"The performance ['Ballets Russes Italian Style (The Shortest Musical You Will Never See Again'] featured Lady Gaga, who played her song 'Speechless' on a rotating pink Steinway grand piano, with butterflies painted by Damien Hirst, all the while flanked by Prada-clad dancers from the Bolshoi Ballet," wrote Horacio Silva in [...]
Spooky.
From the website: "Ever lose yourself in the dark? You know what we mean... you walk into a pitch-black room and suddenly wonder if you're there or not. You call out your name, but no one answers. It's downright spooky."
"Well, this amazing product will solve that problem'" [...]
Hey, so I'm only a day late with the answer to this past Saturday's "What are they?" feature.
See what happens when Milena's away?
The whole thing collapses.
But I digress.
From Kyoto Foodie:
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澤井醤油本店 醤油の飴 (Sawai Shoyu Honten Soy Sauce Candy)
The Japanese make hard candy with some novel indigenous [...]
From Ray Earhart, one of the stalwarts of my crack reseach team from way back in deep time, comes the following:
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Good Morning Joe,
Hmmm. Sounds like a TV show!
Speaking of TV, ABC has an article about a future iPhone app [...]
Wrote Valentina Zannoni in the November 20, 2009 Financial Times, "For the ultimate stab-proof, flame-proof, nuclear-disaster proof footwear... look no further than Oakley's Elite Assault Boots. The brand famous for sunglasses has been supplying the armed forces with equipment, including combat-ready boots, since the 1980s and" [...]
Long story short: the post scheduled for 1:01 p.m. today disappeared sometime between three days ago and today.
We're looking for it as you read these words.
' [...]Created by Japanese blacksmith Kogoro Kurata, it's a life-sized iron recreation of the robot Scopedog from the cult classic anime "Armored Trooper Votoms."
"I wanted to do something completely ridiculous," said Kurata. "Scopedog is an anime robot, but it looks like something you could buy from a street vendor."
FunFact, from Lisa [...]
Official candle of Ini Kamoze.
"Money Candle is printed on both sides with hundred dollar bill and $10,000 money wrap design. Set of 2 unscented 6"-long candles; each has 3 wicks."
" [...]"Four sofas, 14GB. The sofas contain embedded removable desks aimed at storing and sharing contents between users."
"For sharing, the user simply plugs one of the seven available cables into her laptop's USB port."
Designed by Cabracega Studio for OFFF [...]
"Hier ein Beitrag von Arte Tracks über Banksy, offensichtlich im Sommer im Zuge seiner Ausstellung in Bristol entstanden. Zu Wort kommen unter anderem ein früherer Wegbegleiter aus seinen 80er Graffiti-Tagen und der Kurator der ersten Banksy-Ausstellung. Netter kurzer Abriss der Geschichte des bekanntesten Streetartisten."
[...]Said Marcel Duchamp, "Everyday objects, signed by an artist and presented within a museum, will transform into art."
How do you spell "Jeff Koons?"
The caption of the YouTube video above: "In Kruishoutem, Belgium, a new museum opened in 2009. It houses several collections, amongst which is a series of shoes/artworks by renowned artists" [...]
"Verifies the authenticity of U.S. dollars, Euros and British pounds two different ways: 1) a UV light beam reveals a distinctive fluorescent pattern on the currency, and 2) an electronic sensor emits a beeping sound when passed over the magnetic ink contained in a genuine bill."
Suggested by Ray Earhart, who wrote, "I'm thinking you need to develop a TechnoDolt™ certification program. The fun part would be scoring it. Nobody who scores over 30% or anyone who quits in the middle of the test gets certified."
It's on.
' [...]Half-meter resolution photo taken by the GeoEye-1 satellite on July 25, 2009.
[via James Thornburg]
[...]It's the limited edition Bremont MBI with a red anodized case (above and below).
Why isn't your money good enough?
Because this special model of the MBII is available only to those aviators who have been saved by a Martin-Baker ejection' [...]
The German-born Portland [Oregon]-based sculptor began as a painter, then changed course and studied physics at universities in Berlin, Edinburgh and Vienna.
He pursued graduate research in quantum physics, participating in a seminal experiment demonstrating quantum behavior in buckyballs (C60).
He [...]
Laminated magazine paper collage jewels.
Binns may have a shop on Perry Street in New York City's West Village — if it even opened as was speculated in January of this year.
Probe his website for stores that carry his wares.
[via [...]
Long story short: No Music Day, first celebrated on November 21, 2005, is "... the brainchild of Bill Drummond [above], former frontman of dance band The KLF and seasoned cultural provocateur," wrote Laura Battle in a November 16, 2009 Financial Times story.
Excerpts follow.
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Sam Roberts, in a June 30, 2009 New York Times article, wrote about amateur historian Andrew Carroll's ongoing 50-state journey to locate events heretofore lost in time and space.
Here's the story.
