Poo Mining

The Japanese are once again putting us to shame in the realm of doing more with less.

Two days ago, sewage plant operator Nagano Prefecture Suwa Construction Office announced that approximately 4.2 pounds of gold can be mined from each ton of molten fly ash generated when incinerating sludge at its facility in the town of Suwa. And it has actually proven profitable. In their first month of poo mining, Nagano Prefecture filtered out $56,000 worth of gold.

Now, you're probably saying to yourself, We have poo. Where's our gold? Excellent question. There is no time better than during an economic recession to begin searching for alternative sources of income.

Please contact your Congressperson and tell them that you want America to start poo mining today. (Click here to find out who represents you.)


Via Pink Tentacle.

Miniature Cattle

As feed prices drive up the cost of keeping cows, farmers like Sally and Warren Coad say they've found a cost-efficient way to raise cattle: raise miniature cattle. Plus, they say, smaller breeds lend themselves to smaller cow handlers.

Indeed, standing three feet tall and weighing about 200 pounds, miniature cattle truly are the future of farming--perfect for the farmer under four feet tall.




Via the Wall Street Journal Digital Network.

Project Live Small Salutes Mini Luchadores

The video above features Mexican mini luchador Mascarita Dorada performing his signature move on an unknown opponent who is at least two feet taller. Note what a great advantage his smaller size gives him.

Now, you're probably asking yourself, La altura es Mascarita Dorada? Unfortunately, we have no precise answer for you, but we can safely assume that he stands less than four feet tall.

Well done, Señor Dorada. Project Live Small salutes you.


More mini luchadores action.

Tom Thumb Weddings

Reading Robertson Davies' The Manticore on the train this morning, I stumbled upon this gem:

"A Tom Thumb Wedding is a mock nuptial ceremony in which all the participants are children, and the delight of it is its miniature quality."

The two pages that follow describe a Tom Thumb Wedding in detail. I was immediately intrigued and did a bit of research.

According to this excellent article, the tradition began with the "real" Tom Thumb, a little person named Charles Stratton (b. 1838) who at the age of four became an entertainer with the Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus, and in 1863 married a dwarf named Lavinia Warren (pictured right). It was a highly publicized and lavish wedding.

Ever since, Americans have been staging their own Tom Thumb Weddings, with children standing in for the bride and groom, and the entire wedding party (as pictured above). In many places, Tom Thumb Weddings have evolved into amazingly successful community fund-raising events.

The good news, of course, is that in the future, because the population will be two feet smaller, every wedding will be a Tom Thumb Wedding. In other words, cha-ching! Never again will a father-of-the-bride need to shell out thousands. On the contrary, the first under-four-feet generation will be a true cash cow. Another unforeseen benefit of Project Live Small.

Collapsible Bathroom

Well, the Australians have done it again! And by "it" I mean saving us precious bathroom space.

Not long after the Australian sanitary ware and plumbing firm Caroma brought us the sink/toilet, Australian designer Michael Trudgeon brings us the collapsible bathroom. Not only is it completely enclosed and portable, the Cirrus MVR has its own recycling system that keeps it running longer on less water.

A two-thirds-scale versions will be perfect for the future.


Via DVICE.

Staggering Statistic of the Day

Every day, almost 16,000 children die from starvation or hunger-related causes—that is one child every five seconds. (The Hunger Site)

In addition, approximately 8,000 adults die every day from starvation or hunger-related causes, bringing the total to a staggering 24,000 people per day. This is down from 35,000 ten years ago, and 41,000 twenty years ago, but there is still much work to be done.

Thankfully, when each member of our growing population measures less than four feet tall, less food will be needed to combat starvation around the world. Economists estimate that, if everyone were two feet shorter, the world population would consume over 30% less food and hunger-related deaths might very well be cut in half.

We all need to do our part. Please contact your Congressperson and let them know that you support Project Live Small. (Click here to find out who represents you.)

Though each one of us casts only a small shadow (and will cast an even smaller one in the future), together we can make a huge impact.

On to Europe

As it continues to gain momentum, the Live Small movement is going international.

