Swamped the last few days, still in connecticut, my sister graduated summa cum laude, distinction, phi beta kappa, etc etc etc so super proud of her, and been devoting the last few days to her (and selling off all her stuff, and packing, ahhh the end of university… and moving off to grad school)… So minimal energy/time to get to post lately, hope you’ll all forgive me!

Also trying to get the resume/portfolio all revamped with what little bits of energy i have tonight… (yes thats kind of a super mini preview of a page) So the serious new job hunt is ON! Scared to divulge much, but if people are feeling helpful, or want to see, drop me a line… its a work in progress at the moment. [p.s. congrats again to the sis!!!]

For the paranoid or over-prepared… or like cool images. Seemed link a good link to keep track of… but i had a window closing problem and forget where i found this link from. Here is the Real Time Forecast of Earthquake Hazard in the next 24 Hours in California.

Not only being my definition for “design” versus art… We-Make-Money-Not-Art is the site of all sites. It is the biggest inspiration i had through my year of Interaction design Masters, and the singular site that turned me on to reading blogs in the first place (no offense other sites i still love to read). This post should have come a long time ago, but feelin’ nostalgic tonight… Regine has seriously the best collection/archive of interactive/tech projects out there i have found anywhere (and i have spent quite some time doing a TON of research in the field). If she printed an annual each year, i might have to subscribe, just b/c it would be a great reference to have for anyone in the industry.

So just incase (and i’m sure there are very few) there are readers who don’t read We-Make-Money-Not-Art daily. Get to it.

I feel like i have been Shaolin Shroomed. Really. Anyhow, sorry for the delays/skips in posting this week, i guess most people have started to notice i’m a bit sporatic in the posts. Maybe that’s what makes me different from some of the sites that save up so they have stuff for everyday, you get it when i find it, and am super excited about it. Not much fun any other way. [feel free to differ and tell me, i can pretend to stock up maybe =P ]

Anyhow, braveland had these new awesome designs, and this one felt like the travelling that has kicked my ass from San Diego to Los Angeles to Philly to Hartford and now i’ve just arrived to New Haven (Yale Graduation). So yes, TIRED. But a few cool things that i think may possibly be cool simply b/c i was in such a dazed state, but in case, check them out (i might add pics later)…
ZIP-LINQs!!! Super fun retractable cables of all sorts, light weight, fun to play with, and uber-functional. I picked up a USB for my digicam/ext hd. can’t stop playing with it. so mesmerizing.
ZIP-KORDs!!! Much like the linqs but different. Slightly. I got the sony ericsson charger. Couldn’t resist, saves so much tangled messes.
FOM! TRAVEL FOM! … You know those brookstone started “FOM” pillows that are in lycra and all little foamy pellet lightness inside? Amazingly comforting to smoosh? Well i guess my travels have been too international the last few years, i have failed to notice the brookstones in every airport? (or is this new?) but there are travel FOM, from mini pillows, mini cylindar pillows, those around the neck things, even eye pillows (and furry ones, and animal prints too, yikes!) I was tempted. Maybe on the way back, my neck is killing me. [p.s. and apparently they are so new the whole line isn’t even online yet? and they come in nice travel packaging, and with little airplane keychains on them. reasonable at 20$]

Sorry for the delays today, and due to a lot of questions lately… this is a quickie on me (well slightly). As for the delay, during a weekend of backpacking i was tech free, so no posts, but much contemplation of the meaning of life [and design].

1 - What am i?
2 - What is Notcot? [see after the jump]
3 - Design week? month? year? [see after the jump]
- …what you should be reading/watching…

1 - First things first, with regards to what i am (many have been asking, few have yet to be answered)… ideally i’m a conceptual designer/theorist focused on the roles/impact of technology on our interactions with environments… practically i am trained with a master’s in interaction/experience design + research experience/interest in HCI/Usability + BA in Interdisciplinary Computing in the Arts + a math minor + [with real world experience from graphic design - branding - web - idea marinating - marketing - automotive research - industrial design - business]…

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Ciao ciao* Sorry for the delay (and welcome all the new readers who found us from Design*Sponge’s lovely shout out)… running off for the weekend to Coachella… should be a fun weekend of music, sun, and old friends =) but back on things come monday i hope!

UPDATE: Festival was great… amazing hot dry, now rather tan weekend… got to live on a ranch and play with ponies… music was fun… MIA was more bizarre/good in person than i imagined… Snow Patrol was incredible… i colud watch Chemical Bros Visual 2D imagery for ages… Definitely the ultimate viewing spot for amazing tee shirt and body art!!! And Coachella Boutique was a great idea (giving artist/funky designers a chance to do limited tees and merch)… neighborhoodies, low clothing, cardboard robot were all there as well… more posts to come on some goodies when i get up and at it in a few.

