October 8, 2017 Sticky

The Life and Works of Dieter Rams

Dieter Rams (born 20 May 1932 in Wiesbaden, Hessen) is a German industrial designer closely associated with the company Braun.

Dieter Rams (born 20 May 1932 in Wiesbaden, Hessen) is a German industrial designer closely associated with the company Braun.

Dieter Rams (born 20 May 1932 in Wiesbaden, Hessen) is a German industrial designer closely associated with the consumer products company Braun and the Functionalist school of industrial design.

Rams began studies in architecture and interior decoration at Wiesbaden School of Art in 1947. Soon after in 1948, he took a break from studying to gain practical experience and conclude his carpentry apprenticeship. He resumed studies at Wiesbaden School of Art in 1948 and graduated with honours in 1953 after which he began working for Frankfurt based architect Otto Apel. In 1955, he was recruited to Braun as an architect and an interior designer. In addition, in 1961, he became the Chief Design Officer at Braun until 1995.

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March 18, 2018

A Photo Gallery

Just a collection of various images, presented with Sullivans gallery styling.

To replicate the gallery on your own site running Sullivan, create a new post, select the gallery post format and embed a image gallery at the very top of your post content. Sullivan will automatically display it as a slideshow at the top of the post.

September 27, 2017

A Trip to the North

Kebnekaise is the highest mountain in Sweden. It lies in Lapland, about 150 kilometres north of the Arctic Circle and west of Kiruna.

Kebnekaise is the highest mountain in Sweden. It lies in Lapland, about 150 kilometres north of the Arctic Circle and west of Kiruna.

Kebnekaise (Swedish pronunciation: [ˈkɛbnəˈkaisə]; from Sami Giebmegáisi or Giebnegáisi, “Cauldron Crest”) is the highest mountain in Sweden. The Kebnekaise massif, which is part of the Scandinavian Mountains, has two peaks, of which the southern, glaciated one is highest at 2,106 metres (6,909 ft) above sea level at the latest time of measurement. The north top (2,096 metres (6,877 ft)) is free of ice.

Kebnekaise lies in Lapland, about 150 kilometres (ca. 90 miles) north of the Arctic Circle and west of Kiruna near the popular Kungsleden hiking trail between Abisko and Nikkaluokta.

The glacier which covers the southern peak has shrunk, and therefore the summit is not as high as earlier. The top is traditionally said to be 2,111 metres (6,926 ft), and higher in the oldest measurement, i.e. 2,117 metres (6,946 ft). If the melting continues at the same rate, the south peak will sink below the north peak (which is the highest fixed point in Sweden) within a few years’ time.

A mountain lodge, Kebnekaise mountain lodge (Kebnekaise fjällstation), is located at the foot of Kebnekaise, ca. 19 km, 6–7 hours from Nikkaluokta. It is the starting point for an ascent via the western route (västra leden, ca. 13 km, 4–6 hours to the summit) or the eastern route (östra leden, ca. 10 km, 3–5 hours to the summit). The western route leads over scree slopes and the intermediate peak Vierranvárri to the glaciated summit.

View from Vierranvárri
View from Vierranvárri

Most of this route to the top is pure hiking, but there is a short exposed part that could possibly count as scrambling (YDS grade 2). The eastern route leads over glaciers and rocks and offers exposure (YDS grade 4). It is however equipped with fixed steel cables for protection, similar to a via ferrata.

The oldest of the cabins close to the peak; standing at an 1880 meter altitude, built in 1924. There is also a third, more uncommon route only marked with cairns – “Durlings led”, which branches off Kungsleden a few kilometers north of Singi, goes about two kilometers into the southern side of Singivagge, and then turns north into the valley between Kuopertjåkka and Singipakte (peak 1614).

Some people, such as those with acrophobia or wanting to summit with heavy backpacks, may see benefits with this route as not a single point on it is exposed. “Durlings led” eventually merges with the western route close to the summit.

November 12, 2016

Review: MacBook Air 13″ 2013

The Air was designed to balance both performance and portability; it has a full-sized keyboard design and a machined aluminium casing with extremely low weight and thickness.

The Air was designed to balance both performance and portability; it has a full-sized keyboard design and a machined aluminium casing with extremely low weight and thickness.

The Air was designed to balance both performance and portability; it has a full-sized keyboard design and a machined aluminium casing with extremely low weight and thickness.

