Archive for the 'Fun Stuff' Category

Improve your brain and your attitude with movement

Published on November 9, 2011 in Fun Stuff and Video. 0 Comments

At TEDxOrlando last week, I was very inspired by a woman who measured the affects of regular aerobic exercise on the brain – it actually improves your long-term memory. The line from her bio reads: “Wendy Suzuki holds a faculty position in the Center for Neural Science at New York University, where she also runs an active research lab.” So there.

The workout she did was called IntenSati. A little bit like spinning without the bike or zumba with a lot more yelling. Look it up.

Then I saw this post by Jessica Earley about Dance Therapy:

When I saw both of these, I was also reminded of a reference in a Daniel Pink book to Laughing Clubs or Laughter Yoga. It works. Don’t believe me?

Clinical research on Laughter Yoga methods, conducted at the University of Graz in Austria; Bangalore, India; and in the United States has proved that Laughter lowers the level of stress hormones (epinephrine, cortisol, etc) in the blood. It fosters a positive and hopeful attitude. It is less likely for a person to succumb to stress and feelings of depression and helplessness, if one is able to laugh away the troubles.

Small Spaces means a Small Footprint

Published on August 8, 2011 in Books, Fun Stuff and Video. 0 Comments
  • A 78 square foot apartment in the heart of Manhattan

    The best part by far is the bed – storage, a couch, a chalkboard and visually appealing as well.
  • A Hong Kong apartment with movable walls and 24 unique configurations

    I’m sure this space cost a lot more to build out than the one in Manhattan, but it really leaves nothing out as far as I could tell.
  • A house that can fit on a flat bed trailer. Now for sale!

    See also: The Small House Book by Jay Shafer, the man who designs and builds these tiny houses.
  • I also want to mention Jenine Alexander’s Tiny House Blog which is more focused on found materials and salvaged parts.
  • Resource Furniture kicks out some awesome multi-use “transformer” furniture.

    My favorite is the table, called the Goliath.
  • Here is a TEDx video from Portland with Dee Williams, who lives in a tiny house, and gives us some great reasons why one might want to do the same.
  • Venture into the land of prefabricated houses with this retro number:
  • Then it just gets a little ridiculous

Have you got better ideas? Better links? Better videos? Books? Let me know.

Thanks to *faircompanies, who made many of these awesome and inspirational videos.

Fire – DIY, Repurposed, Flammable Accessories

Published on July 6, 2011 in Fun Stuff and Video. 0 Comments

Here are a couple of neat fire-related YouTube videos I stumbled upon these neat ways to start fires, all homemade:

  1. Newspaper, wood and string, suitable for starting a woodburning stove or fireplace.
  2. Char cloth, for the rustic campers – I first saw this made by a crazy man in a top hat, and he was using old underwear as the fabric.
  3. pine cones dipped in wax, not a bad idea for something more crafty and decorative, in this case fitting a holiday / winter theme.
  4. Last but not least, something to put out your fire, a fire extinguisher made from vinegar, water and baking soda in a repurposed soda bottle.