I love getting postcards from around the world with Postcrossing!

My friend Wendy told me about a website called Postcrossing at http://www.postcrossing.com/, where you send and receive postcards to and from people all around the world. It's so cool!
The way it works is, you can send up to 5 postcards at a time to randomly selected people in the world, and as they arrive, you are randomly assigned to other folks for them to send to you.
The ones that are the best include a photo and written message about a special place in that area and a personal message from the sender.
I have sent cards to Germany, Brazil, UK, Lithuania, Russia, China, Taiwan, Belarus, Croatia, and The Netherlands.
So far I've received cards from Brazil and China, and the senders told me a little something about the place shown on the card, like the clay people that are believed to keep ghosts away.
I love that the website tracks your miles too, so you can get kind of competitive with friends about it too.
And you can exchange cards directly with people too instead of just being random about it. I always include my address on the postcards so the one who receives it is welcome to send me a card as well.
Like there's a girl in Lithuania who's doing postcrossing for a school project, and she offered to send cards back, so I've asked her to send a card to my sons, because they love to get mail, and I think they'll enjoy receiving a postcard from Lithuania. I will be able to show them on the site where Lithuania is and how many miles the card had to travel.

This Ring is Super Cool! Uber Cool!

Venus Fly Trap Ring (Sterling Silver)

From donmoti

Depicted is a silver Venus Fly Trap. The Venus Fly Trap plant in nature lures and captures insects, causing death and demise.

Yet in the case of this ring, the Carnivorous Venus Fly Trap has done the opposite giving birth to the seductive mythological goddess Venus, marking the "birth of venus"

Round tube ring band, which together with the exterior of the Sundew is finished off with a mirror polish, whilst the mouth of the Sundew is oxidised to exphasise the form of venus.

Hallmarked: MARC BARER, 925

Ring size: Available in any size, simply specify after purchase.

I can also make the ring in a variety of bronze's or brass, to make it cheaper, again contact me if you would like this option.
http://www.etsy.com/listing/22936705/venus-fly-trap-ring-sterling-silver?ref=storque&show_panel=true

Alot of work went into this thing! Love it or Hate it?

Skull and Cross Bones

From sculptureplus

Skull 4" tall x 3" wide carved from deer skull. Teeth carved from deer antler. Cross bones 3.5" each from deer bones. Base made from two deer antlers 6.5" tall which can be separated from the skull. Entire piece approx 10" tall

http://www.etsy.com/listing/57560009/skull-and-cross-bones?ref=fp_recent

Just Because I'm From Texas Doesn't Mean I Like Country Music

Ugh....a country western finale for American Idol. A first and a new low.  Wake me when The X Factor debuts.........

Lauren has no personality, and Scotty is a one-trick pony.  I understand...yes, they're just kids, but give me a break! 

The only reason I'll watch the finale is to hoot and holler as the producers drag out more fossilized guests the contestants have never even heard of for the obligatory finale duet performances.  It's hilarious to watch the finalists pretend to be excited to sing songs twice their age with artists they can't relate to and don't give a fig about.

And the audience, don't even get me started...how much Red Bull do they give those 12 year olds to get them hyped up enough to act like they care?

There Is No Gravity - The World Sucks

Zippo Lighters From the Vietnam War

Story by chaps676

Published on May 19, 2011 in Read

Photo by The Selvedge Yard

So often when we think of Zippo lighters, visions of Don Draper dance in our heads. The mid-century modern era, replete with highball glasses and boomerang tables, wouldn't be the same without them. That's why it's jarring to consider the Zippo in another context: one in which it serves as a morbid reminder of the ephemeral nature of life on earth.

A lighter was one of the few possessions and connections to life back home that a soldier could carry into battle. In the uncharted jungles of Vietnam where soldiers had little understanding of the culture, language or terrain, a lighter engraved with a personal phrase or motto served as a mental touchstone to a distant but familiar life. "Many were like tattoos not worn on the body, but carried in a pocket," writes Jon Patrick of The Selvedge Yard. "It was a way for the soldiers to express who they were, and how they felt."
[Ed. note: Some of the lighters featured in the original article on The Selvage Yard contain profane language. Please click through at your own discretion.]

Photo by mEyegallery on Flickr

The deeply personal and dark phrases engraved on Vietnam-era Zippos are even more haunting today, entwining an emotional point in history with a now iconic design. For Jon Patrick, this connection between war and a fire-producing object is profound: "There is something mythical, primal and powerful about fire that has always captured a man's soul — whether it's a lighter, a campfire, or waging a war."

