Adios Blogger! (We've moved to WordPress)

Wow Blogger!

We've been together quite a while...
This is the one thousand four hundred and sixty fourth post we've written on you.

Alas, we must move on.

It has been an extraordinary ride.
Thank you, Blogger.

You have been a noble host, and an excellent template.

Bravo Blogger.

Lots of love,

Team SuperForest

P.S. Here are the first two SuperForest posts.

Day One (Give or Take)
Happy Happy Happy!

(SuperForest is now found exclusively at SuperForest.org)

A Moving Day for SuperForest!

Good Morning SuperForest!

As the morning progresses you might notice that SuperForest looks a bit different today.
That's because we are now hosting our own site on our own server space!

AND we've redesigned things to make searching for your favorite SuperForest posts easy! Want to read all of the posts by a single SuperForester? Just click their name.

Yay!

So we must say a fond "Aloha" to Blogger, which has worked so beautifully for us, as we say "Hello" to Wordpress.

In addition to the increased ease of use, hosting our own site also allows us to grow in some exciting new ways. Now, we can have our own wiki, our own chat rooms, our own social networking site.

In short SuperForest is shaping up. If you like your content elevating, your discussions thought provoking, and your DIY info so tantalizingly informative, well, you know where to go...

SuperForest.org!

We sincerely hope you enjoy the redesign and the increased usability.

Love to All,

Team SuperForest



(top image courtesy of humorpix.com)

The Selk'Bag and Daft Punk

When Rodrigo Alonso designed his Selk'Bag three years ago no one really thought it would reach production phase.
But what is the Selk'Bag actually? It's a sleepbag-suit or: a sleepbag that has to be worn.

It's yellow, it keeps you warm in cold nights but it also looks terribly goofy. This last reason clearly wasn't an argument for British outdoor firm Lippi, they have a Selk'Bag product line. The different types of bags are for sale online.

Now, the name Rodrigo Alonso may sound familiar to you. That's because SuperForster Niki briefly mentioned one of his works in a post about trash and recycling. (The lamp at the bottom is Alonso's).

But what's got a sleepbag-suit got to do with Daft Punk you may be asking yourself.
A while ago a youtube user created a video, named Daft Hands. It was a direct hit and many alike vids followed. But that's old news. What isn't old (youtube) news is Daft Body. In short it's two dudes wearing a Selk'Bag performing a robot-dance on Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger by Daft Punk.

Here it is.



Hereby I officially promote the Selk'Bag to multi-purpose. Because it keeps you warm in cold nights, allows you to do the funniest dances and gives you the best costume for Halloween!

The Black Seeds

Here at SuperForest we love seeds…a lot. And with the Millennium Seed Bank Coalition in full swing, I thought it would be an appropriate time to drop some crazy seed knowledge while at the same time sharing a family secret. Here it goes!!!

I proudly present to you, Black Caraway Seeds (or as we simply call them in my family…black seeds).



The seeds appear pretty normal but the reality behind their meager appearance is that they are actually very powerful. To commence our Black Seed Informative Tour we are going to go back in time. Here are a few facts...

1.Black seeds were discovered in Tutankhamen's tomb. This implies that it may have played an important role in ancient Egyptian practices or at the very least, was important enough for them to take with them to the afterlife.

2. Dioscoredes, a Greek physician of the 1st century, recorded that black seeds were taken to treat headaches, nasal congestion, toothache, and intestinal worms.

3. The many uses of black seed has earned for this medicinal herb the Arabic approbation habbatul barakah, meaning "the seed of blessing."

So history is trying to tell us that these little guys were important and that they can be used to treat wide variety of ailments. How amazing! Nature is so kind to provide us with such incredible gifts. A lot of scientific studies have been conducted and also validate the awesome power of the black caraway seed. Studies show that the black seeds help strengthen the immune system, inhibits histamine release, contains anti-tumor properties, fights bacteria, and works as an anti-inflammatory. Now I know what you’re thinking;this sounds too good to be true, does it work? I can only respond to this by saying I cannot remember the last time I had a cold (knock on wood).



So here comes the family secret: next time you are feeling a little under the weather, try this.

