It’s amazing what an internet search, some paper, glue, spray-paint and a healthy does of time can make.

Happy Holidays! Hoping that you find inspiration and a bit of sublime happiness in 2011!

To explain the photos, it’s a tradition that each team has a photo that fits with the Holiday party. This years theme was ‘Family Feud’ and 70s. The photo is supposed to resemble a photobooth format.

Here are some pictures from past years:

2009 – TV Themed

2008 – Props to KGerig for the background sketches! The ID team was ‘The Art Club’ and the theme was High-school Prom

2007 – JUMP! (Clicky the ^image^ to see the GIF animation)

After a year of hearing about it and wanting to go, I finally went to Dr. Sketchy’s Anti-Art School Cabaret Life Drawing Class put on by Truth Serum Productions. Ahhhh, what fun! I’m now sorry that I hadn’t attended earlier!

If you went to art school, you may have attended a typical, sterile, boring life drawing class. You know, students, easels and charcoal in hand, gather around a platform that is covered in pillows and blankets. A model, sits or lays, bored and naked (sometimes sleeping) while you draw pose after pose. Yawn.

This is totally different. First of all, the models had costumes, wardrobe changes, a theatrical theme, and loads of witty banter. Tips are encouraged, as you throw dollar bills at the stage to show your appreciation, not unlike a strip-club. Since the venue for the class is in a bar, it’s only natural to grab a drink or two while you sketch.

The models, in this instance were Johnny Blazes and Madge of Honor. They were appropriately inappropriate, constantly hilarious and had crazy costumes. The theme for this session was the book of Genesis.

The show is about three hours; I’d get there early to get a seat. There were about 15-20 people there; a range of artistic skillz were present. They started with a series of one and two minute gesture poses to warm up, followed by a few 10-minute and 20-minute poses.

Dr. Sketchy’s Anti-Art School Cabaret Life Drawing Class is held the second Saturday of every month from 2:30-5:30, costs $8 and is at Great Scott (1222 Commonwealth Avenue Allston, MA 02134)

I know, I know. It looks gross. This is an angel over-seeing the pangs of childbirth. Meh.

Whilst I was gallivanting around China a week ago, Dean gave a talk at the TEDMED where he unveiled some of the work that we do at DEKA. Engadget has some great photos and coverage that show Dean’s presentation where he talks about the Luke Gen3 Bionic Prosthetic Arm and DEKA Water Purification machines.

The photo above is Gen3, this is what the Luke Gen2 arm looked like:

It’s great to see a small glimpse of the DEKA Industrial Designers work get out there. We work on so much, and can talk about so little. Its also nice to see something that I’ve worked so hard on –the Luke Arm– get some visibility!

P.S. I did another rendering of the Gen3 arm that I like much better; but I can’t show you that. :-p

On November 01, 2010, five days after its initial public run, I took the new CRH380A D7361 high speed rail connection from Shanghai to Hangzhou, also known as the Huhang Highspeed Railway. The train reached and sustained a top speed of 353 km/h (approximate 220 mph) and kept at that pace for most of the trip.

We need this in America. STAT.

The ride was incredibly smooth and quiet; the country-side just flew by. Also, the track was noticeably–and significantly–banked for the turns. While you couldn’t feel the turns per se, visually you could tell as the country-side would tilt up towards you on one side of the train, while the sky was only visible on the other side.

The interior design was simple and usable. The business class seats were very comfortable and had a lot of leg room.

Construction of the 125 mile railway line took only 20 months.

The cost for the 45 minute trip, business class: 98 RMB, or $14.75 dollars. Truly amazing. Definitely one of the highlights to my trip to China.

Chicago O'Hare

Chicago O'Hare, Terminal K9

1. Drink water straight from a faucet
2. Ease (eaves?) drop on an English conversation
3. Stare at the Chinese people who now look out of place
4. Check your voicemail, because your Chinese number didn’t have any
5. Be courteous and not ‘cut’ in line
6. Say, ‘Bless you’ when someone sneezes
7. Check and update Facebook and Twitter
8. Eat with a fork and knife
9. Flush used toilet-paper down the toilet
10. Enjoy all the non-smoking restaurants and bars
11. Sleep on a mattress thicker than 1.5″
12. Breath in the non-polluted, clean, clean air
13. Relax…

Hua Xian Chang [Acid Live] at Yu Gong Yi Shan. Beijing hip-hop, jazz, funk. Seriously. Perfectly captures the randomness of this place.

Also, they are really good.

Ni men shuo, “What!??!!!!?”

Those crazy French, and their Concession.

Oh. My. God. It’s a double-rainbow! A KFC double rainbow! I’d cheers a deep-fried chicken appendage to that too.