Jay Shafer of the Tumbleweed Tiny House Company plans to make stops in the UK and the Republic of Ireland next September, with workshops scheduled for the 12th and 13th in London and the 19th and 20th in Dublin from 9am to 5pm. He will cover how to build a tiny house from the foundation to the roof and take a look at building basics, types of trailers, heaters, kitchen equipment and windows. He will also look at design and "the human element of living in a smaller space."

Now it won't be very long before everyone wants to be two feet smaller.


Via thriving too, which has an excellent collection of links to small living sites.

We Love Jay Shafer

Jay Shafer is a Live-Small visionary and founder of the Tumbleweed Tiny House Company (check out their blog also). Since 1997 he has been living in houses that measure under 100 square feet.

Mr. Shafer is exactly the type of person we need leading the Live Small movement. He even took his tiny home on a cross-country tour this past summer (pictured above).

Please watch the video below to see him giving a tour of his 89 sq. ft. home.

Vern Troyer: Model Citizen

Vern Troyer's ex-wife Genevieve Gallen recently spilled the beans about her brief marriage to the former Austin Powers star.

Though Ms. Gallen alleges that her 2ft 8in ex has a sex addiction and a drinking problem, but--a 36-year-old former Playboy model who seems to have had few qualms about role-playing and having sex up to ten times per day--also claims that Mr. Troyer was only the second man she had ever slept with. Nevertheless, that is hardly the most intriguing part of the article. It turns out that Mr. Troyer not only is small, but he lives small too.

The first time Mr. Troyer brought his future wife back to his place, she was surprised to learn that his house was actually a shed in the back of his manager's garden. Inside, everything was miniature. "There was a miniature futon and a miniature refrigerator and bed," Ms. Gallen recalled. "The light switches were all down at the level of my knee, and the toilet was no bigger than a child’s potty."

We would love to know where Mr. Troyer purchased his home furnishings and appliances. He was truly prepared for the future.


Full Article

Pocket Projectors

The hottest new gadget this year seems to be the pocket projector. 3M, Optoma, and Toshiba have each released one, and engadget speculates that we'll be absolutely bombarded with them come CES 2009.

According to several reviewers (listed below), the miniature projectors shine--no pun intended--when connected to other miniature devices such as digital cameras, smart phones, and iPods. In other words, they will be perfect for anyone less than four feet tall. We might as well dub the pocket projector the home theater of the future.


3M MPro110 (pictured above; 7 lumens, $359; popsci review)

Optoma Pico Pocket Projector (9 lumens, $430; nytimes review)

Toshiba LED Pico Projector (10 lumens, price unknown; computerworld review)

Project Live Small Salutes Black Women

Even without genetic modification or elective height reduction surgery, black women have naturally begun to Live Small.

According to an analysis of CDC data by John Komlos (professor of economics at the University of Munich in Germany), "Young black women today are nearly an inch shorter than white women their age and about half an inch shorter than black women born in the late 60s."

In other words, black women today are better equipped for--and will more easily adjust to--the future, when no person of any race or gender stands taller than four feet.

We at Project Live Small salute these brave forerunners of the Live Small movement.

ABC News.

iPhone Nano on the Horizon?

Apple Insider is reporting that two iPhone-case makers have mentioned an iPhone Nano on their websites.

We at Project Live Small are awaiting an official announcement with baited breath. If Apple is preparing to release a smaller iPhone at the upcoming Macworld Expo, Steve Jobs is even more forward-thinking than anyone suspected. A smaller iPhone will be perfectly suited to the smaller fingers of future humans, who will stand no taller than four feet.

America Finally Following in Japan's Footsteps

Project Live Small supporters will be surprised to learn what came in at number ten on Popular Mechanics' Top 10 Gadgets of 2008: a sink/toilet!

As one sharp reader commented on the Popular Mechanics website, "The Caroma [Profile Smart Dual Flush] toilet is not a new gadget. Similar designs have existed for years, just not in the US." 

Indeed. More than a month ago, we listed the sink/toilet as one of the ten ways the Japanese are already living small, and the sink/toilet existed in Japan long before 2008. It is, however, finally making its way to America thanks to Caroma, an Australian sanitary ware and plumbing firm. And for that we should all be grateful.

