Steve McQeen's Ferrari

The ever cool McQueen owned this in 1963. It's a 250GT Lusso, front engined V12, one of 350, restored to its original condition and up at Christie's in August.

When good elephants go bad

Studies in animal population have shown before that things go quite wrong when density reaches a flashpoint. Now elephants, strained by reduced habitats, apparently have turned to raping rhinos, staging attacks on humans by blocking second exits to homes, and generally running amock.


(This according to Charles Siebert in a New York Times Magazine article, amongst others).

Getting inside

I've never had the money or bravado to open up anything but a defunct microwave. Some folks, however, have no problem destroying new consumer goods for the shear curiosity of it. There's a Youtube video of a Smart car being remotely smashed into a barrier at 70 mph to compare it with a regular compact car's performance, not funded by the company. (Smart car won hands down).

Here's a brand new Iphone, 2 hours out of the box, and Anand Lal Shimpi just had to see what was inside:

Forced perspective

Tarkovsky's "Nostalghia" has an amazing example of 'forced perspective' in film making. Looking at the first image, there's a farmhouse behind the actor. As he pans back you see the whole scene framed in the enormous columns and facade of a destroyed church. He achieved this by making the farmhouse in miniature and very close to the actors. Click on the pics to enlarge.

Casablanca's last scene has a painted plane on a canvas, obscured by heavy artificial rain, and little people to simulate a large aircraft on an airfield. You'll never see that film again the same way.

Spaghetti junctions

Urban camouflage

For house to house fighting.

The running (and slipping) of the bulls

How committed should one be to a photograph before getting the hell out the way?

Ze fun ve haf

(Click to enlarge)

This one's screaming out for a caption.
You can post them in "comments."

On the heels of Matta-Clark

Richard Wilson's new sculpture, celebrating Liverpool's Biennial, takes a lot from Gordon Matta-Clark. Here are a few of Matta-Clark's 'cutting through building' sculptures from many years ago:




And here's Wilson's, except IT MOVES:


And here's the Youtube video, worth watching:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hktO3OdOPbs&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eengadget%2Ecom%2F2007%2F06%2F11%2Fuk%2Dsculptor%2Ddesigns%2Drotating%2Dwall%2Dfor%2Dliverpool

Unfathomable Injustice 2

Genarlow Wilson was a Grade 12 baskeball star. On his Prom night, he decided not to reject a forward young woman giving him oral sex. If they had had sex, it would have been a minor misdemeanor, but this was categorized as rape (though consensual and both under age) and he received a mandatory ten years in jail. Now in his fourth year behind bars, a judge today has ordered Wilson's release, calling his original term a 'grave miscarriage of justice." Wilson now has a reduced sentence of one year, and should be home with his family.
Georgia Attorney General Thurbert Baker, however, is appealing Wilson's release, determined to keep him locked up. He is behind bars, still, whilst the appeal is in place. What is WRONG with people?

$1000 new Levi jeans

These are the Levi Fenom 505's available from Tab Device in Japan.
I understand the obssessive collecting of rare vintage Levis, with their naturally evolved higes (those worn horizontal lines at the crotch) and rips, but the mark up on shredding a new pair makes no sense to me.

Only in Japan

Everything's on steroids in Japan. They define what it means to embrace an idea.

Favourite Songs 1

If there was an all time top ten list, for me, this might be number 1.
"Heroes" by Bowie. Robet Fripp's original guitar line helps a lot.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYjBQKIOb-w

Seeing through walls

No kidding. Troy Hurtubise has done the seemingly impossible with his newest invention and defied all known rules of physics.

It's called the "the Angel Light" and has MIT hopping with interest. It appears that it also shuts down electonic devices in its path. A weapon, then, to change wars as we know them. (I'm hoping this is not a hoax, but it seems not).

Unlikely killers

Hippos keep a strict watch over their territories and threaten anyone who invade them. Their teeth are as sharp as razor blades and they kill more people than any other African animal. Despite this, they are actually vegetarians and feed exclusively on grass.





Bottom pic: thanks to Jim C of MWR

Bill Gates arrested.

In 1977, when he was 21. He drove a stop sign and didn't have his licence.
Hard for anyone to have guessed that this lad would be able to contribute more to charity than any other individual in the history of the planet (with the help of Warren Buffet, of course, who has contributed his wealth to Gates' charitable pool).