POWER UP
POWER UP Studio
This week I’m working on a film. In Los Angeles. It’s awesome. A friend of mine told me to come down and work with an amazing production company. According to their website:
POWER UP is the only 501(c)(3) Non-Profit Film Production Company & Educational Organization for Women and the GLBTQ Community that develops, finances, produces and distributes Award Winning Films; conducts tremendously successful educational programs through our hands-on filmmaking mentorships, classes, workshops and seminars; provides career, script, television and film counseling; publishes a magazine; Awards notable contributors to the arts, entertainment and our community: bolsters our community; and unifies and validates GLBTQ persons all around the world via our films.
Hammocks
What’s more awesome than swinging in a tropical breeze, suspended in a coccoon of woven splendor? Not much, really.
A hammock can take a full week worth of work to weave by hand. They’ve been used for thousands of years all over the world, and continue to be used today both for pleasure and practical sleeping quarters. With just the push of a foot, they become magical, lulling their happy occupant into a state of relaxation. I mean, unless you move wrong. Then they’ll totally throw you out. Which is not so awesome.
The Mission
San Diego’s North Park neighborhood is home to a number of great eating establishments. Including The Mission.
This light, clean diner bustles with activity. Its menu includes fantastic coffee drinks and inventive Latin fusion dishes.
Delicious breakfast at The Mission
This week I tried a vegetarian tamale dish with fried eggs and green salsa. Delicious.
Kites
Kite at Torrey Pines
I saw this gem on a San Diego beach. I don’t know what it was. It was tethered to a tent selling kites. It churned through the air, soaring and straining at its string, fighting to flyhigher.
One glance, and I was transported to other beaches, running with my parents alongside my sister as we grasped our red and blue, plastic spools and raced the wind, with our kites held high. “Let’s Go Fly a Kite,” rang in my ears.
Kites are magical like that. They can pull you with them, soaring to new heights, exploring the air currents and looking out beyond the horizon.
Coba
I visited a set of ruins that I’d never heard of. Coba, Mexico is a huge archeological complex. It’s got everything. It’s got temples and ball courts and stone carvings. It’s got bikes you can ride around the site, and tours, and strange animals.
Coba
In fact, it has the largest pyramid in Mexico. I mean, it’s not really a pyramid because it has a flat side, but it’s still pretty awesome.
DJ Trina J
Last week, while a pack of women was partying it up on Cozumel like a hoard of college students on Spring Break, one woman was trying to coral them into volunteering for the local Humane Society. And she had some success!
Kristin with DJ Trina J
According to her facebook page:
Music & Animals are two of my greatest passions in life. I donate all of my dj fees to various Humane Societies across the World “Saving Dogs, One gig at a time”.
That’s pretty awesome.
New Orleans scrap metal jewelry
New Orleans scrap metal jewelry (Voice of America)
New Orleans metal artist Stefano Velaska was there for Hurricane Katrina and felt her sting.
Now he’s making art out of the scrap metal he finds in the on-going wake of Katrina’s destruction.
This mixed metal bracelet is made from New Orleans rubble. It’s a wonderful reminder that beauty can come from any tragedy.
Stefano sells his New Orleans scrap metal jewelry at the French Market there. If you ever make it out his way, pick up a piece of history–and jewelry–from Stefano.
Empower Up
Empower Up
Empower Up is, well, empowering. From their website:
Empower Up is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that provides free technology education and access to the Internet for the citizens of Clark County by diverting and reusing computers and electronics from the waste stream.
Not only do they provide free computer classes, but they also give FREE computer systems to qualified families!
I feel empowered just knowing about it.
Green Curtain
Green curtain (by Kyocera)
By growing a living, green curtain outside your house you can cool the temperature in that area inside the house by up to 15 degrees.
That’s a lot.
And there’s more.
Green curtains are living plants, so a wall of them absorbs a considerable amount of CO2. Plus, if you grow an edible vine (like kidney beans or goya), you can boost your food supply at the same time.
This brilliant and very green idea comes from Kyocera, a Japanese company, that has several green curtains in place and in fact serves some of the food from them in their employee cafeterias.
Wow. Now that’s awesome.
To add to the awesomeness, they’ve published detailed instructions on their website so everyone can be cool like them.
Ginger Candy
Ginger Candy from Prince of Peace
Ginger is delicious. Add sucrose and turn it into candy and it’s scrumpdillyicous (which means really, really delicious).
My favorite ginger candy is made by Prince of Peace. LOVE this stuff. Want to know what’s in it? Sucrose, Ginger and Tapioca Starch. That’s it.
Awesome.