1. Go to your local market and buy a bag of these black seeds, if you know of a Mediterranean foods store try them, there is a much higher chance they carry these seeds.

2. Take a pinch of these seeds, just a pinch is all you will be eating (trust me, the seeds pack quite a punch, you won’t want to eat too much)

3. Place the seeds in your mouth and chew the seeds up really well. (This is the part where things get to get a little gross, you see, black caraway seeds are notoriously bitter. They don’t taste really good but hey, neither does medicine. You wanna get better don’t you?)

4. Swallow (probably the hardest part but trust me, it will all be worth it)

That’s it! Easy as that, take it a couple times a day and you’ll start to feel better straight away. The one thing that is important to keep in mind is that you must take the seeds right when you start to feel you’re coming down with something, if you take it when you are in the thick of symptoms, well, you might be a little too late.

And there you have it; a potential cure for the common cold. You read it here on SuperForest. In celebration, here is a lovely jam by a little band from New Zealand called…The Black Seeds (surely these lads knew the power of the black seeds when choosing their band name).

SuperForest wishes you all a very healthy 2009! Go on with your bad selves.

-C

(Here's some more info on the black caraway seed.)

Alex Steffen and WorldChanging.com

Wow!

I just got done watching a mind-blowing TED talk by Alex Steffen about mankind's transition to sustainability. It's very, very hopeful.



To distill: The Earth is too small and there are too many folks for us all to live as we currently do.

The solutions are many faceted, but boil down to two things: Bright Green Cities- We in the developed nations must work to make our cities as efficient, people-dense, and easy to get around as possible. Invest in infrastructure, low energy buildings, green roofs and a "sharing economy."

AND we must help the billions around the world leapfrog all old technologies and modernize with cheap and robust tech as quickly as possible. Set up community centers to teach computer literacy and programming.

Efficient at home and efficient abroad, everyone sharing and playing nicely together.

He spells it out well, I think.

It turns out that Mr. Steffen runs a site called WorldChanging.com which is like SuperForest's big, serious, older brother. You've got to see it.

Says Alex Steffen about his site: "(It's) a news service for the unimaginable future."

And yet, everything he proposes is very imaginable. What is totally unimaginable is the sort of societal transformation that would occur were everyone's basic necessities provided for using technology.

With everyone interconnected via the net, who can foretell the amazing hybrids and trends to come. As

We shall check in often with WorldChanging. And keeps our looky-balls peeled for Mr Steffen.

Upcoming Deliciousness!

Good Morning SuperForest!

We've got a lot of fun things coming up in the week to come:

SuperForester Jackson is heading down the Washington D.C. to cover the inauguration of someone named Barrock Owbamma (or something like that..)

The SuperForest blog is going to be moving from blogger to wordpress. (More on that later...)

SuperForester Jordan will be finishing up his series of posts from this years Consumer Electronics Show. (Here are parts one and two.)

New SuperForest Comics! (Here are some older ones: Cell Phones, Youtuber, Hare Removal, Ticklish.)

Thrilling new tales of sustainable adventuring!

Save-A-Seed growth and wonderful developments! 30 blogs and counting!...

So, if you like your content elevating, your discussions tantalizing, and your DIY extra informative, read SuperForest every day.

Better yet, set SuperForest as your homepage!

Have an excellent day.

Yay!

(excellent top image via flickr user katarina 2353)

Goodbye to Andrew Wyeth

"Always believe in yourself, and believe in love."
-Andrew Wyeth

The world has lost an incredible painter and a gentle and loving soul.

Andrew Wyeth passed away on Friday. He died while he was sleeping in his home in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania. He was 91 years old.

MSNBC has a nice little web-only video on Wyeth and his work:

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

So far as we can tell, Andrew Zuckerman conducted the last interview and took the last portrait of Andrew Wyeth for his Wisdom Book. A remarkable man interviewing a remarkable man.

And here is Mr. Wyeth's obituary from the Times: "Andrew Wyeth, Painter, Dies at 91"

Bravo and aloha, Mr. Wyeth.

DIY: How to Smile

Hello Superforest!
Iman here with another amazing short film to share with you all. I am proud to present you with: VALIDATION.



