February 28, 2009

Rosalia Banet


Browsing from one website to another I finally found something I'd like to post on here. A Madrid-based artist, Rosalia Banet, who's currently having her exhibition at the ARCO Contemporary Art Fair, Madrid. Her choice of characters and stories are quite dark but the use of colours do soften it nicely.

The Siamese sisters Sara Li and Ana Ka are her two main characters. Recently, they celebrated their birthday party. They invited Eli Love -the girl who goes around with a stone on her head; The Crying Girl, their old friend Penis Boy and The Chocolate Man whom they end up devouring. On the table, cake topped with eye balls, baby brain and other offal delicacies.

More details...

February 26, 2009

FAIL #2

Public decency fail

Luminous life fail

Amusements fail

Hands free ad fail

Top 10 Rudest Place Names in Britain

10. Titty Ho, Northamptonshire

9. Back Passage, City of London

8. Fine Bush Lane, West London

7. Crapstone, Devon

6. Sluts Hole Lane, Norfolk

5. Penistone, Yorkshire

4. Dick Place, Edinburgh2


3. Pennycomequick Hill, Plymouth

2. Minge Lane, Worcestershire

1. Butt Hole Road, Yorkshire

Of course the UK being the kind of place it is, there’s absolutely trillions more of these to be found.

February 25, 2009

5 Places to Go Before Global Warming Messes Them Up

Great Barrier Reef, Australia


New Orleans, Louisiana


Rocky Mountain National Park, Estes Park, Colorado


Alpine Glaciers, Switzerland


Amazon rain forest, Brazil


Read the full article...

February 24, 2009

So You Think You Know? : Wildlife

Check out the fish Macropinna microstoma. It has tubular eyes and a see-through head.


The common name for the fish is "barreleyes." Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute investigators recently figured out why this species has such an unusual head. Its eyes can actually rotate within its "skull," so the transparency allows the wary swimmer to keep a literal eye on happenings above it, as well as to the sides and directly in front.

And...

Happy Tree Friends: I Heart U



Another thing that you think will make you happy but won't...lol

5 Things You Think Will Make You Happy But Won't

#5 FAME
The girls play with Hannah Montana when they're eight, and by 16 they're on MySpace, pouting at the camera in their underwear and watching the friend requests pour in. In a recent survey of high school kids, 51 percent said their ultimate goal was to become famous.

Obviously part of the reason is the perception that anybody can get famous these days--reality TV and YouTube have proven that you can become a celebrity for doing not a goddamned thing.

Experts say where you find kids who desperately want to be famous, you find a history of neglect at home.

If you're saying that your parents were awesome and that fame still looks pretty freaking cool, well, we're not done. Studies show nothing is more stressful for a human than when their goals are tied to the approval of others.

#4 WEALTH
China is turning into a great object lesson in this, as their economy explodes and incomes skyrocket, but levels of happiness and personal satisfaction are dropping at the same rapid rate.

There's a couple of reasons for it. your brain adjusts feelings of happiness downward after you've reached some goal or other. It regulates the good feelings, presumably so that you have motivation to reach the next goal instead of just lounging by the pool for the rest of your days. The second one is that as social creatures, we compare ourselves to our neighbors. Once you start hanging around the other high earners, you'll want all the stuff they have or more than what they have.

#3 BEAUTY
You know how when the hot girl at the bar tells an unfunny joke, all the guys laugh anyway? Or when the office stud makes a mistake, the female boss laughs it off?

Attractive people live in a world where most feedback they get is bullshit.

That's why studies show they tend to dismiss the genuine compliments they get in other areas (their work, personality, sense of humor, creativity) because it gets lumped in with the same counterfeit flattery they've been getting their whole lives.

#2 GENIUS
We're using the broader definition of the word "genius" here, meaning anyone with an extraordinary talent or skill. So for instance Dennis Rodman was a genius when it came to rebounding basketballs, but was probably not a genius in the way that Einstein was.

Want to know what it's like to live life as a genius? All you have to do is go hang around with the stupidest, most incompetent people you know. Cringe at their stupid jokes, feel the frustration as they fumble even the easiest tasks and fail to grasp the simplest concepts.

If your genius lies in some kind of creative field, then there's a good chance you have actual mental illness to deal with. While only one percent of the population suffers from bipolar disorder, it is claimed that 50 percent of poets, 38 percent of musicians and 20 percent of painters have it. It's just part of the package.

#1. POWER
Power is what everything else on this list is about. Fame is about having power in the relationship with the fans. Beauty is about gaining power through others' sexual desire and jealousy. Genius means society needs your skills more than you need its approval. Money . . . well, money and power are conjoined twins.

So what will make me happy
Experts have figured out that the brain has no ability to actually predict your emotional reaction to life changes that haven't happened yet. In other words, you physically do not know what you want. The act of sitting around pondering it is apparently what fucks you up.

