No more QRIOs???



This is a sad, sad day for BB.

IOL :: Sony to pull plug on AIBO and QRIO robots

Teensy ninja valentines.

Mod Dots ::Teensy Valentine

"Sleepless In Seattle" as a horror flick.

Sleepless in Seattle trailer remix.

(via YesButNoButYes)

I guess I should see "Munich."

Without even trying, I managed to see 4/5 of the Best Picture nominees, making this year's "BB Oscar Dork-out" ever-so-slightly more satisfying.

Defamer :: Here come the Oscar nominations

Want to keep bees?

I don't know why, but I'm fascinated by this link that I got this morning. I have absolutely no desire to keep bees, but I'm mesmerized with all the gear that's necessary to keep them.

McMurray Hatchery :: Master Pollinator Bee Kit

I like.

Threadless T-Shirts :: Everyone Is A Designer, by Travis Matthew Stearns

Hotel tip.

If you happen to be in Boston and feel like splurging a bit, this hotel is great. (Not quiiiite as hip as it sounds on the web site, but still very, very nice.) I got a good deal by booking the night before I arrived. And I discovered this a.m. that it's only a half block from the T (subway) which will get you all over Boston for about $1.50.

Onyx Hotel :: Boston

Blogging from Boston.

After a sunny weekend in Tampa with the BFF, Lorraine, and her hubby, Corey, I'm now sitting in an office building in dark drizzly Boston, waiting for my client to show up and let me in.

So, time to get back to blogging.

Found these last night. A gorgeous selection of letterpress cards. These are one of my faves.

Greer Chicago :: Products by blank cards

Ha! I've still got it. (And, yes, I'm a geek.)

TyperA - test your typing skills

Game over

Your score: 325 keys per minute ~ 65 words per minute

Comparison: 29% of registered TyperA users using this language have typed a better result; 71% have a lower or equal result.

((Fun find, swissmiss!)

If I lived in NY, this is where I'd be this weekend.

THE OUTSIDER ART FAIR

Hmm. A female-friendly Friendster?

I wonder if it will be a retread or something worth using? We'll see...

Our mission is simple and pure: Sisterwoman.com will be an online destination where women can effortlessly reach their girlfriends and nuture these priceless friendships in as many ways as they choose.

Sisterwoman.com (Coming Soon)

The BEAST :: 50 Most Loathsome People in America, 2005

(I may not agree with all of them, but I'll happily admit this is brilliant entertainment.)

The act of sleeping is getting really high tech.

Sleep sensor alarm clocks seem to be gaining some popularity.

aXbo sleep phase alarm clock

Apparently it's taken them awhile to notice it was there.

WESH.com News :: 'Lolita' Could Be Pulled From Library's Shelves

IBM Typewriter Advertising Archive

(via Cabinet Magazine)

Interesting.

Sweden plans on being the first country in the world to be free from oil in 2020

Historical information design.

Front side of OWI notice #2106, dubbed the “LeMay bombing leaflet,” which was delivered to Hiroshima, Nagasaki, and 33 other Japanese cities on 1 August 1945.

CIA Unclassified Documents :: Evacuation Leaflet

The Japanese text on the reverse side of the leaflet carried the following warning:

“Read this carefully as it may save your life or the life of a relative or friend. In the next few days, some or all of the cities named on the reverse side will be destroyed by American bombs. These cities contain military installations and workshops or factories which produce military goods. We are determined to destroy all of the tools of the military clique which they are using to prolong this useless war. But, unfortunately, bombs have no eyes. So, in accordance with America's humanitarian policies, the American Air Force, which does not wish to injure innocent people, now gives you warning to evacuate the cities named and save your lives. America is not fighting the Japanese people but is fighting the military clique which has enslaved the Japanese people. The peace which America will bring will free the people from the oppression of the military clique and mean the emergence of a new and better Japan. You can restore peace by demanding new and good leaders who will end the war. We cannot promise that only these cities will be among those attacked but some or all of them will be, so heed this warning and evacuate these cities immediately.”

(See Richard S. R. Hubert, “The OWI Saipan Operation,” Official Report to US Information Service, Washington, DC 1946.)

Full story of the WWII information/leaflet campaign here.

I want this.

Thanks, Bradley. Now all I want is to deck out my apartment in nothing but Tivoli Audio equipment. Shame on you.

Tivoli Audio :: Home of the Henry Kloss Model One Radio

I love type geeks.

