Water: Beyond Drinking

Water is the ultimate fuel no matter where we find ourselves. When we are stripped to the essentials, besides air, water is our most precious resource. It powers our body, our mind, and its serenity sooths the spirit. What is interesting is it's processes for creating electicity.

This video shows you the massive power water can become when H2O atoms are split into HHO gas. This gas can burn bronze and coal with the temperature of the sun, but, since it is so similar to water, you can touch it with your hand and not be hurt at all. The man who developed this technology designed an engine that allows his car to travel 100 miles on just 4 ounces of water! What paradigm would evolve as a result of this electolosis process being developed? What would happen to the world, the economy, our style and livelyhood when you could power an entire city with just a couple gallons of H2O a day? Investors, get ready...

Jalant

Growing up in saudi you'll have done some of this...

We Feel Fine

Since August 2005, We Feel Fine has been harvesting human feelings from a large number of weblogs. Every few minutes, the system searches the world's newly posted blog entries for occurrences of the phrases "I feel" and "I am feeling". When it finds such a phrase, it records the full sentence, up to the period, and identifies the "feeling" expressed in that sentence (e.g. sad, happy, depressed, etc.). Because blogs are structured in largely standard ways, the age, gender, and geographical location of the author can often be extracted and saved along with the sentence, as can the local weather conditions at the time the sentence was written. All of this information is saved.

<Do you?>

I bought a bike today

it reminds me of some work from the great Johnathan Harris. <link>

Anationalism

Anationalism was defined as follows in that manifesto: "What characterizes anationalism is not primarily its acknowledgement of the huge role played by production of artifacts in the world. It is that capability that has made man the king of other living beings. Human beings adapt nature to their own needs, while animals must adapt to nature. Anationalists therefore do not deny the great strength that lies in the human will. They do not doubt that humans cannot shed their own weight or jump away from their own shadow. Nevertheless, the limited space in which man is free to act is relatively large. His will can thus engender great works. We therefore believe that the fateful laws of history are only relative."

<link>

Munch

Hijjabed

Esperanto - Open source language

Esperanto is the most widely spoken constructed international language. The name derives from Doktoro Esperanto, the pseudonym under which L. L. Zamenhof first published the Unua Libro to foster in 1887. Zamenhof's goal was to create an easy and flexible language as a universal second languagepeace and international understanding.

There are cultural commonalities between Esperanto speakers, which is a distinctive feature of a cultural community. Esperanto was created to foster universal understanding, solidarity and peace. A large proportion of the Esperanto movement continue to hold such goals, and most are at least sympathetic to them. Additionally, many Esperantists use the language as a window to the larger world, to meet people from other countries on an equal footing, and for travel. The Esperanto-community has a certain set of shared background knowledge.

"nacio malpli"


<link>

The Namesake - Movie

Thumbs Up / Thumbs Down

Hand gestures mean many different amusing things in different cultures. One amusing one that I know off involves trying to get a snaping noise while pushing a fist through the other hand. I don't dare mention what it means but you can attempt a guess. Anyhow here's a really indepth article on what thumbs up and thumbs down gestures mean in different cultures.

<link>

more Parkour

CANstruction

A National Charity of the Design and Construction Industry created by the Society for Design Administration.


Canstruction an art project that uses cans of food to create scupture that is then dontated to charity. What's really cool about this is that it takes giving and turns it into an art form. What other kinds of charity organizations allow you to create something?

<link>

Iraq Casulties Interactive Map

Here's an interactive map of the casulties in iraq. It's an interesting way to summarize a war. Like watching death in fast forward.

<link>

Zoomorphic Calligraphy

"This new mode was not a matter of script metamorphosing into living forms which are also readable letters, but of using script to delineate such forms. Seldom had the flexibility of the Arabic alphabet been so tested.

This practice established itself only relatively late in Islamic art, when the taboos outlawing religious iconography had lost some of their power.

<see more>

Istanbul Modern

Presenting and fostering the artistic accumulation, creativity, and dynamism in Turkey has been the foremost mission of Istanbul Modern.. Istanbul Modern is dedicated to protect and showcase the artistic production within the modern and contemporary art scene. With this purpose in mind, it is Istanbul Modern’s desire to become an institution that determines the artistic agenda, provides education, imparts love for the arts, and reaches the masses with its dynamic and polyphonic environment.

Next time you are in Turkey check out Istanbul Modern.

<link>

ninemillion.org

Nine million refuges around the world. Maybe the cool flashiness of their website will cause you to come to their aid. It worked on me. Or maybe it's just that I prefer online donations to the pushy street evangilizer trying to steal a minute of my time for the environment. Damn you tree huggers. Don't you care about the kids without footballs!

