Puppies and Flowers

Something sinister is coming to San Francisco in May. The conditions for a zombie outbreak will be perfect on May 25th around 6pm. Stay tuned for further dispatches.

Shek Kip Mei Estate, Hong Kong's oldest public housing estate, is composed of 100 rooms, each closet-like in size at only 100 square feet and built in response to a devastating fire in the 1950s that left thousands homeless. In a new series of photographs called "100 x 100," Michael Wolf captures the residents of this housing complex who are almost enveloped by the diminishing space around them, their belongings stacked to the ceiling.

Link to article and slides

This is an amazing fashion show which appears to be interactive with the models. Over at Creative Review there is an excellent article on players involved in the creation of this piece.

Link to Creative Review via Neatorama

photo: National Archives)

From NPR:

A bit of national history occurred Wednesday morning when 11 1/2 hours of previously unreleased tapes from Richard Nixon's presidential years were released to the public.

The release was part of a change in oversight for the Nixon Presidential Library and Museum. Previously run by the Nixon Foundation, which was made up of Nixon family and friends, the library now falls under the domain of the National Archives. Continue reading

From Yahoo:

"This is a great day for history. The hallmark of this new institution will be true acceptance and love for history — the good, the bad and the ugly," said Timothy Naftali, the museum's new federal director.

"The challenge is to present a controversial, traumatic and important story in a fair and historically accurate way," he said.

For nearly 20 years, library visitors were told the Watergate scandal was really a "coup" by Nixon's rivals and the investigative reporting team of Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein offered bribes for their nation-shaking scoops. Continue reading

If you need a presidential sized laugh after reading these click here 

photo: Genocide Intervention

From Radar Online:

Cheadle, co-author of Not On Our Watch, about the genocide in Darfur, was recently called in to talk to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice about the issue. And he wasn't impressed.

"She wanted to tell me what the U.S. was doing," Cheadle said. "First she said, 'We're doing all we can, but it's not us, it's the United Nations. They're bogged down with red tape, and trying to push anything through just takes forever. The bureaucracy is almost insurmountable, and it's the United Nations, not the U.S.' And then she said, 'It's like when we had this crisis in Lebanon, I had to send someone down specifically to push through all of our legislation and make sure that everything moved through efficiently.' I'm thinking, I thought you had no control over the United Nations. But I didn't say that, 'cause I wanted to leave!" more

More information about the Sudan divestment movement.

The exhibition brings together 34 of Scotland's most exciting designers in an exhibition at The Lighthouse, with associated projects including a 6 citywide billboard project, publication and specially commissioned souvenirs. Building on the success of The Scottish Show in 2004, the exhibition will celebrate the vibrancy and vitality of Scotland's design industry.

Work and installations by the designers will take over most of The Lighthouse by inhabiting the galleries, corridors, stairwells and shop.
The Scottish Show 07 is the national exhibition of the inaugural six cities design Festival.

OSTREET Billboard 

Link to the Scottish Show 07 via DesignBoom

Update to previous post:

A 10-year-old girl who is worshipped as a living goddess in Nepal has had her title reinstated after defying tradition and visiting the US.

Temple authorities at her home town say that she will not be stripped of her title because she is willing shortly to undergo a "cleansing" ceremony.

Sajani Shakya was one of the three most-revered Kumaris, who are honoured by Hindus and Buddhists alike.

She was chosen after undergoing tests at the age of two.

Since then she has been expected to bless devotees and attend festivals until she reaches puberty.

But she provoked the ire of temple elders by travelling to the US.

Sajani returned from her visit to America on Wednesday. Correspondents say that she was "seemingly unaware" of the controversy.

Link BBC article with more pictures 

Wait a minute, homeless  world cup?

From Spiegel:

The Homeless World Cup brought 500 homeless people from around the world to Denmark to play soccer. But Copenhagen appears to have been too welcoming -- 15 players have overstayed their visas and gone underground.

The Afghanistan team parades in Copenhagen's City Hall Square during the opening ceremonies of the Homeless World Cup. One of their players has gone missing, along with 14 Africans.

I've been a fan of Banksy's for a long time. Don't think I'll be able catch this show though. He has pulled some stunts in America: NYC, Brooklyn and LA.  Pictures link

The Wooster Collective round-up of Banksy links.

Pictures of the London exhibition: [1]  [2]  [3]

Link 

Photo: kuba.wawa (Russian roulette, sex and vodka. Nothing to do with article)

Moscow - A Russian region of Ulyanovsk has found a novel way to fight the nation's birth-rate crisis: It has declared Sept. 12 the Day of Conception and for the third year running is giving couples time off from work to procreate.

The hope is for a brood of babies exactly nine months later on Russia's national day. Couples who "give birth to a patriot" during the June 12 festivities win money, cars, refrigerators and other prizes.

Ulyanovsk, about 550 miles east of Moscow, has held similar contests since 2005. Since then, the number of competitors, and the number of babies born to them, has been on the rise.

Russia, with one-seventh of Earth's land surface, has just 141.4 million citizens, making it one of the most sparsely settled countries in the world. With a low birth rate and a high death rate, the population has been shrinking since the early 1990s.

In his state-of-the-nation address last year, President Vladimir Putin called the demographic crisis the most acute problem facing Russia and announced a broad effort to boost Russia's birth rate, including cash incentives to families that have more than one child.

Ulyanovsk Gov. Sergei Morozov has added an element of fun to the national campaign.

The 2007 grand prize went to Irina and Andrei Kartuzov, who received a UAZ-Patriot, a sport utility vehicle. Other contestants won video cameras, TVs, refrigerators and washing machines.

Link to article

Copy: Horror Film Festival 10-11 Feb. 2007

If traditional methods of advertising don't work, try scaring people into trying your product. In this case, for the horror film fest, it seems to work. These blood transparencies were placed under doors to make people think they're living their own nightmare, if only for a few seconds. Scary good work by Rediffusion Dyr, Bangalore, India.

Link via

Aletsch Glacier/Switzerland 8.18.07: US-Installation artist Spencer Tunick and Greenpeace Switzerland present a living sculpture: hundreds of naked people symbolise the vulnerability of the glaciers under climate change.

Link to more images 

realated post 

Contains supposedly useful phrases, however "Who's your father referee?" (scroll down to #44) and "Scottish kiss" seem to be missing.
From book:

- 'Le coup d’envoi est à 15 heures' The kick-off is at 3pm

- 'Où en est le match?' What’s the score?

- 'On prend une bière?' How about a beer?

- 'C’est ma tournée' It’s my round

- 'J’ai la gueule de bois' I’ve got a hangover

- 'J’ai la tête qui tourne' I feel dizzy

- 'Au secours!' Help!

