To see where it all began, see Magnifying Connections: creating an installation, episode 1!

UPDATE: Here’s another video for all of you! Me, drilling holes in styrofoam balls!

Whatever taste, aspirations are yours when choosing the car of the, your future, the constant in the equation will be its green properties. In the 2008 Paris, Detroit Motor Show, the diversification of the designs, technologies and creativity displayed incontestably the full range of environmental awareness of the car manufacturers.

Aligned with the desiderata of industrialized countries’ consumption, the values of the car industry shifted with in the back of their mind, to maximize the good on earth. From luxury to ordinary cars, the competition is sharp to present excellence in fuel economy, in gas emission reduction : The paradigm of the Millennium!

If Toyota with its famous Prius enjoys its leading position among the diesel sales (hunted by Honda, Nissan, Ford…), the appearance of new technologies as the Blue Tec for Mercedes, or the hydrogen power for BMW expresses the eagerness of brands to overthrow any supremacy in surpassing the market expectancy. Performance is now synonymous with respect of the environment, the clean energy is the common denominator.

Since the mass consumption opts for ordinary cars, luxury cars responding exclusively to the high-end market, developing a car that corresponds both to the financial affordability and the eco-consciousness of the nowadays tendency will be the coming challenge. For that matter, the “agile and zippy” Jetta TDI designed by Volkswagen has already won people’s heart over the Prius!

Without disarming and on the offensive track, Toyota, once again, started the electric vehicles race by proposing to the public in 2010 its “plug-in hybrid electric” prototype, twin version of its popular Prius, bearing (I guess!) in mind for its conceptualization that it will follow its elder sister’s glorious steps!

Powered with its lithium-ion battery pack, the motor generates 50kW allowing an autonomy of 7 miles at 62mph. Electrifying isn’t it?

Its fierce competitors Chevy Volts, GM plug-in are sparkling, right behind! Soon, cars like computers will become obsolete as launched on the market!

Only problem in this clean energy picture : what is the end of life of lithium-ion batteries?

I, Danny B., just quit a couple jobs waiting tables and got a bit heartfelt when talking about the nervous breakdown I nearly suffered on my last day of work. I got the right amount of sympathy and felt the healing process has begun. Sarah K., who still bartends, had some good stories about awful guests and the lengths servers would go to avoid them. But it was an anonymous jungle [8]‘er who stole the show with her “Soup Assault” story.

When, we’ll call her Cathy, when Cathy was 17, as the story goes, she had a manager that would not get off her back. Too much lipstick, not enough lipstick, things of this nature. After finally being pushed too far Cathy decided to get even. She filled a bowl with soup and then cooled it with ice cubes. Then, during the busiest part of the evening, she dumped it over her boss, said goodbye and walked out forever. Two weeks later she was served with a notice to appear in court. The charge: assault with soup. The charge was later thrown out because, of all things, Cathy was able to prove the alleged assault was premeditated because she had put ice cubes in the soup. I know, how bizarre.

Anyway I’m glad it worked out for her. I still regret doing nothing to the table that came in on Christmas Eve and emotionally tortured me for two and a half hours. Even though their $400 bill was complimented entirely (after they meticulously complained about absolutely everything) they still felt the need to tell my boss I had ruined Christmas for them. Let me tell you something: if your family meets once a year and you let you 23-year-old waiter spoil your evening because he brings out a Paradise Martini instead of a Pomegranate Martini you belong to a hideous bloodline. There, I’m glad I got that off my chest. Ok, it’s time to get back to work. The healing has begun.

The supernatural stories began when a glass of water moved inexplicably across the table, seemingly propelled by the same ghost that haunts Ouija boards. Lainie interpreted it as spirits from the netherworld revealing their outer limit desires, or something like that. Sarah T., the realist, explained the glass was resting on a thin layer of water and that the table was a slanted. The highlight of ghost talk came when Sarah K. described the shrine she would make to appease the two Latino haunts living in her house: a Bud Light can wearing a miniature Dodgers baseball cap.

I don’t recall how we got on the subject but apparently a large portion of jungle [8] staffers have a story about how they, or someone close to them, have nearly burned a house down. I’m not sure it’s a good idea to have multiple pyromaniacs under the same roof, but it should make for a good.

All the talk about sleep deprivation began to make me tired. Or maybe it was the gut full of lasagna. I regretted skipping the Cappuccino Machine 101 class offered earlier in the day. Luckily sugar is readily available in jungle [8] headquarters. A handful of M&M’s and I’m sprinting to the finish line. I warned Lainie that offering me an open door fridge policy would risk putting jungle [8] into the red. She didn’t seem too concerned.

When I started my career, agency-level over 15 years ago, I did so as an intern. The connections and support I received were overwhelming and after 3 months, I was offered a my first full time paid position. ( I still remember that day Jason Fiber took me, the intern to lunch and made me a job offer.)

