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Posted on July 21st, 2008 by Myk.
Categories: Travel & Leisure, Consumer Products, Philanthropy & Environment, Business & Finance, Science & Technology, Sports & Health.
From Trendhunter, I give you the fastest boat in the world. Also, the most environmentally friendly. It made me go a big rubbery one as it reminded me of Fight Club, the second best movie of all time after True Romance. TH writes:
The Earth Race boat is a bio-diesel powered boat that runs on human fat and looks like a highly futuristic vessel you’d expect to see on Star Trek.
The inventors of the zero carbon boat intend of breaking the current global speed record, planning to take the boat around the world running purely on fat. It was invented by an enlightened former oil industry engineer from New Zealand who is also an environmentalist. He hopes the project will promote environmental awareness and highlight the fascinating potentials of sustainable resources.
Pete Bethune and two crew members underwent liposuction, gathering a total of 2.5 gallons of excess blubber to power the speed boat. Their fat alone was enough to produce 2 gallons of fuel. He put the lard in motor and says under optimal conditions, the boat could run a successful 9 miles.
This boat is built for speed. While most boats ride over waves in rough seas, the Earth Race boat is built to pierce right through them. He plans on taking a 27,600-mile journey across the world, making the entire journey on 100% biodiesel.
If inventors could find a way to use global muffin tops, saddle bags and beer bellies as energy, these could be revolutionary.
One things for sure—in today’s society, human fat is definitely a renewable resource. So long as the obesity epidemic persists, fueled by pop culture phenomenons like McDonalds, it looks like there will be plenty of fuel to burn.
If we took all the plastic surgeons in LA and Miami and took them to the heartland for a little sucking…we might possible solve all of our energy problems :). Screw $5 gas prices and expensive corn-based ethanol, McDonald’s-generated lipids work too! The update on the boat’s progress is spectacular as well:
Despite being threatened by pirates and having almost been sunk by submerged logs, the Earthrace biodiesel trimaran (powered by recycled human fat) made the fastest trip around the world. This knocks 14 days off the previous record.
Tyler Durden would be more than proud. He would be ecstatic.
Posted on July 18th, 2008 by Phil.
Categories: Philanthropy & Environment, Science & Technology.
The $100 laptop is here, but only if you’re a kid (and only if you’re in certain parts of the world). The XO is a robust computer designed for schoolchildren. It boasts built-in smart Wi-Fi, a bright swivel screen, and highly efficient power consumption.
A breakdown of the features:
•Built-in Wi-Fi antennas that automatically create a “mesh network” with any other XO computer within about one-third of a mile. A screen displays icons showing the other XO computers within range at any given time. The mesh also means that if any one of the linked computers has access to the Internet, all of them will. That’s important in places where Internet connections can be few and far between.
•A 7.5-inch diagonal super-high resolution color screen capable of being easily seen outdoors in daylight. The screen can swivel in all directions or fold flat to create a tablet computer for reading or playing games.
•Extremely low power consumption, about 2 watts, which is 1/10th the amount used by a typical laptop. In areas without a reliable electrical supply, the XO can be powered by a hand-held generator – pull the string for one minute to produce 10 minutes of operating time.
•A rugged water- and dirt-resistant rubberized keyboard and a body capable of withstanding five years of rough use and strong sunlight.
Inside, the operating system is based on Linux open-source software, ignoring both Windows and Mac. Instead of folders on the opening screen, students see a figure representing a child (an X with an O over it, hence the “XO”) surrounded by a circle of icons showing what activities are in use. The system also includes an Internet browser, a word processor, games, and a toolkit for a wide variety of musical activities.
The computers are designed to forgo rote learning exercises and instead promote more creative methods: exploring (the Internet browser) and expressing (video, text, and music programs). When children use the screen to read a book, for example, every page will offer a chance to make comments and discuss it with others. “I think that feature is of itself going to change the world,” Bender says. “The idea that you’re encouraged to critique, to engage in this discourse about whatever you’re looking at. That’s what learning is about.” Cool.