A criticism of Good Night, and Good Luck's innacurate use of type.

It appears the CBS News sign, prominently displayed in the film's carefully reconstructed New York newsroom, used the typeface Helvetica. But Helvetica was not designed until 1957, the year McCarthy died. The movie takes place in the early 1950's.

"I thought it was a bit jarring," said Michael Bierut, a graphic designer at Pentagram Studio in New York. "After all, even in 1957, Helvetica was an exotica Swiss import."

Directions/NYT :: Good Film, Shame About the Helvetica

Who stole Alistair Cooke's bones?

Man. I completely forgot about this - my family was talking about it over Christmas. Bizarre.

Cooke, known for the Letter from America he broadcast for the BBC, died almost two years ago, aged 95.

According to the New York Daily News his bones were stolen by a criminal ring trading body parts [... ] They were later sold by a biomedical tissue company now under investigation, the paper claims.

BBC NEWS :: Alistair Cooke's bones 'stolen'

(via growabrain)

Irony or big mistake?

Maybe this will be fixed (or revised) by the time you see it, but I went to look at this guy's portfolio only to find greeking placement text on every screen. I'm guessing this was a mistake, not some bizarre design statement... It's not really the best way to spotlight your products.

Sietze Kalkwijk

This is sweet.

Reddish :: Hanukit

I Watch Stuff! :: Friends To Return, White People Pleased

Update: Turns out the above story is untrue. (But I'm leaving it up cuz it's funny.)

A poor girl's QRIO

Bradley has informed me that this will be my first robot. It's no QRIO, but it's a start -- a $250 DIY bot that will be released in August.

Four years after its release, [Mindstorm] version 2.0 still sells 40,000 units a year at $199 a pop -- with no advertising -- and has become Lego's all-time best-selling product. The market is almost evenly split between parents buying the kit for their budding engineers and grown-up geeks who build Mindstorms robots that can scale walls, solve Rubik's Cubes, or pick blue M&Ms out of a pile.

(I wonder how my cat will take it?)

Wired News: Geeks in Toyland

You have to admire this woman.

She must have 1) an amazingly good nature and 2) a carapace.

..:Things My Boyfriend Says:..

(Unintentionally) hilarious Japanese language primer.

Worth a read just for gems like this:

"Korewa mohaya byokidane (this has officially become an epidemic)" says editor Michiyo on this out-of-love trend. This is her story: After three whole years of nurturing warm, friendly relations with a "doryo (colleague)," Michiyo confessed her love one morning after an all-night, "futarikiri (just-the-two-of-us) drinking stint. Instead of taking her in his arms and declaring likewise (as she had envisioned) he looked acutely embarrassed, turned away and muttered: "Sou yuno, nashini shiyoyo (Let's not go there)."

The Japan Times Online :: Men retreat from 'hassle' of loving relationships

L - maybe we should check this out next week in Tampa...

$59 spa and salon treats at the top beauty destinations from Chicago to New York to Florida.

PrettyCity.com :: Spa Specials

BellaMuse-tastic V-Day cards.

Posted 'em last year. I'll post 'em again because I just got their (her?) newsletter. Lovelove these.

BellaMuse Valentine's Day

Chuck Norris, man.

Chuck's response to the Random Chuck Norris Fact generator.

Defamer :: Chuck Norris Accepts His Factual Fate

Certainly only amusing if you've watched "Lost" for awhile and have seen at least one episode of "The Office.

Dwight's Blog :: Thoughts on 'Lost.'

Swissmiss...

If you weren't pregnant, I'd have put a little cash on the idea that this might be you. Not cuz you like sumo wrestling, but because it sounds like one of your "hey, I have an idea!" ideas...

Best of Craig :: SUMO WRESTLE ME IN TIMES SQUARE TOMORROW. I'M SERIOUS.

Airfare alert.

Since I can't use it, I thought I'd pass it on.

bmi :: flights from chicago to the UK from $155 each way

(Thanks to my gorgeous niece, Jennifer, for the tip.)

Valentines. Yay.

Those who know me know I'm a complete Valentine's Day geek. (Why? Dunno. Just am.) So this made me smile.

Paper Source :: Heart Garland Card Kit

Better than those motivational posters.

POW :: Modern Toss - Work Posters

Bootleg Wine packaging.

Just got a note from the wine company downstairs about a Bootleg Wine tasting tonight. I may buy a bottle just for the fun packaging.

