Friday Finds 8.12.11

Aaron: Awesome People Hanging Out Together

Though I can't vouch for the screaming awesomeness of everyone on this site, I do love the silly poses and hilarious groupings of celebs who show up here. Hugh Jackman, Sting, and Robert Downey Jr. clowning around in tuxedos? Check. Dave Grohl, RuPaul, and Kurt Cobain? Yeah, why not. As for my favorite, Le Corbusier and Albert Einstein.

***Editor's note: Other favorites include Paul Newman and Robert Redford playing ping pong.***

Miyoko: A Vending Machine for Cyclists, The Bike Fixtation

Attention all municipalities and bike-commuting associations: We need these! I ended up on Bike Fixtation's website this week desperately wishing we had one (or many) of these in San Francisco. The Minneapolis-based company has created bike vending machines that sell inner tubes, patch kits, lights, snacks, sunscreen and other on-the-go necessities and pairs them with a work stand, tools, and a free air pump. Too many times have a number of us in the office come in late thanks to flats and journeys to the nearest (not-so-near) bike shop. These would be great alternates to making the trek or carrying gear for the casual commuter.

Diana: Gulp

Gulp. The world's largest stop-motion animation shot on a Nokia N8. from Nokia HD on Vimeo.

So this may be just a huge marketing push for Nokia's N8 smartphone, but this video, which broke the world record for the largest stop-motion animation set, is still a really fun watch. Definitely check out the behind the scenes "making of" video here.

Jaime: Yukata Sone show in N.Y.

I just learned about the work of Yutaka Sone, a Los Angeles architect and artist who creates intricate marble sculptures of maps and freeway systems and crazy large-scale installations of palm trees and roller coasters. He's got a show opening September 20th in New York's David Zwirner Gallery, where he'll unveil some of his latest works, including a white marble map of Manhattan. In the meantime you can check out some of his other pieces here.

Michele: Sesame Street Breaks it Down

Sesame Street breaks it down from Wonderful Creative on Vimeo.

Something fun and awesome to kick off the weekend.

Everett: Combinatory Urbanism

Thom Mayne of Morphosis architects has collaborated with designer Willem Henri Lucas to produce yet another beauty to add to your bookshelf. Taking the visual language of an architectural manual, Lucas handles multiple levels of information to produce visually striking collective forms, mirroring the complexity and layeredness of the firms's buildings. You can purchase the book here.