Skyscrapers and city-scapes aren’t known for giving the green movement warm, fuzzy feelings, but a new generation of architects and engineers have been hard at work to change that nitty-gritty image and no idea inspires cuddling up to the concept of close cohabitation like the Strawscraper. Designed by Swedish firm Belatchew Arkitekter, Strawscraper would harness wind [...]
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Most Topular Stories
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Wind-harnessing skyscraper sure to give environmentalists warm fuzzies
Holy Kaw!23 May 2013 | 5:19 pm -
Senate Confirms Sri Srinivasan for Appeals Court Seat
NYT > Home Page23 May 2013 | 5:28 pmFilling a long-vacant seat on an important appeals court passes for progress in a legislative body where partisan wrangling continues to hold up many important posts. -
Super Heroes
Dad-O-Matic18 May 2013 | 5:56 pmWe dads love the whole concept of being super heroes for our families and being able to swoop in and save the day at a moment’s notice, but we all know that we are more Clark Kent than Superman. Still, we do our best to be strong and protective for the ones we love and hope for the best when they are out there on their own while we are far away at work. The subject of bullying is an important issue here on Dadomatic which is why I’m sharing this wonderful new music video for a song called “Metropolis” by Owl City. It’s a beautiful song and infectious but most of… -
5 Ways to Help Oklahoma Tornado Victims
Mocha Dad21 May 2013 | 11:19 amOver the past few days, I’ve read social media updates from my friends who live in Oklahoma and Northern Texas. While I’m thankful that the people I know personally are safe and unharmed, my heart breaks for all of the people who lost their lives and property in the storms (read this actual account from my friend Amy). I was especially concerned about the children whose school was destroyed by the tornado while they were inside. Sadly, 20 of those children died. Many of my church members are from Oklahoma and their grief for their friends and relatives affected me deeply. Our… -
Monday's With Michelle: Creative Loafing's Atlanta 2013 Culinary Bucket List
Makes Me Wanna Holler.com - Real Stories of Fatherhood, Marriage and Life13 May 2013 | 9:03 amHappy Monday foodie friends! On Thursday, April 25th, Creative Loafing introduced it's Atlanta's 2013 culinary bucket list (see the pic below just to get an idea). Definitely worth checking out... lots of yummy eats waiting to be had! Make sure you check it out! And even if you don't reside in Atlanta, please check out the list and see what's comparatively cooking in your stomping grounds. Which dish are going to mark off your bucket list first? Post your comments below! Don't forget to visit my Foodie blog for more recipes, food tips and other foodie fun.
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Holy Kaw!
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Wind-harnessing skyscraper sure to give environmentalists warm fuzzies
23 May 2013 | 5:19 pmSkyscrapers and city-scapes aren’t known for giving the green movement warm, fuzzy feelings, but a new generation of architects and engineers have been hard at work to change that nitty-gritty image and no idea inspires cuddling up to the concept of close cohabitation like the Strawscraper. Designed by Swedish firm Belatchew Arkitekter, Strawscraper would harness wind [...] -
Who can’t use a helping hand opening the door?
23 May 2013 | 5:08 pmDo certain rooms of your house have an unwelcome feel to them? Perhaps you’ve just been greeting it all wrong. With the Hand-le doorknob, every opening provides a new beginning or at least the opportunity to lose that dead fish handshake. Seriously, that’s never impressive. Time to get a grip. Full story at Dutch By [...] -
Fire ants could teach tunneling robots a few tricks
23 May 2013 | 1:54 pmResearchers find fire ants tightly regulate the diameter of their tunnels to insure ideal mobility and traction—but when they slip, antennae take grip. “Our hypothesis is that the ants are creating their environment in just the right way to allow them to move up and down rapidly with a minimal amount of neural control,” says [...] -
To be perfect, practice isn’t enough
23 May 2013 | 1:39 pmThere may be more to perfection than a lot of practice, according to a small study of chess players and musicians. A new study shows that even copious amount of practice is not enough to explain why people differ in level of skill in two widely studied activities: chess and music. In other words, it [...] -
Citizen scientists tag bug collections online
23 May 2013 | 1:28 pmThe public can help scientists by deciphering and recording the hand-written field notes that accompany a million insect specimens, many dating back more than 100 years. Along the way, participants in the project, called Calbug, are getting a peek into history and the treasures held in museum collections. Among the many scientifically valuable objects in [...]
