Hugh wants me to buy him this for his office. And why not? Get it here.

Please, remain calm. Everything is under control.

You know, we have a lot of fun here on the Mortarblog, but we’re about giving back, too. Take a moment out of your busy day and spend some time with comedian Ricky Gervais as he raises awareness of poverty in Kenya. It’s not like the usual pitches; you know the ones, they claim to be about helping people, but they’re really just cheap, shoddy vehicles for self-promotion. No, we’re not into that. We’re about helping people. And so is Stephen Merchant. He appears in this video because he cares about the state of the world we share, not because he needs to raise his own profile. Or sell Daz Detergent.  Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver is on board; he’s about solving problems, too. Not selling cookbooks. Because what could be more cynical than that?
Selling bloody cookbooks in Kenya? That would just be wrong. But we’re not about wrong. We’re about brotherhood. We’ve got Geldof, for goodness’ sakes. What more do you need?  If you don’t well up when a Kenyan villager gives Gervais his most prized possession, your very soul is in peril. Or, you’re out of onion rings. Check it out, won’t you? When you give back, everyone’s a winner.

For years, companies have talked about doing business "at Internet speed." Finally, someone’s figured out how to do more than talk about it. Grand Opening is a simple, open space located at 139 Norfolk, on New York’s Lower East Side. For the next three months, it will be operating as "Pong," a ping-pong club featuring "…pickup games, or (visitors) can become
members and compete for a chance to win the L.E.S. Cup—a season-ending
tournament that will reveal the Lower East Side’s most talented table
tennis luminaries. Video replays, a competitive ladder,
leagues, tournaments, spectator bleachers and an on-site pro are just a
few of the exciting features that can be found at PONG."

(On site pro?  "So, what do you do?" "I’m a pro at a tennis club." "Really? Which club?"  "Uh…." )

Much as we love ping-pong. (OK, beer pong,) that’s not the best part. The best part is, after three months, there’ll be another grand opening, as the space reinvents itself.  The virtual world’s greatest asset is its ability to reinvent itself at the click of a mouse. We love seeing the brick-and-(ahem)-Mortar world do the same.

We don’t even live in Manhattan, and we can’t wait to find out what’s next.

(Thanks for the tip, Coolhunter!)