BioLite- Innovations for the modern wild man

Posted by sillyreverie in Dynamite Designs and tagged with , , , , , , ,

‘We need to talk’ is possibly the most dreadful foreshadowing of badness one human can throw upon another, but what about the less traumatising yet equally ominous ‘low battery’ shootout from your technological devices? I could argue that the latter is miles worse just because a fully functioning phone (gps, light and what have you) could mean life… or death. Lucky for us that problem can be addressed with some technical ingenuity- so without further adieu, let me introduce you to BioLite.

The five designers of BioLite have mated together a portable stove the size of a bottle with a gadget charger that utilises the excess heat from a fire. You can burn anything from sticks, twigs, pine cones and other renewable resources you have available; these fuels are a much better alternative to petroleum gas, and brings water to a steaming boil in practically no time at all.

The additional containment of the fire helps capture wasted potential energy and lessens the toxic smog an open wood fire creates due to incomplete combustion. The carefully designed stoves that implement fans to blow air into the fire can significantly improve combustion, but unfortunately such stoves require small amounts of electricity to power the fans, which sucks if your out in woods. BioLite however, resolves the problem by converting a fraction of the fire’s thermal energy into electrical energy, powering the fans and the devices you attach. Costing only $130 it practically sells itself but if you’re still not convinced watch the video below for more information. If you are interested in buying the product click on this word.

Lee Jeffries- Black & White Homelessness

Posted by sillyreverie in Titillating Photography and tagged with , , , , , ,

‘BOOM’ that’s the sound my mind makes when I see something absolutely brilliant, so it was no shock to me when the explosion sounded at the sight of Lee Jeffries emotionally filled black and white snaps. How Jeffries began picturing the underprivileged goes something like this: In 2008 Mr Lee was nothing more than an accountant and an amateur photographer, being particularly fond of running he entered a marathon in London, an event that would change his life.

On the day before the big race, he decided to wonder around the streets with his Canon 5D camera with attached EF70-200mm lens. As he neared Leicester Square, he spotted and aimed his camera at a young homeless woman, huddled in a sleeping bag surrounded by empty chinese food containers- he took the shot. Jeffries recounts what happens next, “She spotted me and started shouting, drawing the attention of passersby, I could have just walked away in an embarrassed state, or I could have gone over and apologized to her.” He chose the latter and crossed the street and sat with the woman.

The eighteen-year-old, whose complexion indicated she was abusing drugs, told Jeffries her saddening story: her parents had died, leaving her without a home, and she now was forced to live on the streets of London. This single moment had a profound ripple effect in Jeffries life, intensifying his focus on the subject matter of his street photography -to the homeless- and defining his approach to capturing pictures.

He didn’t want to exploit these people or steal photographs from them like so many others who’ve seen the homeless as easy pray. Instead, he would connect with them in order to create intimate portraits that reveal an all-to-human story. Jeffries says, “I need to see some kind of emotion in my subjects. I specifically look at people’s eyes—when I see it, I recognize it and feel it—and I repeat the process over and over again.”

Keeping the conversations as informal as possible, Jeffries rarely takes nots as he believes it might raise some suspicion, blocking some of the more natural expressions; so he takes his pictures while talking with them and doing so enables him to freeze those “real emotions” within his subjects with the click of a button. “I’m stepping into their world,” he says. “Everyone else walks by like the homeless are invisible. I’m stepping through the fear, in the hope that people will realize these people are just like me and you.”

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Neverwet- Scare liquids away from your shirts, shoes & everything else

Posted by sillyreverie in Dynamite Designs and tagged with , , , , ,

Don’t you find it funny that people 500 years ago would have uttered such things to each other as “thy flying machine wilt nev’r happen, thou bro” when today we laugh at their lack of imagination and primitive tech. So now guys, when i tell you about this new product that actively repels water off of any surface, (meaning you can coat it on your phone and take a call underwater if you wish) don’t you say ‘Silly, that will never happen’ or cough ‘impossible’ because it’s happened! Ross Technology who faced the challenge of stopping undersea pipeline rust discovered this silicon-based spray, which they smartly realized can be applied to an infinite number of things; thus NeverWet was born.