- 'L’arbitre' The referee

- 'Les joueurs' The players

- 'Un pilier' A prop

- 'Le talonneur' The hooker

- 'Le demi de mêlée' The scrum half

- 'Un ailier' A winger

 Link

From BBC:

Daleks bid to make world record

A bid to create a new world record and have the biggest number of people dressed up as daleks in one location has taken place in Manchester.

The Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester brought together 67 home-made Daleks on Sunday afternoon.

Their original creator, Raymond Cusick, who was there to judge the world record attempt said the initial design 40 years ago was very basic.

The museum is currently featuring an exhibition on Dr Who and the Daleks.
An official decision is yet to be announced as to whether the daleks succeeded in the world record bid.

Link to Flickr set 

From article:

The unusual sporting event was dreamed up by mastermind and organiser Dmitry Bulawinov.

He said the idea of floating down the river in the embraces of a rubber woman was conceived as a joke at a party where the men got drunk and the women didn't show up.

While considering the possible uses for a rubber woman on a camping trip, someone suggested that a sex doll would make a handy flotation device. Thus the 'Bubble Baba Challenge' was born.

Article with two more pictures

YouTube clip 

Just watch it...

Follow up:
Miss West Carolina responds to Miss South Carolina

Thanks Brady! 

found photo: lafrancevi

From article:

KABUL, Afghanistan —  The U.S. military regrets any offense it may have caused by handing out a soccer ball emblazoned with the name of Allah on it as part of a public relations exercise in Afghanistan, a spokesman said.

According to Scott Beale at Laughing Squid: 

Wow, this is a shocker. At around 3 am Tuesday morning at Burning Man 2007, during a rare lunar eclipse, the Burning Man sculpture was set on fire prematurely (it is normally burned on Saturday). The Black Rock City Emergency Services Department was able to put out the fire in time and salvage the sculpture (it had not yet been loaded with fuel or explosives). It is still scheduled for its normal burn on Saturday and they will be working throughout the week to repair any burn damage and re-install the neon.

Lots more info, pictures and updates at Laughing Squid 

UPDATE: arsonist arrested 

Link to SF Bay Guardian blog 

Installation at Havana Biennnial

Lots more work available on his website 

Hilly Kristal, who founded CBGB, the Bowery bar that became the cradle of punk and art-rock in New York in the 1970s and served as the inspiration for musician-friendly rock dives throughout the world, died in Manhattan on Tuesday. He was 75.

Continue reading 

From Ich Bin Ein Beijinger's blog

The Midi Music Festival has become a real cultural phenomenon, drawing young people from all over the country and giving me increasing hope that the still-marginal rock culture has reached critical mass and momentum. This year, I hear there were 80,000 people on the first day, and the line for tickets was nearly a kilometer long, wrapping from the east gate of Haidian Park all the way around the north side. Organizers did a terrific job of crowd control and security, but I still worry whether the auhorities will squash the thing next year--especially if there's as much dope-themed stuff for sale as I saw this year.

Interesting Flickr set here 

found photo: Tariq's Fantasy World

From article:

A former CIA operative and Cuban exile plans to auction what he says is a lock of Che Guevara's hair, snipped before the Argentinian revolutionary was buried in 1967.

Gustavo Villoldo, 71, was involved in Guevara's capture in the jungles of Bolivia.

He plans to auction the hair and other items kept in a scrapbook since the joint CIA-Bolivian army mission 40 years ago.

The scrapbook also holds a map used to track down Guevara in Bolivia, photos of Guevara's body, intercepted messages between Guevara and his rebels and a set of Guevara's fingerprints taken before his burial.

The collection will be put on the block Oct. 25-25.

Continue reading

Make your own Bob Dylan “Subterranean Homesick Blues” signs.

Link via Neatorama 

Culprit caught orange handed!

found  photo: kamagurka

From Des Moines Register: 

The assault weapons listed on the Des Moines police report was a bag of Cheetos.

Patrick Hamman, 22, of 4904 S.W. 13th St., was arrested Sunday on a charge of domestic assault. Officers explained that the victim of the snack attack, Michael Hamman, lives with his adult son, Patrick and that they became involved in an argument Sunday night.

Patrick Hammon picked up a bag of Cheetos and threw it at his father, hitting him in the face, police said. It hit him in the glasses, causing a cut to the bridge of Michael Hamman's nose.

The police report said: "Michael's T-shirt was also covered in Cheeto dust."

Patrick admitted being high on methamphetamine, police said. He was taken to the Polk County Jail without further incident.

The store which was frequented by Ry Cooder, Elvis Costello, Dave Edmunds, BB King and John Hiatt, to name a few, is going out of business at the end of the month due to the decline of vinyl sales. 

Clip form article:

Goddard was celebrated last month at the 142 Throckmorton Theater in Mill Valley with an afternoon and evening of music that continued into the small hours across the street at the Sweetwater. Eating barbecue at folding tables in a bank parking lot that night were Bonnie Raitt, Sammy Hagar, Maria Muldaur and Narada Michael Walden, pretty much the four horsemen of Mill Valley music. New Orleans rock 'n' roll star Frankie Ford ("Sea Cruise") had to be kept out of sight for a day and a half in Mill Valley so he could surprise Goddard at the event.

Village Music's end will also be marked on Sunday at the Great American Music Hall - only a handful of tickets remain - where Goddard will be serenaded by a mix of performers that mirrors his fairly narrowly proscribed but passionate tastes in music: rockabilly by the Collins Kids, blues from Jimmy McCracklin and Sugar Pie DeSanto, soul music by Bettye LaVette and Swamp Dogg, among others.

If that isn't enough, world-renowned turntablist DJ Shadow will be spinning sides every day this month at Village Music, using only records from the store's bins. Goddard himself is thinking about closing down with a midnight Saturday-to-midnight-Sunday finale at the end of the month.

Continue reading

From MacNN: 

Apple boss Steve Jobs today introduced the widely rumored and highly anticipated touch-sensitive iPod, codenamed iPod touch. The iPod looks nearly identical to the iPhone in appearance, with a large screen and a customary 'home' button at the bottom. "It features our revolutionary multi-touch interface that you've come to know and love on the iPhone," said Jobs. "If you've used an iPhone you'll feel at home, it's exactly the same." The company also unveiled a new application specific to iPod touch and the iPhone, the iTunes WiFi music store. The new store allows users to preview and download songs via WiFi in the same fashion as the original iTunes software. Apple will offer the iPod touch in two configurations with 8GB and 16GB storage capacities for $300 and $400, respectively. Both models are slated for shipment "in just a few weeks" but before the end of the month.

The 3.5-inch widescreen display displays photos just like the iPhone, and supports Apple's "pinch-to-zoom" technique as well as the customary slide for unlocking the device.

