Swood is a Portland, Oregon based company that is making some cool glasses. These glasses seen above are made with Irish Whiskey barrels, other have been made in cool designs and even from recycled skateboards. Just some school for thought. And below is the concept behind the Skate Glasses. Enjoy.
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Over the last couple of months a portion of the down time in the Dog House has been spent reading, tough to believe right! Here are my reviews of two behind the scenes books in regards to movie design and making. written by David Heyman & Brian Sibley All the books are made into films, all the films have been watched (multiple times I might add) and the question has been asked "What do we do now?" The answer I found was to read this book then watch them all again. This book dives into the behind the scenes magic that makes up the eight Harry Potter Films, from Hogwarts to Gringotts and all in between. It brings to light set and character design, costume and makeup, special effects and even all the print design for packaging and newsprint in the movies. With an entertaining setup and interesting tidbits this books is a great exploration into what it really took to bring the book series to life in the big screen. If you like Harry Potter you should check this book out. written by Jody Duncan & Lisa Fitzpatrick On the topic of behind the scenes this book is a little more technical in the fact that there was not alot behind the scenes. Director James Cameron waited to make this film until technology could allow him to make the film he saw in his head, a good thing he waited. This book explains and explores the way that the film was shot on a soundstage with everyone covered in dots for the facial recognition software. It also shows how the six-legged creatures of Pandora came to be and connections between our world and the world that is years away. For a movie geek who likes the nitty gritty into a production this is a book to check out, or if you love technology and the creative drive you will dig it as well. To end this post, both books are highly recommended if you or someone you know loves movies in and out.
It is an odd fact, for me at least, that the more one travels the less the want to stay in one place. You fly around the country logging well over ten thousand miles, in one month and that only includes flying. You then wander new cities and you have caught it. The exploration bug, the usual mundane life seems even slower you read articles about others adventures and try and figure a way to make them your own.
I travel alot, over 62,400 miles in 2011. And that is only an estimate. The traveling is great, the job that is is for is awesome, everything is very adventure ready. So for 2012, even though we are a couple months in at the moment, it is the year of Adventure. With the White Stag leading the way, no references to Harry Potter please, we are ready to tackle what is new and explore the hell out of it. After six days caught in the hustle and bustle of Outdoor Retailer descending upon Salt Lake City here are some things that caught the dogs attention while there. Traveling there is always a task from the East Coast, with layovers, time changes and being dropped in the mountains it seems to be alot of a hassle. However, when the lights go on and the doors open the show is a great place to wander. With new clothing, hard goods, and technologies housed within one of the largest buildings this Dog has ever had the pleasure to get Stranded in. Although catering to winter sports there are some great things to be seen, and great people to meet. Whether it is friends that you haven't seen in months to new people that you just met OR seems to be a place of exploration. So if you ever get a chance to attend this fun event, do it. You will love every day.
Have you ever noticed that when you are at a special event like weddings, concerts or say New Year's Eve parties, that you create friends for that night. One's that you may never see again. During the course you talk about anything, there are no repercussions, you barely know each other. You may dance together, share drinks or just simple conversation, but for one night they are your friend.
Now take yourself two miles into the woods, to a cabin with no running water, no showers and only a wood stove. That is where one of the best New Year's for the Stranded Dog has been. Not the first time into the cabin, nor the last, just the most memorable. The people there were from all walks of life; military, teachers, social workers, and social media specialists. The caretaker of the cabin, a former Air Force mechanic turned wilderness education teacher and caretaker talks of skiing and climbing, while others have in depth discussions about different beer styles. To listen to the conversations is enjoyable. The warmth of the wood stove, the smells of the open cook area, the yips of a three month old husky looking for someone to play with. These are the things that surround you. As time goes on you get closer to the conversations until you are a part of it. Giving insight into ones own life and experiences. The night continues until the countdown begins... 5...4...3...2...1!!! Happy New Year's!!! You high five your new friends, kiss your loved ones and enjoy the moment. When you wake in the morning you pack your sleeping bag and other gear out of the unheated bunk room you slept in. As you make your way through the main cabin you say your "Good-Byes" over a quick breakfast. Then you are back on the trail on your way back to your everyday life. Will you remember those people you shared the moment with? Hopefully you will, and if you don't you might be able to have some more One Night Stand Friends at the next event in your life. As I perused social media outlets over a bagel and glass of OJ I came across something that actually made me read not only one but three articles. It might have been that I had just returned from an early morning surf check but I was feeling rather "up and at 'em."
