(In case you missed Part 1 , no worries - the introduction is the same, but you’ll want to take a peek at the previous photos.)

The Green Revolution is here. . .Well, its starting to get here in America anyways, but its certainly been going on in other countries that have been more concerned with energy efficiency longer than the U.S.  Regardless, conservation is a good thing.  We can all use to do a little better, and we can all certainly learn from each other.

But going green doesn’t need to be “dorky” as is the developing stereotype. . .To dispel that notion, check out these these top 10 green architectures as rated by Inhabitat .  In this article we’ll finish counting down with the top 5 of the top 10 (Only one picture from each architecture will be shown, but you really ought to check them all out in the Inhabitat link).

Turning green never looked so good. . .

5. Spiraling Skyscraper - Shanghai, China

This one is an artist’s rendition because they only recently broke ground on the building, but it will be tallest building in all of China!  It will be complete with “no fewer than nine sky gardens, a rainwater recycling system, and a series of wind turbines perched beneath its parapet.”  Within its spiraling walls will be everything from house-businesses, and restaurants, to cafés, coffee shops and convenience stores.

4. Old Subway Cars Now Studio Workspaces - London, UK

From beneath the earth to a bird’s eye view, these old subway cars have been retrofitted to be a chic workspace in crowded London.  Mounted on top of a building, a total of six cars were purchased for just 200 pounds each (that’s only $285 U.S.)!  There are now plans to expand similar projects to Lisbon (Portugal), Berlin (Germany, and Toronto (Canada).

3. Carbon-Neutral Pyramid (Ziggurat) - Dubai

Due to begin construction in October 2009, this structure is planned to be able to support a community of nearly 1 million with the energy it will generate!  It will utilize wind, steam, solar and other natural resources to sustain its energy-efficiency.  A highly-efficient public transportation system will be planned as well as other urban planning to make the city tightly knit and smartly functional.  Agricultural opportunities are also in the works.

2.  Eco-Sphere - Pacific Northwest USA

Available for rent or purchase, these tree-top huts are simply amazing.  Able to accommodate 4 people (more for “camping” or “vacations” than long-term living), these spheres are handcrafted with fiberglass and locally-sourced wood.  They can have electricity serviced to them or you can enjoy the simplicity of “roughing it.”  Playing Tarzan and Jane will never have felt so natural. . .

1.  Green Roof Art School - Singapore

This is Nanyang Technological University, a five-story art school.  “The glass façade provides a high performance building envelope that reduces solar gain and heat load while allowing the benefits of natural views and daylight into creative spaces. The roofs create open space, insulate the building, cool the surrounding air and harvest rainwater for landscaping irrigation.”  The school is made not only to be astetic but to also inspire its students with its “non-traditional, non-linear” construction.

Well, there you have it! Ten mighty and magnificent ways to go green. . .This is the only earth we have, so we better take care of it.  And while we’re at it, let’s beautify it too!  Going green can be just as functional as it can be fashionable.  Here’s to next years top 10 best green architectures and another year’s worth of conscientious conservation.

- IgniteTheMind

(donations welcomed)

The Green Revolution is here. . .Well, its starting to get here in America anyways, but its certainly been going on in other countries that have been more concerned with energy efficiency longer than the U.S.  Regardless, conservation is a good thing.  We can all use to do a little better, and we can all certainly learn from each other.

But going green doesn’t need to be “dorky” as is the developing stereotype. . .To dispel that notion, check out these these top 10 green architectures as rated by Inhabitat .  In this article we’ll count down 5 of the top 10 and finish up the other half tomorrow (Only one picture from each architecture will be shown, but you really ought to check them all out in the Inhabitat link).

Turning green never looked so good. . .

10.  GREENPIX Zero Energy Media Wall - Beijing

This 20,000 square foot wall can be seen up to a kilometer away on one of Beijing’s busiest road’s, and it is the world’s largest LED display. Collecting sunlight during the day, this wall uses the stored solar energy to put on a show at night.

