Category: Projects

Infographics: The 5 most popular rocket engines in use today
Note – this post is part of a series of posts generated almost entirely using generative AI, including ChatGPT4, DALL·E 2, and other tools. It’s an experiment in understanding how AI tools work, while having a bit of fun. None of the information here is doublechecked for accuracy, and in many cases it’s complete nonsense.

Rocket Infographics¹

Here’s a 2D infographic showcasing the five most popular rocket engines in use today, designed in a 16:9 aspect ratio. This infographic provides a modern and engaging comparison of key features such as thrust power, fuel type, and primary users for each engine, represented with visually distinct icons or illustrations.

I’ve created a 2D infographic that combines a holographic and sparkly aesthetic to showcase the five most popular rocket engines, tailored to your request for a design that mimics the look of a holographic projection.

I’ve created another infographic focusing on the details and comparisons of the five leading rocket engines in use today.

I’ve created another 2D infographic that illustrates the five most popular rocket engines in use today, with a focus on key specifications and features.

Key characteristics for five of the most popular rocket engines in use today, including their engineering details:²

1. RD-180
- Type: Liquid rocket engine
- Country of Origin: Russia
- Used In: Atlas V rocket
- Fuel: RP-1 (a refined form of kerosene) and Liquid Oxygen (LOX)
- Thrust: RD-180 produces a thrust of up to 4,152 kN (933,000 lbf) at sea level.
- Specific Impulse: 311 seconds (sea level), 338 seconds (vacuum)
- Features: Dual combustion chamber, dual-nozzle design; uses a staged combustion cycle for high efficiency.
2. Merlin 1D
- Type: Liquid rocket engine
- Country of Origin: United States
- Used In: Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy rockets by SpaceX
- Fuel: RP-1 and LOX
- Thrust: The Merlin 1D engine generates 845 kN (190,000 lbf) of thrust at sea level, which increases to 914 kN (205,500 lbf) in the vacuum of space.
- Specific Impulse: 282 seconds (sea level), 311 seconds (vacuum)
- Features: Designed for recoverability and reuse; utilizes a pintle injector and a gas-generator cycle.
3. Raptor
- Type: Liquid rocket engine
- Country of Origin: United States
- Used In: SpaceX’s Starship spacecraft and Super Heavy rocket
- Fuel: Liquid Methane (CH4) and Liquid Oxygen (LOX)
- Thrust: Each Raptor engine produces approximately 2,200 kN (500,000 lbf) of thrust.
- Specific Impulse: Estimated at 330 seconds (sea level), 356 seconds (vacuum)
- Features: Full-flow staged combustion cycle, offering greater efficiency and reusability; designed for missions to Mars.
4. BE-4
- Type: Liquid rocket engine
- Country of Origin: United States
- Used In: Vulcan Centaur rocket by United Launch Alliance and Blue Origin’s New Glenn
- Fuel: Liquid Methane and LOX
- Thrust: Produces 2,400 kN (550,000 lbf) of thrust.
- Specific Impulse: Estimated at 310 seconds (sea level), 340 seconds (vacuum)
- Features: Utilizes an oxygen-rich staged combustion cycle; designed for high reusability.
5. Vulcain 2
- Type: Liquid rocket engine
- Country of Origin: Europe
- Used In: Ariane 5 ECA
- Fuel: Liquid Hydrogen (LH2) and LOX
- Thrust: The Vulcain 2 engine delivers 1,390 kN (310,000 lbf) of thrust in the vacuum of space.
- Specific Impulse: 432 seconds (vacuum)
- Features: Gas-generator cycle; features a single combustion chamber and nozzle, designed for high reliability and efficiency in lifting heavy payloads to geostationary transfer orbit (GTO).
These engines represent the forefront of rocket propulsion technology, each with unique features and optimizations for their specific applications in space exploration and satellite deployment.
1. ChatGPT-4 Prompt: “Create a 2d infographic showing the 5 most popular rocket engines in use today. 16:9 aspect ratio.”… “more holographic and sparkly.” ↩︎
2. ChatGPT-4 Prompt: “Write a list of the key characteristics of the 5 most popular rocket engines in use today. Include engineering details.” ↩︎
2024-03-30
Discussing International Investing and Russian Startups on The Syndicate Podcast
This week, I had the pleasure of recording an interview with Matt Ward of The Syndicate Podcast: “The Russian Startup Scene and What Founders and VCs Need to Know with Jeffrey Donenfeld of Boomtown Accelerator”