So you, yes you, although I may not know you personally, although I cannot look you in the eyes and tell you this: YOU are GREAT! YOU are AMAZING! You can change the world...even with a smile.

So show off that beautiful smile and help others do the same. Print out this simple reminder and pass it on:

Standard Solar on Extreme Makeover

Good Morning SuperForest!

We just got an email from our friends at Standard Solar. We met the Standard Solar crew last year, in Washington D.C. for the congratulatory rally for the D.O.E.

As it turns out, Standard Solar has been tapped to install a solar array on some lucky ducks house in the Sunday PM showing of Extreme Makeover.

Here's a great little photo gallery of some of the projects that Standard Solar has carried out recently:


Find more photos like this on PickensPlan


And a fun little film:



Nice!

Here's their press release:

"Extreme Makeover: Home Edition This Sunday
Tune into your ABC affiliate this Sunday night, January 18, at 8pm EST and you should see one of the first-ever green dimensions of a home built by Ty Pennington and his crew on Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. On extremely short notice back in November, Extreme Makeover selected Standard Solar to design and install a pole-mounted, 2.76 kilowatt array of solar panels for the rebuilt Drumm family home in Quincy Township, Pennsylvania. As with other Extreme Makeovers, the story Ty tells and the home they build will hit home and warm the heart."

So, if you've got a TV and are in the mood for some uplifting content, check out Standard Solar on Extreme Home Makeover this Sunday.

Congratulations both the Standard Solar for the recognition of their skills, and to Extreme Home Makeover for helping a lucky family get off of the grid.

(Anyone in the NY area have a TV? Can I come over and watch? I'll bring potstickers.)

Love to All,

Jackson


(top picky via inhabitat)

SuperForest Celebrity: The Guitar-tistry of Buddy Clontz!

How oh how did I find Buddy Clontz?

It's like a fever dream... The sweltering wastelands of endless youtube videos... searching for an instructional video... Who will clearly illustrate how to play "Please Please Me" on guitar?... So many dead ends... So much that is unhelpful... and then... Buddy Clontz.

Stumbling onto the many instructional videos that Buddy Clontz has uploaded is like wandering out of a dessert and finding a Pinkberry.

Let us begin...

Firstly, Mr. Clontz's masterly take on "Please Please Me":



After watching many people fumble through sketchy versions of "Please Please Me," Finding Mr Clontz's video was a revelation.

(Mr. Clontz, may I refer to you as Buddy? Buddy is just too friendly to resist.)

Next, Buddy puts his skilled fingers to the task of George Harrison's track "Beware of Darkness" off of 1970's All Things Must Pass.



Buddy can do more than just Beatles. Watch him tear up "Wind Cries Mary":



Buddy's quiver of excellent covers is practically overflowing.
He does Kinks, Byrds, Cream, Hendrix, Zeppelin. He's amazing.

I think it's the mix of the deadpan expression, unforgettable name, high skill level, and sensitive attention to detail that really makes Buddy work for me.

Plus, he lists every guitar he's playing on at he beginning of each vid!

As you watch Buddy's videos, which I have for many hours now, you slowly get to know this interesting man. Because he seems to shoot only in his "music room" but in many directions, you eventually get a feel for the room, and the little details begin to stick out.

Buddy's Beatle memorabilia. His classic rock poster collection. His Marshall stack. His good luck strap.

Thank you for uploading these to youtube, Buddy.

Of all the videos, one stands out, because it is the only one with a light show, and one of the few when Buddy is standing.

Here's Buddy's take on Cream's "White Room":



Incredible.

Take us out, Buddy. Do that voodoo that you do so well.



For further guitar-tistry, here's Buddy's youtube page.

CES: Green Gadgets Part 2

A question: disposable batteries. Do we really need them?

I remember a childhood full of Costco-sized packs of batteries of all shapes and sizes. Batteries for cameras, toys, flashlights, remote controls. Batteries for emergencies. For the comfort that portable power brings. Batteries tossed casually into the trash. To spread their toxins and outlive us, like cockroaches or Wall-E.

