The Dust of Life

More of funiture inspired by paintings

2010-10-03T10:56:00.000-07:00

Ideas for seatings

2010-10-03T10:30:00.000-07:00

Chicago ( fr The New York Times)

2010-09-27T13:12:00.000-07:00

ALL cities have their ups and downs, but Chicago has been on the rise by playing to its strengths, adding parks, architectural crowd pleasers and public art. Much of this has happened on the watch of Mayor Richard M. Daley, who, after 21 years in office, announced this month that he would be stepping down. How will the city fare without him? Just fine, probably, thanks to the raft of improvements that has left Chicago fortified both by 19th- and 20th-century public spaces brimming with 21st-century attractions.

Friday

4 p.m.

1) LOOP THE LOOP

Chicago is a city of architecture tours, but one of the best is right above you: the “L,” the elevated subway that circles the Loop (transitchicago.com). Get on the brown, orange or pink lines — it doesn’t matter which color, as long as you sit in the first car by the front-view window — and round the two-square-mile area. If you’re going clockwise, look to the left. Among landmarks you’ll see are Bertrand Goldberg’s spectacular Marina City, the new Trump International Hotel and Tower, Frank Gehry’s Pritzker Pavilion band shell and Louis Sullivan’s historic Auditorium Building. Miss one? No problems. The $2.25 ticket buys unlimited loops.

8 p.m.
2) MIDWAY FARE

Credit the recession, but a number of good midprice but high-style restaurants have opened in Chicago in the last two years. A favorite is Gilt Bar (230 West Kinzie Street; 312-464-9544; giltbarchicago.com), a casual restaurant in the River North neighborhood that isn’t casual about its cooking. The menu features New American dishes like blackened cauliflower with capers ($7) and ricotta gnocchi with sage and brown butter ($13). After dinner, head downstairs to Curio, a basement bar with a Prohibition theme. Try the Death’s Door Daisy, made with artisanal Wisconsin vodka and Aperol, a blood orange liqueur, for $10.

11 p.m.
3) COME ON IN

There are so many clubs on Ontario Street, just north of the loop, that it’s sometimes known as Red Bull Row. For a mellower jolt, head to the Uptown neighborhood, to Big Chicks (5024 North Sheridan Road; 773-728-5511; bigchicks.com) a gay bar that welcomes everyone. The drinks are cheap, the crowd is friendly and the décor is appealingly kooky.

Saturday

9 a.m.
4) FANCY EGGS

Couldn’t get to dinner at Frontera Grill, the nouvelle Mexican restaurant owned by the celebrity chef Rick Bayless? No worries. Just head over for breakfast at Xoco (449 North Clark Street; 312-661-1434; rickbayless.com), Mr. Bayless’s newest restaurant. It’s served till 10 a.m.; expect a line after 8:30. Favorites include scrambled egg empanada with poblano chili ($3), and an open-face torta with soft poached egg, salsa, cheese, cilantro and black beans ($4). Chocolate café au lait ($3.25) comes with a single hot, crisp, sugary churro.

11 a.m.
5) OFF-LABEL STRIP

The Magnificent Mile area is filled with flagships (Gucci, Vuitton — you know the list). But there are still some independent stores you won’t find at your hometown mall. Ikram (873 North Rush Street; 312-587-1000; ikram.com) is the stylish boutique that counts Michelle Obama among its customers, with fashion-forward labels like Jason Wu and Martin Margiela. East Oak Street has a couple of cool shops, including Sofia (No. 72; 312-640-0878; sofiavintage.com). Next door is Colletti Gallery (No. 102; 312-664-6767; collettigallery.com), with a gorgeous selection of Art Deco and Art Nouveau furniture and objets. It’s a short walk from there to the Museum of Contemporary Art (220 East Chicago Avenue; 312-280-2660; mcachicago.org), which has a spectacular exhibition of works by Alexander Calder — and works inspired by Calder — through Oct. 17.

2 p.m.
6) FIRST NEIGHBORHOOD

Walking around Hyde Park, a leafy enclave about seven miles south of the Loop, it’s easy to see why the Obamas settled there. Their house, on South Greenwood Avenue between 50th and 51st Streets, is nearly invisible behind Secret Service barricades. Luckily, the nearby Robie House (5757 South Woodlawn Avenue; 800-514-3849; gowright.org), a Frank Lloyd Wright masterpiece, is open for tours. See if you can find an abstracted male figure in the Japanese-inspired leaded-glass windows. Across the street, the beautifully landscaped University of Chicago campus is worth exploring for an afternoon.

7 p.m.
7) LIVESTOCK MENU

Chicago was once the meatpacking capital of the world, and it still knows what to do with offal. Take Girl & the Goat (809 West Randolph Streeet, 312-492-6262; girlandthegoat.com), a much-blogged-about new restaurant where the "Top Chef" winner Stephanie Izard takes livestock parts seriously. The often-updated menu recently included lamb ribs with grilled avocado and pistachio piccata ($17), and braised beef tongue with masa and beef vinaigrette ($12). If you’re not a carnivore, try chickpeas three ways ($11), and for dessert, potato fritters with lemon poached eggplant and Greek yogurt ($8). The soaring dining room, designed by the Chicago design firm 555 International, is warm and modern, with exposed beams, walls of charred cedar and a large open kitchen. Reservations essential.

10 p.m.
8) FUNNY BONE

The owners of the Ontourage nightclub (157 West Ontario Street; 312-573-1470; ontouragechicago.com) were tired of waiting until midnight for the crowds to gather, so they began offering comedy shows at 10 on Saturdays. You won’t find big names, but a hit-or-miss roster of itinerant comedians, some who heckle the audience in language that can’t be printed here. Tickets, $10 include admission to the upstairs lounge, where bottle-service vodkas start at $200.

Sunday

10 a.m.
9) BEAUTIFICATION BRUNCH

Logan Square, about five to six miles northwest of the Loop, is a remnant of Chicago’s late-19th-century beautification movement, with a statue of an eagle by Evelyn Longman where two of the grandest boulevards meet. Nearby, Longman & Eagle (2657 North Kedzie Avenue; 773-276-7110; longmanandeagle.com) is a rough-edged bar that serves a refined brunch: a chunky sockeye salmon tartare with pickled mango ($10) or a wild boar “Sloppy Joe” ($10). Six hotel rooms are set to open upstairs.

1 p.m.
10) GRAND PIANO

Chicago knows how to mix neo-classical architecture with contemporary design, and no place does it better than the Art Institute of Chicago (111 South Michigan Avenue; 312-443-3600; artinstituteofchicago.org), which opened its celebrated Modern Wing last year. Designed by Renzo Piano, it the luminous addition contains a magnificent set of galleries for 1900-1950 European art (Picasso, Giacometti, Klee are a few of the big names) and a capacious room for the museum’s design collection. Hungry or not, check out Terzo Piano, the stunning rooftop restaurant with views of the Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park across the street.

3 p.m.
11) WHEELS UP

From the museum, walk over the pedestrian bridge, also designed by Mr. Piano, to Millennium Park, and rent bikes from Bike and Roll (312-729-1000; bikechicago.com), about $35 a day, for a ride up the shore of Lake Michigan. You’ll pass Navy Pier, skyscrapers by Mies van der Rohe, and hundreds of beach volleyball courts, which make this the Malibu of the Midwest on summer and fall weekends. Along the way, you’ll pass Lincoln Park, with a new pavilion by the Chicago architect Jeanne Gang — another example of how the city is updating its open spaces.

IF YOU GO

Numerous airlines, including Delta, American and United, fly nonstop into Chicago from all three New York-area airports. Based on recent Web search, round-trip flights start at about $219 for travel in October.

The Allegro (171 West Randolph Street, 312-236-0123; allegrochicago.com), a 483-room hotel in the city’s bustling theater district, in the bold style of Kimpton hotels. Rooms from about $149.

Opened last year, the Elysian (11 East Walton Street; 312-646-1300; elysianhotels.com) is a cushy 188-room hotel where the beds aren’t made — they’re “draped” in 460-thread-count Rivolta Carmignani linens. From the outside, the building, not far from the Magnificent Mile, resembles a chateau. Rooms start at about $430.

This article has been revised to reflect the following correction:

Tiny Home on 3 wheels

2010-09-24T20:29:00.000-07:00

More at Doornob

Ideas for a small house

2010-09-24T20:24:00.000-07:00

Lightings

2010-09-24T20:19:00.000-07:00

This and that

2010-09-24T20:14:00.001-07:00

Ideas for desks

2010-09-24T20:10:00.000-07:00

More on Book Storage

2010-09-24T20:02:00.000-07:00

"Dictaphone Parcel"

2010-09-23T06:56:00.000-07:00

Dictaphone Parcel from Lauri Warsta on Vimeo.

