Pointer Sisters and Brothers

This dark-cladded mountain house, designed by Miurashin Architect + Associates, is camouflaged between trees on a sloping terrain in Karuizawa, Japan. A pavilion reached via a metal bridge welcomes family and guests to the warm and contemporary interiors, dressed in wood via a top floor pavilion. Living and entertaining spaces are sheltered by the middle floor, while the lower ground is occupied by the private spaces. Imposing with its mysterious presence and mirroring the surrounding forest in its windows, the mountain residence is anchored to the slope in three places. Its architecture appeals to the owner’s need for connecting to the surroundings in a very personal way – this led to creating a sloping staircase-resembling rooftop used for contemplating the forest views. Vertical windows and cladding strive to imitate the tall trees around, better integrating the architecture with nature. Is this type of dark, modern architecture your cup of tea?

You're reading Dark Mountain House Mirroring the Surroundings originally posted on Freshome. If you've enjoyed this post, be sure to follow Freshome on Twitter, Facebook and Google+

FAIL Nation: Anything For Attention FAIL

2012-02-02T09:02:00.000-05:00

One of the biggest idiots in history.

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FAIL Nation: Anything For Attention FAIL:

FAIL Nation: Holding The Door FAIL

2012-01-31T22:43:00.000-05:00

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FAIL Nation: Holding The Door FAIL:

FAIL Nation: Shockwave FAIL

2012-01-04T14:37:00.000-05:00

FAIL Nation: Shockwave FAIL:

Get just the FAILs on FAIL Nation!

Measure Once, Cut Twice

2011-12-22T11:06:00.000-05:00

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Measure Once, Cut Twice:

Why are Troll contractors the only type of contractors?

Top 50 Funniest Tweets from SomeEcards

2011-12-16T12:13:00.000-05:00

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Top 50 Funniest Tweets from SomeEcards:

We wrote earlier this week about the most quoted tweets of the year, but how about the most humorous? Luckily, we have the service SomeEcards.com, which always seems to capture the zeitgeist of the moment, and they have announced the top 50 funniest tweets of the year.

Sponsor

You gotta love a site that labels its tabs for trending topics to include Jesus, Sex, and just "inappropriate." Guess which one I am clicking on first? Nonetheless, over the years the greeting card site has become my go-to place for certain friends and relatives that can appreciate its quirky and some scatological humor, always incorporating current events to celebrate life's little moments.

Yes, several tweets refer to the Kardashian antics of the past year, such as this one.

And some are just plain clever and could become the next SomeEcard text, such as this one:

And there were plenty of entries in the top 50 about the various changes that Facebook made over the past year, including this gem:

Thanks for all the laughs this year!

Discuss

5 Websites To Tell You Where The Next ”Flash Mob” Is Going To Take Place Or To Organize One Yourself

2011-12-15T10:40:00.000-05:00

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5 Websites To Tell You Where The Next ”Flash Mob” Is Going To Take Place Or To Organize One Yourself:

Just a few days back (November 27), a flash mob hit the financial capital of my country (Mumbai, India). Alarmed? Don’t be. Flash mobs aren’t a mass of people on a rampage, but more of a semi-coordinated gathering of people for the purpose of fun and play. It is usually a spontaneous public performance like a dance or clapping session. Wikipedia has more on this latest social trend.

When it comes to a social trend, most of don’t like to left out. Flash mobs are the latest hysterical rage. Though they appear to be unplanned, they are in fact orchestrated with the help of mobile and social media. Facebook and Twitter help to spread the word to the world.

Tina’s previous post on What A Flash Mob Is & How You Can Participate touched upon it first. Here we hunt for a few more clues.

Flash Mob America

FMA is an event production and flash mob registration company based out of Los Angeles. They have produced flash mobs for American Red Cross, GLAAD, Heal the Bay, Dell, Oscar Mayer, Suave, Rachael Ray, The Bachelorette, and Modern Family with the motto of ‘Joy thru Surprise’. As an individual you probably won’t be able to hire them for orchestrated public performances, but you can definitely visit their site and register to participate in the next happening flash mob around town. The organization also has a mailing list.

Flashmob (UK)

This UK site flashes the latest flash mob news from around the world. You can also add your own events by publishing them via the simple form. The site has separate sections for Britain, Europe, Americas, and the world. To stay updated in real time, follow them on Twitter.

Twitter

Really take your search for the next flash mob real time on Twitter. The hashtag #Flashmob seems to be doing the rounds quite frequently. Clicking on People results from the sidebar opens up the Twitter page opens up a whole list of flash mob related Twitter feeds. For instance, I found FlashMob_TV which is a new show for MTV looking for members for their FlashMob. Twitter is a great place to locate localized flash mob events and connect to others who are enthusiasts for a bit of spontaneous fun.

Facebook

I found relatively fewer flash mob related pages on Facebook. There were a few pages of the ilk Flash Mob Addict and a few localized ones for specific cities around the globe. The relative sparseness on Facebook makes me think that Twitter is a better bet when it comes to catching real time updates on where the next flash mob is going to be.

Meet Up

Sites like MeetUp.com are also useful for finding out local flash mobs. As the screen above shows, it could connect you directly to local groups involved in organizing impromptu flash mobs. You can setup alert emails to notify you if any new flash mob events start up in your area.

Organize Your Own Flash Mob

Anyone can start a flash mob. All it takes is an original idea and an event to stage it for. Flash mobs can be set up for fun or awareness. You will have better chances of gathering followers if it’s purely for fun as any groupie activity with serious undertones could push people away. The web has umpteen resources on how to go about organizing flash mobs.

You can keep on searching the web for more hints and tips, but I think these three should cover it. The best way to learn how it’s all put together is to volunteer to one and learn the ropes from the inside. So, do you think flash mobs are just a social fad and like all fads destined to die out? Or do you think our world could do with more if it? Let us know in the comments.

Autocowrecks: A Bearded Dragon Shows Mad Skills, Is 10x Cooler Than Your Cat

2011-12-14T23:41:00.000-05:00

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Autocowrecks: A Bearded Dragon Shows Mad Skills, Is 10x Cooler Than Your Cat:

We’ve already heard about cats who play app games, but can they possibly compete with a bearded dragon? I mean, this guy can use his freaking tongue. HIS TONGUE.

Know Your Memes Presents: Best Memes of 2011 [Video]

2011-12-14T09:02:00.000-05:00

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Know Your Memes Presents: Best Memes of 2011 [Video]:

Still wondering what Spiderman is doing working an office job and who exactly Chuck Testa is? Know Your Meme is here to help with the top 10 memes of 2011.

Know Your Meme, the encyclopedia of bizarre internet trends, has released their 2011 best of video. While we question the best part of the best of title it’s certainly a top 10 list of the most popular and widespread internet memes of the last year. If you’re caught in a bought of meme nostalgia you might want to check out the best of video for 2010.

Know Your Meme: Best Memes of 2011!

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