all of the new yeras!!

All of the new ayears!!!!! all of them!
Sent on the TELUS Mobility network with BlackBerry

QWOP Deserves Its Own Post

play it now

Thomas Kinkade, Painter of God's Light and Threat to the Hundred-Acre Wood

Here's a very old article about Thomas Kinkade from the L.A. Times, a favorite painter around these parts.

A lot of it is how he's taken his schmaltzy brain-ruining paintings and turned them into a huge kabillion dollar business, allegedly devaluing it and then buying it back at a relative pittance. There's also a nice bit in there about heckling Siegfried and Roy and peeing on Winnie the Pooh.

NOTE: This article is from 2006, so it's entirely likely that it this point in time, Mr. Kinkade has reformed completely, and is now actually God's Servant on Earth, as originally alleged.

Dollface

the newest social media platform that i can stand on without feeling like i jumped into a douchewagon...

i'm on tumblr. i like it there. i like to make tumblelogs. i know piecesofthingsfeed.tumblr.com is there. is anyone else on there?

if you are on there and you like to giggle, follow this dude, plus5mace.

Sesame Street: True Mud

I am a fan of both Sesame Street and True Blood but I still think this is kind of weird. Not sure who the target audience is suppsoed to be. Anyway, see what you think.

Lego® Design By Me (and 'hello'!)

Hello Pieces of Things;
I'm 'That Guy' who's been working with Ruby Tenneco who spotted my avid lego tendencies and invited me to join the blog. I'm new—so be kind :), but please tell me if I'm breaking any taboos, upsetting apple-carts or what-have-you.

In the spirit of this blog, I'm here to share something I made along with this this preamble - notably a little look at the awesome 'Design By Me' custom kit generation process on offer via the Lego website (at least it is in the UK- not sure about N.America/Hawaii).

My niece is four-and-a-half, has just really started to get into Lego, so I wanted to make her a special kit for christmas; her mom and dad's 1984 Vanagon camper seemed like a start. I've never used the sevice (hell I only just left my 'dark age' of non lego play) and thought it'd be fun to give it a go. Download 'Lego 3D creator' from the site and get building.. Simple!



Annoyingly you can't get absolutely every brick in every colour, (Ruby Tenneco can't make his Columbo Peugeot easily with the rare sand-blue bricks) but it's still a massive palette of pieces and the 3D build tool is mighty intuitive with a fairly shallow learning curve. Cool extras let you click a button to check how much it's gonna cost, and you can also auto-create a full set of instructions that will be included in the box.





The box is the real piece-de-resistance though - you submit your model and then get to design your box. A render of your model automatically appears and you can choose from a wide palette of backgrounds, 'sticker' style details and a custom title (and bulder name) can all be entered, making it about the most customisable personal thing I can think of as a present beyond baking. A caveat is you can't upload your own art, but there's plenty enough backgrounds and themes to go with your model whether it be an Atlantean Bathosphere, Cafe-corner store or Ko-Dan Starfighter.

When it arrived I was amazed. The lo-res little 3d preview of your model as seen in the 'create' process has since been sent through some bigass raytraced render-farm and the big image on the box is flawless at about 300dpi /10" wide or so. Not a pixel jaggy in sight. Sweet!





The automated Instruction sheet is pretty good - not as good as something designed by a human, but they work and you build the thing flawlessly and in a logical order...



Ok...So... oops.... this post's getting a little long now. Long story short - kit was not expensive (about £16 GBP), arrived in about 14 days and is excellent. Box is a little big for the contents but hey - it's total custom lego for the normal consumer who doesn't want to spend a day on BrickLink finding pieces.



Minifigs are of my bro's family, built at the 'pick-n-mix' minfig bar at the new Lego store that just opened up across the road from where we've been working.

She hasn't recieved it yet but I think she'll like it. I worry maybe I went a bit mad and it'll be too complicated for her, but I also think Mom and Dad will want some of the action and hence - it'll be ok.

Thanks for reading. Apologies for length!

Morris Major jigsaw construction for Mr. Pony

Morris Major
Originally uploaded by gambort

It's not "studs down" building as per your question...exactly, but it is pretty darn groovy.

Sorry but I couldn't help myself....

