(White Russian)

(Tequila)

(Chablis)

(Margarita)

Just like images of snowflakes, each drink is different – as seen here when magnified up to 1,000 times under a high tech laboratory microscope.

“Each image was created by using a pipette of each particular drink and squeezing a drop onto a slide. Then the droplets are allowed to dry out and the slide is placed under the microscope and a picture taken.”

It can take up to four weeks for the alcohol to dry out completely in an airtight container, and the whole process can take up to three months.

Produced by American firm Bevshots, these images are available for purchase for buyers who appreciate the hidden beauty of booze.

“Crossfire” is the first solo single from The Killer’s frontman Brandon Flowers. It sounds a lot like Sam’s Town, with its huge, soaring chorus and inspiring lyrics. The verses also sound a lot like U2. Daniel Lanois, who has work with U2, as well as Brendan O’Brien and Stuart Price produced the record.

In an interview with UK music mag the NME, Flowers revealed that some of the songs on the upcoming album, Flamingo, were originally intended for the next Killers release. However with other band members exhausted by the intense touring schedule following the release of 2008′s Day And Age, Flowers decided to go ahead with a solo record:

“I would prefer if this was a Killers record, although it would obviously be very different if I’d made it with the rest of the band,” he explained. “We’re just at different places in our lives right now. It’s no secret that they’re ready to put the brakes on for a second. It’s definitely not the end of The Killers, but you can’t blame the others – we’ve been going non-stop since 2003.”

Can’t wait for Flamingo, but for the time being have a listen to “Crossfire”.

Delightful, are they not?!

How does today’s built environment define us?

In my final photography assignment for this semester I explore the relationship between human beings and their metropolis. The photographs I produced are manifestations of the city and suburban environments that seize the mechanical motion of everyday life. They look at the many ways in which today’s built environment defines us, and the critical role that architecture plays in articulating that definition. From simple homes and functional business space to state-of-the art hospitals and schools, from gritty streetscapes to iconic facilities, our communities are a true reflection of our complex society. Through vision, innovation, and social awareness, architects play an important part in shaping not only what our communities are, but also what they can be.

A look of the expansive size of the metropolis in all its man-made glory begins with each frame revealing an experience that will never be witness in the same manner again. By recording these flashes of time and space, the viewer is able to reflect on the un-choreographed activities and in doing so, realise social patterns embedded in our society. As movement is stilled, the reality is revealed. These photographs serve as a testimony to modern existence.

So, I’ve been slack this month and didn’t get round to making my monthly playlist. I’m hoping this discovery will suffice:

StereoMood, it’s an online radio which suggests songs that best suits your feelings and activities. Amazing idea or what! The playlists mainly consists of indie music so it is definitely up my alley. My only suggestion to the geniuses behind this gizmo: make a playlist for a rainy day because right now I’m feeling a tad depressed. Shooting a photography assignment with Melbourne’s current overcast weather is total a ball breaker I tell you!

In other music news, I’m super excited about Brandon Flowers’ upcoming solo album! Here is all the latest info I could dig up.

Shrek coloured nail polish? That’s right! O.P.I has collaborated with DreamWorks Animation to create six limited-edition nail lacquers inspired by the green orge himself. With a palette of blue, purple and of course green, the colours are as bright as the land of Far, Far Away. My fave is definitely ‘Orge-the-Top Blue’!

The nail polishes are already available so jump on it peeps. And if you’re wondering, the final Shrek instalment Shrek Forever After is due out June 17th, 2010.

So anyway, I know the machine is widely use in business and education but can it be used for photography? Apparently so, according to my photography lecturer at Deakin University. It snaps and print just like a polaroid camera, only difference is the copier is not quite as portable. Fun to experiment with none the less!

This is what I managed to produce today and will hand in tomorrow for my ‘Instant Photography’ assignment:

Most current photocopiers use a technology called xerography, a dry process using heat. Copiers can also use other output technologies such as ink jet, though xerography is standard for office copying. If you are curious, I went with the ink jet because it was readily available at home. The thought of being able to do a photography assignment from the comfort of my own room was just irresistible, especially with the freezing cold weather that is currently sweeping through Melbourne!

By the way, the current issue of Frankie Magazine features a winter fashion accessories shoot very similar to this except that was photographed using I assume a DSLR whereas I photographed using a photocopier.

Be cool and download these songs before the rest of the world jumps on the bandwagon!

1. “Dream City” by Free Energy
2. “Far and Wide” by Roadside Graves
3. “Vacationing People” by Foreign Born
4. “Fables” by The Dodos
5. “French Navy” by Camera Obscura
6. “The Old Days” by Dr. Dog
7. “I Learned The Hard Way” by Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings
8. “Hollywood” by Codeine Velvet Club
9. “Could You Be The One” by Stereophonics
10. “Got Nuffin” by Spoon

Enjoy!

adj.
1. Causing awe or terror; inspiring wonder or excitement.
2. (Informal) excellent, exciting, remarkable.

If you hang out with me for a few minutes, chances are you’ll hear me say ‘awesome’ at least half a dozen times. Why do I utter this word so often? No idea. Whatever the reason, I figured it’d be fun to compile a list of awesome things.

So here are a few:

1. Discovering a song before the rest of the world jumps on the bandwagon
2. Having the entire row to yourself on the plane, especially on cheap airlines
3. Opening a book to the exact page you were looking for
4. The cold side of the pillow
5. Files that download really fast
6. Dipping McDonald’s fries in a sundae/cone/McFlurry
7. The extra hour of sleep you get when daylight savings ends
8. Finding change you didn’t even know you lost
9. Finding out you birthday falls on a Friday or Saturday next year
10. The fast moving lane in a traffic jam
11. Folding a letter into perfect thirds
12. Singing on the way home from a gig or concert
13. Adrenaline rushes
14. When your laptop or mobile is just about to die but you manage to run and plug it in before it shuts off
15. Emptying the recycling bin on your computer, probably the world’s easiest chore
16. The moment you finally untangle a big knot
17. The two seconds of silence when passing under a bridge on the freeway whilst it is pouring down rain
18. Dangling your feet in water
19. Getting petrol before the price goes up
20. Getting the booth side of a restaurant table

Looking for more of life’s little joys? Check out this blog, 1000 Awesome Things.

Last month Esquire Magazine published a short story entitled “Just Before The Black” by James Franco.

Most people would probably know Franco from movies such as Spider-Man, Pineapple Express and Milk. But this guy is seriously much more talented! At 31, he is an accomplished actor, film director, screenwriter, film producer, painter, and now author. Already with a Masters in Fine Arts from Colombia, he was yesterday accepted to Yale to complete his doctorate in English. Impressive or what?!

Back to short stories, I was never really a fan. They tend to be very simple and often lack dramatic structure. It’s things like exposition, complication, rising action, climax, resolution and moral, that makes an interesting read. In saying that though, I very much enjoyed “Just Before The Black”. Kind of Bret Easton Ellis meets JD Salinger I reckon.

You can read the story in it’s entirety at esquire.com. Happy reading!