Furry convention photos
Furries are a fave on BB. We appreciate the fun these folks have dressing up like stuffed animals. Bizarre's Tom Broadbent attended RBW 2008, billed as the "largest furry convention in the UK," and returned with an excellent gallery of photos. From his photo essay: There were loads of people there – from full fursuiters to tail-wearers. The selection of animals included fearsome wolves, big dogs, fuzzy foxes, a cool meerkat, a brilliant boar, a blinking dragon, an awesome lion and a few bears. It’s surreal being in a room full of oversized animals playing musical chairs. One of the best things about the day was getting loads of hugs from furry folk. Furry Convention Previously: BBtv: American Furry - Life, Liberty, and the Fursuit of Happiness ... BBtv: Furries part 2, and inside South Park Studios. - Boing Boing Furries vs Klingons bowling tournament this Sat in Atlanta - Boing ... Mexican lazer gun gangsters do battle with furries: video - Boing ... Furries and an Escalade (video) - Boing Boing DHS to kids: Ready for... Furries? - Boing Boing HOWTO make an animatronic lion mask with superpowers - Boing Boing Orangina's furry TV commercial - Boing Boing Furry Couture at Tokyo Fashion Week - Boing Boing...
Gadget orchestra
Jetdaisuke performs symphonies with a gadget orchestra consisting of a DS Lite, iPod Touch, iPhone, and other assorted bits of gear and software. Brandon has video over at Boing Boing Offworld. "Jetdaisuke conducts the gadget orchestra"...
Half-ton Rube Goldberg corkscrew
Over on Boing Boing Gadgets, our Joel's spotted this half-ton Rube Goldberg corkscrew by artist Rob Higgs: Rob Higgs is an artist who makes extraordinarily convoluted machines — or at least one: the "Corkscrew", a self-cast monstrosity for gears and levers which does, unbelievably, actually work as a half-ton corkscrew for a bottle of wine. I'll take two. (Which may be possible; as part of the One of a Hundred project, they may actually sell these things for lots and lots of money. But probably not.) The Corkscrew by Rob Higgs Discuss this at Boing Boing Gadgets...
Fables: War and Pieces -- a fitting resolution to a marvellous graphic novel series
Update:: OK, I'm an idiot. This sure seemed like the ending of the story, but apparently, they're only halfway through. Eek! One of the most rewarding moments of my winter holiday was the morning I found to read the final installment in Fables, Bill Willingham (and company)'s long-running, brilliant graphic novel series. Over 11 volumes (plus a few very fine spin-offs), Fables has treated us to a cracking story about the exiled community of mythological creatures living in secret in Manhattan -- a motley cadre of legendary figures who were chased from their homeland by an evil emporer bent on multiversal conquest. From Sleeping Beauty to Little Boy Blue and the Big Bad Wolf, the legends have lurked in our human society, mingling with us, sometimes acting as our friends and sometimes as our enemies. Building from a series of clever little vignettes to an epic tale of war and betrayal, revolution and politics, Legends became one of my favorite graphic novel reads. The authors rarely strayed into the realm of the silly, playing their Big Idea as straight as a ruler, drawing me into the lives of these vividly realized, striving people who struggled to get along -- and get home. On the way, the authors fluidly change comic styles, flipping from simplistic children's comics to elaborate oil-paintings to stylized manga, choosing the style that suits the present storyline best. With the final installment, the Fables go to war, and adopts the conventions of war comics. The story is big -- huge -- and the battles are nail-biters. Things don't go the way you'd expect, and the ending is... Well, it's just goddamned great, tying up the loose ends, resolving the emotional tension, honoring the years I'd put into following these adventures. I won't drop any spoilers here, but I will note that the resolution leaves things open for some additional spinoff books and storylines, which I'll be looking forward to. In the meantime, if you're the kind of person who likes to banquet on a whole epic story in one setting, now's the time -- all the books are in print and available for your perusal. And if you, like me, have been following the story for years, rejoice for the end is at hand, and what an end it is. Fables, Vol. 11: War and Pieces List of all Fables collections Free download of Fables 1 Previously:Fables 10: the Good Prince: fairyland's armies mass for the final ... Scherezade meets every fable of every land - comic - Boing Boing Jack of Fables: great new Fables collection - Boing Boing...