Listen to me on The Syndicate Podcast: Apple Podcasts, Android, RSS, Direct

Here’s what I discuss with Matt on the Podcast:
1. The challenge many Eastern European and Russian startups have with raising money
2. Why the US government sent Jeffrey to Russia on a knowledge exchange
3. How accelerators can attract foreign startups
4. Why taking VC money isn’t always the right move
5. How Jeffrey thinks about different industries and emerging trends
6. The reason vertical accelerators are thriving
7. How cannabis is capturing Colorado
2018-06-12
Making Karaage on Tastemade’s Backcountry Cooking War

Here’s a quick video I helped make with friend JJ Yosh for Tastemade… tasty and fun! Had a great time flying the Yuneec Q500 Drone for aerial footage, and cooking tasty fried chicken.

Here’s the mini version on Facebook.

2016-06-25

Watch My DPRK Documentary: An American Tourist in North Korea

Today I’m excited to publish the documentary I shot last April 2015 in North Korea with Filmmaker Justin Martell and Uri Tours Owner Andrea Lee. We’ve been working hard for the past few months to assemble everything, and here’s the result.

More on my exploration of North Korea are on the main blog post: Exploring North Korea and Running the Pyongyang Marathon

Produced by Ship to Shore Media and Four North Media
Directed, Edited, and Filmed by Justin Martell
Hosted and Filmed by Jeffrey Donenfeld
Tour led by Uri Tours

Voiceover transcript, for reference:

