Gregarius » Boing Boing

Katamari Damacy Therapy

Posted: July 3rd, 2008, 10:33pm CDT by Xeni Jardin

A deeper look inside the personal psychodynamics of everyone's favorite giant-ball-of-stuff-roller-upper. "Katamari Damacy Therapy," by Glitch in the System. [Comedy.com, thanks Ben Fritz]

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From the PR/Marketing firm Shackleton in Spain, a super funny riff on Apple products (which has been circulating in the Spanish blogosphere for months). The introductory video will make you burp bacon, it's so funny. Lulz deconstruction, for non-Spanish readers: the "j" would sound like "h" in Spanish if you said the word "iJam." Anyway, somehow the guy's Castellano accent makes it even funnier, because the "th" sounds are all so fancy to my mexican-spanish-trained ear.

iHam 5Js.

Below: More recently, some guys tried to return their iHam at the Apple store, and were rebuffed. Wikreate's response to Shackleton's iJam.

[Thanks, Ari Kuschnir]

Found: George Washington's house

Posted: July 3rd, 2008, 6:10pm CDT by David Pescovitz

Archaeologists report that the remains of an old farmhouse they've spent three years digging up is the childhood home of George Washington. What a deeeelightful pre-July 4 announcement. The excavation, on the Rappahannock River, was the last of three likely sites where the home could have been. The researchers spent the last few years carefully digging out foundation stones, chimneys, wine bottles, forks, wig curlers, a tea set, and even bone toothbrush handles. (No, George's teeth apparently weren't wood even as an adult.) The image seen here shows the home's footprint. From the New York Times:

“What we see at this site is the best available window into the setting that nurtured the father of our country,” Philip Levy, an archaeologist and associate professor of history at the University of South Florida, said in an announcement of the discovery.

Dr. Levy and other members of the excavation team said the foundations, stone-lined cellars and other remains suggested that this was far from being the rustic cottage of common perception, but instead one befitting a family of the local gentry. It was a much larger one-and-a-half-story residence, with perhaps eight rooms and an adjacent structure for the kitchen.

David Muraca, director of archaeology for the George Washington Foundation, said the size, characteristics and location of the structure, as well as many artifacts from the time of Washington’s youth, had led experts to conclude that this was indeed the house they were looking for.

George Washington's house (New York Times, thanks Jennifer Lum!)

Video: cross-species love (not what you think)

Posted: July 3rd, 2008, 4:16pm CDT by David Pescovitz

BB community member Takeshi brought this lovely video to our attention. And for that, I am eternally grateful.
Animal Friendship Between Different Species (YouTube)

Dave Hill, inventor of the world's greatest two-man percussive dance theatre troupe

Posted: July 3rd, 2008, 4:13pm CDT by Xeni Jardin

Internet funnyman Dave Hill tells Boing Boing:

Recently my friends David Rakoff, Martha Plimpton, Chris Schneider, Miles Kahn, and I made this video chronicling mine and David's attempts at forming the world's greatest two-man percussive dance theatre troupe, like, ever. Please watch it now and then make everyone you know watch it and then have those people make everyone they know watch it, sort of like that shampoo commercial or something. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this video so much. It pretty much has everything. You can totally watch it right here.

Star Trek Trike

Posted: July 3rd, 2008, 4:04pm CDT by David Pescovitz

More on this incredible Starship Enterprise tricycle can be found in a BB Gadgets post by the incomparable John Brownlee. Star Trek Trike

Hot rod pedal car

Posted: July 3rd, 2008, 3:06pm CDT by David Pescovitz

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Steven Vandervate and Deron Wright modded a 1960s kids pedal car into this killer hot rod ride for Wright's son. From Vandervate's Kischkrieg blog:

The body is a standard 60s vintage pedal car with an incredible candy tangerine job by Nick "O" Teen, the blower is sculpted and cast in resin by Lou Z, while Deron handled the design, machining, and fabrication of the steering, suspension, and wheels. I was left to design and execute the lettering in variegated gold and One Shot enamel. I'd call the whole thing a success and a definite pleasure to take part in.

Hot rod pedal car (Kitschrkieg, thanks COOP!)

Andrew Brandou: new paintings

Posted: July 3rd, 2008, 2:34pm CDT by David Pescovitz

Andrew Brandou, one of my favorite pop surrealist painters, has a show of new work opening tomorrow at the Milieu Galerie/Artspace in Bern, Switzerland. Regular BB readers may remember that last year, Brandou showed a provocative collection of paintings based on the story of Jim Jones and the People's Temple. Brandou's new show is titled Mind Manors and he intends it not just as an expression of what he thinks but also a representation of his mind. Andrew kindly sent me a preview of some of the pieces to share here, and also an informal statement about the collection. Click on the images to see them larger.