This may be why studies show friendships, altruism and religious practices bring happiness. It may be that taking the focus off your own happiness is what makes happiness possible.

Read the full article...

February 23, 2009

One More Kiss

One more kiss


Mental Hospital, Anders Petersen


Retrospective, Anders Petersen


The Misshapes, Jason Nocito


Kiss by the Hotel de Ville, Robert Doisneau

Whether these are the result of the sweaty coat or smelly armpits, they all are lovely photos (from my favourite photographers.)

Sweaty T-Shirt Experiment

An interesting experiment proving that beauty is not only in the eye of the beholder, but also in the nose.



Also, check How Perfumes Work, A Scent of men.

February 22, 2009

10 Evolution Stories Darwin Would Love

1. Sexy Bugs – tiny blister beetles have evolved a trick to survive their infancy in the scorching Mojave desert. They band together and emit phermones to attract male bees that they then ride like a taxicab to shelter and food. (full web article here)

2. Evolving Brain – Are people still evolving? Yes indeed, and it’s happening in the organ that sets us apart from the other species. (full web article here)

3. Shrinking Fish – Why would certain fish evolve to become smaller and weaker? Evolutionarily it’s in their best interests, because fishermen throw those fish back rather than eat them. (full web article here)

4. Romance Genes – When it comes to mating and dating, smell matters. An evolutionary psychologist showed how humans can basically sniff out a mate with the appropriate genetic make-up – or at least sniff out the bad ones. (full web article here)

5. Walking Whales - What ran like a wolf, but is related to the hippo, and now lives in the ocean? A Whale! (full web article here)

6. Hot Chili Secret – the heat in hot peppers is actually an evolutionary defense mechanism aimed at stopping fungus, as hole-poking insects also play a role. (full web article here)

7. Vampire Bats Run – Aside from the incredibly amusing video of vampire bats on a mini-treadmill, the story of how bats lost and regained (”devolved and revolved”?) the ability to run is pretty awesome. (full web article here)

8. Straight Corn Rows – How humans have shaped the evolution of a plant’s, um, shape. Or, why corn used to look really nasty. (full web article here)

9. Mating Trick – Cross dressing among invertebrates? Not quite. Small male cuttlefish who are masters of disguise put a brains-over-brawn twist on the survival of the fittest. (full web article here)

10. Reverse Evolution – scientists reconstructed a single gene that existed more than 500 million years ago, by reverse engineering it from the many genes it has since split into. (full web article here)

Source: Science Central

Richard Dawkins on "The Genius of Charles Darwin"



This is part 1 of 10. Do check the rest esp. part 2, 1:00 min Dawkins was reading the hate mails. LOL

Tree of Life

Celebrating the 200th anniversary of Charles Darwin's birth on February 12, I would like to post a few interesting clips on evolution...starting off with this one:



More details on the evolution...

Thanks Taro for reminding me about the clip.

February 21, 2009

Banksy's Pet Shop in NYC



Although this is a last year news (October 2008), I thought I would put it up here since it's related to the previous post. The installation is the statement about consumerism, animal rights and the processed foods.

Supermarket Secrets



Here's Part 2.

Another good documentary from BBC that will make you at least eat less meat or consider becoming vegetarian. Well, that was my reaction...though grrr it's very difficult when thinking of giving up my favourites esp. Margret de canard and unagi.

February 20, 2009

Mickey Rourke & His Popcorn Trick



Would it be wrong to say I'm having a retro-crush on him after seeing his trick! LOL

Tom Cruise...is a cock block!



This is so good! Thanks Sam. Now I'm a fan. Haha!

V for "Onegina"


Anyone interested in having a sculpture of a vagina, yours or hers, as a souvenir or for whatever strange purpose, contact Jamie McCartney, the Brighton-based artist who offers an internal pussy casting service.

The process is kept as a secret. But he revealed that to get a good result it’s important the model is relaxed and feeling sexy, so she’ll need to spend time alone or with her partner, ‘preparing’. More details...

Having a closer look at this piece of art I must say though that I had never imagined a pussy could be so different from one to another. Then again I'm not a man and I'm straight.

Titties Bar...Oops, I mean Jar

I wonder if anyone try to count how many of them there are. Somehow, looking at it making me a little bit dizzy. I suppose I haven't seen as many bare tits at the same time before. This is a product on Jonathan Adler. Check it out for more fun designs.

February 19, 2009

The Act of Total Selflessness


Local heroine Emily, the smokin' hot neighbor lady from across the street, reportedly went above and beyond the call of duty Monday by selflessly changing her clothes within full view of her bedroom window.

