Got Wood?

Dang! How sweet is this! Check out Portuguese craftsman Carlos Alberto's hand built Wooden Vespa!

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HMK

Thanks to Makezine.

Tickets To A Better Tomorrow

The inauguration of the president and vice president of the United States is a ceremonial tradition which dates back to George Washington, representing a peaceful transfer of power from one individual to another.

Above, the 1933 Roosevelt-Garner Inauguration Ticket, part of a collection of Inaugural ephemera from the Office of Senate Curator's Inaugural Collection. There's also inaugural programs, inaugural luncheon menus and programs, floor plans and seating charts, badges, ribbons, press credentials, historic engravings, and photographs.

I love this black and white wood engraving of the Inauguration of President Lincoln, in front of our Capitol, at Washington, D.C., still under construction.

May God Bless President Obama and the USA. And may God Bless us all and give us the faith, strength and courage to face the challenges before us. Here's to a better world, a better life and better tomorrow for all of us here on the good earth!

Peace!

That's Right,

HMK

Retro Records Vinyl Flashback

If you're like me and you're instantly attracted to the above record sleeve images, courtesy of El Estratografico, then you'll really dig the 9,000+ images over at the Retro Records Pool!

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HMK

Thanks to the Easy Dreamers...

Lect Up Lenses

Nice Photoshop work from photographers Ilario & Magali and llustrator La souris sur le gâteau for French agency Callegari Berville Grey.

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HMK

Thanks Freddie!

Eye Yi Yi!

Feast your eye on this and behold - The Far Side Flickr Pool.

A flickr group where you can view and upload photographic recreations of your favorite Gary Larson Far Side comics.

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HMK

Big gracias to flickr and The Rocketeer for the cool shot.

Murphy's Graphic Design Laws

Creative inspiration flows in inverse proportion to the distance from the studio.


Ain't that the truth! Just one of Graphic Design Laws from the smart folks over at Murphy's Graphic Design Laws.

Might be a nice campaign for Murphy's...

That's Right,

HMK

Thanks to Murphy, Swiss Miss, Sara and D. Keith Robinson for the fine shot.

HMK on CNN

Wow! Check out my first CNN interview!

Who woulda thunk that my first shot with mass exposure would be from my iPhone?

HMK CNN.

Crazy...

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HMK

Number 9... Number 9...

Check out the latest HMK Mystery Stream Podcast!

Cheers and here's to making it through this next year!

Search HMK in iTunes & subscribe or Click Hear: HMK Mystery Stream!

Officially posted on 01.09.09 at 9:09 of course...

Make It Louder!

Migwell

Absolutely Craptastic!

Introducing Microsoft's Songsmith. Seriously, WTF?

And that's not all folks! If you think that's bad, check out David Lee Roth's version of Running With The Devil using Microsoft's Songsmith...

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HMK

Standing On The Brink

Even if you don't know much about the economy, you've probably noticed that something went horribly wrong in 2008. And 2009 doesn't look much better. Design Observer's Michael Bierut has been working as a designer for over 28 years, and depending on how you count, this is either his fourth or fifth recession. He's got some words of wisdom and advice regarding what happens, and a few things you can do about it.

From Designing Through the Recession:

"The modern design studio can't help but subscribe to the cult of asap. But while working at full speed is great for profit margins, it's not so good for quality control. A design solution almost always benefits from a second, third or fourth look.

Take advantage of the slower pace of a recession by remembering what it was like in design school to spend a full semester on a single project. What seemed then like torture may now feel like a luxury, and your work will benefit. And don't forget that recessions are a great time for the kind of research and development that manifests itself in self-initiated projects, work that takes a longer view than the next deadline."

As Michael Cannell writes in today's New York Times, "However dark the economic picture, it will most likely cause designers to shift their attention from consumer products to the more pressing needs of infrastructure, housing, city planning, transit and energy. Designers are good at coming up with new ways of looking at complex problems." In the same article, Cranbrook's Reed Kroloff agrees, saying we could be "standing on the brink of one of the most productive periods of design ever."

You might be thinking that most of this article is easier said than done. I can personally attest that it's not easy, but it's totally doable! It's simply a matter of downsizing and focusing on what you really and truly want to achieve and at the same time eliminating all the stuff you'll probably never even miss once you get rid of it!