9.  Cathedral of Christ the Light in Oakland, CA

Composed of glass, fly-ash and fsc-certified wood, this structure maximizes the use of natural sunlight and has been built to last over 300 years, even structured to withstand considerable earthquake activity.

8. California Academy of Sciences - California

This one is an artist’s rendering but it provides the best angle of the outside.  The California Academy of Sciences is an absolutely incredible structure, complete with indoor rainforest and the largest indoor coral reef aquarium in the world.  In total, this building “is currently the only institution in the world to feature an aquarium, a natural history museum, a living rainforest, a planetarium, and world-class research and education programs.”

7.  World’s First Energy-Generating Revolving Door - Netherlands-based Natuurcafe La Port

This revolving door may not look so fancy, but it actually generate a small amount of electricity every time someone goes through it!  It doesn’t necessarily generate a great deal of electricity (4600 kwh of energy each year), but each watt helps!  Even more so, we may very well be witnessing some of the first green technology that will be utilized in our not-so-distant every day lives!

6. Temple Built of One Million Recycled Bottles - Thailand

An estimated 1.5 million recycled bottles were used to build the Wat Pa Maha Chedio Kaew temple in Thailand.  Bottle collecting started in 1984.  Bottle caps have also been used to make mosaics.  The bottles are surprisingly durable, require little maintenance, and let beautiful rays of light cascade through, which also distributes warmth.

Well, those are the first five of these magnificent green architecture specimens.  Come back tomorrow and see the other five!

- IgniteTheMind

(donations welcomed)

Some of you may be familiar with the phrase, “Like a bull in a china shop.”

The phrase is a simile, which basically describes one thing with similarity to another.  In this case, the phrase “like a bull in a china shop” is referring to someone who is going on an emotional rampage; they are angry, and they are taking it out on whoever and/or whatever gets in their path.

 The phrase is not considered to be of a positive nature.  If you are the one being called the bull, then people are wanting to stay away from you because no one wants to be the “china shop.”  But let’s face it -  Haven’t you ever wanted to the be the bull? Aren’t there times where you’d enjoy nothing more than barreling through a china shop like a full-speed freight train of a one-ton bull, releasing all that pent-up frustration?

 Well my friends, you need not wait any further. . .Head on over to San Diego, California to Sarah’s Smash Shack , put on your bull-horned cap, and get your bash on!

This unique shop let’s you smash until your heart is content.  With a variety of glassware choices to obliterate or the ability to bring your own “smashable” items, you’ll have more fun flinging plates than a four year old picking his nose! (Check out their “menu” here)

The Shack even let’s you pipe in your favorite MP3’s off of your personal music player - so you can rock out while you go all out!  Smashing rooms are even big enough for several “offenders” so you can bring your friends to help you out! No one gets hurt, and at the same time, the broken glassware gets donated to local artisans, art physical therapy programs, and anyone else who wants it!  Its a little piece of heaven. . .in San Diego (not where one expects to find heaven, but hey, who’s to argue?).

 Who needs anger management when you can go down to Sarah’s Smash Shack? (Gift certificates are available!)

So go on Mr. Bull, tear up that china shop, but leave a little for us!

 - IgniteTheMind

(donations welcomed)

Perhaps some of you have recently seen the film Eagle Eye with Shia LaBeouf and Michelle Monaghan.  Perhaps some of you liked it, perhaps others not.  Regardless of your personal opinion of the quality of the film, it seems fair to say that it still raises some questions. . .

Much like other films before it like Enemy of the State , Runaway Jury , and even National Treasure and The DaVinci Code to name a few, the movie Eagle Eye at least makes the audience wonder, “Is there a real group of powerful individuals that are far more influential than the system seems to indicate?”

