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)

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.

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.

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.

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.

Anti-Love Potion Number Nine?

John Tierney has a very interesting article up over at nytimes.com about love potions. Yes, very real love potions. For voles, that is.

Even more interesting are the anti-love potions being developed to help protect you (the voles) from the love potions.

Says Dr. Larry Young, a scientist developing this technology at Emory University:

“It would be completely unethical to give the drug to someone else,” he said, “but if you’re in a marriage and want to maintain that relationship, you might take a little booster shot yourself every now and then. Even now it’s not such a far-out possibility that you could use drugs in conjunction with marital therapy.”

Here's Dr. Larry's full article on vole amour.

Can we just call this one? Are we all wizards and witches now?

Love potions for prairie dogs? Segways? iPhones? The internet?

We're all like, love potion makin', telepathic, livin' forever with stem cells and organ printing, communo-love-wizards.

Tell me I'm wrong.
No, text me: you'43 wr0n9!
No, no, email me: you're wrong!

I'm not wrong. Humans are awesome.

The Save-A-Seed Coalition is Growing Like a Weed!

Good Morning SuperForest!!

Two very exciting things:

The first round of bloggers have answered the call and joined the Save-A-Seed Coalition!
The SASC now includes:

SuperForester Leigh from betweenthemoonandthesea!
SuperForester Maaja from eyelashkiss!
SuperForester Sonja over at SilverJewelry!
SuperForester Jenn over at Chucka Stone Designs!
SuperForester Lindsay from lindsayisobsessed!
SuperForester Mimi from Everyday is a Saturday!
SuperForester Cliff from Cliff's Riffs!

These seven bloggers plus Team SuperForest equals 17 bloggers and more than 20 blogs.

20 blogs joined, 30 to go.

Join the fun!

If you're a true "modern environmentalist," then you thrive on fun, and this is heaps of it.

And the second thing is that none other than SuperForester Christine (!) is going to give our little Save-A-Seed logo the once over. This is truly exciting news. Christine is the most amazingly talented artist. Check out Christine's site.

Hmmmmm. Maybe we can convince Christine to mention Save-A-Seed on spookoo.com? And, if she'd post on spookoo, would she also post on her two other sites?

We could already be at 23 blogs?.....

Ha ha ha! Fun!

Much love,

Team SuperForest

Coalition of the Thrilling!: The Save-A-Seed Coalition (Part One)

Good Morning SuperForest!

As you can see from our little "fund-o-meter" down on the right, we have now raised more than $1,100 toward preserving a single plant species via the Millennium Seed Bank.

This is wonderful news!

So, thinks we, how to best raise the remaining amount?
Better than that, how to spread the Save-A-Seed meme across the blogosphere and internet in the hopes of raising further awareness and funds?

Our question is this: Can the blogosphere save the world, one cause at a time?

Here is how we're gonna try to find out:

We are hereby setting out on an Attention Generation Excercise! One whose sole goal is to tell people about the Millennium Seed Bank.

Right now, there are 37 people who follow SuperForest. Of those 37, 30 are bloggers. Those 30 bloggers have 49 blogs among them.

If you add in the members of Team SuperForest, you've got over 40 bloggers with approximately 50 blogs between them. So what can you do with 50 blogs?

We're hoping to unite them!

Today, the thirty bloggers who follow SF received the following email or comment on their sites:

"Dear (fellow blogger),

We would like to invite you to join us in a little adventure.

As you may well know, we've started an awareness and fund-raising campaign for the Millennium Seed Bank. In our opinion, the MSB is performing an invaluable service by preserving plant species, all for the incredibly low price of approx. $3000.00 per species. Compared to trying to save a piece of land, or an animal species, 3000 smackers is an absolute bargain.

We think their work will benefit all of humanity and is as far as we can tell, controversy free.

We happily invite you to join us in forming the Save-A-Seed Coalition.

The SASC will be an informal organization of volunteer bloggers with two goals: Tell people about the Millennium Seed Bank. And, tell more people about the Millennium Seed Bank.

We figure that the best way to raise awareness, (and hopefully funds,) for the MSB is by telling as many folks as possible, generating as much interest as we can...

Here is our plan for how we accomplish that:

We here at SuperForest will write a post about the idea of creating the Save-A-Seed Coalition and our plan to reach out to you.
If you decide to join in the fun, you write a post about being asked to join the SASC and whether or not you'll join.

If you join, we write a post about who has joined and we link to you. You write a post about joining up, and you link to us!

(See where this is going?)

Between the 37 folks who follow SF and us, we have over 50 blogs.
With 50 blogs writing about and linking to the Millennium Seed Bank, the Save-A-Seed project and one anothers blogs, we've all of a sudden created a very powerful informational and communication entity.

A sympathetic coalition of bloggers, flexing the blogosphere's infant muscles to help a needy organization sounds like just the sort of elevating content that people are hungry for, and we can all share in the fun!

Our immediate goal is to save one seed, (i.e. raise $3,000 for the MSB.) We are one third of the way there. Our plan is to raise this amount, send them a check, and immediately set to work on saving a second seed.

Micro-donations, collected across the vastness of the internet, could provide the lifeblood for the Millennium Seed Bank, and we hope that this little action will help that come to pass.

And as an added bonus, we all get to "meet" one another and get to know each other and each others work as we work for a worthy cause.

What say you? Will you join us?

With love and respect,

Jackson, Niki, Andrew, Alex, Taylor,
Jaell, Julius, April, Jordan, Iman, Carla, & Spoon

a.k.a Team SuperForest"

Joining the Save-A-Seed Coalition doesn't mean you have to donate money, or raise money, or ever deal with money... To join, you merely have to mention that the SASC exists and link to it.

I repeat: No need to donate, only post and link.

Enough folks mention, enough folks link, and the Millennium Seed Bank is as good as covered. That's what we're hoping.

As of now, four of the 30 has replied back in the positive. Thank you to SuperForester Sonja over at SilverJewelry, SuperForester Jenn over at Chucka Stone Designs, SuperForester Lindsay from lindsayisobsessed, and SuperForester Mimi from Everyday is a Saturday!

When enough bloggers get on board, then we can all write posts about the MSB at once, link to each other AND work up a press release about the whole thing thus far. Fun, right?

Let's work together and see if we can improve our environment.
Here's to exploration!

Love to All,

Team SuperForest

If you would like to join the SASC, or Team SuperForest, click here.