Bottle Watch: Bootleg Wine

Cowscapes

by Rachael Sudlow

(via Apartment Therapy)

More pretty prefab-ulousness.

I especially like the MD144.

Modular Dwellings

(via Inhabitat)

Fun design concept backpacks.

Plant Backpack (pflanzenrucksack)
Book Rucksack (rucksackbuch)
Lots of other stuff here.

(via we make money not art)

Oh, my. Book covers made of...skin?

PROVIDENCE, R.I. - Brown University's library boasts an anatomy book that combines form and function in macabre fashion. Its cover — tanned and polished to a smooth golden brown, like fine leather — is made of human skin.

In fact, a number of the nation's finest libraries, including Harvard's, have such books in their collections. The practice of binding books in human skin was not uncommon in centuries past, even if it was not always discussed in polite society.

MSNBC.com :: Is 'Dr. Jekyll' bound in mister hide?

How does she find the time?

Being a total Law & Order dork, I just thought I'd point out that Mariska Hargitay (Olivia Benson, L&O: SVU) has a web site, blog AND a foundation to help survivors of sexual assault. Damn. This woman's good.

Mariska.com

Shame on Urban Outfitters.

I'm not a big fan anyway. If this is true, it makes me even less of one.

Consumerist :: Urban Outfitters Rips Designer's Cupcake T-Shirt

Update: Same allegation. Different company. Earlier this year. (via Adrants.com)
crownfarmer :: TM NOTICE!

Does "annoying" include bad grammar and poor spelling?

Annoying someone via the Internet is now a federal crime.

It's no joke. Last Thursday, President Bush signed into law a prohibition on posting annoying Web messages or sending annoying e-mail messages without disclosing your true identity.

CNET News.com :: Create an e-annoyance, go to jail

Good for Google.

The Bush administration on Wednesday asked a federal judge to order Google to turn over a broad range of material from its closely guarded databases.

[...]In court papers filed in U.S. District Court in San Jose, Justice Department lawyers revealed that Google has refused to comply with a subpoena issued last year for the records, which include a request for 1 million random Web addresses and records of all Google searches from any one-week period.

The Mountain View-based search and advertising giant opposes releasing the information on a variety of grounds, saying it would violate the privacy rights of its users and reveal company trade secrets, according to court documents.

MercuryNews.com :: Feds after Google data

(via marketingvox.com)

Jujus.

Love these little cards. Especially longevity noodle.

Joy by Mel Lim

You have to love the cluelessness of this.

Look at the AT&T campaign photo in the photostream, then the AT&T search results. Nice.

Flickr :: A&T blogging result on Flickr

(via adrants)

William Shatner is a self-promo god.

I know, I know. This is the 3rd post about him in a week, but I have to give props where props are due. This post even includes a bonus link of Bill performing "Rocket Man" during the 1978 Science Fiction Film Awards. Priceless.

Gawker :: William Shatner Returns to Awards Hosting; Elton John Is Standing By

More strange justice...

Woman is depressed. Woman hands over 20,000 GBP to a friend to hire a hitman. Friend does not hire hitman; says he'll kill her himself. Friend doesn't kill her. Woman calls police. Friend gets 15 months in jail.

(The long version is even better.)

Kent Online :: Woman pleaded: I want hitman to kill me

(Thanks for the tip, Bradley!)

BREAKING NEWS: Talking penis cable show host won't get day in court

Original story here.

(Excellent water cooler tip from Bryan. Thanks, Byron!)

Life before high tech forensics.

There is a miniature community of horrors on the third floor of the Maryland Medical Examiner's Office.

A display of 18 exquisitely crafted models of actual crime scenes presents grisly vignettes of violent death.

The models were made in the 1940s by Frances Glessner Lee, a wealthy, eccentric Chicago woman who had been raised on Sherlock Holmes tales and had a lifelong fascination with sleuthing. Lee is reputedly the inspiration for the character of Jessica Fletcher in Murder, She Wrote.

Bruce Goldfarb: Small-Scale Tragedies
More (& better) photos here.

The Russians have an eye on Shatner.

NewsFromRussia :: William Shatner sells kidney stone, raises $25,000 for charity

On the other end of the spectrum (from my previous entry).

Inhabitat :: Rocio Romero's LV Home

At 1150 square feet, the LV Home has two bedrooms, two baths, and an open living plan. And the cost? The basic package, which contains wall panels, structure, and cladding, will run you about $32,900. Once finished out, this clean, modern box totals around $87 per sq-ft.