Posted on July 1st, 2008 by Phil.
Categories: Consumer Products, Philanthropy & Environment, Business & Finance.
This week Ford Motor reported that its U.S. sales have tumbled 28% from a year ago. Massive drops are also being seen at General Motors and Chrysler. Record high gas prices and rising consumer worries about the economy resulted in the weakest month for auto sales in 16 years.
Demand for Ford SUVs plunged by more than half, and demand for pickups and other trucks fell by more than a third. Even the so-called ‘crossovers’, a sign of strength in the light truck segment until recently, saw sales off 18% from a year earlier, as buyers went searching for more fuel efficient vehicles in the face of record gas prices. Ford announced steep cuts in production of its pickup and other truck models last month and a shift towards more production of cars. It also said it expected to announce plans for further cuts in plants and capacity in the months ahead.
It is clear that they are not makng the cars that people want. This wasn’t exactly a hard one to see coming. The auto industry chose short term profits and blatant greed over long term planning and the the health of the industry.
Maybe they should start making electric cars and increase production of hybrids instead of lying, cheating and robbing the American public blind so that they can keep churning out gas guzzling behemoths. For years, the energy industry and the auto industry have been in cahoots with each other (and in bed with the US Government) to perpetuate the use of machines that churn through oil. They have broken laws and misinformed the public in order to stifle the production of energy efficient vehicles. They have acted with a total disregard for the good of the planet and the good of the nation. And they have made countless hundreds of billions of dollars doing it.
I know it would not be great for the US auto industry to fail, but at the same time, it would send a good lesson to other industries. For the government to bail them out would essentially be saying that what they have done is OK, and that we continue to support their business practices. If anything, any financial aid needs to be tied to very strong, and strictly enforced guidelines. For all of us, perhaps we should think long and hard about our next auto purchase or lease, and be sure to make a decision that we can live with.
Posted on June 7th, 2008 by Phil.
Categories: Media & Entertainment, Travel & Leisure, Philosophy & Spirituality, Philanthropy & Environment, Science & Technology, Arts & Literature, Sports & Health, Humor & Pop Culture, Coming Events, Storytelling.
On August 25th, 2008, Burning Man will open its gates. The week that follows will mark the peak of the year for many people, as Black Rock City one again rises like a phoenix from the ashes. For the week that it exists, the Black Rock City (the remote city that is Burning Man) is Nevada’s fourth largest city. Nearly 50,000 inhabitants gather in the middle of a dry lakebed to create something truly unique - a shining jewel on America’s tarnished soul. Once the event is over, the entire city vanishes without a trace, leaving only the memories, friendships, and the promise of things to come.
To some of you reading this, just the mention of the words “Burning Man” is enough to send a happy and mischievous tingle down your spine. To others, he subject is not too clear. If you asked 100 people what they thought Burning Man was all about, I’m sure you’d get a 101 different answers. Some would speak of freedom, personal expression, and universal acceptance. Others would rave about the art, music, and amazing characters they encountered. Many would tell stories of friends made, relationships formed or strengthened, and personal breakthroughs achieved. These are all threads of the same fabric, one that envelopes everyone who sets foot on the playa.
The intention of Burning Man is to generate a society that connects each individual to his or her creative powers, to participation in community, to the larger realm of civic life, and to the even greater world of nature that exists beyond society. BM is radically inclusive, so its meaning is accessible to anyone willing to make the journey. The touchstone of value in its culture will always be immediacy: experience before theory, moral relationships before politics, survival before services, roles before jobs, embodied ritual before symbolism, work before vested interest, participant support before sponsorship.
One way to begin to understand Burning Man is to look at the website: burningman.com, another is to look at its guiding principles:
Radical Inclusion
Anyone may be a part of Burning Man. We welcome and respect the stranger. No prerequisites exist for participation in our community.