<link>

How to Become a Travel Writer

It's always been a dream of mine (and a secret reason behiend this blog) to become a travel writer. Perhaps I've read too much Bill Bryson and Anthony Bourdain but it simply seems like the most amazing job of all. You get paid to wander around the world and all you have to do is commit to paper how you feel about it. O if Ionly it were as easy as that. Maybe I can get a tv show like Micheal Palin. ; )

Naive optimism, plenty of pluck and a dash of coincidence: that's all it takes to become a travel writer. Sit at Don's feet and find out how you too could get paid to tread the globe.

<find out>

Essays

• Grapes and Green Carpets
  
• Morning Routine
  
• The World is Soccer Ball Round
• Fire Mind
• The Last Poem
• Mangled Family Structures
• Hate...
• Story and Metaphor
• Poster Child
• Placemats
• Where's My Chicken and Rice?
• Beget Me
• Accented
• Fourteen Years
• Belonging
• InstaOffice
  
• Dream a Little Dream of the World
• Nationless Manifesto
• August 2003
• Doctorine of World Peace
• Talk to Strangers
• Me and My New Friend
• Difference

Nationless Media

Goodness Gracious Me

and many more
perhaps you're jewish
or getting married

The Religious Policeman

There again... away again. The Religious Policeman shows an image of saudi that is unblinkingly honest and heartfelt. It's over now, the author has moved on to create a book. But the entries are still as amusing and insightful as they ever were. Go there and read the last post and say goodbye.

The diary of a Saudi man, currently living in the United Kingdom, where the Religious Police no longer trouble him for the moment.

In Memory of the lives of 15 Makkah Schoolgirls, lost when their school burnt down on Monday, 11th March, 2002. The Religious Police would not allow them to leave the building, nor allow the Firemen to enter.


<link>

poor immigrant households

making cities that work

Architecture critic Dejan Sudjic witnesses the problems at first hand and explores the challenges facing urban designers in Mexico City as they try to repopulate the centre of the city.

<listen>

Sensible

Ahh the football of my childhood...
While others toiled away in dirt fields and sharp rocks.

Why bother with realistic xbox 360 graphics when you could watch a 10 pixel character goalie save a goal.
<link>

How Soccer Explains the World

The global power of soccer might be a little hard for Americans, living in a country that views the game with the same skepticism used for the metric system and the threat of killer bees, to grasp fully. But in Europe, South America, and elsewhere, soccer is not merely a pastime but often an expression of the social, economic, political, and racial composition of the communities that host both the teams and their throngs of enthusiastic fans.

<link>

Designed to Travel

<go shop>

Ricksha

ACHA

The Association for Communal Harmony in Asia (ACHA) is a non-political, non-profit organization. It was formed in 1993 in Beaverton, OR, USA to promote harmony and peace among South Asians of all ethnic, religious, regional and national origin, regardless of where they live.

<link>

Modern Nomads Magazine

MODERN NOMAD™ magazine was independently published from 2001-2003, and was critically recognized for literary travel writing paired with a clean, modern design. Publishing work that was often experimental in form and content, the magazine represented a new movement in the way travel and the experience of place is expressed - our desire was to present our audience with work that not only challenged the intellect, but moved the soul. MODERN NOMAD magazine sought to unite those people who consciously travel a different road in life.

<to magazine homepage>
<to cnn article>

Humor from around the world

Afghanistani Pamphlets

In the fall of 2001 as US forces assisted the Northern Alliance in ousting the Taliban [school of Islam] US forces dropped these pamphlets over Afghanistan to persuade the people in US efforts. Aparently but not comfirmed they were dropped by B52 aircraft. This is a complete set of every pamphlet dropped during the campaign recovered by a source in Afghanistan.

`by perfectlymadebirds

<link>

BBC Languages

I recently revisited BBCs excellent website on learning languages. It's part of attempt to learn french. I'm crap at languages but I'll let you guys know how it goes.

<link>

GKP ~ The Lota Episode

This is the episode I should have posted. It's the funniest one.

adidas fresco, Cologne

Is there no stopping Adidas and the world cup? On the ceiling of Hauptbahnhof train stain in Cologne, Germany, sits a work of art reminiscent of the sistine chapel. Michael Angelo would be proud.


<link>

Worlds fasting growing city

Check out this flickr set on the worlds fastest growing city.

<Flickr Set>

Travel Light

That's the best reason to pack light, but it's not the only one. By limiting ourselves to one carry-on, we can be off the plane and halfway to Boulevard Saint-Germain while others huddle expectantly around the luggage carousel. We don't worry that our checked bags will take an unplanned detour to Duluth or Dar es Salaam.

<link>

Ronin Culture

A ronin (Japanese: rōnin: literally, wave man - one who is tossed about, like a wave in the sea) was a masterless samurai during the feudal period of Japan that lasted from 1185 to 1868. A samurai became masterless from the ruin or fall of his master, or after the loss of his master's favor or privilege. The term originated in the Nara and Heian periods, when it originally referred to serfs who had fled or deserted their master's land. It is also a term used for samurai who had lost their masters in wars.