The answer to this question is not clear cut. . .After all, if there was such a group it would probably be in their best interest to be secretive about their existence, much like as is portrayed in the movies.  If the general public knew of such groups this would limit the amount of influential power they could wield. . .or should we say “abuse?”

Now let it be stated that this blog posting has not been written out of hysteria or to cause panic or even to make a definitive statement on such issues.  However, it is a posting that seeks to make people aware of the possibility that such a group of people could potentially exist, and if it does, how that idea might impact your world.  In other words, this posting is to ignite the mind!

With that said, and it is indeed easy to be persuaded by that which is immediately before you, please view this intriguing video:

It is natural to be skeptical. . . After all, there are few outright visible signs of such a concept at work (more on the North American Union here).  Yet here is yet another example of such power-coercion in action - the Bilderberg Group.  Highly secretive, by invitation only, for those of only high-profile, and no media coverage allowed, this group of people in powerful positions meet behind closed doors to have sessions that are undocumented for the public.  Here is a peek into this secretive power force:

Again, skepticism is probably running high, and yet, it is skepticism that may very well expose such abusers of power as well. . .For indeed we have freedom, and in that freedom we can also be naive - naive to a subversive appearance of freedom.

Again, this is not to say that all is evil, and it is true that people can slant the truth to make their own case.  At the same time, it does make you wonder. . . .

Lastly, there is a popular colloquial American phrase, perhaps you have used it yourself before, “Curiosity killed the cat.” In an analogical sense then, it may very well be time to look deeper and ask, “Why?”

- IgniteTheMind

(donations welcomed)

Move over Hulk, Ben Grimm, and even Arnold. . .

There’s a new muscle-bound beast roaming the hillsides - Belgium Blue Cattle to be exact. . .

Genetically bred to have double the amount of normal muscle a cow has these bovine beasts are absolutely massive.  You simply have to see them to understand. Take a peak. . .

(Just in case you can’t view the video - here’s a picture of a Belgium Blue)

Traditionally, controlled breeding has been a very useful thing.  As a result humankind has been able to aid the process of creating healthier animals, better quality animals for consumption, limit diseases and/or other ailments, and even develop breeds for uniqueness.

Bred to produce more poundage of meat, the Belgium Blue Cow breeding process (and others) starts to raise some serious questions- questions that have only been wrestled with for a few decades - when humans began to directly manipulate the DNA of animal, as opposed to just cross-breeding.  This human intervention in DNA science is most commonly called “genetic engineering.”

 The issue with genetic engineering is that in order to better something, we have the equal opportunity to create something much worse than we ever expected.  On a more common level, when engineering DNA sometimes mutations occur ; these mutations can result in increase vulnerability to diseases, and those diseases can then be spread to other organisms.  Livestock is an easy example to think of because they are grown in mass and often genetically engineered for “optimal” and fast growth.  Think of all the times companies have had to re-call chicken, pork or beef products!

 Yet if we follow this path, it ultimately leads us to such possibilities as human genetic engineering and human cloning (which has already been done to animals).

Are we ready for the repercussions of genetic engineering gone wrong on humans?  Are humans meddling in something that in the end is too complex for us too handle? Are the benefits greater than the pitfalls, because as we know, advancement does come with them?

The answers are not easy and the lines are gray. . .In the end, whatever our choices are, may we not be prideful in remembering our own limitations.

- IgniteTheMind

(donations welcomed)

Ah, yes, apparently if you are a great actor, those skills translate into being a great rapper too!

It seems this is what Joaquin Phoenix believes . . .

The retired actor has won it all - from Academy Awards, to Grammies, to Golden Globes - Phoenix has been an extremely successful actor.

Now he is venturing into a place where he should have never gone, and his new look is far from “fresh.”  Its a little bit more like Grizzly Adams meets American Eagle.

But maybe its too early to assume, right? Maybe Joaquin, in all fairness, is that talented that he can also rap?

. . .Yeah, and maybe Webster could be the starting center for the Boston Celtics too (or insert team of your choice).