Summer of Doves

2010-09-08T11:37:00.001-07:00

Books & Storage

2010-09-06T07:06:00.001-07:00

Yumm Sauce

2010-07-09T00:03:00.000-07:00

http://www.recipezaar.com

SERVES 8 , 4 cups (change servings and units)

Ingredients

1/2 cup canola oil (preferably cold pressed)
1/2 cup almonds (for a creamier sauce, use almond flour)
1/3 cup nutritional yeast (available at Whole Foods grocery stores)
1/2 cup chickpeas or garbanzo beans, cooked
1/4 cup soybeans, cooked (not green edamame beans)
1/2 cup filtered water (important for flavor)
1/2 cup lemon juice (fresh is best)
1-2 garlic cloves (small to medium size)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried cilantro

Directions

1
In a blender or food processor blend almonds beans and oil.
2
Add all other ingredients and puree until creamy smooth.
3
Cover and let stand in the refrigerator for one hour.
4
Don't cover to tight, remember the yeast.

Strange Illustratios from Russia

2010-05-12T06:24:00.001-07:00

Room dividers

2010-05-11T05:30:00.000-07:00

The Dust have been looking at a variety of room dividers on the web
and here are some interesting solutions

Sleep Box

2010-05-10T17:35:00.000-07:00

The coolest and most awesome thing ever and it must have been inspired by the capsule hotels in Japan. It makes total sense to have them scattered in public, but how do you keep them clean? This inspire the dust to build a new shed one day

Check out this awesome animation

2010-05-04T22:06:00.000-07:00

Clutchy Hopkins — Verbal Headlock. Double click for a large and complete screen
via Designlenta

Quick Pho

2010-05-02T10:17:00.000-07:00

The process of making Pho is so laborious, so what if one wants to have a quick bowl at home without having the day to invest. My son, Qman wants Pho all the time so I felt the need to improvise for a quick version. Usually, I would buy beef bones, burn the onion, skim the broth......
But when when Qman needs a quick fix this is what the Dust does
Take one can of Campbel's Condense beef broth, add 2 cups of water to it
Add some saigon cinnamon or whatever cinnamon that you have, add a little clove, ginger and star anise
Add some fish sauce and hoisin to taste
Grill some beef ( rare) , since this will give the beef a deeper flavor
Get some rice sticks going.
Add it all up and garnish with basil, onion and burnt onion
Throw in a little sauteed baby bok choy
And lastly claim the glory

Some cool Pingpong tables

2010-05-02T09:19:00.000-07:00

Sorry for not having the sources

Catalogue: The Garden

2010-05-02T09:04:00.000-07:00

After 7 years of shooting images in the abandoned greenhouses to map the changes, here are some images of the process. Some images such as the car are numbered around 15 or 20. Notice how some vines are getting huge while some green house look more empty because people have been going in there to take out materials. At some point , I hope to be done dating these images

Spotlight: Morgan Carlson

2010-05-01T08:23:00.001-07:00

Last Wed, the Dust drove to Granville , Ohio to see Amina Hassen and Maia Brown receiving their award at the annual AICUO gathering. One of the finalists is Morgan , an industrial design student from Cleveland Institute.

La Tapatia. The Best Mexican food in the valley

2010-04-30T17:40:00.001-07:00

The day after a hellish 12 hour flight back to the Rogue Valley from Ohio, Monkey Puzzle and the Dust finally found what we had been looking for during the last month. After having heard great thing from Monkeypuzzle's friend Annabelle , we know that we must find this hole in the wall gem. It is located in a Mexican grocery store in Phoenix, OR. The food is so delicious that it is permanently marked as a favorite. Mind you the last time we had a good torta was under a bridge outside of a sketchy bar in Albuquerque and that was years ago. The taco here is 1,25 and the torta is around 5 bucks and it is the best 5 bucks worth of food that you will ever see.
The non descript Cafeteria in the back of the grocery store

The best tortas guaranteed. The filling choices are wide including beef, tongue...

The fresh Chorizo tacos

The fixing bar

Morrels goodness with Erik and Lauren

2010-04-30T16:56:00.000-07:00

Thanks Erik for sharing his bounty with the Dust. Erik has been working hard , looking for those "dry land fish". The mushrooms were sauteed with loads of butter and a little salt. The flavor were just deep, earthy and the texture were just divine

Old Arcade Games

2010-04-30T15:48:00.000-07:00

Saw this amazing exhibit in April while waiting in transit at the SF airport. This must be where Joseph Cornell got his inspirations from

Belly Buster's BBQ , Ashland, OH

2010-04-29T13:04:00.000-07:00

On the way down to Granville to attend Amina Hassen's award ceremony, I had to stop at Belly Busters because I was hungry and I was also curious to see what the inside of the place is like. I ordered a brisket sandwich and although I did not expect for it to be amazing , I love the vibes of the place. The dining area has 2 tables and a tv

Note to self: Mr Brisket,Cleveland

2010-04-25T13:43:00.000-07:00

Mr Brisket

The Highest Quality Meat, Poultry & Seafood
Delivered Right To Your Door!

Call Us: 216-932-8620
2156 S. Taylor Rd Cleve. Hts Oh 44118
Or email: misterbrisket@earthlink.net

TUES THRU FRIDAY: 9-5pm
SAT. AND SUNDAY: 9-3pm

Sandwiches , Cleveland. Checklist

2010-04-25T13:29:00.000-07:00

12 spots to find a few of the very best sandwiches in Cleveland

By Emily Hamlin, The Plain Dealer

August 19, 2009, 10:17AM

No time to cook? No desire? Still hungry?

I'm thinkin' ... sammiches.

OK, we'll talk like grown-ups now. A great sandwich can quench a craving while satisfying a hankering for something imaginative. Sure, you'll find an endless procession of the usual two-stale-slices-plus-lunch-meat. Climb out of that rut. Creative sandwich-makers are conjuring ever-growing combinations of breads and fillings, toppings and garnishes.

You'll find concoctions that are off the wall, but awfully good.

Here are sandwiches from 12 of the best places I've found around town. These selections have that mercurial, mix-and-match marriage of tasty and satisfying, cunningly good, offbeat but fun.

This is by no means a definitive list. Rest assured, what you see here is only the tip of the iceberg - and some of your favorites (and mine) don't appear here. As I embarked on the search, I quickly found out you can hardly fling a gherkin without hitting a place that offers some kind of sammy.

(Oh, sorry . . . )

SUPERIOR PHO

3030 Superior Ave., Cleveland, 216-781-7462

This buzzing little spot, tucked toward the back of Golden Plaza, offers a great lunch special: the Vietnamese sandwich with an order of chicken cabbage salad and your choice of iced tea or a soft drink for $7.75. A crusty French roll is warmed then stuffed with homemade pate and thin slices of roasted pork -- plus sweet marinated carrot and daikon shreds, lettuce and a few large slices of fresh jalapeno on top. It's one of the most flavorful options around, even if you're compelled to ditch the chiles.

GRUM'S SUB SHOPPE

1776 Coventry Road, Cleveland Heights, 216-321-4781

28500 Miles Road, Solon, 440-248-3232

Some reputations are well-deserved. Located near the corner of Mayfield Road, Grum's has been a Coventry destination for more than 30 years -- tear off a big bite of the Grum ($6, half; $11, whole) and you might join the procession. You'll have to be a serious eater to polish off this well-stuffed sub packed with a combination of optional veggies plus Genoa salami, capicolla, smoked ham, provolone and hot pepper rings, plus a tasty oil dressing with herbs. The Turkey Ridge ($6, half; $11, whole) is loaded with fresh-tasting turkey breast, provolone, tomato, veggies and mayo.

TAL'S

5747 Ridge Road, Parma, 440-885-0905

A great corned beef sandwich is a revelation: tender, juicy meat falling into succulently silky shreds, equal parts salty and beefy . . . What's not to love, except maybe your cholesterol? When I first discovered the corned beef sandwich at Tal's ($8; with cheese, $8.30), I was skeptical -- common knowledge places the best corned beef in East Side bastions like Jack's, Slyman's or Corky & Lenny's. Tal's does that kind of legacy proud. You get a mountain of moist slices on fresh, hand-cut rye bread and your choice of toppings. I've learned to share one of these delectable monsters (OK, grudgingly) because no sane person should wolf down the whole thing, however tempting.

MELT BAR & GRILLED

14718 Detroit Ave., Lakewood, 216-226-3699

Melt is home to the kind of sandwiches -- huge, two-fist, don't-hold-the-fries -- you buy your buddies when they're moving you to a new apartment three floors up. One bite of the Big Popper ($9) and -- as you sink your teeth into one of the most tantalizingly fiery sandwiches around -- the phrase "kill me now" springs to mind. It's like a Monte Cristo that bites back: Thick slices of bread are packed with herbed cream cheese, cheddar and chunks of jalapeno peppers -- and then the lily-gilding begins. The Popper is dipped in beer batter, deep-fried then dusted with confectioners sugar. Berry dipping sauce accompanies. Pierogi lovers should dig the Parmageddon ($9) stuffed with potato-cheese pierogi, onions, napa vodka kraut and cheddar then grilled.