Two Appealing Alphabet Sets
We like both of these ABC sets for very different reasons. The modern design deck by Jen Renninger is hip, modern, retro, and old school, all at the same time. Love it! And the Star Wars characters set by Michael Fleming appeals to our sci-fi, geek sensibilities. Jen Renninger's Etsy Shop Michael Fleming's Tweedlebop (Modern Design Deck via Whorange) Previously: Clothespin and skin alphabet Young Mad Scientist's Illustrated Alphabet Blocks Alphabet Made out of Corpses in Halo Alphabet in raw beef Dr. Seuss alphabet in Unicode Alphabet paper clips Modded plastic soldier alphabet (Shawn Connally and Bruce Stewart are guest bloggers)...
RIAA ditches MediaSentry, will now stop suing dead people and children in favor of asking ISPs to censor Internet and spy on the public
The record companies have fired their outsource enforcement thugs, MediaSentry (a sleazy outfit that changes its name as often as it changes its testimony). This is part of its new strategy: rather than suing fans, the record industry will confront the 21st century by asking ISPs to voluntarily spy on their customers, throttle their Internet connections, and disconnect people from the Internet on the basis of unproven allegations of infringement. It's a measure of just how unbelievably stupid the lawsuit campaign was that this new tactic is actually marginally preferable. And, of course, it does mean that plenty of MediaSentry's goons will end up on the breadline, so that's good news. Ray Beckerman, a New York lawyer who maintains the Recording Industry vs. the People blog and who has represented more than a dozen clients fighting the RIAA, said he considered the decision to drop MediaSentry a "victory" for his clients. MediaSentry representatives "have been invading the privacy of people. They've been doing very sloppy work," he said. Mr. Beckerman cites MediaSentry's practice of looking for available songs in people's file-sharing folders, downloading them, and using those downloads in court as evidence of copyright violations. He says MediaSentry couldn't prove defendants had shared their files with anyone other than MediaSentry investigators. Changing Tack, RIAA Ditches MediaSentry (via /.)...
Kure Kure Takora - Amazing Japanese Kids Show from the '70s
Delightful sets, characters, and music in this 1970s Japanese kids' show, Kure Kure Takora. From Wikipedia: Kure Kure Takora (クレクレタコラ, Kure Kure Takora? unofficial translation: "Gimme Gimme Octopus") is a tokusatsu children's comedy show from Japan. Produced by Toho Company Ltd., the show aired on Fuji TV and its subsidiaries from October 1, 1973 to September 27, 1974 with a total of 260 episodes. However, Episodes 223, 252 and 255 never materialised. The show was rebroadcast over CS digital satellite television, except for episode 220, which was censored due to problematic show content. The reason behind the censorship being that the main character, Takora is beaten by his neighbors to the point of being brain damaged, and it was considered much too violent to be rebroadcast. Laserdisc and VHS versions were sold, but currently only the DVD version (which includes episode 220) is on Japanese market. It was a new type of program for children. TAKORA, a central character coveted for everything saying "KURE! (I want it)" all the time. Each episode was absurd, strange, violent, surreal, indescribable, and ran exactly 2 minutes and 41 seconds. More excerpts available at Mt. Holly Mayor's Office: Kure Kure Takora - Amazing Japanese Kids Show from the '70s UPDATE: Jack found banned episode #220. He said it "Looks like a cartoon version of COPS."...