Rise of the Netbook

After struggling to move their product the past three years, laptop manufacturers must be thrilled about the holiday success of netbooks--smaller, lighter, and less expensive alternatives to full-sized notebooks.

CNET reports that "global notebook shipments exceeded desktops on a quarterly basis for the first time ever, with Netbooks playing a decisive role." In fact, 17 of the 25 top-selling notebooks on Amazon were netbooks.

Best of all, netbooks are ready for the future, when everyone will measure less than four tall.

 CrunchGear, via BuzzFeed. 

"Small in Size, Big in Attitude"

Are you aware that the average motorcycle weighs several hundred pounds and is designed for someone between 5' 8" and 6' 0"? Clearly, full-sized motorcycles will be unmanageable for the future rider--someone who measures between three and four feet in height.

The average pocket bike, however, weighs well under 200 pounds and can comfortably accommodate someone who stands between three and four feet tall. In other words, pocket bikes are well equipped to stand the test of time.

Enjoy the video below, which shows people between three and four feet performing amazing feats on pocket bikes.

Rally in Rittenhouse

We are thrilled to report that our Philadelphia chapter's Rally in Rittenhouse last Friday was a wonderful success.

Despite the rain, we saw quite a turnout from Philadelphia Live Small supporters, both young and old. We also met scads of Philadelphians who were interested to learn more about our organization.

Perhaps most importantly, thanks must be extended to our group of young Live Small supporters. Because of their efforts, even in the rain, we were able to adjourn at three o'clock without a single informational booklet left to hand out.

Please enjoy the pictures below.


Jim B., Sharon, and Ronnie showing their support.


A handful of our informational booklets.


Lisa, a young Live Small supporter, conversing with an intrigued passer-by.

Young Live Small supporters Leah, Robin, and Percy speaking with an interested pedestrian.

Project Live Small around the Web

We are pleased to report that, less than a month after launching our blog, Project Live Small has started generating attention throughout the blogosphere. Even the science community has taken notice.

Over the past few weeks, our articles have been featured on Bowling Course and Rick Moranis. And just yesterday Hank Campbell, the founder of Scientific Blogging, wrote an extensive article about Project Live Small and the Live Small movement.

Mr. Campbell even offered a ringing endorsement of Project Live Small in the comments section of his article. "If it's for the advancement of science," he wrote, "then I am all for making the average height of people four feet."

We would like to extend our sincerest thanks to Mr. Campbell and all other Live Small supporters who have helped raise awareness for our cause.

Six Small Stocking Stuffers

For those of you now--or not yet--engaged in last minute holiday shopping, allow us to provide you with several stocking stuffer ideas, all from fredflare.com.



Clockwise from top left: fashion origami ($12); yesterday's news colored pencils ($10), made from recycled Chinese newspapers; 3-D doodle kit ($10); diy pinhole camera ($22); tattoo bandages ($9); and mini robo vaccuum ($20).

Staggering Statistic of the Day

The average American gives away or throws out about 68 pounds of clothing each year. (Global Clothing Industries)

A large part of living small is smartly managing what little space you probably have in your small home, with its small bureaus and closets. A Live-Small savant will only purchase what he knows he has adequate room to store.

Of course, this will not be so great a problem in the future, when all people are less than four feet tall. Smaller people wear smaller clothing, which will mean using less fabric to make clothes. An added bonus: clothing will certainly be far less expensive (think GapKids instead of Gap).

Karl Lagerfeld Living Small(er)

Fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld has recently taken several steps toward living small. He told German weekly Die Zeit, "I have moved to a smaller house in Paris, and I don't fancy having as much staff now."

The 75-year-old has even purchased a quaint historic home in Lake Champlain, Vermont, where he plans to shoot the next Chanel campaign. Mr. Lagerfeld called the home "not giant," and commented, "I love it. It's very Emily Dickinson...In fact it's almost Puritanical. For me it's a new form of modesty."

Clearly Mr. Lagerfeld understands that one needn't be small in order to live small.


Spiegel Online, via Fashionologie.