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:

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.

SuperForest goes to CES!

The words Las Vegas hold a powerful association for most people. The mere mention of the eponymous Nevada town tends to ignite images of the illicit in most of us. If New York is the city that never sleeps then Vegas is the town time forgot. Hopes run high 24-7 under the neon lights and dreams slide from the fingers of millions of migrants every day and every night, across every table-top in town.

Love it, or hate it... Sin City can be a polarizing place. But if there's one thing most people would be united on it's this... when you think of Las Vegas, sustainability is probably last thing that comes to mind.

Which is exactly what SuperForest went in search of -- throwing ourselves into our country's capital of consumption culture, into the heart of one of the world's largest conventions: The Consumer Electronics Show. CES for short.

Over the course of 72 intensive hours we scoured thousands upon thousands of exhibitor booths, miles upon miles of showroom floor, in search of the greenest gadgets, the coolest innovations for 2009.

We uncovered so much awesomeness, it's impossible to post all at once. Instead we'll be breaking it into categories stretched out over the course of this week. So if you're interested in best and future tech, green gadgets, and amazing innovations... stay tuned for SuperForest's top picks from CES.

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.

Great Jim Jarmusch Quote

Came across this great quote from director Jim Jarmusch:

(The print is from artist Mark Malazarte.)

My favorite line is the Jean-Luc Godard quote at the end, "It's not where you take things from - it's where you take them to".

Hope this inspires you to steal a few things this week.

-Spoon

Architects of a New Dawn

On December 31, 2008, guitarist and world renown musician Carlos Santana launched a new website called "Architects of a New Dawn". Snazzy title no? This incredible website was designed to create "a global network featuring uplifting and positive media". Sounds very SuperForesty if you ask me! I'll let Mr. Santana explain:

"…there is definitely enough love and resources to go around. I have wondered over the years when this could be realized and who would be the ones to do it. Today, I am convinced more than ever that this is the time and that we are the ones we have been waiting for – generations of conscious beings from all walks of life with the courage, communications, and know how to change the world for the better.

We are the Architects of A New Dawn and this is what we came here to do."


Check out this oh so inspiring video!

What a wonderful project, click around the site, it holds many treasures worth discovering. Many thanks to Carlos Santana and friends for taking the initiative to spread such awe inspiring messages.

Keep it Fresh,

Carla

How to be a Gentleman (or Lady)

For Christmas this year I received several books from my father. At first glance (I will be honest), they looked awfully boring. But being the bookworm that I am, I had to read at least a little bit before I could pass judgment.

Boy was I wrong.

The books in question are a series of small readings that give lessons on how to be more like a gentleman in your daily living. At first I thought, "Why would I need this? I don't go to fancy balls or dress in tuxedos." But soon I realized what these books were really trying to teach.

The back of the covers read,

"A gentleman is someone who makes others feel comfortable. Good manners is simply a matter of common sense and courtesy."

and,

"Being a gentleman means being there when you are needed and knowing when you are not needed. It means knowing what to say and knowing when to say nothing at all. Being a gentleman is about making the world a nicer place for other people."

Sounds a bit like our Humanifesto, don't it?

The titles of the books vary depending on what exactly your looking for, but include "How to be a Gentleman," "As a Gentleman Would Say," and "50 Things Every Young Gentleman Should Know."

I am currently reading the second from that list. As a Gentleman Would Say offers advice on how to respond or conduct oneself when speaking to another. Some of it's advice is common sense, such as:

"A gentleman never asks a woman if she is pregnant" and, "a gentleman never talks with his mouth full"

While some of the advice actually make you think, like:

"A gentleman takes no part in petty arguments over important topics. Instead, he takes action to bring about change."

And ladies, do not think that the gentlemen have forgotten you! They have the same exact line of books, but with "Lady" replacing "Gentleman" on the cover.

I love how the authors write these. They clearly explain that being a Gentleman (or Lady) does not mean being rich, snobby, well-to-do, etc. Rather, it means conducting oneself to bring about a positive change in everyone you meet.

If your interested, click around Amazon for the right Gentleman or Lady book for you.

Happy (Belated?) 2009!

-Spoon

SuperForest Gets Stumbleupon'ed!

Good Morning SuperForest!

Something wonderful has happened!

I needed a bit of time to fully process it, so my apologies for not writing about it sooner.

Last month an article on SuperForest about Michel Bayard, NYC's pinhole camera master, got picked up by makezine, which then got picked up by stumbleupon.

As a result, this article has now been viewed more than 130,000 times!

Zaaaaackaawaaaahhhhhh!

For this little blog to get a hundred thousand of anything is pretty darn good-feeling-making, but to have folks really express an interest in a great man and his incredible talents is just icing city. (As in an entire city made of icing.)

I hope this leads to further recognition of Michel Bayard and his prodigious gifts, and an increased appreciation for street art and street artists. Remember, there is treasure everywhere!

A massive "Thank you" to whomever the kind souls were who suggested us to makezine and to stumbleupon. Thank you very much. You've thrilled this humble blog!

Johnny Kelly's "The Seed"

An excerpt from “The Book of Changes and the Unchanging Truth” by Hua-Ching Ni:

“Long ago, before teachers of any cultural heritage existed, people relied on their own simple minds to develop a system of knowledge and solve the problems in their lives. Living close to nature provided them with their first teacher, great Nature herself. They learned that she provides for, supports and instructs all beings.”

When it comes to studying the laws of nature, you can’t get much more basic than a seed; the topic of Johnny Kelly’s latest animated short in which we follow the magical journey of a single seed. Take a look at the combination of both drawn and paper stop animation!

And if one amazing John Kelly animation wasn't enough for you, here’s another one of his videos titled “Procrastination”.

