Happy Halloween from Bouncing Around the Blogosphere

Acorn Skull carved with Dremmell Tool by Skull-A-Day blog founder Noah Scalin. Click on pic for more.

30 Dumb Inventions

Head on over to Life Magazine’s Photo Gallery to check out some dumb inventions from the 1940s – 1960s. The captions are pretty funny – worth the read. Here are a couple of my favorite photos:

 

Rainy Day Cigarette Holder, 1954

Dog Restrainer, 1940

Bouncing Around the Blogosphere: {Terrible Yellow Eyes}

 

Of all the Bouncing Around the Blogosphere posts I’ve done in the past year or so, this one is, by far, my absolute favorite. For me, this blog was love at first sight. How could it not be? Terrible Yellow Eyes features two of my favorite things: creative variations on a theme and one of my favorite children’s books, “Where the Wild Things Are.” Select artists were invited by the blog’s creator, Cory Godbey, to create a work inspired by Maurice Sendak’s book.  And it looks like the idea is going to pay off with an exhibition.

As I’m sure you’ve heard, a movie based on the book is coming out later this year. I’ve seen a preview, and it looks like the movie will be as visually stunning as the book, which makes me immensely happy. I can’t wait to see it.

I’m posting some of my favorite works from the blog below. It was soooo hard to narrow them down to this many. If you’re up for it,  post your favorites as a comment or blog post. It would be very interesting to see who likes what, and who doesn’t like “Where the Wild Things Are”?

"Shadows" by Terrible Yellow Eyes creator Cory Godbey

"Lonely" by Rekha Thorat

"crowned" by Jared Chapman

"Hide and Seek" by Dan Matutina

Shadow Box by Jeremy Vanhoozer

Bouncing Around the Blogosphere: {Mad Men}

Some of us here in the Deep-Fried vat love “Mad Men.” Some not so much. I’m a fan for a few reasons. I love the way it looks, and I love getting a glimpse into a time when the next new tactic was TV rather than social media. Another thing I find fascinating about “Mad Men” is how it has embraced new age social media as a marketing tool but still maintained the ’60s mindset. Several “Man Men” characters have Twitter accounts that they use quite effectively. And let’s not forget the very popular MadMen Yourself microsite we all has tons of fun with. So, it’s no surprise that there are an abundance of Mad Men blogs out there. Here are what I consider to be the top three Mad Men-related blogs that I’ve come across lately.  

The Footnotes of Mad Men

This blog explains a lot of the cultural references made on the show that might go over someone’s head if they weren’t around in the ’60s or didn’t pay attention in American History. One of the two. It also offers up real examples of ads of the age and art and design references.

Welcome to the Drapers

All the other mommies are doing it. Why shouldn’t Betty Draper be a mommy blogger, too?

What Would Don Draper Do?

There’s also a “What Would Roger Sterling Do?,” ” What Would Joan Holloway Do,” etc., etc. It’s not much to look at. Joan Holloway’s blog is much more visual. But this one was the most interesting to read in my opinion. And it’s dry, sardonic wit is smack dab on character.

Happy blogsurfing.

Bouncing Around the Blogosphere: {Toolmonger}

Previous Bouncing Around the Blogosphere posts and e-mails have featured design, weddings, home decor, art –things that I personally find interesting or that make me laugh. But this one is quite out of my comfort zone because, Jeremy, this one’s for you.

For me, reading Toolmonger is a little like reading Greek. But it seems to have a lot of good content that is very well organized and easily accessible. Featured tools are listed by brand,  type and retailer. Plus, I thought the blog had a lot of neat features: Submit a Tool, Tool Talk podcasts, One-Beer Projects, Hands-On, Project Garage and Budget Shop Truck Build. There are also how-tos, some of them about traditional projects like building bookcases and others… Well, let’s just say that I, for one, am majorly impressed that someone built their own custom, full-sized wireless Guitar Hero controller.

Now, only a true do-it-yourselfer who is much more familiar with the ins and outs of tool handling than I will know if this blog’s info is truly informative and useful. So I’m throwing it out there with blind hope that you like it. If nothing else, I hope it’s fun to look at. You’ll have to let me know what you think. They’re also looking for contributers, Jeremy. I bet you could definitely help them expand their Budget Shop Truck Build feature. 🙂 Happy reading.

 

Why buy an engine stand when you can build your own?

Now that's a nail gun! Toolmonger's Hands-On feature offers reviews of hands-on experiences with various tools.

A reader-submitted photo of his workspace. I thought this was interesting because it shows the affinity guys have for their workshops.

