Wednesday, December 30, 2009
The Grandiose Decay of Abandoned Detroit [Modern Ruins]
Nearly a third of Detroit's homes are vacant, and along with the residences, the city's stately hotels and cultural centers have been abandoned as well, falling into dramatic disrepair, their grand ruins still showing the promises of a once-booming city.
Ruins of Detroit [Yves Marchand & Romain Meffre Photography via Twitter]
United Artists Theater
Michigan Central Station
Farwell Building
Broderick Tower
Whitney Building
Bank Vault
Ballroom, Fort Wayne Hotel
East Methodist Church
Library
Fisher Body 21 Plant
Ballroom, Lee Plaza Hotel
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
it’s Istanbul not Constantinople
Istanbul was Constantinople
Now it’s Istanbul not Constantinople
Been a long time gone…
Old Constantinople’s still has Turkish delight
On a moonlight night – Jimmy Kennedy (Four Lads).
Photochroms from the Library of Congress (you’ll have to supply your own tunes!).
Saturday, December 26, 2009
Postcards from Sweden: Stockholm: The design difference in the hotel bathroom
As an industrial designer traveling to a foreign land, you're less likely to be interested in the big differences, like what side of the road they drive on, and more likely to be fascinated by the little things; you'll unconsciously blurt things like "Hey, check out this light switch!" "Did you see those hinges?" and "Weird--there's no parting line on this handle!" et. al., much to the annoyance of your non-ID traveling companions.
Which explains why I'm taking pictures of the bathroom in my suite at the Nordic Light Hotel in Stockholm, Sweden.
First thing I notice is the dual-flush toilet buttons, common in Japan Scandinavia and other places but unheard of in the sadly water-guzzling U.S.:
Second thing is the sink trap--rather than that gooseneck-looking pipe, it's sleek and cylindrical (and standard throughout Sweden, far as I can tell):
Third thing I notice, the basin-style bathtub's got this smooth, sculptural lip rising out of the back, so you can rest your head without using a rolled-up towel:
(By the by, I tested it out and it's surprisingly comfortable.)
Last thing I noticed is that everything in the bathroom is elevated up off of the ground. The wastebasket, tampon basket, toilet brush and the toilet itself all have a few inches of clearance off the floor tiles, which makes it very easy to mop up and keep clean.
As someone who hates having to maneuver and scrub around the toilet in my own bathroom at home, I love this! I practically wanted to clean this bathroom myself just to try it.
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Amazing shots of Light Painting via flickr
Below is an image and video from { tcb }. He’s posting light paintings along with ‘making of’ videos. If you want to see how light paintings are made, check out his set.
If you’d like to see more, check out the Light Painting – The Real Deal group.
Photos and video from Dennis Calvert, jannepaint, maria flash, BURИBLUE, BlaisOne, and { tcb }.
Verizon's New Motto: Why Not Be Evil?
Verizon Wireless continues in its efforts to be the least-liked mobile carrier in America.
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
LA Times listed @iamknaan 's (K'naan) album the 6th best of 2009. I must say I agree. Listen to these great songs