The iPod touch features CoverFlow technology, and includes a WiFi meter in the top-left corner of the screen to monitor signal strength. The new iPod's wireless capability includes 802.11 b/g support, and utilizes the company's Safari Web browser to login to public wireless networks as well as surf the Web.

Apple's iPod touch supports YouTube in a fashion similar to the iPhone, and boasts a battery life of 22 hours for audio playback or five hours of video playback.

If I was as cool as Miss Cellania (or was able to find the time as she can) I'd do a round-up  of links to accompany this post…

Article:

Hundreds of fans from across the world are set to descend on Doune Castle this weekend for the third Monty Python Day.

The 14th Century keep was made famous as Castle Anthrax in the 1973 classic film Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

Tickets have been restricted to 500 for the event near Stirling, which sees fans taking to the castle's battlements to enact scenes from the famous film.

Aficionados will also have the chance to take part in the coconut conga or the Python Idle talent contest.

The first Monty Python Day was held at Doune Castle, six miles north-west of Stirling, in 2004 to mark the 30th anniversary of film.

Source (BBC)

UPDATE: From the fabulous Miss Cellania herself, the round-up I would have posted. 

Thank you Miss C

via spluch 

On Sep 9, 2007, at the World Horticultural Expo in Germany, a 10.73 meter long onion braid said to be the longest in the world is on display. It weighs 260kg and is made up of 1,024 onions.

more pictures 

Grillo's campaign using a rude word to tell off politicians has won the support of more than 300,000 Italians who signed petitions to sweep away a generation of lawmakers they say are corrupt and ineffective.

Clip: 

An Italian comedian's campaign using a rude word to tell off politicians has won the support of more than 300,000 Italians who signed petitions to sweep away a generation of lawmakers they say are corrupt and ineffective.

Popular comic Beppe Grillo has sent shock waves through the political system with the level of support for his campaign which, if successful, would bar convicted felons from parliament and would limit politicians' careers to two terms in office.

An estimated 40,000 people attended Grillo's rally in Bologna on Saturday and many more went to hundreds of similar "Vaffanculo-day" protests around the country. The word is the Italian equivalent of the "f"-word in English.

Gaining grassroots support via his website, one of Italy's most popular blogs, the 57-year-old comic said Italy needed a radical break from what he said was the political mismanagement of Italy since the end of fascism and World War Two.

"Nothing has changed since 1943. Then the king fled a nation in disarray, today politicians barricade themselves in palaces immersed in 'cultural' issues," said Grillo who, by the end of the protest in the early hours of Sunday claimed at least 300,000 signatures to his petition.

Continue reading article 

YANGON - Tens of thousands of people joined Buddhist monks on marches in Myanmar's former capital on Monday in the biggest demonstration against the ruling generals since they crushed student-led protests nearly 20 years ago.

"I'm very excited and frankly I'm worried too," a teacher said as she watched the massed opposition in Yangon to 45 years of army rule that has impoverished the Southeast Asian nation of 53 million people.

Continue reading with 19 pictures

FOLLOWUP I:

Burmese military threatens monks

Burma's ruling military junta has warned it is ready to "take action" against Buddhist monks leading mounting protests, state media have reported.  

Read more at the BBC

FOLLOWUP II:

Burmese protesters defy warning
   
Buddhist monks march down a street in protest in Rangoon, 25 September 2007
Monks have called for political prisoners to be freed

Some chanted "we want dialogue". Others simply shouted "democracy, democracy".

Earlier, lorries with loudspeakers warned residents that the protests could be "dispersed by military force". 

Read more at the BBC

 FOLLOWUP III:

Riot police 'beat' Burmese monks

``It's very sad that the president has chosen to veto a bill that would provide health care for 10 million American children for the next five years. ... I don't think the president wants to say to the American people that he as the decider, the self-proclaimed decider, wants to decide what children get health care and which children do not.'' House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.

---

``The Republican Congress created SCHIP a decade ago to give millions of low-income, American children access to high-quality health care - not as a trial balloon for government-run health care or as a way to provide government benefits to adults and upper-income families who can afford private health insurance.'' - House Minority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio.

``Never has it been clearer how detached President Bush is from the priorities of the American people. By vetoing a bipartisan bill to renew the successful Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), President Bush is denying health care to millions of low-income kids in America.'' - Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev.

Clip:

A high school art teacher fired after officials learned he moonlighted by creating paintings using his bare buttocks and other body parts sued his former employers on Thursday.

Stephen Murmer was fired in January after Chesterfield County Public Schools officials saw a YouTube video of Murmer wearing a swim thong and a Groucho Marx mask, demonstrating how he applies paint to his backside, then presses it onto a canvas. read more

About Stephen Murmer the artist 

NASA Airbrushed UFOs - Lunar Base Towers

Link to YouTube 

Think I neeed to create an 'ironic' category... 

The coach carrying the Diana inquest jury has reportedly crashed as it traced the Princess's last movements around Paris.

 

In an eerie parallel with the catastrophic accident which killed the Princess, the bus driver was apparently trying to out-manoeuvre paparazzi outside the Ritz

 

The jury, coroner Lord Justice Scott Baker, and teams of lawyers made British legal history by making a site inspection of the places where the Princess and her lover Dodi Fayed spent their final hours. 

Article 

Clip:

FRANKFURT (Reuters) - The Frankfurt Book Fair has an indicator to help publishers gauge public interest in the new offerings presented at the annual exhibition -- the unofficial "most stolen book" index.

Bild am Sonntag and Germany's ZDF television have come up with lists of titles most stolen from 15 leading German publishers' stands set up in the Frankfurt trade fair grounds.

"The most-stolen books are usually the most-sold later on," Claudia Hanssen of the Goldmann Verlag publishing house told Bild am Sonntag newspaper, which published a list of the 10 most stolen German-language books this year.

Continue reading

Link to more 

Physicists at UC Berkeley say they have produced the world's smallest radio out of a single carbon nanotube that is 10,000 times thinner than a human hair.

Professor Alex Zettl led a team that developed the minuscule filament, which can be tuned to receive AM or FM transmissions.

The first song it played? "Layla" by Derek & the Dominos. Eric Clapton's unmistakable guitar riff can be heard on a scratchy recording of the nanoradio's output posted by Zettl online.

Listen to the 'Layla' recording Courtesy Zettl Research Group, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and University of California at Berkeley

Link to 8 more images 

Previously about Banksy on P&F 

Found image
Disclaimer: image represents a Raelian craft and not one of the Xists. see below

CLEVELAND, Ohio, January 4, 2008: The Church of the SubGenius has announced that the end of the world will take place on Saturday, July 5, 2008. In preparation for the fulfillment of this doomsday prophecy, the Church is requesting that all of its members participate in a bizarre religious ceremony taking place in upstate New York, during the final weekend before the arrival of the apocalypse.

