HP 12C on iPhone

I never figured out how to use these 12C calculators from HP, but my dad's had it ever since I can remember. It's funny how they've developed an iPhone version of it now. The old is new again.

Seen on Cool Hunting.

Peggy Wong: Taupe + Purple Room

I really really really like this room. The taupe + the purple + the hint of yellow really does it. And the white.

To see and read more, head on to designsponge.

Seen in the White House: Silvershoes

I wonder whom these shoes belong to...

The silver shoes of a guest stand out as President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama pose for a photo before the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender reception in the East Room of the White House, June 29, 2009. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Ceramic Tableware: Simple Details

A couple weeks ago, I decided to drop in on the DWR Tools for Living store here in Santa Monica. I was going to only get this book called How To See by George Nelson only because it was selling for $5, regular price. I have no idea why, but it wasn't as good as I thought. But I couldn't leave the store just yet because I saw these really beautiful ceramic pieces. I didn't buy a whole set, but instead got parts of different sets. I've always wanted to own a flat plate because I don't like my food running into each other, especially if they're saucy. I got three pieces -- two salad plates and a bowl. I really liked the simple details, and I hope I was able to capture it in the photos.

Note #1: For the Eva Zeisel matte white plate, the set consisted of a larger dinner plate and a soup bowl, aside from the salad plate. Each piece had a dimple that continued on through the piece so that each dimple died into the dimple of the piece below it when stacked. I thought that was kind of interesting.

Note #2: Matte white ceramic is not very practical because as you can see in the photo, my fork and knife already left metal marks on it.

Perfect Ice Cube Trays

I really want these.

The Tovolo perfect cube ice cube trays eliminate messy ice shards melting on your counters and floors. And, they keep your drinks looking perfect.
* Perfect Cube Ice Cube Trays are made from food-grade Silicone, so they won't absorb odors and colors.
* Cubes pop out perfect every time.
* Sold in sets of two trays of the same color.

Get them here.

The Lost Tribes of New York City

Urban anthropologists Andy & Carolyn London interview some of New York City's more overlooked citizens.


Via swissmiss.

Weather Map

I really like this diagram. It is a weather map from a Japanese newspaper. I got it from reading Edward Tufte's Envisioning Information.

Book: The Perks of Being a Wallflower

I just read the most amazing book by Stephen Chbosky. I have no idea who he is, but my friend, Josh, lent it to me. I finished reading it in 2 nights and 2 lunch breaks over McDonald's and Taco Bell. Just sitting in my car.

I would describe it myself but I'm not a very good writer, and I'm sure someone else has done it better already.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower is an epistolary novel written by American novelist Stephen Chbosky. It was published on February 1, 1999 by MTV. The story is narrated by a teenager who goes by the alias of "Charlie"; he describes various scenes in his life by writing a series of letters to an anonymous person, whom he does not know personally.

Wow, that sounded really dry. Maybe I was wrong about someone else having done it better already. I would describe Charlie as this really sweet, introverted boy. But not in a goody-goody way. Just really honest. In a way that society probably teaches you not to be. He reminds me a lot of Javi, how he would always wish people the best in a really sincere, yet weird way, not out loud, but in his heart. And even all the books Charlie's teacher had him read were books Javi's tried to get me to read such as The Fountainhead and Catcher in the Rye. There's also Dead Poet's Society. This book is an easy-reading version of Catcher in the Rye, I think. I actually didn't like Catcher in the Rye because of the way the character ran on with his sentences. It made me dizzy. But the run-on sentences and thoughts in this book make me smile. Because I think a lot of the same things.

Here are some of my favorite quotes from the book...

I want Sam to stop liking Craig. Now, I guess maybe you think that's because I am jealous of him. I'm not. Honest. It's just that Craig doesn't really listen to her when she talks. I don't mean that he's a bad guy because he's not. It's just that he always looks distracted. It's like he would take a photograph of Sam, and the photograph would be beautiful. And he would think that the reason the photograph is beautiful was because of how he took it. If I took it, I would know that the only reason it's beautiful is because of Sam. I just think it's bad when a boy looks at a girl and thinks that the way he sees the girl is better than the girl actually is. And I think it's bad when the most honest way a boy can look at a girl is through a camera. It's very hard for me to see Sam feel better about herself just because an older boy sees her that way.

...I like to think my brother is having a college experience like they do in the movies. I don't mean the big fraternity party kind of move. More like the movie where the guy meets a smart girl who wears a lot of sweaters and drinks cocoa. They talk about books and issues and kiss in the rain. I think something like that would be very good for him, especially if the girl were unconventionally beautiful. They are the best kind of girls, I think. I personally find "super models" strange. I don't know why this is.

