Antipodeans Anonymous [aka nicole says stuff]

This week's Friday Five made my head hurt a bit much to properly think about and answer, so just links again this week. And not so many, either! Quiet on the internets, I have been.

Art & Design ::: I would buy this clear-cased Sony DSLR in a second if, y'know, it wasn't a Sony camera; you MUST watch the video of the process of making these 'Pour' paintings, it's so awesomely visual and mesmerising; these paintings are just beautiful, I love the texture - and the first one of the subway station is something i'd definitely hang a print of on my wall; nerdy sugar skull prints - Pacman's definitely my fave; the term micro-wunderkammern is so perfect for the jar sculptures this guy does; inventive and aesthetically awesome, the MP3 cigar box music player; a sculpture that you can control the shape of with your hands is a very cool concept; my final chance to be jealous of those who got to see the Twin Peaks 20th Anniversary art exhibit thanks to these images of the event.

Photos ::: I could stare at these library shelves all day long (that tumblr in general is a winner); combined tourist photos - amazingly cool project. They look like impressionist paintings of everyone's collective memory; Love the space in this photo - how perfectly shaped they are to make that square; "Created Equal, a provocative series of diptychs portraying Americans from all walks of life"; Back to the Future photo project, comparing (so perfectly in some cases) childhood photos with current recreations; a similar, but much visually stranger, project of matching photos of the adult with the kid photo; I could stare at this beautiful place and the gorgeous rock formations all day long; elephants out for a stroll in a lush Kenyan landscape; Awesome aerial landscape pics done with a homebrew helium blimp camera rig.

Misc ::: Slo-mo filming of stuff in a hotel room sounds boring but is actually AWESOME; anatomical model sleeping bag will help freak out the kids at your next sleepover; I still laugh and laugh when I look at this recent autocorrect funny - brownchickenbrowncowwwwww; Sometimes it's nice to be reminded how small scale we really are so I can stop worrying about stupid little things; I casually read Google Sightseeing but every so often something particularly great comes up, like their highlight of strange lake names, and I have to share it - I think the last lot of vegetable names really takes the lake; this waterfull illusion hurts my head almost as much as people trying to explain how the tricksy fellow did it; giant dice = less chance of stepping on a d4 of pain; don't drink and fly, Luke!; urban exploration reaches new heights [vid]; the evolution of ghosts tshirt concept art; totally bitchin' Castle Greyskull igloo.

I am about to have a 4 day weekend and that makes all the happy parts of my brain squishy with excitement. Have a fully sick weekend bros!

Did you know I have a solitary freckle on the underside of my left hand? Well, you do now.

[View on Flickr]

The washrooms at TAN Coffee on Queen St W have blackboard paint on them, so you can grab chalk and leave a message or a little drawing. Today's very important messages included the following. Please make sure to not let the "illuminatie" lower your vibrations.

[View on Flickr]

No Friday Five today. It was full of lame. Also, I realise I am so inconsistent with the style I post these in but I can't help it! I just do it however takes my fancy. So to speak. ONWARD, to links!

Art things!

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  Very awesome large scale public art installation in NYC - the Roses.
  
  


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  Handy, looks lovely, and informative! Doctor Who infogram.
  
  


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  Incredible and detailed key art adorning a Greenwich Locksmith in NYC.
  
  


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  This postcard-layed-over-old-photos stuff is brilliant cognitive dissonance. My brain doesn't know what to do!
  
  


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  Parents who make awesomely nerdy video game mural art for their kids bedrooms are the best.
  
  


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  Blog full of art celebrating the 20th anniversary of Edward Scissorhands.
  
  


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  Feel like you need a Misfits vase amongst your decor? Never fear, the answer is here!
  
  


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  This weekend the Twin Peaks 20th Anniversary art exhibit is on and I guess this is my last chance to be jealous I don't get to see it - and these two pieces are fueling the jealousy fire: In the Trees (I love the mirroring here) and Scott C's fantastic piece (and making of!) which is actually of one of my favourite scenes in the whole show.
  
  

Comics things!

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  My cultural references are better than your cultural references. Sometimes I think i'm going to end up trapped in a neverending loop of this sort of thing as my only way to communicate.
  
  


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  Super-cool looking Hunter S Thompson biography graphic novel; love the art, and it looks to be a really comprehensive look at his life. I just watched Gonzo: The Life and Work of Hunter S. Thompson and felt it could've covered a bit more, but was still a pretty interesting insight into the stuff he wrote on. Makes me sad he's not around to be dishing out the gonzo on the current world around us.
  
  


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  Scenes from a Multiverse is still so terrific: Doctor Whoa made me laugh so much. Even alternate universe Amy is wary! Haha.
  