Gifting
Burning Man is devoted to acts of gift giving. The value of a gift is unconditional. Gifting does not contemplate a return or an exchange for something of equal value.
Decommodification
In order to preserve the spirit of gifting, our community seeks to create social environments that are unmediated by commercial sponsorships, transactions, or advertising. We stand ready to protect our culture from such exploitation. We resist the substitution of consumption for participatory experience.
Radical Self-reliance
Burning Man encourages the individual to discover, exercise and rely on his or her inner resources.
Radical Self-expression
Radical self-expression arises from the unique gifts of the individual. No one other than the individual or a collaborating group can determine its content. It is offered as a gift to others. In this spirit, the giver should respect the rights and liberties of the recipient.
Communal Effort
Our community values creative cooperation and collaboration. We strive to produce, promote and protect social networks, public spaces, works of art, and methods of communication that support such interaction.
Civic Responsibility
We value civil society. Community members who organize events should assume responsibility for public welfare and endeavor to communicate civic responsibilities to participants. They must also assume responsibility for conducting events in accordance with local, state and federal laws.
Leaving No Trace
Our community respects the environment. We are committed to leaving no physical trace of our activities wherever we gather. We clean up after ourselves and endeavor, whenever possible, to leave such places in a better state than when we found them.
Participation
Our community is committed to a radically participatory ethic. We believe that transformative change, whether in the individual or in society, can occur only through the medium of deeply personal participation. We achieve being through doing. Everyone is invited to work. Everyone is invited to play. We make the world real through actions that open the heart.
Immediacy
Immediate experience is, in many ways, the most important touchstone of value in our culture. We seek to overcome barriers that stand between us and a recognition of our inner selves, the reality of those around us, participation in society, and contact with a natural world exceeding human powers. No idea can substitute for this experience.
If that sounds like something that interests you, you should learn more - but the clock is ticking. Planning for Burning Man is a year round commitment for many, and jumping into the fray at the last minute is nearly impossible. More so, the preparation and anticipation is a huge part of the experience.
So give it some thought, and if you’re ready to get involved, meet me out in the desert this August, and see for yourself. Dive in, the water is warm and welcoming.
Posted on May 7th, 2008 by Phil.
Categories: Consumer Products, Philanthropy & Environment, Business & Finance.
Yesterday I went to fill up my car at the gas station. The pump stopped automatically at $75, after which I put in a second card to thrown in another $20 worth. Spending $100 on gas for a car is a wild concept if you don’t drive a Mac Truck, but such is the world these days. I don’t drive too often, so I’m not fed up yet, but many people have reached the end of their rope.
The sale of new SUVs and pickup trucks has dropped precipitously in recent months amid soaring gas prices and a weakening economy. SUV sales for the month of April alone fell 32.3% from a year earlier and small car sales rose 18.6%. This fundamental shift comes against a backdrop of relentless gas increases, and growing concerns over the environment and US oil consumption.
“The SUV craze was a bubble and now it is bursting,” said George Hoffer, an economics professor whose research focuses on the automotive industry. “It’s an irrational vehicle. It’ll never come back.” I’m not about to give up my monster truck, but I can see his point.
With stocks of unwanted new SUVs and pickups piling up at dealerships across the country, automakers are offering unprecedented promotions. Incentives for large SUVs, including cash rebates, topped $4,000 in March, or more than double those offered in March 2002 (according to Edmunds.com, which monitors the motor industry).
At the same time, consumers are flooding the market with used SUVs, trying to trade in hulking Hummers for compact Corollas, and getting thousands of dollars less than they would have just a few months ago. In April, the average used SUV took more than 66 days to sell, and sold at a 20% discount from vehicle valuation books, such as Kelley Blue Book (compared to 48 days and a 7.8% discount a year earlier).
The slowdown in the home construction industry has also lowered demand for used SUVs and full-size pickup trucks. Meanwhile, midsize and small domestic 4-cylinder vehicles have fetched higher used prices during this period of high gasoline prices.
