Pick Up Sticks

Toothpick art moves up a peg...

This toothpick rollercoaster above (a student project) used 2000. Compare that to the work of Scott Weaver in the video below. He has built a 9′ fantasy San Francisco using 1,000,000 toothpicks.

His “Rolling Through the Bay” took 34 years to create and features pingpong ball ramps that turn the toothpick sculpture into active art. Watch as they roll through San Francisco landmarks. This week at the Sonoma County Fair it won “Best of Show”.


link: BTW, he turned down $40,000 for it.

Prick With A Fork

That pic, plus the bottom line? Priceless
Dunno the guy, but could be truth in advertising...

...some of the added comments:

# I'd suggest..."Prick package with a fork"... but that might be worse.

# The guy signed on to advertise the "new, thicker Fairy" that "keeps on going," which leads me to believe that his overall judgment in terms of marketing copy is seriously impaired.

# note the first letters of the top 3 lines spell "Ass."

# My dentist once said, "you might feel a little prick"

That last one had me LOL...


the original (sausage) link: the Consumerist

Star Rodents

A Short Time Ago...

In A Yard Far Far Away (or Close By)...


'' An Imperial Stormtrooper mistakes a chipmunk for a speeder bike. It's all part of amateur photographer Chris McVeigh's 'Crossover' project, in which he tamed animals in his garden to make them pose with his Star Wars toys. ''

the link: w/ more chipmunk pics

Wish I had as much free time as this guy seems to...
... but I'd skip the Star-toy obsession part.

Panty Line

*click above* for actual image from article...
*from 1010wins news:
Residents Hang Panties in Hope of Silencing Bar

Residents in a building next to the Cooper Square hotel say they are losing sleep and their sanity due the bar that is only inches from their homes.

'The bar is only 29 inches from our windows - less than 3 feet - ' one resident said, 'we hear everything'.

The outdoor bar closes at 8 p.m., but residents say the indoor bar creates just as much noise.

So they created a lingerie line of defense.

Residents strung up soiled panties, bras, and other unmentionables in plain view of the bar, hoping it would remind patrons that people actually live right next-door.

Hm.
Would undies deter you from going to your hotel's bar?

(I've been in dives that would be improved by that view.
But maybe CSq's patrons are more delicate than I am...)

Followup: the area near the bar, from the other side...
(via flickr) a pic of buildings near the panties

Digit of Doom

Walk-in (patient? client?) declares: "Oh yes, he's dead now. I put the finger of death on him and killed him"... Ack!

But it started off so innocently:

"I'd like my hearing tested".

"Are you experiencing any difficulty hearing?"

"Well I'm not sure ... how much do you charge?"

"Oh, don't worry about that, all our hearing tests are free"

"Three?"

"Free"

"Three what?"

"No, FREE. We don't charge for them"

"I'm Brazilian" ...

Can't remember when I've enjoyed someone's work-post so much. Therefore, as a public service, I must link to it so more can see the rest here at GI's A World So Small.

Tell Me The Tooth

High-tech dentistry... using plasma flares?

from the Economist:

(in a root canal) "... it is common for some of the bacteria to survive it and therefore for infections to re-emerge...

The surviving bacteria are often gathered in the form of what is known as a biofilm. Bacteria in such a film are embedded in a polymer matrix, which makes them harder to kill than isolated individuals. High temps can destroy biofilms, as can chemicals, but neither is safe to use inside... a human tooth. However Chunqi Jiang, a physicist at the USC, and her colleagues have come up with a possible alternative: a dental plasma torch.

...Dr Jiang reckoned that a cold plasma, particularly one rich in oxygen ions (which are notoriously destructive of organic materials), would be enough to do the job of breaking up a biofilm without harming the patient.

(my aside) 'Much'.

I'm praying this isn't the same kind: Here's a youtube video of one cutting a motorcycle outline in less than 30 seconds... out of quarter-inch steel plate.

I like my dentist, but wouldn't trust him with this!

Return of the Elf

Remember the bad guy from Matrix?...
He was also head elf in Lord of the Rings and he's returning for the Hobbit movies

link in new window: EW News Briefs

Guillermo del Toro confirms Hugo Weaving in 'The Hobbit'

In an interview with BBC Radio 5 (at 02:10:55 mark), director Guillermo del Toro confirmed that Hugo Weaving will reprise his Lord of the Rings role of Elrond in the upcoming Hobbit films. Weaving joins Andy Serkis (Gollum) and Ian McKellen (Gandalf), who will also reappear in the two highly anticipated films, scheduled for a 2011 and 2012 release.

{spoiler below}
They're splitting the book into two movies.
The first one ends when the dragon dies.

Gaping Void

'Toons from 'Ignore Everybody', being published today.


Hugh MacLeod accidentally started writing his book 'Ignore Everybody And 39 Other Keys to Creativity' by drinking in a bar and drawing tiny toons on his business cards...

* See more of his 'toons on his 'be creative' page.

And now we can get 2 for the price of 1 if we're quick:

Hugh: "The first 500 people who pre-order the book AND send their electronic receipt/confirmation number to IgnoreEverybody (at) gmail.com will get a second (personally signed) book from me."

Sounds like a deal...

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Racing Round the Web

I only know 'Volvo' for its cars, but they also do ocean races.
Maybe the car bits are under? - they do have unique keels...

Never been on a racing yacht; I think I'd get horribly seasick.
But that doesn't stop me from occasionaly tuning in... try online here, or if you're lucky, on your local PBS, to get a glimpse of these boats in action.

Volvo 'Around the World' Race, last eps:
Ep 8 - June 10th, Versus @ 4pm
Ep 9 - July 8th, 2009

KG for GI

Since Girl Interrupted has never seen her...
And because her new season is premiering in the U.S. tonight, here's a link to the first meeting of Ricky Gervais and Kathy Griffin. KG was getting ready to try her material out in the UK for the first time.

disclaimer: KG can have moments of extreme tastelessness, but overall her show is quite funny.



(*If it doesn't load: direct link to the same video)

The Fifth Kathy

Got an email alert (thus proving they work...) :

''The Fifth Season Of Kathy Griffin: My Life On The D-List premieres Monday, June 8 At 10 PM ET/PT''

I'd totally forgotten, though this was a favorite. (I keep meaning to see if my interest always fades by any show's 40th ep...) So, anyway, that's tomorrow, folks.

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Meanwhile, who is this guy touring her home?
He reminds me of that bad Bravo host AndyC.
(And believe me, that's really no compliment.)

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Full confession: I'm a sucker for house tours - no matter how lousy the tour guide, or how unlikable the owner... its just so fascinating to see what they value.

I even bought and read the MTV Cribs -book- . (who else knew that tv trash tome even existed?) Luckily I came to my senses and gave it away so if I die suddently no one will find it in my library...
* Ah well, at least I didn't pay retail.

License to Chill

007, on ice. (click to see his, um, big one...)

LOL'd at a 'news report' about Daniel Craig, being voted Britain’s 'coolest' and having his sculpted torso recreated as a limited edition ice lolly as part Del Monte's 'Superfruit Smoothies' campaign. The article ends with these lines:

'...artists worked tirelessly to recreate a sculpture of 41-year-old Craig in the scene where he emerges from the sea in Casino Royale.'

'Do you fancy getting your lips around Bond?'

Oh my.

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Should I mention he's pomegranate flavored?

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