This is a really classy traveling hotel room, with a stunning design, this might be one of my favorite hotel rooms I have ever covered. The room is a very open floor plan, that is being carted all around for people to see.  You can spend a few days in it as it travels around Spain and if you like it enough, you can even buy it!

reduced its energy consumption by 72% compared to a normal building, and to use 75% less water due to grey water reuse and rain water collection. 100% of the warm water comes from solar panels. The natural-coloured interiors are created using non-toxic materials such as wood and natural fibers as well as recycled and recyclable fabrics such as Ecoalf.

Via

Madison-based artist Shayna Leib created a series of beautiful glass sculptures entitled “Wind& Water”. Here is the artistic concept behind her mind-blowing works: “Two of the most powerful elements on our planet are nearly indiscernible to the human eye, yet we are innately aware of their presence, their capacity to soothe and destroy, and their ability to weave patterns where they touch. Wind and water possess no intrinsic color, are clear to the point of invisibility, and yet move through space. We see not their form itself, but can detect their patterns and shapes only vicariously though the objects they affect. The trace of water’s touch over moss and sea life, the wind’s passage over marshlands, through wheat fields and the fur of a long-haired animal- these two forces make their presence known. Their character is contradictory and fickle, encompassing fragility and violence, placidity and turbulence“. According to Colossal, each piece takes about a month to put together and the process involves generating over 1 mile of thin glass pieces which she then cuts into thousands of segments in order to complete the sculpture. [Photography by Jaime Young]

via http://the-wiretap.com/

from FFFFOUND! / EVERYONE http://ffffound.com/image/95d5d40b586f4708f7c3134934ea52cc6cd55000

From A Hamburger Today

[Photo: John M. Edwards]

You can’t go to New Mexico without eating green chiles—so it’s no surprise that the Green Chile Burger is the calling card at Blake’s Lotaburger, a chain exclusive to New Mexico. When I surveyed some locals about chains in the are, Blake’s was the first suggestion out of anyone’s mouth. Consequently, a Green Chile Burger was the first thing in my mouth when I arrived.

Blake’s burgers reminded me of In-N-Out, in scale and structure—the patties are thin and cooked to order. My patty was a little crisp on the outside, which I loved, and the meat is pretty loosely ground. One patty feels a little weak on the patty-to-bun ratio, so I recommend a double.

But the green chiles are the real draw, of course. Each chile chunk was warm and juicily popped open, hot and sturdy, under the teeth. And whereas many fast-food chains tone down their “spicy” creations for a mass market, these were the spiciest thing I’ve ever tasted on a fast food burger. Without the green chile, the burger is still better than McDonald’s and Burger King, but the green chili really makes it a star. The Green Chile Lotaburger comes with lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles, and mustard. None of the other toppings are spectacular, not that it matters much since you can barely anything beyond the green chile.

On top of that, at Blake’s I found awesome service: The guys behind the counter could tell i’d just gotten off an airplane, and they gave me a water right away, as well as a few free pumps of cherry syrup to go with my Dr. Pepper. “It’s really good, man,” the cashier told me; “I do it all the time on my break.” Really nice people, spartan yet clean restaurant, and a solid, spicy burger—not much more you can ask for from a fast food chain.

About the author: John M. Edwards, the fast-food bureau chief at Serious Eats, also writes about fast food and regional chains at fastfoodr.com. His day job relates to personal training and nutrition. (Seriously.) Follow him at @johnmedwards.

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I totally missed this bit of thinking from the other day by open source enthusiast Douglas Rushkoff. He’s living in the Singularity already, so he can say that “on a very fundamental level, we have pretty much everything we need”—and we’re just distributing it wrong, and “we don’t have enough ways for people to work and prove that they deserve this stuff.” So why do we all want jobs, he wants to know! Why are we all yapping about unemployment? On… a certain level, this is technically true! Even as a world-wide community, we probably have enough “things” (rice, couches, water, fabric) for everyone. Rushkoff seems a little baffled that we’re just not earning/sharing correctly. Because maybe he has never met people.

But the best part is this:

Jobs, as such, are a relatively new concept. People may have always worked, but until the advent of the corporation in the early Renaissance, most people just worked for themselves. They made shoes, plucked chickens, or created value in some way for other people, who then traded or paid for those goods and services. By the late Middle Ages, most of Europe was thriving under this arrangement.

