Zachary James Dodds here. I want to give everyone a heads up that JTW&R is going to be changing soon. I’m about to launch my new music project, Sunset Electrics, and I’m committed to directing all my funds and efforts towards it. The result is that I’ll be using my server space for the Sunset Electrics website and will eventually be archiving this blog until the day I can resume my ambitions for the company.

I’m still really excited about the ideas I have for JTW&R, and still love making sunglasses too, so it’s definitely not over. Even if I’m not posting about it, you can bet that I’ll still be working on things here and there.  One day I’ll start the Jumpthewallsandrun.com site up again, even if it’s just to showcase different sunglasses I’ve made or other inventions, but for now I’m trying to focus my energy; lazer-style.

Thank you to everyone for dropping in to check things out over the past year+. Also, if you’d like to be a friend on Facebook,  I’ll be redirecting my posts about the et cetara of life and art over there. (Here’s the link to my profile.) Thank you again, and all the best!

-ZjD

Lookbook is the new social networking site for folks to share their sense of fashion. I admit that I was blown away when I first checked it out. Most of the people are beautiful enough to be models (many ARE professional models), the photographs are class, and most of all, the threads are consistently rad.

In addition, it was startling to see people’s comments following the “If you don’t have something nice to say, don’t say it at all” saying.  I was expecting I might see a few snobby sorts posting “OMG! Kill yourself or burn that dress…“ , but I didn’t see even one!

All I saw were “Loveeee love love it!” and “You’re the most adorable thing!“, and the like. I suppose friendly fashion has arrived.

On a more personal note, I was inspired to see such a wealth of creativity.  A huge number of the folks on Lookbook are also artists, musicians, stockists…, and will often have links to check out their sites or blogs. Does the site provoke vanity? Yes, and sometimes it’s taken to extremes, but I think that factor pales in comparison to the friendliness of community and creativity that exists on the site. Glad to have found it.

At first I have to admit that I thought it was hilarious, but then the globally aware side of me kicked-in and I realized how telling this is of the economic disparity that exists between the U.S. and many other countries.

In Russia, this might be an alright deal as the average daily income in Russia for 2008 was $32 (1). Crazy to think that if one worked 8 hours a day at minimum wage in the U.S., that would be $58, about 45% more per hour.

SO, that got me to think’n, “Is this junk mail from an actual Russian con, or is it some zany and brilliant underground campaign from a humanitarian group to raise awareness about the income disparities that remain despite the current economy in the U.S.?”  I’ll never know, but I’m kind of flattered to think this might have been from Brad Pitt or Bono. Awesome.

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(1). $32 number came from dividing monthly income ($640) that was found on Wikipedia by 20 working days per month.

Here’s the direct link to this on Street View. (The guy will be 90 degrees to the left.)

Well, I just wanted to check back in and say that the music is still going really well and the excitement for the new batch of songs is still in the air; more so than before actually. It’s been a bit slow since I was sidetracked by needing to find a new part-time job, but I was able to pin down my dream-part-time-job, so all is back on track again.  Thanks, and I hope to be back in touch soon!

-Zach at JTW&R

Mostly, I’ve been working on music and have started working on another pair of JTW&R sunglasses for my good friend and photographer David Blakeman. More goodness is on the way, but for now I’m jumping around to different people’s home studios to get pre-production done on songs or holed up in the workshop. Wish me luck; and good luck to you in whatever your endeavors might be!

-Zach at JTW&R

Below are a couple videos of the GCe2 (Gesture Controller: Exploration 2), and I know he’s working on the GCe3 already. Also, when I hear the sounds coming from the GCe2, they remind of something The Avalanches might use for a live set, so I’ve also put some Avalanches videos in the mix to check out.

GCe2 // Application: freeSample from Mouse & the Billionaire on Vimeo.

GCe2 // GestureSynth from Mouse & the Billionaire on Vimeo.

Since I Left You - The Avalanches

Frontier Psychiatrist - The Avalanches

Below is a Mexican Sprite bottle that I decorated with a mosaic of aluminum pieces cut from cans last summer.  Just thought it would be fun to share.

Salar de Uyuni is the largest salt flat on earth. It's also one of the flattest places on earth, so after it rains, the floods transform it into a giant mirror.

Salar de Uyuni when dry.

Grasslands

A nice looking building in La Paz, Bolivia.

Mount Sajama, the highest point in Bolivia.

The "Estrada de Morte" - road of death.

If you’d like to check out more photos of Bolivia, here are the two sites a pulled most of these photos from.

Bolivian Landscapes

Beyond Bolivia

...and here's those rad shoes I was talking about.