GASOLINE ALLEY

870 North Cleveland Massillon Road, Bath, 330-666-2670

Heading for Blossom and don't want to mess around packing a basket? Detour to Gasoline Alley for a couple of their big sandwiches. Their most-recommended hit is the Big Daddy Reuben ($10.99), fresh rye bread well-filled with slightly fatty corned beef then grilled right. If you don't love eggplant, the Glen Bob's Eggplant Sandwich ($9.99) will probably be lost on you -- but if you dote on it, here's the one. It's a terrific eggplant parmesan slathered in good tomato sauce topped with a melting slice of mozzarella dripping down its sides, all stuffed into a fresh, soft kaiser roll. Only gripe: Sides are extra but the coleslaw ($2.75) is really good.

ALADDIN'S EATERY

775 SOM Center Road, Mayfield, 440-684-1168

(Several other locations: aladdinseatery.com)

Talk about treasure-troves. The menu at Aladdin's is packed with surprisingly tasty fare that's fresh, reasonably portioned for the relatively modest prices, and usually pretty healthful. Case in point: Aladdin's mujadara (pronounced "moo-jah-DAH-rah") pocket ($6.95). This vegetarian pita sandwich, served with your choice of dressing, is stuffed with a toothsome combination of lentils and rice, layered with mixed green salad and Lebanese tomato-and-cucumber salata, then topped with a flurry of toasted onions. Talk about veggie-loading. It's delicious, satisfying, pretty inexpensive -- and you get to feel all virtuous to boot.

SWEET MELISSA'S

19337 Detroit Road, Rocky River, 440-333-6357

A worthy successor to the former Max's Deli, Sweet Melissa's still makes great sandwiches. Take the Laina's Chicken Salad Sandwich ($10), a jumbo stack of fresh, fragrant homemade chicken salad, topped with cheddar and tomato, then a mound of mesclun greens, all stacked between slices of grilled herbed bread. Give in and dig into the tasty chips served with this tasty indulgence. Save room for dessert: You can't ignore the temptation of those display cases.

STONE OVEN BAKERY & CAFE

2267 Lee Road, Cleveland Heights, 216-932-3003

A sandwich needn't be a gut-busting meat bomb. Depending on your personal definition of "vegetarian" -- in this case, fish or no fish -- you'll find several tasty options at Stone Oven. Loved their Tomato Pesto with roasted red peppers and provolone cheese -- delicious on slices of kalamata olive bread. Bright and mellow flavors mingled in this chewy sandwich that left me feeling satisfied, but not stuffed. I chose the combo of a half-sandwich with a cup of soup, which was $6.40.

ALMANAR MARKET

3279 West 117th St., Cleveland, 216-941-1900

Get in line at the counter of this food-service Middle Eastern food market, then order the Shawarma sandwich ($4.99). The counter man slices your choice of meat or chicken from the tall rotating cones and loads it into a soft pita -- then adds your choice of toppings, ranging from halved cornichons and bright pink turnip pickles to tomatoes, lettuce and onion. When he asks whether to add the mellow tahini sauce and a really zesty hot sauce (more flavorful than fiery), say yes. The crispy-edged meat, pink on the inside, drips juice as it's carved, and the flavors mingle magnificently with the other ingredients, especially after the foil-wrapped sandwich is grilled on a sandwich press. One bite and you're hooked.

PRESTO

21984 Lorain Road, Fairview Park, 440-356-6320

401 Euclid Ave., No. 167, Cleveland, 216-344-3999

I'm one of the dozen or so deli lovers who can comfortably live without most pastrami -- simply because too often it's dry and/or leathery. Not the day I visited the Fairview Park Presto: The Big Mensch sandwich ($5.95, half; $8.50, whole) was moist and decadently rich, spread with jalapeno mayo (yes, Woody Allen would sneer) and spicy coleslaw and a slice of Swiss to finish. Never mind: I loved its gentle "give" as I bit, plus the hit of heat each bite packed. Filled with moist grilled chicken and artichoke hearts on a soft sub roll spread with goat cheese and pesto-laced mayo, the Chicken Lorain ($5.95, half; $8.50, whole) was creatively constructed and one of the tastiest cold sandwiches I found. Both were perfect to tote down to the nearby Metroparks reservation for an impromptu picnic.

THE ORIGINAL DAVE'S COSMIC SUBS

9 River St., Chagrin Falls, 440-247-9117

Though I can't speak for the sandwich at other Dave's Cosmic locations, I'll sing you a rhapsody about the original, in Chagrin Falls. The tiny little shop, its walls a virtual rock-and-roll shrine, exudes good vibes -- and pumps out great subs. I'm fine with soft hoagie rolls, but here they use good, crusty loaves and that crispy bite makes a big difference. The Crazy Dave ($5.29, regular; $9.49, large) packed wonderful firepower, courtesy of crushed pepper flakes and a generous scattering of hot peppers atop the combo of capicolla, prosciutto and provolone, plus veggies and fresh garlic. If you're up for milder flavors, go for the Grateful Dave ($6.29), turkey and tomato topped with avocado, alfalfa sprouts and just a touch of hot pepper juice. Cosmic, man.

LA BOCA

5800 Detroit Ave., Cleveland, 216-961-5800

Want to try a really, really great steak sandwich? La Boca's - chimichurri-marinated beef ($9.50) soars with flavor -- loads of garlic, a reasonable measure of fire, a whiff of musky cumin -- in one of the singularly most delicious hot sandwiches around. Though I've got to admit, it takes well to chilling.

Cleveland's Happy Hour deals , The Plain Dealer

2010-04-25T13:15:00.000-07:00

The Plaine Dealer

Bar Cento, 1948 West 25th St., Cleveland, 216-274-1010. Read more

Blind Pig, 1228 West Sixth St., Cleveland, 216-621-0001. Read more

Cleveland Chophouse & Brewery, 824 W. St. Clair Ave., Cleveland, 216-623-0909. Read more

Fahrenheit, 2417 Professor Ave., Cleveland, 216-781-8858. Read more

Flying Fig, 2523 Market Ave., Cleveland, 216-241-4243. Read more

Jigsaw Saloon, 5324 State Road, Cleveland, 216-351-3869. Read more

Lincoln Park Pub, 2609 West 14th St., Cleveland, 216-621-2240. Read more

Light Bistro, 2801 Bridge Ave., Cleveland, 216-771-7130. Read more

John PetkovicHappy hour favorites at Lolita, in Cleveland's Tremont area.

Lolita, 900 Literary Road, Cleveland, 216-771-5652. Read more

Lopez on Lee, 2196 Lee Road, Cleveland Heights, 216-932-9000. Read more

M Bistro, 23800 Detroit Road, Westlake, 440-250-5550. Read more

Momocho, 1835 Fulton Road, Cleveland, 216-694-2122. Read more

Morton's, 1600 West Second St., Cleveland, 216-621-6200. Read more

Nauti Mermaid, 1378 West Sixth St., Cleveland, 216-771-6175. Read more

One Walnut, 1 Walnut Ave., Cleveland, 216-575-1111. Read more

Paladar, 28601 Chagrin Blvd., Suite 900, Woodmere, 216-896-9020 Read more

Sergio's Sarava, 13225 Shaker Square, Cleveland, 216-295-1200. Read more

Sunset Lounge, 1382 West Ninth St., Cleveland, 216-535-0001. Read more

Sushi Rock, 1276 West Sixth St., Cleveland, 216-623-1212. Read more

Touch Supper Club, 2710 Lorain Ave., Cleveland, 216-631-5200. Read more

Updating source book

2010-04-25T10:53:00.000-07:00

Cool Designs

2010-04-25T09:55:00.000-07:00

Cool Homes

2010-04-25T09:51:00.001-07:00

Prosperity Social Club

2010-04-25T09:29:00.000-07:00

Prosperity Social Club opens at 4pm Monday through Saturday (closed Sunday).