How did no one ever show me how cute baby octopi are? While the news story is about how at the last moment before scientists were about to give up on and octopus and her eggs… the most enticing part of the article is this image.

I think i might have been the last to hear about this, but its been a mixed crowd so far that i found heard about it, so i’m posting anyways. HICK-hop. 6’5” african american guy who mixes rap-country-rock. Toured with Tim McGraw, has writeups in BBC, USA Today, NPR, and loads more… changing the way you hear music… second most downloaded today on itunes apparently on its 3rd day? (according to sd’s 94.9 that i caught on the drive down today).

Some hate it, some love it. But it’s one of those cultural medleys you just have to try out, regardless. So go give “i play chicken with the train” a listen… and see what you make of Cowboy Troy. It’s a trip.

Not a review, not a post of more things you want to buy, just a question. On daily post sites/blogs/rants. Are there rules to this? I mean anyone can get some webspace, find an engine like Moveable Type, and hit the web running with content, ideas, images, absolutely anything. So is there an unspoken code for newbies? Proper do’s and don’ts? For example Patrick Bennett commented today and asked why i hadn’t emailed him about posting about him, am i supposed to? Email everyone i talk about?

Also on content. I read a lot of sites, blog like, art like, friend’s randoms… so i tend not to repost things i find, as much fun as they might be… all the other sites seem to do that enough themselves. Should i be? Showing you the things that intruigue me?

And on feeling late… so many things i have/use end up blogged on other sites which starts that possibly competitive “i had that ages ago” feeling. Should i post all i find as i find it? … examples that craiglist rentals+google (BRILLIANT), the silly egg timer mom gave me a few months ago, Tiger launch, gheehappy’s indian gods on boing boing today after i posted about it?

So just curious, as readers, browsers of the internet, fellow daily posters… whats the proper code of conduct? or is this back to the wild wild west, and the rules themselves are just beginning to evolve?

OOhh new weezer album? Although i’m not sure about that “beverly hills” song… weezer has always been somewhat amusing, and around since the early 90’s, and still function as my feel better driving cd’s. And at least now there’s a chance at hearing some of the new stuff at Coachella…

… and on another note, this is my 100th post! which feels like i need to celebrate… and it also so happens to be Vegas’ 100th Centennial as well. So while not my celebration, but another 100th party, not to mention FREE… Red Hot Chili Peppers and Weezer in Vegas on July 2nd… not sure how to get tickets, but it says to come back to the site on April 18th. Happy 100th! (to notcot + vegas + hope to see you there!)

April Fool’s Day. But i didn’t find this today. I found it many many days ago, and it is puzzling and bizarre yet strangely funny. So hm, go Rent-A-German!

Did I miss something?  Is “elmo” the new “smurf?”  Someone, who shall remain nameless, tried to open up Adobe ImageReady CS for the first time, and got this interesting error message of “Could not elmo!!!!! The Great Elmo!!!!”  Hmm.

Everybody’s favorite cartoon band is back.  Well, they’re MY favorite cartoon band at least.  I’m talking about Gorillaz.  They have a new single & video out, called “Feel Good, Inc.”  The floating windmill in the video reminds me of Hiyao Miyazaki’s “Castle in the Sky.”  However, I don’t know why the hell he’s singing about a windmill.  And why is there gyrating cartoon ass in the video?  Anyway, Gorillaz’ new album, “Demon Days”, is to be released on May 23, and the single will be out on May 9.

Links to check out the video can be found on their fansite here:
http://fans.gorillaz.com/news.php

Ok so I’ve always wondered what the right way to fold clothes was. Maybe it’s all those years of obsessive origami training. This video totally blows me away though.

For all I know this is an old trick, but it’s totally made my day.

cloth_folding.mpeg

How could anyone make one more charity silicon bracelet? After LiveStrong everyone had been jumping on the bracelet bandwagon, but this one is for the Humane Society, and Urban Decay has been very animal conscious with their products from the beginning. So this one’s for them.

We don’t do animal testing, and we never have. A lot of you buy our makeup for that very reason. Thanks to Sandy Lerner, an animal activist who co-founded the brand, every single Urban Decay product proudly sports our cruelty-free motto: “We don’t do animal testing. How could anyone?” 100% of Urban Decay’s profits from this bracelet will be donated to our friends at The Humane Society of the United States, with a minimum donation of $25,000. We believe in their work, and encourage you to check them out! —- URBAN DECAY

But seriously, where do all of these go? You know people must be buying loads of them for their various organizations, but how many people do you really see wearing them anymore? Given the indestructable (relatively) nature of the bracelets, i think we need to find some new uses for them… slip a few around a water bottle to make it slip-resistant? keychains? cable ties? let me know what you think of… to get your creative juices flowing a visual repository of random bands follows.

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