The owner of a prominent Mini dealership, said people have been turning in Chevrolet Suburbans for the tiny British car in recent weeks. That same dealership also currently has a one-year waiting list for the coveted Smart Car, an 8-foot-8-inch vehicle that gets more than 40 miles per gallon. The times, they are a changin’.
Posted on May 6th, 2008 by Myk.
Categories: Consumer Products, Philanthropy & Environment, Business & Finance, Science & Technology.
I love innovation, particularly when it’s the reapplication of existing ideas, technologies, and approaches to solve problems in a clever manner. Take something that exists in one place and find some other consumer or industry or country that needs just that. That’s style man. There’s an art to it…it leverages efficiency, and it promotes cross-disciplinary thinking (which is increasingly important in our networked world).
It’s also entirely unlike the sorts of businesses in the Wharton Business Plan Competition–this year a radiopharmaceutial and materials science companies muscled their way to victory through technological advances. Very linear…build to make something better faster cheaper….cool, maybe–but in my opinion boring.
OK so what this post is REALLY about is Urban Outfitters. In PSFK I just saw that they bought a garden center. Huh? Yep, Urban Outfitters is moving from retailer into the service sector. The new business, called Terrain, plans to offer garden design consultation services and building services. Also, within the store will be a cafe offering a menu of fresh locally sourced food that will change with the seasons.
Getting back to the my earlier point about reapplying approaches I think to myself, what does Urban Outfitters have to do with GARDENING? Really, does it makes sense? Well, UO is coool. You walk in and the merchandise is always fantastically displayed (UO NEVER does any advertising the stores themselves are the advertisement). How about making gardening cool? Interesting.
And there’a a market. The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that nationally, Americans spend $34 billion on plants, flowers, mowers and garden equipment, according to Bruce Butterfield, organization research director for the National Gardening Association, a nonprofit group for home gardeners. The landscape design, construction and maintenance market is $45 billion, he said.
Here’s the thing. The garden center retail landscape is polarized between local mom and pop nursery’s on one end and big box retailers like Home Depot on the other. Urban Outfitters plans to position Terrain somewhere in between and hopes to become for gardening centers what West Elm and CB2 have done to furniture shopping.
A trendy garden shop for everyone interested in plants (which is a massive market). Fantastic. I only wish that someone from Urban Outfitters, which is in Philly like Wharton, would teach an innovation course there. Not likely, but it would be nice.
Posted on May 2nd, 2008 by Phil.
Categories: Media & Entertainment, Philosophy & Spirituality, Philanthropy & Environment, Business & Finance, Science & Technology, Arts & Literature.
My friend Joanna recently turned me on to a great online resource - TED. TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design. It started out in 1984 as a conference bringing together people from those three worlds. The TED Talks website is a treasure trove of video snippets covering a host of fascinating topics. From Brian Greene on String Theory to Al Gore on new events in the climate crisis to They Might be Giants playing a live jam session.
The annual conference now brings together the world’s most fascinating thinkers and doers, who are challenged to give the talk of their lives - in 18 minutes. More than 200 talks from the TED archives are online, with more added each week. Even better, the videos are released under a Creative Commons license, so they can be freely shared and reposted.
TED’s mission is rooted in the power of ideas to change attitudes, lives, and ultimately, the world. Hence their interest in connecting thoughts from the world’s most inspired thinkers with a community of curious souls. The TED Conference is held annually in Long Beach. Over four days,50 speakers each take an 18-minute slot, with a host of other shorter pieces of content, including music, performance and comedy filtering in. There are no breakout groups. Everyone shares the same experience, soup to nuts. Cool stuff.
http://www.ted.com/
Posted on May 1st, 2008 by Myk.
Categories: Philosophy & Spirituality, Food & Wine, Philanthropy & Environment, Business & Finance, Science & Technology, Sports & Health.
