the stuff inside my head that must get out
archives
Fri, 28 Sep 2007
dice stacking: useless but way cool
I have no doubt that the young man in this amazing video is the best there is in the world at what he does, but the question remains: is it worth doing?
Thu, 27 Sep 2007
Like some biology lab test gone horribly wrong, here is Kermit the Frog Dissected. It come from yet another obscure but awesome blog I like to read: PuppetBuilding.com.
best comic book store in silicon valley
Confirming what you Hijinx loyalists out there already knew, the Metro has dubbed us The Best Comic Store in Silicon Valley! Check out our listing and those of the other recipients right here.
And thanks to all of you who voted for us. We couldn't do it without you and I promise to keep making this store better than ever!
[/topics/arts/comics] permanent link
Brian Dettmer makes astoundingly beautiful art pieces out of old books by trimming pages and revealing the illustrations inside. Check out this amazing gallery of his work. Thanks to artist extraordinaire Eddie Cambell for pointing this out on his blog.
Mon, 24 Sep 2007
Bearing a shocking resemblance to the Gom Jabbar pain box featured in Frank Herbert's Dune, this box emits a ray that hurts like the dickens without actually doing any harm. Who says we don't live in the future? How long before jet-pack wearing sentinels use these weapons to control what comics we can and can't read? While it would make ordering comics easier, it would make them less fun to read. Anyway, read about the pain ray here.
Wed, 19 Sep 2007
[/topics/arts/comics] permanent link
Tue, 18 Sep 2007
[/topics/arts/movies] permanent link
Fri, 14 Sep 2007
Japan is ruled by nerds (officially)
How nerdy are the Japanese? Not only does it look like their next Prime Minister is a huge comics fan, but he's one otaku who wants to use manga and anime to spread goodwill and Japanese culture around the world. Smart fellers, them nerds.
According to this article in the Wall Street Journal online, shares of companies linked to "nerd products" like manga and anime skyrocketed. Smart fellers indeed.
Mon, 10 Sep 2007
As some of you may know, I've been using Menlo Park's TechShop to laser etch some custom signs for the store. I've also learned how to cast aluminum, MIG welding and how to use a vertical milling machine. I've been having so much fun, I keep forgetting to post pictures of all the cool equipment available at the TechShop facilities.
Luckily for lazy bloggers like me, former chief Macintosh Evangelist and high tech startup guru Guy Kawasaki has already done it here on his blog.
The thing I love most about the place is the emphasis on learning by doing. The classes are just long enough to get you up to speed on the technical and safety aspects of a given set of equipment. After that it's up to you to work on whatever scratches your creative itch in order to master the techniques.
Fri, 07 Sep 2007
Check out the trailer for what looks to be a fascinating documentary that explores the whole "modern art as con game" idea that seems to have been around since the advent of the style. I don't think there are any easy answers to the question, and I'm glad to see that it seems like the movie tries to explore the grey areas. Looks like a winner!
Thu, 06 Sep 2007Don't ask me what they're selling, but apparently it's quite mad.
[/topics/arts/comics] permanent link
Tue, 04 Sep 2007
[/topics/arts/comics] permanent link
Sun, 02 Sep 2007
I was messing around with the laser etching machine over at the Techshop in Menlo Park, making a balsa wood biohazard container when somebody strolled up to me with a bucket full of little missles. He told me they were called lazy dog bombs and that they were developed during WWII but first deployed in Vietnam.
It seems some genius realized that you didn't need any gunpowder if you just dumped your bullets out of a plane. While they weren't explosive, by the time they hit the ground each of these little projectiles was packing the power of a .50 caliber bullet. That's a big bullet. Just getting hit with one of these from 10 feet away would really hurt, now imagine them raining down from the sky at hundreds of miles an hour. Ouch!
Anyway, it turns out the guy who gave them to me turned out to be Jim Newton, former Mythbuster and founder of the Techshop. At that moment, I knew I was home!