Image by Max Eremine via Flickr
Street art is a popular way for people to express their individuality in a world that can seem so conformist. This is especially true for the youth. Art lets people say what perhaps they don’t feel able to say in words or at least in normal speech. Street art takes many forms, from chalk on the sidewalk to graffiti to murals and even to music. Like any art, the public’s reaction to the art has to be considered, especially since street art isn’t always legal.
Drawings on the sidewalk: not just for little children. A sidewalk is like an infinite canvas – there’s always more sidewalk, and since everyone’s running around with their heads down, they’ll see the art!
Image via Wikipedia
Graffiti means leaving some kind of mark on public/private property. This usually takes the form of spray-paint, but not always. If you have a visual signature and leave it somewhere, that’s known as “tagging.” Graffiti is popular among gangs claiming territory and also among rebellious youth. Graffiti is illegal (you’re marking up something that doesn’t belong to you), so it’s not the best way to express yourself, but it’s certainly one way some people shout out to the world.
Murals are large-scale paintings on vertical surfaces like walls and fences. They can be a great addition to the community, but without prior permission they are as illegal as graffiti, so take care. If you express yourself musically and like to play on the street, that’s art, too. Whatever your mode of expression, everyone wants to be heard.
Not too often does the headquarters of a major company look as cool as the Oakley Headquarters. Situated in Foothill Ranch, Orange County, California, the central office of the one of the largest performance sports apparel companies in the world appears as if it was inspired by Battlestar Galactica (actually, it was Blade Runner that inspired it, but you get the picture). According to the 
Designed by Colin Baden- now president of Oakley- the concept behind the building was to keep viewers thinking. The thought, “Was this built for people who lived a thousand years ago or for people living a thousand years in the future,” was the central theme and inspiration. They’ve surely executed that well. Aside from being the main headquarters, the site features a customer-service repair-and-warranty center (situated behind a blast door), a retail store, and a museum that highlights the company’s product history — including autographed shades worn by Lance Armstrong in his Tour de France victories.
Baden designed the HQ after advising Oakley founder, Jim Jannard, on his idea to have a Blade Runner-inspired home. And while that never came to fruition, Baden’s concept for the offices delivered on Jannard’s dream. And while this may look like mere aesthetics, the materials used are really real, down to the B-52 ejector seats in the lobby and the foot-wide bolts and rivets used in the entryway. In fact, most of the steel fabrication was done by a steel shipbuilder in Tacoma, Washington.
Founded in 1975, Oakley was started by Jannard with just $300. Initially selling motorcycle grips- called “The Oakley Grip”- out the back of his car, Jim became popular in the BMX and Motorcross industries for his products, which included number plates, gloves, grips, elbow guards, chin guards, and goggles. In the 1980s, out of his garage laboratory, Jannard created the famous O-Frame and Eyeshade sunglasses, which allowed superior protection while performing in sports events.
Today, Jannard and Oakley have over 600 patents worldwide for their cutting-edge sunglasses designs, as well as for their prescription eyewear, shoes, apparel, and other accessories. Sports stars such as Lance Armstrong, Shaun White, Ichiro Suzuki, and Ryan Sheckler are major supporters of the company and are on Oakley’s sports teams roster. Additionally, Oakley has contracts with the US military and law enforcement agencies, designing many products especially for them.
For such a cutting-edge, innovative company, it’s only proper and fitting their headquarters look the part. Instead of creating a site typical of SoCal offices, Baden did something that not only is a departure from the norm, but is something that is timeless in it’s own, a place that thousands of years from now will look, feel, and be just as relevant and fitting as it is today.
Within the past few years, the television has experienced a renaissance of sorts. It’s transformed from the dated floor models and bulky styles to more space saving (and downright cooler looking) flat screens. For those without cable, we’ve had to switch from analog to digital TV. We have the option of plasma, LCD, or LED television now. And within the past year or so has come the advent of 3-D TV.
Coming in a less than a half inch thick- .31 inches to be exact- the 9000 Series is a full HD television with 3-D capabilities. Additionally, with Samsung Apps, you’ll have every on-demand outlet at you service, such as Hulu, Netflix, and Youtube, as well as music from Pandora. What’s even cooler is the remote control, which resembles an iPhone. Not only is it touch screen, but it has Wi-Fi built in that can receive a video signal, whether it’s playing on the television or something else in a picture-in-picture like fashion. Of course, staying true to being an eco-friendly company, the 9000 Series televisions are Energy Star rated, which means they help to save you money by consuming less energy.
The Samsung 9000 Series televisions come in 46 and 55 inch variations, and the sticker price starts at about $5000 for the 46 inch model.
Inside, the SLS is pure Mercedes… and then some. The interior is wrapped in leather and carbon fiber, with touches of metal on the knobs and other fixtures. It’s the perfect mix of luxury and sport, a balance not seen on many grand tourers.