Turns out, Joaquin made his rapping debut at LAVO, a local hot spot in Las Vegas. . . Here’s the shortened version:

(But if you really want the full-experience, watch this longer version: video)

Prior to the performance, Joaquin claimed that “this is me saying this is who I am.”

. . .Hmm, do the phrases “spoke too soon” or “open foot, insert mouth” or “9-1-1, What is your emergency?” come to mind?

Well, kudos to you anyways J-Pho (or whatever you will call yourself) because apparently world-renowned rapper and producer Sean Combs (P Diddy, Puff Daddy, or whatever the new name is) is willing to put his reputation on the line to record Joaquin’s first album (Wow - not one, but two influential names destroyed at the same time!)

So go chase your dreams Joaquin. . .but just remember, you may not always want to “Be Like Mike.”

 - IgniteTheMind

(donations welcomed)

Ask yourself this question - and in trying to be as objectively fair as possible really be honest with yourself - do you pay attention to the little things? Do you witness something remarkable happen every single day, even if its in the quirky, peculiarity of life?  Do you absorb life to its fullest or are you absorbed in trying to fill up your life?

Its probably fair to say that most of us would answer positively to these questions.  Granted, we are all busy people, but sure, we all like to think that we aren’t so caught up in the “bigger picture” that we fail to see the remarkable details. Sadly, our attention spans are not what wish they were. . .

Not long ago, a remarkably interesting experiment was conducted about this very concept. If you have the time you should really read the entire article on this, but for now, here is the condensed version:

“A man sat at a metro station in Washington DC and started to play the violin; it was a cold January morning. He played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time, since it was rush hour, it was calculated that thousands of people went through the station, most of them on their way to work.

Three minutes went by and a middle aged man noticed there was musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds and then hurried up to meet his schedule.

A minute later, the violinist received his first dollar tip: a woman threw the money in the till and without stopping continued to walk.

A few minutes later, someone leaned against the wall to listen to him, but the man looked at his watch and started to walk again. Clearly he was late for work.

The one who paid the most attention was a 3 year old boy. His mother tagged him along, hurried but the kid stopped to look at the violinist. Finally the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk turning his head all the time. This action was repeated by several other children. All the parents, without exception, forced them to move on.

In the 45 minutes the musician played, only 6 people stopped and stayed for a while. About 20 gave him money but continued to walk their normal pace. He collected $32. When he finished playing and silence took over, no one noticed it. No one applauded, nor was there any recognition.

No one knew this but the violinist was Joshua Bell*, one of the best musicians in the world…

He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written with a violin worth 3.5 million dollars.

Two days before his playing in the subway, Joshua Bell sold out at a theater in Boston and the seats average $100.

This is a real story. Joshua Bell playing incognito in the metro station was organized by the Washington Post as part of an social experiment about perception, taste and priorities of people. The outlines were: in a commonplace environment at an inappropriate hour: Do we perceive beauty? Do we stop to appreciate it? Do we recognize the talent in an unexpected context?”

So. . .what do you see?

(*Picture above not Joshua Bell himself)

- IgniteTheMind

(donations welcomed)

Many of you have seen the TV show Survivor .   .  .

Though it seems to have run its course now, the concept behind this “reality” TV show is brilliant.  It piques both the complexity and curiosity of humanity by touching on such elements as social interaction, the innate drive to survive,  competitiveness, “pecking order, ” gender roles, even sexuality.

But as we all know, Survivor is not genuine survival. . .even Man vs. Wild is not genuine survival either.  Both of these shows touch on the critical elements of survival but when you boil it down, both of these shows have paramedics and other professionals ready to come to the rescue at a moments notice.  Genuine reality, life that is, is not quite as kind.

Yet sometimes there are extraordinary stories of actual survival.  The bleakest of conditions for any human being, and for whatever reason(s), people are able to withstand them long enough to avoid peril.