But today we have lithium (still toxic) batteries, rechargeable batteries, LED flashlights that can be powered by hand-crank. The only conventional batteries I would still use would be for the remote control of the TV I don't have. But I think the answer to my question above is yes, most people still use disposable batteries. A necessary evil if you will. Well now there's a solution...

2) Green Batteries: For the first time ever at the 2009 CES convention, two companies unveiled the first ever Eco-friendly bats.

First up is Enviromax batteries from Fuji. As far as I'm aware these are the first ever, eco-friendly consumer batteries. What that means is they are made in eco-responsible factories in Japan, without the toxic materials like Mercury, Cadmium, or PVC found in most conventional batteries, and are packaged in recyclable materials. Add to that the fact that they last as long as regular batteries and are priced competitively... and you have a simple revolution in power! And they should soon be in stores everywhere and near you!

There's no reason to ever buy any other (toxic) brand of battery, ever again. Unless of course that brand is Aqua Power Systems No Po Po (non pollution power battery).

The No Po Po does everything Fuji's Enviromax does and then takes the innovation one step further. These batteries too are eco-friendly, safely disposed of in the trash when done, and are powered by WATER. Or soda. Coffee. Even Urine.

How does that work you ask? In truth, I don't really know, but after seeing, lord I do believe! Water is injected into a small tube in the batteries middle, or you can simply drop the battery in a cup and then dry it off. Plug it into a low-powered device like a clock, or small flashlight... and voila! Power. When it runs down, you can even recharge the battery with fresh fluid (though battery life and power decreases with each usage). It's pretty amazing technology, the catch of course being for now it can only power low wattage devices. But Aqua Power Systems out of China is right now using the same tech to build a 110 w battery that will be capable of powering an entire house for over 24 hours... on water.

The No Po Po is currently only available in Japan, but will be hitting our shores very soon. Exciting stuff!

SuperForest Heroes: Captain Chesley B. Sullenberger III

So now we know the name of the quick thinking and steel tempered man who so gently set US Airways Flight 1549 down in the Hudson, saving the lives of all hands on board.

Captain Chesley B. Sullenberger III!

Man, how he did it, I do not know.

Here is the video we shot yesterday:

(At around 1:28 you can see the tail of the plane.)



I left the video unedited so you can better get a feel for the scene on the streets.

Standing on the shore of the Hudson, watching all these little rescue craft tend to the struggling airliner like dolphins keeping a humpback afloat, and then turning around and seeing all of the people lined up at windows and on rooftoops, seeing just what I was seeing, the realization of the sheer scale of the event we were all sharing in was pretty heavy.

Captain Chesley, I hope you fly every plane I ever get on.

You don't need us to tell you, but you are a SuperForest Hero.

Build Yourself a Sparkleball!

Got a few leftover plastic cups, a string of Christmas lights and some patience?

Make a Sparkleball!

Here's how, courtesy of sparkleball.com.

So sayeth the mysteriously unnamed creator of the Sparkleball site:

"I finally taught myself how to make Sparkleballs and now have made dozens. I've had Sparkleball-Making Parties. I made Sparkleballs for a bar in San Diego. Friends say I should start a business or charge for the instructions.

But every Christmas when I hang up my original Sparkleball and plug it in, I'm reminded of that dark Texas night and how it's those little detours we take in life that give us the most joy. And I reaffirm the fact that if I, an egghead serious negativizer, can get this much pleasure from something so simple, maybe I need to give it away. This website lets me do that.

Just call me the Missionary of Sparkleballs."

Oooh ooh! Me first!: "You are the Missionary of Sparkleballs!"

Wonderful! Saw it on notcot.

Wingsuit Base Jumping Video

Seems so uplifting.


wingsuit base jumping from Ali on Vimeo.

Saw it on boingboing.

Coalition of the Thrilling - The Seedling Sprouts!

Good Afternoon SuperForest!

This monday, three days ago, we put out a call to our readers and fellow bloggers to join us in a little uh... exercise? No, exercise isn't this fun... Thought game? No, this has real world results...

Adventure!

That's it, adventure!

We asked our fellow bloggers to join the Save-A-Seed Coalition, a group with two simple goals, talk about the Millennium Seed Bank and the Save-A-Seed Coalition, and link to both.