Wonderful.

If you have a few million to spare

...you can stay at this luxury private island. Only $25,000/night.

Funny. If I was spending that kind of money, I wouldn't be caught dead staying in a place that's furnished like a bad Sheraton. Ew.

Musha Cay, The Most Luxurious Private Island Resort in the world

(p.s. Originally, I compared it to a Marriott, but my pal, Lisa, informs me that Marriott hotels have upgraded their design and bedding. I stand corrected. Good for them.)

Eat.

I can't express how nice it is to see design like this once in awhile. Simple. Straightforward. It's for a lunch joint in London. Next time I'm there, I'll eat their food just for giving my eyes a respite from crazy over-designed, slow-loading web sites.

Eat.

Inhabitat :: Killing winter blues with mirrors

If we think we've got it bad, the people in Rattenberg, Austria are certainly feeling worse. From November through February, their sunlight vanishes entirely behind a mountain. With a S.A.D. epidemic spreading through the town, designers from Bartenbach Lichtlabor were called in to save the day by administering sunlight to the town through a brilliantly engineered system of mirrors.

IDEO Identity Card Concept

This is my fave so far:

Card Pyre: Ritual

The physical world is fast being digitized. As physical objects are scanned and enter the virtual what is to become of their material remains? Should they be left to rot or should we honor the central role that material existence once played in our lives?

This pocket business card cremation pyre scans an offered card as it incinerates it.

IDEO :: Identity Card Concept Project - Card Pyre : Ritual

(via PSFK)

[whimper]

Why, oh, WHY must this be the busiest time of my entire career????

Japan for Less :: Fly United Round-Trip From $403

greenergrassdesign is fab.

For as long as I can remember, my mom has had a wooden notepad holder mounted to the wall by the phone in the kitchen. I've never seen anything like the one she has - until today. This is a metal version of her 40+ year old version. It made me smile.

blomusmuronotepadholder

They also have one of the loveliest letterpressed valentines I've seen:

setof8letterpressedlovecardstypediloveyou

More dual purpose furniture.

I would have LOVED this in college. The concept is great, but the price is ridiculous. I would've had a handyperson figure out how to make one for me.

The Computer Bed :: Euro FlyingBed

You kinda have to admire the chutzpah of this one.

CafePress :: Thousand Dollar T-shirt

Talus :: AboutTime watch

Headline of the day.

Flying prawn killed fur magnate, says widow

Spiral Island

Spiral Island was a floating artificial island in a lagoon near Puerto Aventuras, on the East coast of Mexico south of Cancún. It was built by British expatriate Richie (or "Reishee") Sowa beginning in 1998; he filled nets with empty discarded plastic bottles to support a structure of plywood and bamboo, on which he poured sand and planted numerous plants, including mangroves. The island sported a two-story house, a solar oven, a self-composting toilet, and three beaches. He used some 250,000 bottles for the 66-by-54-foot structure. (Wikipedia)

Playa del Carmen Community News and Info :: Reishee Sowa - a man and his island

(Fab tip from Travis. Thanks, TK!)

Good idea. Nice web site.

The idea behind Take Your Bag for a Walk is more about creating lasting change than it is about the bags themselves. If you really want to cut down on your plastic bag use, you have to ADOPT THE HABIT of having your reusable bags with you all the time. Which is why you get 3 in a set — you can keep one in your car or bike basket, one in your purse, one by your front door so you remember it when you go out.

(Not being a dog fan, I suggest they have a robot line. But that's just me.)

TakeYourBagForAWalk.com :: No More Plastic Bags

Love this intro screen.

Messenger. Experience Design

KUNIKO MAEDA :: Bread Color Chart

A draft for a manual to expand the use of the qualities of food. It can be a tool for the design to design with food.

Followup to a previous post.

YesButNoButYes :: Cy Will Live Forever

Buy Vincent Gallo's seed.

What a disturbing way to start a week.

To be clear, the purchase of Mr. Gallo's sperm does not include the use of the name Gallo. The purchaser must find another surname for the child.

Check out this and other Mr. Gallo merchandise here:
Vincent Gallo Merchandise :: Miscellaneous

(via cityrag)

Fun with vintage toys.

How did you think they replaced all those single-episode security guys? This Jellio one-of-a-kind item features vintage 70's Star Trek action figures Kirk, Spock and the gang, as they explain the virtues of joining the Federation to Richie, Ralph and John-Boy. Tribble, anyone?

