Maloof Foundation for Arts and Crafts

via Venture Chronicles

In the world of architecture, names like Frank Lloyd Wright and I.M. Pei inspire respect and admiration. In the world of woodworking that same reverence is reserved for a man named Sam Maloof. His influence on American furniture designers and craftsman is so significant that he is recognized by the Smithsonian, and many more institutions of note, with one his signature rocking chairs in their permanent collection.

A couple of days ago Maloof broke ground on a Arts and Crafts education center and gallery on his ranch in the San Gabriel Mountains. The guy is 90 years old and he breaking ground on an education center in his name dedicated to his craft! That kind of drive and dedication simply can’t go without notice, so it’s with that introduction that I point you to the Sam and Alfreda Maloof Foundation for Arts and Crafts.

what's not a whatnot?

whatnot
1540, "anything," from what + not.

... the name of a furniture item, first attested 1808, so named for the objects it is meant to hold.

Find the historical roots of words at Etymology Online

Tool-Free Furniture

Home and small office furniture from Legaré using designs that are easy to put together.

Choose from media centers, corner and straight desks, bookcases and more.

Modular, reversible designs make media and office planning simple and infinite.

You can build an entire system with no tools, no screws or bolts and best of all, no hard labor.

Neat idea

Lumen
Brooklyn’s based artist Adam Frank’s new Lumen is a ‘shadow projector’ – an oil lamp that throws a soft, luminous shadow of a tree on the wall as it glows on your table or shelf.

Good to add a bit of oomph to your candle lit nest.

Corn Stoves For Home Heat

All of the corn stove makers are sold out with long waiting times and sales volumes have more than doubled in the last year to about 150,000 stoves a year according to one report. Why the big demand for corn heating? Corn is a much cheaper source of heat than wood, natural gas, oil, or propane.

Why all the sudden hullabaloo? Simple – nothing costs less to burn at this point than corn, which sells for about $2 per bushel. According to figures provided by Even Temp, maker of the St. Croix line of stoves, the cost per therm for 100,000 British thermal units is 42 cents. The same per therm cost for natural gas is $1.40 and $2.60 for propane (LP). Wood is 64 cents per therm.

More via FuturePundit

High Fidelity Hearing Protection

Etymotic

• Low cost
• Ready-fit
• Replicates the ear's natural response
• Sound quality is preserved
• Speech is clear, not muffled
  

Reduces sound approximately 20 dB at all frequencies

ER•20 High Fidelity Earplugs were developed to provide low-cost, one-size-fits-most high fidelity earplugs that can be used in a variety of noisy environments.

The goal of the ETY•Plug™ design was the same as for Musicians Earplugs: to reduce noise but preserve sound quality; in effect, to turn down the noise but not muffle voices, environmental sounds or music.

Take-along electricity

Juice Bags line is an assortment of powerful carrying products designed for people seeking to stay plugged in.

They're outfitted with a flexible solar panel that represents the latest in high-technology, portable solar power.

Juice Bags come with a built-in Car Lighter Adapter (CLA) socket, just like the one in your car. It's universal. Just plug in the CLA approved for use with your phone, PDA, MP3 player or other 12volt device.

The moment sunlight falls on the Juice Bags' solar panel, the bag generates electricity.

ClicFix

ClicFix from Wiha. Excellent line of tools.

1. Powerful Permanent Magnet combined with ClickFix internal bit lock mechanism provides maximum bit holding force.

2. No fumbling with spring loaded mechanism means ultra fast five second one handed bit changes.

3. Internal Magnet is strong enough to hold both the bit and the screw.

4. Smallest Diameter of any Quick Change Holder for best clearance under 9/16". About $10

turned onto this link by CoolTools

Interesting risk venture

EGTY owns the global license to more than 27 varieties of fast-growing hardwood trees for timber. The fast-growing EGTY trees mature for lumber harvesting in 9 to 12 years instead of the usual 60 to 80. Based on its current resources and agreements, and Asset Technology, Inc. projects revenues of $140 million with an approximate profit margin of 40% for each 9-year tree cycle. The timber product, known as Global Cedar trees, are ready for lumber quickly because the root system is left in place and the new Global Cedar trees grow directly out of the remaining tree stump. Normally, when trees are cut down for lumber, they must have their tree stump pulled out of the ground to prepare for the planting of a new seedling.

Second, under an exclusive agreement, EGTY plans to manufacture and market a simple magnetic device that enhances the efficiency of AC and DC motors. It is anticipated that the FluxStar Magnetic Source of Power will provide an alternative source of energy and power for homes from around the world. The objective of this technology is to eventually eliminate utility bills for the end user.

Good to know

Acuity Brands Lighting is the world's largest lighting fixture manufacturer.

Acuity Specialty Products makes thousands of [brands of] cleaners, deodorizers, and pesticides.

Acuity operates throughout North America and in Europe and Asia with 2005 net sales of approximately $2.2 billion.

Drawings place

Sketchup has added another layer: the Google Earth plug-in, enabling designers the option of exporting their model into Google Earth, so they can view their project....

Structural Analysis

Pole is a great helper for any student who is learning Structural Analysis. The program can analyze statically determined and undetermined plain rod structures for different types of loadings. It allows to create a complex structure with several clicks of a mouse and generate different reports and diagrams. Pole is an excellent tool for learning Structural Mechanics. For many years it's been used by dozens of universities of Russia and former USSR.
More about Pole...

Automatic Kitchen Compost Machine

Automatic Kitchen Compost Machine

The NatureMill automatic compost machine is designed to sit unobtrusively in your kitchen. Its aesthetic may be neutral, but it's a small price to pay for the huge benefits it provides—an estimated landfill savings of more than two tons during its lifetime in a home with a family of four. Plus it generates a large volume of compost automatically—no cultures, worms, fuss or muss—just put food and paper on top, and remove the compost from the bottom. It is even odor free.

Why pay for and transport compost when you can easily make your own? Available online from NatureMill.

a worker gets electrocuted every day

• a worker gets electrocuted every day
• at least five workers are admitted to burn centers

The recovery process from this type of injury is long, painful, and, in many cases, the patient is disfigured and has some level of permanent disability. In the human resources aspect of this, the worker’s life is forever altered. This includes his ability to earn a living, have normal physical activities, and in some cases even his relationship with his loved ones is changed forever.

This scene shows a ball of flame totally engulfing three workers. A worker is propelled 15 feet backwards and lands on his back with his feet in the air. A worker undershirt is melted to his upper body. Don't wear polyester blends!! These melt.

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