Do Something Day

...this animist notion of consumer objects to the next level, simultaneously making fun of our obsession with consumerism and, in a kind of post-modern mental judo, using that perceived obsession to sell cars (a healthy dose of sex doesn’t hurt). It’s this type of hyper-consumerism that provokes a backlash from organizations such as Adbusters, the folks behind Buy Nothing Day. Yet, I wish that Buy Nothing Day was, instead, Do Something Day or, perha...

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Is it Cake?

...In the penultimate show, you’ll find out that the final bake-off involves making a cake that is a simulation of cake, which leads the contestants in the show to question if everything is, in fact, made of cake, that we’re living in a vast cake simulation. In the the last episode the losing contestants, angry at missing out on the $10,000 prize and driven mad with their epistemological cake crisis, set out to slice the meta-obnoxious host in half...

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108 Artist/Maker Federico Tobon

...me of the things we talk about: Federico’s new drill animation piece. Flip Book Kit. Shapeoko CNC Router. Doodlers Anonymous. The analog/digital continuum. Hundertwasser on 99% Invisible. Converting an old 3d printer into laser engraver. Federico on the Opposable Thumbs Podcast. Federico’s Warm Heart Automata animated sculpture. Arthur Ganson’s gear piece at the Exploritorium. Federico’s social media philosophy: “Post positive things. Mostly yours...

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Computer Troubles II

...A big thanks to our web czar and book designer Roman of Yay Brigade for fixing last week’s WordPress problems. He did it just in time for me to jam my right index finger on a drawer thus making typing incredibly painful. Thus today’s short excusey blog post. Ouch. I’ll see you all in a few days....

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A ceramic oil lamp

...m so much, I made a little seashell oil lamp the very first project in our book Making It. As a child of the electric age it continuously amazes me that I can make light so easily with cooking oil. Also, in reproducing these lights, I feel a connection to history. I’ve no doubt that my ancestors gathered around fish oil lamps in the north and olive oil lamps in the south. To add to their charms, they aren’t based on petroleum–as paraffin tea candl...

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