So on Tuesdays Youtube has this little ditty known as “Trend Spotting Tuesdays”. Lo and behold, our little ditty for the Sean Kimmerling Testicular Cancer Foundation was the top feature. The video received over 600,000 hits in it’s first 24-hour period. Among other notables to be noted, it was the #1 Featured Video and the #1 Educational Video yesterday. Thanks Youtube and thanks SKTCF.

At least when my computer breaks, it breaks in style. (Last screen via Jed’s computer) How could you stay mad at error screens like this? Anyone else have accidental art?

So, this is a follow up to the previous post about the incredible mini-series currently running on the Discovery Channel that our interactive gurus helped promote with some fun banners. I just happened to be flipping through the channels the other night when something up in the top right corner catches my eye. It was a live digital countdown clock on the Discovery Channel. There was T-minus three minutes to go. Having had a sneak peek at some of the amazing NASA footage, I stayed tune. And I was glad I did. Suddenly I was 9 again, hoping to grow up to be one of these guys:

If you have a spare hour, or even if you don’t, I recommend you check out When We Left Earth.
It’s entertaining, and it’ll make you proud to be an American. At least until you hit your ‘previous channel’ button, and this comes on.

So Friday marked the end of Mustache May and in true Strucker style, full time Co-presidents and part time rock stars Jason Bangerter and Ryan Goodwin donned the ensembles you see below. Its level of creepiness was only outweighed by its hilarity. Well played my good men, well played.

So, with all the new Struckers coming on board, space is at a premium. What to do? Rent a bigger space? Bring a construction office trailer and park it out back like an overcrowded elementary school? NO! We share the space we have. That’s what Struckers do. We’re like family. And like any family living in close proximity, sometimes you’ve got to take precautionary measures to keep the peace.

Remember this Rich? Don’t worry it will only live on deconstruckt.

Last week I flew across the country and the border to visit our friends up North for FITC 08. Since this was my first time attending the conference, I had two goals: Recharge my inspiration tank, and meet Scott Hansen.

It’s difficult to capture all the thoughts and ideas I was able to take away from attending FITC Toronto, so I’ll quote Erik Natzke to sum it up: “I’m not sure where I’m going, but I am sure enjoying getting there.” Here’s a sporadic list of my favorite sessions and thoughts on each:

Photo: Cut&Paste via Raul Dario Acosta

Cut&Paste: The Toronto team of Justin Broadbent and Alex Kurina STOMPED Guillo Echevarria and Edward Ubiera from New York in a tag-team style design contest. It was a small crowd compared to other Cut&Paste events but it’s always fun to see other designers processes, and how much better you are at using shortcuts.

Evan Roth (Department of Homeland Graffiti): I didn’t get to see this session as I was napping off jet-lag but Shaun came back raving about the cool LED lights and high powered projectors, so I wanted to link to Evan’s projects with the Graffiti Research Lab. Watch Graffiti Research Lab L.A.S.E.R Tag

Photo: Erik Natzke via Bram Timmer

Erik Natzke (Beyond The Knowledge: The Art of Playing): Tied with Hodgin for most inspirational session. Natzke walked through his simple approach to experimenting in Flash, showing how he creates his works of art. Even looking through his blog you can see the evolution of the circle and ribbon style he uses. Turn up your volume and watch Sunday Preview.

Mario Klingemann (The Pixel Whisperer): He designed the Aviary Peacock pattern application. We’ve all run into applications that try to do everything without doing anything well (Myspace comes to mind). “Aviary is a suite of rich internet applications geared for artists of all genres. From image editing to typography to music to 3D to video…” they’re focusing on releasing individual apps (like Peacock for patterns), perfecting each one before moving on to the next.

Photo: GrupoW via Magda Olszanowski

Daniel Granatta and Ulises Valencia of GrupoW (The Madness of Interaction): Daniel and Ulises laughed about the difficulties they had raising one million clicks for the “Let’s Save Fermin” campaign. The user was asked to donate a “click” to save Fermin. The trouble was, users were clicking everything *except* the “Donate A Click” button.