Amazing videos!! If you are interested in finding more information on the previously mentioned mind altering book, click here!

(videos found via BOOOOOOOM!)

Freddy Wong: Bike Hero on Expert!

This is to go with Carla's Bike Hero post. Freddy Wong out there in youtubeland saw the original Bike Hero and this is his amazing response:

(Warning: The "d-word" is used in the first ten seconds of this vid. ((What's the "d-word"?
Rhymes with "ooshflag."))



Incredible. Go Freddy Wong!

Alex Grey's Obama

Portrait of president-elect Barack Obama by legendary psychedelic artist Alex Grey.

Heh heh heh.... Gl'Obama.

SuperForest's Letter to the Millennium Seed Bank

Hey Y'all!

We just sent this email to: msbsci@kew.org

"Dear Millennium Seed Bank,

Having read about your recent cash struggles, we thought it best to add a donation button to our site and see if we couldn't raise some funds for you.
We hope to raise £2000, which we heard is approximately what it costs to ensure the survival of a single seed.

Maybe we could help further by putting forward the idea of "seed hosting," where more folks could also add donation buttons to sponsor single seeds?
This could help both financially and energetically as word gets out of the situation your wonderful and worthwhile project is facing.

In the meantime, we shall begin the process of raising the £2000 pounds and will spread the word to all that are interested.

Thank you very much for all that you do.

Yours truly,

SuperForest"

Cool.

I personally am going to forward these two posts to everyone on my various email chains, in the hopes of building further momentum.

Much love,

Jackson

Goodfella's Safety Razor Lasts Forever!

Here at SuperForest we have a great love for heirloom quality objects and tools. "Heirloom Quality" means that once you buy something you could conceivably use it your whole life long, then pass it on to your heirs, who pass it on to their heirs, who pass it on... etc. etc.

The Goodfellas Chrome Safety Razor is just such a thing!

"The Goodfella® razor’s understated elegance is purely classic in appearance. Goodfella® has orchestrated computer-aided design and modern materials to create a product of today’s technology. Each part is produced and hand finished by goodfella’s skilled team who are passionate about their trades. that passion sustains goodfella’s lifetime guarantee.

Used daily by goodfellas, with a lifetime guarantee, it’s the only razor you need to buy."

Old-school chic!

One single replaceable blade (easily recycled) and a lifetime warranty!

Want one? Here's the Goodfella's site.

Marvelous.

Here's a SuperForest piece from last year called Eco-Math about disposable razors.

When you think about it, it's hardly expensive when you've only got to buy one once.
Much love!

-Jackson

NY Times - Year in Ideas '08

2008 was indeed a great year for ideas.

The NY Times has a collection of them for us to peruse.

They go A through Z. Which one is your favorite?

Silent Star Wars

If you've never seen the original Star Wars films and have a minute and sixteen seconds to spare, this little beauty pretty much sums it up:



Thank you to youtube user neonstz.

EcoSystems of Brooklyn: Mini-Bamba Chair!

The clever little monkeys over at EcoSystems in Brooklyn are at it again, this time with an adorable scale model of their beautiful bamboo, natural latex, and aluminum Bamba chair.

From the EcoSystems site:

"Mini-Bamba
This fun collectible is 4.25" tall x 4.25" wide x 3.5" deep. It is a 1/6th scale of the original Bamba, and is made to mimic it in every way.

The pieces snap together magically with Rare Earth magnets to mimic the tool free assembly of the Alpha Collection. Its made from the exact same sustainable bamboo plywood. Computerized laser cutting is ultra precise. The mini-Bamba also packs into itself for shipping, minimizing both the material needed and the size of the package."

Best of all, if you decide that you don't want the little chair and its friends anymore (and I guess you don't want anyone else to have it either,) you can pry the magnets out and compost it!

Amazing. Love!

The Mini-Bamba is $125 and comes with your choice of three animal friends:

Environmental Positivity

Look at the environment around you.
It may seem old, but it is brand new.

Look at the systems we live within.
They may seem set, but they are constantly changing.

Our world is a new and fluid one.
Ready to become what we make it.

Love to All,


Jackson and Team SuperForest

Regenerative Medicine: Re-Growing Body Parts

Amazing.

Wine Bottle Package Upcycles into Gorgeous Lamp!

Hot on the heels of Julius's great upcycled pallet post comes this delectable morsel:

The wine box by the Spanish design firm Ciclus.

"After you've guzzled all the wine from the bottle contained within, the outer layer of its package turns into this swank-looking lamp. The package even includes the fixture and bulb you'll need to complete the illuminating metamorphosis."

-Charlie White @ dvice.com

Wow. So I get a delicious bottle of wine, an amazing lamp, AND the knowledge that I kept one less thing from being landfilled? That's a win/win/win! Triple win.

Amazing. Thank you Ciclus, Charlie White, and dvice.com.

AmeriKiva, (or New YorKiva)

I was just wondering: Is there a Kiva-type organization for helping Americans in need?

If you aren't familiar, Kiva is a company that deals out microloans to people around the world who need start up funds for small businesses.

I totally understand that the relative strength of the dollar vs. local currency, coupled with a far lower cost of living means that our money makes a larger difference in the lives of those not residing in the U.S. but that doesn't mean I care any less.

I would love to be able to contribute to AmeriKiva, or New YorKiva. To help the people that I see everyday that are in need would make me feel really good. I can think of four folks right off the top of my head that could definitely use a microloan. Heck, make it a macroloan.

The will is there to help those less fortunate, is there an effective and modern way?

If not, well, I suppose we'll have to investigate the feasibility of starting one.

In the meantime, here is the Kiva site.

Love,

Jackson