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NYT > Home Page
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Senate Confirms Sri Srinivasan for Appeals Court Seat
23 May 2013 | 5:28 pmFilling a long-vacant seat on an important appeals court passes for progress in a legislative body where partisan wrangling continues to hold up many important posts. -
Envoy Says North Korea Open to Dialogue
23 May 2013 | 4:24 pmThe North Korean envoy, Vice Marshal Choe Ryong-hae, said the North would “accept the proposal” by China, its biggest benefactor which it has strained relations with. -
I.R.S. Suspends Official at Center of Storm
23 May 2013 | 3:20 pmLois Lerner, the head of the tax division on exempt organizations, was put on administrative leave a day after she invoked the Fifth Amendment before a House committee. -
Boy Scouts to Admit Openly Gay Youths as Members
23 May 2013 | 3:16 pmThe Boy Scouts of America voted to allow openly gay youths as members, while continuing its policy of excluding openly gay adult leaders. -
The Caucus: Mark Mazzetti on Obama's Speech on Drone Policy
23 May 2013 | 2:47 pmOne outstanding question is how transparent the Obama administration will be about drone strikes in the future.
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Dad-O-Matic
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Super Heroes
18 May 2013 | 5:56 pmWe dads love the whole concept of being super heroes for our families and being able to swoop in and save the day at a moment’s notice, but we all know that we are more Clark Kent than Superman. Still, we do our best to be strong and protective for the ones we love and hope for the best when they are out there on their own while we are far away at work. The subject of bullying is an important issue here on Dadomatic which is why I’m sharing this wonderful new music video for a song called “Metropolis” by Owl City. It’s a beautiful song and infectious but most of… -
Kissing Butt (Ant Butt, That Is…): Cast of Dads Episode 57
11 May 2013 | 7:01 pmGreen Lemon Ant (Photo credit: pietroizzo) The Cast of Dads finally got together again for another gabfest about fatherhood and then some. There is always something for us to talk about, and as usual, we cover a wide (and not necessarily logical) range of topics – in this episode everything from the serious (the Boston Bombings) to the sublime (licking the butts of ants). Beware, we do let loose a few “f bombs” and “s” words, so you may want to listen to this one with the headphones on. Enjoy! You can click here to listen to Cast of Dads Episode 57. -
Teaching My Kid To Get A Career
28 Apr 2013 | 2:01 pmThose of you with kids in diapers or grade school may want to skip this post (unless you want a peek into the future at one of the many other parenting adventures you can look forward to facing). Those of you with teens and young adults getting ready to enter the workforce and start to earn more than an allowance, please read on… Jobs vs. Career In simple terms, I think of a job as something you do to make money. This is especially true when we are young. Babysitting, dog walking, lawn mowing, packing grocery bags, hawking fast-food, etc., are all “jobs” we do to make money,… -
Flashbulbs of Memories
6 Mar 2013 | 3:31 pmWhen I was a kid my parents had one of those instamatic cameras with the square Magicube on top. Remember those? It would give you a flashbulb on each side of the cube and would automatically turn when you wound the film to the next frame. I remember many times watching my father take pictures with it and how incredibly bright it was. Each time I looked at the flashcube when it fired, for a short time afterward my eyes would see a shadow of my father standing there with the camera. I get the same sensation today when I look at the sun on an incredibly bright sunny day. You can close your eyes… -
Parenting Is Purpose
3 Mar 2013 | 2:24 pmIn my business life I spend a lot of time thinking about and talking with people about purpose. In business, finding and being able to articulate purpose is (or should be) an essential piece of the complicated puzzle that leads to a successful company. We hear a lot about “culture” in business talk, but what actually drives a great culture at great companies is a clear understanding of purpose across all levels of the organization. It is often really hard to pinpoint and express purpose, but it is always worth the effort because nothing can better bring a team together or…
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Mocha Dad
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5 Ways to Help Oklahoma Tornado Victims
21 May 2013 | 11:19 amOver the past few days, I’ve read social media updates from my friends who live in Oklahoma and Northern Texas. While I’m thankful that the people I know personally are safe and unharmed, my heart breaks for all of the people who lost their lives and property in the storms (read this actual account from my friend Amy). I was especially concerned about the children whose school was destroyed by the tornado while they were inside. Sadly, 20 of those children died. Many of my church members are from Oklahoma and their grief for their friends and relatives affected me deeply. Our… -
Give a Child a Chance at Life by Helping to Provide Essential Nutrients
19 May 2013 | 6:52 pmI’ve traveled to several countries around the world and I’ve witnessed abject poverty. I’ve seen families living in cardboard houses in Indonesia. I’ve encountered mothers’ begging on the streets of Mexico while cradling their malnourished babies. I’ve observed children struggling to find food in war-torn Iraq. Sadly, I’ve also seen similar scenarios in the United States. My heart aches for children who suffer. Millions of children around the world are suffering from ‘hidden hunger’, a lack of micronutrients that can lead to disease and even… -
Should Parents Follow Their Child’s Friends on Social Media?