When I moved back to Texas from Boston back in 1991 I had a 14K Visa balance, basically an extension of my student loan to Massachusetts College of Art. The first thing I did was bite the bullet, put my VW Bug on blocks and rode my bike to work for the next 2 years until I was free and clear of that debt. It was sucky at first, especially when it rained but I did it.

Then, fast-forward to 2007 after getting let go from my advertising gig almost two years ago, the first thing I did was, that's right, cut my overhead. We canceled Netflix and magazine subscriptions, killed our landline, downgraded cable, use more blankets in the winter, clip coupons, etc. Heck, I even sold my car! All the while doing anything and everything possible to "keep the lights on".

As a result, my family and friends are spending more quality time together taking turns working on each others house projects, exercising, taking longer walks around the neighborhood with the dogs, cooking big meals together, playing Scrabble and Texas Hold'em, and simply slowing down and just hanging out.

As of today, I'm currently smack dab in the middle of a re-fi, lowering my rate from 7% to about 5% saving us close to $400 a month! We've been a one car family for over 2 years and for the most part completely solvent - broke, but solvent! So far, so good - even after my brief bout of cancer in 2008 with no health insurance (thus wiping out my savings) I'm feeling super blessed and lucky, free and clear and simply happy to be here!

What we all really need to do is to think of this as a opportunity to get back to basics. And like the article says - Ask yourself: what do I really need to do my work? Then get rid of everything else. It's really that simple. Sure, 2009 is going to be rough for most everyone I know, but with a little frugality and an earnest back to basics mindset it's amazing how little we actually need to survive. You can do it!

Good smart stuff - read on: Designing Through the Recession.

Happy New Year and Good Luck!

That's Right,

HMK

One in 8 Million

Above: Meet Joel Karp: The Corner Druggest
This is really nice. Like most cities on planet earth, each one is a city of stories, a parade of people with something to say. One in 8 Million is a collection of passions and problems, relationships and routines, vocations and obsessions from some of the folks that make New York New York.

I'm really looking forward to checking out the weekly additions to these roughly 2 and a half minute segments.

If you love real people you'll love this. New York Characters in Sound and Images.

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HMK

The Just-Right Desk

Penelope Green, a reporter for the New York Times Home section, set out with a budget of $1,000 to try a number of new and old desks, seeking professional advice along the way.

Blu Dot's Desk 51 above was named after Area 51, the Nevada military base beloved by UFO conspiracy theorists, because the designers thought it looked "alienish." One feng shui expert called its color "super yang."

I''ll be doing the exact same thing within the next month or so but with about half the budget - stay tuned for my results. Meanwhile, check out In Search of the Just-Right Desk.

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HMK

Frankie's

Wow, I just might have to move Vegas closer to the top of my list of places to visit before I die.

I've never been, nor have I ever had any real desire to visit Las Vegas. But I must admit that Frankie's Tiki Room looks and sounds like a pretty cool place. Really digging the mug selection!


It's funny. Whenever I hear anyone talk about their wildly decadent trip to Las Vegas (having been lucky enough to visit Monoco, Atlantic City and the capital of Holland a good half a dozen times), I'm always reminded of this bumper sticker I spotted on a POS AMC Pacer up in Austin a few years back which read: AMSTERDAM. Vegas Is For Pussies. Enough said.

Check it out: Frankie's Tiki Room.

That's Right,

HMK

Big Gracias to NotCot.

Happy New Year!

Really digging this...

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HMK

Thanks to

Room 26 Cabinet of Curiosities Blog.

Merry Christmas!

Wishing everyone Peace, Love & Understanding,

That's Right,

HMK

NPR Rocks!

If you're an NPR freak like I am then you'll totally appreciate the new NPR Mobile App!

Installation is wicked quick via the App Store right on your phone - you'll be streaming and bookmarking NPR stories in no time.

Really dig the bookmarking feature for both on-the-fly sharing and easy access for repeated listens.

Browsing through the 6 Main Menu features: Topics, Columns, Programs, Series, Bios and Music Genres puts you in complete control of most of your favorite shows. I say most because I haven't found Marketplace yet and I'm currently looking for the Station Finder Feature that I just read about... but I'm sure that's probably just a user error issue!

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HMK

Thanks Gizmodo and NPR!

Mix Tape Portable DJ Mixer

Check out this sweet web exclusive from the cool kids over at Urban Outfitters. Now this is a REAL mix tape. The Mix Tape Portable DJ Mixer is a super compact mixing device that looks exactly like a cassette tape.


