Labyrinth
This labyrinth was created within an arboretum in Vancouver, Canada. A design when seen from above shows graphic similaraties with many prehistoric cultural symbols; the Spiral, the Circle, the Mandala…
Labyrinths are made to be walked in a spirit of reflection and meditation. Within the last few years some churches are installing these in common areas.
A very useful online resource for finding labyrinths is the World Wide Labyrinth Locator, you’ll be surprised how many of these paths exist.
I encourage you to walk a labyrinth if you have the chance, you will feel something out of the ordinary whether from heightened concentration, spirituality or maybe you’re just getting dizzy..
Survey for Expansion
This survey worker in Las Vegas sums up the city well. Expansion and growth in a place that cannot justify it’s existence from an environmental standpoint.
“Hey, let’s build a big city in the middle of the desert with no water!”
I’ve only been to Vegas once, before going I was asked if I would be doing any gambling. Are you crazy? The city itself is a monument to currency lost. How could a city like this be sustained if the out of town gamblers actually won more than they lost?
Vend-o-Bait
What better way to purchase worms, nightcrawlers and salted minnows than a repurposed soda vending machine? These machines spring up on the edges of town near fishing spots that in the past had full service Bait Shops. The convenience of buying fresh bait 24/7 is beneficial to night time fisherpersons.
“..disturb the animals.”
A sign like this at a public aquarium virtually guarantees that people will tap on the glass.
Grillin’ Beans (Men ONLY!)
Watch out women and children, there’s a new MANLY product on the shelves that may be too strong for you!
Notice the macho red and black text, the steam/smoke rising from the letters. These must be some strong beans!
Grillin’ Men aren’t afraid to buy these in the store, these ain’t no wussy beans fer cookin’ on a stove while wearin’ an apron! And if ya get messy while at your manly grill, wipe your hands on yer pants!
Stand back women kids there’s a MAN cookin’ MANLY products on his MANLY grill!
An Effective Warning (or a good name for a band)
This loading dock door on an abandoned building warns anyone entering that one step in leads to a scummy pit of motor oil, dead pidgeons and garbage. I wonder, if this ’sign’ would stand up in a court of law as an effective warning? Meanwhile the building has been razed.
“Just draw it on there…”
This Map in a Las Vegas Casino shows locations of various places in the building, but they forgot to put a “You are Here” icon. Fortunately, someone drew in an arrow and dot. Thousands of dollars of design and production and one important thing forgotten…
Us and Tech
We are citizens of a media culture who are constantly potentially distracted by ever increasing sources of information. Dozens of choices of how we receive data, from paper snail mail to wireless gadgets that keep us connected. Every year more hardware allows us more instantaneous contact with people, data and places.
How will our behavior evolve as more devices with faster feedback, quicker connectivity and larger screens become ubiquitous? What do these technological advances do to our interaction with time and place?
We have already begun to see a shift in how we interact with each other, how we view the world and our relationship to time. We can be ‘Friends’ with someone we never have met in person; we can make a photograph in a remote location and distribute it to a potential worldwide audience quickly and easily. Instant online transactions supersede days of letter carrier deliveries.
What drives the new ways of communicating? The allure of instant contact, anytime from anywhere. Call a friend on their cell phone; we still play the game “Guess where I am?” The connection may have static, but location could be Bolivia to Boston, Moscow to the Antilles. Location is flexible, friends/data/content are in a nearby time zone or half way across the world. When our friend is sleeping in Madagascar, our digital representatives will facilitate connecting later.