16 May 2013 | 6:17 pmWhile scrolling through my Instagram feed, I noticed that one of my tween daughter’s friends had “Liked” several of my photos. A couple of days later, a few more of her friends “Liked” more of my photos. I didn’t think much of it until they also sent me friend requests on Facebook. That’s when I started to feel a little uncomfortable about my daughter’s friends following my social media accounts. Because my work relies heavily on social media, my accounts are open and I’m generous with follow backs. I never post anything on social media… -
How to Get Your Child to Talk to You
15 May 2013 | 2:02 pmOne night when my daughter was around five or six years old, I read to her from a journal I’d kept during her first few years of life. I poured out my heart and revealed all of the emotions I was feeling at the time. When I finished reading, I turned out the lights and I played her favorite lullaby CD. Before I could leave the room, she grabbed my hand, pulled me close, and whispered, “Daddy, will you always love me like that?” “Of course I will, darling,” I said. “In fact, I’ll love you even more.” That night we both shared our… -
How Parents Can Protect Children from Sports-Related Eye Injuries
14 May 2013 | 2:28 pmphoto by ctr via Stock.Xchng.com I’ve coached youth sports for several years and I’ve seen all types of injuries occur. Thankfully, most of the the injuries have been minor, but I’ve witnessed a few serious sprains, deep cuts, and bone fractures. At the beginning of each season, I talk to the parents and children about the importance of being safe and wearing the proper protective equipment (BTW – in my former career, I was a safety director). The most common injuries that I’ve seen are eye injuries. Kids are constantly getting poked in the eye, hit with…
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Makes Me Wanna Holler.com - Real Stories of Fatherhood, Marriage and Life
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Monday's With Michelle: Creative Loafing's Atlanta 2013 Culinary Bucket List
13 May 2013 | 9:03 amHappy Monday foodie friends! On Thursday, April 25th, Creative Loafing introduced it's Atlanta's 2013 culinary bucket list (see the pic below just to get an idea). Definitely worth checking out... lots of yummy eats waiting to be had! Make sure you check it out! And even if you don't reside in Atlanta, please check out the list and see what's comparatively cooking in your stomping grounds. Which dish are going to mark off your bucket list first? Post your comments below! Don't forget to visit my Foodie blog for more recipes, food tips and other foodie fun. -
Food Network's Atlanta Food Destinations
6 May 2013 | 8:24 amHello dear foodie friends, welcome back to Mondays with Michelle! I don’t know about you, but I am major Food TV junkie. In my down time you will usually find me on the couch watching some of my favorite celebrity chefs do their thing. I particularly enjoy watching the hosts walk through some of my local neighborhoods and sampling yummy treats in restaurants I've either been too or seen passing by. My partner and I always have a hard time deciding what new places to try, so keeping a list of local Food TV favorites is a great place to start. Check out the list below for some… -
A Grill-Off Against The Wife #SteakOver
5 May 2013 | 1:19 pmWhen it comes to cooking in the kitchen of my home it is an undisputed fact that my wife reigns supreme. And this isn't because she spends all her time in the kitchen. In fact as a Senior Marketing Manager at her company she has been spending the majority of her time checking emails on her phone. Cooking is just something she likes to do. It soothes her and she is a foodie. She spends a good amount of time on Pinterest making the food she likes to pin. When it comes to the grill it is presumed that I am king in my castle, but that's primarily because I'm the only one who uses it. At family… -
My Greatest Weakness
3 May 2013 | 7:42 amA few days ago my daughter asked me what her greatest weakness is. I told her she is very smart. Because of that she sometimes talks more than she listens. She then asked me what her mother's greatest weakness was and I answered, "No comment." She begged and pleaded but I refused to get on that train. She asked about her brother and then asked me what I thought mine is. I told her that until recently I've always had a hard time saying "no" for fear of upsetting and disappointing others. And in the process I've volunteered to do a lot of things I never wanted to do or been trapped in places I… -
Parents: You Don't Have To Multitask (All The Time)
26 Apr 2013 | 7:42 amThis week I personally learned a lesson I thought I already knew. Multitasking is cool (but not exactly natural for humans), but getting things done, one job at a time, is better. My morning duties include getting the kids' food ready for the day, breakfast and lunch and somehow in the midst of that making my own breakfast and lunch and brewing coffee for my wife and myself. I always take care of the kids, and I'm pretty on point when it comes to the coffee for the wife. But it's been hit or miss whether or not I take care of myself. I often leave the house feeling disorganized…
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Mashable
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This Telepresence Robot Is Powered By a Smartphone