Such is just the case when two Myanmar fishermen were rescued off of Australia’s north coast not long ago (video available in linked article).

The scenario? Escaping their sinking ship which presumably killed the other shipmates, spending twenty-five days at sea in shark-infested waters, all while floating in an over-sized ice-box.  They managed to survive because they were able to capture rain water and eat some of the fish that were left in the ice box (sushi anyone?).

The total rain water caught: 4 pints (for Americans, you can compare that to just a little less than a 2 liter bottle)!  That’s 4 pints for two men for twenty-five days, and according to experts they said the men were lucky to have even gotten that much rain!

So how about that for a challenge for your next group of castaways Jeff Probst?

After all, “Survivor” is reality television. . .

-  IgniteTheMind

(donations welcomed)

Would you pay $5,000 for a cardboard box?

If you answered, “No way!” you’ve spoken too soon because this is no ordinary cardboard box.  This cardboard box is Swiss-made, resin-soaked cellulose (recycled paper), fitted with plumbing, and big enough to bed 8 people in it! Its called the “Universal World House.”

Yes, for the price of a decent used car, you could own your own corrugated crib. . .

And the real treat is that “it has been designed so that a family can slaughter an animal on the veranda, wash it in the shower and hang it, along with fish, on an integrated washing line.”  After all, isn’t that what we always visualized using a veranda for? And you can’t tell me you haven’t wished to shower with the very same slaughtered animal you were going to eat that evening?

So just kick back, relax, and enjoy the view of the sunset from your veranda. . .even if you have to push the hanging carcass out of the way.

All joking aside, while the structure looks a little lacking for cold weather climates (its walls are suppose to be intelligently crafted with an insulating technology), the functionality of a home like this would serve a tremendous upgrade for refugees, lower financial classes, those in hot to mild weather climates, and other situations in which cheap housing could be utilized.

Yes, this house could truly bring much needed comfort to millions of families around the world.  For all its misused blunders, technology offers amazing opportunities for humankind to help each other, and this is just one awesome instance of that. . .

In the end, however, let us not stop at this. . .No, let us not stop until we have faught poverty to its own death, and if that takes forever, may we then be up to the task of never stopping and always fighting. . .forever.

- IgniteTheMind

(donations welcomed)

Wow, has it really come down to this?  Is it really possible that we would stoop this low? Are we truly willing to defy our tastebuds for the ease of convenience?

For in our fix of a “fast food” cheeseburger we have created a monster: from the German camping company, Trekking Mahlzeiten , comes the boilable cheeseburger in a can.  Yes, you heard right - a boilable cheeseburger.  But the kicker is this - its not just the meat that you boil, its the entire cheeseburger, bun, ketchup, pickles and all!

Dead cows all over the world are turning in their graves. . .”Fine, eat us, but at least let us keep our dignity!”

Maybe to some it doesn’t sound all that bad.  The commercialized photograph makes it look quite respectable:

In fact, that burger looks good enough to rival just about any other burger chain’s champion sandwich.

Oh, but they call it advertising for a reason.  Because a reality check into burger paradise reveals that these little condensed morsels of meaty goodness actually look more along the lines of this:

(WARNING:The following pictures may contain content unsuitable for younger audiences)

 Undoubtedly, when you open the can you can begin to hear bagpipes in the background playing the funeral procession of “Amazing Grace.”

 Just take a look at this article on one group’s hilarious review of the cheeseburger in a can. . .

And for you all Romeos out there, why not make this high-class carnivorous delight part of your upcoming Valentine’s Day dining? No doubt your date will glow with delight (or because their on the verge of puking).

 Please my dear companions, join me now and ask for forgiveness that the culinary “gods” might spare us for this disastrous creation. . .

 (Wonder if spraying any of Burger King’s new “Flame” meat-cologne on this cheeseburger would help any?)

 - IgniteTheMind

(donations welcomed)