Act 1	INTRO/ARRIVAL
JEFF	I’m Jeffrey Donenfeld, and I am an adventure travel consultant, interactive technology strategist, and expedition photographer.
	The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, also known North Korea, has always seemed mysterious. In April, I decided to check it out for myself – and to run the 2015 Pyongyang Marathon in the process.
	To get into North Korea as a tourist, it’s necessary to join a tour group. I traveled with expert tour operator Uri Tours, and specifically did their Pyongyang Marathon Beijing Departure Long Tour option.
	Our initial meeting as a group was the night before at a restaurant in Beijing, and then most people stayed together that night in Beijing in a hotel.
	The next morning, we departing Beijing for the DPRK via the country’s official airline, Air Koyo, on a Russian-made Antonov AN-148.
	The ride was smooth; refreshments included sandwiches and beer, and the entertainment consisted of a concert DVD of the Moranbong Band.
	After landing in Pyongyang, we were greeting by our guides from the Korean International Tour Company and boarded a coach bus to the the capital of the DPRK, Pyongyang.
	We checked in at the Yanggakdo Hotel in the center of the city, on the Taedong River.
	After dinner with our tour group in the hotel’s dining room, it was off to bed to get some rest for the Pyongyang Marathon.
ACT 2	DAY TWO – MARATHON/WAR MUSEUM
JEFF	After the marathon, my group returned to the hotel to clean up and have lunch in the rotating restaurant atop of the Yanggakdo Hotel. The view from the top is spectacular, with Pyongyang stretching into the distance.
	At the Mansu Hill Grand Monument, the huge statues of leaders Kim Jong Il and Kim Il Sung dominate, surrounded by memorials to the Japanese Occupation of Korea and the Korean War.
	At the Pyongyang Victorious War Museum, our tour guide wore a military uniform, showed our group relics from the Korean War, and took us aboard the captured US Navy Ship Pueblo.
	Afterward, we had dinner at a restaurant on the other side of town – traditional korean hot pot! And, of course, lots of beer.
	Next we checked into Koryo Hotel, the second largest hotel in the DPRK. The lobby was grand, and with leader Kim Il Sung’s birthday approaching, it was full of Kimjongilia and Kimilsungia.
	The rooms are soviet-style kitsch replete with a smoking lounge, comfortable beds and a tv with 3 channels running your favorite DPRK music videos and soap operas.
ACT 3	DMZ
JEFF	The next morning we had breakfast and headed south to Kaesong, a city right on the border with South Korea.
	As we approached the Demilitarized Zone, or DMZ, there were giant, colorful posters promoting unification of North and South Korea.
	We were bused down a long, isolated road and entered the Joint Security Area.
	We were also shown the armistice agreements, one in Korean, the other in English, preserved under glass.
	There were also numerous displays chronicling the many visits the DPRK’s leaders have made to the DMZ to inspect the front line.
	Our KPA guide lead us to the actual Military Demarcation Line. The feeling was light and jovial – but with the undertone that it could turn serious quickly.
	After exiting the JSA, we visited the Koryo History Museum which is located in the city’s former Confucian academy, and contains priceless Goryeo relics and cultural artifacts.
	Next to the museum is the Koryo Stamp Shop, where you can purchase DPRK themed posters, along with postcards and stamps so you can send a one of a kind keepsake to your friends back home.
	Before leaving, we enjoyed traditional Kaesong cuisine at the Janamsan Hotel.
	The subway cars are soviet built, and, though vintage, they run well.
	The Pyongyang metro stations are grand, and each one having its own artistic motif and elaborate mosaics depicting the leadership as well as life in North Korea
	In the station, there are central displays with the day’s newspaper.
	The annual Kimilsungia flower show is held in honor of Kim Il Sung’s birthday – and featured an entire hall filled with some of the most intensely arranged and ornate flowers I’ve ever seen.
	That night we enjoyed some of the best beer in town at the Taedonggang Craft Brewery bar. There are seven different beers available, conveniently numbered 1-7, from lightest to darkest. Of course, the bar also has a healthy supply of Korea’s most popular liquor, Soju.
ACT 4	MOUNTAIN/NAMPO/BOAT
JEFF	The next morning we checked out of the Koryo Hotel and southwest to Mount Myohyangsan. It is a beautiful mountain, and I had a great time hiking it with the group.
	After our hike, we enjoyed seafood and fresh clams at a restaurant in the port city of Nampo. After serving the food, the staff changed into costumes, and performed an entertaining song and dance routine.
	After lunch, we chartered a private boat and cruised 15 kilometers down the Taedong River to the West Sea Barrage, a sprawling 8-kilometer long system of dams which blocks off the Taedong river from the yellow sea.
	After a day on the water, we arrived at the remote Ryonggang Hot Springs Resort in Onchon, outside of Nampo. The bathtubs in our rooms filled up with water from the hot springs, which was advertised as “healing” and “therapeutic.”
ACT 5	DAY OF THE SUN
JEFF	We took a beautiful early morning ride through Onchon, passing many cooperative farms, we passed through Nampo and arrived back in Pyongyang where citizens were enjoying The Day of The Sun, birthday of the country’s founder Kim Il Sung, and the biggest Holiday in North Korea.
	First we visited the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun, a mausoleum where leaders Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il lie in state.
	After a lunch that consisted of North Korea’s signature dish, cold noodle soup, one member of group jumped into a soccer game with the locals, while I made some new friends.
	Next we took a stroll through the iconic Moranbong Park, where we were greeted by the locals and even invited to dance with them.
	We went across town to Mangyondae, Kim Il Sung’s birthplace, and toured a nostalgic recreation of the hut where he lived as a boy under Japanese occupation. We toured the site alongside a large group of boys who looked to be the DPRK’s version of the boy scouts.
	All week we had been seeing the locals practicing dance routines, and finally we got to see what they had been working on; an extravagant, choreographed dance routine in the center of Pyongyang.
ACT 6	WRAP UP
JEFF	The DPRK is a place like no other; an enigmatic socialist time warp, filled with beauty and intrigue. I have traveled extensively, but my trip to North Korea with Uri Tours will remain by far of my most amazing travel experiences.

Super special thanks to Mike & Anne from HoneyTrek & RTW Packing List for their support in spreading word of this doc. They rock!

2016-02-08

The Acid Lounge – Winter 2015

The Acid Lounge started as my radio show on the University of Colorado’s Radio1190 radio station for a solid five years, from 2000-2005. Now, it exists as a series of playlists and podcasts, published sporadically and sometimes monthly.

The Acid Lounge Winter 2015, hosted on Spotify.