From his email:

With Mind Manors, i am attempting to construct a metaphor for the way my mind works, or in some cases, does not. Layered above a nebulous ground are the flowers found in much of my work, both a translation of the organic world, as counterpoint to the cerebral architecture or headspace.

The room/containers are areas of my mind, conscious and unconscious, layered and maze like, some with doors and stairwells to make them accessible, others simply boxes, unfinished and empty.

Wandering through this architecture are the bunny and skull, as seen in much of my work. In this case, their roles are that of the active mind and the internal observer. The active mind is seen searching for inspiration or ideas, though it is often asleep or unconscious. The observer is always there, eyes wide open, aware without judging.

This is a rare series for me in that i did very little "research," as opposed to the Jim Jones or Audubon series. Instead, I worked more directly from my personal experience. I did very little in terms of sketching, opting for immediacy and an almost subconscious compositional style. In a way the pieces are Rebus puzzles, using a personal vocabulary of imagery to transmit stories from my subconscious.

Andrew Brandou's site, Milieu Galerie/Artspace

Previously on BB:
• Andrew Brandou: Jonestown Paintings
• Andrew Brandou on his Jonestown Paintings

Amazing photos of migrating Golden Rays

Posted: July 3rd, 2008, 1:49pm CDT by David Pescovitz

The image above depicts Golden Rays in the Gulf of Mexico during their migration from Florida to the Yucatan. It's part of a marvelous larger shot taken along with several others by Sandra Critelli, an amateur photog who was on a whale shark expedition. From The Telegraph:

"It was an unreal image, very difficult to describe. The surface of the water was covered by warm and different shades of gold and looked like a bed of autumn leaves gently moved by the wind.

Golden Rays migration photos (The Telegraph, thanks Brad Keech!)

Simply Audiobooks webstore to carry DRM-free Random House Audio downloads

Posted: July 3rd, 2008, 10:52am CDT by Cory Doctorow

Simply Audiobooks -- an excellent audiobook retailer in Toronto -- has launched an online store selling all of Random House's DRM-free downloadable titles. Random House is one of the many audiobook publishers that wants to give up on DRM, but they've been thrwarted by Audible (the exclusive supplier of audiobook downloads to Amazon and the iTunes Store) because the company won't sell DRM-free titles even when the publisher and author wish to make their work available without technological restrictions. The good news is that DRM-free formats are much easier to sell and support, which is clearing the way for new entrants into the marketplace like Simply Audiobooks and Zipidee, to compete with Audible.

Simply Audiobooks has announced plans to make a full range of Random House audiobook titles available for purchase and download in a DRM-free format. The deal makes the Toronto audiobook retailer the first to offer Random House audiobooks DRM-free, and covers more than 5,000 RH audio titles. Downloads will initially be limited to Simply Audiobooks Download Club members, but a la carte download sales will be available later in the summer.

Link (Thanks, Down With Bill C-61!)

G.I. Joe searches for Sasquatch and Yeti

Posted: July 3rd, 2008, 9:46am CDT by David Pescovitz

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Over at Cryptomundo, Loren Coleman reports on some Sasquatch sightings at JoeCon 2008, the official G.I. Joe Collectors' Convention held last weekend in Frisco, Texas. Southern Fried Bigfoot found the limited edition "Search for the Sasquatch" set above left, for which there's also an accompanying video. And at right is the new G.I. Joe "Search for the Yeti," a modernized version of the 1973 "Search for the Abominable Snowman" set. G.I. Joe and the Sasquatch (Cryptomundo)

UPDATE: In the comments, Christovir points out that the G.I. Joe Adventure Team has the exact same logo as the Appalachian Trail. How odd.

Obama bumper stickers for every state

Posted: July 3rd, 2008, 9:06am CDT by Cory Doctorow

Kyle from Bumperactive sez,

I wanted to do something to graphically illustrate the way Obama is a new kind of candidate, so I've launched the "50 Ways To Vote Obama" project, where I'm designing a different Barack Bumper Sticker for each state in the Union.
I've got stickers for 18 States so published so far (with 10-or-so more on the drawing board) And I'm actively seeking suggestions from the intertoobs to complete the series by the end of July.

Link (Thanks, Kyle!)

Xeni kicks the tech tires on Virgin America.

Posted: July 3rd, 2008, 4:16am CDT by Xeni Jardin

(Update: By total coincidental timing, the VA executive featured in this episode, Charles Ogilvie, announced today he's moving on from VA to do something that sounds equally cool with tech and entertainment. Details at the bottom of the post.)

