Breaking Boards!

I shared this video with some of my coworkers and they told me I should put it up here. This is a short video of me doing board breaks for my a practice testing to receive my 4th Degree Black Belt in Tae Kwon-do. Enjoy!

OK Go!

I've always been a big fan of Rube Goldberg Machines. This is one of the best ones I've ever seen. Ok Go!

Old vs New

By: Anne Braly, Times Free Press
Furniture trends change with the generations, so what do you do with your grandparents' treasures when they pass down to you? Antiques are not only valuable; they carry memories. But what if your taste runs more toward modern designs, such as straight lines versus fanciful details.

Incorporating the two can offer rooms a dynamic look, said Karen Liwanpo, creative director at Smart Furniture on the North Shore.

"The two really work well together," she said, provided there's some coordination between the two.

Joy Devlin, manager at Smart Furniture, explained that "modern" furniture appeared in the 1920s with the Art Deco movement. By the 1940s and 1950s, it became mainstream alongside traditional pieces. The designs remain popular and continue to be used by many of today's furniture designers.

And, Ms. Liwanpo added, the modern furnishings from the early and mid-20th century now are considered antiques of great value.

If you prefer furnishings with a modern edge, use your antique pieces as an accent. Or visa versa.

"Balance the two," Ms. Liwanpo said. "Don't just mash them together. It would look like a Bohemian dorm room."

The focus should be on unifying the elements.

"It's a good marriage of fashion and function that allows you to hang on to your roots but give your home a more modern look," Ms. Devlin said.

Here are their tips for fusing the two.

• Match colors and textures. Put modern cushions on an old sofa using your accent colors. Or add throw pillows to highlight accents.
• Try different arrangements. Move pieces around to create symmetry.
• Strive for balance. If you have an older, traditional table, you can add a clear, polypropylene chair that will add no visual weight.
• Don't be afraid to experiment. To try out the look, place a contemporary lamp on your heirloom table. Like it? This is a good place to begin outfitting your home or office with a new look.

Bubble Club Sofa, with Female

This had to go somewhere.

~MW

Putting the Scenic City on the (virtual) map

Chattanooga's downtown may have undergone a major revitalization in recent years, but on the Google Earth virtual globe, it's still a barren flatland.

Chattanooga 3D, a volunteer-based collaborative effort of area businesses, architects and computer modelers, is determined to change that. They've been working since the project's launch as part of the STAND 48Hour Launch event on Nov. 13 to "push up" the virtual Chattanooga by populating it with models of actual buildings.

Karen Liwanpo, the creative director at Smart Furniture, came up with the idea for Chattanooga 3D just before 48Hour Launch. At first, she thought the idea would stand out in the crowd of the event's more traditionally minded concepts but was concerned by its scope.

"I e-mailed (Google) and said, 'Is this crazy? I want to do this in a week and a half and put Chattanooga on the map. It's next weekend; what do we do?'" Ms. Liwanpo said.

In response, Google put Ms. Liwanpo in contact with Chris Wilson as a project consultant. Mr. Wilson led a similar effort in 2007 to populate Google Earth's virtual representation of McMinnville, Tenn.

Thanks to Mr. Wilson's and Ms. Liwanpo's familiarity with Google's SketchUp 3D modeling software, their team of about 25 volunteers so far have created 14 models, some of multiple buildings.

Partners like RiverCity and local independent architects and architectural firms have offered the team computer-aided design schematics for many downtown buildings to speed up the modeling process.

The show of support has been encouraging, Ms. Liwanpo said.

"This is such a great project, and it's people thinking 'big picture' for Chattanooga," Ms. Liwanpo said. "This is something large-scale, not for profit for us, but for Chattanooga, it could be really beneficial."

The models are now awaiting final approval for inclusion into Google Earth, but Google representatives' interest in the project should accelerate that process.

"We're excited to see the Chattanooga community working together," said Bruce Polderman, Google's senior business project manager, in an e-mailed statement. "Whether you're a resident or have never visited Chattanooga, being able to explore the town virtually ... is a great way to learn more about it, no matter where you are."

Aside from the appeal of seeing a city represented in 3D, there are many applications to efforts like Chattanooga 3D, said Stephen Culp, who co-founded the project.

Google Earth's ability to integrate contact information, Web sites and other data into the maps makes a vibrant presence on the service of obvious use to tourists, city planners and event organizers, Mr. Culp said.

"This project can make Chattanooga more accessible to all kinds of people and organizations," Mr. Culp said. "Eventually, folks everywhere will be able to explore Chattanooga in Google Earth, create presentations, plan events, conduct research, showcase art, promote their business or neighborhood -- you name it."