Sources said the humble woman—whose last name remains a mystery as no one has yet summoned the courage to speak to her—did not accept any praise for her heroic act, nor did she mention her altruistic stripping to anyone afterward. But her sacrifice that evening will not soon be forgotten, as her fearless nakedness inspired dozens of passersby and saved the neighborhood from a debilitating drought of T&A sightings.

"I never thought I'd see this day," said Juan Ramirez, 23, one of countless local residents who said they owed the gallant Emily more than they could ever repay. "You could see everything. Everything. Thank God she happened to be there, naked."

"She is a true example of just how generous a human being can be," said Jim Petersen, 32, who lives two houses down from his new idol. "I think I speak for everyone huddled here tonight when I say I'll never forget what that benevolent woman did for us."

"I didn't think we'd ever see all that pain and suffering alleviated, but God bless her, she did it," said Riordan, closing his eyes to remember the triumphant moment all over again.

Read the full article...

Cloaca Shit Auctioned at Sotheby's




















A piece of shit, literally, was an item of interest in Sotheby's London auction on February 6th. It's a work of Wim Delvoye, the Belgian artist. His shit was created by the shit making machine. The auction estimate of between 2,000—3,000 GBP.

Hmm...Why bother going through all the process and paying such amount of money when you can create one of your own any morning...possibly with better color?

$5 for $50 Million!?!

A Jackson Pollock painting, bought for $5 in a thrift store, is for sale at a Toronto gallery with an asking price of $50 million US.

Teri Horton, a 76-year-old retired truck driver, bought the painting in 1992 as a gag gift, not knowing who the painter was at the time. Since the painting, nicknamed Teri's Find, was authenticated forensically she has refused all American offers and sent it to Canada to find a foreign buyer.

In 2006, one of Pollock's works sold for about $140 million, the highest sum ever to be paid for a painting. Horton's painting was valued at $50 million by experts in the documentary.

After a crash course in the art world, Horton, who says she is a fan of Norman Rockwell, still doesn't see the beauty in her Pollock.

"Do I personally think it's worth [$50 million]? Hell no. It's worth the $5 I gave for it. It's ugly."

Read the full article...

A 10 Year-Old Pollock?

Marika Thunder, age 10, is having her first solo show,
“Randomness in the Form of Art,”at Half Gallery.

February 18, 2009

The Ballad of John & Yoko

War & Peace





“I have been a witness, and these pictures are my testimony. The events I have recorded should not be forgotten and must not be repeated.”

James Nachtwey has devoted himself to documenting wars, conflicts and critical social issues. He has worked on extensive photographic essays in El Salvador, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Lebanon, the West Bank and Gaza, Israel, Indonesia, Thailand, India, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, the Philippines, South Korea, Somalia, Sudan, Rwanda, South Africa, Russia, Bosnia, Chechnya, Kosovo, Romania, Brazil and the United States.

Love VS Violence (France)




By alsacherie | Such a great project.



By Justice | One of the best videos made - surreal. intense. violent. disturbing.

February 17, 2009

Elizabeth Gilbert on "Genius, And How We Ruin It"



My favourite is 10:00 mins onwards :)

Mister Universe

An article about Charles Veley, the most traveled man on earth, who has spent the past nine years conquering the world. He's logged almost three million miles and spent nearly $2 million in an effort, as he puts it, ‘‘to go everywhere in the world.’’

"In 2003, at age 37, he became the youngest person to visit all 317 countries and provinces recognized by the Travelers’ Century Club, an organization of globe-trotters who’ve visited at least 100 countries or territories. A year later he approached the Guinness World Records to certify his status as the world’s most traveled person, only to discover that the Guinness authorities had discontinued the category, because, he said, they could no longer agree on an objective standard."

"I find a great thrill in imagining a trip in the abstract, then turning it into reality."

"The list is just a tool that helps me set priorities and stay motivated to see new places," he said. "It’s not about declaring yourself the winner and being done. For me, there is no done."

Read the full article...


February 16, 2009

Cow Urine, Anyone?












India's Hindu nationalist movement is currently developing a new soft drink made from cow urine. Yes, you heard it right! It is planned to be launched by the end of this year. "Don't worry, it won't smell like urine and will be tasty too...Its USP will be that it's going to be very healthy. It won't be like carbonated drinks and would be devoid of any toxins," said Department head Om Prakash.

Read the full article...

The Bridget Jones Effect

Psychologists say keeping a diary can make you happier.

"Writing seems to help the brain regulate emotion unintentionally. Whether it's writing things down in a diary, writing bad poetry, or making up song lyrics that should never be played on the radio, it seems to help people emotionally,"

"Men seemed to benefit from writing about their feelings more than women, and writing by hand had a bigger effect than typing."

"Men tend to show greater benefits and that is a bit counterintuitive. But the reason might be that women more freely put their feelings into words, so this is less of a novel experience for them. For men it's more of a novelty."

Read the full article...