A friend of ours, Tiffany Houser, has a great new project that I’d love to tell you about. It’s called Balance Boost and it’s meant to be a complete online portal bringing together information, professionals, services, and products in all wellness categories. Her goal is to become the main One-Stop Website that balances your life with Fitness, Nutrition, Spa Services, Anti-Aging, Personal Growth, Health, Environmental Issues, and other wellness resources.
I thought about it today because I’m on her newsletter list that she sends out periodically and I am, as always, impressed with her research on scientific topics. There is always great information in her articles and she provides links to sources and resources for exploring the topic further. I’ve attached today’s article so you can get a sense of what Balance Boost offers. Check out the site and I highly recommend getting on her newsletter list.
As with Brian Johnson’s Philosopher’s Notes, this is a very Vitruvian project that facilitates balance in our lives. I’m stoked that other people are creating tools that empower our minds, bodies, and spirits. Very cool.
Paraben There, Done That
Susan Tomback BalanceBoost Spa BloggerWith all the controversy surrounding the use of the popular preservatives, known as parabens found in almost every mass-produced personal care product, it seems that science has us working our worry lines.
And maybe for good reason…
It has been clinically proven that parabens mimic the hormone estrogen when absorbed through our skin. Research has shown that an increase of estrogen has been linked to an increased risk of breast cancer. UK scientists have claimed preservative chemicals, para-hydroxybenzoic acids (parabens), found in samples of breast tumors probably came from underarm deodorants. Guys, you are not excluded here, parabens have also been known to cause allergic reactions, contact dermatitis, and male reproductive challenges especially when used on new born baby boys. Any chemical that mimics and stimulates our own body’s endocrine system causes glandular trouble.
Parabens, still considered safe by the EPA, are listed on most ingredients labels for shampoos, moisturizers, sunscreens, toners, face cleansers, shaving crèmes, cosmetics and more. The most common ones are: methylparaben, propylparaben, and butylparaben- most of the time, they are used in conjunction with each other.
Our skin is our largest organ and is becoming an increasingly popular means to administer medicine due to scientific confirmation of its efficacy. Transdermally administered prescriptions now exist in the pharmaceutical world and are as effective as, and in some cases more effective than, ingesting a pill. The implications of absorbing these estrogen-mimicking chemicals directly into the skin on a daily basis is concerning as cumulatively, they would be as effective as ingesting estrogen-mimicking pills.
The shocking part is that the information is kept under the radar because there is “not enough” science to support the detrimental effects on humans even though science knows the dangers. They lead us to believe the amount of parabens contained in personal care products is so minimal that they are not dangerous.
Let’s add it up
The average person uses deodorant(1), some type of moisturizer(2) and soap(3), shampoo(4), conditioner (5)and women go on to use cosmetics(6). Most people use these products and over a lifetime and where we are now in our lives add up to decades of absorption, 5-6 times a day of these chemical preservatives…
How dangerous are they now?
The good news is that paraben-free products not only exist, but are becoming commonplace in our spas, health stores, and food markets.
The concept of adding preservatives to products remains important to businesses so that their product safety and shelf life expectations are still met. Choosing paraben-free product lines that use grapefruit seed extract, lemon, peppermint, coco butter, coconut oil, Vitamin C, E, salt or sugar as natural preservatives should fill your preservative needs. While these products tend to be pricier than their paraben alternatives, their quality will more than compensate.
Posted on April 29th, 2008 by Phil.
Categories: Food & Wine, Consumer Products, Philanthropy & Environment.
Reading Myk’s dinner party tips got me thinking about cooking. When I think about cooking for dinner parties, I usually think about Italian food. When I think about Italian food, I think about olive oil. My family produces olive oil, so I get a lot of info on the state of that market. My father sent me a very interesting article today, and that puts into very clear terms something that we’ve all known about and been irked by for ages - that fact that so called “Italian Extra Virgin Olive Oil”, is usually nothing of the sort, and unsuspecting consumers are getting duped. Beyond the fact that much of it is not extra virgin, much of it is not even Italian.