23 May 2013 | 5:38 pmWhat if you could have your smartphone greet customers while they’re shopping in your store or have a tablet work as a babysitter? That’s the idea behind R.bots Synergy SWAN, a telepresence robot with that works with any Android or iOS device. To make the robot work, you attach your smartphone or tablet. The device charges while its docked, and the robot interacts with the world around it. The robot is still a prototype, but R.bots was able to show me a few use cases for the device on the show floor at CTIA Wireless conference this week in Las Vegas The robot was able to see that… -
Password Protection Act Bars Employers From Demanding Login Info
23 May 2013 | 5:14 pmWhat kind of experience do you have in the field? Who are your references? What's your Facebook password? If the Password Protection Act becomes law, it would make it a crime for employers to ask that third question. The PPA was introduced in the House of Representatives Wednesday by Reps. Ed Perlmutter (D-Colo.) and Peter Welch (D-Vt.). It would make it illegal for employers demand current or prospective employees hand over access to their social media accounts "People have an expectation of privacy when using social media like Facebook and Twitter. They have an expectation that their right… -
Let's Drive a Snowmobile Off a Cliff
23 May 2013 | 4:55 pmWhat's it like to drive a snowmobile off a cliff? Thanks to B.A.S.E. (Buildings, Antennas, Spans and Earth) jumper Erik Roner and his trusty trio of GoPro cameras, we get to experience just that without having to risk our necks. Roner performed this exhilarating jump in honor of his late friend, Shane McConkey, who suffered a fatal accident while ski-B.A.S.E. jumping in 2009. That's Shane's snowmobile you see getting this grand sendoff, with a GoPro camera mounted on board that somehow survived the plunge from such a dizzying height. SEE ALSO: Trombone Player Uses GoPro Camera to Make a Zany… -
Boy Scouts Lift Ban on Gay Members: How Twitter Reacted
23 May 2013 | 4:47 pmThe Boy Scouts of America's governing council voted on Thursday to allow openly gay scouts to join local troops for the first time in the organization's 103-year history. Gay adults still can't serve as troop leaders, but many see the decision as a significant step for forward for gay rights in America SEE ALSO: How Online Activists Helped End the Boy Scouts' Gay Youth Ban As with many issues surrounding gay rights, online reaction to the decision was passionate and divided. Big name celebrities and ordinary citizens alike took to Twitter to voice their support or opposition to the decision… -
3 Manly Pinterest Alternatives for Your Beard and Bacon Needs
23 May 2013 | 4:30 pmAre the images in your Pinterest feed not quite manly enough for you? If you think the virtual pinboard site is a little too feminine, you’re not alone In a recent Pew study of social media users, 25% of women said they used Pinterest, compared to a meager 5% of men. Since Pinterest’s creation, a number of similar websites have popped up that offer pins in what they consider manlier topics. While the men who use these sites abandoned Pinterest because of what they saw as a lack of subjects they could relate to, a number of Pinterest’s power users are actually men. If you…
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@ProBlogger
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How to Create a Blog Purpose Statement in 3 Simple Steps
23 May 2013 | 8:54 amYesterday, I shared a series of questions to help those bloggers seeking a little clarity when it comes to what their blog could be about. Today, I wanted to share 3 more questions – these are not so much focused upon YOU as a blogger but upon your readers. Hopefully they’ll also help you achieve a little clarity. Who are your readers? What do they need? How will they change as a result of reading your blog? Answer these 3 questions and you will actually have a pretty good purpose statement for your blog. You could certainly go into some real depth on each question but even doing… -
7 Questions to Ask Yourself to Bring Clarity to Your Blogging
22 May 2013 | 8:28 amDo you feel like you’ve lost clarity around what it is that you’re trying to do with your blog? I’ve recently bumped into a few bloggers grappling with this idea. Some were new, even ‘Pre’ Bloggers, while a couple had been blogging for a while but had lost some direction. Out of these conversations, I put together a set of questions to help them think it through. The questions revolve around asking: What are YOU About? While I won’t guarantee you instant clarity on answering these questions I hope that putting a little time aside to work through them… -
7 Steps to Proofreading Like a Pro
21 May 2013 | 9:37 amThis is a guest contribution by Charles Cuninghame, website copywriter and owner of Text-Centric. I’m sure we can all agree that proofreading is the least fun part of blogging. But while it may be tedious, it’s well worth the effort. Typos are not only embarrassing, they can also cost you money. In a widely reported study in 2011, British entrepreneur Charles Duncombe found a single spelling mistake can cut online sales in half! If you don’t have a product, then you could be missing out a blog subscriber or repeat visitor! Here’s a tried and tested proofreading process that I’ve… -
Are You Balancing Emerging Technology with Effective Strategy?
