Mark Powell, The CEO Of New Zealand's Largest Retailing Group Says His $1.7 Million Salary Is Ridiculously High...

Finally a CEO has the guts to come out and admit that his salary of $1.7 million is a ridiculous amount. And it troubles him.
And he gives a lot of his money to charity.
And he drives a second hand car.
His frank admission doesn't mean that his workers who're paid about fifty times less are going to earn big money anytime soon but at least Mark Powell, CEO of the Warehouse Retailing Group may have started a move toward some sort of more equal pay ratios.
As the rich get richer in New Zealand, as in other countries, and the poor keep getting poorer, the levels of resentment aren't the only things
that are rising.
Mortgage rates have just risen which will make it even harder for the average family to ever own their own home but the CEO of New Zealand's largest bank, David Haslo of the ANZ who's on a salary of $4.1 million will just stifle a yawn and carry on with his knitting...

Olivia Locher's Images Show Laws That Helped The US Become Such A Great Country...

Manhattan based photographer Olivia Locher has created a very amusing series of images sending up some of the outdated, bizarre and ridiculous laws that either have been or still are on the US statute books and have helped make that country one of the world's greatest.
He said, very tongue in cheek.
On starting the project Olivia found there was no shortage of material just waiting to be sent up by someone with a sense of humour and a wonderful display of cynicism.
In California nobody is allowed to ride a bicycle in a swimming pool.
In Alabama it's illegal to carry an ice-cream  cone in your back pocket.
In Wisconsin, it's illegal to serve apple pie in a public restaurant without cheese.
In Arizona you may not have more than two dildos in your house.
In Delaware it's illegal to wear pants that are form fitting at the waist.
In Hawaii, coins are not allowed to be placed in one's ears.
In Texas it's illegal for children to have unusual haircuts.
In Maine it's unlawful to tickle a woman under the chin with a feather duster.
In Kansas it's illegal to serve wine in teacups.
In Rhode Island it's illegal to wear transparent clothing.
And in Utah, nobody may walk down the street carrying a violin in a paper bag.
These major issues are the sorts of things bureaucrats and idiot politician the world over haven't stopped dreaming up and passing into law since time began.
Where would America be? Where would we be?
Without them...

The Fun Filled Adventures Of The Bumfuzzle Family...

If you've been following the wonderful adventures of the Bumfuzzle Family, you'd know that Pat, Ali, Quest and Lowe have moved from sailing a catamaran around the world to sailing a forty three foot Spindrift Pilothouse motorsailer and they're now all travelling in a 1966, twenty seven foot Dodge Traveco Camper exploring the America's interior.
Before all that, explains Pat, Ali started dating me when she was sixteen and just couldn't get enough, so, eventually she married me. She sailed around the world with me, raced across America with me, drove from Alaska to Argentina and all over Europe in a '58VW Bus with me, finally allowed me to impregnate her, drove to Mexico in a '65 Porsche 365 with me, gave birth to our Mexican baby girl called Quest, pronounced West, moved on to another sailboat, got frisky with me and had a Mexican baby boy this time called Lowe, pronounced Low.
We sailed all over Mexico and we've got a pretty good life. We take a lot of photos of the kids so they know they had fun when they were little, before they grew up and hated us.
Haha, there's more about the wonderful fun family Bumfuzzle here and on their blog here.
The world desperately needs more Bumfuzzles...

The Halfbike. A New Alternative Cycling Concept...

We see the Halfbike as a minimalist alternative for inner city folk tired of traffic holdups and who want another sort of commuting experience says Martin Angelov, inventor of the Halfbike and co-founder with Mihail Klenov of Kolelinia Lab.
Essentially a tricycle, that you stand up on, it combines the functions of pedaling and braking with the upright steering position of a Segway.
There are as with most things, pluses and minuses. It's great for fitness, visability and excellent control on those short commuter trips.
To steer, simply lean in the direction you want to turn and go for it.
It's easy too, to take on public transport or to carry by hand. It's not so good for bringing home shopping from the supermarket.
There's more about it here and it's for sale here.
But no, not at half price...

Life Could Be This Easy...

Life could be this easy.
Life could be this simple. If we were to let it be.
And for those who live this 'have tiny house will travel' attitude to life, they will no doubt have a much more stress free, healthier and happier life than those with bonds that tie.
The bonds that make the western world's house owner a prisoner of their own making.
There's no resource consents, no bureaucratic permits required to move a house on this road, no water, sanitation, electric companies around this part of the world to take large hunks of what one earns or what a person doesn't have for the dubious privilege of using their services.
Your life could be this easy...

Zentai. It's Japan's Latest Fashionable Fad...

Like most social groups and clubs, the Tokio Zentai Club gets together to share social activities, like barbeques, walking in the park, scaring the hell out of people and generally minding their own business and having fun.
Unlike most social groups and clubs, the Tokio Zentai Club members are clad in head to toe
skintight Lycra.
These anonymous folk are practicing the art, if it can be called an art, of Zenshintaism by wearing clothing called Zenshintaitsu or Zentai for short which means 'full body suit'.
But you probably knew that. And that these people could well be called Zenshintaists.
I made that word up.
What you probably didn't know is that these Zenshintaists are seeking liberation through the complete sublimation of the physical self.
And good on them...

Columbian Octavio Mendoza's House Called Casa Terracotta Is Created Entirely From Clay Baked In The Sun...

Columbian architect Octavio Mendoza reckons his five thousand four hundred square foot house is the biggest piece of pottery in the world.
His Casa Terracotta or Casa Barro in Spanish was built exclusively by hand using clay that baked itself in the sun.
The locals in the mountain village of Villa de Leyva where the house is located call it
Casa de Flintstone.
The amazing sun baked terracotta structure has the appearance of a large mound of clay thrown together to resemble a house. The rooms merge and flow into each other as though cast in a single mold. And the rustic house is not without amenities, solar hot water, toilets, sinks and much use of mosaic tiles.
Octavio calls his house his 'project for life' and it may well be. It's taken fourteen years so far...

Annie Ling's Images Show People Living In 64 Sq Ft At Chinatown's 81 Bowery In New York...

While the thought of living in small spaces is a big idea for some there are many for whom tiny living is much less of a lifestyle choice and in fact no choice at all.
Annie Ling captured this reality in a series of images taken at New York's 81 Bowery in Chinatown before it was closed down in 2013.
The Chinese immigrant workers were housed in 64sq ft cubicle apartments.
But even those are luxury compared to these folk in Hong Kong living in a miniscule 40sq ft.
The folk at the Bowery had at least a tight knit community and a crucial support system.
Now having been evicted the bewildered tenants have even less.
In this instance, less is definitely not more...