Does surburbia make us porkers?

Very interesting article which covers studies that reveal correlations between obesity and urban design. I really dothink urban design influences our mobility habits. I used to live in a surburban neighborhood with nothing within walking distance and I obviously drove everywhere. Now I live and work in downtown Dallas and bike everyday to and fro. Sad thing is I'm still fat!
Weighing In on City Planning: Science News Online, Jan. 20, 2007

via boingboing

White Copenhagen is here!

As someof you know I had a silver Copenhagen that I sold since the frame was a bit small for me - it was a medium frame. I ended up buying a large frame Copenhagen in Aspen Pearl White and I must say I'm very impressed withthe paint quality. The white finish has an actual clearcoat gloss that gives the paint much more depth. the silver one was a matte finish. In case you didn't know, the color consultant for Biomega is Beatrice Santiccoli, who also works with Apple and Nike, among others.

Brooks Saddle Team Pro Outta Here

I'm selling my Brooks Team Pro if anyone is intersted. I didn't like the way it looked on the white Copenhagen.

Brooks for sale

For you Biomega Copenhagen and MN aficionados..

NY mag has a piece on the designer behind these models, Marc Newson. It covers some history, his philosophy towards design and thankfully, a peer into his home in Paris.

Smooth Move

On urban bike culture from NYT mag

The mag has a nice piece about the bike courier culture influence on ancillary products like messenger bags, bikes and overall urban culture. Nice read for any bike enthusiasts.

Biker Chic

Brooks Saddle on Biomega

As many of you know I recently purchased a Biomega Copenhagen. Suffice it to say the bike has been amazing. One major dislike however is the stripper thong seat. I'm not a bike tights wearing guy...I simply ride to get to work so I felt I needed something to go a little better with the work garb. I never figured the Brooks Saddle classic-ness would jive with the Copenhagen's modernism until I saw the Selanda from Sogreni. I truly fell in love with the juxtaposition of modern and classic so I purchased the Brooks Professional saddle in honey and will be posting pics soon.

Top 5 Bikes and no Biomega?

Over at coolhunting they have a post on their favorite 5 bikes. I know it's completely subjective but how could they not include Biomega? If you guys are listening...I'd like to know your thoughts on this. Cheers.

Biomega Copenhagen

I recently purchased a Copenhagen bike from Biomega and it's absolutely amazing looking. One little thing has been bothering me though. When riding it, I can hear and feel (through pedals) a slight knocking sound that sounds with every revolution. I'm not sure if this is normal since it's a shaft driven bike but it didn't make the noise when new.

dallas modern home tour

the home tour was amazing. got to see some really neat ju-nel homes that i never knew existed. take a looksy.

modern home tour

more culture in dallas

this should be a hoot

Urban Arts Festival

This is the first segment of our podcast - Así viene el Sandwich


MP3 File

hispanic forum poraqui

back at cultura, the hispanic agency i'm employed at, we've been working on creating a public anonymous forum for the US hispanic consumer. poraqui as it exists is still only in phase 1. here you can leave your opinion on any of the listed topics...express an honest opinion in complete anonymity.

phase 2, due out very soon will eclipse phase 1 in both scope and freedom of expression. stay tuned.


poraqui

Terrible customer service at Marble Slab Creamery

and refreshing customer service at Cold Stone Creamery

mexico

mexico

co-existence of creativity and constraint

businessweek's innovation section has a wondderful article on how google embraces constraint to foster truly creative solutions. it's worth a read.

the art comics

i ran into kazu kibuishi's step by step process for creating comics and i couldn't help but be reminded of the planning process. kazu first drafts thumbnails and then refines them into rough versions and only then does he begin inking, in effect showing some sign of permanence. although most of us use a computer to craft strategies from inception, i guarantee the process would be much more fruitful if we used the kazu method - pencil first (to show mutability), then the ink (to show signs of permanence, and finally the digital (to show final polishing).

house of kul

over the weekend i discovered a gem that any modernist would love. kul resides in an unbelievably kul space in the heart of downtown dallas, which i might add is experiencing a much needed resurgence. on the first floor you have a vast retail space that sells eva solo items, eric pfeiffer designs, miscellaneous modern accessories and even some lovely designs the owners have conconcted like a chair made of maple skateboards...how kul is that. wait....it gets even better. on the floor of the retail space you'll notice several transparent acrylic panels that provide hints of yet another treasure. the basement floor of kul houses a spectacular gallery that houses works of art by local artists. they not only host gallery openings but they also rent out the space for parties, weddings or whatever you want. it's definitely a must visit.







see the rest here

modern design lovers

dwell magazine, the resource for all things modern, has a great community site, livemodern, where you can chitchat with other modern design lovers. it's the perfect resource when you need advice or when you can provide it.

happy new year

blurring the line between brand and lifestyle

while traveling last week i ran into the samsung lounge, which was very strategically placed next to starbucks. the lounge is the perfect alternative for those who don't have an admiral's club membership or simply want a more intimate space as opposed to the stiff benches in the gate areas. they have comfortable leather seating, plasma screens, internet connected pc workstations and wireless internet....all for the price of free. it's a great way to experience the samsung lifestyle.

any home can smell great with er'go candles

er'go creates some wonderfully smelling soy candles in scents like chai tea, ginger grapefruit and currant. they are infused with so much scent one need not even light them to envelope a room in great smell.

"er'go, pronounced 'air-go' was founded in 1999 with the idea of introducing a new candle concept to the world the marriage of Premium Fragrance together with natural SOY wax; thus, establishing er'go as "The Original Premium Fragrance Soy Candle". Little did we know at the time, that the soy phenomenon was about to change the candle industry forever. Soy waxes are now becoming common in the marketplace, with er'go strongly established as a pioneer in this new industry.
We HAND POUR our candles in our own facility in Dallas Texas, where we implement a standard of quality & maintain an energy of Love & Peace."

beautiful art within reach

i recently purcased a beautiful work of art by an artist named stewart boswell. his art has so much depth and conflict. it's really a reflection of his life. i just had to share his art so i created a blog for him...take a look

my squidoo lens

by now most of you have heard of seth's latest venture....squidoo. i just created my lens.....take a look

mercedes world music

mercedes benz has a great insight into their core consumer. the core mercedes buyer is affluent and cultured. they enjoy new experiences that add to their knowledge as it's reflection on them. hence, mercedes created mixed tape to feed the minds of their cosnumer.

"For the tenth time in a row Mercedes-Benz Mixed Tapes offers a platform for music that knows no bounds: 15 talented newcomers from four continents present the sound of tomorrow – available here as a free-of-charge MP3 download compilation.

A moving experience – not only in your Mercedes-Benz."

congratualtions....

a big congrats to cultura for winning the snickers advertising account. it was a great ride getting there and we have much more to go. it will be a hoot. great job team.