Our kitchen serves:
Monday and Tuesday from
5pm to Midnight
Wednesday through Saturday
from 5pm to 2am

PROSPERITY SOCIAL CLUB
1109 Starkweather, Tremont
(216) 937-1938

Thanks to Richard Wood , who took the time out to show me the cool side of Cleveland. This place is a wonderful neighborhood bar located in the Tremont area. Images are courtesy of http://www.prosperitysocialclub.com

Updating source book

2010-04-25T09:18:00.000-07:00

A few design ideas

2010-04-23T16:49:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Mocoloco, design spotter and the like

Some cool track bikes

2009-12-12T14:32:00.000-08:00

Giselle Lai Duc

2009-11-18T06:58:00.000-08:00

My niece's photos are a part of this exhibition at her school in Arizona. Giselle is under the tutelage of a former student of mine: Coriana Close. Thank you Coriana and congrats to Giselle. If you have the opportunity to check out the show, please tell me how it is. I am certain that it will be awesome and Giselle............I am very proud

The Flow Kitchen from Studio Gorm

2009-10-12T18:32:00.000-07:00

From Inhabitat

Sourcebook

2009-10-12T16:13:00.000-07:00

The Frankencamera

2009-10-12T12:26:00.000-07:00

Marc Levoy and the Frankencamera

Film camera has been on life support but may be this is the nail in the coffin for the analogue thing. This is the magic camera that can simultaneously expose many exposures at once and focus on different objects at once. The final image is just the composite of all the ideal exposures and focus. Sounds really really boring actually. Where is the magic and where is waiting for the right moment.Read more at NPR

Georgia

2009-10-12T12:10:00.000-07:00

Savannah

Soho South Cafe

www.sohosouthcafe.com

12 W Liberty St
Savannah, GA 31401-3906
(912) 233-1633

Another gem in Savannah where reasonable priced and tasty food is served. It is a beautiful and huge place that doubles as an antique shop and art gallery. The dining room spreads out over the entire place and it is a great spot to have brunch or just taking a rest from all the walking around. The crab cake is a must have ( images courtesy of Monkey Puzzle)

People that I Miss

2009-10-11T08:23:00.001-07:00

Image taken from Laurentonia

Lauren, Cara, Hevi, JC, Helen ST

Georgia

2009-10-10T21:51:00.000-07:00

Athens
The Grits
199 Prince Ave, Athens

This was definitely our favorite place to hang out in Athens while I came to UGA as a visiting aritst. It is a vegetarian place serving down home cooking not to be missed. We like the restaurant scene in Georgia because the atmosphere is always casual , yet the service and the food were high in quality. We had grits and veggie sausage for breakfast and it was wonderful. The coffee here is not quite up to what we are used to ( we are from the Northwest) , nevertheless the ambience made up for it.

The Bear Tooth Mushroom

2009-10-10T12:33:00.000-07:00

The strange and elusive Bear Tooth , which grows on trees.It is one of the rarest therefore one of the most sought after wild mushrooms. The form is beautiful and people say that it tastes more like lobsters. The first time I had it , it was panfried and served with a risotto ( courtesy of Lauren and Erik). Soooooo Gooooooood !!!!!

Notice the tentacles.
The steam of the risotto made it difficult to photograph.

Georgia

2009-10-10T11:02:00.000-07:00

Savannah
Do not Miss
Back in the day bakery
2403 BULL STREET
SAVANNAH, GA 31401
(912) 495-9292

After a long day of touring about Savannah, we took a break and followed our friends advice to relax at Back in the Day. So much goodness and so much love!!!!! The details were beautiful and unpretentious. We even joined in a game of Bingo for free cupcakes. I could hang out there all day. Enjoy you design people!!

Georgia

2009-10-10T06:03:00.000-07:00

SAVANNAH.

The Gallery Espresso
234 Bull St
Savannah, GA 31401-3929
(912) 233-5348

Cannot Miss!!! This place is in its current location for the past 6 years and what a perfect location it is. It is located near SCAD and it is sitting in front one of the main squares in Savannah. The owner is Julie and she employs mostly SCAD grads. The coffee shop is also a gallery featuring some good works by mostly SCAD people. A friend of mine commented that SCAD has amazing facilities but while he visited SCAD he did not see any students. Perhaps those students were hanging out at the Gallery Espresso. This was true when we were in Savannah. This place should be the first stop in town

Georgia

2009-10-10T01:35:00.000-07:00

Random PicsShop front, Savannah

Shop windows, Savannah

Hotel, Athens
Hotel, Athens

Girl with dog on skateboard, Savannah

Shop front, Savannah.

Agnieszka Lasota

2009-10-10T00:34:00.000-07:00

Based in Warsaw, Agnieszka Lasota has been working a fascinating project called Furniture with Memory where she takes well-worn old furniture and encases it in electro-polarized glass and then projects digitized images of what it would have looked like when it was new, in pristine condition, and being enjoyed. From Moco Loco

Georgia

2009-10-10T00:05:00.000-07:00

Why oh Why?
Why does she smile and why did we waste our time? Despite being warned by the locals not to eat at the Lady and Sons, we went anyway because Frommers said so , and the 1000 things to do book said so. It is like eating in a dressed up nursing home dining room with crappy buffet and overpriced entrees. The bad service complemented the worst food that we had in GA. So why is she smiling? Because she made a lot of money by giving the tourists lots of fat and salt. Southern cooking is amazing but this lady is not.

It is nice to see someone without talent who loves herself so much

The buffet completed with boiled ribs and all. What a waste of resources

Georgia. So much goodness

2009-10-09T23:30:00.000-07:00

On the drive between Athens and Savannah, Monkey Puzzle and I marveled at the range of goodness that is unique to the region. These are some of the snacks availabled at the gas stations. Treasures that we don't see out West at least not in abundance.

Many flavors of pork rinds

Deep fried peanuts.

Canned Meats

Sausages

Cotton Candy

Food with Lauren & Erik

2009-10-09T23:13:00.000-07:00

A feast of fowl
Lately, these two have been indulging my desire for the good life by providing some great dinners with wild games. They have been busy with hunting, harvesting their garden and canning . If the apocalypse comes, I think I know where I will be heading to. About a month ago, when John Choi came to town, we were all invited over for a dinner of fowl. Geese hunting season was open and so Erik came back with lots and lots of geese . Dove season also opened so he cam e back with lots of doves.

Erik had mentioned of his favorite Dove recipes ( dove and jalapenos wrapped in bacon and grilled). The dove oysters were especially good.

The finished grilled dove appertizer

The goose breasts were pan fried and served au jus. Geese taste somewhere between duck and roast beef and the breast meat were lean and dark. So much food and so much goodness

A nice salad from the garden to compliment the meal

More Mushroom feasts with Lauren and Erik

2009-10-09T23:05:00.001-07:00

It started out with a harvest of sweet potatoes from their back garden and it became inspired by the discovery of some honey mushrooms ( tasted similar to Shitake). Honestly, I did not fully trust that these thing were edible, especially when it was advised for us to consume in small quantities since it can mess with our stomach. So most of the stems were saved for stocks and soups while the caps were cut up and sauteed with butter. Lauren followed up with some sweet potatoes gnocci with cinnamon and .............heavenly!!! The dinner was fantastic, we survived and I made it to class right on time. Bravo Lauren and Erik

The Golden Honey Mushrooms

The huge sweet potatoes

More Wild Mushrooms with Erik and Lauren

2009-10-09T22:50:00.001-07:00

The last few weeks, it has been such a pleasure to visit with Lauren and Erik as they have unofficially launched their new obsession with gathering wild mushrooms. It all started with a Bear Tooth a few weeks ago and it has escatated to tons of Hens of the the woods, more Bear Tooth and Honey Mushrooms and Lions Hair. It must have been edible since we are still standing after the many beautiful feasts built around wild mushrooms. It all started with Erik's failure to produce Morrels in the spring and since then he has been determined, with a glazed look, to redeem himself. And he has !!!!

Lion's Hair Mushroom. When sauteed, it tastes like Parmesan cheese and its texture when it is fresh feels like tripe, when it is cooked it resembles calamari.

A beautiful Cream of Mushroom made with Hen of the Woods. Lauren used an equivalent of 60 to 80 dollars worth of Hen of the Woods to produce this earthy, delightful soup. The freshly baked break sealed the deal.

Samples of Grilled Bear Tooth and a relative. Dipped in butter, they were the most amazing and fleshy food. They all tasted like the best lobsters

@ Sam Lee 09/12. Los Angeles

2009-09-01T19:11:00.000-07:00

Pics from Source Book

2009-08-16T09:24:00.000-07:00

Freeze Dried Kimchi

Good old Track Bike

2009-08-16T09:11:00.000-07:00

All school design that gets crazy mileage and will be a future project soon. Derringer in Los Angeles is making a whole new line bikes based on this design.

Amazing Natural Bridge

2009-08-16T09:06:00.000-07:00

Taken from Gizmodo
Tan

Lunch Buffet at Wrap and Roll, Saigon

2009-08-06T17:39:00.000-07:00

Address: 62 Hai Ba Trung St, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Phone: 08/822-2166

Review from TripAdvisor

Address: 62 Hai Ba Trung St, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Phone: 08/822-2166

Ended up at Wrap and Roll after a bike ride with Asia around Saigon. We were hot, thirsty and hungry so we parked our bikes and went in for the buffet. They had just about everything at the buffet , but it is more geared for expats and foreigners. It was a matter of convenience but it was a great deal on the buffet if you are in to such a thing. It is a 6.5 out of 10

More to do in Cleveland

2009-08-06T16:30:00.000-07:00

Gourmet Magazine

Anne Trubek

09.25.08

Our economy may be stagnant, but our stomachs are growing. Cleveland is in the midst of a decade-long foodie boom that has convinced some coastal folk to make a stop on their flyover. Our town is littered with affordable dining options; here are a few of the best.

