Carl Leffler was a respected mathematician and professor at Columbia University when he was approached by a guy named Ed Lowe. It was the early 1930s and Ed was developing this game that he called ‘Beano’. He was having trouble coming up with different, random combinations of numbers that were a critical component of his new game. And seeing that Carl Leffler was a bit of a mathematics whiz, Ed asked for his help. He paid Carl up to $100 per number combination card, because Ed needed some 6,000 different card number combinations. Apparently, that’s a lot of numbers and this was way before the days of google algorithms. And yes, these numbers were important.

The numbers that Carl came up with are the numbers that established the game we all know and love: bingo.

Yes, bingo can singlehandedly be attributed to the hard work and dedication of Carl Leffler, a man so forgotten by history that he lacks a Wikipedia page. But that’s not the worst of it. Apparently after all of his hard work, Carl had a breakdown. Coming up with all those numbers and combinations took its toll on him, and as the story goes- he went insane.

But we don’t create for the sake of a Wikipedia page. So whether you get your bingo action at partybingo.com or at an underground bingo club, you have Carl and his insanity to thank for it.

Whatever skills or talents you have, use them until you lose your mind. We’ll all be thankful with the results. So let the world benefit from your insanity.

Also, if you’re in Chicago on Friday night, my good friend and artist Jim Joyce is the guest bingo caller for a Chicago ‘Zine Fest fundraiser. Check it out. Support the arts!

Every week, I receive emails asking about the bathroom situation for unconventional living spaces. Since there is an overwhelming amount of information online regarding bathroom builds, I’ve scoured the top few layers of the web for tips and links that will help you to build your own bathroom. Many unconventional spaces won’t have a shower or bathroom already set up, but it is surprisingly easy to overcome this daunting obstacle. I’m not a professional builder by any means, but I’ve managed my fair share of warehouse building and projects. This post will at least give you an idea of what you’re in for.

Sure, you can skip having a bathroom altogether, but it may be worth your time to build one. And since anyone can do it, it’s worth at least considering your options.

Now, you can save up some money, steal a bit of cash, or take out a loan to help with expenses. But you’ll want to have a small bit of money to play with here. Nothing extravagant is necessary, but if you’re doing it the ‘by-the-book’ route of permits and contractors, then you’ll want a bit more set aside. Again, this is certainly a project that can be done on your own, or with very little assistance. But any job worth doing once is worth doing right the first time. So don’t get cheap and cut corners. And even if you have little to no experience with plumbing and electrical, well then follow the links and get to learning!

A bathroom can be broken up into three major projects: sink/ shower, toilet, and electrical

Sink/ Shower

Hopefully you have water lines already running into your place. Assuming this, you have a few options for water heaters. You can go fancy and try solar heating, but the most common setups are the large water heater tanks that you find in most homes. These tanks can often be scooped up at salvage yards for cheap. Throughout Europe and Asia, in-line water heaters are quite popular. These are either electrical or gas powered, and both have their benefits. I’d recommend using an in-line (tankless) heater as it takes up less space, are easy to install, and can be more efficient. They are not recommended for family size use, but I’ve found great success with them. Either way, they are easy to install and worthwhile to have. The sink and shower pan are relatively easy to install as well.

Follow these links for more on sinks, showers, and tubs:

Shower pan

Sink

Island Sink

whirlpool tub

Pedestal Sink

Wall Sink

The water will drain into the floor drain. It is recommended to build your shower on top of a platform so the water takes longer to enter the main drain.

Toilet

For the toilet, you’ll need to have a main floor drain accessible. If you don’t want to build right on top of the drain, then you’ll have some additional headaches to deal with. I had some friends go the route of tapping into an outside sewage line and it ended up being a lot of work. If you have a main drain, use it. If you don’t, you may want to go back to using the neighbors toilet every time nature calls.

Electrical:

Everything about building a bathroom is important, but the electrical components are the most critical. Electricity and water are two things to be safe about, so if you are tempted to hire a professional anywhere, this is a good spot to do so. It is possible to learn how to do it on your own though. Just be sure to have everything GFCI. Electrical is one thing I always ask a friend with experience to help me with, since screwing it up can be the death of me. Fortunately, if you’re going for an unconventional space, you don’t necessarily need a lot of electricity in your bathroom. In my old warehouse, I cut a porthole window into the wall for ventilation. Worked perfectly and looked good too!