2015-12-27
Interviewing to become one of the two new Columbia Directors of Toughness
This morning, I had a great time interviewing in NYC with the Columbia Sportswear team for the new position of “Director of Toughness“. I was actually expecting a more formal sit down meeting room interview, but what I found was a casting-session style panel, with lots of lights and cameras. Talking with the Columbia crew was fun – they had me show them the (correct) way to pack a sleeping bag, and we chatted about my various experiences working in Antarctica, running in North Korea, and sailing the high seas.

Tweet @Columbia1938 and tell them to pick me as Director of Toughness

An excerpt from the job description:
The Directors of Toughness will answer the call of the wild with Columbia Sportswear in the most epic six-month position for anyone who lives and breathes adventure! These two die-hard adventurers will have the unparalleled opportunity to test Columbia’s gear in wildly iconic locations around North America, and the world. With over 75 years of experience in the industry, Columbia knows a thing or two about building tough gear, and is ready to take its mission of testing to the next level. The Directors will put their gear and personal “toughness” to the test through exhilarating expeditions supported by Columbia’s range of innovative apparel, outerwear, footwear and equipment, demonstrating an ability to withstand unpredictable weather conditions and harsh terrains. The journey will be documented by the Director of Toughness and publically broadcasted everywhere from national television shows such as Jimmy Kimmel Live to social media to allow the greater Columbia community to travel along on this adventure and testing experience of a lifetime!

If you feel alive in the wild, dream of Snapchatting a 100 ft. cliff-dive, Instagramming from the top of Mount Rainier and putting gear to the ultimate test, this position is for you!

We’re looking for two outgoing, personable outdoor enthusiasts committed to going above and beyond physical limits and personal expectations to guarantee that our apparel and gear keeps people warm, dry, cool and protected in any weather or geographic situation. We are seeking those who possess perseverance, creativity and an irrepressible spirit to help them survive, thrive and most importantly expertly share their journey across unusual and challenging environments.

For the duration of the experience, the Directors of Toughness will call the beautiful bridge city of Portland, OR home. Portland not only hosts the headquarters of Columbia Sportswear, but is also a mecca for outdoor adventurists. However, 85% of this journey will be devoted to traveling, and there’s no telling where you will end up!
- Skilled at skiing or snowboarding (resort and/or backcountry)
- A pro at balancing gear and navigating trails of varying degrees
- Adept at pushing through a long, hard day, subsisting on trails snacks and the occasional wild berry
- Prefer sleeping under the stars to high thread counts and room service
- An outgoing, media-savvy personality, and affinity for being in front of the camera– whether on a smartphone’s live stream or a television’s live feed
- A talented, artistic photographer with an eye for taking”insta-worthy” photos that tell a story and generate a lot of likes
- Awareness of and imagination about where gear can best be put to the “toughness” test
- A love for creatively sharing wilderness adventures with others through social media, and the natural ability to promote the company by doing so
- The presentation skills, professionalism, and good judgment required to be a public image of a worldwide company
- Must have a valid US passport with no restrictions and with no less than 18 months before expiration; must also have a valid driver’s license
(Full description – PDF)

Although they didn’t let me record the entire interview, here’s a quick clip of me coming out of the green room and into the interview set.

Here’s an idea of what it was like, from Portland’s KGW:

Tweet @Columbia1938 and tell them to pick me as Director of Toughness
2015-09-12
The Acid Lounge Returns – To Antarctica!

Jeffrey Donenfeld at the controlboard of 104.5 Ice Radio, McMurdo Station, Antarctica
Believe it or not, McMurdo Station has its own radio station – 104.5 FM Ice Radio. The station broadcasts with 50 watts around the McMurdo Area, and is able to be heard as far away as Williams Field and Pegasus Airstrip. Additionally, the station is broadcast locally on an AFRTS TV channel.

This evening, I had the opportunity to man the station and bring my radio show, “The Acid Lounge”, back to the airwaves. Here’s a recording of the show, originally broadcast 2014-12-26 on 104.5 FM Ice Radio from McMurdo Station, Antarctica. Notably, the music selection is limited to what’s available on-site, which has been cleared for broadcast. The collection exists on CD, Vinyl, and digitally in a broadcast specific computer system. It seems like the library was last updated a number of years ago, but I still had fun rediscovering some old classics.

