Architects are the Rock Stars of tomorrow

In November, Influx Insights reported that Shoe brands turn to architects citing
Frank Gehry designing for JM Weston and Zaha Hadid for Lacoste.


Today, Swiss Miss shared the pictured story proclaiming Architects are Sexiest!

As we witness the rise of design who better to be the poster child than architects?

Metropolis Magazine provides good coverage of our ascending stars by focusing on Architecture, Culture and Design and is now available in digital format. Check out a sample of the January 2009 issue here.

rentalism

living, riding, fixing and even fronting are all feasible.


Stylish Souk in downtown Portland, Oregon is but one option for freelancers looking for a professional workspace and the opportunity to network and/or simply collaborate.

Bike sharing rental programs are the hottest urban accessory for metropolitan areas such as Paris, Vienna, Barcelona, Düsseldorf and recently, Washington D.C.

Philadelphia's Free Ride and other bike cooperatives provide a space to work on your bike including stands, tools and volunteers to problem solve.

Wikipedia lists tool libraries across the U.S.

Beyond the practical, there are all sorts of rental opportunities for those seeking status and lifestyle upgrades.

According to Fast Company, membership to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) includes eligibility for art rental program for as little as $17 a month. FC's article How to look good in a recession offers additional ideas for leasing luxe.

Has your perception of ownership changed?

Macro Trend: Frugality

Tree Hugger's October 6, 2008 Quote of the day goes to Paul Kedrosky: "Frugality is the new black". Kedrosky alludes to this prescient August '08 post from Merril Lynch Economist David Rosenberg.

Unsurprisingly the word pops up in many of the choice weekend reads. It's all over the NY Times. Style and Travel take the frugal angle:

Frugal New York

The Frugal Teenager Ready or Not

Tips at these sites:

Simple Dollar

Frugal Village

Share your stories and/or links in the comments. I expect many days of resourceful living to come.

derailing the cringe

Embarrasing moments happen regularly. There are foot in mouth incidences. Public actions & reactions that you would like to keep private occur and you find yourself mulling over the witness list to your vulnerabilities. For me it is experienced almost like a headache. I want to touch my temple over and over to provide some relief. So, too, my mind longs to revisit embarrassments.

But what about the growing allure of cringe in popular culture? "Trainwreck Television" is more popular than ever and not the sort that refers to mechanical catastrophes. More like Flavor Flav looking for love on MTV or any one of the number of unreality programs currently thriving on their cringe factor.

What is the appeal and where does it end?