Commuting the friendly skies

I've always felt that driving was a past time. Something to be enjoyed and appreciated, although we live in a culture where consumption of fuel, green house gas emissions and OPEC meetings determine the varying amounts of driving that occur these days. This is not the case for the well off citizens who feel that driving has become to pedestrian for them. The problem with driving is that you are burdened by seeing all the undesirable things that exist on the ground, and not only do you see them but at times very close up. Thankfully the people at ICONaircraft have developed the 'everymans' aeroplane. For years the problem has been creating flight for the upper middle class. Before it was just the super wealthy that could afford to buy, maintain and fuel up their own aeroplane and now the ICON A5 has made it possible for moderately wealthy individuals from the Orthodontist down the street to your local Gynecologist sporting these bad boys of the sky. I hope that the ICON A5 becomes the new Porsche for middle aged men who have an over abundant bank account, a prescription for Viagra and a wife that can't show emotion because the botox won't let her. Who has time to worry about those minor details in life when your cruising at 3000ft listening to Bob Seagers greatest hits. I think its a beautiful idea the ICON A5 and priced at $139,000 its obviously a steal. I only care about one thing, does it have somewhere I can plug in my iPod and does it come in red...I've always wanted a playlist on my iPod called 'Captains Flight Mix 1'. Also I hear a complimentary Buddy Holly cd comes with the plane...

Glass Candy

Portland Oregon has two of my favorite things. The first, is the best episode of 'Cops' I have ever seen took place in Portland in 1989 and the second is a band called 'Glass Candy'. Although their myspace may claim they're from Hustle Town, don't let that fool you. The duo features Ida No and Johnny Jewel. They are very much considered an internet phenom band that has gained a great deal of notoriety from the music blogs. They have also been reviewed by the coveted 'Pitchfork Media'.




Glass Candy features a unique post punk 80's infused electronic sound that reminds us what is possible rather then other possibilities. (think about it) I enjoy their sound because it has a nostalgic feeling that throws back to Studio 54 and images of Stevie Nicks, Blondie and Joan Jet flash in my mind. Although I never attended Studio 54 or years earlier Woodstock, I steel feel a deep connection to great music and excessive partying in any period. When I hear Glass Candy I think F. SCott Fitzgerald mixed with Brett Easton Ellis and an undertone of Nick Hornsby sarcasm. The recent studio albums from Glass Candy entitled 'Italians do it better' and 'Beat Box' have been a great success and has enabled Glass Candy to become a regular on Indie stages and clubs around the world. The Cinderella story of a band from Portland. Ida No steps up the mic with a great deal of presence and confidence that makes me wish I knew the secrets of the Incas and Johnny Jewel creates beats that shine brighter then the Lighthouse of Alexandria (one of Seven Wonders of the Ancient World). If Glass Candy were a car they would be the Ford Nucleon (show below).
Glass Candy -Streetlife

Oliver Goldsmith

"Think 20th Century icons. Grace Kelly, Michael Caine, Audrey Hepburn, John Lennon. Think iconic style makers. Givenchy, Dior, Vidal Sassoon. Think iconic films of the Fifties and Sixties. The Ipcress File, Breakfast at Tiffany’s and Two for the Road. They’ve all got one thing in common: Oliver Goldsmith."

Oliver Goldsmith is a family business that was founded in 1926 by Philip Oliver Goldsmith. Goldsmith was a visionary for the eye wear business that believed in creating glasses that were comfortable but stylish and transformed the market overnight. The innovator of the family was Charles Goldsmith who designed glasses that were meant to be sunglasses. Charles helped propel the Oliver Goldsmith name to new heights in the fashion word and became an icon for sunglasses around the world. The famous Goldsmith brothers of the 60's Andrew and Ray goldsmith were integral members of the swinging hipster scene of London and helped advance the brand into the music scene of the 60's.

The Goldsmith name became synonymous with style and taste and the sunglasses were being endorsed by British Royals to celebrities around the world. The Oliver Goldsmith name was also one of the first sunglass companies to be featured in Vogue. The company continues to produce outstanding work with an incredibly high standard for quality and design.