Photo: GMUNK via Magda Olszanowski

GMUNK (GMUNKICKDOWN ‘08): He’s a compulsive mouse clicker and starts drinking early in the morning (observations from his session). Oh yea, and he does some really sweet motion work.

James Paterson (Modulating A Lot): Strangely inspiring mix of hand drawn animations and a less than consistent maturity level.

Photo: Scott Hansen via sharkvsbear.com

Scott Hansen (ISO50: Blending Analogue & Digital): I DID meet Scott Hansen, when he walked up beside me at a book display. My quick thinking prompted me to purchase Past is Prologue (the same album I already had digitally) and ask him to sign it. Smooth. Hansen is a designer who I’ve admired, since I first started using Photoshop, for his ability to blend organic shapes and textures with Bauhaus style. Also, I’m lucky that my boyfriend admires his work as well, otherwise it would be (more) awkward when I refer to him as Scott Handsome.

Davis Eriksson (North Kingdom - An Inside View): There’s an easter egg on the Coke-Zero game where you can see the girls inside the locker room before you enter. No one has found it yet.

Grant Skinner (My Favourite Things): Perlin Noise is the best thing since the abacus.

Rob Chiu/The Ronin and Chris Hewitt/Dstrukt (Cinematic Motion Design): These guys like to talk and talk and talk…and they ended up getting cut off by people setting up for Hodgin’s session. They collaborate from across the ocean (New York and London) while experimenting with motion and videography. Also, Chris likes sharks and hopes to be eaten by one at some point. That’s nice.

Photo: Robert Hodgin via Isabel Foo

Robert Hodgin (Breaking Away): I began learning Processing in January but couldn’t visualize where to go with it. After seeing Hodgin’s experimental work with Processing, my book is off the shelf again. Check out the short study on flight patterns he did with Nando Costa. I’d love to see a code battle between Hodgin and Natzke.

Overall, the conference was interesting, fun, and time well spent. Thanks to Struck for sending me on this trip.

Well actually, it’s a bunch of Struckers. Yesterday, MAY-GOSH-DARN-FOURTH, was a day of Spring skiing that left Struckers Jon Minori and Brandon Knowlden wanting nothing more than a few extra vacation days. The air was warm and the skiing was good, but on our way to the car, lo-and-behold, a kicker. It was so pretty, just glistening in the sun and begging to be owned. Jon flipped forwards and I flipped backwards and to round it all out, Jon’s brother Josh, was hookin’ up some sweet flat spins.

Let it be known: this is how Struck rolls.

checked out this event last weekend in seattle…a very cool benefit for kids in cambodia featuring World B Boy champs Massive Monkees, legendary Seattle photographer Charles Peterson, immigration activist Many Uch & photographer Stuart Isett.

made me think, experienced some radical breakdancing and maybe drank a brew or two. hey - it was for a good cause ;)

Tiny Toones was born in the Bassac slum area of Phnom Penh,Cambodia and provides free HIV/AIDS, health, drug awareness,performing arts and language education in English and Khmer to underprivileged youth. It also serves as a community center, with an open door policy, where hundreds of children have a positive environment to channel their energy into learning and performing arts. The group was founded by Tuy Sobil, a.k.a. KK, originally from Long Beach, who brought his b boy dance talents to the streets of Cambodia to help the country struggling to rebuild after 30 years of war.

Funds raised from the event will be used to support Tiny Toones as well as purchase a small mini-van so the kids can be driven safely to school, dance performances and rehearsals.

thats pretty cool.

Stuart Isett’s Photography on Flickr

Tiny Toones - Flickr

sick space it was held at -
GreenwoodCollective.com

watch it -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ng7tgtK-NnQ&smf=18

* all images courtesy of Charles Peterson