1970s humor mag predicts future
Jerry Beck of Cartoon Brew says: I received several old issues of Cracked magazine over the holidays and noticed this article predicting life in the 21st Century had become surprisingly accurate. "Today's Swinger is Tomorrow's Square," illustrated by John Severin, appeared in the 1974 annual Super Cracked (It was most likely a reprint from a 1970 issue). In it, the writer predicts that young people will embrace the "skinhead" look, home computers ("Electronic Home Teacher") and even the ipod: as "electronic brain stimulators" and a "musical computers" that young people are hooked on. I've attached one image from it... but check the whole piece at Cartoon Brew....
Al Franken vs. Ann Coulter
Senator Al Franken zings the everloving crap out of Ann Coulter in this sweet little clip. Funniest 1:22 I've seen all day. Ann Coulter and Al Franken at The Connecticut Forum (Thanks, Fipi Lele!)...
Mall in China has McDnoald's and Bucksstar Coffee
If you aren't in the mood for McDnoald's, how about Pizza Huh? Fake brands shopping center set to open in China (Via Michael Dolan)...
Shantytowns as inspiration for urban developments
Architext Teddy Cruz is planning low-income housing developments in San Ysidro, San Diego, California and Hudson, New York that are inspired by shantytowns in Tijuana, Mexico. From GOOD: Homes will be jammed together, with any leftover space commandeered by taco stands, market stalls, and gathering places...Behind the precariousness of low-income communities, says Cruz, there is a sophisticated social collaboration: People share resources, make use of every last scrap, and look out for each other... In collaboration with the nonprofit Casa Familiar, the San Ysidro development will include 30 housing units alongside spaces where residents can run small businesses. The model also accounts for sweat equity, allowing people who help with construction to gain rent credits for their work. Shantytown, USA...
Letter from Apple CEO Steve Jobs
Posted to the Apple web site on January 5, 2009: Letter from Apple CEO Steve Jobs Dear Apple Community, For the first time in a decade, I’m getting to spend the holiday season with my family, rather than intensely preparing for a Macworld keynote. Unfortunately, my decision to have Phil deliver the Macworld keynote set off another flurry of rumors about my health, with some even publishing stories of me on my deathbed. I’ve decided to share something very personal with the Apple community so that we can all relax and enjoy the show tomorrow. As many of you know, I have been losing weight throughout 2008. The reason has been a mystery to me and my doctors. A few weeks ago, I decided that getting to the root cause of this and reversing it needed to become my #1 priority. Fortunately, after further testing, my doctors think they have found the cause—a hormone imbalance that has been “robbing” me of the proteins my body needs to be healthy. Sophisticated blood tests have confirmed this diagnosis. The remedy for this nutritional problem is relatively simple and straightforward, and I’ve already begun treatment. But, just like I didn’t lose this much weight and body mass in a week or a month, my doctors expect it will take me until late this Spring to regain it. I will continue as Apple’s CEO during my recovery. I have given more than my all to Apple for the past 11 years now. I will be the first one to step up and tell our Board of Directors if I can no longer continue to fulfill my duties as Apple’s CEO. I hope the Apple community will support me in my recovery and know that I will always put what is best for Apple first. So now I’ve said more than I wanted to say, and all that I am going to say, about this. Steve...
Split tongue video
Pierced and be-fanged woman demonstrates how she can wiggle her split tongue. Previously:Long-tongued people - Boing Boing Novelty tongues for dogs - Boing Boing Tongue-mounted vibrators - Boing Boing A tongue piercing gone horribly - Boing Boing Sensor-dentures reveal the secret life of tongues - Boing Boing...
Vader joins the Lutheran Church of Iceland
A prankster in a Darth Vader suit joined the annual procession of the clergy of the Lutheran Church of Iceland. And you know what? It works. Cult Procession Fail (via Making Light)...