[Xeni Jardin]: Last week, the Boing Boing tv crew was in San Francisco shooting a few upcoming episodes, and our friends at Virgin America (BBtv is shown on the in-flight entertainment system) invited us to come wander around behind security, and peek at the nuts and bolts that are the tech underpinnings of this airline.

They're about to launch in-flight wireless internet soon, and they're holding a competition for open source games, the winners of which will be available for people to play in-flight (entries are still being accepted).

Virgin America's head of in-flight entertainment, Charles Ogilvie, brought us on board a plane that was empty and at rest between flights. We poked around with the computers and displays (all Linux!) and we tried to IM our friends using the pilot's controls in the cockpit. This did not work so well.

My favorite part of this shoot: driving a VA pickup truck around between the resting airplanes, and peeking into the giant abyss where your bags are shuffled around on giant conveyor belt systems, hopefully towards your plane and final destination.

Link to Boing Boing tv post with discussion, downloadable video, and instructions on subscribing to the BBtv video podcast.

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(Disclaimers: BBtv is an in-flight entertainment partner with Virgin, but BBtv doesn't receive compensation for this. VA once asked Boing Boing to name a plane, and we did, but we weren't paid for this, either. VA has previously been a paid sponsor on Boing Boing the blog. This episode isn't an ad, and we weren't paid to produce it. All of us at BBtv sincerely thought this stuff was cool, and that Charles Ogilvie is a cool guy with interesting ideas, and we had a blast goofing around where the TSA folks generally do not permit one to goof. )

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Update, 07-03-08: BBtv learned today that Charles Ogilvie is moving on from Virgin America. We're bummed we won't be working with him there anymore! The timing of this episode and his move are totally coincidental, we weren't aware. Here's the note from VA CEO David Cush, after the jump, and congrats on your next adventures, Charles!

It is with mixed emotions that I announce that Charles Ogilvie is leaving his position as Director of In-flight Entertainment and Partnerships at Virgin America. Charles will be pursuing a unique opportunity-- to lead Panasonic’s in-flight entertainment and new airborne technology platforms in China. Charles will be based in Shanghai and will report directly to their CEO.
Charles started with Virgin America four years ago and was one of a small group of talented, innovative and passionate individuals who were driven to create a different kind of airline – one that people would actually like, and maybe even love. Charles was the creative and operational force behind the development of the Red in-flight entertainment system, working tirelessly to oversee its design and build out the system’s impressive content partnerships with dozens of movie studios, television networks, record labels, web sites, and other entertainment partners. The result is a system that is the most advanced in-fight entertainment system in the U.S. skies, with a diversity and breadth of programming, films, games and other offerings that dwarf that of any other domestic airline. That Charles was chosen by Panasonic for this important position is not only a reflection of his talent but also a nod to the leadership position that Virgin America has taken in in-flight entertainment.
Please join me in thanking Charles for his contributions to this company and congratulating him on his next chapter as Executive Director of China at Panasonic.

Ducklings in a Bathtub

Posted: July 3rd, 2008, 1:51am CDT by Xeni Jardin

By popular request from weary BB thread commenters, "some ducklings in a bathtub" to look at. [YouTube, thanks #1134 ROSSINDETROIT]

Kittens in a Barrel

Posted: July 3rd, 2008, 1:40am CDT by Xeni Jardin

When you are having a certain kind of day, revisiting this clip from The Mighty Boosh is wise advice.

Kittens in a Barrel [YouTube, thanks Coop].

Lauren McLaughlin talks about her debut YA novel CYCLER

Posted: July 3rd, 2008, 1:12am CDT by Cory Doctorow

Senses Five magazine has an interview with Lauren McLaughlin, a new young adult writer whose debut novel, Cycler, will be published in September. I've known Lauren for some years now and she inevitably says the smartest stuff about writing in any conversation around the table. I've enjoyed her short fiction and the films she wrote immensely, and can't wait to read this book.

Storytelling is the foundation of any good novel and I think it's actually a very rare talent. Plenty of writers get by on killer premises and witty style. But effective storytelling is all about structure. It's very mechanical, almost architectural. When you can marry that structure to a framework of ideas, then the novel can transcend pure entertainment. The trick, in my opinion, is to weave these ideas invisibly into the story so that they are discovered, unraveled by the reader. My goal is to seduce my reader into a compelling narrative that whittles away at some preconceived idea and leaves them with an uncomfortable but somehow intriguing gap in their sense of the world. I want them to close the book and have a head full of questions. I'm not interested in merely diverting them for a while or helping them fall asleep. Nor do I want that from the books I read. I want to be unsettled, challenged. I want to close a book and say “I never thought of that before.”

Link (Thanks, Matthew!)

Gregarius » Boing Boing » July 3, 2008

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