The public is starting to become aware of this due to a lot of recent police activity in Italy. This week 40 people were arrested and more than 25,000 liters of suspect olive oil was seized. The olive oil crackdown was the second in less than six weeks. A similar operation occurred in mid-March, when 23 people were arrested in a $100,000,000 raid. Police had been watching some of the olive oil operations in question for more than two years. The suspects are accused of adding chlorophyll to sunflower and soya bean oil and selling it as extra virgin olive oil in Italy and abroad. TV news footage showed police scientists demonstrating the process and the cheap oil turning a darker, greenish color, like that of the traditional extra virgin olive oil. The authorities said they had recently blocked “huge” shipments of the doctored oil to the United States and Germany.
In less dramatic cases, the police have also taken action against dozens of olive oil producers in Italy that have for years been selling their olive oil as “Made in Italy”, but in fact using olive oil pressed and shipped in from north Africa and parts of eastern Europe. It was estimated by some that the bulk of olive oil being exported from Italy was either not made from olives grown in the country, not made from olives period, or at the very least, not extra virgin. (Extra virgin is a measure of acidity. True extra virgin olive oil should be 0.75-1.0% acidity or less.)
The string of olive oil arrests came only a month after scares over mozzarella production and adulterated wine caused demand for a whole host of Italian food goods to plummet. In my view, this is all the more reason to buy locally grown and produced goods, especially when it comes to food. Beyond the lack of guaranteed quality and myriad possibilities for everything from simple mistakes to dangerous mistakes (China) to bold faced fraud, there are compelling arguments from the perspective of environmental responsibility. Follow this chain for examples: Olives are grown and pressed in Tunisia, packaged for shipment, trucked to a local port, shipped to Italy, bottled and labeled, re-packed for shipment, shipped to the east coast of the US, trucked to another state in the US, placed in a warehouse, and finally trucked to a local store. The amount of oil (gas) used to get that bottle on a shelf is staggering, let alone the waste of packing materials and time. And for what? To get lower quality and a questionable product. Why not support a local grower, the local economy, the national economy, your own health, and the health of the planet.
Posted on April 25th, 2008 by Myk.
Categories: Travel & Leisure, Philosophy & Spirituality, Philanthropy & Environment, Science & Technology, Arts & Literature, Sports & Health, Storytelling.
A friend of ours Brian Johnson, the person who started the conscious social network Zaadz and subsequently sold it to Gaiam, has launched a really amazing new project called Philosopher’s Notes. In the time I’ve been acquainted with Brian (5 years ), he’s been questing for knowledge under every rock. He compiled a seriously intense list of quotations that I used to peruse when I had time for hobbies, and his book recommendations have always been just about 100% on.
Well, that’s what Philosopher’s Notes are about. Brian takes books on all aspects of self-development (self-realization really), distills them to their essence with their Big Ideas, and provides the result in both PDF and MP3 formats. The titles range in topics (spirituality, health, nutrition, productivity, environment) but they all have serious wisdom that we can apply to our lives. They are penned by contemporary spiritual leaders such as Deepak Chopra to classic American thinkers like Emerson to ancient philsophers like Rumi.
What’s really important here is that most of you and certainly Phil and I just don’t have the time to research what books to read. We rely on our trusted friends to recommend a book and so we discover knowledge that is both interesting and useful. Brian’s JOB is to uncover this wisdom making him a trusted source of information. Not only that, he’s paring it down for our busy lives. Even if you’ve read most of the books he highlights, it’s STILL useful as a memory aid on the main topics.
This latest project by Brian is completely Vitruvian in nature and I highly recommend that you check the site out because it has the potential to facilitate your personal development. Here is an example note of Wayne Dyer’s The Power of Intention (here). Very cool stuff.