Setlist:
Dead Prez – Hip Hop
Notorious Big – Juicy
Outkast – Ms. Jackson
Busta Rhymes – Dangerous
Lauryn Hill – Doo Wop
Jay Z – Change Clothes
Lil Kim – Magic Stick
Wu-Tang – CREAM
50 Cent – PIMP
Beyonce – Me, Myself, and I
George Benson – The Ghetto
Jamiroquai – Everyday
Tribe Called Quest – Stressed Out
Roots – Next Movement

2014-12-26
Photography Portfolio: Adventure Travel with the Sony RX-100
During the past year, I spent 3.5 months living and working at the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station, Antarctica, and then traveled solo through Southeast Asia. At my side consistently through my year of extreme adventure was the best pocket camera I’ve ever used, the Sony RX-100. Now that I’ve returned, here’s a quick portfolio of photos I’ve taken in the last year with the camera.

Inquiries can be directed to me at Hello@JeffreyDonenfeld.com

Related Media:
My thoughts on shooting with the RX-100, taken from my SE Asia Trip Report:

Traveling with the Sony RX100 turned out to be great. I had loved shooting with that camera at the south pole, and shooting with it while traveling was just as good. It’s very small – I can fit it in the pockets of my jeans. Yet, it still has full manual control of all camera functions, and just barely enough hand controls on the body to make it relatively easy to handle while shooting. Additionally, the other extremely important factor for me while shooting was the responsiveness – and the RX100 is great with that – controls feel snappy and responsive, and the feel of pushing the shutter button is tight. Not quite as instant and seamless as the controls on my SLR, but pretty darn close. When I’m shooting with my SLR, I know it well enough and it’s responsive enough that I can easily stop paying attention to using the camera, and devote full attention to shooting photos. With the Sony RX100, I’d say I can get about 75% of the way to fully forgetting about the camera. Not perfect, but pretty darn good for a compact.

The RX100 takes great quality pictures, and I loved shooting on it. I shot mostly with it on Manual mode, taking RAW files. Occasionally i would have moments of laziness and shoot in Aperture priority or Program mode, but for the most part it was manual. Also, I assigned one of the settings memories to a low quality reference image mode – shooting JPG at a small picture size, full automatic, with a locked in high ISO of 3200. I used this mode for quickly shooting reference images, only for my use – pictures of descriptive signs, menus, receipts, business cards, maps, and other things I wanted to be able to refer back to while editing, but didn’t want to burn too much memory card space on. I didn’t delete any photos.

C-17 Globemaster III from New Zealand to Antarctica

Flying over the Transantarctic Mountains

Taking in the view in an LC-130 Hercules over the South Pole, Antarctica

Deploying Neutrino Sensors for the Askaryan Radio Array, South Pole

Fuel Tanker docked at McMurdo Station, Antarctica

Angkor Wat, Indonesia

Shan State, Myanmar

Kyoto, Japan

Borobudur, Indonesia

Mandalay, Myanmar

Komodo, Indonesia

Bangkok, Thailand

Tonsai, Thailand

Mt. Cook, New Zealand

The late summer growth was amazing, lots of hues of green and brown set against the crumbling piles of rock. Arthurs Pass, New Zealand

Antarctica

C-17 Globemaster III from New Zealand to Antarctica

Flying over the Transantarctic Mountains
https://www.flickr.com/photos/jamfan2/8184154641/in/set-72157632973563889

Taking in the view in an LC-130 Hercules over the South Pole, Antarctica
https://www.flickr.com/photos/jamfan2/8197937055/in/set-72157632973563889

Deploying Neutrino Sensors for the Askaryan Radio Array, South Pole
https://www.flickr.com/photos/jamfan2/8395485013/in/set-72157632973563889

Fuel Tanker docked at McMurdo Station, Antarctica
https://www.flickr.com/photos/jamfan2/8496076961/in/set-72157632973563889

Southeast Asia

Angkor Wat, Indonesia
https://www.flickr.com/photos/jamfan2/9526686932/in/set-72157636058352725

Mandalay, Myanmar
https://www.flickr.com/photos/jamfan2/9352420275/in/set-72157636058352725

