Issey Miyake A-Poc

Finally, some press coverage about the fashion concept I love the most more than anything in the world, way more than my thesis project! I wish I read about this earlier, the Businessweek article is from April! of last year! Waaht? Oops.
Last Year's *new* A-POC product
Sigh, if this was a high end electronic hardware product, A-POC wouldn't be as obscure as it is. It is basically a production method of clothing where no-sew clothing is programmed into a computer that weaves or knits the clothing so the seams are already in the fabric. So all you do is cut it open and wear it to your customization. Minimal labor, minimal production, optimistic view of the clothing of the future.

Manfactured Landscapes

Catch this movie when it runs through the art movie houses/movie festivals! It's called "Manufactured Landscapes" and it follows photographer Edward Burtynsky all over the world as he hunts for the industrial landscape, parts of the earth changed by humans.
This is the most COMPLETE movie about globalization, because it takes you to all sorts of places in the before and after of consumer products made in China, where e-waste goes to get recycling, to where ships go to die, and even shows the progress of the the Three river gorges dam in China.
The greatest thing about this movie is that it never makes any preachy "Gore-acle"-esque statement about the end of the workd, the documentary just shows you how the photographer, in his own lifestyle and consumption choices, searches for the beginning and the end of the resources used by the life cycle of consumer products and an American middle class lifestyle. The photos he creates are JAW DROPPING, so beautiful yet so sad. SEE IT! Those in Boston can go to the Museum of Fine Arts.

Caves

In AZ I went to these really great living caves called Kartchner Caverns, and it got me thinking about other caves I know about, namely the place where my parents got married 35 years ago! It's called The Bridal Cave and it's in Camdenton, Missouri, because they were studying at University of Missouri in the 70's. My mom said it cost them $18 to get married there, and all of the tourists at the cave attended their wedding! Now it seems like a bigger production; thanks to inflation, it's now $500!

Arizona near Tucson

At the Arizona-Sonoran Desert Museum
San Xavier del Bac Mission
(all photos taken by C., not conchens.)
This trip to AZ gave me a raging urge to eat Mexican food every single day until forever! Thank you to all Mexican restaurants that I went to that had homemade tamales! This Sunday afternoon, I spent some time reviewing some of the places that I went to on Tripadvisor and I also spent some other moments posting local Boston services on Angie's List-- have you ever heard of it? It allows you to review other people's opinions of contractors and services after services have been provided and money has been spent, so you don't waste your own dough on a bad experience. However, you have to pay for the site, and so far, postings are a little sparce-- hopefully it'll get better if/when it comes time for me to do some condo stuff!(?)