JELLIO: FUN :: Career Day

EarthCam :: 25 Most Interesting Webcams of 2005

(via growabrain)

These made me laugh.

Stella Marrs cards.
Whining
Keep your fork
Bad Habits
Wedding Anniversary chart

A great bet between ad agencies.

[...] If Carolina wins, the Hadrian's Wall homepage will inform visitors that BooneOakley is a much better agency and direct people to the BooneOakley site for a week. If Chicago wins, the BooneOakley homepage will inform visitors that Hadrian's Wall is a much better agency and direct people to Hadrian's Wall homepage. The two agencies have even created dueling winners logos to go along with the bet.

Adrants �:: Agencies Make NFL Playoff Bet, Loser to Promote Other For A Week"

This is hilarious.

Use your spacebar to tap out a song. The program will tell you what it is.

Song Search by Tapping :: Search for music by tapping the rhythm of the song's melody.

(via b3ta.com)

Jonathon "The Impaler" Sharkey for Governor of Minnesota 2006

The two sides of Jonathan:

Light: Minnesota is a great state, with great people. My son, John Jr. was born in Redwood Falls, Minnesota on 7 Mar 92. Though I have not lived in Minnesota as long as the other candidates for Governor, this state holds a lot of sentimental value to me. My wife Julie was born and raised here. Our children will be born and raised here. I love the scenery here, the fresh air, the friendly people.

Dark: During my time as Governor, drug dealers and users will live in fear. I will introduce extremely harsh punishment for those who not only use illegal drugs, I will fight to make dealers serve life in prison, or better yet, Impalement.

Jonathan "The Impaler" web site

Best of all - he's running for president in 2008:
FEC Disclosure Reports - Filer ID P80002884

Telephone ads of the 1950's

(via Information Junk)

Continuing on the weird animal news theme...

BBC NEWS :: Taiwan breeds green-glowing pigs

Wow. Just... wow.

R.I.P., little Cy.

Yahoo! News Photo :: One-eyed cat had medical condition

(p.s. A note to my squeamish brother, Patrick: Pat, this is one of those photos that's going to disturb you. I'm just sayin'.)

A second life for London's double decker buses.

This is so cool. I'd like to rent one for a bit.

Double Decker Living

I like this.

Organic Bouquet has quickly become the market leader in organic flowers and is recognized in the trade as having established the natural products industry's newest category--organic floral. Our flowers are available online and in some of your favorite natural food stores, including Whole Foods Markets nationwide.

OrganicBouquet.com

The Ring Thing Opener :: Water Powered Alarm Clock

About curiosity. Or lack thereof.

Over dinner a few weeks ago, the novelist Lawrence Naumoff told a troubling story. He asked students in his introduction to creative writing course at UNC-Chapel Hill if they had read Jack Kerouac. Nobody raised a hand. Then he asked if anyone had ever heard of Jack Kerouac. More blank expressions.

Naumoff began describing the legend of the literary wild man. One student offered that he had a teacher who was just as crazy. Naumoff asked the professor's name. The student said he didn't know. Naumoff then asked this oblivious scholar, "Do you know my name?"

After a long pause, the young man replied, "No."

Triangle.com :: Lack of curiosity is curious

(via grow-a-brain)

How long before the lawsuit, do you think?

Unica :: Coke Spoon 02

One for Eric...

And, no, it's not about you, sweetie. It's for you to wear.

One Horse Shy :: T-shirts

Be a giant.

Build a tiny Chicago.

Build Your Own Chicago - Postcard Models

Houseplant Picture Studio presents...PHOTOS OF AN UNKNOWN FAMILY WHO PROBABLY OWNED A LIQUOR STORE - PART 1

(via web zen)

Fun collage postcards.

Scrapatorium's Etsy Shop :: Scrapatorium

She's also got a companion site of vintage photos and a blog.

Peculiar (but practical, I guess) furniture/appliance combo.

Vestal Design :: DoubleSpace Kitchenette

(thanks for the tip, Czeltic Girl. You were absolutely right. I did get a kick out of it.)

Beautiful photos.

polar inertia :: ice fishing shacks

Check out the rest of the magazine's photo collection here.

Just what every home needs.

Wow. There are SO many things wrong with this.
1) An elevator to go up one flight???
2) Comic Sans body copy.
3) The hideous design of this site.
4) They still make dumbwaiters??? Wow.