The goal is to get as many people as possible to learn about and link to the Millennium Seed Bank and each other.

Anyone can join, all you must do is post and link.

We figure that it will appeal to people to think: If you can't save the forest, you can save one seed.

And that is all we're hoping to do: save one seed.

Let us spread our net-roots wide, save one seed, and then see if we can't save two.

But just one for now.

Right?

So, we put out the word on Monday and now the Save-A-Seed Coalition is beginning to take form:

SuperForester Jesse was kind enough to mention the Millennium Seed Bank and the SASC on the Maroon 5 blog, which helped considerably.

SuperForester Cliff joined Save-A-Seed and mentioned the MSB on three of his blogs:



SuperForester Maaja joined and posted:



As did SuperForester Laurie:



And SuperForester Neal:



And SuperForester Sonja:



As did SuperForester Shawna:




Not even a week old and already the Save-A-Seed Coalition is twenty blogs strong, with more than thirty bloggers pitching in and more to come.

SuperForester Christine and myself will be working tomorrow night on a series of splashy logos for members to proudly display on their sites, should they choose.

Join the SASC!

All you've got to do is post about the Millennium Seed Bank:
http://www.superforest.org/2008/12/millenium-seed-bank-is-in-trouble-what.html

And the existence of the SASC:
http://www.superforest.org/2009/01/coalition-of-thrilling-save-seed.html

Thank you to all of those who have contributed their time and energy. We'll save that seed yet.

Love to All,

Jackson and Team SuperForest

US Airways Flight 1549: Miracle Landing!

This just in:

All passengers and crew are reported to have escaped with their lives after what had to be the most amazing water landing to date.

Whoever was flying that plane is an absolute Superman. He or she is as yet unnamed, but rest assured that they will be receiving some hearty congratulations.

Repeat: Everybody made it out alive.

Great news.

Breaking News: US Airways Flight 1549 Floats Down the Hudson River

(from cnn.com)

(From my flip not ten minutes ago.)

A plane just made a controlled water landing in the Hudson River not blocks from the SuperForest offices!

From cnn.com:

"US Airways Flight 1549, an Airbus A320 headed from New York's LaGuardia Airport to Charlotte, North Carolina, was down in the river after a failed takeoff, according to the Federal Aviation Administration."

I was sitting at my desk when the sound of a very loud plane made me get up and walk to the window. When sirens and helicopters followed, we grabbed our coats and went outside.

Video of the scene is uploading and will be available shortly.

Were are unsure right now as to the status of the passengers and crew, but from the wholeness of the plane, it looked to be a very controlled descent.

To watch a 737 float down the Hudson escorted by boats and helicopters is not something I'll soon forget.

Our hopes and prayers to the people on board, their families, and all parties involved or reading this.

SuperForest Slang: Consent Pranking

Hello All,

I was just thinking about Socialtaire and the way it adds an interesting spin to the concept of pranking. In my youth, pranking was what I lived for, but too often the pranking got out of hand and feelings were hurt, or eggs were needlessly tossed.

So the idea of a game based around a form of "Consent Pranking" in which the pranked party agrees to be pranked (i.e. Mountain Catted) in the hunt for lulz, is a very interesting new twist.

And because the name of the game is to get your opponent to laugh, the better the prank, the higher the chance for sincere peals of endless laughter following the reveal.

Interesting.

I hereby challenge any comer to a game of Socialtaire.
My headshot is ready, my wacom stylus is poised, and P'shop is running.

Who wants a taste?

I trust you completely.

Love,
Jackson

Ask SuperForest: SuperForester Frank Needs a Carbon Fiber Tank!

Good Morning SuperForest!

We just got in a question from SuperForester Frank, who writes:

"(Dear SuperForest,)

Where can I obtain carbon fibre bottles as on Jem Stansfield's bike? Please
see attached photo.

-Frank"

(This appears to be Frank himself astride his own homebrew compressed air motorbike.)

Dear Frank!

What a marvelous question!
We had nearly forgotten about good ol' Jem Stansfield and his miraculous air-bike. Thank you for jostling the memory.