Additional tips:

One of the best posts I’ve found on plumbing a bathroom can be found here.

Use drywall (sheetrock) specifically for a bathroom. There’s a lot of moisture and that means mold.

Also, be sure to include exhaust fans and vents.

I consider this post a work in progress. If you have any additional helpful links, suggestions, or tips, please leave a comment below and I’ll happily make additions to this post.

This is not a review and I am not a critic. I also don’t use this blog to sell anything and I’m not interested in making money here. But I support the mission of AJ Leon and his crew of Misfits. They have recently released their first Misfit Quarterly, a free art magazine/ journal which far exceeded my expectations. I’ve never made a ‘zine, or art journal or anything of the sort, so I can’t begin to imagine the small details that become persistent headaches with a project like this. But if you are an artist, or you enjoy art, or maybe you just need an intro to the world of creation- check out Misfits, Inc.

I won’t get long winded on this, but there is a lot of crap art out there. But more importantly, there is a lot of potential art that doesn’t have the chance to be incredible or crap. Because it’s not being made. I don’t doubt that you have some ideas that aren’t being created due to clever excuses.

Check out the quarterly and more importantly, go make something too.

*We have been working our way east, ever so slowly. Currently in Thailand, heading into the northern jungle and eventually over into Laos for the next few weeks. My apologies for the slow posting and overall web absence, but this selfish chapter is a good one for me.

You may recognize the cookies in the above photo, but probably not. If you’ve guessed Oreos, then I’m pleased to announce that you are wrong. The cookies are called Hydrox, created in 1908, predating the Oreo by four years.

Stealing and thievery have bad reputations. But sometimes, it’s okay to be a rip-off. Case in point: Oreos. Inspired by the Hydrox cookies, Oreos were created with a slightly different flavor, and within a few years they held the popular public image of being the original cookie, giving Hydrox the unfortunate label of an imitator. If you’re curious how they taste, you may be out of luck. Oreo was so successful it is rip-off that it caused the demise of Hydrox. And so Hydrox has been on the chopping block, and apparently is only offered in some cookies and crime ice creams. (You can however enjoy this well-developed blog post comparing the cookies.)

Oreos weren’t an original idea, but it was distinct development on something that already existed. And considering that it has been the best selling cookie in the US for the past 100 years, it seems a fitting example of when it’s okay to be a rip-off.

“its not where you take things from, its where you take them to” — Jean-Luc Godard 

For more on this theme, check out the works of Austin Kleon’s Steal Like an Artist.

I’ve been in touch with Matt for a while now, so when I came up with the idea for this series, he was one of the first I wanted to include. The point of this series is to showcase the different bohemian living and work spaces people have found, built, and created. So if you’re in need of inspiration for your own living situation, or you just want to know more about what is out there, read on.

The Industrial Cottage
approx. size: 900 sq ft
12′ ceiling height
7 large, east facing windows
Gorgeous views of the Grand River
Purpose: recording studio and living space

Matt was inspired by a friend who had found the building and rented a spot there. Matt originally rented an office suite on the other side of the building, but quickly jumped to his current space when it was made available. It was formerly used for tanning hides.

“I sometimes call this my ‘industrial cottage’, because it is in an older industrial/ warehouse building, yet I have a 2nd story, several-window view of the Grand River, which flows about 20 feet from the building and although known as a fairly dirty river, is guest to many boaters and fishermen, and gives me some peace-of-mind that only a flowing body of water can give you.”

Of course, living in a warehouse loft like this isn’t always so simple. Often these unconventional spaces weren’t originally designed for full time living.

“I wish I had worked on insulating the space more extensively prior to moving everything in. It’s an older building, and there are a ton of old windows in here, so the summers make it like a greenhouse, and the winters are fairly drafty in the space.”

Matt’s industrial cottage also has no shower. And while there are several workaround ways to have a shower (especially if you already have plumbing), Matt has a clever fix that works well for him.

“I’ve got running water via utility sink, but no shower. Fortunately, my part-time job has a wellness center with private showers, and I also have a YMCA membership, which is about a 10 minute walk from here.”

On the bright side, the space has a fully functional kitchenette- a sink, hot plate, small refrigerator, some shelving, and a few desk-like surfaces to utilize.