Thriving! Most! Setting aside historical issues of “land-owning,” which still are a central organizing force in who “has” and who doesn’t have, that’s pretty cheap and easy to define your thoughts to “Europe.” Still, while there are at least 850 million people living there now, there were maybe 50 million people in all of Europe in 1450—and that includes Russia, Sweden and all of 3 million people in the British Isles. (Current population of the British Isles: 67 million.) Systems don’t expand and contract stably to population sizes—which brings us back to land. (Ask Stalin!)

But yes, the gloried late Middle Ages! Plucking chickens! Because the Crusades had recently ended. And the Mongols had been at war from Korea to Vietnam all the way to Poland and Baghdad for 200 years. Oh and at least 1/3rd—maybe a full half— of Europe’s population had just dropped dead. That would be an amazing economic boom for our times, totally promoting class fluidity and abundance, if half the population totally died! Anyone someone should totally try that theory out for a TED Talk.

Yes, sure. The central point is sort of correct? No one wants dumb jobs. No one should have dumb jobs! But there’s just no other way to squeeze $8 an hour out of the people who hold the money and the land. (Although, ask Stalin about that too.)

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I was indoctrinated into the cult of the Minnesota State Fair six years ago. At the time, it was sort of a goof with my then-girlfriend, now-wife: we were dating long distance between San Francisco and New York, so it was an excuse to meet halfway and in her hometown. Twelve hours, two orders of fried cheese curds, several Leinie’s and a live taping of “A Prairie Home Companion” later, I was hooked for good. I’ve only missed it twice since. (Once, for my wedding, and then last year, because my very-expectant wife was grounded.) Now, the Fair is as much of a Labor Day tradition to me as no longer wearing white shoes. Or switching from gin to brown liquor.

For many, The Great Minnesota Get Together—the second-largest state fair in the country—revolves around food. Fairgoers are greeted with the Miracle of Birth Center upon entering the fairgrounds, where they can witness the live birth of our future food in the form of calves, chicks and ducklings. Other structures are dedicated to prize-winning pumpkins or hogs. Interspersed throughout are concessions that have turned the raw product you just viewed into stunt food like foot-long corn dogs. (Even the Midway is food focused as it encourages you to barf up what you just ate.)

The key to surviving the fair—and yes, “surviving” is a goal—is portion control. Most Fair fare should be shared, with few notable exceptions (three on a corn dog is bad luck). It’s a marathon, not a sprint, so splitting an order of cheese curds between four people will ensure that you are still in fighting form hours later at the Leinie Lodge.

This year, I partook of the following Fair staples, in order:

• Corn dog

• Mini donut

• Fried cheese curds

• Smoked beef stick

• Summit Extra Pale Ale

• Walleye cakes

• Chicken-fried bacon

• Walleye fries

• Leinenkugel Original

• Mini cinnies

• Pork chop on a stick

• Leinenkugel Oktoberfest

• Cheddar stick

• Strawberry shake

I’m not gonna lie. Somewhere around the chicken-fried bacon, things went a little south. One bite would have been enough—a whole strip of the stuff was too much. My first year at the Fair, I was a machine (I guess enthusiasm goes a long way). Now as age, parenthood and inertia have caught up with me, the fair bouillabaisse requires stamina and vigilance. Too much of one thing, a bad combination here or there, and you start scanning the fairgrounds for the Pepto-Bismol-on-a-stick booth. Over the years, I’ve experienced a few clunkers: deep-fried Twinkies are terrible, fried candy bars are overrated, Scotch Egg On A Stick disappointing. While my brother-in-law favors chili dogs, I eschew items that I can get at the ball game. I love the offerings that are unique to the Fair or scream Upper Midwest: Walleye anything, pork chops, cheese curds, corn.

As you eat, throngs of Midwesterners swirl around you, their woodland camo, Minnesota Vikings gear and Chaska Hockey sweatshirts making a rainbow of fruit flavor. Looking around, you can forget that Minnesota was the state of Mondale and Wellstone, but scattered around the fairgrounds are signs that Minnesota remains a liberal populist state: taking a break between adventures in gluttony, I filled out a survey for earnest-looking Al Franken volunteers with comically oversized campaign buttons. Disappointingly, the survey did not include questions concerning whether or not I had visited the Oink Booth or who my preferred cheese-curd purveyor was. Later, I’d see a Michele Bachmann scarecrow in the Agriculture Building and browse Guy Noir t-shirts the Minnesota Public Radio booth.

