Roger Wood creates with time in mind. Yet even though the clock can be a consistent element of his work, it’s often secondary to its creation. Whether it’s a curious timepiece or a unique assemblage, Wood thrives on working with an immeasurable array of findings from the tarnished and forgotten to the odd or intriguing. He is a devoted collector of usual and unusual objects with one thing in common, a history.
The source of his inspiration lies in the hundreds of curiously labeled drawers and boxes brimming with artifacts of all description that line the shelves of his Toronto studio. Wood orchestrates an arrangement from his myriad of treasures until the precise moment that it feels right. Then he quickly glues them all down so they can’t escape.
Playful, wondrous timepieces emerge that take flight on cherubic wings, float and sway on fine wires, or appear frozen mid-explosion with flying springs and cogs that bounce at the touch.
This definitive merging of objects and ideas has brought Wood much critical acclaim across Canada. Shows at galleries, museums and awards at several exhibitions are ongoing testaments to his freedom of imagination. Just as his single signature feather at the tip of the second hand quivers magically through time, Roger Wood’s creations continue to fascinate.You can see more at his website HERE.
Here’s an excerpt from Errol Morris’ emotional film about cancer survivors and relatives of people who died from cancer. Morris is a master at getting people to utter profound, unexpected things and present them in a powerful way.If you are moved, then please make a charitable donation HERE.
Apple announced a 2.1 software update for iPhones at its event in San Francisco today that “fixes lots of bugs,” Steve Jobs said. The improvements promised with the update, which will be released Friday, include fewer dropped calls, longer battery life, fewer crashes due to application use and a speedier backup on iTunes.
The new Apple In-Ear Headphones with Remote and Mic are engineered for superior acoustic accuracy, balance, and clarity. Unlike many small headphones, each earpiece of the Apple In-Ear Headphones contains two separate high-performance drivers — a woofer to handle bass and mid-range sounds and a tweeter for high-frequency audio. These dedicated drivers help ensure accurate, detailed sound across the entire sonic spectrum. The Apple In-Ear Headphones deliver a truly immersive sound experience by drastically reducing unwanted outside noises. The soft, silicone ear tips fit snugly and comfortably in your ear, creating a seal that isolates your music from your surroundings. Three different sizes of ear tips are included so you can find a perfect fit for each ear. Also included are a convenient carrying case for the ear tips and a cable-control case for the headphones themselves. Inside each earpiece is a stainless steel mesh cap that protects the precision acoustic components from dust and debris. You can remove the caps for cleaning or replace them with an extra set that’s included in the box.The headphones are due in October and will retail for $79.
Apple and NBC Universal today announced the return of NBC programming to the iTunes Store. You’ll find the top 10 NBC network series available immediately for purchase and download with programming from NBC, USA Network, SCI FI Channel, Bravo, Sleuth and NBC News. That includes the award-winning and critically acclaimed “Heroes” and the Emmy award-winning programs “The Office,” “Battlestar Galactica,” and “30 Rock.”
Apple today updated its iPod classic line, removing both the 80GB and 160GB models and replacing them with a single, thin-bodied 120GB model, which will sell for $249.
The thinnest iPod ever, the new fourth generation iPod Nano features a colorfully curved aluminum design with a 2-inch glass portrait display. Available in nine different colors, the new Nano has a sexy new interface, Apple’s new Genius playlist technology, and a built-in accelerometer that automatically switches to Cover Flow view when rotated and automatically goes into Shuffle mode when shaken. You’ll get 24 hours of music playback or 4 hours of video playback. Choose from an 8GB model ($150) or a 16GB model ($200).
The new second generation iPod Touchnow has a polished stainless steel design and a 3.5-inch widescreen glass display. In addition the standard features — Multi-Touch user interface, App support, and built-in accelerometer and 802.11 b/g Wi-Fi — the new Touch has integrated volume control buttons, a built-in speaker, the new iTunes 8 Genius feature, and built-in Nike+ support. Available today in 8GB ($230), 16GB ($300) and 32GB ($400) models.
Apple today unveiled iTunes 8, which includes breakthrough Genius technology that, with a single click, lets you automatically create playlists from songs in your music library. iTunes 8 also features new ways of viewing your music and video libraries, and it adds television programs in stunning high definition for sale on the iTunes Store including NBC programming.
Street artist Slinkachu hand-paints miniature people and sets them up in the streets of London for passersby to find. It’s a whimsical little world in which people occasionally get eaten by giant bugs or impaled on safety pins.Check out his website and art HERE.
World Names Profiler is a site that maps the popularity and density of your last name. Enter your last name and you’ll get back a map and stats about where your last name is most prevalent. Who knew that the last name, “Fire” was so prevalent in Sweden?
Recorded two months prior to his death, this album contains nearly forty minutes of previously unreleased stand-up material. It pulses with Mitch’s inimitable wit and spirit, it’s a document of a comedy master, and it’s a treat for all those who were afraid they’d never get to hear another great Hedberg joke.
The CD was released today and can be ordered HERE.
JetBlue’s opened an eBay store to auction tickets and vacation packages to some of its 50 destinations, and early bidding has been strong despite a technical glitch that shut the store down for a few hours.
The store features seven-day auctions for more than 300 one- and two-person round-trip flights. Bidding starts at a nickel and there is no reserve, but it’s tough to say how much shoppers will save — or JetBlue might lose. Still, it could be a smart move for the airline.
“It’s a way for the airline to bolster its direct sales, and it’s different from a traditional fare sale in that other airlines can’t simply match it,” Henry Harteveldt, an analyst with Forester Research, tells us. “From that standpoint it’s a very smart idea.”
This afternoon the high bid on a flight from Chicago O’Hare to Long Beach was $202.50 versus $300 when booked on the JetBlue website, but with six days left in the auction, it’s anyone’s guess how much higher the bidding will go. Round-trip tickets for two from New York to Vegas on Sept. 26 were going for $620, compared to a maximum of $349 through the airline’s website, further proving the best deals aren’t always on eBay.
The JetBlue auctions work like any others on eBay: winners receive an invoice for the winning bid plus applicable taxes and fees and settle up through PayPal. JetBlue sends an email confirming the itinerary within 72 hours. That’s it.
Although JetBlue is offering only a few routes and flights up for auction, Harteveldt says it’s more than a publicity stunt. “It allows the airline to sell extra inventory during a period that is typically soft for leisure travel,” he says, adding that JetBlue’s decision to go the eBay route might also signal a more widespread softness in demand for air travel.
Hartveldt says that while some hotels and car rental companies in Europe are also selling inventory on eBay, it is too soon to tell if the JetBlue store is the beginning of a trend that will be copied by other US airlines. “They’ll all be watching it very closely,” Harteveldt says. “And if it’s working for JetBlue, you can bet that others will be interested.” (Reprinted from Wired.com)
Go to myheritage.com, upload a photo of yourself and in seconds the program will determine which celebrities you most resemble. I am not vouching for the accuracy of the tool and the results are subjective. Case in point, I apparently most look like Matthew Perry, Paul Newman and Paul Simon.
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