20 May 2013 | 8:21 amLast week I was asked at a conference to reflect upon the future of digital and among other things I made a reflection that seemed to resonate with those gathered. It was: Don’t throw out the baby with the bathwater. As online publishers we see a steady stream of articles being written about new and future technologies, companies and trends in the online publishing space. It is certainly an exciting time to be doing what we’re doing with such amazing development happening all around us and some amazing projections being made about what is ahead of us – however in the midst… -
How to Blog Like a Pro: Workshop on the Gold Coast Australia – Next Week
19 May 2013 | 7:56 pmNext week (29th May) I’m running a special workshop at the Internet Conference on the Gold Coast here in Australia. The workshop is titled – How to Blog Like a Pro – and you’ll get 4 solid hours of teaching in it – all delivered by me in a workshop limited to 40 people only. The workshop has only previously been available to those signing up to the full 3 day conferences as an add-on but there are a few tickets still available and so I asked the organisers if we could sell them as a stand-alone ticket (i.e. you don’t have to come to the full 3 day event).
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TheBloggess.com
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Me and the internet
22 May 2013 | 9:42 amThis cat = me trying to actually get work done. This weasel = my brain trying to destroy me: Me: I have work to do. Weasel: You should check the internet because remember yesterday when that one person on the internet was wrong and it made you so mad, but not actually mad enough to register to leave a comment. Go see if someone else left a comment calling them out. me: No. I don’t care. Weasel: LIAR. And check your blog because there might be a secret comment from Doctor Who asking you to go time-traveling with him. me: That’s not...possible. weasel: You… -
Do they even *have* pheasants on the Jersey Shore?
20 May 2013 | 7:04 amYou know when you’re antique shopping with your husband and you pick up a dead animal and shove it around the corner of the booth while yelling a really well known meme, but then you’re met with silence and you start to think that maybe your husband just needs to get on the internet more often, and then you poke your head around the corner and turns out your husband is in the bathroom and instead you’re talking to an elderly lady who is very confused that a dead pheasant just threatened her? I hate it when that happens. Related: I did not buy the pheasant because I spent… -
Two uncomfortable truths: New Merida looks a little whorey. Fewer people care about this than you would think.
16 May 2013 | 12:25 pmUgh. I sort of already hate myself from weighing in on this but people keep asking me to tweet about it and forward their petitions, and I really thought it would quiet down by now but it hasn’t, so I’m going to give my big, fat, stupid, irrelevant and probably wrong opinion on the changes Disney made from the original I-might-trust-her-to-babysit-my-kid-when-she’s-a-little-older Merida to get-the-fuck-away-from-my-husband Merida. There are all sorts of calls to action to get Disney to admit that the new Merida looks a bit skanky and they’ve met with some success… -
Hunter S. Thomcat is possibly possessed.
15 May 2013 | 1:12 pmA series of texts I sent to Victor today: me: Hunter is acting insane. He just put Ferris Mewler in a headlock. You can't see it but I suspect he has a tiny switch-blade. Victor: They’re fine. Ferris looks sleepy. me: I’m pretty sure he was blacking out from the lack of oxygen. Victor: You’re overreacting. me: Then he stalked me all day. "You do not see me." Victor: I don’t see him. me: HE’S HIDING BEHIND THE COBRA. Victor: Oh yeah. He’s adorable. me: He just set fire to your office. Victor: Stop texting me. -
Any publicity is…um…you know what? I’m not even sure anymore.
14 May 2013 | 9:38 amA friend of mine just told me that if you search for “giant dildo” on Amazon you get something very unexpected on the very first page of results. So I tried it. And she’s right. I don’t even have the words, you guys.
