There once was an old woman who lived in a shoe; unfortunately, it was extremely impractical in that it wasn't very spacious and always smelled of feet. We think she would've been much more at home in the U.S.'s first Mid-rise container building, slated to be finished by March 2009 in Salt Lake City. The project, City Center Lofts, designed by container architecture expert Adam Kalkin, is considered eco-friendly thanks to it being constructed from 50% recycled content. Not only is this eight-unit super-condo located to plenty of Downtown SLC amenities, but is has a few added features of it's own such as on demand water heaters, a green roof, tons of natural light and ventilation, and high performance windows. Did we mention the ground level will house an art gallery. Sounds like paradise on earth, minus the swimming pool. Now, I wonder if the folks who move in get first dibs on displaying their art in the gallery?

When it comes to having a career art, I guess you could say James White always had stars in his eyes. The Halifax, Nova Scotia based mixed media artist and graphic designer has been playing around with pencils since the age of four. Since then he's forged his own path, studying graphic design at the community college level and Interactive technology afterwards. Despite taking jobs in the website/ graphic design field, White has never stopped working on his unique brand of ‘retro-cosmic’ art. His stunning otherworldly creations, inspired by everything from Atari to Daft Punk certainly display a unique knack for expanding the viewer visual universe. If you'd like to set your sights further into White's outer space, we recommend heading over to his website, Signalnoise and checking out some of his creations for yourself.

You won’t find many musicals on our site, but with Spring Awakening’s national tour coming soon to a city near you a few of us in the New York office saw fit to join the Broadway cast (from the comfort of a theater seat) and see what all the fuss is about. For those of you that aren’t theatrically inclined, the show is an adaptation of Frank Wedekind’s controversial 19-century play about teens and their awakening sexuality (among other salacious topics and scenes). It features a Duncan Sheik score, and lyrics from Steven Sater, which combine to create a strikingly modern and melancholy sound, particularly for the world of musical theater. But what really got our attention (and continues to hold it) is the sensational young talent the producers continue to bring to the stage. From the original cast which featured breakout performances from some of the youngest stars in Broadway history, to the recent addition of actors like Blake Bashoff (of LOST fame), the pipes on these kids are simply incredible (here come the record contracts). Now the producers are even holding open “video” auditions on the site, where you and your youngest ridiculously talented friends can submit a sample of your skills to be considered. The original cast is starting to roll over here in New York, so we recommend getting out there soon to sample the original vintage as well as some of the new talent.

What does the Great White North know about hip-hop culture? More than you probably know about curling. Their national sport. The one with the big rock and the ice…never mind. Pound is an intelligent hip-hop magazine straight outta Toronto, that combines the Source’s subject matter, Nylon’s sense of style, and the New Republic’s mission statement. Feature articles delve into the “real” state of B-Boy culture, from MCs to graffiti artists, all the while asking it’s readers to separate “honesty from authenticity,” as publisher Rodrigo Bascunan editor’s letter states. You can download the last issue on via PDF file. That’s what we’re talking aboot.

If you're at all like us, you like to sit back and enjoy the occasional bag of Cheetos while watching your favorite TV shows. The problem with that is you end up getting orange dust all over the clicker to mix in with last week's sticky chicken wing residue. Indeed, your remote is a cesspool for all sorts of bacteria, which no doubt serves to threaten your harmonious relationship with your germ-phobic roommate. Well tell him to put away the handiwipes, because the electronics mavens at Bang & Olufsen insist it doesn't have to be that way. They may have found a permanent solution for your filthy clicker complications. No, they haven't made a self-cleaning remote…but you're close. Aided by designer Joris Van Gelder, the gadget gurus have created a prototype for the new touchless B&O remote control. While we don't have the specifics on how exactly this thing works…it appears as though the user touches a blank area where light projects the user's channel options…or you know…something. Ah what the heck, just check it out for yourself and you'll know what we mean.