The artisanal breads at On the Rise bakery, left, and thin-crust pizzas at Bar Cento, right, won’t put a hole in your wallet.

1. Prix-Fixe Dinner at Light Bistro

Chef Matt Mathlage is tapping into two trends at his new restaurant: the locavore movement and the depressed economy. Mathlage offers a nightly prix-fixe for $25—three courses, all sized and plated perfectly. He buys only from local farmers, so the menu reflects the seasons. A recent meal showed off Ohio-raised quail, bacon-fueled collard greens, and berry cobbler. 2801 Bridge Ave., Cleveland, OH (216-771-7130; lightbistro.com)

2. Scone and Coffee at On the Rise

No hyperbole here: The artisanal breads and pastries at On the Rise bakery are among the best this side of the Atlantic. Owner Adam Gidlow bakes olive loaves as soft as they are flavorful, cinnamon raisin bread with a yeasty sweetness, and baguettes that have just the right crunch. The scones, I am convinced, are sprinkled with a secret ingredient that compels you to return the next day. Buy one of those ($1.75) and a coffee (also $1.75) and sit at the large wooden communal table to chat with the regulars. 3471 Fairmount Blvd., Cleveland, OH (216-320-9923)

3. Kobe Beef Burger at Lolita’s Happy Hour

By 5:15 on a weeknight, Lolita’s is packed. Some diners are hoping to glimpse the newest Iron Chef, Michael Symon, who often strides through this, his first eatery, laughing and greeting customers. Others are there for the incredible $5 Happy Hour burger: Kobe beef, bacon, and a fried egg on a homemade English muffin bun. A glass of “Lolita’s Choice” wine is $4 and worth more. Add a side of mac and cheese with chicken, goat cheese, and rosemary. 900 Literary Rd., Cleveland, OH (216-771-5652; lolabistro.com)

4. Lunch at Nate’s Deli and Restaurant

Old-school Middle Eastern fare is a popular choice for the students, businessmen, and families who crowd into Nate’s for lunch. The prices are double-take low. Try the fatoosh salad ($4.25) or the unassailable hummus ($4.75). The waitress will slap a plastic bag of serviceable pita bread on the table. Remember your number—it sits on top your table in red plastic—to tell the guy at the cash register when he rings you up. Cash only. 1923 W. 25th St. Cleveland, OH (216-696-7529)

5. Dinner at Bar Cento

Cleveland’s newest foodie shrine is Bar Cento, where chef Jonathon Sawyer serves up Roman-style fare. The pizzas are thin and flavorful—you can stay traditional and order a Margherita or go for the decadent modern options, including liver and onion. Sawyer buys locally, and he cooks his chicken under a brick, transforming a boring-sounding entrée into a crunchy and moist delicacy. The wine list is extensive and, like the food, wallet-friendly. Open until 2 A.M. seven days a week. 1948 W. 25th St, Cleveland, OH (216-344-9944; barcento.com)

6. Brisket Platter from Mr. Brisket

Cleveland’s East Side, with its sizeable Jewish population, offers lots of great food options: Bialy’s Bagels, Jack’s Deli, and Corky and Lenny’s all serve up Eastern European Jewish comfort food. For decades, Sanford Herskovitz, a former stockbroker with a PhD in psychology, has been selling brisket, pastrami, and sausages from his easy-to-miss storefront in Cleveland Heights. One pan of prepared, sliced brisket serves 15—perfect for your Rosh Hashanah meal—and sets you back only $70. 2156 S. Taylor Rd., Cleveland Heights, OH (216-932-8620; misterbrisket.com)

7. Breakfast at Big Al’s

This classic diner is always full, but there’s never a long wait. The fried green tomatoes are crispy and tangy; the sausage gravy has just the right velvety texture; and the pancakes, thankfully, are robust and cakey, not the horrid flat, chewy variety often found in breakfast spots. At Al’s, specials, which range from $6.75 to $10.75, are called the 1, 5, or 9, nothing cutesy like homages to places or people. You can get eggs, sausage links, or homefries on top of any dish for a couple more quarters. 12600 Larchmere Blvd., Shaker Heights, OH (216-791-8550)

8. Local Produce at North Union Farmers Market

Ohio should be better known for its peaches, which surprise out-of-staters with their juiciness. Our corn rivals those from other Midwestern states, and the blueberry season is long enough to keep you baking all summer. Some of these crops are raised organically now, and the pure products of our soil can be had for pocket change at the largest farmers market in the area. Shaker Square, Saturdays 8:00-12:00 (northunionfarmersmarket.org)

Pics from Jay Ray's Work-in-progress

2009-08-04T11:51:00.000-07:00

Jennifer Ray's site

I want.

2009-08-04T11:37:00.000-07:00

Sketchbooks made from recycled books from Monkey Puzzle

Pics from summer 2008

2009-08-04T11:23:00.000-07:00

A cool camper.

2009-08-04T11:18:00.000-07:00

A "pop top" dream

Spotlight on John Choi

2009-08-04T09:32:00.000-07:00

John spent his time chasing after airplanes with his 4x5 camera . The images were shown along with texts. These images and texts served as a metaphor for John's transient and nomadic life. He will be a graduate student at Columbia College in Chicago in the fall of 2009. Lots of luck to you John!!!!

Distance

It is a distance that is ever present and constantly growing or closing. It may be the distance between the doorsteps of our homes and the hotel reception or between the workplace and the arms of family. It may be an hour or a day to that familiar beach, bus, or couch or it may take months and years to find a certain finally. The distance between our houses and our homes, between our dreams and our realities, between our words and our meanings; these are lengths we traverse daily under and among the traffic of colors, clouds, and sunlight.

A destination to which we are constantly departing, arrivals that are continually moving one month or city away, these are the distances in which we linger, in which these photographs dwell. They recall the sublime, the mundane, the familiar and the far. The titles, placed ambiguously between each piece, do not commit to one image or the other. They are given the freedom to move in between. They hint at possible cities of destination and departure. Sometimes they suggest the viewer on the ground and the location from which the planes are sighted. They serve as cues and invitations to intertwine one's own places and events far or near to themselves.

– John Choi

In Progress

2009-08-04T00:13:00.000-07:00

Backyard @ Sam Lee Gallery

2009-08-04T00:07:00.000-07:00

BACKYARD

July 11, 2009 – August 22, 2009
Reception for the Artists: Saturday, July 11, 6 – 9 pm

Chinatown, Los Angeles--Sam Lee Gallery is pleased to present Backyard, opening July 11 and closing August 22, 2009. The gallery will host a reception for the artists to coincide with the Chinatown Art Night on Saturday, July 11, from 6 to 9 pm.

Backyard, a summer group show featuring painting, sculpture, drawing, and photography, is a smorgasbord; the artworks depict the “backyard” as a dystopic eden--a open-ended interpretation of this theme that ranges from the whimsical to the serious, and the humorous to the creepy. Participating artists are Justin Allen, Joe Biel, Frick Byers, Margarita Cabrera, Carleton Christy, Rebecca Clark, Brian Cooper, Waylon Dobson, Nathan Hayden, Darren Hostetter, Joshua Levine, Luke Matjas, Pipo Nguyen-duy, Mary O’Malley, Jon Rappleye, Shizu Saldamando, Macha Suzuki, Devon Tsuno, Erica Lee Wheelock and Carrie Yury.

Found pics from sourcebook

2009-08-03T15:07:00.000-07:00

Most are from Gizmodo, Moco Loco and the like.

Found Class Pic ( Vis/pro Fall 2007)

2009-08-03T14:55:00.000-07:00

What the Pho ?

2009-08-03T12:39:00.000-07:00

From Yanko Design comes Tableware meant for Pho.Hit the link below for more pics and thanks Dillon for the source.
Yanko Design

Tragic Love Songs

2009-08-03T11:48:00.001-07:00

What is unique about Vietnam is the division between private and public spaces. The crowded living conditions and the lack of intimate spaces lead lovers having to share their private moments in public. Their borders are marked only by the area taken up by their motorcycles and scooters. In the evenings , couples are sitting next to each other in public parks, bridges and anything deemed romantic and picturesque.

Beauty Salons, Vietnam

2009-08-02T15:29:00.000-07:00

Below are a few pics from a new project dealing with the convergence of Western and Eastern values and specifically of beauty. They were shot under extreme heat and humid conditions with a 4x5. The exposures were between 8 to 16 secs.

Spotlight on Breatrix Reinhardt

2009-08-02T15:14:00.000-07:00

It is an honor to write a tenure review for Beatrix Reinhardt , a photographer teaching at CUNY , Staten Island. She is known for Members Only, a photo project documenting private clubs worldwide.