The MacBook Air is designed for thinness; it is also lighter than most competing models. The computer features a glossy LED backlit display and a full-size keyboard, as well as a large trackpad that responds to Multi-Touch gestures such as pinching, swiping, and rotating. With the release of Mac OS X Snow Leopard, the Air’s multi-touch trackpad also supports handwriting recognition of Chinese characters.

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July 12, 2016

The Story of Love Locks

A love lock or love padlock is a padlock which sweethearts lock to a bridge, fence, gate, or similar public fixture to symbolize their love.

A love lock or love padlock is a padlock which sweethearts lock to a bridge, fence, gate, or similar public fixture to symbolize their love.

Typically the sweethearts’ names or initials are inscribed on the padlock, and its key is thrown away to symbolise unbreakable love. Since the 2000s, love locks have proliferated at an increasing number of locations worldwide. They are often treated by municipal authorities as litter or vandalism, and there is some cost to their removal.

History

Most Ljubavi – the bridge of love
Most Ljubavi – the bridge of love

The history of love padlocks dates back at least 100 years to a melancholy Serbian tale of World War I, with an attribution for the bridge Most Ljubavi (lit. the Bridge of Love) in spa town of Vrnjačka Banja. A local schoolmistress named Nada, who was from Vrnjačka Banja, fell in love with a Serbian officer named Relja. After they committed to each other Relja went to war in Greece where he fell in love with a local woman from Corfu. As a consequence, Relja and Nada broke off their engagement. Nada never recovered from that devastating blow, and after some time she died due to heartbreak from her unfortunate love. As young women from Vrnjačka Banja wanted to protect their own loves, they started writing down their names, with the names of their loved ones, on padlocks and affixing them to the railings of the bridge where Nada and Relja used to meet.

In rest of Europe, love padlocks started appearing in the early 2000s. The reasons love padlocks started to appear vary between locations and in many instances are unclear. However, in Rome, the ritual of affixing love padlocks to the bridge Ponte Milvio can be attributed to the 2006 book I Want You by Italian author Federico Moccia, who made a film adaptation in 2007.

Legends and superstitions

On some locations the padlocks have been given almost legendary or superstitious character.

  • In Fengyuan, Taiwan, love padlocks affixed to an overpass at the city’s train station are often affixed in pairs. These locks are known as “wish locks” and local legend holds that the magnetic field generated by trains passing underneath will cause energy to accumulate in the locks and fulfill the wishes.
  • On a fountain in Montevideo in Uruguay, a plaque is affixed to the front of the fountain that provides an explanation in both English and Spanish. The English version of the text reads, “The legend of this young fountain tells us that if a lock with the initials of two people in love is placed in it, they will return together to the fountain and their love will be forever locked.”

February 10, 2016

Hotel Nowhere

Each year, Nixon organise one of the wildest and remote surf contests on the planet. Ten of the best European surfers are invited to an unknown surf destination, to battle against their own fears & human limits without the pressures of the public or the press.

Each year, Nixon organise one of the wildest and remote surf contests on the planet. Ten of the best European surfers are invited to an unknown surf destination, to battle against their own fears & human limits without the pressures of the public or the press.

Each year, Nixon organise one of the wildest and remote surf contests on the planet. Ten of the best European surfers are invited to an unknown surf destination, to battle against their own fears & human limits without the pressures of the public or the press.

An unexpected quest, one where the only enemy is yourself and your best ally is nature, in its rawest, purest form. In June 2014, the wild terrain of Kamchatka, Russia, was chosen to host this uncommon event. The Nixon Surf Challenge.

January 2, 2016

Why I’m Moving to Italy

When I tell people that I'm moving to Italy, they usually ask what I'll be doing there (teaching English) and how I came to my decision to do that.

When I tell people that I'm moving to Italy, they usually ask what I'll be doing there (teaching English) and how I came to my decision to do that.

Since I get asked this so much, I thought this might be a good thing to write about.

Antwerp

During my junior year of college, I studied abroad in Antwerp, Belgium for three months. I had an absolute blast there and grew so much as a person, and officially caught the travel bug. That March, I went to Nicaragua for an alternative spring break trip. During that trip, our group got to sit in with a class at the university in Leon, with a group of students who spoke English fairly well.