One of the most common email questions I get is how to handle landlords. Matt’s approach is a bit more honest than how I tend to do things, but it demonstrates the simplicity and benefits of truth.

“There is some debate on how to handle the landlord situation. For me I had to have his ‘ok’ on things, mostly because I also run my recording studio/business out of here. If I were trying to do everything behind his back, my stress level would be through the roof…

Sometimes I feel awkward living here- it’s a warehouse, and I am one person living here among many small business existing in here. Taking in groceries or having a drink with friends is both exhilarating and sometimes awkward. Also, not being in a residential zone, I forfeit my voting privileges, which is quite a downer.”

So why create a space like this?

“The view, the quiet, the price.”

And just as an aside, Matt told me the cost of his rent and utilities, and it’s absolutely affordable. I assure you, if you’re renting today, you can afford to do this. It may take a bit of creativity and searching, but if you want an unconventional living space, they are out there waiting for you.

If you’re in the neighborhood and looking for a unique place to record your album, Matt’s industrial cottage is just the spot. Matt’s website is www.amberlitaudio.com and you can find him on facebook at Amber Lit Audio.

If you or anyone you know has an unconventional living space and would like to be featured here, please get in touch!

Over a year has passed since I left my job in the cubicle farms of academia. This blog was started as a way to keep myself inspired as I formulated plans to save diligently, live frugally, to live a life of purpose and the pursuit of passion. It seems most self-publishing on the web is initiated in this spirit.

We have been traveling full time for nine months now (six of those internationally), without jobs, alarm clocks, bills, and commitments. It is certainly a life of privilege and fortune. I certainly don’t take that for granted.

I also don’t take myself too seriously.

There is an impending pressure to pursue your passions, develop your talents, and do what you love. But if you don’t know what your talents are, or what you are passionate about, then where does that leave you?

Well, I don’t have that answer. But at least you aren’t Joseph Pujol.

Better known as Le Pétomane, this guy is someone who actually discovered his talents. And unfortunately for him, his skill set became defined as the ability to “inhale or move air into his rectum and then control the release of that air with his anal sphincter muscles”. He could also do the same with water.

Fortunately for Joseph, there was a popular demand for his art and he was able to forge out quite a living for himself. Like any good artist, he further developed and honed his craft, eventually learning how to reproduce animal sounds, thunderstorms, cannon fire, and musical instruments. He could play songs and even blow out a candle from several feet away. His performances were so popular that he often made 20,000 francs a show (roughly $4000 today if I did my math correctly). Yes, he even performed regularly at the Moulin Rouge.

So perhaps your talents are simply waiting to be discovered. Or maybe you should be thankful you haven’t figured it all out yet.

The word chateau is French for castle. We met the owners of this place on our travels (two English guys named Mike and Steve) and we ended up hanging out at their castle for a few weeks.

Set in the remote French countryside of the Loire Valley, this chateau dates back to the 15th century, though the tunnels beneath the castle go back to the 9th century. The network of tunnels and connected caves are largely unexplored, with some routes indicating a complex system that leads into the town. We spent some time wandering the claustrophobic tunnels and we noticed a great deal of graffiti from the 18th and 19th centuries. There were even some scribblings from people hiding out during WWII. Sadly I forgot to snap photos, so you’ll just have to trust me that it was impressive. Or visit for yourself.

Living in a European castle may sound like a bad Disney movie, yet for these two guys it is every day reality. It wasn’t without a fair bit of luck and determination though. The two of them visited over 70 different places throughout the French countryside. This chateau was the second to last one they saw, having nearly given up on their search. It wasn’t even their intention to own a castle. They were hoping to find an old run down farm house as a holiday home/ investment, but came across this space and ended up quitting their jobs, selling their home, and relocating to France.

To ease the financial burden of owning a castle, they also run a small bed and breakfast from the chateau. It was a far more ambitious project than they had expected to take on, and finances were a major strain, but still, they made it work. France has an interesting system when a place like this goes up for sale. It is first made available to any family members, and if there are no takers, it then becomes available to the neighbors. If none of the neighbors snatch it up, it hits the public market. Since the economy is rough everywhere, it was in jeopardy of being left vacant. Fortunately, it wasn’t left to rot.

The chateau is also used to host weddings, as the castle can easily accommodate over 60 people. That means beds and meals. As they reclaim, rebuild, and remodel more and more of the castle, they are able to incorporate many of the unique spaces that only exist when you choose to live in a castle.

