

More Green Porno

Categories:Movies

Two Birds. One Stone.

From Sunday's episode of the Simpsons. I love slapstick comedy!


Categories:Movies

Electric Car Showroom in Mill Valley

These electric cars in the shop window at 433 Miller Avenue caught my eye.

The three-wheel Triac is a freeway commuter which will range in price from $11,000 to $20,000. The Triac has a 20-kilowatt electric motor, can reach speeds up to 70 mph, and appears to be front wheel drive. The yellow Microwatt has 6.5-kilowatt motor and 60-mile range. RWD with a live axle. It is designed for people who do most of their driving around town.

I would hesitate to buy either car until more information is revealed about their design and engineering. (I'm open to the offer of a test drive...)
There are public charging stations at the Larkspur Ferry Terminal, near the Fairfax Town Hall, and at Costco in Novato.





Update 9/9/08:
Opening for business in September. And they've added a small three wheel truck.




Update: March 7th 2009
Closed for business in March. The showroom was empty, and this note was in the window:



Categories:Cars

Sorry... We're Closed

Neighbourhood Cars

My neighbour has an unrestored Austin Mini with a canvas sunroof. The car has some non-standard items: driving lights, fender flares, 10" Minilite wheels, later model mirrors. But those are all items I would want to add too. The bonnet badge says "Cooper", but their's only 1 fuel tank filler tube, so I don't think it's a authentic Mini Cooper.

Overall, this is a very desirable Mini.

Categories: Cars

US World Domination will Eat Itself

The wars we're fighting make me nostalgic for the good old days , when US Fascism was balanced by Soviet Stalinism. They were both pretty bad, but we kept each other in check.

Anyway, now we're stuck with the fascists running the world unopposed. Who will save us? Or will US fascism eat itself?

Video "Slow Inevitable Death of American Muscle" Jonathon Schipper:


Category:Politics

Aging Disgracefully

I'm nearing 50 years old now, but I sport a buzz cut, drive a Cooper S, tote a bright red, yellow and blue Timbuk2 messenger bag, and generally dress like a student. I'm not trying to follow a style, or dress younger than my age. I've always dressed like this. But I thought that as I aged, the things I'd always liked would become old fashioned. Unfortunately not, and I'm stuck with lifestyle accessories that are popular with young people. This puts me in the position of appearing to wear styles inappropriate to my advanced age.