Basically NeverWet works by harnessing the power of fear, or rather, angled microscopic nanoparticles to force the water to cluster together into a droplet. The angle of the nanoparticles is all important, and is what divides the waterproof or water resistant from the super-hydrophobic. For a surface to be hydrophobic it must have a contact angle of 150 degrees- NeverWet has a contact angle as high as 165 degrees. The benefits are not only dryness and saving a killing from laundry costs, but also improving ones own health since bacteria thrive in watery conditions. Superman can ricochet bullets but really, who needs that power when you can deflect deadly stains, spills and warmongering bacteria? I’ve laid out below a few videos which better explain the effectiveness of  NeverWet, and a link to the site where you can get this miraculous product: http://www.neverwet.com/

Julia Dunin- Traveling Faces

Posted by sillyreverie in Titillating Photography and tagged with , , , , ,

My first order of business is to share with you an artist i found while searching for some delectable beats on Youtube; the picture of the song (shown below) put me on a little quest to discover the original owner. I had to wade through a bunch of random sites to find her but it eventually paid off- this is how i met the talented Julia Dunin. There wasn’t much information about her so i decided to get in touch, she happens to be a delightful and willing victim to all my many questions.

I asked her about her upbringing and discovered that It was rough living in Warsaw, Poland during the 80′s. Riots were breaking out after the end communism, economic instability ensued and martial law declared- this was the time when Julia was born. When she was 16 she got herself an old camera, a “rather not impressive one, since living wasn’t easy” and started experimenting with Photoshop for fun.

So started her love for photography, a passion tenderly fostered to become a integral part of her own life. The heroin addict has his needle, Julia has her camera and states that “Its a kind of addiction, that you cant imagine living without,” and a much healthier one at that! She also added that she has a tattoo to remind her to get her daily photography fix.

After maturing her relationship with the camera she looked into becoming a freelance photographer, which goes along with that lovely saying ‘follow your bliss.’ Staying versatile in her shooting, she’ll do anything from capturing weddings, portraits to interior spaces and anything else she finds interesting or artistically quirky. She shoots in RAW format, which gives her more control over color correction and processing on the computer, allowing her to place a part of herself in every shot.

Her current camera companion is a D300 but already she dreams of another more adept partner in crime: the Nikon D800. The other part of her merry camera crew are the Nikkor and Tamron lenses along with the Nikon SB900 lamp (although she prefers natural light.) She’s been trying to build her own unique style of photography, basing it upon many influences (a list too long to be named) and searches for more throughout the vast expanding universe of the internet and in galleries she stumbles across in her travels.

She is currently in Ireland, having a whale of a time and sharing that enjoyment through her lovely pictures- if you guys want to check out her travel blog it’s http://ilovegalway.wordpress.com/ On top of picture taking she’s been involved in some graphic design just as a means to realizing her potential. “I just need to create and be creative, i found a lot of things i really want to do (i.e., decoupage,) but feel like i need to focus on photography and graphic design instead.” For other down time activities she loves “cooking, Meeting friends, going to parties, that is what makes me who I am – a trully, 100% life-lover!” If you enjoy her work, take a look at more on her website!

HELLO AGAIN!

Posted by sillyreverie in Insightful News

Finally, i have the time to write again! Sorry for my long absence, I’ve been on a backpacking trip around Japan and have finally arrived in Indonesia for some R&R with my family. I still wont be posting as often as i used to but that will all change once i arrive back to the nest i call my home. Hope all of you had a wonderful New Years! Also would like to wish you all luck with your resolutions; let’s make this the year we actually follow through with them (i don’t know about you, but the promises i make to myself are the toughest ones to keep.) Lordy lord, if it weren’t for the miracles of the computer I’d literally have a room called ‘posts’ filled to the brim with Sticky notes of topics i have to write about. I suppose i have to bite the blogging bullet and start writing away- don’t get the wrong impression, i enjoy this greatly.

Make some room in that big brainy head of yours because SillyReverie is going to pack it in with some genius new talent, fascinating new inventions, philosophical conundrums, stunning deigns & much much more!

Charlie Chaplin in The Great Dictator- What an Empathetic Emperor Should Sound Like

Posted by sillyreverie in Perspective/Philosophy and tagged with , , , , ,

I found this unbelievably amazing video today of Charlie Chaplin giving one of the most impressive monologues; I was left with my jaw agape, this was the first time i ever heard him produce any sort of sound- I feel obligated to watch the rest of his works. I nabbed a transcript of it and posted it below (With another bonus video!):

“I’m sorry but I don’t want to be an emperor. That’s not my business. I don’t want to rule or conquer anyone. I should like to help everyone if possible; Jew, Gentile, black men, white. We all want to help one another. Human beings are like that. We want to live by each others’ happiness, not by each other’s misery. We don’t want to hate and despise one another. In this world there is room for everyone. And the good earth is rich and can provide for everyone. The way of life can be free and beautiful, but we have lost the way. Greed has poisoned men’s souls; has barricaded the world with hate; has goose-stepped us into misery and bloodshed. We have developed speed, but we have shut ourselves in.

