Beyond Green: Toward a Sustainable Art

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WorldChanging.com works from a simple premise: that the tools, models and ideas for building a better future lie all around us. That plenty of people are working on tools for change, but the fields in which they work remain unconnected. That the motive, means and opportunity for profound positive change are already present. That another world is not just possible, it's here. We only need to put the pieces together.

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http://www.worldchanging.com/

Kiva lets you connect with and loan money to unique small businesses in the developing world. By choosing a business on Kiva.org, you can "sponsor a business" and help the world's working poor make great strides towards economic independence. Throughout the course of the loan (usually 6-12 months), you can receive email journal updates from the business you've sponsored. As loans are repaid, you get your loan money back.

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Kiva partners with existing microfinance institutions. In doing so, they gain access to outstanding entrepreneurs from impoverished communities world-wide. Their partners are experts in choosing qualified borrowers. That said, they are usually short on funds. Through Kiva.org, their partners upload their borrower profiles directly to the site so you can lend to them.

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Kiva provides a data-rich, transparent lending platform for the poor. They are constantly working to make the system more transparent to show how money flows throughout the entire cycle.

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http://www.kiva.org/

This is either something that designers and photo editors have been waiting their whole lives for, or one of those "I've created this because the Web lets me do it" kinds of things.
--Alex Soojung-Kim Pang

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To those that question the utility of this little application, let me point out that it is a toy -- like all the stuff on my website. Its purpose is simply to provide wonder and delight. Nothing more, nothing less. Isn't that enough? -- jbum

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http://krazydad.com/colrpickr/

For artists and experimental filmmakers, offering festivals information, video art gallery lists, artists' links, and a forum.

http://www.post-videoart.com/

 

Where the Coffee Shop Meets the Cubicle

Co-working facilities blend the appeal of an independent environment with many of the advantages of the traditional office

by Kerry Miller

In the earliest stage of his startup Darius Roberts, 27, shared the de facto office of many a San Francisco techie: a coffee shop.

Working out of a Wi-Fi-enabled java joint in the Mission district was infinitely more pleasant and productive for him than flying solo in a home office at his Oakland apartment. And it provided the opportunity to meet other developers he might even be able to hire one day, as his Web-based car-sharing company, DartCar, grew.

But when Roberts picked up a flyer about a "community office space" called the Hat Factory, he realized there was an even better option. For $10 a day or $170 per month, the Hat Factory could provide him with a desk, standard office amenities, and access to a shared kitchen, private meeting room, and lounge. And something else—community spirit. "You can meet people at a coffee shop, but it's harder to have meaningful interactions," Roberts says. "Co-working lends itself to that."

Not Just for Startups

Over the past few years, co-working facilities—both grassroots, co-op-like versions and for-profit models—have started popping up across the country and the world, from Seattle to Copenhagen. A co-working wiki hosts pages for dozens of other cities with co-working initiatives in progress. And while the concept of shared office space is nothing new to entrepreneurs, an increasing number of them are signing on and finding that the community-building and networking benefits outweigh even the virtues of a shared fax machine.

In a recent report on the future of small business, the Silicon-Valley based Institute for the Future pegged co-working as a trend to watch over the next decade (see BusinessWeek.com, 1/31/07, "The Face of Entrepreneurship"). After co-working first took off with clusters of free-agent programmers and writers, its flexibility and low cost have also proven a good match for startups unwilling to sign a long-term lease. Because many of these facilities operate on a gym-membership model that doesn't assign workers to specific desks, co-working is cheaper than most subleasing arrangements. And unlike traditional business incubators, co-working isn't just for startups with high-growth potential.

The study's lead author, Steve King, says the increasing popularity of co-working facilities reflects the rise of one-person "personal businesses" as well as a broader fluidity between virtual and real-world communities.

Read the article....

http://www.businessweek.com/smallbiz/content/feb2007/sb20070226_761145.htm

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Shown: 

theOffice

Santa Monica, California

 

"Icons. Geniuses. Mavericks"

March 7-10, 2007, Monterey, California

The past few TEDs (Technology Entertainment Design)have each had a broad content theme:"The Pursuit of Happiness", "Inspired by Nature", "The Future We Will Create."

TED2007 will be different. Instead of a subject-matter theme, we are simply going to put on stage FIFTY REMARKABLE PEOPLE... ...and let them share whatever it is they are passionate about.