<link>

Putting the 'Desi' in Design

As mature markets become saturated in the first world, Indian designers have the background, knowledge and experience to develop products and services tailored to emerging economies and as yet undiscovered or underserved markets around the globe. <link>

George Ka Pakistan

Genocides

The holocast always gets a lot of media attention. Often it is regarded at the largest genocide in the world. Which is actually incorrect. Here is the suprising result for the real largest genocide in history. It would be interesting to see a visualization of all the greatest tragedies in the world. Man made and natural. I'm sure God would win. But for now as with everything else the Americans are on top.

The minister of Defense of Belgium, Andre Flao, on Thursday signed an official report on Genocides in which he affirms that the worst genocide in the last 500 years was committed in North America. The sixteen page document was published commemoratively for the ten-year anniversary of the mass-murders in Rwanda in 1994, from which there were about 800,000 victims.

In the report, it is reported that as a result of the genocide perpetrated against the indigenous population of North America, since 1492, roughly 15,000,000 people were killed. Runner up is South America with about 14,000,000 victims among indigenous peoples since 1500. As reported by the press secretary for the Belgian Ministry of Defense, the report was based on information taken from the two-tome treatise "The Encyclopedia of Genocide," published by an Israeli Historian.

In case you're wondering. In relationship two the 15 million native americans that were killed 6 million jew were kiled in the holocast. Where are the movies about the native american holocast? Driving across the country I drove though a native american town. It was sad to see how dead and pointless it seemed. Kmart, macdonalds, community cafeterias. I wonder if they remember anything of their lost culture?

<link>


Via Portland Indy Media Center

Ballkünstler

As part of the Ballkünstler ("ball artist") exhibit at Leipzig's Museum of Fine Arts, visitors can kick around soccer balls adorned with the likenesses of world leaders in Kendell Geers's "Masked Ball" installation. Subtle! And yet cathartic. The exhibit runs through August 13.

Ganda Banda and The Three Dead Cats - Raat Jaagi

Camel Library

The Camel Mobile Library was set up by the government-owned Kenya National Library Service to improve literacy rates in the north-east.

Ships of the desert are the best way to travel in the Garissa area, some 400km from the capital, Nairobi.

<link>

Fire Mind

“One year” she said. “I give you one year before you lose your soul”.

That was curse with which I started the first week of my professional life. My youthfulness would be drained in a year’s time. A single year and my passion would be replaced with the simple drudgery of ‘getting things done’. My GTD to KTBR would suck the utter joy of creation away and leave behind a pragmatic desire to climb the ladder of success while picking away at the tree of wealth. I would, in the end, and not a moment too soon, be brought in line.

Who said this was the end?

I will not give my soul up without a fight. I cannot and will not give up the truest joy in my life. The joy of creativity and creation. People wonder why a God would create man. What was the purpose? I suspect I know what the purpose of it was. It was the joy of creation. There is nothing I feel that makes life more meaningful than that joy.

‘Joy’, not enthusiasm. Enthusiasm can be forced or faked. Joy, true joy, the measure of the souls happiness, cannot.

So how does one find ‘joy’ in the harsh realities of a business? Can you ever really stand there and say “No, I’m sorry I can’t do that it doesn’t bring joy to my work. I’m afraid that project may just steal my soul.”

Probably not the best tact to take.

Belief is what is needed. Not the kind that makes you repeat “I am a winner” in front of the mirror. Whiner belief. Nor the kind that closes her eyes and lays her head down on the chopping block. Headless chicken belief.

I believe in fire belief. The kind that warms your soul. It’s the kind that makes you give that irrepressible half smile. The kind of cocky impish smile you have before you jump off into the wild naked. The kind that fearlessly roars for you while you calmly explain how things are going to be. The kind that shines a torch to show you the way.

It’s not easy to have that belief. Not all the time. And that too is significant part of it. You cannot fool yourself into feeling it. The fire will not warm. Sometimes it may scare some others. Fire scares lesser creatures. You’ll learn to see it when you see the smile and flicker in the eyes. You’ll also learn to feel it with your mind.

So stand up for your profession and believe that fire belief. Breath fire. Start storms. Smile.

In fact, I’m smiling like that right now. It’s because I’m about to jump off this ladder of yours. I think I see an elevator. I am going to be fearless for a while longer while this solar powered belief rages on inside me.

Flame On.

Essay from Riaz.MindArtAdventure

Football

Made by Bora Herke in Berlin an exhibition representing footballs from 32 nations. <check it>

The Future...

Nationless is due for a comeback...

Let those who still come around here let me know what you want to see happen?