Daytona Elevator :: Pneumatic Vacuum Elevators

Gutsy ad campaign.

Advertising/Design Goodness :: McCann-Erickson

This is disturbing.

First off, no it's not made of real skin. Second, I'm wondering exactly who would buy clothing and accessories that look like jerky-fied skin? I'm sure someone does...

Core77 :: Skinbag

This one's for Czeltic Girl.

Important developments in toast technology.

gizmag :: No Burn Toaster

Yes, it's for real.

A DVD club, personally curated by William Shatner.

William Shatner DVD Club

Get your pandafix here.

I think they should go with, "Homicide. Remember that show? That was here."

Many image makers have passed through [Baltimore]. Faith Popcorn, the famous futurist, arrived in 2001. She branded and repositioned us, left a slogan or two involving the letter "B" — Baltimore is Better — then departed with $275,000.

Following the year of Popcorn, the city launched the Baltimore Believe campaign. Cost? More than $2 million. It was meant to make us — we who live here, happily or otherwise — feel better about ourselves. The word "Believe" was affixed to cars, trucks, billboards, anywhere it fit. Vandals altered it to "Behave."

ABC News :: Baltimore Gets New Name; Will You Visit?

p.s. That last sentence reminds me of my buddy Doreen's alteration of "Wisconsin - You're Among Friends" to "Wisconsin - You're Among Fiends" around the time of the Dahmer trial.

Fetish, anyone?

Bizarre.

Lekker :: Blond Curtains

A better cappuccino at Starbucks?

Interesting. I don't go to Starbucks much anymore, but, when I do, I'll try this.

Slate :: Starbucks Economics - Solving the mystery of the elusive "short" cappuccino

If I were a better person, I'd buy one of these and use it.

But, alas, I'm already stress-y. I don't think I can handle timing my showers. But maybe someone might.

Ripple Products :: Basic Shower Timer

Daaaang. Harsh.

adrants.com :: ezdivorce.ca]

Shortlist of the New 7 Wonders of the World.

Nice idea, but I have the feeling this guy will be indicted for money mismanagement somewhere down the road. 50% of the proceeds will be donated to preservation projects. The other 50%? You decide.

(Personally, I think it's sketchy/weird that they don't have an online voting form.)

N7W :: Vote

Apparently, this is where ALL the snow is going this year.

Tsunan, Japan has gotten 13 feet recently.

The New York Times :: Record Snows in Japan

Oooooh. This is baaaaad.

Wal-Mart shut down its movie recommendation software after its website suggested movies about famous African-Americans such as Martin Luther King, Tina Turner and Jack Johnson to those looking at boxed DVDs of Planet of the Apes, reports Red Herring.

MarketingVOX :: Walmart.com Shuts Down Recommendation Feature

Cardboard furniture.

This Christine Keeler cardboard chair is fab.

I like the Periodic Table and Tube map cube/ottomans as well.

Tattoos with lame/stupid/bad lettering.

(via chris glass)

Vote for Timmy!

My sweet & lovely friend, Tim, is a finalist in a movie poster contest for Sony Picture's new release, "Silent Hill."

Please check out his lovely design and vote for him. Please? (I'm sure he'll buy you a drink if he wins - won't you, Timmy?)

Silent Hill Poster Contest: Voting and Judging

Cute.
Wrapables :: Carton Slips

Hugh Thompson Jnr, a former US military helicopter pilot who helped stop one of the most infamous massacres of the Vietnam War has died, aged 62.

BBC NEWS :: My Lai massacre hero dies at 62

Too taxing for the 45+ crowd?

Everything about this story is ludicrous.

A ban on older fans seeing the Rolling Stones perform at the Super Bowl has been lifted, organisers say.

People over 45 were initially not invited to take to the field and dance during the concert, as the task was considered too physically demanding.

BBC :: Age ban on Stones fans is lifted

I like this guy's portfolio site.

It's nice to see a simply designed portfolio. Fun design, lovely content, simple navigation, nothing unnecessary.

Ben Pieratt

Fabulous midwestern design.

the Chicago Design Archive

Fun Japanese Design

Scroll down to check it out. All text in Japanese, but the pictures are fairly self-explanatory.

Japanese Design Net :: Takeo Paper Show 2004

These are hilarious.

Pop culture origami! (The Bruce Campbell "Army of Darkness" one is gonna go over big at work, I tell you.)