Since its inception in 1953, Church founder J.R. "Bob" Dobbs has predicted that a fleet of flying saucers will arrive at the beginning of July to destroy the worldwide Conspiracy against the Church of the SubGenius, while all ordained SubGenius ministers will be rescued by escape vessels piloted by the Alien Sex Goddesses, also known as the Xists.

The Church is inviting all of its members worldwide to gather together for the final hours in Sherman, New York from Wednesday, July 2 to Sunday, July 6, at a clothing-optional outdoor campground called Brushwood Folklore Center. The first gathering at this compound took place in 1996, and the event has increased in size and participants each following year. 1998 was designated the first true "X-Day," and each successive year has added one to the total. This year's celebration in 2008 is X-Day 11, or X-Day XI. 

Continue reading… 

This is wrong on so many levels… 

Link with four more pictures. 

HALF MOON BAY - Many of the world's best and bravest surfers are heading toward Half Moon Bay as organizers of the legendary Maverick's Surf Contest have scheduled the big-wave event for Saturday.

Surfers were given the word this morning, said brothers and surf partners Tyler and Russell Smith of Santa Cruz.

Organizers have been waiting for high-quality conditions - huge waves coupled with clear weather on the San Mateo County coast - since the contest window opened Dec. 7. Last year, a dearth of surf scuttled the event.

The contest, with a $75,000 prize pool, will be held Saturday morning off Pillar Point, with 24 surfers paddling into waves in a series of heats that will determine the winner. This will be the sixth time the contest has been held since 1999.

The timing of the event on a weekend may draw record crowds, but organizers have provided other ways for people to watch the show.

The surf break is more than a half-mile from the beach, so spectators may be in better position in front of computer screens, watching a free live Webcast, or by seeing the event shown on the big screen at AT&T Park in San Francisco. Admission to that is $20. More details are available at the contest's Web site, www.maverickssurf.com.

Continue reading

More Pictures

found image of Taleban (similar) ignorance

A SENIOR Tibetan lama and Chinese government advisers have defended contentious rules banning reincarnations of "living Buddhas" without approval.

The rules are apparently aimed at empowering China to name the next Dalai Lama when the 14th and current Dalai Lama dies.

Last July, China's State Administration of Religious Affairs issued regulations banning reincarnations of living Buddhas, or holy monks, who failed to seek government approval, ostensibly to manipulate the centuries-old practice and legitimise future appointments by the atheist Communist Party.

Link to article

Previous Tibet related on P&F:

China frees 3 Canadian activists after Tibet protest

UPDATE: Video available here or by clicking on the image.

NEW YORK - Four giant waterfalls will be erected in New York for three months this summer in a public art project city officials hope will create $55 million in extra tourism revenue for the Big Apple.

The waterfalls, including one that will fall from the famed Brooklyn Bridge, are the brainchild of Danish artist Olafur Eliasson. Installation will cost $15 million, funded by private donations to New York's Public Art Fund.

Link 

I can remember all the crappy graphics of previous political campaigns but Obama's gives us the sense of how 'current' he is.

Link to more samples. Thanks Devin. 

Link

Link to YouTube clip

This is one of over 70 different missions Improv Everywhere has executed over the past six years in New York City. Others include the No Pants Subway Ride, the Best Buy uniform prank, and the famous U2 Rooftop Hoax, to name a few. Visit the website to see tons of photos and video of all of our work, including behind the scenes information on how this video was made.

Hilarious, yet elaborate stunt in a food court.

Previously on P&F by Improve Everywhere 

See more entries at Osocio 

From the BBC:

Residents living in a graffiti-plagued village on Merseyside are being asked to consider changing its name to tackle vandals who alter signs in the village.

Lunt, which dates back to Medieval times, has been repeatedly targeted by vandals who change the "L" to a "C".

However, the proposal to change the name has split the village with some residents insisting the vandals should not be allowed to ruin their heritage.

One suggestion is to change it to Launt which would be pronounced the same.

However, despite the dismay that the vandalism causes, some villagers are defiant at the thought of giving in to the vandals.

Read more

Thanks Brady! 

*Real* guerilla advertising: Large banner unfurled on Coke billboard

China's torch has arrived in Australia amid protests in Sydney and Canberra. Four tibet activists were arrested after unfurling a large banner on a prominent Coke billboard in Kings Cross protesting Coke's sponsorship of China's tainted torch relay.

But when this Coca Cola poster in Bremen, Germany, caught the attention of a Chinese Ex Pat blogger, Chinese nationalists called for a boycott too. Coca Cola, in a formal statment, claim the ad was from a 2003 campaign.

Sources: Asian Offbeat, The Guardian and SFT

From AP: 

Roger Waters brought Coachella to a close with an epic two-set performance that included playing all of "Dark Side of the Moon" and unleashing a giant inflated pig into the night sky.

But Waters' biggest prop was an inflatable pig the size of a school bus that emerged while he played a version of "Pigs" from 1977's capitalism critique, "Animals."

The pig, which was led above the crowd from lines held on the ground, displayed the words "Don't be led to the slaughter" and a cartoon of Uncle Sam wielding two bloody cleavers. The other side read "Fear builds walls."

The underside of the pig simply read "Obama" with a checked ballot box alongside.

Link to more photos 

Previously on P&F about Coachella:
Fabio's awesome Coachella '07 Flickr set(s)

Awesome collection of photographs from the Cans Festival by Justine (AKA RUGenius) at NOTCOT.

She also scanned the entire festival program. 

Photos of the event 1 and 2.

Suffering from a recent loss I have shamelessly lifted the following post, in it's entirety, from Miss Cellania for your viewing pleasure. Her blog is a daily ingest for me, and as I may be offline for a few days, I recommend checking out her roundups. Please don't sue me RFox.

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 

No, I’m not obsessed with death. At least, no more than the next person. Honestly, I haven't done any more posts on death than I have any other subject. Worrying about death wastes your time, and time is all you have between right now and death. Still, I’ve been to way too many funerals the last few years. They come in all kinds. Ove the years I’ve reported on many that had brawls, some with police involvement. Remind me to do a post on redneck funerals some day. But today, it’s just plain death and the jokes we make about it to ease our nervousness. Isn't it humam nature to joke about the things that scare us the most? Sex, rejection, and yes, death (just don't joke about it in an airport). After all, death is just part of life, albeit the last part.

Silence of the Seniors

The story of Oscar, the LOLcat of Death, has been made into a movie.

Loyal to the end.

Video: The Business of Death.

Top Ten Bizarre Hollywood Deaths. (via the Presurfer)

As you can see, the risk of death by blogging is quite low. But you are going to die someday of some cause, so here are 5 Things for Bloggers to Do Before Dying. (via Grow-A-Brain)

Have you ever wondered what happens after you die? Thanatorama is a French flash documentary that explains the process. You may select English subtitles. Click on the upper left to navigate the chapters. (via Metafilter)

The National Safety Council has a chart of the odds of dying from various means. For example, the odds of dying in a pedestrian accident are one in 49,000 in a given year. Some have to be taken with a grain of salt, however. Based on statistics, the odds that you will die by intentional self-poisoning are one in 50,000, but if you don’t do that, you don’t have to worry about it. (Thanks, Bill!)

