Charlie Watts (June 2, 1941 - August 24, 2021) UK

The drummer for the Rolling Stones, a band I would not fall in love with until college when I stumbled upon a studio version of Sympathy for the Devil that was from a Jean-Luc Godard documentary. Seth Bossung and John Cooper had the tape lying around in their vast and eclectic music array - from which, I made a mixed tape and it was one of my favorites for many years. Watts by all accounts was not only the steady and reliable background percussionist for the Stones but also the sweetest and loveliest of the bunch. A friend who was lucky enough to spend the day with him said he could not be more kind and in fact inspired him to not give up on drums, which he did not give up on.

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Milking Stool

Out of context these seats look ridiculous, but in the realm of a dairy farm, a hyper-practical and simple solution. Notice the strap that secures the stool to the seat of the pants. The milker sits or stands without having to put the buckets down and grab the stool, also, one-legged saved on weight. This insight was pointed out:

“….a farmer told us that a seat like this was great in case the cow fell over or started walking sideways onto the milker. All they had to do was spin on the one point and could quickly stand up and move away, taking the seat with them (w/o hands), possibly avoiding injury from the cow tipping over, or stomping on them, as well as leaving the ground clear for the cow's safety."

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Schwinn

Longtime good friend, Scott Mourer, generously passed along this vintage black frame. It’s nicely turning into the sibling of the white frame he gave me 7 years ago. Can’t wait to go on more rides with the people in my life.

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Eco Cabanas by Gracias Studio (Mexico)

Lightly set on a hillside overlooking vineyards. If it’s not already the case, I could imagine these pods with a centrally located main lodge comprised of kitchen, dining hall, lounge, etc. Night seems like it could be a bit treacherous with little lighting and no railings - maybe that adds to the excitement. Read more.

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Japanese Joinery

Though more time consuming, it can be highly functional and far more elegant than most fasteners. Years ago, I saw a fence being constructed in Vermont in which the joinery was designed to hold things together but also to shed water through internal slopes.

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