Play Me, I'm Yours

Photo: Dean Sewell

As a lover of all instruments, I was pretty chuffed to learn about 20 pianos being placed all over Sydney, as part of the Sydney Festival. Each piano is decorated with coloured stencils that read: Play me, I’m yours, inviting passers-by to sit down and have an impromptu jam session.

Luke Jerram, the British artistic consultant behind Play Me, I'm Yours, sees the project as a way to bring people together.

“I've got a bit of a problem with art galleries because they only reach a certain segment of the community,” he said. “This provides an opportunity for people to be creative and to connect with a stranger.”

The outdoor pianos are chained to trees and signposts, and are covered with tarpaulins, but Jerram isn’t concerned about vandals or the weather. He bought the pianos cheaply on eBay and will donate them to the communities that play them during the festival.

Cast off your watches!

Hello everyone!

I've had a revelation and thus had the overwhelming urge to share it with you. I recently returned to work after a two-week break over the festive season. Although I didn't travel to a exciting/exotic/breathtaking holiday destination, I had the time of my life (which tends to happen during holidays) and I think I've just gathered why. I very rarely (if at all on some days) checked to see the time. I just lived from morning to night, going about my business and catching up with friends and family, without caring to know the time. Now, this reminded me of a passage I once read that talks about timelessness being one of the features of happiness. It certainly struck a chord, hence I've italicised the bits that bowled me over.

"Before time was promoted to a primary guiding force, people's lives had a distinct orientation in the present. With little more than the sun as a rough guide to phases of day and season, this timeless fabric enabled spontaneous engagement with the moment. It enhanced sensation and fostered a crisp awareness of the immediate surroundings. Very importantly, it allowed people to fully experience a wide range of emotions, including happiness.

Research shows that people living in future-oriented cultures have higher average stress and anxiety levels than cultures that are more present-orientated. This is because living in the moment offers greater predictability and control, as well as more certainty about one's own experiences. On the other hand, the future is always a gamble. Its unpredictability locks future-orientated people into a state of tension as they blow in the winds of uncertainty and far-flung hopes." In Search of Happiness, by John F. Schumaker

As a side note, I tend to believe that being silly also pertains to being happy.

Me, on holiday, pretending a slice of watermelon is my smile.

Pretty pictures

Good day SuperForest folk,

I've long been mesmerised by the beauty of photographs taken with LOMO cameras. They tend to have a subtle haziness and mystery, which makes them a little more interesting than regular shots.

Here are a few golden rules of lomography:
1. Take your LOMO with you wherever you go
2. Use it all the time – day and night
3. Lomography does not interfere with your life – it's a part of it
4. Get as close as possible to the objects of your lomographic desire
5. Don't think
6. Be fast
7. You don't have to know what's going to be captured on your film
8. Shoot from the hip
9. Screw the rules

Check out these few gems, thanks to We Heart It.

Teddy bears launch into space

"Four teddy bears, fully decked out in custom-made spacesuits, were launched to the edge of space as part of a British university experiment.

Blasting off from Cambridge University's Churchill College last week, they were attached to a helium balloon and fitted with multiple cameras, a GPS receiver, flight computer and radio for the two-hour nine-minute flight, which saw them rise 30km (18.8 miles) above sea level.

The spacesuits were designed by local schoolchildren, as part of a project to engage youths in science and engineering, organised by the Cambridge University Spaceflight student club."

How sweet is that? I never thought I'd see the day...

Read more here.

Meet Dollar A Week

Hello SuperForest folk!

Recently, a friend of mine teamed up with five of her friends to establish a new initiative called Dollar A Week. I'm not sure what the response has been just yet, though I'm excited to help them spread the word and let it trickle as far and wide as possible. Here's the lowdown:

"In early 2007, a group of friends sitting around in Sydney, Australia, decided that enough was enough. Tired of looking at a world caving in under the weight of poverty, hunger and disease, this group of six or so 'no-one specials' awoke to the idea that they, just as they were, could make a difference...

Everyone had a dollar in their pocket that day. And, unsurprisingly, each of them agreed that they wouldn't really notice if that dollar went missing. In fact, they were willing to give it away. And another one, next week. And another one, after that. If only there was a way for that dollar to get to those who needed it most...

Enter: Dollar A Week.

Dollar A Week is a not-for-profit organisation that raises funds to provide financial support to various community projects and charities which are working to release people from poverty, hunger and disease all around the world."

The idea is so simple, which is why I think it will take off. It illustrates that when enough people get on board, small change can make a big difference.

Hope for the hopeless

I’ve been mulling over this for a few hours now as I wasn’t sure which way to put it. This weekend just passed, a few things happened that saddened me, angered me and, momentarily, lessened my positivity and hope regarding humanity.