NEW HIRE

(via Phil’s Phun)
Joe gets a job in an undertakers, but he says he's never seen a dead body before.

His boss says, "That’s OK I'll take you around and show you some."

The first body is a man with a smile on his face.

The boss says, "He got 6 numbers on the lottery and had a heart attack, that’s why he has a smile on his face!"

The second body is also a man with a smile on his face.

The boss says, "He was on his honeymoon in bed and had a stroke, that’s why he has a smile on his face!"

The third body is also a man with a smile on his face.

The boss says, "That's Bubba. He was struck by lightning,"

The apprentice interrupts, "Why is he smiling?"

The boss replied, "He thought he was getting his photo taken"

FOURTH MARRIAGE

(via Bits and Pieces)
The local news station was interviewing an 80-year-old lady because she had just gotten married -- for the fourth time.

The interviewer asked her questions about her life, about what it felt like to be marrying again at 80, and then about her new husband's occupation.

'He's a funeral director,' she answered.

'Interesting,' the newsman thought. He then asked her if she wouldn't mind telling him a little about her first three husbands and what they did for a living.

She paused for a few moments, needing time to reflect on all those years. After a short time, a smile came to her face and she answered proudly, explaining that she'd first married a banker when she was in her early 20's, then a circus ringmaster when in her 40's, later on a preacher when in her 60's, and now in her 80's, a funeral director.

The interviewer looked at her, quite astonished, and asked why she had married four men with such diverse careers.

She smiled and explained, 'I married one for the money, two for the show, three to get ready, and four to go.'

Famous Last Words: the Animated Musical

You never get a second chance to make a last impression. Ransom Riggs of mental_floss wrote and directed an animated video that takes us on a tour of famous people in history and their famous last words, all set to a catchy tune amd hosted by the Grim Reaper himself! 

Previously at Miss Cellania: Death, Murder, Jack the Ripper, Divorce or Murder? and Death Warmed Over.

NPR.org, May 27, 2008 - The Raconteurs just want to have fun. Loud and brash with an arsenal of infectious riffs, the quartet plays with swagger, a wry sense of humor and one, singular message: Let's rock. Hear The Raconteurs in a full concert, recorded live from Washington, D.C.'s 9:30 Club.

Listen to NPR's PodCast.

Nice looking Poster from JWT Italy, although it reminds me of a Guinness!

Very cool video of the event from set-up to the happening itself.

Link to YouTube clip

Previously on P&F about Banksy:

Photos from Banksy’s Cans Festival — 05.07.08

Graffiti artist Banksy pulls off most audacious stunt to date - despite being watched by CCTV

Banksy returns to Bethlehem

Banksy's debt to Warhol revealed in London show

From http://www.ImprovEverywhere.com, 700 agents lined the length of the Brooklyn Bridge a week before its 125th birthday. In the rain and cold we created a wave of camera flashes across the bridge from Brooklyn to Manhattan.

Link to YouTube clip.

Wonderbra brand has launched a campaign to recruit women from across the UK to pose in their underwear. This viral ad was created by integrated marketing agency Iris.

The new campaign, which with its emphasis on real body shapes echoes Dove's ongoing Real Women strategy, launches today. A viral film featuring a montage of images representing a range of familiar nicknames, from puppies to jugs, is used to describe women's breasts.

Wonderbra is aiming to encourage 1,000 women to attend Britain's largest underwear shoot to date in central London on June 2.

Link to clip.

Previously on P&F about Wonderbra:

Wonderbra: stand behind the yellow line

UPDATE: Video available here.

NEW YORK - Four giant waterfalls will be erected in New York for three months this summer in a public art project city officials hope will create $55 million in extra tourism revenue for the Big Apple.

The waterfalls, including one that will fall from the famed Brooklyn Bridge, are the brainchild of Danish artist Olafur Eliasson. Installation will cost $15 million, funded by private donations to New York's Public Art Fund.

Link

Link to his site. +pictures

Air Canada

Alberta Tourist Board

BBC

FedEx

Heineken

Kill Bill

Martial Arts School

Nerolac Quick Dry Paint

Nike

Anti-Smoking Campaign

Red Cross

Sharpie

Source

In the heart of the Karakum desert of Turkmenistan the Darvaza Gas Crater or The Burning Gates give off a glow that can be seen from miles away during the dark night. The large crater is a result of a Soviet gas exploration accident in the 1950’s. It was created when a Soviet drilling rig was drilling for natural gas fell into an underground cavern resulting in a crater which today measures roughly 60 meters in diameter and 20 meters deep. The huge crater was set alight shortly after being discovered and has been burning ever sense. The recognizable smell of burning natural gas can be detected from a distance and becomes quite strong as you near the hot edge of the crater.

Link to pictures

A WWF installation to illustrate the small reamaining number of Pandas left in the world.

This is the first location, in a rotation of the installation of the papier mache Pandas, around famous monuments in Paris.

View image

Found here.

6 1/2 minute trailer for an upcoming documentary on Roadsworth by Alan Kohl, funded by the International Film Board of Canada. Looks really good. Link to video.

From a previous post on Puppies and Flowers:

Every now and then the internet surprises me with an unexpected gem. While searching for an image for a different post, I came across these great photos of a Montreal street artist named 'Roadsworth'. Apparently "Montreal police arrested Gibson on November 29  last year [2005] and charged him with 51 counts of mischief, the charges carrying maximum penalties ranging from $200 to $5,000" but since January 6, 2006, "All charges against Gibson have been dropped. His punisment is a minor fine and 40 hours of 'community work'."

See the pictures.

Philadelphia based Gyro Worldwide is pleased to present a collaborative video installation currently on display, on all facades of the The InterContinental Los Angeles - Century City. For the entire month of July, The InterContinental Hotel in Century City will present the artwork of Los Angeles painter and stylist Kime Buzzelli through artistic video vignettes designed to capture and display the essence and amenities available at The InterContinental. The video projection, produced by Klip Collective, is live from dusk to midnight each night, for the entire month of July, and is visible all the way from Santa Monica to Century City, turning the 17-story hotel inside-out for all to see.

