Pappmaskin.no

There are many prophesies predicting the end time. The bible talks about several signs that is supposed to tell if the end is near, but I prefer to look for my own:

Inspired? Join the Flickr Group “Signs that the end is near”

This photo in Flickr

If you have kids then you probably have a drawer full of pens and pencils, some good, some broken. In our house there are pencils spread out EVERYWHERE, I find a few every time we clean the house, and in the weirdest of places. I usually just dump them in this drawer, and pull it out whenever the kids want to draw.

But one day when I was home taking care of my daughter who had the flue, I decided to take stock, sort the broken from the usable, and sharpen them all.

I found some empty tomato cans to put them in, and sorted the pencils after their color family.
And lo and behold, would you believe that my three kids has kept this simple system in order for well over a month now! I’m so impressed with them!

More pictures after the break:

Read the rest of this entry »

Discarded ideas 02.04.2008, originally uploaded by mskogly.

My son Leo (4 years old) decided to go through my idea-box (the golden box in the picture above) and do some heavy handed editing!

Here are some of the ideas he “didn’t like”:

1. A 100-mile gallery, inspired by the 100 mile diet, to only display works from artists living with a 100 mile radius. I thought it was a great idea, but Leo does not agree. I also like the idea of the 100 mile suit, as a concept for a local clothing store. Perhaps one could put all three together?

2. Falu-korv shaped like the Batman symbol. I was sure this would be an instant hit with the kids!

3. A magnetic dinner plate for children. By placing a powerful magnet underneath the table it is harder for a child to up-end it, or even move it. If you have children you know why this would be a great idea!

4. Thing library. A very old idea of mine, that has been implemented in many libraries all over the world, but I still want to create a local one. I had a web based personal thing library for a while, it is still online, but not really updated.

5. An anthology of poetry, short stories and images with an “Outdoors” theme. You know, nature. Working title Outside.

6. A website for giving yourself carbon credits and a better environmental conscience. There are plenty of carbon calculators out there, but they all seem to focus on how much you suck. I want to create one that shows how good you are. Actions that gives you free carbon credits are borrowing things from friends or libraries, recycling, not buying something new when you could or wanted to, buying something used instead of new, buying something green instead of not, buying something local instead of imported, doing nothing at all, using energy saving appliances instead, etc. You could still buy carbon credits if you absolutely wanted to, but is is far better if you give them to yourself as a reward for being green. Perhaps you could even sell them, or simply give them to a friend who has to travel somewhere.

7. A permanent flea market in my area. There are a few overpriced second hand stores in my city, and a few one-day flea markets, but there should be something more permanent, like in Amsterdam, New York or London, a big thriving mess of a market where people could sell or swap their stuff.

8. A cute sketch for a “family crest”. Forest + Beach

9. A way to make a “Hotweels track” for my kids using recycled materials. My kids love playing with them, but they are super expensive and not environmentally friendly, but if there was a locally prodused and cheaper alternative created with recycled materials I would buy 50 meters and let the kids go wild. No reason why it is should be so expensive, its just plastic!

10. Hiring myself out to people who need to develop new ideas.

So what to you think, do you agree with Leo that these ideas should be “canned”?

m.

Update, 7th of february 2009: This photo is published under a Creative Commons Attribution lisence on flickr (as are all my pictures). It was recently used by communicatrix.com as illustration. Respect! :)

face098, originally uploaded by mskogly.

Introducing the Blair watch project from Guardian Unlimited: Election 2005

“Devoted Guardian readers will have read Oliver Burkeman’s account of trying to keep track of Tony Blair in Dorset South yesterday, in which he describes how misdirection sent reporters scampering across southern England, in a ‘meandering day-trip’ in search of the prime minister.

Oliver writes: ‘Labour appears intent on pursuing a campaign strategy of severely limiting the exposure of the prime minister to media questioning, dismissing criticisms of this technique as the self-absorbed concerns of the ‘Westminster village’.’

Well, limited access means we need your help to keep up with Mr Blair. So today we announce the Blair Watch Project, where we ask you to send us your photos of the PM on the campaign trail. All pictures will appear on our Flickr account - which anyone can look at – with the best appearing here on the blog.”