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May 17, 2015

The Achievement of a Lifetime

The Brooklyn Bridge was initially designed by German immigrant John Augustus Roebling, who had previously designed and constructed shorter suspension bridges, such as Roebling's Delaware Aqueduct in Lackawaxen, Pennsylvania, Waco Suspension Bridge in Waco, Texas, and the John A. Roebling Suspension Bridge in Cincinnati, Ohio.

The Brooklyn Bridge was initially designed by German immigrant John Augustus Roebling, who had previously designed and constructed shorter suspension bridges, such as Roebling's Delaware Aqueduct in Lackawaxen, Pennsylvania, Waco Suspension Bridge in Waco, Texas, and the John A. Roebling Suspension Bridge in Cincinnati, Ohio.

The Brooklyn Bridge was initially designed by German immigrant John Augustus Roebling, who had previously designed and constructed shorter suspension bridges, such as Roebling’s Delaware Aqueduct in Lackawaxen, Pennsylvania, Waco Suspension Bridge in Waco, Texas, and the John A. Roebling Suspension Bridge in Cincinnati, Ohio.

John Augustus Roebling

While conducting surveys for the bridge project, Roebling sustained a crush injury to his foot when a ferry pinned it against a piling. After amputation of his crushed toes he developed a tetanus infection which left him incapacitated and soon resulted in his death, not long after he had placed his 32-year-old son Washington Roebling in charge of the project. Washington Roebling also suffered a paralyzing injury as a result of decompression sickness shortly after the beginning of construction on January 3, 1870. This condition, first called “caisson disease” by the project physician Andrew Smith, afflicted many of the workers working within the caissons. Roebling’s debilitating condition left him unable to physically supervise the construction firsthand.

Roebling conducted the entire construction from his apartment with a view of the work, designing and redesigning caissons and other equipment. He was aided by his wife Emily Warren Roebling who provided the critical written link between her husband and the engineers on site. Under her husband’s guidance, Emily studied higher mathematics, the calculations of catenary curves, the strengths of materials, bridge specifications, and the intricacies of cable construction. She spent the next 11 years assisting Washington Roebling, helping to supervise the bridge’s construction.

May 10, 2015

Drink More Coffee, Developers

Coffee is a brewed beverage with a distinct aroma and flavor, prepared from the roasted seeds of the Coffea plant. The seeds are found in coffee cherries, which grow on trees cultivated in over 70 countries.

Coffee is a brewed beverage with a distinct aroma and flavor, prepared from the roasted seeds of the Coffea plant. The seeds are found in coffee cherries, which grow on trees cultivated in over 70 countries.

Coffee is a brewed beverage with a distinct aroma and flavor, prepared from the roasted seeds of the Coffea plant. The seeds are found in coffee cherries, which grow on trees cultivated in over 70 countries.

Roasting coffee transforms the chemical and physical properties of green coffee beans into roasted coffee products. The roasting process is what produces the characteristic flavor of coffee by causing the green coffee beans to expand and to change in color, taste, smell, and density. Unroasted beans contain similar acids, protein, and caffeine as those that have been roasted, but lack the taste. Heat must be applied for the Maillard and other chemical reactions to occur.

“Among the numerous luxuries of the table…coffee may be considered as one of the most valuable. It excites cheerfulness without intoxication; and the pleasing flow of spirits which it occasions…is never followed by sadness, languor or debility.”

Benjamin Franklin

As green coffee is more stable than roasted, the roasting process tends to take place close to where it will be consumed. This reduces the time that roasted coffee spends in distribution, giving the consumer a longer shelf life. The vast majority of coffee is roasted commercially on a large scale, but some coffee drinkers roast coffee at home in order to have more control over the freshness and flavor profile of the beans.

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May 3, 2015

A Post Without an Image

WordPress is a free and open source blogging tool and a content management system (CMS) based on PHP and MySQL, which runs on a web hosting service. Features include a plugin architecture and a template system. WordPress is used by more than 22.0% of the top 10 million websites as of August 2013. WordPress is the most popular blogging system in use on the Web, at more than 60 million websites. The most popular languages used are English, Spanish and Bahasa Indonesia.

It was first released on May 27, 2003, by its founders, Matt Mullenweg and Mike Little, as a fork of b2/cafelog. As of February 19, 2014, version 3.8 had been downloaded more than 20 million times. The license under which WordPress software is released is the GPLv2 (or later) from the Free Software Foundation.