Link to YouTube

"I like Jesus, but he loves me, so it's awkward" – Tom Stade

"Glasgow has its own version of Monopoly – just one big square that reads: Go To Jail" – Des Clarke

"I'm dating now, because I ran out of hooker money" – Rick Shapiro

"The Scots invented hypnosis, chloroform and the hypodermic syringe. Wouldn't it just be easier to talk to a woman?" – Stephen Brown

"Whenever I see a man with a beard, moustache and glasses, I think, 'There's a man who has taken every precaution to avoid people doodling on photographs of him" – Carey Marx

"I don't hate the Germans, I just miss my grandparents" – Ian Stone 

"My uncle Cleetus is illiterate and ambidextrous. Which is a double tragedy. He is unable to write, with both hands" – Wilson Dixon

"I like David Beckham. Most of us have skeletons in our closet. But he takes his out in public" – Andrew Lawrence

"Victoria Beckham? Does this tampon make me look fat?" – Joan Rivers, on celebrities

"My boyfriend likes role play. He likes to pretend we're married. He waits until I go to bed, then he looks at porn and has a wank" – Joanna Neary

"I was talking to my friend from New York yesterday, and I used the expression, 'You can't polish a turd'. He looked at me, disgusted, and said, 'No, you can't, but you can roll it in glitter'. He's a lovely guy but I wouldn't want to go to a craft fair with him" – Steve Williams

"I used to go out with Christopher Reeve, but I just had to keep standing him up" – Steve Hall

"My granny was recently beaten to death by my granddad. Not as in, with a stick – he just died first" – Alex Horne

Read them all here.

Link 

Real name, Paul Curtis, Moose is the grand-daddy of reverse graffiti. He’s been cleaning the streets of the UK and beyond for around ten years.

Using detergent and a wire brush, the tools of many a cleaner, he works with advertisers to create innovative clean messages and slogans that inevitably turn into works of art. One of his more recent works, the Reverse Graffiti Project, was on San Francisco’s Broadway tunnel in conjunction with Green Works, to promote a plant-based cleaner.

Link to Cal Performances website.

Click here to see more Murakami book covers by John Gall and Chip Kidd.

The popular soul-funk band Soulive arrived at the Newport Jazz Festival with an elder statesman of groove music: trombonist Fred Wesley. Judging from drummer Alan Evans' stage banter, the group was thrilled to share the stage with a pioneer of their art form. "I told somebody earlier: I've been waiting all my life to do this," Evans said, before introducing Wesley.

After Soulive performed a few extended instrumental jams, the longtime soloist and arranger behind James Brown and George Clinton appeared on stage to enthusiastic applause. Alongside fellow horn player Ryan Zoidis, Wesley brought instrumental punch to several classic funk numbers he'd originally helped popularize. After a guest spot from modern soul singer Anthony Hamilton, who also headlined his own Newport performance, the horns returned for an encore of "Tighten Up," popularized by Archie Bell and the Drells.

Continue reading and link to Podcast.

David Byrne and the New York City Department of Transportation, in conjunction with New York art gallery PaceWildenstein, have unveiled nine unique bicycle racks designed by DB and installed in various locations throughout Manhattan and Brooklyn. An avid bicyclist for almost 30 years, Byrne was invited to join the panel of jurors selected by the DOT to judge a design competition for outdoor and indoor bicycle racks. Inspired by the city's initiative, he submitted some original design ideas of his own named after specific locations and neighborhoods, which the DOT enthusiastically agreed to install for a period of 364 days.

Link to site 

From the Wooster Collective:

While New Yorkers have been consumed by the stock market meltdown, a tiny little pet store quietly opened four days ago at 89 7th Avenue between West 4th and Bleeker Street in the West Village of New York City.

There are no puppies or kittens in the windows here.

Instead, a live leopard lounges on a tree in the window.

Or is it?

In other windows, things get a bit more bizarre.

McDonald's Chicken McNuggets sip barbecue sauce. A rabbit puts on her makeup. A CCTV camera nurtures its young.

Clearly, that this isn't your typical pet store.

So who's the "owner" of the Village Pet Store and Charcoal Grill at 89 West 7th Avenue?

Banksy.

Once inside Banksy's pet store, you discover such things as breaded fish that swim in a large round bowl while hot dogs are living the high life under heat lamps in cages near the cash register.

This is the first time that Banksy has used animatronics, and the effect is absolutely amazing.

A clear departure form last year's behemoth show in Los Angeles, Banksy's first ever show in New York City (the others have been fakes) is being held in a tiny storefront that's less than 300 square feet and can't hold more than 20 people at any one time.

One of our favorite things about what Banksy has done is that the entire show is completely visible to the public both day and night through the store front windows. And unless you're a hard core Banksy fan, or until someone like us tells you, it's absolutely impossible to know that the work has been done by Banksy. There are no paintings or graffiti in the entire space.

We're sure that as soon as people start reading this, photos and video will be all over the web. But Sara and I don't want to give too much away. It's just too much fun to be surprised (and delighted) in person.

So here's just a taste of what you'll experience in Banksy's "Village Pet Store and Charcoal Grill".

Starting the moment you read this, until October 31st (Halloween), Banksy's pet store is officially open each and every daily from 10am until midnight.

One piece of advice - Bring a video camera as still images don't do the place justice!

Thanks Eric B. 

Political Pumkin Patterns, shown here the Sarah Palin pattern.

See more here with downloadable PDF files. 

Musician Josh Pyke films the video for his new song 'Make You Happy' in a special boat created to the exact specifications of the Maton acoustic guitar that he performs with, at Rozelle Bay on October 9, 2008 in Sydney, Australia. The track will be the second single released from Pyke's second album 'Chimney's Afire' which was released on Saturday.

Link with more pictures 

From The Baltimore Sun:

Funeral home decides to celebrate 80th anniversary with replica Elvis casket, impersonator

BARTONVILLE, Ill. (AP) _ The owners of Endsley Funeral Home in Bartonville wanted to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the business by putting a little "fun" into "funeral." So, for their open house Saturday, they put a replica of Elvis Presley's 650-pound casket on display and hired Elvis impersonator Dave Stovall to dance around it and sing a few of the King's most famous songs.

Stovall said he was so impressed by the casket he wanted to lie down in it for a while.

Embalmer Stephanie Van Oppen explained the apparent irreverence by saying the staff wanted people to have fun at the funeral home for once, and get to know that its employees aren't creepy and weird.

Nearly 300 people from Peoria and Tazewell counties attended the bash.

Video after the link. From Gizmodo:

This video shows how FEMA no only deals with credible threats as hurricanes and terrorist attacks, but also with credible threats like alien attacks and UFO crashes: They have an entire chapter dedicated to this topic in their firefighters manual. Great. As if it wasn't enough with the UK government revealing airplane encounters with UFOs and Hubble discovering unidentified objects in Space to fuel my absolutely cuckoo, sculpt-giant-mountains-out-of-mash-potatoes, I-hope aliens-are-two-meter-tall-buxom-blue-amazons, I-want-to-ride-a-warp-capable-spaceship fantasies.