Veterans Club, Canberra, Australia

Pathfinder Gun and Hunting Club, Fulton, NY

Khmer Rock

2009-08-02T15:08:00.000-07:00

Recently I read an article on NPR regarding to the music that came out of Cambodia in the 60s. It was influenced heavily by the American culture . Although the Cambodian musicians did not know who the western musicians were , they like the sounds and began making Khmer rock. What was unique about this music is the integration of traditional Cambodian music instruments into this hybrid sound. Unfortunately, a lot of the musicians were killed during the reign of the Khmer Rouge.
More Khmer Rock

Crappy Food at the oldest restaurant in the US

2009-08-02T12:47:00.000-07:00

While visiting Boston with Monkey Puzzle in the fall 2008, we had to stop in the oldest restaurant to sample the history. It was just the history for sure because the bowl of clams that we got was terrible. Nothing but salt and grit. You can barely see the restaurant sign in the background , but it is not worth the trouble for me to tell you what it was

1972 Honda CB200T

2009-08-02T12:24:00.000-07:00

Another good reason to be home in Oregon!!!! Got this bike three years ago from a museum in North Carolina. It is a stock bike and the only mod is the drop handle bar. Photos by Monkey Puzzle

Pho Bo Kho @ Pho Quynh.Saigon

2009-08-02T11:11:00.000-07:00

Pho Quynh - 323 Pham Ngu Lao, D1. T: (08) 836 8515

Pho is no doubt Vietnam's national dish however Pho only implies rice noodles. There are many variations on the sizes and shapes of the noodles, the different broths and toppings that are served . Of course, they are varied by areas and each region claims its Pho to be the best. The Pho that is known outside of Vietnam is a Southern version, which uses beef broth and cinnamon and star anise.
Pho Bo Kho , which translates to Beef Stew Pho is also another Pho version from the South and it is typical of the beautiful marriage of French and Vietnamese cooking. The broth is a tomatoes base beef stew serve with standard pho noodles ( the flat kind). The beef is fattier and the bowl is garnished with basil, beansprouts and lime. The dipping sauce is lime squeezed over salt and pepper ( not hoisin and siracha) and it is customary to mop the broth up with an order of Vietnamese baguette. The place to come for Pho Bo Kho is Pho Quynh. They have several restaurants scattered around Saigon and one is conveniently located in the Backpacking District around Pham Nghu Lao

Tragic Love Songs and Other Stories

2009-08-01T20:17:00.000-07:00

A favorite from below the Presidential Palace

2009-08-01T19:22:00.000-07:00

The Shooting Range

The (Former) South Vietnam Presidential Palace.

2009-08-01T19:06:00.000-07:00

The images below were taken in the war section of the Palace, 2 floors below ground. Imagine 105 F, and extremely humid and no light to focus ( 16 secs exposure on the 4x5). This is a collaborative project with Asia Nguyen-duy, who compared these rooms to the set of Dr Strange Love.

The Emergency Radio Station

The Encryption Room

Security Office

The Map Room

Another Office

Travel Fish

2009-08-01T14:26:00.000-07:00

Those who may find themselves planning to travel to South East Asia will find Travel Fish a great site to visit. Below is a fine example of what you may find on the site

Saigon's top 10 cafés

Ho Chi Minh City may look like an unforgiving urban jungle, but resting just below the surface are dozens of wonderful hideaways, where an ice cold fruit blend, a sumptuous salad and a sparkling cocktail create a welcome distraction from the world outside. Our man in Saigon, Jon Hoff, twirled the caffeine dial to 10 and delivered this list of his top ten spots to chill out in Saigon.

La Fenetre Soliel
Probably Saigon's ultimate lounge lizard spot, having a variety of agreeable lazy-chairs, sofas and even a double bed to sprawl across. The small establishment, reminiscent of a living room in an aging French chateau, has two large windows that allow light to spill in across the wood beam floor, while the exposed brick walls rise up to meet the high ceiling. The menu boasts a fare which matches the atmosphere -- light and airy. A wide range of fruit juices and shakes accompany salads, sandwiches and crepes. Don't be put off by the decrepit staircase that leads up from La Fenetre Soliel's discreet entrance.

Highlands Coffee
This chain has a number of locations through Saigon, though perhaps the most comfortable is found on Nguyen Du, in the shadow of the Saigon Trade Centre. While this location, is perhaps not best for chilling out at lunchtime due to the crowds, come the evening it's a far more sedate scene. The modern interior offers plenty of sofas and armchairs for you and your mug of coffee and the outdoor wooden decking is a relatively quiet spot which provides some fine people watching. The fare is contemporary Asian and Western cuisine -- the usual assortment of drinks is meliorated by a tasty range of Italian sodas.

Illy Cafe
Another popular Ho Chi Minh City coffee chain, founded by the Italian Illy, is the aptly named Illy Café. One particular branch sits adjacent to the Lion Restaurant in Lam Son Square. Despite its central city location the courtyard outside is surprisingly secluded -- and the comfortable indoors area moreso. Find here ambrosial cold coffee drinks laced with amaretto, almond and other alluring ingredients, all starting at 39,000 VND, along with an extensive Italian based menu, including a good value set lunch. WiFi available.

Café Park Bach Dang
For an altogether less pretentious experience, take residence in a deckchair down by the Saigon River. The Café Park Bach Dang provides basic outdoor seating, with a view across the river to Thu Thiem. Seemingly a world away from the trendy bars and stylish cafes which sit just down the road, this is the perfect spot to amble through a few pages of novel whilst taking in scenes of daily life. None of the items on the bare-bones menu will set you back more than 15,000 VND. Ca phe sua da, a traditional Vietnamese iced coffee with condensed milk, is our favourite.

Le Petit Café
The predictably-sized Le Petit Café proffers an enclosed ground floor, an atrium complete with water feature and a first floor balcony. While no food is available come the evening, a small Vietnamese breakfast and lunch menu will keep the hunger pangs at bay while the sun still shines. The upstairs area, littered with cushions and low tables could make for a perfect afternoon siesta, but unfortunately word is out and you'll rarely have it to yourself.

Juice
Three-level Juice serves surprisingly excellent juices, shakes and smoothies, starting at around 30,000 VND and wheatgrass shots for 20,000 VND a pop. The bill of fare here has a health focus and the selection of delicious salads is refreshing. Each floor of Juice has comfortable seating and WiFi connectivity is available throughout. The sofas on the top level were designed for afternoons lost in a book or surfing the web. Located in the heart of District One, Juice is a good place to drop the shopping bags or guidebooks for a couple of hours.

Hideaway
Secreted in a beautiful colonial building tucked away just a few metres off Pham Ngoc Thach St, Hideaway encourages slobbery with an ample supply of sofas and soft seating throughout. The complex consists of a small outdoor courtyard and two interior areas, including a pleasant dining area. While Hideaway is a great spot to chill out, the prices may jolt you from your slumber -- their drinks are super pricey, starting at 25,000 VND for a Coke and smoothies for 60,000 VND. The food is also on the pricey side, but is mouth-wateringly good, including pastas, salads and hot and cold sandwiches.

I Box Café
The venerable I Box Café is a bit of a Ho Chi Minh City institution, and while it sounds like you might go there to play computer games, the opposite is the case. Possibly the most enigmatic café in town, its lavish decorations, plush seats, eclectic music and ambient lighting all come together to create an intimate atmosphere unlike anything else you'll find in Saigon. The wide-ranging carte compliments an original drinks selection, and the fantastic ice cream concoctions will have you keeling over in sugar bliss. Not only a great place to drift off in a daydream, it also has WiFi.

Café Song Me
An inclusion to recognise the fact that Vietnamese coffee shops can be awesome hang out spots, Café Song Me is well worth a look in. Nary a brash roadside monstrosity in sight, Song Me is set back from the street in a shady, secluded corner, with ornate decorations and plentiful green leafy plants to re-oxygenate your pollution-weary lungs. A little hard to find, take Hoa Hung St off of Cach Mang Thang Tam St in District 10, and turn off left roughly halfway along. Famed for its water-features, customers can sit on tables completely surrounded by water, as small troughs weave their way along the floor. Alternatively, skip across the pools to reach somnolent sofa areas. Food is average, so stick with the reasonably priced drinks.

Creperie & Cafe
Creperie & Cafe gets a mention as a Saigon chill out joint due to its fantastic street-side seating area. It's hard to believe that you're in the heart of Saigon yet the traffic is but a distant rumble. Shaded under large parasols and gazing over swaying trees, Creperie & Café counts Notre Dame Cathedral, Le Duan Park and Reunification Palace among its neighbours. If that doesn't impress you, the food certainly will -- mains range from 70-180,000 VND, but the specialty are the savoury crepes, ranging from 60-90,000 depending on the filling.