I always wanted to be on a sports team like that. I'm not exactly sure why, but I always thought it would be fun to have "glory days." Then, I would have stories to tell my children and golf buddies. I guess I could tell people about Punk ROcky and walking home from school and things like that. Maybe these are my glory days, and I'm not even realizing it because they don't involve a ball.

My dad had glory days once. I've seen pictures of him when he was young. He was a very handsome man. I don't know any other way to put it. He looked like all old pictures look. Old pictures look very rugged and young, and the people in the photographs always seem a lot happier than you are.

... I think about all this sometimes when I'm watching a football game with Patrick and Sam. I look at the field, and I think about the boy who just made the touchdown. I think that these are the glory days for that boy, and this moment will just be another story someday because all the people who made touchdowns and home runs will become somebody's dad. And when his children look at his yearbook photograph, they will think that their dad was rugged and handsome and looked a lot happier than they are. I just hope I remember to tell my kids that they are as happy as I look in my old photographs. And I hope that they believe me.

...it's like when we were little, and we would go to the grocery store. My sister and brother would fight about things that my sister and brother would fight about, and I would sit at the bottom of the shopping cart. And my mom would be so upset by the end of the shopping that she would push the cart fast, and I would feel like I was in a submarine.

Do you enjoy holidays with your family? I don't mean your mom and dad family, but your uncle and aunt and cousin family? Personally, I do.

Patrick loved the tape! I think he knows that I'm his Secret Santa, though, because I think he knows that only I would do a tape like that. He also knows what my handwriting looks like. I don't know why I don't think of these things until it's too late. I really should have saved it for my last present.

The gift from my Secret Santa wasn't anything special. That makes me sad. I bet you anything that Mary Elizabeth is my Secret Santa because only she would give me socks.

I walked over the hill to where we used to go and sled. There were a lot of little kids there. I watched them flying. Doing jumps and having races. And I thought that all those kids are going to grow up someday. And all those little kids are going to do the same things that we do. And they will all kiss someone someday. But for now, sledding is enough. I think it would be great if sledding were always enough, but it isn't.

And I felt weird. Really weird, because as I was walking around all the stores, I didn't know what present my dad would like to receive from me. I knew what to buy or give Sam and Patrick, but I didn't know what I could buy or give or make for my own dad. My brother likes posters of girls and beer cans. My sister likes a haircut gift certificate. My mom likes old movies and plants. My dad only likes golf, and that is not a winter sport except for in Florida, and we don't live there. And he doesn't play baseball anymore. He doesn't even like to be reminded unless he tells the stories. I just anted to know what to buy my dad because I love him. And I don't know him. And he doesn't like to talk about things like that.

I guess we are who we are for a lot of reasons. And maybe we'll never know most of them. But even if we don't have the power to choose where we come from, we can still choose where we go from there. We can still do things. And we can try to feel okay about them.

I don't know whether I should've done that. I practically transposed the whole book here. I hope this isn't illegal.

Black

I have really begun to start liking black. I used to like white a lot. I was one of those who got the white iBook. I still have it, but it's dying a slow death. So yes, black. Especially the matte kind. So here are some things that have caught my eye over the past few months through my job.

Sub-zero refrigerator/freezer Carbon Stainless, Dornbracht Tara Black Edition

The Balance between Aesthetics and Comfort

Ever since I started at my new job, where I've been exposed to more comfortable, maybe-not-as-modern-looking furniture, but DEFINITELY comfortable, and after being a victim of modern buyer's remorse, I think I now have a pretty good sense of balance between aesthetics and comfort.

I never would have chosen this sofa (by DePadova) several years ago when I was still new to this world of design, but it actually appeals to me now. It looks like it would be very comfortable, something I could sink and sleep in, yet still very clean-lined, not messy.

PS: I have not yet bought a sofa for my place, which explains why I can't seem to feel relaxed. I have one lounge chair I bought from a seller on craigslist. A vintage armchair which I love, but I would really like a sofa I can stretch out on. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Grid Tag - USB Stick

Available at Grid.

There is something about this pillow that appeals to me.

Available at Burke Decor.

via http://icanread.tumblr.com/post/111846965

We bought a door.

Philippines in GOOD magazine

One of my favorite magazines is GOOD. But even they misspell the name of my country, the Philippines. Is this not on spell check? During Apple's WWDC, they also spelled it wrong -- Phillipines. I think the double "L" is there because people think it's... Philip -- wait a minute! Even Philip only has 1 L! But for those who don't know, the country's name came from King Philip II of Spain in the 16th century.

It is an exciting time to be a nerd.

Zappos, I think I love you.

Grabe, can I just say how great Zappos is. They may not have the greatest looking website or packaging, but their service is... I didn't even know this kind of service was possible.

