Categories
Weird

I’ll get you, my pretty, and your little dog too!

Natural history museums are cool.  Called “the dead zoo” by a friend, these taxidermic havens are filled with the preserved bodies of all sorts of creatures.  While not explicitly designed to scare small children, the exhibits can be, at times, a bit morbid.  Walking through a room of dead beasties makes me wonder… what do taxidermists do when they’re not busy cramming carcases full of sawdust?  

Sarina Brewer is a cross between a taxidermist an artist and Edger Allen Poe.  When she’s not working as a taxidermist for museums or working on wildlife rescue projects she recycles animal parts into fantasy creatures.  The results range from the fantastic to the truly bizarre.

Using reclaimed animal parts from road kill, victims of animal trade and animals that died of natural causes, Sarina creates taxidermic displays.  She does do traditional work, but the really cool stuff is, however, her “fantasy work”.  There is, of course, the classic  Jackalope… but even her squirrel liquor decanter can be considered tame as you browse deeper into her body of work.  Using her taxidermic skilz and fine art degree Sarina blends the animal bits into curious, fantastic and sometimes disturbing creatures. 

Creepy?  Yes.  But how cool would it be to have your own flying monkey?

Categories
Weird

It’s time for a change

Paula and I were chatting about getting change (for money) this morning and it reminded me of the old SNL skit for the Citiwide First Bank of Change… I had to, of course go find it.

Categories
Weird

Are you a geek? Here’s a simple test…

Is this cool?

I showed this video of a “singing Tesla coil” to Paula and she just kind of shrugged.  It’s a solid-state Tesla coil owned by an EE student at U of I which is able to create tones by sending out sparks in precise bursts.  Day-um.

I think this thing is wicked cool.  Then again… perhaps this just tests if you are a guy.

Categories
Weird

Medieval Helpdesk

My computer career started in IT support… I didn’t realize how long the role had been around.

Video: The first help desk ever

(Thanks for the video mom!)

Categories
Weird

The law of unintended consequences

Jason forwarded me this hilarious Bud Light commercial.  While it might be able to be shown on cable TV, I doubt any major network would play it during prime time… something to keep in mind before you crank up your speakers and play it in your cube.

Video: Bud Light Swear Jar commercial

Categories
Weird

GTC – Grand Theft… Coke?

Paula and I were at the theatre last night and before the latest installment of the Pirates of the Caribbean they ran an ad for what looked like the latest installment of Grand Theft Auto…

Categories
Weird

RIP too much time on his hands

For a couple of years now my blog reading has had a little extra sunshine: Steve Davis’s blog, too much time on his hands… entertained me with his tales of torturing cold-callers, throwing very small stones at the Russian mafia and the joys of living with snakes.

But alas, Steve has decided to hang up his blogging hat (perhaps in favor of selling web hosting and Fake Australian IDs).

I’ll miss the humour Steve, but I hope you do realize, stopping blogging doesn’t get you out of your offer to entertain me when I finally make it to Queensland.  I’ll take the room without the snake please.

Categories
Weird

Choreographed Juggling

An entertaining video of juggler Chris Bliss’s routine set to music from the Beatles.  Sure, he only uses 3 balls… it’s still way better than I can over hope to do.

Categories
Weird

Target audience: five-year-olds in control of the family’s travel budget

The clever folks at the Cumbria board of tourism have come up with a novel plan to get “the YouTube generation” connect with the Poetry of William Wordsworth.

This year marks the 200th anniversary of Wordsworth’s poem “I Wandered Lonely As A Cloud “, a work apparently inspired by the beauty of the Cumbria Lake District.  To honor the anniversary the board of tourism has graciously given the poem a dust-off.. “to help the next generation of Lake District visitors connect with his work.”

And just how do you help the next generation connect with Wordsworth poetry?  Well, it’s plainly obvious, you turn it into a rap… performed by a guy in a squirrel suit.

You have to give them points for creativity… but marketing acumen? I’m not convinced your average Barney fan is really going to be making travel plans.

Categories
Video Games Weird

Human Space Invaders

Still trying to wrap my head around being back to work (jet lag sucks).  Since I am unable to formulate an intelligent thought, I’ll just share this nifty video with you (thanks Jason!):