S: Stuff that brings the past back to the Future!

Last week I told you it was two part series on www.thinkgeek.com. Last week I highlighted items that moved those who were stuck into a new age. This week I am presenting items from the past with a twist to the future. Remember when people caught fireflies in a mason jar? Now you can captured the sun and moon in those same jars with a solar cell. Imagine creating an electrical current that charges a battery over a few hours. This energy is then used at night to power the three LED lamps inside the jar. Diffused by a frosted jar it gives the appearance of sunlight or a cool moon glow (warm colored LED lights are used to give a more natural and warm light). There ares no switches but there is a clever light sensor inside that automatically activates the LEDs when it gets dark or the lights are turned out! (There is an override switch inside the lid to turn off the light at night and conserve battery life.) Mason jars are not only beautiful but by their very nature they are water tight - so the Sun Jar can happily be left outside in any weather conditions. A perfect night light that helps save on bills for only $34.99

Did you know the astronauts ate ice cream on the moon? It's true, freeze dried ice cream. This state-of-the-art yummy food technology was first made by the Whirlpool Corporation (yup, the washer/dryer people) for the Apollo missions. Ever since freeze dried ice cream has been a favorite. There are three flavors to tempt you. The "original" flavor most often found in museums, neapolitan (chocolate, strawberry, and vanilla) - mint chocolate chip (cool and delicious) and chocolate chocolate chip (very, very chocolaty) to tease your taste buds. Each package is 0.7 oz of joy and can be stored (unopened) for up to 3 years for $2.99. Now that's cool.

Ever wanted to know your blood type? Well now you can and it's simple with a DIY Blood Type Test Kit. Just a little prick (no jokes, please), a few drops of blood, a little water, and the special card are all you need to find out what blood type you are. In just a few minutes, you'll have a card which will show you which antigens you have in your blood (which you can compare to a chart in the instructions to determine your blood type). And even better, this kit comes with a laminating sheet so you can carry the card in with you once it dries. $8.99 lets you know all that chemistry.

Tired of that same old color of tap water? Want it to look like futuristic alien creeping through your drain? Need to make your midnight bathroom appointments more exhilarating? Then you need to get the LED faucet light attachment and turn any faucet in your home into a streaming fantasia of techie-bliss in just minutes. Just attach to the end of your faucet (universal adapters included), and when the water flows through the magic chamber, it simply turns on the LED array and illuminates the stream with soothingly powerful hues or red and blue. For $12-$19.99 you can add some color to an ordinary world.

Thinkgeek makes our universe just a little more thought provoking and that is a F.A.C.T.

T: Is for trouble starring us in the Face!

Homeowners have been living beyond their means, hoping that sometime in the future, something would bail them out. We now as a country are paying for that lack of responsibility. In the second quarter of 2008 alone, more than 700,000 homes went into foreclosure, effecting not only the economics, but the construction industry. This is a lesson in tragedy, for our nation. We are living beyond our means and behaving irresponsibly. Our national debt is approaching $10 trillion and growing, with almost 45 percent of it owed to foreigners. Americans may lose our country, as interest payments alone totaled $24 billion, in a single month. Treasury Secretary Paul O’Neill, who was fired from his Cabinet post by President Bush for daring to insist that deficits matter states “When you get extended to the point you can’t service your debt, you’re finished.” O’Neill issues that warning in “I.O.U.S.A.,” a documentary about our nation’s pending fiscal crisis that opens tonight. (www.iousathemovie.com). The movie show a country deep in debt to the rest of the world as it loses control over its own future. Most of our foreign-held debt is owned by Japan, China and the oil-exporting countries, giving them enormous potential leverage not just over our foreign policy but over our domestic economic policies as well. Warren Buffett, former Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul, former Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin, David Walker, until recently head of the Government Accountability Office, and Robert Bixby, head of the Concord Coalition, are who show just how bad this problem is. These facts aren’t liberal or conservative, they are just facts. Ronald Reagan is seen pointing out correctly that “for decades we have piled deficit upon deficit, mortgaging our future and our children’s future, for the temporary convenience of the present.” But as he speaks, graphics point out that in Reagan’s eight years as president, our national debt almost tripled, from $909 billion to $2.6 trillion. Our current President Bush is given similar treatment. In a press conference, he is seen proudly awarding himself “an A for keeping taxes low and being fiscally responsible with the people’s money.” But as graphics demonstrate, our national debt was $5.7 trillion when Bush took office; it will be almost twice that when he leaves. The film offers no solution, but it does express restrained outrage at the immorality of one generation of Americans. You and I have mortgaged the futures of our children and grandchildren to satisfy our own selfishness. We are the villains and again these are just the F.A.C.T.S.

C: Is for Creative Visionaries!

