Transportation
If you recognize that these cutouts are more than sadly modern abstracts then you can have them on your wall. If you had to look at the description to figure out what they are, you would be posing and that’s not cool.
In my house you hear a lot about the mystical perfect Triumph — the Scrambler. Hell for Leather has a peek at a JoMo version that could make our garage/shop a little snugger.
The Johnson Motor Company is making a come back. (See the bike above) The website is still pretty rough but you can see a little history and click around a bit by starting here.
On the other hand you might just want to go for urban combat commuter practical. Kettenkrad. Googling for more info and more pictures is left as an amusing exercise for the reader.
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Society
If you thought the BigMedia copyright treaty boondoogling twirps were only messing with the US negotiations of copyright treaties you were wrong. Leaked docs show EU interests planning to lean on Canada to “upgrade” it’s IP laws. Ugh.
The cost of copyright infringement fear. 25 episodes of the Jack Benny Show has been located in the CBS archives. They are old enough to be in the public domain. There are people willing to pay all the costs of having them converted to digital. Because CBS is afraid of being sued by owners of some little bit if music, they will never see the light of day. If you have deep pockets you can’t be too careful.
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Science and Tech
Marine worms (and earth worms) do amazing things in the little shallow world they inhabit. Another final project from Dr. Dunn’s lab explores the leggy, freaky marine worms and how they may have had a big role in creating gypsum mountains. (Remember the crystal caves of Mexico from a couple of weeks ago?) Mute for the first 48 seconds to get past a poorly chosen sound track but don’t skip the video portion. (Sound)
There’s a new class of technology being pushed at CES this year — the “smartbook”. Yeah, I know, WTF. About the size and capability of a netbook with the mobile connectivity of a smart phone. Hence smart-book. Or something. Ars gives us a look at two of the contenders. Take away — not quite ready for prime time, but I love the look and idea behind the Entourage Edge Dualbook.
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Art, Images, Concept Art
Hervé Groussin, for the oddly attired sharks at the top of the post (and for the machetes.) There’s an image of one of the sharks being lifted into a water tank later in the set. Those two images lead to hours of trying to put together the story that links them.
Again with the sharks in concept art. After the last set, the scene here with the shark and fish looks like a pastoral. Imaginative winged buildings and better dragons than the usual slobbers as well. Frank F. Hong
Jagged and colorful, two roosters bookend a series of paintings featuring the art of sumo wrestling. The young Italian Fabio Roncato paints like a sculptor.
Leaving you all with this insightful portrait of Che in 1963.
Now wake up get back to work my darling slackers.