  


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  16 Ways To Use Your Wrist (Now that watches are obsolete) - very Oatmealish style of comic, I like it! I'm pretty sure I need that emergency Oreo.
  
  


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  Johnny Wander valentines are so grumpy! Haha! I love it.
  
  


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  XKCD gives me the twitch today. Narrrgh, close it off!!
  
  

Photo things!

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  I like photos that evoke a physical reaction from me - these ones make my stomach lurch: Zooming on a wall & the very last one on this page (leeeeeap!)
  
  


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  This is an astronaut on fire walking down the street. Pretty crazy.
  
  


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  Almost better than when people take trick photos with album covers - Obama tooting a horn. (And in the same vein - book covers!)
  
  


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  Why can't I take photos of Toronto like this one? Wah.
  
  


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  Long exposures are so amazing, look how soft this wave looks.
  
  


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  Deconstructed objects - so meticulous and a feast for the eyes. Love the alarm clock one, especially.
  
  


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  A Tsimshian amulet from the AGO's collection - I want to know its story! So pretty.
  
  


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  Golden Gate bridge in the fog - looks so unreal. Like someone made a model and covered it in cotton wool.
  
  


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  Remember the piece I linked to about the mansion that'd been shut for 100 years opening to the public? Nat Geo has some photos from inside!
  
  


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  Behind the scenes photos from the set of Twin Peaks - some spoilers there in the text, so don't go visiting if you've never seen the show!
  
  

Superhero things!
Between these & the Green Lantern trailer, it's pretty clear to me now that my #1 guilty pleasure is big ol' actiony superhero films. Come on Wolverine 2!

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  The Avengers and Thor spots that showed during the superbowl
  
  


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  First X-Men First Class trailer hits the internet
  
  

 Misc things!

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  Good info on when to buy airline tickets; this (a) makes me all itchy-feet to travel and also (b) makes me sad because i'll have to use these tactics to buy a flight home sometime.
  
  


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  They're making Good Omens into a TV show, apparently. They better MAKE IT GOOD. I do love that book.
  
  


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  Vegan infographic; i'm not sure about this 'tricking people' into eating vegan meals business though.
  
  


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  Star Wars IV retold using little icons. Very cute and pretty comprehensive!
  
  


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  Robots rocking - the Trons - I think for the perfect amount of ridiculous, they should be programmed to play Rock Band.
  
  


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  A blood bag shaped like a teddy - surely that will fuck up any child destined to be attached to it?
  
  


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  Costume wtf-ery: Teenage Mutant Ninja.. strippers? And I can't help but think the first guy here is just shagging that Tauntaun.
  
  


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  Someone made a video for Joy Division's Transmission with Playmobil figures and it just baffles me.
  
  


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  Got a spare $4500? You too could have a couch made out of a coffin!
  
  


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  Black Metal greeting cards - these things need to be produced en masse by a company called Hellmark.
  
  


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  Anatomically correct chocolate heart, just the thing for your sweetie on Valentine's.
  
  


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  Tetris board game? Sorta like Blokus meets Connect 4, I guess?
  
  


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  Cute little claymation "The Consumer" [vid] 
  
  


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  Anyone got 44,530 years to crack my password?
  
  


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  Quite an interesting read - a NYT photojournalist describes how to get out into the crowds and shoot stuff with a stripped-down equipment kit
  
  


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  It's one of the most dangerous mountain climbs in the world, so it's not surprising there's dead bodies up there, but it's sort of creepy to think that while each new crew tries to scale Everest, the bodies of those who failed are there as a reminder to that danger.
  
  


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  Audio nerds have banded together to create a big database of ambient noises - I kinda like that you could go in and pick the sort of white noise you're in the mood for.
  
  

Cute things!

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  Australians are pretty cute, I must admit. Especially baby wallabies.
  
  


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  Baby kitten rampages downtown Manhattan!
  
  


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  Slo-mo chipmunk is pretty cute, but I can't help feeling this rubbing my face and head all over is what I do when I wake up in the morning, but with more "aaauuugh" sounds.
  
  


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  Tiny deer TINY DEER. Look at the legs on it. Oh my.
  
  

Almost done! But I wanted to actually embed this last link, as I feel like I need to keep looking at it as a constant reminder not to be such a neurotic douchebag. Maybe I should print it out.. 

[clickthrough for source]

I had to drop by my library on the way home tonight to return a book I finished, and I like that the little chute still has such a formal term like book depository on it.