Google street view captures naked guy in trunk

I like this.

here i goo-oo!

remi gaillard is a pretty well known flash mob type dude in france - i first heard of him because of his awesome fake tour de france finish line prank.

but i think i might love this even more (and it's certainly better suited to this blog):

"Sarah Palin: I Could Beat Obama"

Gag. Read this story.

Sorry guys. I know I have been absent from POT for a really long time and it's really not nice of me to return with a posting like this. But I felt it was really important everyone heard the latest Palin news.

Sort of makes me feel like this guy.

Micronauts!

Also, here is some news about J.J. Abrams maybe possibly producing a Micronauts movie (presumably based on the Marvel comic, and not the toy line), which I find both awesome and ridiculous, for some reason. I was a big fan of the comic, and the series took so many weird twists and turns away from the main story (the rebellion against Baron Karza (I think)) that I have a hard time seeing it as a coherent movie story. Also, I could never really get a grip on Commander Rann's character. What was his deal? He used his parent's names as a swear word, and got woozy with the Enigma Force a lot.

Here is a picture I drew of Commander Rann and Marionette. They are yelling. As usual, Rann is yelling "Dallan and Sepsis!" Princess Mari is probably yelling "By the Body Banks" or something.



P.S. I do not hate the Micronauts.

via @butler, @kondef, and @chorn

Custom Lego sets!

Hey, I apologise if this has been posted before, but are you guys aware of this? If not, I may have significantly increased my lego-cred on the blog for the first time ever!

A designer at my job is using it to make his christmas presents...

"Mini Stephen Hawking" Instructions

"Mini Stephen Hawking" Instructions
Originally uploaded by Ochre Jelly

Just in case anyone needs to make one.

Le Royaume (The King and the Beaver)

Le Royaume (The King and the Beaver), by Sébastien Hary

An Ultimatum to Obama, or Something

I know it's wrong to gawk at the mentally ill, but this woman/incarnated Pleiadean spins such an exciting, convoluted, explanation-filled yarn with such finger-pointing authority that I can't help but take her incredible threats seriously. If Obama doesn't shape up and surrender, or something, then dirty bombs and Draconians and EMPs and muscular positioning or something.

A disturbing detail: Yes, that's Thomas Kinkade's famous painting Stairway to Paradise in the background. Think about it. Or don't.

via io9

Playing Phone Tag

A new patent application from Apple shows how the technology in an iPhone could be used to co-locate several phones in relationship to each other, to enable a whole mess of multiplayer games, like laser tag. And actual tag, presumably.

I post this, because Lungclops had the same idea, like two years ago, and Fugu's often talked about a similar educational augmented reality concept that I still don't understand, and maybe doesn't relate to this.

via @robocon.

I have identified the substance. It is 100% pure Litcubite!

WoooHOOO!

Great? Horrible? You decide.

I honestly don't know what to think about this, but it involves both lego and Star Wars, so it seems like it should be right up piecesofthings' alley.

Sexism Discussions on the Internet

Our friend Gabby Schulz/Ken Dahl made a comic about discussions about sexism on the Internet and it got hundreds and hundreds of comments over the course of a few days, including a couple by Scott McCloud. Gabby has closed the comments, but it was interesting to watch this strip strike so many nerves so quickly.

Drumroll please....

Here is the updated Tauren costume for this year ;) I didn't quite get to finish it the way I wanted to... I flat out ran out of time. But I may get back to it again early next year and go hit Kawaii Kon 2011 ... I think we should all tap into our inner costume building geek and hit Kawaii Kon all together!

Columbo!

Ok, I just watched "Columbo: Murder Under Glass," which mentions both Odori and Fugu in the first few minutes, which I assumed was a command from God to post something about Columbo.

I looked at the internet, and it turns out this is the only thing tenuously linking Columbo to Star Wars.

There is no Lego Columbo video game for some weird reason, but someone once thought about one (for like a split second).

Frog Anatomy in Lego.

Control X
Originally uploaded by davekaleta

Futurama Characters in Three Pixels

Source unknown.

It's possible I've posted this before...

Education Reform (?) Animated

I've been watching a few of these here and there. This was suggested by Mrs 'Panic. Consider this a post from her.

Found this in Mexico City

and this

Minifigure Enhancement Suits from the early 'teens

Human Enhancement Suits from the late '60s

via CyberneticZoo

Production Photos from Empire

Here is a disorienting collection of production stills from The Empire Strikes Back, from the new coffee table book about the making of said film, via Vanity Fair.