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Lego espionage- How to break into a building

Posted by sillyreverie in Dynamite Designs and tagged with , , , ,

Are you some sort of bad ass spy or at least think you are? Here is one highly original way you can break into a building to steal whatever documents or cigars you need- all with the amazing versatility of Lego’s! This scene was taken off of a 1979 Danish movie called The Olsen Gang Never Surrenders, click on the title if your interested in knowing more.

Extreme Knitting- Looped madness

Posted by sillyreverie in Sculpting Magic and tagged with , , , ,

Loop after loop Agata Oleksiak crochets anything that enters her bubble; even people! Olek was born in Poland and graduated with a degree in Cultural Studies, she moved away from the ” industrial, close-minded Silesia,” a region in Poland, when she rediscovered her crochet abilities while in New York- where she’s been knitting art ever since.

She has stated that she chose to crochet as a means to do two things at once: to watch movies and make some great art. She has been quoted saying, “Life and art are inseparable. The movies I watch while crocheting influence my work, and my work dictates the films I select.” I’d do the same to keep myself interested for the many hours of knitting to be done.

Her artistic goal is to bring renewed color, life and energy with a splash of surprise to a living space- presenting these spaces to the public. Her installations covering some very iconic structures, such as the business district bull.


She often collaborates with neighborhoods to highlight the, “economic and social reality in our community,” and takes advantage of New York’s many diversified areas to do so.

Olek’s work has been presented in galleries from Brooklyn to Harlem; Istanbul to Venice; Poland and Brazil- her work has also been featured in many great magazines and newspapers around the world. If you like what you see go check out her site!

Warsaw Riots: Filmed by a Recon Droid (RC Helicopter)

Posted by sillyreverie in World and tagged with , , , ,

 If you haven’t heard, for four nights last week Warsaw echoed the whomps and hisses of exploding tear-gas bombs, the thuds of rubber truncheons and the taunting cries of “Gestapo, Gestapo,” which came from the throats of thousands of rioting polish university students. It has been the most severe civil disturbance since the Poznan rebellion of last year. Latajacakamera -a YouTube user- uploaded this amazing footage of the riots, using his RC Helicopter to soar above the barricades; this vantage point gives you an interesting look into the mechanics of an organized police force and the severity of the riots.

How to Destroy Civilization with Nanotechnology

Posted by sillyreverie in Imaginatively Humorous Bit's and tagged with , , , , ,

If there are any sociopaths out there who want a step-by-step guide on destroying civilization, you’ve come to the right place. This hilarious 3D animation created with motion capture technology guides you through all the things needed to culture an unstoppably destructive strain of nanobots and additional information on how to loose your soul; so you can go through with your diabolical plans! Nukes- boring. Incurable virus- boring. Nanobots are where it’s at. Enjoy!

Philippe Ramette- WARPED REALITY

Posted by sillyreverie in Titillating Photography and tagged with , , , , ,

Believe it or not, his works aren’t created on Photoshop, even though they have the gravity defying features commonly done up on the program. French artist Philippe Ramette adheres to his philosophy that nothing should be faked, which is why you’ll notice little incongruities throughout his pictures: “You see a tension in my hands, my red face is far from serene as the blood rushes to it, my suit is ruffled.”

Ramette sculpted his way to fame in the 90′s as part of the French contemporary art scene; creating odd wooden and metal objects & instruments. The next logical step in his career was photography, and through it he has created a strange, neo-romantic universe, using well planned, yet utterly irrational situations. His works seem to create a statement about gravity, weightlessness and man’s relationship to the landscape.

Ramette still sees himself as a sculptor and goes to extraordinary lengths to create his highly implausible set-ups, building hidden metal supports that he calls “sculpture-structures”. He has metal rings tethered to him by the ankles as he hangs from buildings, and metal seats hidden by his suits jut out from cliff sides to hold him up; all of these recreated from sketches that he considers storyboards- this is probably why his photographs have been compared to the work of Buster Keaton and the world of silent cinema.

The image you see above was shot in the middle of Hong Kong’s harbour, the inspiration of this scene came to him in a dream in the early 90′s. For the shot, a watertank served as an underwater float for the balcony and was put in place by a barge and crane; Ramette then secured his feet on supports, leaned back and clung to the wood. During the initial attempts, he was soaked by waves and had to swim to safety.

Yearning for the effect of absolute, implausible serenity Ramette dives under the waves for his series Rational Exploration Of The Undersea, which was set off of the coast of Corsica. Wearing lead weights under his suit and around his ankles, he hired a team of divers to supply him with oxygen when needed. Waiting for the bubbles and the divers to move out of frame, Ramette’s team would capture the effect of stillness. Ramette has commented on the experience saying, “there I was in a suit on the seabed, weighed down and able to walk underwater as if on land, unaffected by the currents. For me, that was a real pleasure.”

