Green & Modern Desk

Green and gorgeous. 

Knú Desk

The top is made from your choice of 6 sustainable wood finishes  and the base is solid stainless steel.

Organic Shapes in Architecture and Art

Innovative Buildings and Spaces

Zaha Hadid was born in Baghdad, Iraq. She earned a degree in mathematics from the American University of Beirut and studied architecture design at Architectural Association School of Architecture in London. Her work has a distinctive style - flowing and curvy.


Here are some of her amazing designs.

A Desk, A Chair, In One.

Flux e-Desk 

Flux e-desk design combines the desk with the desk chair.  It was designed specifically for the pervasive laptop computing person.  We're everywhere.  The beauty in this design is the small footprint and it incorporates power cable hook-up through the flush faced storage bay, which opens with a soft press. 

This design is modern minimalist sleek.  I do wonder how functional it is for my... um those long 2-3 hours laptop stints.  Can the seat be comfortable for a 3-hour net session?  I ponder.  I envision this product for more commercial applications like libraries and airports.  However, I can see this unit making a statement in unique micro modern abodes - the tiny house and apartment. 

Vuvuzela Fans

World Cup 2010 Faces of the Fans

with the Vuvuzela of course...

These pics need no introduction.  In some ways, I wish I was there... with a vuvu mute button, naturally.

South African fans with vuvus

A South African fan blowing his vuvu.

A South African blowfest.

An American gets into the vuvu spirit.

South African fan

Another American fan embraces the vuvu spirit. 

Vuvuzela Dazed

The Horn That Was 
Heard Around The World... 

Clearly! 

The vuvuzela story amazes me.  This is a classic story on the power of mass media.  How long has soccer been around?  How long has South Africa been around?  Yet, when the World Cup stage merged with South Africa, we all inevitably learn the South Africans are vuvuzela crazed.

Have you ever heard about that dratted "instrument" before the 2010 World Cup?  I never.

Now, the vuvu fever comes to America.  I knew some hungry individuals will try.  These individuals generally hold sales, marketing, capitalists, and wildcatters titles. ;-)

Here's the Vuvu news so far.

Florida Marlins - Sat, June 19th the Florida Marlins booted out their long standing cow bell and instead gave a vuvu to the first  15,000 attendees of the baseball game.  What were they thinking?!  Click to hear.  And hear.

Marlin Cow Bell

   

Marlin Vuvu displaces cow bell - the outrage! :-)  

A Yankee fan brings his World Cup (ironic that he did not get to go) souvenir  to the game, blows it, and gets ousted.

Wimbledon officials have decreed their venue a horrid noise free zone.  That's right.  They issued a preemptive ban against that racket.  In summary, NO vuvus!


World Cup 2010 doesn't end until July 11th folks.  We are a little over 1.5 weeks into the event.  Do you know what that means?  It's going to be a very interesting next couple of weeks.

Oh, and by the way, the vuvuzela is here to stay.

This just in... Vuvuzelamania is here!

Vuvuzela Sparks a New Era

I thought my first post on the Vuvuzela was my last.  I was patently Wrong.

I wanted to write this in my last post.  Isn't ironic vuvuzela a beautiful word for an instrument that produces a horrid sound?

To me, the vuvuzela is the musical equivalent of Larry David.  You know him as the co-creator of "Seinfeld" and the creator and star of "Curb Your Enthusiasm."  Larry David is the King of Annoyance behavior. The vuvuzela is, well, annoyance pure and simple.  That doesn't mean we can't have fun with it.

Here are pics that show people have the vuvuzela spirit!

The Vuvuzela Music Score

Remote with No Buzzzzzzz Button

Vuvuzela Music Center

The Legend

Vuvu Twits

My personal favorite...

Patrick Stewart's body language says it all.

Not to be outdone by pics - Pereira & O'Dell created the "PocketVu" for the iPhone.  It's for those who want that almost there vuvu sound without the threat of permanent hearing loss. :-)  Download it at iTunes here.    

It's not a bird. It's not a plane. It's a Vuvuzela!

It's FIFA World Cup 2010 Time.

And what the devil is that noise?

The VUVUZELA!

I was doing something boring in an adjoining room when I started hearing a swarm of wasps or gigantic black-jacks flying around in the house.  I instantly stopped and squealed, "What is that noise?"  The reply was said in a slow, low, undisturbed voice, "Nothing," quickly followed with the all to suspect, "I didn't do anything." At which point, I flew into the other room.

"What on Earth is that sound?  It sounds like a wasps flying in mass," I animated.  "Oh," he returns, "That's the World Cup."  