OMG GUYTH! NEW KIDS TURBO!

I feel like I'm understanding when suddenly I'm totally not.  In more than one way!

"I'm on a diplomatic mission!"

Love both the concept and execution of this.

How come people start laughing only when Darth Vader appears? There's like this collective laugh of relief like "OK, now I get that it's a joke-- thought things were getting serious for a minute there."

Banksy Simpsons Intro

twin rabbit

So cute rabbit noses.

Charming Little Recap of Star Wars Trilogy in Construction Paper

via Major Spoilers

Chickenwalker Hardsuit

look guys I made a chickenwalker hardsuit and im not sorry!!

Lego Leica

#Leica #Lego




I like me the Leica and youze likea da legos. I dunno. Nice nerd collision for me.

That's all I got.

Yours,
Richard

SPACE

Homemade Spacecraft from Luke Geissbuhler on Vimeo.

No, look again.

Astonishing house by Mike Doyle.
Follow him here.

Cat Rackham by Steve Wolfhard is Pretty Great

If you haven't already, read the epic tale Cat Rackham and the Comforts of Life. Read the others, as well, and marvel.

Logan's Run Re-Created in Lego

By Don Quixote 2x4

Seeing this from multiple sources, and it needs to go up here. The model is impressive, of course, but I think the photography is really great, too. Wondering if Galspanic, our resident badass LEGO builder and photographer has anything to say on this subject.

Via @tamarakong and Kamapuaa in the Shoutbox. You two know each other, I believe. Cue tearful reunion!

PLEASE MASTURBATE THE LEGO ROBOT

I apologize for this. Also, I don't apologize for this.



Thank you.
Richard

Fucking Legos, how do they work

Juggalo
Originally uploaded by Profound Whatever

Another use of a mini figure from series 2; Electric Boogaloo.
Made by Profound Whatever. Check out his mighty stream!

I Hate L.A. (Song for @butler)

Lego Minifigs Series 2; Electric Boogaloo!

Trying to find ways to use the new series of Lego minifgs. If you haven't been reading the Lego parts of the blog or hate things that are awesome, the Lego Group has been putting out these gashopon sized "randomly" packaged minifigures. Different costumes, faces, and hair. Many possibilities!

Garth Marenghi's Dark Place

Has everyone seen this before?

Mutant Mynah Bird

A little over a month ago, Galspanic and I were driving near the intersection of Kapiolani and McCully, when we spotted this Mynah bird with a ridiculously long beak. I have no idea if this is a standard variation of the Mynah's beak or what. The Common Mynah was introduced to Hawaii to control sugar cane pests, including armyworms and cutworms. A beak like this might be kind of useful for that, but I've never seen any Hawaii Mynah birds sporting a specialization like this.

Marcel the Shell with Shoes On

Via @annietown

Monkey and a Cat Making Out

more star wars...

and now, for another starwars link

LINK

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAaaa

i can't

i can't

just

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAaa

Meet the sloths from Amphibian Avenger on Vimeo.

Ground Zero Mosque Discussion, Part 2

I figured that while I was in NYC, I'd visit 45-51 Park Place, future site of Cordoba House, known to some as the "Ground Zero Mosque", and former site of a Burlington Coat Factory. I wanted to see what any protestors might have to say, in the hopes that I could add something useful to our discussion, aside from my own irritation.

I was expecting huge angry crowds overlooking the ruins of the World Trade Center, but it was down this side alley, and there was only this one old guy in a suit with a big cross around his neck. (It was Saturday, and I guess the throngs come out after church.) He had like four signs on large flimsy boards and there was enough stuff written on them that he seemed like a kook. I was going to avoid him, but as I walked past him the wind took his signs, and so I helped him out.

I asked him what he was doing there, and he mumbled and fumbled and handed me a card with what I know now to be the Serenity Prayer. He then went on to talk about Hamas, and how they weren't all bad, in the beginning; and that Christians and Muslims can and should get along, and I said probably; and then he said that everyone should treat each other with dignity, and while I saying that I could get behind that, he said "Except for the Jews, and Zionists, they are evil and will be judged" and then I kind of said good day and moved on.

I realize that this one fellow, or the people protesting Cordoba House don't represent all of Christianity, just like the 9/11 attackers don't represent all of Muslimdom. Problem is, when it comes to religion, it seems like the kooks are the ones doing all the representing, so it's easy to see why things get out of hand.