Ms. Liwanpo said she hopes to attract more volunteer support for Chattanooga 3D and involve other groups like university courses in the process.

The project so far has focused on buildings downtown, between the riverfront and Main Street. Within a year, given sufficient support, Ms. Liwanpo said she would like to have modeled all the landmark buildings and pieces of art on display throughout the city.




WANT TO VOLUNTEER?

* Visit www.chattanooga3D.com to sign up as a volunteer, view a list of buildings that need to be photographed or modeled.
* Download Google Earth and Google SketchUp for free at earth.google.com and sketchup.google.com, respectively.

THE WORK SO FAR

Many Chattanooga buildings already have been modeled and are awaiting approval from Google before being uploaded, including:

* Big River Brewing Company (2001 Riverside Drive)
* The Bijou Theatre (215 Broad St.)
* The DoubleTree Hotel (407 Chestnut St.)
* Smart Furniture (413 Market St.)

DIGITAL SIGHT SEEING

Chattanooga 3D is a work-in-progress, but many cities' virtual counterparts are almost fully digitized. Download Google Earth for free at earth.google.com, check the "3D Buildings" box and you can be virtually walking the streets of any of the following cities in minutes:

* Seattle
* Dublin
* Tokyo
* Valencia, Spain
* New York City
* Sydney
* Miami

STEP-BY-STEP

1. With appropriate photos of each side of the building being created, the modeler uses the Google Earth satellite image to select the building's location and surrounding area. This image also will be used to texture the roof of the model.

2. Using a tool in Google SketchUp, the modeler creates a basic 3D blueprint of the building. At this point, the model is gray and featureless.

3. The modeler now applies the photos to each side of the building as textures. The photos must be adjusted to cover the model exactly and avoid perspective "pinching."

4. With the building model complete, the modeler must "geo locate" the building by adjusting its orientation and scale to match the Google Earth satellite imagery. At this point, the model must be reviewed by Google before being included in the program.

SmartFurniture.com Adds Knoll Generation Chair to its Smart Designer Platform

November 18, 2009
Smart Furniture announced today that the Generation by Knoll is now available, and fully customizable in 3 minutes at SmartFurniture.com.

The Generation chair by Knoll (NYSE: KNL) is the first chair of it's kind to offer "elastic design," a product of years of research and innovation. The result is a highly adaptable, flexible, and functional chair that breaks down the barriers of conventional wisdom in office chair design. The Knoll Generation chair allows people to sit in the chair backwards, sideways, or slouched--all while remaining comfortable.

The Generation chair is "smart" furniture in more ways than one, including environmental sustainability. Rated Sustainable Platinum under the SMaRT© Consensus Sustainable Product Standards, and consistent with Knoll's holistic approach to sustainability which considers all three criteria of the sustainability triple bottom line: environmental, social and economic impacts. Smart Furniture CEO T. J. Gentle: "The Knoll Generation chair sets a bar for office chair design. Nothing about this chair is derivative or uninspired, and it's flexibility lends itself well to our "Smart Designer" platform, where customers can customize their Generation chair online, on the spot." Founder and Chairman Stephen Culp added: "Knoll's approach to the Generation chair is consistent with Smart Furniture's core belief about furniture design. It liberates movement rather than restricting it. It embraces different workstyles rather than dictating one. It focuses on the uniqueness of each customer." Culp added, "Knoll has created an office chair that uniquely serves its human companion by adapting to his or her individual style, rather than the other way around."

More information about the Knoll Generation chair is available at SmartFurniture.com at http://www.smartfurniture.com/products/Knoll-Generation-Chair.html About Smart Furniture, Inc.

Smart Furniture® brings custom design to a whole new market-- everyone. As the industry leader in “Design-on-Demand®” furniture and interiors, Smart Furniture empowers customers to customize furniture and spaces, quickly and easily. Promoting personalization through product design, technology, and a passion for customer service, Smart Furniture continues to earn industry-wide acclaim and dramatic customer growth. For product or showroom information, call 888-GO-SMART or visit www.SmartFurniture.com.

Smart Furniture, Inc.
Karen Liwanpo

423-822-2266

marketing@smartfurniture.com

Eco-Friendly Products

Gus Modern has announced that they are now manufacturing all upholstered seating with 100% FSC-certified wood, sourced from responsibly managed forests. Nice work!

Gus Design Group offers sleek pieces that meld industrial influences with elegant finishes. Well proportioned sofas and sectionals inspired by mid-century modernism have been gaining attention across the country and internationally.