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A Historian Is on a Quest to Locate Lost Events
Forlornly unidentified and altogether forgotten, these sites [...]
It's not even close.
Long story short from its maker, BrewDog Brewery in Fraserburgh, Scotland: "Nanny State is our quiet and dignified response to the ongoing controversy surrounding Britain's strongest ever beer, Tokyo*. Nanny State is a 1.1% ale. We have gone from making Britain's strongest beer to" [...]
From DirectDaily: "As part of a national campaign promoting McDonald's restaurants, a downtown Vancouver lamppost [6th Avenue at Cambie Street] became part of an... optical illusion, appearing to pour coffee into a giant cup on the sidewalk....The post was wrapped in brown vinyl to resemble poured coffee, while" [...]
From the website:
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Parrot Digital Messaging Switch Plate
Record a
message of up to 20 seconds that will automatically play each time
someone flips the switch.
While the comedic possibilities are endless,
you can use it to leave a reminder or pass along a message, too.
No wiring is necessary, [...]
In his November 9, 2009 Wall Street Journal story about the 19-year-old phenom and her first CD release, the esteemed jazz critic described hearing her play as "exhilarating."
From her debut album, "Confeddie": Yes or No, Four in One , and Some Time Ago.
From the website:
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Inflatable Turkey
This inflatable turkey looks so delicious, you can almost smell the stuffing.
But keep the carving knives away because this bird is strictly for show.
Each 16"-long vinyl turkey is perfect for staging your Thanksgiving table while the real turkey is roasting, or batting around on a sunny" [...]
He died on October 26, 2009 at his home in Hilo, Hawaii.
Here's Dennis Hevesi's November 5, 2009 New York Times obituary of a man who was considered a "living treasure."
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George Na'ope, Master of Sacred Hula, Dies at 81
George Na’ope, whose mastery of the hula — the flowing, pantomimic dance of Hawaii' [...]
Shanghai-based designer Hunn Wai's black lacquered rococo dining table surface transforms into a ping-pong table
with the aid of a rectangular vase filled with cream blossoms which acts as a net.
"This is an official-sized game table with a DuPont Corian'" [...]
From the website:
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Crossword Puzzle Pajamas
For the
cruciverbalophile — a 17-letter word for crossword fanatic — these women's pajamas are printed with the word puzzle's monochromatic
scheme.
The pajamas have a long-sleeve top with a notch collar and drawstring front pants with elastic in the back so they can be pulled on [...]
It's not what you think.
From the website:
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Scoring Karaoke Game
This karaoke microphone detects the pitch of each note you
sing.
It has 100 songs programmed into its memory, allowing you to sing along with songs played through your television — scoring mode will display your performance as being too high or [...]
Long story short: first, you need to know why something itches.
For that we turn to Benedict Carey's April 7, 2009 New York Times story to give us an overview of recent research which may have solved a longtime biological mystery.
Here's the article.
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Scratching Relieves Itch by Quieting [...]
Baby, it's getting cold outside.
From the website:
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Exhale Heated Gloves
These are gloves you breathe into to provide a warm blast of air
for cold fingers without removing the gloves.
An aperture built into the back of each glove allows warm air to enter the glove's interior when you breathe into it; [...]
From the website:
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Five Step Belt
Five Step Zip Belt gives you a slimmer look in seconds.
Stretchable neoprene tightens trouble areas so you can comfortably fit into your favorite skirt or dress.
A great way to get ready for a wedding, reunion or other special event when your diet's not working [...]
Cool.
"A convex logo substitutes for a colorfully sprayed can. Naked can helps reduce air and water pollution occurring in the coloring process. It also reduces energy and effort required to separate toxic color paint from aluminum in the recycling process. Huge amounts of energy and paint required to manufacture" [...]
Pictured above, it's a glass orb the size of a cricket ball (88mmØ) that winds by twisting the halves of the magnifying optical crystal sphere in opposite directions.
"The only protruding part is a push-button at 6 o'clock that is pressed to switch from winding to time-setting mode."
231' [...]
Reader Nick Wood
sent me these pictures,
writing
"This year's sand castles competition
in Oregon —
stunning...
" [...]
That's different.
From the website:
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Shake Me Egg Shaker Blends Eggs in Seconds
No more eggs splashing out of the bowl as you whisk or beat them.
The unique "beater" in the center does all the work.
So easy and safe, even kids can use it.
Add herbs or spices first as [...]What's really going on while you're away?
And think how interesting it might be to return to your hotel room each evening for a completely unscripted show of just what went down there while you were out.
But I digress.
This stylish clock houses a hidden high-resolution color Sony CCD' [...]
The most highly sought high-school basketball recruit of 2008 (above) lasted only 48 hours at UConn before she quit school and headed back home to Wilmington, Delaware last fall.
At the time everyone — including Delle Donne — thought it was a simple case of burnout.