From Mother Jones:

The Treasury Department is all about efficiency these days. The original bailout plan that Secretary Paulson proposed, which has been quietly dumped, was just three pages. I guess it's no surprise, then, that the application to get some sweet, sweet bailout bucks from the TARP Capital Purchase Program is just two pages. No joke, Taxpayers for Common Sense actually got a hold of the thing. If you're interested in landing a spare billion, give it a shot. It won't take you more than five minutes.

Wasn't one factor in the housing crisis the fact that lenders gave home loans to people without checking credit and obtaining documentation of assets, salary, and other signs of financial health? And yet you get piles of cash from the Treasury with less paperwork than what goes into car loans, student loans, and most credit cards?

Source

Thanks Brady!

Scott Beale over at Laughing Squid has a piece on the smackdown last friday night:

A smackdown between mimes and clowns took place Friday at Dirty Marina 16th and Valencia at 10pm. It was reported that a clown picked a fight with a mime in front of Kilowatt by smashing a pie in his face. Later the mimes and clowns duked it out in Albion Alley, ala West Side Story. The fight ended when two clowns ganged up on a mime, wiped off his face paint and ‘demimed’ him. The mime, stripped of his powers was carried off by his troupe, screaming in terror.

More videos after the link

From holavalencia:

El Gordo, the “big one”, is the most important prize in the Spanish Christmas Lottery — the largest lottery in the world. This year, there’s €2.3 billion in prizes (about 3 billion dollars). There’s a word for that: CRAZY.

Also: EXCITING. Roughly 18% of participants stand a chance at winning something, which ain’t bad odds. There are a limited amount of tickets; in 2006 there were 85,000 numbers. At €200, tickets are expensive, so they’re also sold in décimos at €20 apiece. If you hold a décimo of a winning number, you get 10%.

more  [via neatorama]

From The Squid List:

Every year since his untimely death, the San Francisco music community has come together to celebrate the life, music and spirit of Joe. All proceeds go to Strummerville (www.strummerville.com), the foundation in England set up in Joe's name that aims to create new opportunities for aspiring  musicians.

This year, Eric McFadden, The Armagideons (w/ members of The Black Furies), The Hooks, Dead Ringers, Ferocious Few and Rubberside Down are donating their time and effort for the love of Joe at The Bottom of the Hill on Sunday 12/7, Pearl Harbor Day.

We have an early start for the working folk: 6:30 doors, 1st band at 7. Six bands for $10 and prizes!-recession proof fun!

It is 60 years ago tomorrow that Scrabble was registered as a trade mark by Alfred Mosher Butts, an architect from New York state, and his businessman friend James Brunot.

Scrabble AD by PES:

Link to The Independent's article on the inventor and origins of Scrabble

On the night of Saturday, December 6th, two Special Guards of the Greek police clashed with a small group of young men. The exact details of what took place are still unclear, but it is known that one of the Guards fired three shots, and one of those bullets caused the death of 15-year-old Alexander Grigoropoulos - whether the injury was made by an accidental ricochet or deliberate shot remains to be determined. The two Guards are now in jail awaiting trial, the shooter charged with homicide.

This undated photo made at a unknown location shows 15-year-old Alexandros Grigoropoulos. Some of the worst riots Greece has seen in years began within hours of the fatal shooting of Alexandros Grigoropoulos on Saturday night in the central Athens district of Exarchia. (AP Photo/Eurokinissi)

Link to Boston.com's photos.

From Scott Beale over at Laughing Squid:

Timed with today’s Inauguration, Bush Street signs in San Francisco were changed to Obama down the entire length of Bush Street from Presidio to Battery.

Link to "obamastreetsign" flickr set

Link to Sky.com

The show is currently hung but the openiing reception is Friday, February 20th from 6-9pm at Reaves Gallery, 235 gough street, between fell & oak.

sinking 36h x 72w 2008

untitled 48h x 48w 2006

river sunset 48h x 44w 2006

merging 48h x 72w 2008

The video below shows Christo process of working with resin, magnets, pigments and ferrous metal powders, it's amazing to watch the metals in the resin take on the patterns of the magnetic energies.

Art and science recently overlapped in conversations I had with the late Jack Shearer, whose photographs of magnetic imagery (www.nanomagnetics.us) greatly resembled my own abstract compositions. This piece is the first composition with that inquiry in mind. Utilizing different sizes, shapes, and types of magnets of varying strengths, the images came to life by themselves, revealing the energy within them. Correlations between these simple constructions and the forces of natural phenomena that stimulate my imagination and creative expression have already furthered my process of discovery. 

Xeni Jardin over at BoingBoing has an interesting piece on the Tibetan New Year's protest over Chinese human rights abuse:

Today, February 25, 2009, is the date on which Tibetan New Year -- Losar -- begins. Many Tibetan exiles around the world are observing Losar in a different manner this year. Some are forgoing traditional observances to instead protest human rights abuses by the Chinese government inside Tibet. There are reports that Chinese authorites are effectively making Losar celebrations inside Tibet compulsory, and reactions have led to violent clashes.

For 30 Euros, a group of enterprising Palestinian graffiti artists are offering to tag the West Bank wall with your message.

Clip:

It could turn out to be the world's longest graffiti space - the massive concrete barrier separating Israel from the Palestinians.

Over the Internet, a group of Palestinian graffiti artists is offering to spray-paint your personal message on Israel's towering security wall in the occupied West Bank.

It costs 30 euros (NZ$75) per message and they can be as solemn or wacky as you want. Everything goes, except for obscene, offensive or extremist hate speech. Clients get three digital pictures of the finished product.

The 8-metre high barrier of massive concrete slabs is part of a 620-km fence Israel says is intended to keep suicide bombers out, and which can be dismantled at some point in the future when peace reigns. Source

 

dustinkeirstead

kari_cass

filippo minelli

JJ San

amerune

yobosayo

These images were found randomly, if you are looking for more of Banksy's West Bank wall project try this link.

Believe it or not, this little pile is $1 million dollars (100 packets of $10,000). You could stuff that into a grocery bag and walk around with it.

And $1 BILLION dollars

What one Trillion looks like…

These pallets are DOUBLE stacked.

Link to larger version.

Okay, this isn't a comic BOOK character, but it is an Irish-centric comic character ....from a sitcom. Father Jack Hackett from the absolutely fantastic comedy series Father Ted.

This series wouldn't be well known to anyone outside Ireland or the UK but it is without a doubt the best thing to come out of Ireland, and i include myself in that. No point in ranting on about it, but i will link to a couple of clips, just cuz i think it's so feckin' great. Here's a short clip as a taste and a slightly longer scene (filmed in my home town!). I sure know how i'm celebrating today; watching some classic Ted episodes.... and maybe havin' a couple o' pints o' cider.