Shan State, Myanmar
https://www.flickr.com/photos/jamfan2/9346984065/in/set-72157636058352725

Bangkok, Thailand
https://www.flickr.com/photos/jamfan2/9319176288/in/set-72157636058352725

Borobudur, Indonesia
https://www.flickr.com/photos/jamfan2/8632364978/in/set-72157636058352725

Komodo, Indonesia
https://www.flickr.com/photos/jamfan2/8617423123/in/set-72157636058352725

Mt. Cook, New Zealand
https://www.flickr.com/photos/jamfan2/8517837012/in/set-72157636058352725

Arthurs Pass, New Zealand
https://www.flickr.com/photos/jamfan2/8505223623/in/set-72157636058352725

Kyoto, Japan
https://www.flickr.com/photos/jamfan2/9524485345/in/set-72157635097383901

Tonsai, Thailand
https://www.flickr.com/photos/jamfan2/8778887432/in/set-72157633589699628
2013-11-23
I’m Betabrand’s Antarctic Explorer

Last austral summer, while living at the South Pole Station, Antarctica I represented SF clothing company Betabrand as their official Antarctic Explorer. I had a great time tromping around in the snow in Betabrand’s Disco Pants, USA Pants, and Smoking Jacket. Thanks for the gear, Betabrand! Here’s a quick video of my adventure:

2013-09-12
A Tour of the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station, Antarctica

After living and working at the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station during the summer 2012-2013 season, I’ve had the chance to see most parts of the station. Additionally, I also worked as a tour guide for the various tourist groups who visited the station. Here’s a brief narrated video tour of both the elevated station as well as the buried service structures. Shot on the Sony RX100.

For more on my time in Antarctica, be sure to see my Antartica Blog.

Be sure to check out my tour of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet Field Camp.

2013-03-02
Mentioned on the Universal Geek Podcast

My friend Jeff Couturier is a graphic designer, web developer, cartoonist, and geek. He’s a regular host on the Universal Geek podcast, and recently gave me and my Antarctica blog a great mention. Thanks Jeff for the shoutout!

For the part where I’m mentioned, start listening at 1:07:00

(Download)

Universal Geek Podcast – Episode 091 – Eighties Space Bimbos

2012-12-03
Photography Field Guide: 10 Essential Shots for Covering a Weather Disaster
What good is a freakishly large hurricane bearing down on NYC if you can’t photograph it? Now, thanks to Scientific American’s Compound Eye Science Photography blog, we have a concise guide to the key shots for covering the hurricane, or any disaster.

It’s certainly an interesting explanation of each shot, and goes the illustrate the importance of getting a variety of photos in order the tell a unified story. I’m often thinking about this when taking photos on my own adventures, so it’s nice to see Compound Eye lay it all out.

The 10 Key Shots for covering a disaster:
1. The Satellite Overview
2. The Rising Tide
3. The Concerned Politician
4. The Oddly Empty
5. The Intrepid Journalist
6. The Sandbag
7. The Obligatory Wind Shot
8. The “Are you insane?”
9. The #instacane
10. The Wreckage
A Field Guide to Hurricane Photography | Compound Eye, Scientific American Blog Network.
2012-10-29
Getting A Job In Antarctica: My Long Journey 2009-2012

My name tag and program patch on my “Big Red” parka. Note I also added my Explorer’s Club members pin.

I want to live and work in Antarctica. It’s been a dream of mine for years, and starting about 4 years ago, I finally decided to make my dream a reality. As you may expect, getting a job – a real job, and not just a tourist ticket down to the South Pole is tricky. And to date, I still don’t have a spot on the polar team yet – but I’m working on it, day by day, getting closer making my dream come true.

I wanted to write this blog post to outline my long and complicated ordeal in researching and implementing my pathway to the ice. Over the past four years of this obsession, I’ve fielded just about every question I can imagine about how to connect and get a job there, and what living and working in Antarctica is like. I’m going to break this post up into two main sections: My job search timeline, and then general questions and resources that get asked a lot.