COULD AMERICAN IDOL BE ANY MORE RIGGED AND ANNOYING?

Why do I keep watching this steaming pile of dog poop masquerading as a talent competition?

Every season I tell myself and everyone I know that I will Not watch, because it's so obviously scripted and rigged, and every season I go back on my word and can't resist holding on to that small grain of hope that someone talented might actually win for the 1st time in How Many Seasons?

And every season I'm pissed off and aggravated.

It's so obvious the producers won't allow a real talent to win, because they know people like Adam Lambert and James Durbin will sell concert tickets and be stars no matter what. 
It's the ho-hum, make me want to slip into a coma people like Lee DeWyze, Kris Allen, and this season's Jacob, Lauren, Scotty, and Haley they have to shove down our throats, because they must convince the teeny-boppers to Buy Now on Itunes! and Get Your Idol on Tour tickets Now!

This season made me want to throw everything in my living room at the TV, because the so-called judges refuse to tell "contestants" the truth - that they Suck raw meat! 
It's been a giant love fest so sickeningly sweet and self-congratulatory it makes me want to puke!

Where's Simon when we need him??  Oh, yeah, he's off creating an interesting show..... sigh....

Eco-Friendly Earth Ships - I want one!

Hitching a Ride on an Earthship

Story by mtraub

Published on Apr 28, 2011 in Read

Photo by theregeneration on Flickr

Before most people were even turning off the faucet while they brushed their teeth, one man had a vision for an independent and sustainable alternative to our on-the-grid residential system. Earthships sound like they might just beam us beyond our current laws of reality, and they delightfully look like it too. Architect Mike Reynolds has been developing his Earthships for decades, traveling from their base in Taos, New Mexico to Haiti, China, and even the Lower East Side of Manhattan.

An Earthship derives its electricity from the sun and wind, its water from rain and snow, and its temperature regulation from the earth. An internal sewage treatment system means each drop of water is used four times, feeding lush wetlands of flowers and vegetables. The walls are literally made of trash: tires filled with dirt, glorious stained glass windows of old beer bottles. It doesn't get much more radically self-sustainable than this, folks.

Photo by Milkman Amok on Flickr

Jonah Reynolds, Mike's son, who's been building Earthships since the age of 12, came to speak at the Etsy Labs last week, and I was fortunate enough to sit down with him beforehand and ask a few questions. Jonah kicked things off by lamenting the fact that humans are the only species who can't build their own homes. Earthships have a variety of clients, from disaster relief to luxury leisure, and consequently the personal involvement naturally varies. But sitting through Jonah's presentation, I took note of photo after photo  showing homeowners elbow-deep in sediment on Earthship construction sites. The Earthship approach is a climatic endeavor, yes, but ultimately a societal one as well. Jonah was excited to talk about the school they've been developing to pass these skills along to tradesmen everywhere, not to mention the number of postcards they receive from people who have read their books and built their own Earthships independently. Jonah points out that it's going to take a lot more than one architectural firm to change global construction and residential lifestyles.

Photo by Mrs Hilksom on Flickr

While I love the idea of knocking down my Brooklyn apartment building and erecting a bulbous adobe indoor jungle, Earthships can at times seem an unrealistic aspiration, particularly for those living in dense, urban environments, and Jonah recognizes this. I was thus happy to hear that they also do a fair amount of retrofitting, gutting traditional buildings and instituting new systems. I try to imagine my local zoning board approving a utility-bill-free entity, but Jonah says they have never been denied a permit. Despite my initial assumptions involving veganism and Birkenstocks, Jonah insists, "We're not environmentalists, it's just the right thing to do, it's logic." I can see how this sort of argument (and the statistics to support it) would appeal to pragmatic electricians and contractors of many ilk.

In a world where there exists more tires than trees, it might be time for the general public to jump on this bandwagon. Jonah is not telling you to sacrifice your comfort or your amenities. He is merely offering a responsible way to justify them. When there are children all over the world dying of dehydration, why are we still flushing our excrement away in potable water? When I ask how living in an Earthship is different than a traditional home, Jonah tells me that it "puts you in the rhythms of the planet," and I gaze up at the roaring air conditioner vent above us with weary eyes.

Photo by martnpro on Flickr

Are you convinced by Jonah's logic?