I don't normally watch the World Cup.  I slightly got interested  in it when we traveled to Germany the summer they hosted it.  The fans were electric with World Cup fever.  If you know native Germans, they show little emotion - publicly.  That's why it was fascinating to see them go FAN-atic.  It was wild.  After that summer, I occasional drop in to watch of a game or two.

This year I got tuned in because I was so turned off by that dreaded sound - the vuvuzela.  I listen for silent breaks, which never comes unless the station breaks the audio feed.  

The Patriotic Sockzela or as I call them the Capitalistic Vuvuzela.

Yesterday, I heard two of the sports commentators talk about their rude awakening of those dratted horns and I literally ROFLOL.  One of the poor sports announcers thought he would come to the sports box early to prep for the event.  He could not focus on a single thing. "I couldn't write a word," he said. The vuvuzela assault was non-stop. "It's everywhere," he said in complete amazement.  

Today, more news came out about the vuvuzela that compelled me to write a commentary.  

Did you know the World Cup vuvuzela sound level is equivalent to hearing a jet engine?  Can you imagine going to a basketball, football, or baseball game and hearing the non-stop roar of a jet engine?  That horn would instantly be banished in America.  

The vuvuzela sound level was tested and came in at a whopping 125-135 dB (decibel).  That is potential permanent hearing loss levels. The Threshold of Pain is 120 db.    See what tracks in at what decibel level in the below sound level scale.

Considering that the vuvuzela sound blares the entire game... Wow.

While this noise it thoroughly amazing, at least, we can dial it down at home. For those at the World Cup, I hope you invested in superior ear plugs.

Mini Mod with Pods that Spin

Hanse Colani Rotor House

I know.  This is funky, cool.  A mini home with spinning rooms.  If I had a backyard and lots of disposable cash, I would buy one.  Not that the small inconvenient point about the money matters.  This is a concept home.  Therefore, it is not in production... yet.

Rotating Living Room Pod

Kitchenette Pod for the non-cook

Bathroom Rotating Pod

Exterior Side and Rear

Home with a 360 Degree View

Home with a Rotating View

A house that spins.  Humans are not without ideas and innovation.  This house could be labeled "extreme." I consider it X.  Extreme homes usually infer taste specifically enjoyed by a handful of people.  I see all my friends clamoring to live here.  Perhaps, not forever.  It is located in a cold climate - Connecticut. 

This Rotating House, aka Carrousel House, was designed by Richard T. Foster. It was built in 1968 and was originally designed as a 2 bedroom "Smart House."  A new owner completed renovated the interior and converted the 3,000 sq ft home into a 3 bedroom contemporary sanctuary.  Its wiring allows for preset rotation to change the views and sun exposure throughout the day. The entrance is via a steep spiral staircase and the building overlooks a pond.  It takes about 50 minutes for one complete rotation.

Rotating homes are not as unique as we think.  They are sprinkled all around the world.  A few architects have taken the next leap and conceived rotating towers.  If those get built, that is a triumph.  To that I add, "Welcome to the 21st century."

This house is currently on the market for a mere 1.750 million.  http://tinyurl.com/22qscs2


Here's a video of the house - http://tinyurl.com/26kefya. 

New World's Most Leaning Building... Oh, Really?!

 Capital Gate Tower in Abu Dhabi

The newly pronounced "World's Furthest Leaning Man-made Tower" by Guinness World Records for the Capital Gate Tower is a stretch.

First of all, the Leaning Tower of Pisa was built straight and then leaned due to the settling foundation. Secondly, Pisa leans from the bottom up.  Capital Gate does not. 

Tower of Pisa in Italy

Oh well, another lobbyist at work.  Capital Gate Tower is a Hot Design.  Why not award for that?

Poor Tower of Pisa, which truly leans, being blotted out in record books by an imposter! 

An Academic Inspiration

Building 32

Most of us have heard about that mysterious untouchable patch of desert called Area 51.  How about this accessible other worldly marvel on MIT's campus - Building 32? It looks like a traditional building morphing into a Sci-Fi structure.... on another planet. 

Can't you see Scotty tinkering with the transporter to capture and move structures then something goes awry?

Frank Gehry, an award winning architect, designed the amazing Ray and Maria Stata Center academic complex.  The building houses Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, the Laboratory for Information and Decision Systems, as well as the Department of Linguistics and Philosophy. How fitting.

Outdoor Chaise Style

Lounge in Absolute Style

 M'afrique Shadowy Arm Chaise Lounge by Moroso ($2,809)