If you enjoy his works, you can see more picture here!

Alan Watts- A Jungian Tribute

Posted by sillyreverie in Perspective/Philosophy and tagged with , , , , ,

I have my psychology exam coming up and along with the enormous amounts of cramming being done, is the rekindling of my passion for Jungian and Freudian thought. I decided today to spend some time building up my science category, to even out the site a bit; the artsy side of my mind has been subduing the more rationally oriented parts it seems. Here in this lecture we have Alan Watts (a legend) discussing Jung’s “enduring contributions toward the science of psychology”. In the first part of this three parter, he expands upon the influence Jungs’ work had on himself, and exposes the reality of good and evil as a part of the internal structure of an individuals psychology, which we unconsciously project outwardly- truly fascinating stuff!

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Carl Jung- IN OUR TIME (BBC)

Posted by sillyreverie in Science and tagged with , , , ,

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the extraordinary mind of the psychiatrist Carl Gustav Jung. In 1907 Sigmund Freud met a young man and fell into a conversation that is reputed to have lasted for 13 hours. That man was the Swiss psychiatrist Carl Gustav Jung. Freud is celebrated as the great pioneer of the 20th century mind, but the idea that personality types can be ‘introverted’ or ‘extroverted’, that certain archetypal images and stories repeat themselves constantly across the collective history of mankind, and that personal individuation is the goal of life, all belong to Jung: “Your vision will become clear only when you look into your heart… Who looks outside, dreams. Who looks inside, awakens”, he declared. And he also said “Show me a sane man and I will cure him for you”.

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Will Corporations get the Right to Commit Genocide?

Posted by sillyreverie in Business and tagged with , , ,

Holymotherofgod, this is shocking! Ian Millhiser, Center for American Progress joins Thom Hartmann. Is the Supreme Court about to give corporations the right to commit genocide? Believe it or not – that may happen. The High Court has agreed to hear the case of Kiobel v. Royal Dutch Petroleum which could give corporations immunity from any lawsuits for their employees murdering, raping, or torturing people in the areas where they’re drilling for oil or fielding mercenary armies – just as long as they’re carrying out the atrocities under the heading of corporate business.

The GAG Quartet- EVERY internet meme known to man

Posted by sillyreverie in Imaginatively Humorous Bit's and tagged with , , , , ,

These guys have done it; in one hilarious music video, they have single highhandedly captured every meme on the internet. If you go online more than once a year you’ll still know at least one or two of these memes.  To name a few: Nyan Cat, Rage guy, Troll Dad, Trololo, O RLY, Keyboard Cat, Chuck Testa, Numa Numa, Rick Roll and Chacarron.

Ray Villafane- The pumpkin king

Posted by sillyreverie in Sculpting Magic and tagged with , , , ,

This is a bit late but i thought it’d be worth the share for the next Halloween season. I know you artsy bunch are out there, so to inspire you to make something astonishing for the spooky season, here is Ray and is amazing pumpkin sculptures!

He was born in Queens, New York and at a very young age showed a natural flair to the arts; a passion that his mother fostered, motivating him to pursue it as a career. He became a teacher and from 1993 to 2006 Ray taught art to grade K-12 students in Bellaire, Michigan. It was during this time he decided to play around with pumpkin sculpting, initially as a fun project for his students and himself.

His popularity grew with the students’ parents as he started getting requests for custom-carved pumpkins; this made him realize he was on to something and so he started offering them to local hotels and restaurants- it soon became his fall hobby for several years.

His pumpkin sculpting hobbies were brought to an entire new level in 2007 when he was contacted by High Noon Entertainment and asked to participate in the Food Network’s Challenge Show, Outrageous Pumpkins. Ray competed as one of four professional pumpkin sculptors, impressed the judges enough to sweep all three rounds and was awarded the Grand Prize. Outrageous Pumpkins logged the highest ratings of any other Challenge episode, and a second invitation was extended to Ray in 2009. They wanted him to come back and defend his title in their Outrageous Pumpkins Challenge II. Ray defended his 2008 title and took home the 2010 Grand Prize from the Food Network’s Pumpkin Challenge II.

The ensuing exposure of Rays unique talent and creativity ushered in a whole new appreciation for pumpkin “carving”, and his artistic take on the traditional jack-o-lantern has granted him invitations from across the globe for VIP Galleries (Very Impressive Pumpkins). From the President’s Quarters in the White House to Bermuda’s Sousa’s Gardens, Ray’s pumpkins have gathered a cult-like following. He also does some very impressive sand sculptures as well as making some fantastic looking collectables.

If your interested in more of Rays’ magnificent pumpkins, go check out his site!