Café Park Bach Dang – 10B Ton Duc Thang St, next to Bach Danh Ferry Terminal, District 1. Daily 24 hrs.
Café Song Me – 125/2 Hoa Hung, District 10. T: (08) 865 2075. Daily 07:30-23:00.
Creperie & Cafe - 5 Han Thuyen. District 1. T: (08) 829 911. Daily 07:00-11:00.
Hideaway – 41/1 Pham Ngoc Thach, District 3. T: (08) 822 4222. Daily 08:00-Late.
Highlands Coffee – Saigon Trade Centre, 37 Ton Duc Thang, District 1. T: (08) 910 5689. Daily 07:00-23:00.
I Box Café - 135 Hai Ba Trung, District 1. T: (08) 825 6718. Daily 07:00-23:00.
Illy Cafe - 11-13 Lam Son Square, District 1. T: (08) 827 5946. Daily 07:30-23:30.
Juice - 49 Mac Thi Buoi, District 1. T: (08) 829 6900. Daily 07:30-22:00.
La Fenetre Soliel – 135 Le Thanh Ton, District 1. T: (08) 822 5209. Daily 10:30-24:00, Sun 10:30-19:00.
Le Petit Café – 189 Hai Ba Trung, District 3. T: (08) 827 7868. Daily 06:30-24:00

Kim Hotel, Saigon

2009-08-01T14:03:00.000-07:00

Contact details:
Mini-Hotel Alley, 40/18 Bui Vien St, District 1. T: (08) 836 7497, (08) 837 6468
Email them at: saigonhotel_loan@hotmail.com
Visit website

The right place to stay can make or break one's experience in a foreign place and Kim Hotel in Saigon was the right place for us to call home for the month of July, 2009. The hotel is located smack in the middle of the backpacking district, but it is located in a safe and quiet alley, away from the bars and the usual hustle bustle of Saigon. At night, hired guards patrolled the alley to make sure that it is safe and secure.
The staff and Ms Kim was essential to our experience there. Ms Kim took us to the markets, the tailors and she gave directions to all the places that we need to get to on the scooters. We got along so well that I and our good friend John Donalsds ended up doing the photos for the hotel website. So book ahead since they are guaranteed to be full all the time. This is not just another hotel but it is family.

A few designs for my sourcebook

2008-09-15T12:30:00.000-07:00

It has been awhile since I found these sources and I probably got them from Mocoloco.

World Record Breaking Photo Mosaic

2008-08-30T20:53:00.000-07:00

Spotlight on Justin Novak

2008-08-27T18:34:00.000-07:00

Justin Novak produces some of the most cutting edge ceramic and porcelain work. They are graceful, disturbing and strange. I have been an admirer for a long time and hope you will be one soon.

Disfigurines

Motel Haus Project
Strange Baroque Sex Toys

Tableware for Introvert

The Shed is done!!!!!!!

2008-08-27T15:46:00.000-07:00

During the last 5 weeks, the Dust was obsessed with building this shed and the last screw was placed a few hours before I had to get in the Fairy Van to drive East. The exterior is T111 with a Mahogany skin, stained and the metal details are made with flashings. More on the shed soon but for now the Dust have to get ready for some teachings. Monkey Puzzle is painting the inside and Asia will be moving in soon.

Pipo @ Sam Lee Gallery, Los Angeles

2008-08-27T15:12:00.000-07:00

This friend of the Dust of Life is having a show at Sam Lee Gallery in Los Angeles which will open next Saturday ( Sept 6). We are all invited!!!

NPR's Hidden Kitchens

2008-08-27T15:09:00.000-07:00

A must read !!!! Go to NPR's Hidden Kitchens

Freedom Tickler

2008-08-27T14:44:00.001-07:00

Somewhere in Nebraska, the Dust found this label on the condom dispenser at a gas station

Ormachea's Dinner House. Winnemucca, Nevada

2008-08-27T14:05:00.000-07:00

Address: 180 Melarkey St, Winnemucca, NV 89445
Phone: 775 623-3455

For more info on Basque cuisine and culture in America go to NPR's

The Sheepherder's Ball: Hidden Basque Kitchens by The Kitchen Sisters

On the way to Ohio from Oregon, the Fairy Van ran out of gas in the desert , 70 miles from Winnemucca. The Dust did not have phone reception and there weren't any traffic up and down the small highway. Walking to a few farms , I could not find anyone to buy gas or to use the phone, and a miracle took place. Sheriff Olson drove up and he was kind enough to drive the Dust to Saw Tooth gas station to get some fuel and on the way back he even helped with the refueling. In the back of my ( frazzled) mind, I remembered that the Basque came and settled in the area so with my empty stomach the Dust asked the sheriff if there is a Basque restaurant in Winnmucca that was worth a visit. Without a pause Sheriff Olson said: "Ormachea's". " As you go into town , go beyond the first underpass and it will be on your right. I take my family there...It is costly but worth it!!!!". This young sheriff served 2 tours in Iraq and one in Afghanistan and from his kindness and generosity , one would not suspect that he had seen some horrible things. He also mentioned that he went to Burning Man 2 years ago and also he footnoted that he cannot grill chicken because this reminded him too much of burning human flesh. Now he is content to raise his family in the middle of nowhere. So the Dust tips his hat off to the Sheriff for his generosity and for the great conversations. And the sheriff was right, Ormachea's Dinner House was worth the trip

This is the Basque Sampler, which came with an excellent tomatoe based cabbage soup, salad to start and followed by meatballs, Basque chicken, french fries, Pork cutlets with roasted red pepper, baked beans and a paella like rice. Needless to say the Dust had to take most of it to go. The food was surprisingly good and the service was friendly. The Dust wanted to try the Lamb however the kitchen ran out of it since this is the most popular dish at Ormachea's. Also the Dust forgot to try the Basque drink Picon Punch which is a mixture of Red Wine and Coke but there is always the next time.

The diners at Ormachea's

ReapearingDoubleChin Blogs

2008-08-19T18:08:00.000-07:00

Dust's son the R.D.C will be blogging from now until this coming sunday.
things he plans to blog about:

the Great Goodbye

2008-08-17T10:26:00.000-07:00

thank yous:

>>the dust of life

>>ohio

>>the internet

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- peter

Finally, Papyrus

2008-08-14T08:59:00.000-07:00

Designed by Chris Costello in 1983, the font, Papyrus, is pitched by Linotype, (it’s corporate owners), to effectively merge the “elegance of a traditional roman letterform with the hand-crafted look of highly skilled calligraphy. It imparts a warm and friendly ambience to everything from restaurant menus to book covers.” According to a recent interview, Costello claimed that by imitating “old looking” alphabets he had come up with a typographic style that may have characterized vernacular writing, had English existed 2000 years ago. Think ancient-Egypt-golden-age-hieroglyphics-sophistication, perfect for the brand of a new-agey yoga retreat, or the label of an exotic blend of Tea.

Since its creation, Papayrus has spread like wild-fire. Its unavoidable on any bulletin board of fliers, in local magazines, or in the grocery store. My aunt and uncle’s store, Cambridge Naturals, (which specializes in nutritional supplements, wellness, pure, clean bodycare products), is LOADED with products designed in papyrus type. Its so ubiquitous, that Peter and I often joke about making a movie all about the font, a sort of parody of Gary Hustwit’s documentary Helvetica, (which chronicled the famous sans-serif). The main driving force for my own interest in the font, is that I hate papyrus. I often wonder how such a cheesy typeface became so unbelievably popular. Much like the font Comic Sans, Papyrus is clumsily overused, and distractingly ugly. Even as it is embraced by those in my own generation who find it kitschy, or ironically cool, I maintain a small feeling of bewilderment.

How, I wonder, did such a bad font spread to all corners of the graphic landscape? Certainly, the age of home computing has opened up new opportunities for increased typeface and design awareness on the part of average users. In the 90s and even earlier, Word processing software allowed users not only to compose on the computer, but also to customize the appearance of their text, instantaneously. No longer did altering the typeface mean the substitution of the entire physical letterset of cast-metal glyphs, or the purchase of a new typewriter. Word processors instead could switch back and forth between several pre-programmed fonts with a simple mouse click, allowing for endless experimentation. Nowadays, with the popularity of blogs and social networking sites such as myspace, the average user can spend hours customizing the appearance of their page. Small decisions, such as one’s background image, profile picture, or a particular typeface, send a self-conscious message about one’s identity, even beyond the implied aesthetic sensibility.

What this means is that today, much to chagrin of professional typographers, everybody is a designer. Whether they know anything about “design” or not, more and more people have opinions about their aesthetic choices. The result of this new democratic graphic design is the proliferation and increased visibility of fonts that, for better or worse, do not meet many criteria of what historically has defined good typography.

