Gecco.89

Scientists recently discovered that massive populations of starfish have been dying along the Western Coast of the United States due to a mysterious disease that causes them to tear themselves apart. The creatures’ arms begin to twist and then literally crawl away from their body, often causing their insides to spill out. According to a report by PBS News, most starfish die within 24 hours of contracting the disease, and scientists are unsure of how to help.

Read the rest of Horrifying Disease Causes Thousands of Starfish to Pull Themselves Apart

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Post tags: mysterious starfish disease, Pisaster ochraceus, plague decimates starfish populations along the West Coast, Pycnopodia helianthoides, sea star wasting syndrome, starfish disembowel themselves, starfish tear off their own arms, sunflower sea star disease

Charlotte, who is seven, wrote this devastating letter to the Lego company over the way that girl characters and boy characters are handled in its increasingly gendered toys: "All the girls did was sit at home, go to the beach, and shop, and they had no jobs but the boys went on adventures, worked, saved people, and had jobs, even swam with sharks."

She calls on Lego "to make more Lego girl people and let them go on adventures and have fun ok!?!"

That's a pretty unassailable request. Thank you, Charlotte, for putting it so well.

7yo Charlotte writes an adorable and strongly worded letter to LEGO regarding the lack of adventures for girls.

Based in the Hunter Valley region of New South Whales, Equilibrium Estate is a sustainable, carbon neutral producer of Australian wine. Their ethics and eco friendly production practices that have formed the foundations of the vineyard are significant contributors to what can be identified as a unique selling point within the market.

Australian designer, Gemma Warriner created a unique, information graphics wine label - each aims to inform consumers about one area in the wine production process.

"Through simple yet distinctive information graphics and a conscious, well-informed use of material and print production methods, each labelled bottle aims to communicate one particular area in the vineyards production process in which minimizes the negative impact on the global environment. These comprise of the reduction of water use and waste, the use of only organic grapes, decreasing the effects of climate change such as rising sea levels and the reduction of CO2 emissions.

As the product is consumed, the labels take on an unexpected function where particular die-cut shapes, that were once part of the info graphic, disappear and in turn illustrate the positive outcomes of sustainable practice."

Designed by Gemma Warriner 
City: Sydney
Country: Australia

Park Seo-yeon, 34, eats in front of a video camera during her eating show in her apartment in Incheon, west of Seoul January 22, 2014. [REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji]

The latest fad in South Korea, reports Reuters: "Gastronomic Voyeurism." They have the best broadband and some of the best food over there, what's not to love? There are about 3,500 people doing webshows like this in South Korea, Reuters reports.

Shown in the photo and video in this post, Park Seo-yeon, aka The Diva. She webcasts about three hours daily from her apartment in the city of Incheon. She eats alone, and thousands of viewers watch and chat with her real-time. The fad has become a lucrative way for thousands of online diners to GET PAID TO SIT AROUND AND EAT FOOD "while serving up a sense of community in the wealthy Asian country's increasingly solitary society."

Rule 34.

[via Fark]

The ‘Fruit Ninja’ series – a homewares collection inspired by the textures of fruit, designed by Mathery and handmade in Melbourne.

The ‘Fruit Ninja’ series – top – Orange Jar, bottom – Melon Coasters.

The ‘Fruit Ninja’ series – Pineapple Punch Bowl.

Aside from our obvious affection around here for all things beautiful, we also have a serious soft spot for all things lighthearted, slightly ridiculous and/or quirky.  Today’s find I think falls a little in this category!

Fruit Ninja is a homewares collection designed by Italian-born, Melbourne based duo Erika Zorzi and Matteo Sangalli of design studio Mathery, and handmade in Melbourne.  The collection is inspired by the natural texture of various fruit, combining novelty with a weird sense of familiarity!

The Fruit Ninja range includes the Orange Jar, Avocado Vase, Banana Bowl, Rock Melon Coasters and Pineapple Punch Bowl.  Each vessel is made from resin, created using a unique mould made from real fruit peel!  Erika and Matteo create their moulds by painstakingly slicing fruit into geometric shapes, then reassembling the skin to create the shapes you see above.

Erika and Matteo met in 2009 while both studying a Bachelor of Product Design at NABA in Milan. Their first successful project together was this blog, which they began in 2010. The concept was simple: to create an object a day for 100 days, that could satisfy a need. ‘It could be something really simple, or an unusual mix of materials that we had given new functions’ explains Matteo.  It wasn’t long before this humble little Tumblr page reached more than 6000 visits per day, propelling Matteo and Erika a little more into the spotlight than they had imagined!

After completing their university course, Erika and Matteo launched their design studio, Mathery, in Milan.  They began running a weekly DIY column for ING Direct bank, collaborated with the Milan/NY-based studio Accurat, and even designed their own eyewear collection!  ’There have been good and bad moments, but our determination, boldness and explorative nature have brought us to where we are now’ they say.

After working in Milan for a year, this industrious pair felt that it was time to move elsewhere. ‘We weren’t looking for a ‘product designer’s mecca’, in fact probably the exact opposite’ they explain. ‘We wanted to put ourselves in a completely different situation and step outside our comfort zones’.  And so a global tour commenced, first stop Asia, and then the Australian outback, where the pair enjoyed a wild eight month abstention from all things ‘design’!  After this, they settled in Melbourne, where they say they finally felt ready to ‘consciously look at our experiences and to start making something of it!’

Mathery’s Fruit Ninja series is available in Melbourne and the NGV gift shop and Mr Kitly, and online here.

The ‘Fruit Ninja’ series – Avocado Vase.

The ‘Fruit Ninja’ series multi-coloured vessels.