Source: EclecticMicks

Date: March 21, 2009
Time: 1pm - 5pm
Location: 500 3rd Street, Suite 510, San Francisco, CA

Previous posts involving bacon:

How to Make Bacon Soap, from Actual Bacon.

Linus licks the bacon ice cream. "Not bad," she says.

source. Link to Havaianas website.

cortesy of Laughing Squid

cortesy of Laughing Squid

cortesy of Laughing Squid

cortesy of Michael Bolger

…Wednesday (March 11th), people in India and other countries with large Hindu populations celebrated Holi, the Festival of Colors. Holi is celebrated as a welcoming of Spring, and a celebration of the triumph of good over evil. What that translates to in action is an enthusiastic dropping of inhibitions, as people chase each other and playfully splash colorful paint, powder and water on each other.

27 total pictures

From MSNBC:

DES MOINES, Iowa - The Iowa Supreme Court issued a unanimous ruling Friday finding that the state's same-sex marriage ban violates the constitutional rights of gay and lesbian couples, making Iowa the third state where gay marriage is legal.

In its decision, the court upheld a 2007 district court judge's ruling that the law violates the state constitution. It strikes the language from Iowa code limiting marriage to only between a man a woman.

"The court reaffirmed that a statute inconsistent with the Iowa constitution must be declared void even though it may be supported by strong and deep-seated traditional beliefs and popular opinion," said a summary of the ruling issued by the court.

David Byrne performs Burning Down The House with The Extra Action Marching Band in San Francisco 10.06.08.

And with The Rockettes, well one of them, at Radio City Music Hall circa 02.28.09. The ending is worth the watch in this video.

I want to get the set already—just because.

From CNN:

LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Homer Simpson and his cartoon family soon will help you get letters, bills and packages to their destinations.

On Thursday, the U.S. Postal Service revealed five first-class stamps featuring characters from the Fox animated series "The Simpsons" -- Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie -- that will hit a post office near you May 7.

"This is the biggest and most adhesive honor 'The Simpsons' has ever received," creator Matt Groening said.

The TV show, the longest running prime-time sitcom, was chosen from about 50,000 stamp subject suggestions submitted last year, the Postal Service said.

"We are emotionally moved by the Postal Service selecting us rather than making the lazy choice of someone who has benefited society," said "Simpsons" producer James L. Brooks. Read on

I'm very happy that WeegieBurd posted this documentary on youtube. It's a brilliant slice of the 1970's in Ireland, both North and South. 

Billy Connolly was, in the 1970s, a sort of Scottish Lenny Bruce, who, with devastating humour, sliced through the hypocrisies he perceived.

This 1976 documentary follows the singer-comic during his 1975 Irish tour. Made in a cinema verité fashion, the performer appears to be completely unaware of the presence of the camera in his off-stage and backstage moments.

Links pop a new window:

Big Banana Feet Part 1

Big Banana Feet Part 2 

Big Banana Feet Part 3 

Big Banana Feet Part 4 

Big Banana Feet Part 5 

Big Banana Feet Part 6

Big Banana Feet Part 7 

Big Banana Feet Part 8 

The New York City Subway system officially opened on October 27, 1904 at the City Hall Station. It was the final stop on the downtown Lexington Avenue IRT local #6 train. It is situated under City Hall Park.

It was closed because as the subway became more popular, extra cars had to added but the tight radius of the platform meant there were large gaps between the train and the platform.

Skylight Detail

The skylights are made put of cut amethyst glass. The chandeliers (as seen in top picture) and lights originally featured glass luminaires, but vibrations from the subway and its equipment destroyed them.

Beautiful natural light

The New York City Transit Museum, once or twice a year, runs a special excursion train called "The Jewel In The Crown: Old City Hall Station". These trips are only available to museum members. The special train stops at the Old City Hall Station.

Source and more pictures.

Additional pictures:

City Hall Subway Station - 04 February 2007 — Flickr set

www.doihavepigflu.com

The SWINE FLU Vaccination for the new pandemic circa 1976:

From The Telegraph:

The 22-year-old student at the University of Central Lancashire spray painted a battered Skoda Fabia to match the car park and entrance to her art studio.

Her work, created as part of her drawing and image making course at the university, creates the illusion that the car is see through.

She was given the car from a breakers yard and worked for three weeks to ensure that it blended perfectly with its surroundings.

"I was experimenting with the whole concept of illusion but needed something a bit more physical to make a real impact." said Miss Watson, who is from Ashton under Lyne.

"People have been stopping in the street to look and coming up and almost bumping into it, so it's had the desired effect."

The car is reminiscent of the work by pavement artist Julian Beever, whose attempts to trick people's minds into seeing perspective on the flat surfaces of paving stones.

Steve Jackson, owner of Recycling Lives, the firm that gave Miss Watson the car, said: "When I first saw the photos I was convinced it was something which had been done on the computer, but when you look more closely you see the effort and attention to detail she has put into it. It is just amazing."

link to more images

Previously:

• Woman knits full size Ferrari for art school project

Mia Farrow has been chronicling her hunger strike on YouTube for eight days, and she says that's just the beginning.

The actress and activist has committed to three weeks of an all-water diet in support of refugees in Darfur, where Sudanese President Omar Hassan Ahmed Bashir expelled or shut down 16 aid agencies -- a move that U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said put the lives of more than 1 million people at risk.

Farrow has been keeping an irregular video blog of her fast on her own YouTube channel, as well as on the channel of Darfur Fast for Life, an organization that fellow activists put together to draw attention to Farrow's efforts.

As of tonight, 75 other people had signed up on the site to join Farrow in the fast. Some said they would only drink water; others said they would eat the same rations as those in Darfur. 

Participants in the growing online hunger strike have been posting updates to Twitter and posting to YouTube.

Farrow, a slight 64-year-old, said in a recent video that she wasn't sure if she'd be able to last the full 21 days -- she has never fasted before, and her doctor was skeptical.

Still, she was resolved to make a statement. "Of course I don't expect that me on hunger strike is going to do that much," Farrow said in the video. "But if it provides a news hook for newspapers so they can talk about what's really important, then that will be worth it."

Gabriel Stauring, who helped organize the site, expressed concern for Farrow, with whom he said he'd traveled to Darfur last summer. "You’ve seen Mia’s size," he said. "There’s no way she can go that long without doing permanent damage. We want to convince her that if we have somebody else that is famous and that would draw attention, that she should stop." Stauring suggested that more recognizable names might be joining the effort soon.

Also striking is Pam Omidyar, a founder of the philanthropic group Humanity United, and the wife of EBay founder Pierre Omidyar. Omidyar has been eating the refugee meals for 18 days, according to her blog on fastdarfur.org. 

Farrow appeared on CNN's Larry King Live on the day she began the strike, and will reappear on the show Tuesday night, according to Stauring.

Source