No Impact Man Trailer

It is so fitting that as I blog about simplicity this week the first No Impact Man movie trailer releases!  If you don't know about Colin Beavan's no impact project, check out his website here. I don't know if I am more excited to see the movie or read the book, both of which come out the first week of September. Check out the movie trailer below. 

Bike Lane Love

Photo via treehugger

I discovered a new website today, GOOD, which is the online component of a magazine by the same name. GOOD compiles lots of interesting blogs, articles, and videos and is self-described as "an ongoing exploration of what GOOD is and what it can be". While I was checking out the site I came upon this post, content originally from TreeHugger, that made me giddy. The author explains that in Spain these ZEBRA bicycle lane dividers are used to keep cyclists safe by preventing drivers from ignoring bicycle lane dividing lines. The dividers, sort of an oval-shaped mini speed bump, are also made from 100% recycled plastic. Protecting cyclists who are practicing clean transportation through a recycled mechanism? What could be better! 

I have high hopes that these little ZEBRAs will be implemented here in the US, and soon. Biking to work or down the street to run errands is one of the quickest ways to ease gas guzzling automobile traffic and improve air quality in our immediate environment. Unfortunately, cyclists are often put in unsafe situations due to distracted, or simply bad, drivers. Utilizing a product such as ZEBRA dividers is a sustainable way to keep cyclists safe while making bicycle commuting more attractive to new riders who may be weary of cycling safety.

Artist Spotlight: John Singer Sargent

Lady Agnew of Locknaw found here

It has been a long day and as I searched for some visual inspiration this evening it was subtle portraits and soft watercolors that drew me in. The works of John Singer Sargent perfectly complement a moment of quiet relaxation, his portraits in particular capturing the beautiful subtleties of his subjects and creating a wonderful complexity. Sargent, who lived from 1854 to 1925, was a realist in his own right and was heavily criticized in his later years for being too old fashioned in his work. He was also criticized for his Venetian watercolors by some and still others disregarded his oil paintings as being unrefined. Since I am not much of an art critic myself, I quite enjoy the traditional qualities of Sargent's paintings as well as the variety of styles he embraced. 

One of Sargent's most criticized and sensational works is the portrait of Madame X, originally titled the Portrait of Madame Pierre Gautreau. The Portrait, which is pictured immediately below, caused outrage by many in France for the seductive and scandalous nature of the Madame (keep in mind it was 1884). For the whole juicy story on Madame's portrait, check out this Wikipedia page. You can learn more about Sargent's training, life, and works in general here.

Protrait of Madame X found here

Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose found here

The Chess Game found here