If only I weren't vegetarian

Then maybe I could make some hot dog crafts! Click on the pictures for an explanation of how they were made. I like the little shark.

All these robot battles have to stop

I'm sick of the fighting. I like to think that if I lived in San Francisco, I might have gone to the Robot Fighting League 2004 Nationals and staged some sort of robot peace protest with big, friendly posters.

Tiny crocheted ghost
I went to the Giant Robot store the other day with some visiting friends, and got this happy little crocheted ghost. Here, he's shown shortly after purchase hanging out with Fingerbear in front of what, in their world, is one giant bubble tea.



After I got him home, I emailed the Giant Robot people because I wanted to know who made the ghost (I didn't write it down while I was at the store). Today I got a message back that he was made by a woman in Japan who goes by Anzoo. I found her website, but it's entirely in Japanese. I'm sure it's her, though, because when I clicked around, I saw a few drawings that looked a lot like my little ghost. I think sometime in the very near future I'm going to attempt to crochet something tiny and cute. If it comes out nice, I'll post a picture.

Birthday painting

It was my friend's birthday yesterday, and he likes giraffes, so I made him this little painting of a giraffe-stronaut. It's not exactly what I had in mind at first, but I like the idea of a giraffe in zero gravity, with its legs floating in different directions.

If you really want to match your car

Someone named Roxy just sent me a link to the Ford Streetka Dress. Click on the wallpaper images on that page to see what it looks like. For a dress made out of car parts, it's pretty stylin. I'm not that into the wire embroidery on the skirt, but I like the top a lot. It looks like futuristic armor.

Voice of the Woods

Ask the Ogham a question, and get some advice from a Celtic divination system based on trees. I like this combination of ancient nature and technology, but I wish the site's webmaster had consulted the Ogham about the use of frames. Judging by the Ogham's insights on my financial situation, I bet it's smart enough to come up with a better web design. (p.s. I just like the word Ogham. It's fun to type. Maybe because the letters alternate between my left and right hands as I'm typing.)

Art TV

While I was eating lunch, I had the TV on for a few minutes, and I came across a show on PBS called Sharing Art. It's a few years old, but in L.A. the episodes air on Channel 58 on Wednesdays, so I'm guessing they're probably still airing other places, too. From the website:

PBS 45 & 49's Sharing Art consists of fifteen 15-minute programs for students in grades 5 - 10. The first ten episodes of the series feature northeast Ohio art museums, artists and schools. The episodes include the following:

An introduction to a museum piece of art

A local artist explaining how he or she does comparable art

Students in a local classroom doing a similar project

The Pop Art one I saw had students using Photoshop to increase the contrast on photos of themselves, which they then printed out on transparencies. They painted on the back, and ended up with arty-looking self portraits.



It was strange for me to see kids in a public high school using Photoshop in art class. When I was in high school, there wasn't even one computer in the art room. Kids today probably take it for granted that an art project can combine digital images and real paint, and that's kinda neat.

Biotechnology is fun

Okay, maybe biotech is scary if I stop to think about it, but Baxter's Biotech Bargain Basement is a semi-entertaining little game. You have to build these cute little biotech creatures as fast as possible in your lab, or your customers will get mad.



Oooh, that reminds me of this Wired article I read the other day about how a geneticist used a "DNA antisense agent" to turn lazy monkeys into workaholics. It had something to do with blocking the dopamine receptors in their brains.



I know this kind of thing should freak me out (those poor monkeys), but seriously... anybody know how I can get in on that study? I have a lot of work, and it's not doing itself.

Your shirt called. Is everything okay?

I think it would be nice to have a smart shirt that can call for help. If something happens to me and no one is around to see it, my shirt could save me with a short text message. That's so Lassie, in a dogless sort of way.



But what if my comfy new vest turned against me? They're saying this thing could send an alert via text message, email or phone call. Do I really want a shirt that could call my friends and make plans without me knowing?

Voting

Only two hours and 15 minutes till the next debate!! Okay, maybe that's a little too enthusiastic, but I am excited about this year's election. I got depressed the other day by the Electoral Vote tracker on the L.A. times website (you can pick who you think will win each state, and see how the votes add up). Kerry doesn't seem to have much of a chance, if things go the way I predicted.



To people who think Kerry and Bush are the same, I say this: I care a lot about environmental issues. The League of Conservation voters gives each candidate a rating, based on how they've acted on environmental issues in the past. John Kerry has an "A" and Bush has an "F."



Oh, so you'd only vote if you had a chance of winning prizes? Check out this site, Get Off The Internet And Vote, to find out how a few digital camera pictures could win you some fun, arty stuff.

Creepy-looking peeps

Maybe I should've saved this link for Halloween, but it's October already, so close enough. It's a BBC article about a guy named Paddy Hartley who designs clear plastic "facial corsets." It feels weird and futuristic in a disturbing Clockwork Orange kind of way. That's not the kind of future I like. I guess I prefer plastic surgery the old-fashioned way, where everyone ends up with the same cute nose.



The article talks about how the facial corset idea can also be used to help patients who need facial support during surgery, but it's hard to get past the freaky photos.

Coolest speakers ever

I've also been meaning to link to this USA Today article about a Japanese gadget called Ka-on that turns plants into audio speakers. I totally love this because it seems so natural and also so futuristic. I can't believe this quote is from a real news article:

Lower your ear to the foliage and hear the music emanate from the petals. Touch a leaf, and feel it shake as though in a quiet dance.



Later this month, you'll be able to carry on a telephone conversation with a flower with a planned speaker phone model.

Sad little robot video

If you had access to a cool robot costume, would you maybe make a dramatic music video to the tune of Danny Boy? That's what one guy did. I came across that link a while ago and thought, "I should link to that." Then, later, I found out it was created by a friend of a friend. So now I'm linking.

Knitted wig

If I knew a girl with really short hair, I would totally knit her

one of these. (If I didn't have pink hair for real, I would need one for myself!)

Keeping my Brooklyn number

I moved to California in May, and told people "I'll keep my Brooklyn number for now." I figured once I settled in, I'd want an area code that signified palm trees and sunshine, but last week I made the decision to keep my Brooklyn number for the forseeable future. This New York Times article from Friday talks about how area codes are losing their geographic meaning, so I feel like I'm part of a trend.



The Upside:

Before you make assumptions, I'm not doing it for snobby, New York-loving reasons. (I mean, it's not like I have a 212 number, after all.) Most of my freelance work comes from New York, and keeping the Brooklyn number means my employers can reach me without calling long distance. Everyone else I talk to uses their cell phone all the time, so they don't care what my phone number is.



I'm also saving myself the trouble of having to deal with Verizon to get a new number. And I'm avoiding the annoyance of making sure everyone I know updates my contact information, so we don't lose touch.



The Downside:

When local businesses ask for my phone number, it occasionally causes confusion. My Brooklyn number starts with 718 and I live in the 818 region of California. Store clerks always seem to think they've heard wrong, so I better get used to repeating myself.



Another pain in the butt: I'll still get phone calls for that guy named Patel who had my 718 number years ago and never paid the bills on the property he owned in Florida. Since 718 is associated with the Eastern time zone, these calls occasionally come at 6 a.m. California time.