The book I returned was Never Let Me Go. A few months ago I went to see the film, which is a beautiful, muted piece of heartbreaking storytelling. Absolutely crushing, but amazing. I rarely bother to read novels that movies are based on unless i'm super impressed, so I was spurred on to put this on hold at the library to eventually check out.

The book was fantastic also, and it was great to see how well the story was adapted for screen - it's definitely got the same pacing and tone. It's such a subtle story, rolling along occasionally pulling punches but generally draping you with a feeling of melancholy. But in a good way, if that makes sense. It's technically a speculative fiction story due to the nature of the character's situations, but it is absolutely about the human condition and all the craze of emotion that goes along with it. I definitely recommend the book AND movie - but make sure you have something that'll make you happy on hand once you're done.

[View on Flickr]

A co-worker was just in Australia, and I was telling her about all sorts of treats that are native to my land. While I know that sherbert is pretty well universal as far as candy goes, Wizz Fizz is The One in Australia. And she got me a whole packet of them! I forsee one of these + a can of Mountain Dew throwback in my future. Zzzzzzoooooooom.

[View on Flickr]

A latte and some gems. I'm the luckiest gal alive.

[View on Flickr]

The rhythm of this week has been strange and offputting, but not necessarily in a bad way. Many things have been really great about this week, in fact. Not the least of which is that it's almost Weekend Times. I've been dithering around with this list all day long, so let's have at it.

Art & Design :: Landscape prints - love her style, and the lines of the snow on the top one especially; the art and style of this Ferris Bueller's Day Off board game is just wonderful; super-cute and surprisingly well-done Japanese food type; this vampire on a shark print is probably more awesome than you're imagining right now; this set of photos are awe-inspiring - to be able to get such amazing shapes of light looking like that just astounds me; if anyone would like to consult these charts on cocktail making and whip me up a rockin' mojito, I won't say no; keeping it culinary - a lovely poster on culinary tools; get a load of these reorganised cities - description can't do it justice, but if you like a bit of map & design you'll like that; Helvetica cookie cutters make everything taste neater; ice-cream light fixtures (note: do not eat).

Autocorrect funnies :: It's been a while since i've linked any of these, but this mega-fail one is just too good. The round-up of January's most popular auto-correct funnies is good for a Friday arvo laugh as well.

Comics :: Nedroid makes Groundhog Day a little more sinister; Sinfest does the devil's social network; Dino Comics re: snowmageddon etc; a great XKCD about 'Trochee Fixation' (Banjo Turtle!!) - I also love that he blogged about the numbers behind Google searching the terms.

Photos :: The textures of these Kodachromes is awesome - I love this one especially; this snow sculpture gets a wonderful result; there are so many wonderful things about this image - the moon, Venus, the clouds, the light - it's all just super; where subway cars go when they retire - wouldn't it be more awesome to turn this into housing?; some more neato light trail photography; colour tunnel is awesome tunnel; a ghostly streetcar here in Toronto; small photo series about underneath Paris.

Miscellany :: Time travel convention tshirt; skinny but awesome house; mindblowing animation [vid] of the scale of various planets in the night sky compared to the moon - can you imagine how WEIRD it would be to see that in the sky?! "All I can see is Jupiter!!"; get the record straight [vid] on what Great Britain, the UK and England are; 17x17x17 Rubik's cube will hurt your mind; one-man cover of the Ren & Stimpy theme [vid]; confused about the situation in Egypt? - let this Raiders of the Lost Mubarak explain it for you!; TV channel promo with miniaturised TV show summaries [vid]; Star Wars job flow chart (i'm a bounty hunter!); this VW Superbowl ad doing the rounds just makes me wait around for George Lucas to remake the SW series and replace real Vader with Mini Vader; an Atheist's concerns (real vs actual).

Requisite Cute Animal Break :: Stubby little Hamster on his fat little haunches; someone needs to make me these hedgehog mittens (not with wool!); tiny tiny tongue!; this slothy guy is pretty adorable and then you hit the last picture and the adorable reaches critical mass; is there anything cuter than a rat perched on a cat? IS THERE?

Friday Five: Too much not enough. Going to keep this one pretty light today!

1.Who’s not as funny as he or she thinks? Kenneth Cole. What a d-bag. (Whoever did this, on the other hand, is fucking funny as hell.)
2.What’s not as big a deal as everyone else seems to think? Snow in Toronto. People, you should be used to it by now!
3.What’s something people aren’t concerned enough about? Getting out of my way on the sidewalk (footpath).
4.What’s something in the grocery store that’s underrated? President's Choice Blue Menu herb tofu. I could eat a whole block of that stuff EVERY DAY.
5.What do you pay too much attention to? Everything that I shouldn't. Overthinkarino!

Enjoy your Weekend Times, all!