But yeah, the food. Oof.

I always start the Fair off with a corn dog. It just seems… right.

This offer greets you as you navigate past the Miracle of Birth building near the entrance. Both “white” and “chocolate” are available. Is “white milk” a thing?

According to a reliable source (read: my father-in-law), the top 5 sellers at the Minnesota State Fair are: french fries, Sweet Martha’s Cookies, cheese curds, corn and ice cream. With sales of $2,209,697 in 2009, Sweet Martha’s Cookies outsells the other four. Combined.

One of my all-time favorites—and actually, one of the healthiest things at the Fair.

While no Sweet Martha’s Cookies, the two french-fries concessions rake in about $900,000 annually. Over half of that is profit.

Since 1965, this church-sponsored diner has served fairgoers with simple food that just could not compete with stunt food like deep-fried Oreos. With sales lagging and needing a new roof and fryer, this was the last year of the Epiphany.

A staple of the upper Midwest, do not ever attempt to eat a serving by yourself.

Sometimes lost in the spectacle of gastro-excess is the nice simplicity that lies behind the idea of a state fair: populist, agrarian, family-oriented.

Walleye cakes with a Summit Extra Pale Ale.

Fact: One bite of chicken-fried bacon is enough.

Warm mini cinnamon rolls served with cream cheese frosting. Worth the walk to the outer reaches of the fairgrounds to get them. Actually, justification for said walk.

The Grand Dame of state fair stunt food. Never eat these.

Pork-chop-on-a-stick at the Leinie Lodge.

The ideal spot to take a load off and enjoy six varieties of Leinenkugel beer while listening to some of the best Swedish Christian folk music around.

Celebrating the artistic use of our land’s great bounty, the Crop Art exhibit at the Minnesota State Fair always features some of the best political and populist sentiment ever to be rendered in grain.

The epitome of wholesomeness: the twelve finalists for Princess Kay of the Milky Way have their likenesses reproduced in a block of butter, known as a Butter Bust.

The contest’s twelve finalists must come from working dairy farms. Apparently, finalists get to keep their Butter Busts, and use them to cook with throughout the long winter.

Livestock have a central presence at the fair, serving as a helpful reminder of where our Butter Busts come from.

Replica of a Williamsburg apartment. Just kidding. While looking at these piglets, try not to be reminded of where bacon comes from.

Most of the livestock barns are set up to allow close contact with the animals, an acres-large petting zoo with Purell at each entrance and exit.

Serving Garrison-Keillor-on-a-stick.

This article was originally posted on Freshome.com - Interior Design & Architecture Newsletter in this post .

With a total area of ​​98 square meters and a beautiful terrace, this two bedroom apartment found on Oskar-Makleri displays quite a few inspiring details. The most spectacular part of this crib is the attic, where a bedroom, bathroom and roof terrace are located. Exposed beams enrich the design of the upper duplex level, creating a feeling of warmth. The white walls make a lovely contrast with the beams, flooring and colorful decorating items. The bottom floor accommodates a generous living room, a bright and airy kitchen plus bathroom. Inspiring freshness and vitality, the living room was decorated with the help of a  purple sofa, beautiful pine floors, windows with deep niches and a large dining area. The whole apartment seems filled with light and energy. Every room has its own well defined personality, yet the overall feel this place offers is that of complete harmony.

This article was originally posted on Shoebox Dwelling in this post .

K1, an innovative mini kitchen by Kitchoo, is the winner of this year’s Reddot design award. And there is a reason why. This hyper-equipped piece includes refrigerator, sink, two burners, dishwasher, garbage disposal and storage – all in one sleek sideboard. When all the components are tucked away – you will never guess that there is a full-functioning kitchen inside this tiny piece of furniture. Stylish, minimal and very clever. A godsend for studio apartments!

This article was originally posted on Core77 in this post .

Artist Pe Lang's "Moving Objects" series of kinetic sculptures, which combine small electric motors with magnetized balls, are creepily mesmerizing to watch. Below are "No. 68 - 79" and "No. 92 - 103:"   pe lang - moving objects No. 68 - 79 from pe lang on Vimeo.     moving objects No. 92 - 103 from pe lang on Vimeo.   Though born in Swizerland, artist Lang now works out of Berlin and Zurich. Check out more of his stuff here.

This article was originally posted on MoCoLoco in this post .

Sebastian Bergne has created a monthly universal calendar that's also a ruler.