Turns out it [...]
Highly portable USB rechargeable battery allows you to charge any number of devices — iPhone, MP3 player, portable game console, etc. — anywhere.
Stick-type aluminum body weighs 76 grams (2.7 oz), measures 5cm L x 1.4cm Ø, and comes with 2 AA nickel-metal hydride batteries [...]
"The Galaxy Dress provides a spectacular mesmerizing effect, being embroidered with 24,000 color LEDs. Constructed using the smallest available full-color LEDs that are as flat as paper and measure 2mm x 2mm, with enough battery power to keep it on for an hour. On display as the centerpiece of the" [...]
Reader Joe Peach wrote, "I know you can look at most 3D websites with a cheap pair of 'theater' paper glasses. With a plethora of 3D sites (and some quite good), I invested in a pair of sturdy collapsible 3D glasses. I think it was a great investment. I got" [...]
Last night was the first time I've seen Oregon's matte black football helmet (above) in HD: its industrial chic look is right smart amongst the sparkling metallic flake numbers sported by so many major college (and pro) teams.
Nice job, whomever designed it.
' [...]Jeff Kyzer's tutorial in the new issue (Volume 20) of Make magazine shows and tells you how to make one for yourself.
Nifty.
' [...]Above, the headline of Terry Teachout's appreciation in today's Wall Street Journal of the master.
Up top, Tatum in a 1954 TV performance of Jerome Kern's "Yesterdays."
From the article:
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For the critic, the word "best" is like a grenade without a pin: Toss it around too freely and you're likely to get your [...]
Sterling silver.
$290 (of which $60 is donated to the Rewrite the Future campaign of Save the Children).
[via iconicchic]
[...]If you build it, they will come.
True then, true now, true in the future.
Here's today's Washington Post story by Maija Palmer and Amy Kazmin.
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A rush to learn English by cellMore than 300,000 people in Bangladesh, one of Asia's poorest but fastest-growing economies, have rushed to sign [...]
Edition of 10 in mirror-polished stainless steel created for Nathalie Karg's Cumulus Studios by the Argentine-born New York/Berlin/Bangkok-based artist.
' [...]But not TechnoDolts™: the only thing I could be sure would happen if I used this would be that I'd erase all the data from my phone.
But you go ahead.
From the website:
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Cell Phone Backup for Dummies
With this easy-to-use backup device, you won't have to re-enter cell phone [...]
Long story short: "... Jack Daws, a Seattle-based artist... took about $100 [worth] of 18-karat gold and turned it into a penny [above]. In March 2007, he used it at a newstand at Los Angeles International Airport, expecting never to see it again — until a call" [...]
I can't speak for you but for me, the innocuous little bit of kit featured here has prevented a major computer disaster on more than one occasion.
Long story short: If you have a recent vintage iMac you will be familiar with the placement of the USB ports' [...]
On the surface not an obvious candidate subject for this feature, but that's the point: we're drilling down deep.
From researchers at the University of California-San Diego School of Medicine comes evidence that there is indeed a neurobiological pathway and specific brain circuitry associated with attributes such as' [...]
Designed by
Anthony Lau.
Secures one or two bicycles.
Enables you
to lock both wheels.
[via candycranks]
[...]The caption for the video above: "Dust Storm (Dalhart, Texas) 2007 is based on a single archival photograph of a storm from the 1930s American Dust Bowl... a major contributor to what became the Great Depression. No moving images of the event are known to exist. The production of this work involved the" [...]
Long story (by Michael Kimmelman in the November 5, 2009 New York Times) short: Experts from the Glasgow School of Art are on the bleeding edge of 3-D digital laser scanning technology, using it to create representations of now-decaying structures and buildings as they originally appeared.
Slide show [...]
Actually, pretty cool.
From the website:
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Box Buddy™ Handle Cutter
The only box handle cutter in the world.
Box Buddy safely cuts heavy-duty handles into any single wall cardboard box to make lifting and carrying easier than ever.
Simple to use and you'll get sturdy carry handles every time.
No more slipping or dropped' [...]
Designed by Shahar Peleg.
"A metal holder is hidden in the last book cover. The magnetic arrow is drawn to the metal holder, thus creating a floating illusion."
Apply within.
[via 1 Design Per Day and m,appeal]
[...]J.D. Biersdorfer, New York Times tech writer extraordinaire, spilled the beans in her November 5, 2009 "Q&A" feature; the juice follows.
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Audiobook Choices for the iPod
Q. What companies sell audiobooks for the iPod Touch besides iTunes? Are there fees involved?
A. The iTunes Store stocks thousands [...]
Good idea.
From the website:
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Frying Tongs
Lift and turn fried foods without splattering.
Combination strainer and tongs let you grab, lift and drain foods during cooking and when placing onto a platter from the frying pan or deep fryer.
Stainless steel.
11"L.
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$7.95. " [...]