If that comparison (protesters to hijackers) seems out of line, you're super-wrong. I think the "Ground Zero Mosque" protestors do far more violence to the idea of America than Al Qaeda could ever hope to. The way I learned it, this country was founded (at least in part) on principles of freedom of speech and religion; on the idea of live and let live. I look at those complaining about this building, and I can't help but think of how completely unAmerican these people are. What could be more unAmerican than attempting to deny others liberty, and the pursuit of happiness? (and in the case Odori pointed out, life)

It's funny, because when I hear the far right throw around the term "unAmerican", it's about not blindly supporting the president during wartime, or chipping in on keeping our citizens healthy, or having sane assault rifle regulation. My conclusion: My America is better than their America, by kind of a lot.

(At this point, I find myself standing and saluting the American flag Steve Rogers-like, but I am aware that traits I equate with decency and goodness are not unique to these United States. I acknowledge that many people in countries such as South Korea, Canada, the Republic of Kenya, and Iceland are also not busybody assholes cowering in fear, desperate in their need to prove that their magic space boss is tougher and more real than some other guy's magic space boss.)

Apologies for not chiming in on the other post. I thought my rant might take up too much space (turns out I used up a lot of my space with the thinly-related story about the lone guy standing in front of Park 51), and I wanted to see the protesters for myself (and again, all I saw was that guy). I totally agree with what you guys said; all of it. Anyone trying to stop this community center should be ashamed. If they succeed in stopping it, we should all be ashamed.

Anyway, later that day, this happened.

Making Self-Improvement Fun

Bee_eye won't post this himself so I'm posting about it. Most people just make a boring list of goals/tasks they need to accomplish (like me!) but bee_eye takes it one step further and makes it into a fun dress up game. What's not to like about goggle of no TV bras and cookie codpieces?

http://bee-eye.livejournal.com/146313.html

For Faka's Daughter

MY LAWN NOW
Originally uploaded by Apocalust

Live your dreams, Faka's daughter. Live your dreams.

What can't we do?

I just got back from Brčko district, Bosnia, where I saw this confusing sign at a gas station. Can anyone tell what specifically is being banned here?

I get the fire one, but what is that other thing? A seal? A vacuum? An arthropod?

Watch this totally awesome cat video!

Christianity in the Hawaii Republican Party

Check out this bit from the chairman of the Republican Party of Hawaii. (He's promoting "Duke" _ Hawaii's lieutenant governor and the party's only serious candidate for governor.)

"Duke will win because the church has been behind him the entire time operating in the POWER and the AUTHORITY of the NAME OF JESUS!"

We just cut up our girlfriend with a chainsaw... Does that sound fine?

Thought many of you might enjoy reading this interview with Bruce Campbell. I loved the Evil Dead trilogy (who doesn't?) and thought Bubba Ho-tep was underrated. Haven't watched Burn Notice at all though--since I hardly watch TV anymore. Anyone really recommend it?

cute star wars things

Ground Zero Mosque Discussion

Litcube suggested that one of the New Yorkers here do a post on the proposed so-called "Ground Zero Mosque". As a former New Yorker, and as an American, and as a human being, I certainly have an opinion on this, and I think it's kind of a strong opinion; but rather than rant and rant I think I'd rather hear what more reasonable people have to say about the issue. That's you. Go.

Nara for those of you who live in the nyc area

Someone just told me about this open studio thing at the armory on park ave where you can watch Nara making art for an upcoming show at Asia Society. It's only happening through Friday and I can't go but wish that someone I know would go check it out.

Post-apocalyptic Tokyo

Scenes of Tokyo after all the people have vanished and nature has taken over. Some images of Osaka too.

(Hope you all haven't seen this already.)

Elves are Real and they Like Oranges

via @toplessrobot

animal style

This is something I liked from from a recent GRNY show.

Fortune smiles...

For my CGI class this semester we had to draw occupations out of a hat to create. I chose "Professional Wrestler".

I'm thinking Dwarf Luchador, but am open to any particularly good suggestions. Anyone?

Imperial Probe Droid for your perusal.

IPD - 2
Originally uploaded by phil_memmer

All Chewbacca's lines

This was already on Boing Boing, but I like it and it has to with Star Wars, so here it is again.