Bouncing Around the Blogosphere: {Recycle LACMA}

I just love it when your favorite blog leads you to a new amazing, favorite blog. It’s like they know you,  everything in the universe is in tandem, and all is right with the world. Ahhh…

Anywho, I stumbled across Recycle LACMA this morning via DesignSponge. Let’s just say, I was blown away. Recycle LACMA is Los Angeles-based artist Robert Fontenot’s chronicle of his efforts to find new uses for old, unwanted items he purchased from the Los Angeles County Museum of Art earlier this year. What a neat idea and I love, love, love, scrolling down for the little reveal of what was made from the pre-existing items.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Two Guatemalan pants became two stuffed teddy bears.

 

 

 

 

 

This purple Korean chima became a dog bed. All the newly created items have their accession numbers embroidered on them.

I also enjoyed taking a peek at another of Fontenot’s projects: Dictionary of Earthly Delights. It reminded me of the word-association illustrations we used to do in GT, but much deeper thinking than making your T in Tree sprout leaves. 🙂  Enjoy!

Power of the Unexpected

This is a a post about a post. I saw this over at Lisa Barone’s entry at Outspoken Media and was struck by the energy behind this video. Why can’t every day be more like this? Instead of typing up your conference report, draw it in markers. Instead of sending an email, deliver a singing telegram. Instead of going out to dinner, make a picnic and take it to your friend’s house as a surprise.

The post says:

“Watch it. You might cry. You may get up and dance. You may break into instantaneous giggle fits. You may even be slightly horrified. But while you’re watching and tapping your feet, notice the look in the attendees’ eyes. Hear their laughs. Look at the faces of the bride and everyone else involved.  Feel what’s happening in that room.

That’s what happens when you do something people aren’t expecting. When you don’t allow yourself to get caught up in the pomp and circumstance of it all. When you finally stop taking yourself so seriously. When you embrace the moment, remember what life used to feel like and go for it.

Your customers will probably expect you to act a certain way today. The same old greetings, the same service, the same old promises, etc. Maybe today you should surprise them. Answer the phone differently. Offer them something extra.  Show them another side of you. Let yourself get carried away and swept up.”

Get swept up, friends 🙂

Bouncing Around the Blogosphere: {SoulPancake}

Actor Rainn Wilson is one of the creators of SoulPancake.

Here it is — an edition of “Bouncing Around the Blogosphere” totally not approved by hashbrowncasserole… I’m thinking she won’t mind. 🙂

Pancakes fall in the second tier of my favorite foods, tied with corn dogs. But that is not why I am sharing SoulPancake with you. It is a site that was in part created by Rainn Wilson of TV’s the Office. I follow this fellow on Twitter and he has mentioned the site several times, and curiosity got the better of me.

What is SoulPancake? They say “We want to make discussions about Spirituality, Creativity, and Philosophy cool again. Were they ever cool? I have no idea. But it seems like a good idea. We want to engage the user to ‘Chew on Life’s Big Questions.'”

Some of those questions:

What does it mean to be generous? Can you ever be too generous? If so, how can you learn to exhibit a healthy sense of generosity?

Given its status, is English on the fast track to becoming the world’s first universal language? Or is a universal language unnecessary?

What’s the point of guilt? Does our ability to feel guilt help us be more honest?

New questions are added often and members/users are encouraged to chime in with their own quandaries.  Some questions are even more spiritual than the above, thus much debate occurs in the comments section of each question. While readers may agree or disagree, the idea is great! I love this movement – readers and members making up the content of a site. I think that is what makes the World Wide Web so special. Thanks, Al Gore.

Bouncing Around the Blogosphere: {oh joy!}

Stumbled into this design/inspiration blog via sub studio, another fun design blog. I really like the simplicity of the posts and, for me, the content is simply a joy to look at.  Art, design, photography, stationary, fashion, accessories, packaging, interiors… lots to look at.

Graph paper art by jenism found on Flikr. Reminds me of what my math graph paper in high school looked like, minus the pretty colors.

Fashion posts range from $300 necklaces to the next hot designer for Target. This post paid homage to all things striped.

And, of course, what’s a design blog without a nod to typography?

Jump for joy over at Oh joy!

Bouncing Around the Blogosphere: Improv Everywhere

Improv Everywhere is not new. The group was founded in ’01 and has been getting decent press since ’05. But they’re new to me, and I got a kick out of reading their blog posts. This NYC-based group specializes in “causing scenes of chaos and joy in public places.” Some of my favorites:

As this couple was leaving their courthouse ceremony, Improv Everywhere invited them to an improv reception complete with champagne, cake and a wedding party.

Apparently, the first No Pants Subway Ride was so sucessful, it's turned into an annual event.

And this is synchronized swimming in a public fountain. Hilarious.

Another of Improv Everywhere’s stunts involved organizing a group of 50 redheads to protest a Manhattan Wendy’s and their “racist” logo. Another coup: infiltrating a Best Buy store with 80 people dressed in khakis and blue shirts, who actually helped customers. Each misson is thoroughly documented, and the group has published its first book. Check it out at http://improveverywhere.com/.