Sometimes stories of inspiration and hope come from inventors. In a time and age where our environment and our quality of living are at risk Dr. John Todd and "The Challenge of Appalachia" offer not only ingenuity but a way to a brighter future. “Dr. John Todd’s comprehensive design strategy brings about a carbon neutral world, with a profound vision to heal the environmental and economic scars. Weaving together a set of processes - from restoration of land to geo-sequestration of carbon, to community involvement, to long-term economic vitality - to create a blueprint for a future. Resembling a tropical forest more than a concrete refinery, John Todd’s Living Machines offer an attractive solution to waste-water management. Consisting of a series of ecosystems that work together breaking down water contaminants, Living Machines present a natural and eco-friendly way to filter and clean waste-water.

Converting sewer sludge to fresh water is no easy job; traditional treatment plants consume massive amounts of money, energy, and resources. John Todd’s Living Machines re-envision waste-water management as an eco-conscious endeavor, conserving water and reducing overall treatment costs with minimal sludge disposal, water purchases, sewer surcharges, and chemical use. Part natural and part man-made, “Living machines” offer a manner of re-organizing natural resources to transform water from dirty to clean. In their most basic design, waste-water pulses through a minimum of three different ecological systems that process and filter it in different ways. Each ecological system is isolated from the others so that it can treat waste-water based on its own unique needs, after which the water cycles on to the next community. Since the technology uses “helpful bacteria, fungi, plants, snails, clams and fish that thrive by breaking down and digesting pollutants”, selecting and then cultivating diverse communities is key in order for all compounds to be treated. The magic lies in understanding how the organisms interact and combining them just right so that they can soak up the nutrients they love, helping them grow while providing us with clean - if not drinkable - water. Since their inception Living Machines have seen a variety of applications. Their rather remarkable use of living organisms makes them a shoe-in for use as an educational tool, as they are at Oberlin College, and the have also popped up at resorts, lake restoration sites, and even at chocolate maker Ethel M’s factory in Nevada.

Visionarie have always lead the way and that is a F.A.C.T. to hold on to.

A: Is for Art that takes you to faraway places!

The Monadic Nomad "A Journey of Chance" runs through September at Splashlight located at 1 Hudson Square, on the corner of Varick and Canal Streets. 60,000 square feet are filled with more than forty photographs of India, an audio-visual installation, a room of photographic images on hand-made paper from Nepal, with accompanying text, this exhibition is a mystical journey into the ordinary life and nature of the nomadic world. Not only is this show exquisite but it gives back to the land of whose images are captured. The images challenge us to see the mystical, individual, impenetrable, monadic existence.

One journeys as a traveler on multi continent discovery where the realities, revealed unfolding moments. These insights were captured by Peter Ruprecht's on his journey across India in the late fall of 2006. Peter Ruprecht is an award-winning photographer and filmmaker and Vice President of Interactive and New Media for the global lifestyle and fashion company Marc Ecko Enterprises. In 2004, Peter co-founded Forza Films, a South American documentary production company that has produced work for leading networks. Born in Argentina to the great granddaughter of President Manuel Quintana his eye captures the soul of all those he sees. The hand-made paper where the photo's are displayed comes from Nepal. It is an industry that flourishes because of its value and quickly renewable nature that contributes to the health and preservation of forest ecology. Proceeds from the sale of the art go to charity: water, a non profit providing water to people in developing countries. The collection will specifically fund freshwater wells and sanitation projects in India. When you enter you are engulfed in the celebration of the beautiful power of life and the need to live harmoniously with each other and the natural world.


Art not only shows the inner workings of a world but also supports it and that is a F.A.C.T.

F: Is for Fashion that sets you Apart!

With fall approaching a great coat that is fashionable, light and waterproof is a must. The stretch bubble trench coat from Samuel Dong features a front zipper accented with silver snaps. Full length sleeves, adjustable cuffs, two front pockets, oversized fold over collar, adjustable waist tie and fully lined make this a don't leave home without it item! The selection of colors makes it even more unique and will have you standing out while staying warm. This runs for about $148


The MIC Check is the perfect shoe for jeans and the retro 40's look. Created by BC Footwear it has that "Independent Edge" which is embodies the spirit that we can be anything they want to be, and do it on their own terms. BC shoes are all about hip style . Let personality show through, keep ahead, and don't be a sheep. These shoes also won't set you back. AT $90 these are a great buy.

Oh, if only I could fill my closet with jersey dresses. I love the wrinkled, yet polished look of these dresses. these are the perfect weekend get away dresses, for times when all you can pack has to fit into one little carry-on bag. whip them out of your bag, throw on a goddess looking pair of flats or a pair of boots, and you're ready to go. The images are Vince Jersey Short Sleeved Dress, middle is James Pearse Empire Pleated Dress, right is LaROK Tunica Dress. My favorite is the ones by Synergy Clothing which features eye-catching graphic mandala prints. Made of natural, organic, and sustainable lifestyle products and are a reminder that east meets west.

Fashion Week is around the corner and with it comes the inevitable quest for those perfect looks. Those looks are easily attainable if you only know what's out there and that is a F.A.C.T.