Thor scares off burglar
A man attempting to burglarize an Edinburgh, Scotland home fled when faced with Thor. The home belongs to Torvald Alexander, 38, who had returned from a New Year's party dressed as the Norse god of thunder and surprised the thief. From The Telegraph: Mr Alexander said: "As soon as he saw me his eyes went wide with terror. "He looked like he had had a few drinks and decided to do a late night break in, but he hadn't counted on the God of Thunder living here." He added: "I had just got back from a fancy dress New Year's party and because I have a Norwegian name I decided to go as Thor. "It took ages making the cape, helmet and breast plate, and I must admit it was a bit chilly walking home, but when I saw that guy I just went mad and charged at him, my cape flying behind me. Burglar scared off by Thor (via Fortean Times)...
CAPTCHA Poetry
Heather Moore, the talented proprietor and blogger of Skinny Laminx, recently wrote a couple of CAPTCHA security code poems that speak to the wordsmith inside me. The comments about them are pretty interesting and creative as well. Here’s one of Heather’s poems: Aingee Chedge criestme orstsper! Shanesto... Foref, myrac, munmanc, Torse? Hanim equin padwo? Picar! Mingin! Corses aingee... --Shawn Skinny Laminx Security Poetry (Shawn Connally and Bruce Stewart are guest bloggers)...
Frozen soap bubbles
One intrepid experimenter with a good camera, a cold night and a soap-bubble-maker creates sheer joy in this gallery of frozen bubbles: "It's very cold tonight, so we played with bubbles. If you blow them upwards enough they have time to freeze on the way down." freezebubbles (Thanks, Fipi Lele!)...
Al Franken Does Mick Jagger
This made my night. As news is coming out of Minnesota that the state Canvassing Board is ready to certify Al Franken as the winner of the very close senate race there, Josh Marshall of Talking Points Memo was ready and waiting with this oh-so-excellent vintage Franken and Davis clip from Solid Gold. --Bruce (via TPM) (Shawn Connally and Bruce Stewart are guest bloggers)...
Traditions That Make You Feel Good
As 40somethings raising kids, we seem to have finally outgrown celebrating the start of the new year by getting real drunk and staying up late. We still stay up past midnight as a matter of pride, but we’ve slowly shifted the emphasis to New Year’s Day festivities, which include eating traditional meals, plus discussing the highlights of the previous year and hopes for the new one. In other words, we focus on traditions that make us feel good, not hungover. Growing up in New Mexico, it was instilled in me that it's absolutely necessary to eat posole on January 1. And since my ancestors moved to New Mexico from Arkansas and other southern locales, it's also imperative that everyone in my family eat at least one bite of black-eyed peas on Jan. 1 to secure good luck for the new year. A few years I made a cheesecake or lemon tart for New Year's Day, hiding one almond in the pie. This is another good luck token, which I must have read about somewhere along the line. I find these traditions, almost always related to food and celebrations, to be fascinating, and I hope lots of you readers will share your traditions in the comments. Along those lines, The New York Times put up a fun slideshow about new year's traditions from around the globe. The highlights of 2008 for all of us were the outcome of the election and various family trips we took. Bruce loved NYC, Kindy enjoyed a couple of overnights in San Francisco, and Arlo loved spending a week hiking and swimming on the Eel River. That reminded me of one of my highlights -- seeing an albino redwood tree during a hike on that trip. As for aspirations in 2009, Arlo, who's 6, started the conversation by saying, "I hope we do lots and lots of yoga!" This was interesting to the rest of the family; as far as any of us know, Arlo’s only ever done yoga once in his short life, but it apparently made a big impression. Kindy, 13, wanted the self-absorbed things you’d expect from a teen: a winning basketball team at school and more free time, less homework. I wanted to take more hikes and go to the beach more often, which I'm pretty sure is my declaration almost every year. Bruce was the most selfless: he hoped for fewer wars in the world, and more peaceful times for everyone. Amen to that. --Shawn (image courtesy of Susan Beal) Previously: Maker's New Year's resolutions Merlin Mann’s 43Folders podcast The League of Amazing Latkes Q&A (Shawn Connally and Bruce Stewart are guest bloggers)...