For example, the large caves previously used to store wine and other dry goods are now converted into a holiday market during the Christmas season, where townspeople and surrounding locals set up booths and tables to sell their goods. They also continue to find spaces they didn’t even realize were there. It took them nearly a year to discover a whole section of the uppermost attic that had two full bedrooms in it. Since this castle had been owned by one family for the past few hundred years, a great deal of the castle was boarded up, hidden, and forgotten about until now.

As mentioned before, they also open up their home as a bed and breakfast to bring in additional income. These buildings here contain two large reception halls, kitchens, rooms and little apartments converted from the old stables and barns. This provides quite a lot of real estate for private functions.

The vineyards and gardens are still being revived, but they have enough berries and fruit to make several different varieties of jam. They keep getting a bit of friendly pressure from the neighbors to start producing wine, so hopefully that will be going soon. The property also has six full wells, just to give an idea of the size of the estate.

Of course, this is quite the ridiculous set up. Not many people have the means to buy a castle, but remember, this one is remote. It is in a region where there are tons of old castles in a thousand different states of decay. Their castle is set in a town of less than 300 people, and it’s well over an hour from the nearest large town. Nevertheless, the point of this series to is showcase unusual living spaces, and a French castle fits the bill.

If you have any questions, drop me a line in the comments below. Also, if you know of any unconventional living spaces that would be a good feature here, get in touch!

Ever wonder what it’s like to live in an artists loft? Or a warehouse space? Have questions about how to find, build, or create an unconventional living and work space? Maybe you’re just seeking inspiration for your own set up.

Well, this is for you.

This series is for the folks that appreciate the unusual homes, lofts, live, and work spaces. Most of the spaces features here are live/ work environments for artists, musicians, producers, and all the other types of folks who make up the bohemian (and almost bohemian) community.

My goal with this series is three part:

1. to inspire folks to create their own unconventional living space

2. to help answer questions on how to find and build up an unusual living/ work space

3. to offer a place for artists to share what they do while sharing the places they do it in

Future posts will include features of unusual living spaces ranging from a loft, warehouse, industrial cottage, French castle, nightclub, grain silo, VFW hall, and more.

Lasly, if you know anyone who has a unique or just damn interesting living situation and would like to be featured, please get in touch! If anonymity is needed or preferred, that’s no problem. There are a lot of folks out there looking for inspiration on unconventional living locations. Let’s collaborate. Show off your place and show us what you do.

August 16th, 2012

He was 26 years old when he burned the forest down. Over three hundred acres of virgin woods, gone.

Sure one could blame the unusually dry season or the windy day. Those factors certainly didn’t help. He was already unsuccessful as a writer, teacher, tutor, and even a general handyman, so blaming him wasn’t hard either. Had he been a famous author or a sports star, perhaps things would have been different. But he was just a 26 year old, sort of drifting through life, who on one Tuesday afternoon after catching some fish, lit a match for a small cooking fire.

And he ended up setting the whole forest ablaze.

Starting a forest fire is a fairly large scale accident. And it certainly had a profound impact on him. The community shunned him and he felt completely overwhelmed by the incident and the general state of his life. Less than a year later he would end up moving into a cabin near the very woods he had accidentally burned to the ground. His time in the wilderness was focused on living simply, self-reliance, meditation, and writing. A few years later, in 1854, the now 36 year old Henry David Thoreau would publish a book based on his time spent in his wilderness cabin. His book A Life in the Woods, or better known as simply Walden, was based on his time spent living in the wilderness in solace.

All thanks to his big accident.

 


Embrace your mistakes. And make bigger accidents.

Navigating through crowds is a hassle. Train stations, busy sidewalks, airports, street markets, and every day life in a city can be a pain in the ass. People walking every which way, crossing your path, you crossing theirs, no one happy with their progress and everyone bumping and mucking about with annoyance.

But not for me.

There’s a trick I learned a few years back when living in Chicago: the importance of looking past people.

The next time you are in a crowded space, look past the people going against you. Set your sights on a point beyond them and you will find yourself seamlessly navigating the crowd. When you make eye contact with someone going against your grain, you both move to the same direction and that awkward dance takes place. Left, right, left, ‘you go’, ‘no, you go’.

Avoid it. Learn to look past people.

This advice works figuratively too.