A Taste of TED

http://www.ted.com/about/introduction/flash_page.cfm

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TED office featured in NY Times.

http://newyorkmetro.com/homedesign/greatrooms/15634/index.html

This link found in TED Blog

http://tedblog.typepad.com/

$40 million equity fund for CoolTowns

Got a cool project? CoolTown Studios is helping $40 million in real estate funds invest in model urban infill developments, $2-$7 million each. This typically translates to $10-$20 million developments. The underlying philosophy of the fund sources? They want to set a new standard for quality and innovation in real estate development. The fund is ideal for developing a model example for the surrounding neighborhood.

http://www.cooltownstudios.com/mt/archives/week_2005_03_20.html#000503

Here is the basic CoolTown project criteria
- Urban/small city infill/rehab (as in the image), not suburban or greenfield.
- Target market consisting of, but not limited to the creative class, gen xers/yers, urban boomers, entrepreneurs, women, urbanists, early adopters
- No 'luxury' adjectives - as this essentially rules out the target market
- Urban new urbanist/smart growth design principles

http://www.cooltownstudios.com/mt/archives/week_2003_10_19.html#000159

Here are the basics of the financial criteria:
- The fund will invest in a local developer who will maintain primary control.
- The target cities must be east of Denver.
- 2nd and 3rd-tier cities preferred. 1st-tier cities already suffer from inflated land prices.
- An area with strong population growth
- The investment can be short-term or up to 8-10 years.

In addition, invested projects will have an advanced technology infrastructure, an added expertise of the fund's management team. It will also have the potential of tapping into a 'beta community' of qualified residential and business tenants well before construction.

For the "Cool" CoolTown Studios blog, go to:

http://www.cooltownstudios.com/

Trend Hunter is an explosion of cool fueled by a global network of 2325 trend spotters and cool hunters. Innovation and strategic advantage hinge on the ability to anticipate trends and identify the next big thing. By tracking the evolution of cool, Trend Hunters generate ideas, stimulate creativity, and ultimately shape our social context.

http://www.trendhunter.com/dashboard/

Design is One

Monday, October 30, 7:30 pm

Bing Theater

Massimo and Lella Vignelli, founders of Vignelli Associates, discuss the exhibitions, publications, graphic work, interiors, furniture, and consumer products they designed for leading companies such as American Airlines, Knoll, the New York Subway, Rizzoli Books and Fodor's.

Signed copies of Leila and Massimo Vignelli: Design is One will be available for purchase before and after the lecture in the LACMA Gift Store. This book discusses their philosophy that design should be semantically correct, syntactically consistent, and pragmatically understandable, but also visually powerful, intellectually elegant, and timeless.

Free; tickets (available at the LACMA box office) required

 TED poet Rives remixes and rocks the mike.

He's the Johnny Appleseed of sound, cruising random city streets, touching on 4 days of TED.

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http://www.shopliftwindchimes.com/videos/ted.mov

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More about TED

http://www.ted.com/

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More about Rives.

http://www.shopliftwindchimes.com/

Who attends CA Boom?

• 60% Design Trade / 40% Design Savvy Consumers
• Architects, Interior Designers & Hospitality Designers
• Residential & Commercial Developers
• Contemporary Gift & Furnishing Retailers
• Lifestyle & Design Trade Media
• Entrepreneurs
• Savvy Design Consumers

Media & exhibitor quotes.

The New York Times said, "…a design showcase... part trade show, part happening, part conference, part home tour and part party."

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To learn more:

http://www.caboomshow.com/index.html

Welcome to the one and only, original roadside night photography site; Lost America. Troy Paiva's online night photography site since 1998.

This is where you'll find a collection of night photography of the abandoned roadside west.  This color work is not manipulated in the darkroom or the computer. The lighting was all done in camera, at the scene. What you see is what was shot.

Start with the "Image Galleries" buttons and surf some of the themed sections. Have fun!

http://www.lostamerica.com/

A gallery of vintage snapshots & vernacular photography

http://www.squareamerica.com/index.htm

http://flickr.com/explore/interesting/24hours/

Flickr has caught the imagination of photographers from around the world.  Here is a way to catch some of the latest submissions that are outstanding.  Jump into some slideshows, tags, and groups and enjoy!