Cool Hunting
| 12 August 2008view entries from: this week | this month | view previous day | view next day |
Buff Monster: The Sweetest Thing
by Josh Rubin
L.A.-based artist Buff Monster is doing what he does best (bubbly, mostly pink creatures and shapes) for his latest show, "The Sweetest Thing," opening next week at Culver City's Corey Helford Gallery.
Influences like "heavy metal, porn, Japanese kawai culture, and ice cream" are evident in his creepy-cute compositions which often feature a character, the "Happy Squirter," made of breast-shaped parts with cherries frequently making stand-ins for nipples. Geometric backgrounds, patterns that evoke stylized squirting liquid, ruffles, drips and radiating shapes complete the Buff Monster world, painted in this case on birch ply.
In addition to paintings, a new limited-edition signed and numbered serigraph will be released on opening night. See details below.
The Sweetest Thing
Opening reception: 23 August 2008, 7-10pm
23 August-2 September 2008
Corey Helford Gallery
8522 Washington Boulevard
Culver City, CA 90232 map
tel. +1 310 287 2340
Q Tonic
by Ami Kealoha
We've seen other tonics boasting superiority over supermarket brands and heard of enlightened bartenders experimenting with DIY versions lately, but Q Tonic, a new Brooklyn-based maker, is elevating the mixer to appreciable new heights. Doing away with the additives and high fructose corn syrup found in other brands Q uses quinine sourced from the Andes and Mexican agave as a sweetener.
The result is (most importantly) not too sweet, a common problem with other tonics, and (bonus!) a way to trim calories from mixed drinks. Agave also lends a rounded sweetness that better balances bitter quinine. With champagne carbonation (smaller bubbles), Q all but guarantees perfect G and Ts or any number of other drinky-doodles.
Individual bottles (sized proportionally for drinks) are available for around $2.50 each. Check the Q Tonic site for a list of retailers. Online, purchase bottles from KegWorks for $2.50 try Sam's for four-packs ($9) or check cases of 24 ($51).
Dyson Airblade
by Doug Black
Dyson's futuristic Airblade hand dryer has been around for about a year. It seems awfully good on paper (faster dry time, more hygienic and increased energy efficiency over conventional driers) but we needed to see it to believe it. So, to test the Airblade's claims, we installed a couple in our office. And after a few months of dry hands and conserved paper towels, the Airblade has become an integral part of daily life.
The touch-free operation lets you dry your paws without soiling them by touching any less than sanitary surfaces. Simply place your hands in the internal cavity and a sensor initiates two precise shafts of air on either side of each hand. After slowly removing your suddenly dry hands, it automatically shuts off. The whole process clocks in close to Dyson's claim of 12 seconds. Its powerful 1400w digital motor makes a noticeable roar, even despite the noise-suppression technology, but a few seconds is too small an interval to cause any real disturbance.
Granted, the Airblade might not be perfect for everyone. Drying anything besides your hands isn't really feasible. If you're the type who likes to wash your face in public restrooms, you may have to air dry. But for the rest of society, the Airblade works perfectly as a bathroom's sole drying method.
The Dyson Airblade runs for about $1,250, a price Dyson assures will be quickly recouped from dramatically decreased energy and paper towel costs. It is currently available at a few online retailers, or you can contact Dyson directly.
