Day 59 - February 28, 2010

Success. A long time ago, someone once asked me how success was measured. What was my definition of success? The point she was trying to get across at the time was that success means different things to different people. For one person, success might mean status and wealth. For another, it might mean stability and being able to provide for their family. Another point she was trying to get me to consider was what success meant to me personally. How would I define success? All these years later, I'm still not certain I know how to define success, but one thing that comes to mind is endurance, not giving up until the race is over. I'm still running, but what am I running towards?

Day 58 - February 27, 2010

A new book I came across dealing with visual problem-solving on the fly, which looks promising.

Day 57 - February 26, 2010

Aloe vera and vitamin C are listed as being unsubstantiated health supplements? That took me by surprise.

Day 56 - February 25, 2010

Above is an infographic on the price drops of technology as it hits mainstream appeal. Some technologies have taken decades to reach mainstream appeal, while more recent technologies have reached mainstream appeal much faster. It seems like a chicken versus the egg scenario to me. Does a product reach mainstream appeal because its price is reduced, or is a product's price reduced because it reaches mainstream appeal?

Day 55 - February 24, 2010

I have a hard time dedicating a time in my day to write. I tend to write when the mood strikes me, and it strikes sporadically. So in order to kick myself into gear, I've decided to turn to a book I came across a couple weeks ago entitle The Weekend Novelist. A more appropriate title for me would be The Weekend Short Story Writer, but I'll take what I can get. In reading through the overview, I was surprised to see how much of the work I had intuitively touched upon- a.k.a. character studies, backgrounds, laying out of scenes- but I will follow the timeline set out by the book as best as I can. My hope is to begin this week. If not, I'll start next week being that it's the first week in March, and the beginning of a new month seems like a logical place to start.

Day 54 - February 23, 2010

Two people building a platform bed. I've been researching it online, and putting one together seems fairly straightforward. Ideally, I would buy one, but sometimes its a good thing we don't live in an ideal world.

Day 53 - February 22, 2010

I came across this survey of 65 designers who took the Meyers Briggs personality test, and found the results rather interesting. Although at times I don't feel like much of a designer, the results somewhat surprised me. I haven't taken the Meyers Briggs in a while, I'm not even sure if the results would vary, but the last time I took it my results were INFP. I was on the fence between INFP and INFJ, I remember. I may have to take the test again to clarify that point. Could judging as opposed to perceiving make all the difference when it comes to designing?

Day 52 - February 21, 2010

Two interesting finds I came across today, both bookshelves of sorts. The first a bookshelf on sale through Arketipo named "Target". I found some specs online, and might consider building it myself. It's essentially made out of MDF.

The second is a bookshelf by Umbra for $14, which is incredible because the shelf itself is concealed by the books. The downside is that it can only hold up to a few books at a time, up to 8 max.

                         

Day 51 - February 20, 2010

Sky from Philip Bloom on Vimeo.

An interesting look at Dubai.

Day 50 - February 19, 2010

An interesting take on travel. Bring the hotel with you. I love novel ideas in architecture, but sometimes they leave me feeling cold. Where the human aspect in all of this?

Day 49 - February 18, 2010

Tips for getting through a depression circa 1932. Maybe it applies to a recession as well.

Day 48 - February 17, 2010

SANAA's Rolex Learning Center in Lausanne, Switzerland. I came across the models of this building a couple years ago. I'm glad to see how the final realization of the design turned out.

Day 47 - February 16, 2010

Single-tasking. Who'd of thought?

Day 46 - February 15, 2010

The 10 most expensive pieces of art in the world, in one simple graphic representation.

Day 45 - February 14, 2010

This makes me chuckle. :-)

Day 44 - February 13, 2010

The ultimate infographic. Rivers of the world alongside mountain peaks of the world. Awesome.

Day 43 - February 12, 2010

Today was the first day of the 2010 Winter Olympics. Here's a look at some of the designs from this year's olympics:

The Medals

The Podium

Day 42 - February 11, 2010

This was my favorite book as a child, and the first I remember encountering. Just found out it has been made into a pop-up book. I'm thinking of rereading it.

 

Day 41 - February 10, 2010

Some of my favorite redesign proposals for the void in the midst of the Guggenheim Museum.

 Proposed by N55, from Denmark 

 Proposed by artist Alyson Shotz

Proposed by Julien De Smedt Architects , based in Brussels.

Day 40 - February 9, 2010

A conversion of Boston's underground subway system into underground cultural venues. Interesting take.

Day 39 - February 8, 2010

Wes Anderson, one of my favorite directors, speaking with Charlie Rose about The Fantastic Mr. Fox. Aside from hearing him speak about the movie, I just figured out how to embed video on my own. The original link can be found below.

Wes Anderson on Charlie Rose

I also went to the local library book sale, and bought a ton of books. I could have bought a lot more, but I ran out of time. Might go back again tomorrow, or next weekend.

Day 38 - February 7, 2010

Wow, the Saints did it! I was rooting for them this Superbowl. It's great to see all their hard work and effort pay off. They earned it. Not just this season, but all the seasons that led up to this season as well. Just goes to show that a little effort and perseverance go a long way. They've been truly inspiring this season. Congrats, Saints!

Day 37 - February 6, 2010

Tips for Better Ideas



An interesting video I came across today.

Day 36 - February 5, 2010

I hadn't seen this movie in years, but it is one of my utter favorite films. Superbly shot, with a compelling story line, and excellent performances by all of the cast. I'm using this film for a writing clip I hope to submit for a job application later next week. I need to let it settle a while before I set out to write. It's an interesting experience to revisit a film I haven't watched in ages, I'm always worried that it might not be as good a movie as I remember it to be, but Gattaca did not disappoint. It was definitely worth another viewing, and I think it'll be one of those movies that simply gets better with age.

Day 35 - February 4, 2010

Feeling a lack of inspiration tonight, I decided to gather all my journals and notebooks in reference to Michael something's post on the notebooks he's accumulated over his 25 year career. Although I remember having a diary in grade school, I couldn't locate it in time, and went ahead without it. The earliest journal dates back to 1992. I didn't include the journal I'm currently writing in, so the image incorporates 17 years of journaling. I chose to only include journals that were completely filled, although I came across almost as many journals that were only half-filled. All in all, there are 34 journals/notebooks included, for an average of 2 journals a year.

There are some days that I feel I haven't accomplished much in my life, but it's nice to know, that in a way, I have something to show for the past 17 years.

Day 34 - February 3, 2010

Mastery. A few years ago, as a graduate teaching assistant, I was introduced to a book entitled Mastery: The Keys to Success and Long-Term Fulfillment by George Leonard. It's an excellent book, one I should read again in order to absorb what I might have missed the first time. I began thinking about this book today, and the three main attitudes he describes, aside from that of a master.

The Dabbler

The Obsessive

The Hacker

The Master

Day 33 - February 2, 2010

J.K. Rowling Speaks at Harvard Commencement from Harvard Magazine on Vimeo.

It's inspiring to hear her speak of failure. Failures aren't the end of all existence. We gain strength from having lived through it, and perspective from having experienced it.

Day 32 - February 1, 2010

Agency in Architecture