On Chris Costello’s website, he has a link to his blog titled ” Papyrus...Love It or Hate It?” The fact that the blog exists at all, shows in my opinion, Costello’s own uneasy relationship with his popular typeface design. On the one hand he’s clearly proud of his accomplishments, and on the other he seems aware of the fact that what was intended to be a thematic font for occasional use, has become flagrantly overused, a veritable typographic sensation.

Where are the photoshops of yesteryear?

2008-08-13T16:37:00.000-07:00

"People often trust low-res images because they look more real. But of course they are not more real, just easier to fake. We look at picture of Nessie (the Loch Ness Monster). It’s grainy, fuzzy. It’s hard to make anything out. You never see a 10-megapixel photograph of Big Foot or the Abominable Snowman or the Loch Ness Monster. One explanation is: these monsters don’t exist. But if they did exist — so the thinking goes — they are probably unwilling to sit still for portraiture. The grainy images are proof of how elusive Nessie can be. This belief extends to documentary filmmaking, as well. If it’s badly shot, it’s more authentic."
-Hany Farid, interviewed by Errol Morris in Photography as a Weapon, an Opinion piece for the Times on August 11

where to roam next

2008-08-12T15:25:00.000-07:00

frame from bison.gif by Harm van den Dorpel

A Bottle Tossed Into the Cosmic Ocean

2008-08-11T14:44:00.000-07:00

"One of the loveliest nights I have ever spent at sea was on April 30th 1970. It wasn't calm, and our little boat bowed and dipped and turned among the high waves left over from the storm. But the whales deep inside those same waves were aloof to all the turmoil at the surface and their sounds were peaceful and serene. The recording you will now hear was carried on board a Voyager spacecraft, into outer space."

THESE DAYS

whatever you have to say, leave
the roots on, let them
dangle

And the dirt

Just to make clear
where they come from

by Charles Olson

a stickie of hypothetical blog posts

2008-08-09T21:08:00.000-07:00

Post about People #2. Guthrie Lonergan

2008-08-09T09:15:00.000-07:00

"The ephemeral nature of the Internet inspires a kind of disrespect for objects-- for for whole, perfect, "created" things. I'm really happy that, when someone comes to my website, my "portfolio" or whatever, they're basically just confronted with a list of lists-- and I like that they might leave thinking, "what did that guy really even do?"" - from this interview with guthrie lonergan

Check out Guthrie Lonergan's The Age of Mammals, one of the most pleasing websites on the internet today!

Some of my favorite "pieces" by Guthrie, another artist I "discovered" through nasty nets surf club, are linked below:

1. 9 short music videos

2. artist looking at camera

3. internet group shot

Post about People #1. Kevin Bewersdorf

2008-08-09T05:45:00.000-07:00

"The seeds of my data are already safely spread across the web, and this data is what concerns me. I make art on the web, and this art is passing through your body right now under the name "LINKSYS" or something." -k bewersdorf on maximumsorrow.com

I first encountered Kevin Bewersdorf online through a post he left on nasty nets, a surf club that appears to be "sleeping" for the year 2008. This was a very important experience for me. This was the first time I saw the internet used as a culture mulching machine, the first time I clicked into a world of artistic criticism, a world of referential data points. Much of this "critical thinking" appears to be through jokes and puns, tossing and turning the online salad.
And what happens when we begin to think critically about technology and data? Rather than remaining a data point (a user) we transition to a new relationship with our browsers. We are still users, but at least empowered users, capable of twisting computer code from its socio-economic context (a code that reduces you to the position of coded subject) and converting it into a non-object; an online abstraction.

Remember, before the days of pop-up blockers, when you had to look at this one all the time?

Remixed in Kevin's post, "She's a Model Now?"

(another nasty net, Chris Coy worked it out a different way)

Bewersdorfs online collection, his uploaded consciousness, is really impressive and inspiring. He's written several essays and photo-essays, all of which are stellar, but one in particular has risen to the top as an important articulation of online spirit. "Spirit Surfing" strikes me as, if not the only, one of the best attempts to define the spiritual dimensions of online information sharing and culture mulching. You can find the essay here.

self portrait in a cd

old man surveys the landscape

summer is for shorts

2008-08-08T14:40:00.000-07:00

here's the post of a few short projects by friends:

The Hostest with the Leastest, a short by lena dunham

daydreams, by peter nowogrodzki

the apathetic aesthetic, by ben neufeld

Gchat Image Capture and Decisive Moment Photography

2008-08-07T12:54:00.001-07:00

"The simultaneous recognition, in a fraction of a second, of the significance of an event as well as the precise organization of forms which gives that event its proper expression... . In photography, the smallest thing can be a great subject. The little human detail can become a leitmotif." - Henri Cartier-Bresson, author of The Decisive Moment.

What happens to street photography go when nobody goes outside? While our community bi-ways and culdesacs are increasingly re-paved with binary code, the documentary impulse of Cartier-Bresson continues to burn on.

The following is from Wikipedia's entry on the famous photographer:
"Photography is not like painting," Cartier-Bresson told the Washington Post in 1957. "There is a creative fraction of a second when you are taking a picture. Your eye must see a composition or an expression that life itself offers you, and you must know with intuition when to click the camera. That is the moment the photographer is creative," he said. "Oop! The Moment! Once you miss it, it is gone forever."

Or, the click of the mouse, or trackpad; the 35 mm leica of personal computers. There is still the fraction of a second, the moment of composition, and then, with the click of the trigger, an image.

Not to say that these are "photographs." They are, at least, documents of fleeting moments of connection. They are images of an online community, similar to the convoluted European streets where Cartier-Bresson found his subjects. His photographs speak out as moments of coincidence and clarity amongst the hustle and bustle of chaotic modernity. There is a scientific neatness to this composition, as if a scalpel has been used to remove excess confusion. And the image that remains is precise and legendary.

So, what happens when the camera dissolves away? Even inside the computer-world, the moment is still fleeting. Bresson talks about capturing the "little human moments." The image capture can momentarily organize the chaos of an online business meeting or a fiery conversation with an old friend. The image capture solidifies these "moments," slows them down, lets us organize our thoughts around them. Even if there isn't much to say.

the post where we talk about youtube comments, again.

2008-08-07T12:03:00.000-07:00

Post #1:

I've always been impressed with the amazing text material to be found on Youtube. There is, of course, more than just videos. And I've begun to explore and enjoy the limitless possible text-to-text diptychs; youtube is a never-ending exquisite corpse investigation.
Here's a start:

It's easy to get lost in online oblivion, but it's fun to let user comments rise to the top of a given youtube experience. I am continually inspired by Olia Lialina's citation of user comments in her "academic" essay Infinite Seance 2 (although she uses the comments within their referential context). Here are some stories to piece together, completely out of context:

The Dust of Life

More of funiture inspired by paintings

Ideas for seatings

Chicago ( fr The New York Times)

Tiny Home on 3 wheels

Ideas for a small house

Lightings

This and that

Ideas for desks

More on Book Storage

"Dictaphone Parcel"

Summer of Doves

Books & Storage

Yumm Sauce

Write a Review! (optional)

Ingredients

Directions

1

2

3

4

Strange Illustratios from Russia

Room dividers

Sleep Box

Check out this awesome animation

Quick Pho

Some cool Pingpong tables

Catalogue: The Garden

Spotlight: Morgan Carlson

La Tapatia. The Best Mexican food in the valley

Morrels goodness with Erik and Lauren

Old Arcade Games

Belly Buster's BBQ , Ashland, OH

Note to self: Mr Brisket,Cleveland

Sandwiches , Cleveland. Checklist

12 spots to find a few of the very best sandwiches in Cleveland

By Emily Hamlin, The Plain Dealer

August 19, 2009, 10:17AM

Cleveland's Happy Hour deals , The Plain Dealer

Updating source book

Cool Designs

Cool Homes

Prosperity Social Club

Updating source book

A few design ideas

Some cool track bikes

Giselle Lai Duc

The Flow Kitchen from Studio Gorm

Sourcebook

The Frankencamera

Georgia

Savannah

Soho South Cafe

People that I Miss

Georgia

The Bear Tooth Mushroom

Georgia

Georgia

Georgia

Agnieszka Lasota

Georgia

Georgia. So much goodness

Food with Lauren & Erik

More Mushroom feasts with Lauren and Erik

More Wild Mushrooms with Erik and Lauren

@ Sam Lee 09/12. Los Angeles

Pics from Source Book

Good old Track Bike

Amazing Natural Bridge

Lunch Buffet at Wrap and Roll, Saigon

More to do in Cleveland

Eight Great Recession Busters in Cleveland

1. Prix-Fixe Dinner at Light Bistro

2. Scone and Coffee at On the Rise

3. Kobe Beef Burger at Lolita’s Happy Hour

4. Lunch at Nate’s Deli and Restaurant

5. Dinner at Bar Cento

6. Brisket Platter from Mr. Brisket

7. Breakfast at Big Al’s

8. Local Produce at North Union Farmers Market