about phil patton

Photo above: The drasine: In 1817, Karl Drais, a young baron and inventor in Baden (Germany), designed and built a two-wheel, wooden vehicle that he straddled and propelled by walking swiftly. A forester for the Grand Duke of Baden, Drais used his “lauf-maschine” (running machine) to inspect the Duke’s forests–he could make his rounds more quickly and efficiently on wheels than on foot. The lauf-maschine soon became a novelty among Europeans, who named it the “draisine.” [ the smithsonian ]

[ key month of may dates ]
> Bike to Work Week is 14-18
> Bike to Work Day is Friday, 18th
> Bike to School Day is Wednesday, 9th

above] Here’s a GEM, that’s bigger than the Pastymobile. The soon-to-be introduced Bluebird electric commercial vehicle in the video below promises a gourmet electric food truck recipe. “Road chef’s! Start your electric ovens!”

[ bluebird ] [ global electric motorcar ] [ milk float corner ] [ pastymobile ] [ pr newswire ] [ tuk tuk ]

The mission of 31 bits is to use “fashion and design to empower women to rise above poverty. By giving our beneficiaries access to the international market, they are able to earn an instant income, providing homes, food, and education for their families. Our program equips women by providing literacy education, financial and vocational training, holistic care, and strong support systems, empowering individuals to further their careers and attain social equity.”

Learn more about the designers and see all the collections on their website.

about perrin drumm

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The flashlight’s components are housed in a CNC-cut cork case that can be disassembled to replace the batteries, making production easier. But that’s not the only practical aspect of this design. The fact that its rectangular and sits flat instead of rolling around like a typical flashlight is, perhaps, one of the unintentional bonuses. Not unintentional at all is the choice to use cork and a contrasting white handle. Cork is one of my favorite materials, and I love to see used thoughtfully or unexpectedly. Flashlights are usually made of cold, hard metal, but Guerra makes the flashlight a touchable, almost comforting object, one that you want to leave out instead of tucking it away into the tool shed.

about perrin drumm

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“I like finding the most suitable material for each project,” Urquiola says. “Working on technologically developed materials using craft techniques, or using an industrial process on a material from the past.” For Vieques she strove to “maintain the lateral aluminum double moulding, but with a seat and back similar to taut netting, a soft and pleasant grid, in three dimensions, which we have achieved after two years of research.”

Yes, you read that correctly. Urquiola spent two years researching and developing a totally new, revolutionary 3D fabric called Nico d’Ape, available in a rainbow of colors for the Vieques indoor/outdoor collection.

about perrin drumm

They’re a lot softer than Legos, which means it won’t hurt as much when you accidentally step on one, but The Wall Street Journal points out that since they’re softer and don’t snap together as tightly as Legos, they’re “less than ideal for making lightsabers.” And since the blocks do actually smell like coffee and tea, they’re probably better suited for the big kids out there. I can’t be the only who never outgrew her Legos, right?

You buy them from the Guggenheim online, $30 for 50 blocks.

about perrin drumm

Today I discovered Public bikes, a light-weight beach cruiser-style bike. It’s about a year too late for me, but if you’re inclined to cruise these easy-shifting, seven-speeders are super affordable. Normally they’re $595, but for another week ( SALE ENDS 3/21 ) you can knock $100 off the normal retail price – just in time for the warm spell that’s sweeping the East coast.

about perrin drumm

That sounds like a lot of empty ad speak to me, and I was ready to write them off completely until I stumbled across an article about their “eco-classrooms” that actually makes their green-washed website seem more legitimate. The classrooms are constructed primarily from FSC- or PEFC-certified softwood timber and incorporate a sedum roof.

“The building operates without any main power or utility supply. It is serviced entirely by solar energy and even incorporates a methanol fuel cell as a backup should there be a prolonged period without sun. A rainwater-harvesting system collects water from the sedum roof for both the kitchen and composting toilets. The structure is believed to be the first building in the UK which processes harvested rainwater from a sedum roof into hot and cold drinking water using only solar power.”

No word on whether the same is true for their line of luxury tree houses, but why on earth don’t they include that on their site instead of  a bunch sustainable mumbo-jumbo? Let’s chalk it up to the fact that this is a new company and whoever is handling their brand strategy clearly doesn’t realize that in addition to the luxury crowd, there’s a large market of folks who get seriously turned on by recycled rainwater and low impact construction.

about perrin drumm