Over the years I have had the opportunity to teach under-served youth, speak to hundreds of students about careers in design, marketing and branding, but the most rewarding personal and professional experience I’ve had, continues to be functioning as a solidified team, providing opportunities and mentoring young talent at the beginning of their careers.

Below is note we just received from a writing intern, who left us to return to college. Thought I’d share a snippet of her email here:

Hey guys,

I couldn’t make it to the Art Show yesterday (did you guys end up going?) but I hope you guys had fun!! I’ll try to look you guys up the next time I’m in town

Just wanted to say, belatedly, thanks for an awesome experience and having me on board, even if it was only for a short while. Sorry I didn’t get to see some of you to say bye! (ie: everyone except for Tuan and Lainie … haha).

Tuan: thanks for forwarding me your website … your work is amazing and you are so talented. I wish we had had more time to talk!

Tuan-Ching: it was really great getting to know you. I’ll miss slaving away in the kitchen with you and hearing you clacking away on your computer next to me you’ll have to tell me how being a bridesmaid went the next time I see you

Sonia: good luck w/ that last quarter at USC – you’re almost done! It was really great getting to know you … and just so you know, your presence is definitely missed at jungle[8] … we need our project manager back! =)

Aldis: thank you for bringing Latvia to my attention … when I saw them competing at the Olympics during the men’s BMX competition, I was cheering for them inside! (on the outside though, I was showing proper US-pride/remorse as they CREAMED the US competition) “Go Latvia!”

Sarah: thanks for showing me the ropes around jungle[8]! you are such a talented writer … i’ll miss cranking out brand documentation with you p.s. I really love your car!

Miro: Thanks for introducing me to the world of video games … I had no idea what you were saying most of the time, but thanks for being patient with my video gamer noobness.

Lainie – thanks so much for taking the time to invest in me. Your space is awesome; your vision is awesome; you are awesome. =) Thanks so much for giving me a taste of branding and I hope that Costa Rican dream comes true soon

Best,
Rachel Li

How much are you willing to pay for bottled water? How’s $480 for a case of Limited Edition Crimson Red sound? Much in the same way that celebs like Mary-Kate Olsen helped turn a Starbucks coffee cup into a must-have accessory, luxury bottled water has become something of a status symbol, with many individuals paying quite a lot more than your typical $1.50 for bottled water. Think of the stereotypical “bling” that rappers wear around their necks, or the association of Escalades with the rich and famous: the jewelery and cars are less about the product, per se, than the image that these individuals are buying along with it. And for some, that image of luxury and the I’ll-pay-this-much-for-water-just-because-I-can messaging can come at a hefty price: at $20 per bottle, the aptly named Bling H20 (a luxury brand of bottled water endemic to the celebrity scene) wins the prize for “world’s most expensive bottled water.” Its website plays up the image of extravagance and class, with on-site reviews hailing the products as “sipping pure prestige.”

Side-rant: you gotta give Bling H20′s for feeble their attempts at green marketing. Check out their $40 Go Green edition. Anyone want to take guesses as to geographic location of Bling H20′s headquarters? I’ll give you three guesses, but I’m pretty sure you’re only going to need one: Dandridge, Tennessee. Really, the fact that the United States of the Self-Absorbed is home to such a colossal symbol of self-indulgence in the face of world poverty and hunger shouldn’t come as a surprise. We are, after all, a country that touts professional socialite Paris Hilton as newsworthy, a country that cares more about Britney than bombs: can it be any plainer why the rest of the world hates us???

The real solution? Good, old-fashioned, all-American tap! Sure, you might forfeit the sleek packaging, but the price is sweet: at an average $.001 per one-day’s supply of water (about 100x the cost of bottled water), I’d take tap over unnecessary wastefulness and gratuitous indulgence any day.

Invest in a water purification filter and take the money you would have spent on bottled water and spend it on a worthier cause than your own image. We’re all about personal branding but really – this is excessive!

And for those of just have this inexplicable, inexorable need to purchase overly priced bottled water, here’s a cause worthy of spending $20/bottle: Charity Water. 100% of the proceeds go towards funding freshwater construction projects in Ethiopia, Uganda, Central African Republic and Malawi. One case will provide enough clean water for 24 people for 15 years. So go there and purchase $480 cases of water to your heart’s content!

Just a brief sampling of the conversation during lunch today:

If Lainie Liberti could have had her way, her 9-year-old would have been named Miro, following in the footsteps of other single-name monikers like Prince and Madonna. But for a country that gave us such quirky baby names as Apple and Story, Lainie faced an uphill battle with the hospital, who seemed to determined to squash her attempts at creativity. In the end, Lainie grudgingly added a last name – only to find that numbers were a no-no, too (she had to change Miro’s middle name from 7 to Sevin). C’mon, fruit is allowed but numbers aren’t?