Firstly, where can you get the tanks?

Here are some we've found:

New: Remote Medical
Used: A bunch on ebay

We think ebay should have you covered and provide a significant discount, however, it's not everyday that you purchase what is essentially a potential explosive, especially one that is lovingly cradled between your legs.

Maybe you wanna go with the full warranty on this item and scrimp on everything else. Think of the future.

And what of Mr. Stansfield? What of his wonderful vehicle?



As you can see, Jem is up to a great number of compressed-air-related shennanigans, (and how many folks can one say that about?)

Jem is using his powerful intellect for more than just vehicle design, he's also working on ways to feed and cook for large numbers of people using only the sun.



So, as you can see Jem's become a bit of a TV star. Good for him, because he's a massive celebrity to us here at SuperForest.

Here's is Jem's "Planet Mechanics" show site.

Good luck to you, Jem Stansfield, wherever you are and whatever you're up to.

And thank you to Frank, for his thought provoking question.

Got a question you need answerin'?

Ask SuperForest.

This Just In: Hamburger Themed Items Popular On SuperForest

Yes Please!

Hamburger Baby?

TeeHeeHee

HAMBURGER BED!

Okay... I don't know what the heck this is... but I knew I had to share.

Ladies and Gents...

The Hamburger Bed!

Please, see the website (not a whole lot on it) here.

Love it!

Jaell

Worldometers.info

Worldometers.info has a running tally of the numbers behind our lives.

Check it out, here. Fascinating.

Thanks to Carla for the tip! (lulz)

SuperForest Comics: Cell Phones

(click to embiggen)

Many thanks to SuperForester Casey, without whom this image could never have happened.

I'd love that third outfit, btw, if anyone's handy with a sewing machine. I already have the glasses.

Love to All,

Jackson

Socialtaire: "We do it for the lulz"

This image is none other than SuperForester Spoon. As you can see, Spoon has been Mountain Catted, (or MC'd.) This is because Spoon is playing Socialtaire.

This is how you play Socialtaire:

Socialtaire
"We do it for the lulz"

Instructions: The object of the game is to your opponent laugh so hard they cry.

Set up: Socialtaire is played via instant messaging conversation between two or more individuals.

Playing the game: In order to commence the game properly and officially, a three part process must occur:

1 .) The Challenge:
One player types, "I challenge you to a game of socialtaire!"
Player two responds with one of two possible answers... "Affirmative!" or, to player one's dismay "negative" (a "negative" response is not recommended, the object of the game is to make the other person cry but it is important to emphasize that the tears should flow as a result of laughter or pure bliss rather than as a result of rejection or hurt feelings.)

2.) The Pledge:
Both players look each other straight in the eye and establish a state of trust.

Player One: "I trust you completely"
Player Two: "I trust you completely"

3.) Initiation:
Formal initiation of socialtaire begins when both players simultaneously type:"Game ON!"

Now both players are ready to swap headshots of themselves for the other player to deface.
Both players get to work by quickly resizing/editing the pictures in a way that is both creative and funny. The challenge is in adding the "Mountain Cat-Element."

The more hilariously one can incorporate MC's into an image, the higher the chance of lulz. Lulz is laughter.

Once the Mountain Catting has been completed, players post the altered photographs on facebook, flickr, or email them to each other.

Upon receiving the exchanged photograph, the fun begins, the laughter erupts, and if lucky, tears well up.

The round ends when one player states "Your lulz are far too supreme for me."

Point Distribution:
After any given round, the lulz are tallied and each player awards his or her opponent a reasonable amount of lulz, feeling free to liberally apply hidden bonus multipliers and the like.

Here is the point conversion chart:

1,000,000 lulz = 1 frog.
10 frogs = The Universe is Yours.

(The image that started it all.)

Upon receiving 10 frogs, you will have reached nirvana, a place free from fear, doubt and pain. You will become a being of pure light, radiating love to every molecule in the universe.

It is a highly lulzy game.

Enjoy.

Here is the Socialtaire Flickr set.

If you'd like to join in the fun, send you images of your Mountain Catted friends to superforestnyc(at)gmail(dot)com.