I promise my last post about sunglasses for a while.

Rickshaw- San Francisco- BLOW UP

New Blog post coming== What those crazy kids are getting up to in San Fran

The Dharma... Masdar Initiative

Abu Dhabi is doing big things and it’s going to benefit the world for decades to come. Recently and initiative has begun where Abu Dhabi is working with international partners to create the first city with a zero carbon footprint, it's called 'Masdar'. The city was designed by the British Architectural firm Foster and Partners and it’s a perfect example of DTI. A vastly wealthy country that has gained success through natural resources and international partnerships has decided to create a visionary city of the future. Although the videos and photographs may create thoughts of Utopian cities and the Jetsons, this dream is becoming a reality. Imaginative, Scientific and vastly wealthy people were able to stand at the edge of the dessert and create whatever came to mind. It is not very often that people make the statement, “Money is not object”. For Masdar this was the case.

I’m excited about this project because innovation and concern over environmental impacts has enabled Abu Dhabi to look at the state of the world and realize that a city needed to be built that was a working, breathing and successful world class city that did not rely on antiquated paradigms of the past. Masdar will be a model for new communities around the world. The combination of an environmentally friendly city, that encourages economic growth, but not at the expense of the communities living or environmental standards is a huge leap forward in urban planning.


The vision of Masdar: “Masdar Initiative, a global cooperative platform for open engagement in the search for solutions to some of mankind's most pressing issues: energy security, climate change and truly sustainable human development.”
The creation of a city where research, business and sustainable development will drive economic growth shows great hope for the future. As stated before many civilizations are judged by their impact on history. From the Roman Aqueducts to the Pyramids, many civilizations have left their mark; I believe Masdar is a testament to our generation but also a beacon of hope for environmentalists and developers around the world.
The project is estimated to cost 22 billion dollars. Some of the notable partners that have come on board with Masdar are General Electric, BP, Royal Dutch Shell, Mitsubishi and Rolls Royce to name a few. Photovoltaic solar plants and wind farms will help fuel the city’s need for energy. The projects are being developed with Abu Dhabi’s ‘Future Energy Company’.

Foster and Partners had the following to say in regards to the Masdar project: 'The first project as a result of the Masdar Initiative is a new 6 million square meter sustainable development that uses the traditional planning principals of a walled city, together with existing technologies, to achieve a carbon neutral and zero waste community. Masterplanned by Foster + Partners, the initiative has been driven by the Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company, and will be a centre for the development of new ideas for energy production'.

The University that will be established to help advance the research in sustainable energy is the Masdar Institute of Science and Technology (MIST). The Masdar Initiative is an exciting project that challenges developers around the world to question how cities will be built from now on. The project is estimated to complete in 2027.

A Small World...and smaller for others

With the recent craze of social networking communities, an entrepeneur and investment banker by the name of Erik Wachtmeister saw an oppurunity. With the incredible success of sites such as Myspace and Facebook, Watchmeister envisioned an elite social networking community that was invitation only, it's name 'A Small World'. Dubbed by many as 'Snobster' this social networking sight markets itself to the jet set elite . Some well known members are Naomi Campbell and Quentin Tarantino. The creation of such a unique social network generates an excellent marketing base for consumer groups and allows members to feel unique and separated from the proletariat masses in Facebook and Myspace. 'A Small World' has been covered in publications from Forbes to the London Times and the majority of coverage is highly critical of its selective criteria for membership. Although every story I've read on the site does see the potential and viability for such a niche community. A Small World.net presents itself as a selective social networking community, where entrance is invitation only. Recent investors into 'A Small World.net' are famous producers Bob and Harvey Weinstein who believe strongly in the elite luxury marketing the community offers. The site enables expensive brands to reach their target markets, but it also allows members to post classified ads ranging from Islands for sale to a "like new" Ferrari Testarossa. If you've got the connect to join, check it out. If it wasn't for 'A Small World' I might have never been able to find the solid gold golf clubs I was looking for.
Harvey Weinstein - Producer and Media Mogul