I ordered a pair of shoes and I think it arrived in 4 days or so. But that's not why I love them. They were too small so I wanted to return it. As I was going through the process, it looked like they would only credit me once they received the shoes. So I emailed them saying that I actually wanted to exchange it for a larger size and didn't want to have to wait until they received the return. I got an email less than a day later, saying that they could send me the right size right away because I was a loyal customer. They also said it would go out next day air on Monday so I could get it on Tuesday! How great is that!

I emailed back asking something else, and someone responded again just an hour or 2 later! And on a weekend! AND THEN! And then, I got another email from them saying they now consider me a VIP customer and invite me to login to their VIP website to get free overnight shipping forever!!!

AND THEN! AND THEN!!! I just got a shipping confirmation email with the tracking info for the replacement shoes! So it went out tonight! A day earlier than they promised!

It just keeps getting better and better. What's next?

"Sophie Roux" : Lady Danville

Airi and Melanie introduced me to this band a couple months ago, and this is my favorite song. I love how in this video, they're singing in a stairwell. It reminds me of how Kajogo and I would look for empty stairwells around school to sing together in because that's where we sounded the best.

My First Library Card

I'm making it a point to experience something new in my neighborhood every weekend.
I just had a chat with an old friend from college. She is all the way in Germany on some entrepreneurial studies scholarship (Tama ba, Karla?!). She has this big online business idea, which is what she's there for -- to learn how to launch that. She hopes it works, but if it doesn't, she still would've gotten a free tour around europe for a whole year! (She gets an allowance)

So that conversation inspired me to enjoy and experience something for free for a change. It made me realize that I almost always pay to have fun or to learn or experience something new, when I really don't have to.
So putting that together with my love for all things public, community-based, and egalitarian, I signed up for my first library card here in the states.

Sometimes, the boyfriend says the funniest things.

ngayon talaga narerealize ko how much of food is a lie.

(on my perpetual 'sewing' status) "does your sewing machine have wifi?

i just don't wanna be blamed for the demise of your notebook empire.

medyo malungkot yung story ni kobe. i feel like he has a sad life. and for some reason, he reminds me of a dog.
na walang owner.

ayoko na guamwa na naman ng basecamp page and then magrrot na naman.

gusto ko nga dapat backpack eh. pero ang mahal wtf. it's like 7 bucks a month. how do you feel about that, as an american. isn't that expensive. on the other hand. that's like a happy meal.

me: so you were also playing basketball without your shirt on?
j: minsan. that's how we play sometimes skins vs shirts. it's part of basketball.
j: pero minsan nagiging tuck in vs tuck out

j:i'm also kind of on the fence about getting an ipod touch.
because i want to get a haircut for my passport.
and i want to show the haircut i want.
me: then just print it out!
j: wala akong printer eh.
agh. saka nakakaconscious to whip out a bond size picture.
wala and i just want an ipod you know.
you don't understand.
i've always had a personal sound device.

Pixels, Cross Stitch Style

I should really make one of these one day.

Via sfgirlbybay.

21 cake

'luxury cakes' and cake packaging from 21 cake (via wallpaper*)

Via happy mundane.

iso50

Poster for a hypothetical Wes Anderson Film Festival by Alex Cornell of iso50.
These guys are amazing.

My First Bus Ride

I took a walk to the promenade today. 30 mins from my place. It was quite a while, but it was okay. I don't regret it because whenever I take a walk, I always run into interesting people. I always end up in a conversation with someone random. Today, it was with this bus driver named Romero on the Big Blue. On the way back to my place, I passed by some parked buses on the side of the road. One of them was completely empty and the other one was empty but had a driver. But the bus wasn't even running.

Times like these, when I'm about to do something I've never done before and don't know the protocol, I always force myself to just ask like there's nothing wrong with not knowing (because there isn't!). So I peeked in and asked "Are you not in operation?", and he said that he was but that he'd have to follow the schedule, and that the bus was leaving in 5 minutes. I stood there for a second, in front of the open bus door, like a kid in some Pixar movie, and I said, "I've never ridden a bus before around here." To which he said "You've never ridden a bus before? Then maybe you don't know where you're going! Where are you going?" So I told him where I was going and he said that I was on the right bus.

So we talked some more when I got inside. He's been driving the bus for 36 years. And he lives in Santa Clarita! That's where Valencia is. So I told him my life story, about how I was born there and how all my family is there. He was telling me about how you gotta love what you do if you're going to do it for this long, and he does. He loves driving and he likes people.

We talked the rest of the way, and before I got down, I shook his hand, told him it was nice to meet him and asked what his name was. Romero. And he's always on the 9 Line on weekdays. Told him it was nice to meet him and got off.

It's things like these that remind me of what I love most about living here. Little spurts of randomness. It's the simple things like this that makes me feel most alive.

Piano

i love the simplicity and succinctness of this.

via Supergraphic.