What originally caught my eye was a simple post from Korduroy TV via Twitter: Check out the article "Defense (and Condemnation) of the Hipster" about Dane Reynolds and Chris Mauro's recent... Recent what, love child, collaboration of genius ideas. Tell me!! Chris is a former editor of Surfer Magazine and Dane is, well Dane, a fresh of the WCT with some amazing surfing. No it was not as great as I had hoped. It was about the little tiff going on between the two. After reading not only the article on Korduroy TV's website, I continued to read Mauro's original hit to Dane and Dane's "sixteen hundred word" comeback. After I processed all the information I came to the final decision of what it all breaks down to. Mauro is a former editor of one of the world's most respected surf magazines giving his opinion on one of the pros on the WCT. Reynolds is a former WCT competitor who is trying to find his place in the surf world, whether it be as a competitor or as a free-surfer. Either way Korduroy TV brought this to the attention of the Stranded Dog and my opinion falls in line with Korduroy's, except that when you are in the spot light like both Mauro and Reynolds you just need to get used to the fact that people have opinions. Deal with it. Korduroy TV's Article Chris Mauro's Article Dane Reynolds Article And on the topic, I am not a fan of hipsters. At all. But Dane can surf really well. Timeslice is at it agin with some more mind-blowing collaboration with Rip Curl.They raised the bar when the shot the original Rip Curl Mirage video in the wave pool at Malaysia's Sunway Lagoon Hotel. Now they have taken their "bullet time" technology where it belongs. In the open ocean. They have created smaller camera setups that allow them to go into the waves and shoot similar "bullet time," with only a little less rotation. Check out for your self. Check out the full article here at Core77.
Yes all the info in the movie above is correct. It all started with some pain down in the junk. I blamed it on going from a job where I stood for eight to twelve hours a day to where I could drive a hundred or so miles a day. Sitting in a car is not the best for you. When I had a physical I brought it up to my doctor. He thought it was just nerve related but to be sure he had me get an ultrasound. That gave me the news I didn't want to hear. A week later a new doctor, my new urological surgeon, informed me of the cancer they had found in my testicle. This was on September 27th, 2011. It was the day after I had gotten home from a week long trip for work bringing me to a climbing and music festival. They scheduled the surgery for October 13th, a little over two weeks away. The next week October 3rd I had my final checkup, my brother Randy who lives down outside of Philly, PA came up for the day to be there. I think the urologist was surprised to see myself with both my parents, my brother and my fiance Amy all in a room no larger than ten feet squared. It was very reassuring to have my family there with me. The surgery went without an issue and there were more than enough laughs while I was there. It is easier for me to joke about it, that way it wouldn't wear me down. The humor continued after the anesthesia wore off, when my surgeon came to check on me I informed him of my concern. " Hey you guys should be on the lookout.... I think there is someone stealing testicles around here..."
A week resting and now I am back to work. It is amazing how one simple thing can change your life forever. That is why Movember means so much to me. This is why I am growing a moustache to change the face of men's After traveling quite heavily for a month visiting family, friends and working the tail off the dog is back home. A quick trip to the doc's has me on the couch for a couple of days. Wish I could say rest was a good thing, but with more energy than I know what to do with the couch is not my friend. Enough said. Stay tuned to see what happens when energy and couch meet.
After another good day shooting with James and Perry here is what came out of it. Enjoy Hurricane Irene from Kristopher Kimball on Vimeo. |
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