I chewed in awkward silence for about five minutes as Lainie gushed about butthole surfing, saying nothing even as increasingly disturbing images of wrinkled old men on surf boards flashed in my head. It was only when Lainie pulled out a CD from a cupboard that I realized we were talking about Butthole Surfers, with a capital B-S, not butthole surfers, the latest addition to the world of beach recreational activity (joining the tried-and-true skinny dipping and nude sunbathing).

Speaking of B-S: at one point, conversation digressed to languages, where Sarah taught us all the expletives she could remember from her high school American Sign Language class. She also taught us “Don’t stick your finger up your nose” in French, proving once and for all that, yes, you can say absolutely anything in French and it will sound like you’re saying, “Darling, you look ravishing and I want you right now, on the kitchen table.” Not to be undone, Aldis, our token Latvian, blessed us with a few lines in his mother tongue and Tuan Ching carried us through the different intonations of Chinese.

And with that, it was back to work!

Today, it’s all about eight. We here at jungle[8] feel a certain pride as people across the world celebrate what we consider our special number.

The number 8 has long been revered across China as a symbol of balance and good fortune, so it is no coincidence China decided to hold opening ceremonies for the Olympics on 8-8-08, at 8:08pm. Thousands of young couples in LA alone agree with the number’s lucky connotation, and have chose today as their happy date, resulting in over 150 weddings in the city proper. Bridal website The knot reported four times as many weddings scheduled than other August Fridays.

Lainie Liberti responded to the number’s essence of completeness when she rebranding Interactive Jungle into the current jungle[8]. 

In an interview she explains the special number’s unique significance:

“For me, “Jungle” is everything: organic, chaotic, predictable. It’s the dichotomy of life: Separation, yes, but also everything that is one experience too. Jungle simply “is”.

8 is a magical number, and:

Most importantly:

jungle [8] is all possibilities without lacking – Natural as evolution, itself.

There just seems to be something about the aroma of food that jumpstarts the deep philosophizing for us at jungle[8].

Today’s late lunch (3:30pm!) was Asian fusion: salad, potstickers (both panfried and boiled), white rice, as well as the last of the steroid-injected potatoes (not pictured here because they were TOO BIG for the camera to get them in). Trust me though – they were huge! If the Irish had had them in the 19th century, there would not have been a famine, no siree.

Topics at the table today included:

- Why some (key word, some!) Prius owners are so darn haughty and self-righteous. Why other Prius owners only purchased said Prius because it suddenly became “trendy” to be eco-friendly (their family Suburban – soo three years ago! – has now been exiled to the garage). But in general, we love Priuses and are all for people purchasing them to help make our world a better place!

- Why panfried potstickers taste so much better than boiled ones? Or in the words of Lainie Liberti, jungle[8] principal and food extraordinarie: “We have potstickers with taste and potstickers without. Take a guess which is which.” Hint: it probably has something to do with the generous amount of sesame oil we used … which of course, only begs the question … why does fat taste so darn good???

As do most lunch events at jungle[8], the lunch conversation covered some interesting topics. Today’s talk was all about geeks, the “Geek Squad” at Best Buy, and the “Genius Bar” at the Apple Store.

The geek talk was kicked off by the notion that Lainie Liberti, la reina de (the “queen of” if your Spanish is malo) jungle[8], isn’t the “geek” she thinks she is. Lainie seems to think anyone who’s into science fiction, is tech savvy and intelligent is a geek. Lainie, being all of those three, lacks some very notable “geeky” attributes. For one thing, she isn’t a social outcast, and probably was a member of the “cool” crowd in high school—not a cheerleader, but probably one of the semi-rebellious trendsetter types. She wears glasses to use the computer and read, but she doesn’t need sonar without them off and has no pocket protectors. Lainie disagrees, claiming she played Dungeons and Dragons in her schoolgirl days. HA! Right now, we’re doing a background check on Lainie see if she really rolled the octagonal geek-dice. We’re skeptical.

What exactly is a geek anyway? The author of this post saw quite a few—he thinks—at the premiere of Hellboy 2, where he admired an exodus of geeky looking people with glasses eager to be the first to see their firey comic book hero grace the silver screen. Lainie argued the Hellboy 2 patrons were not geeks, but nerds. The author countered with his contention that geeks and nerds look the same.

OK, then, what about Best Buy and their “Geek Squad?” Are they truly geeks? Go to any Best Buy and try to find a true geek with the “Geek Squad” uniform on, and you may be bummed to meet a person less tech savvy than you, can’t fix your problem, appears to be less than thrilled to be helping you, and can’t wait to clock out. The “Genius Bar” at the Apple Store seems to have a slight geekiness edge of the Geek Squad—if arrogance and sarcasm are indications of intelligence. If you have audacity to show up at the genius bar with an ipod that isn’t totally broken, don’t be surprised if, after mister hipster-zits fixes it, points out your stupidity and asks you why you didn’t try holding down the “menu” and “pause” button for 10 seconds.