Firstly, while riding on a bus headed into town, someone hurled a rock at a window towards the rear of the bus. It sounded like a bullet, the driver hesitated and, naturally, I felt quite scared and upset that someone would do that. Had we been travelling on an older-style bus (with regular glass windows), the rock no doubt would have launched right through the window and hit the passenger sitting beside it.

Secondly, following the rock incident, the driver stopped the bus and called the police to report the incident. The police told him that the passengers had to disembark and wait for the next bus while the police were on their way to investigate. A group sitting towards the back of the bus whined and harassed the driver as they were going to be late for whatever event they were headed to.

Thirdly, on another occasion, a schoolgirl made a racist slur under her breath that, had they heard it, would have offended just about half, if not all, the people on the bus.

Finally, while standing at the side of a road last night, waiting to cross, I turned to see a car suddenly swerve towards, then away from, me – if for no other reason than to scare the crap out of me. Following this incident, I got home and felt really down. I felt that people have no regard for each other and I started to harbour very negative thoughts. I felt helpless and sad for those who seek ways to torment others.

My boyfriend then said something that helped. “Ok, even if you tracked that kid’s car down and threw a tonne of bricks into his windscreen, his Dad would find the car in the morning and be very upset. He’d probably give someone else a hard time because he’d be so outraged. And the person he takes it out on might go and do the same to someone else. So the end result would be more unhappy people.”

This inspired a brainwave. If I woke up tomorrow morning, and was the nicest I have ever been, smiled at everyone I crossed paths with and just generally became, for lack of a more articulate expression, a beacon of light … that might set off a chain of goodness that stretches further than I could imagine. And then I thought of SuperForest. And how this is exactly what Jackson had in mind when he created it. To turn negatives into positives. Mission accomplished, dear friend.


Hugs to Daniel Gimenez for the pic.

Smart art

While many of us grew up being told to eat our veg, it's very likely we, instead, became skilled at avoiding them (i.e. by feeding them to the dog or slyly popping them into our pockets). Now that we're older, it's only natural that some of us followed up such vegetable-dodging creativity with amazing vegie art. Ju Duoqi, a female artist who lives and works in Beijing, has gone about recreating Western art masterpieces using vegetables such as tofu, ginger, lotus roots, coriander and sweet potato.

Of her work, Duoqi says, "In the summer of 2006, I bought a few kilograms of peas, and sat there quietly for two days peeling them, before stringing them on a wire and turning them into a skirt, a top, a headdress and a magic wand. I used a remote control to take a photo of myself in them, and named it Pea Beauty Pageant. That was my first work of vegetable art."


Read more about Ju Duoqi here.

Clothe yourselves!

When you think of environmentally conscious clothing, does a hessian sack for a dress come to mind? London-based Fashion-Conscience.com has set about sourcing clothes that fall into one of five categories: organic, fair trade, sustainable, recycled or vegan. If you're wondering what "ethical" clothing really means, and why it's important, read on:

Organic Although organic cotton is more expensive, you are supporting the environmental and ethical approach to growing the world's biggest fabric fibre. Choosing organic cotton sends a clear message that we don't want chemicals in our clothes and allows growers to take precautions against pollution in their own environments.

Fair trade Many companies exploit workers by paying them below official wage rates, making them work excessive hours, they may use underage workers, use "sweatshops", treat workers poorly in poor conditions, don't invest in their workers' skills or communities. Buying fair trade clothes means you won't abide by this kind of treatment.

Sustainable Choosing sustainable designs means you are sending out a clear message about how you'd prefer your clothing to have minimal impact on the environment, as well as potentially reduce the fabric and discarded clothes mountains already in existence. Plus, sustainable clothes encourage developments in biodegradable materials.

Recycled This prevents the waste of useful materials and reduces the consumption of fresh raw materials and their associated energy and consumption.

Vegan This relates to clothing that has not been made using meat by-products or any animal or animal-tested by-products.

To illustrate how beautiful and wonderfully funky such clothing can be, I've pasted a few pieces below.

A beautiful day

So, America made history today. Though half way across the world, my workmates and I huddled in our boss' office to watch the anticipated verdict on a tiny TV. I looked on as the Americans cheered, beamed, cried and were in every way overwhelmed by the result... "Senator Barack Obama elected 44th President of the United States". I sat in that office, ever so still, thinking of the significance of that very moment, and how I'll store it in my heart and mind as the day we made ourselves heard.

As I strolled back to my desk I noticed something I hadn't before. Something that, looking back, was pretty hard to miss – a giant 'O' perched directly behind me. I couldn't resist.

High-five America, you are BEAUTIFUL.

Meet the Planet Patrol

I've found a website that's perfect for junior SuperForesters. It's made by kids for kids and goes by the name Planet Patrol. It's filled with news, games, fun facts and competitions etc, and is currently calling all junior eco-journalists to get on board. Please pass this on to youngsters. Hopefully, it will further fuel their excitement and curiosity about the environment.