Featuring a smooth cross-fader, with dual 3.5mm stereo inputs, for use with iPods, iPhones, music-enabled cell phones, mp3 players or just about anything audio device.

Also includes a headphone monitor jack, perfect for cueing up your next track without missing a beat. Imported. Wipes clean.
Requires: 2 AAA batteries and it's Mac and PC compatible!

Sweet!

That's Right,

HMK

Que? Loco Por K!

Phil Patton has written a nice piece over at the AIGA Journal of Design called Krazy About K.

"Certain letters seem rare, like precious metals or noble gases. Such letters act as catalysts and have special properties—they may glow when “excited” by electricity, say, like neon and fluorine, the aptly named “lighter” elements. Similarly, some letters function in a special way beyond phonetics, often as logos and symbols, as signs of speech and phonetics.

The use of rare letters is a tool of the brand maker and the logo designer. Like the letter X, K allures with its angular edges and uncommon appeal. Eleventh in the alphabet, K is only the 22nd most common letter in English usage—worth five points on the Scrabble board. The letterform is descended from the Phoenician Kaph, which is thought to derive from the palm of a hand, with fingers split. In reverse, it became the Greek Kappa and the form we recognize today."

Ok, check out the whole thing: Krazy About K.

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HMK

Today Is Friday December 19th, 2008

That's Right! Today is Friday, the 19th of December 2008, the last day to guarantee delivery before Christmas!

Go Here: Free Shipping! Perfect Gift!

And did you know that on this date in 1958...

Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas!

That's Right,

HMK

Kinetic Illusions in Op Art

Ouch! This almost hurts my eyes... This is the Ouchi Illusion, a contemporary variation on the Ouchi pattern, by Kitaoka.

Scientific America has an awesome article on how art and neuroscience combine in creating fascinating examples of illusory motion. Check it out: Art as Visual Research: 12 Examples of Kinetic Illusions in Op Art by Susana Martinez-Conde and Stephen L. Macknik.

That's Right,

HMK

Thanks to Design Observer.

Google + Life Magazine

Portrait of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs posing with Apple II computer. United States 1981, Photographer: Ted Thai

Wow! Google has teamed up with Life Magazine to digitize 95% of their image bank, most of which has never been seen by the public before.

That's Right, millions of photos stretching from the 1750s to the present day are available on Google Images.

Here are a few of my favorites so far...

Bikini clad actress Jayne Mansfield posing with shapely hot water bottle likenesses floating around her in her pool. Hollywood 1957, Photographer: Allan Grant.
Reproduction of painting in chapel of St. Thomas of octopus attacking a ship, reminiscent of the Norwegian mythological sea monster, Kraken. St. Malo, France, 1920, Photographer unknown.

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HMK

Turntable Christmas Rewind!

I've been a little slammed this December with, you know, life, work and the usual, so this is kind of a lazy post - but a not so lazy post if you're new to Necessito La Music!

Back in 2006 through the entire month of December I posted some of my favorite and obscure Christmas gems.

If you missed it, fear not and behold the beauty and power of the blog!

Here's a day by day posting of last December's goodies all on one page - and like most things that proove worth while, you're usually best off starting at the bottom (of the page!)

Enjoy and Happy Chistmas!

Take Me Back: HMK Audio Stcking Stuffers!

Peace,

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HMK

Gin The Dancing Dog!

Cheers to Kate Nichols and her genius 6 year old Border Collie Gin!

Awesome!

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HMK

David Vissat Birdhouse

Check out this amazingly cool birdhouse I scored at Articopia this weekend!

It's a Christmas gift to our house by artist David Vissat based on the book "The Art of Smoking".

Artist Dave Vissat spends his days as a creative director for a Pittsburgh advertising agency. But for the last ten years, he has spent his nights creating one-of-a-kind birdhouses out of vintage books.

Vissat stumbled upon this idea when he was making a birdhouse for his mother. He ran out of wood, so he resorted to using an old book as a roof. Then he began incorporating interesting text and illustrations as well. Now, Vissat searches and scavenges flea markets and libraries for discarded and vintage books, then he scans the cover, makes a print and affixes it to the exterior of the house.

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HMK

More David Vissat Info thanks to Alison Morris.
More:

Yulia Brodskaya

Dig these awesome cut paper illustrations from Russian illustrator and graphic desiger Yulia Brodskaya!

Sweet!

Mucho Mas: Yulia Brodskaya.

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HMK

Gracias: Ffffound.