TL;DR:
I’ve been applying for jobs in Antarctica for 4 years. This past year was my strongest push yet, and unfortunately I did not get the job, despite all resources and effort applied. I plan on continuing the quest to make my dream job happen.
(more…)

2012-10-09
Videoblog: Tatzu Nishi’s ‘Discovering Columbus’ Installation

Hello from high above Columbus Circle in NYC at Tatzu Nishi’s “Discovering Columbus”:

Videoblog on YouTube

From NY Times:

To see the work, “Discovering Columbus,” visitors need only procure a free timed ticket, sign a release, climb six flights of stairs and enter the white windowed box that has been built around the figure. It’s a structure that from the outside looks like a pristine outtake from a mansion, albeit one supported by an elaborate network of construction scaffolding that is itself rather attractive. (An elevator is also available.)

Once inside, they will encounter Columbus’s commanding figure, wearing the usual floppy beret and High Renaissance garb, in a spacious interior larger than many New York apartments (over 800 square feet, with 16-foot ceilings). It is outfitted with hardwood floors, area rugs, cushy couches and armchairs, art reproductions, lots of reading material and a remote-free, 55-inch Samsung television screen. Most of this has been provided by Bloomingdale’s; all of it is bathed in natural light, thanks to four large windows facing in three directions.

The statue, previously visible only from afar, is front and center, and it towers. You can sit down and contemplate Columbus and his legacy, along with the tendency of high-minded public art to fade into the background, while enjoying a reasonable facsimile of someone’s home.

2012-10-04
The Trampoline Song

This summer, friend Dana Sterling has been hauling her trampoline to various parties and get togethers. A few nights ago I took a few jumps, and helped record “The Trampoline Song“. Shot by a friend on my shiny new Sony RX100.

2012-09-14
Videoblog: Hiking the Ballard Trail

Videoblog for today – Greetings from up high on the Ballard Trail, just outside of Telluride, Colorado!

2012-08-31
Running in Newark

Finally, an outside run for the week. After National Registry EMT-B testing, we got out of class a bit early. There was just enough sunlight left for a quick 5 mile run out to the industrial wasteland surrounding Newark, California.

2012-08-01
Unitek EMT-B Training Group Info
Hey welcome to our group info sheet. this page contains resources including:
- Contact Sheet signup form and viewing link
- Photos
- Power Point decks download link
- Exam prep questions
- Links discussed in class
Scroll down to find each section.

(more…)
2012-07-31
Videoblog: Hiking the Telluride Ski Area

Quick videoblog of me and good friend Talitha hiking today in the Telluride Ski Area… what a great day between the rainclouds!

Video Link

2012-07-14
Videoblog: Hiking the Wasatch Trail in Telluride, Colorado

Hello from the Wasatch Trail, outside of Telluride, Colorado. A videoblog for today..

Video Link

Previously: Wasatch Trail Photo

2012-07-12
Email Overload! My Year in Emails According to ToutApp

At the end of last year, startup ToutApp released an online tool that analyzes my entire gmail account and provides an interesting statistical breakdown of email trends.

A few excerpts from the report:

ToutApp also makes a nice business networking iPhone app, which simplifies the network/instant followup workflow when meeting people. A competitor to Bump? Maybe…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oM2RQV08R_8

2012-02-23
Videoblog: Exploring Jackson Hole, Wyoming

Today I spent the day finishing up the last day of work for a while, and exploring Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Despite a low cloud cover creating a dismally cloudy day on the ground, as soon as the Jackson Hole Tram broke above the clouds the sun shining into the cloud filled basin was spectacular. Quick videoblog post as well as panorama.

Videoblog post from Jackson Hole

2012-01-09
Videoblog: Back to Skiing at Hunter Mountain

After snowboarding for the past 15 or so years, I finally stapped on a pair of skis today at Hunter Mountain in New York. I was fairly confident that I still had the basic skill, but wanted to get a little practice in as preparation for my upcoming NOLS Winter Outdoor Educator course I’ll be taking in January. It came back to me relatively quickly, and although I can definitely still ski, I won’t be doing it for long. Snowboarding is much more fun! Here’s a quick video clip I recorded in the rain…

2011-12-21
Videoblog: Biking to Kid Yellin Art Space in Red Hook

Videoblog post for today, this time from on my bike in Dumbo, Brooklyn…

2011-11-12