Homespun Magixx :: Downloads

Possibly the stupidest woman alive?

FRANCE - It's a long, long road
Mother-of-three Vivienne Vanderwait-Hudson took a wrong turning while on a ferry trip to Calais to buy booze. Becoming hopelessly confused and sporadically weeping she travelled by motorway across France to the Pyrenees, down the length of Spain's east coast and ended up in Gibraltar five days later after finally telling someone she was British and asking the best way home. Her partner then flew over to comfort her and drive her home. "I just kept on going, hoping there would be a gap on the road for me to turn around,' she explained.

Top Gear :: Lost Drivers

It freaks me out that people will spend $70 for two plastic ice cube trays.

Gucci :: Ice Cube Trays

(via Charles & Marie)

Worn By is a label dedicated to recreating garments once worn by icons of the past, using original iconic images.

Vintage style t-shirt collections from Worn By :: Original Icon Clothing

The Dictionary of Wisconsin History

I knew about our Socialist congressman, but I'd no idea that Wisconsin was the birthplace of malted milk. Or that Hurley, WI, was once described as a place where "gambling, prostitution, bootlegging, and dope are about the chief occupations of the place."

Staff Favorites in Turning Points

(thanks, swissmiss! Love it.)

Scary, but interesting.

In the last decade a bizarre and violent musical subculture has emerged with a strong root in Norway's ancient Pagan mythology. Norwegian Black Metal, which has since become the country's largest musical export, became infamous in the early 1990's in the midst of a violent uprising of church arson and murder. Devoted followers of this music and lifestyle torched over twenty Christian churches, including the famous 800 year old Fantoft stave church, in an attempt to rid Norway of Christianity and revert back to its Pagan/ Viking roots.

Peter Beste :: Norwegian Black Metal

Dunno why, but I find this hysterically funny.

McSweeney's Internet Tendency :: Methods Other Than Song by Which One Can Be Killed Softly.

For you, Bradley.

Beautiful Decay :: Steve Buscemi t-shirt

R.I.P. Lou Rawls.

Natalie Dee

The significant other of Toothpaste For Dinner's Drew has a new collection of t-shirts. "Ping!" is particularly good.

natalie dee merchandise :: t-shirts, bags, buttons, and more.

Who'd have known? My mom is cutting edge.

I just laughed out loud while looking at notcot.com. The first two entries right now are two of my 75-year-old mother's favorite things from England: Neal's Yard products and PG Tips tea. For at least the last 10 years, these are the only things she's ever requested of anyone going to England. Sorry, Mom! I'll never knock your PG Tips again.

(Now, if I could just get her on a computer...)

NOTCOT.: ENJOY
NOTCOT.: PG Tips

I want.

I'm so NOT a gadget girl, but this is right up my alley.

With paper-like legibility and room for hundreds of books in a device about the size of a paperback, the Sony Reader makes the digital reading experience something it's never been before: a pleasure.

Sony Reader

(via linkbunnies.org)

So true.

Great t-shirt design for Threadless.

Threadless T-Shirts :: Damn Scientists, by John Slabyk

Penguins, pandas, manatees and smiley faces...

Interesting article about characteristics that make things "cute" (vs "beautiful") - and why they exist.

Cute cues are those that indicate extreme youth, vulnerability, harmlessness and need, scientists say, and attending to them closely makes good Darwinian sense. As a species whose youngest members are so pathetically helpless they can't lift their heads to suckle without adult supervision, human beings must be wired to respond quickly and gamely to any and all signs of infantile desire.

The human cuteness detector is set at such a low bar, researchers said, that it sweeps in and deems cute practically anything remotely resembling a human baby or a part thereof, and so ends up including the young of virtually every mammalian species, fuzzy-headed birds like Japanese cranes, woolly bear caterpillars, a bobbing balloon, a big round rock stacked on a smaller rock, a colon, a hyphen and a close parenthesis typed in succession.

NYT :: The Cute Factor

Peculiar.

OnMilwaukee.com Dining :: House of Frank N. Stein reincarnates funeral parlor as wiener bar

Cool plant pots that don't even need plants.

Lekker :: Bloom! Lighted Flower Pots

A sign warning people not to hit their head on the sign.

Information design at its finest.

lushlush :: Bizarre sign

(via coudal.com)

I don't think I'd want to read my email on this monitor.

Elumens :: VisionStation

(via linkbunnies.org)

Precisely why I don't have a Netflix subscription.