Give it a big, fat hug

I read something today about melancholy in Tom Hodgkinson's book How To Be Free. It made me smile and, as everyone has found themselves a little blue at one time or another, I thought you'd all enjoy this passage.

"It may be true that, aside from external factors, melancholy is just a fact of life. So, instead of rejecting it, a useful way to deal with melancholy would be to embrace it... A very simple trick for those looking for an antidote to melancholy is to engage in some physical work. Baking bread, gardening, carpentry: all these things are productive, creative and use the body. They unite the body and soul; they are acts of harmony.

Keats, in his 'Ode on Melancholy' (1820), suggests going for a walk and gazing at the flowers and recognising that melancholy is a sister to joy and must be embraced."

Love to Melinda Webster for the image.

Fancy a nap?

JooYoun Paek is an artist and interactive designer based in New York. She certainly has her finger on the pulse when it comes to innovative, unusual and interesting pieces. Case in point, her Pillowig.

Funky plates

Hi folks,
I've just come across Haul, a company that makes stuff outta stuff. More specifically, it turns recycled number plates, tires and old billboards into photo albums, diaries and purses.

And pigs fly...

Pigs take to the skies and the race track as part of the Royal Melbourne Show in Australia. It's an annual event that also features an Animal Nursery lawn, where children can engage in activities and learn about sustainability and the environment. Too cute!

Photos: AFP

Rubber Duckie, you're the one

Word on the street is that NASA is using rubber ducks to fight global warming.


"NASA scientists have dropped 90 ducks into holes in the Jakobshavn glacier – Greenland's fastest moving glacier – in a bid to understand why glaciers speed up in the summer in their march to the sea.

The toys have been labelled "science experiment" and "reward" in three languages, and carry an email address.

The ducks, if found by someone who emails NASA about their discovery, could tell scientists how melting water moves through ice, said Alberto Behar of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California."

The white stuff

Scientists at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory have revealed a research paper that explores a too-easy way to help cool the planet and reverse global warming. And that is? Paint your roof white. Because white is a good reflector of heat, your newly painted roof will help create a cooling effect. The scientists who came up with the simple yet super idea suggest that the average 1000 square-foot roof could potentially offset 10 metric tons of carbon dioxide.

If major cities in tropical and temperate zones made an effort to employ paler roofs, the authors of the study estimate, this could offset more atmospheric carbon dioxide than the world emits in a year. The scientists hope to persuade the United Nations to help get the world's cities to go white.

Should that fail, we could always try this...


Thanks to EarthFirst and The Great Beyond for the heads up. Thanks to Inhabitat for the image.

For the snap-happy

And a big thumbs up to Sony who've been busy coming up with Odo – a new line of funky-looking devices powered by kinetic energy. The Spin N' Snap Digital Camera caught my eye in particular. To power it, you simply poke your fingers through the two holes and spin the camera end over end. The holes in the camera also serve as the viewfinder! By gosh, what will they think of next?

Big thanks to HTLounge.net and Inhabitat for the low-down and image.

Take it off!

In 2005, Japan launched a brilliant campaign called 'Cool Biz', which encourages workers to dress down in summer to reduce air-conditioning use and greenhouse gas emissions. The dress code advises people to ditch their ties and jackets, and wear pants made from materials that breathe and absorb moisture.

It seems this idea is catching on. This year, the United Nations encouraged its New York staff to swap their business suits for lighter clothing. As well as save a ridiculous amount of money, turning the thermostats up 5 degrees to 77 Farenheit during warmer months will also benefit the environment. About 4400 million pounds of steam – equivalent to several hundred tons of carbon dioxide – would be saved by reducing air conditioning at the UN's landmark Manhattan building.

She's a saucy sphere

(Image link)

What would you say if I told you Mother Nature was a cheeky thing? I just read a rather amusing article titled "Mother of all hotties goes cold on lovers". The writer tracks a number of occasions where advocates for climate change have been turned on their toes by the cosmic comedienne Mother Earth. Here are a few highlights:

"When then-PM of Britain Tony Blair tried to cozy up to Mother Nature in 2005, he was repaid with chilling scorn. "Why does it always snow when I'm going to talk about global warming?" asked the puzzled PM, following a series of cursed commentaries.

That's just the way Mother Nature rolls, Tone.

In 2004, Al Gore delivered a speech on global warming in New York City. Instead of welcoming his help, Mother Nature turned on one of the coldest days in the city's history.

Five months ago, for example, Australian Tim Flannery announced: "The water problem is so severe for Adelaide that it may run out of water by early 2009."

Mother Nature's response was 15 rainy days in a row beginning on July 30, the longest stretch since 1891. Even if no more rain falls, Adelaide's dams (now 61 per cent full) won't run dry until August 2010, going by current useage rates."

Light my fire

Hey guys. Meet the oil lamp. It's just the thing to help you from stubbing your baby toe when a black out hits. Or for when you're looking to serenade your sweetheart with a little "mood lighting".