I need to start watching my Netflix movies in a more timely manner. When Netflix reports its quarterly earnings to their investors, my picture is on the cover of the little folder. "Thank you, Laurie Notaro, our Netflix Customer of the Year," I quote, "for renting a copy of Spanglish since April and not returning it even after you saw Spanglish on HBO in October. $17.95 times seven for absolutely nothing looks great on our accounts receivable page. Unless you're a corpse who's been lying on the kitchen floor, decomposing for several seasons and unable to slip the movie into its pre-sealed envelope and mail it back with unprecedented ease, we appreciate your business. You are the best customer EVER, not counting people who have been suddenly incarcerated under the Patriot Act or have slipped into comas."

PowellsBooks.BLOG

Catchy title.

I opened a charming neighborhood coffee shop. Then it destroyed my life. By Michael Idov

A lovely web-only book.

Wistful stanzas are printed on rectangular scraps of white paper like fortune cookies, which are then pasted onto tan sheets populated with blue and white shapes, fine, snaking lines, and curious holes. Each leaf is partially transparent, revealing traces of where you've been and where you're going.

Jen Bervin :: A Non- Breaking Space

(via Boldtype)

p.s. Includes the best quote of the year thus far:
"motherhood changes you, she said, i'd kill anything now"

The robots are coming.

[Korea] The Ministry of Information and Communication said Wednesday it will launch robotic home helpers at the very reasonable price of around W1 million (US$1,000) in a test market from October next year. Information Minister Chin Dae-je said, “I expect the ‘one household, one robot’ era will come in 2020.” The low-priced robot project will create W1.5 trillion (US$1.5 billion) in added value, Chin added.

The ministry’s network robots come in three types ? the relatively smart education robot Jupiter, which reads English fairy tales to children using voice recognition software, the simpler remote-controlled cleaning robot Netoro, and the e-mail-literate telecommunication robot Roboid. Looking remarkably similar to R2D2 in “Star Wars”, they will be made by robotics firms Yujin Robotics, Hanool Robotics and I.O. Tech.

Digital Chosunilbo (English Edition) :: Robotic Helpers to Fill Homes from Next Year

Pic here (the little one's cute!):
The Korea Times : Robots at Service for $1,000 Per Pop

Oooooooooh.

I have one curse that has pervaded my travel life - my inability to get a hotel room with a decent view. I'm always put above back alleys, ductwork, you name it. I think I may use this to help me shirk my curse.

Hotel on Rivington - Room 1603

Travel advice from Concierge.com

Apparently Argentina's going to be the best travel buy this year. Good to know.

Concierge.com :: GREAT EXPECTATIONS

"Ill-considered PR"

Many thanks to Czeltic Girl for giving me the best laugh of the day with this collection of bad press release quotes. My fave is definitely:

5] "We are advised by a representative of the company that the seventh paragraph, first sentence, should read 'Created by Crispin Porter + Bogusky of Miami, the new Coca-Cola Zero campaign is the first creative work the agency has developed for Coca-Cola North America' rather than, 'Crisping Porter + Bogusly' as originally issued inadvertently.'

(In the design/ad world, botching CPB's name is like writing about the pontiff as "The Poap.")

CMO Magazine :: 10 Best Press Release Quotes

Interesting.

A few of my faves:

19. The = sign was invented by 16th Century Welsh mathematician Robert Recorde, who was fed up with writing "is equal to" in his equations. He chose the two lines because "noe 2 thynges can be moare equalle".

35. The name Lego came from two Danish words "leg godt", meaning "play well". It also means "I put together" in Latin.

99.The Japanese word "chokuegambo" describes the wish that there were more designer-brand shops on a given street.

BBC NEWS | Magazine | 100 things we didn't know this time last year

This is so odd.

Giant Robot Store :: Akira Kurosawa Film Maker toy and candy

Baby Bush Toys :: Simple Products for Simple Minds

(via ektopia.co.uk)

Happy birthday, Swiss Miss!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, TINA!

Our friend Martina's birthday greetings are beautiful. The girl is WICKED good with the magnetic poetry. Yay!

If you have an iPod, you should check this out.

I haven't been able to listen to all of them since I can only listen to them on iTunes, but what I've heard is great.

Guardian Unlimited :: Ricky Gervais podcast

A purple handbag vase for Annie.

This is so you, girl...

Iluren.com :: Modern Home Decor & Jewelry By Contemporary Designers