There are certain times in life when someone or something tries to get in the way of what you want to do. There is no room for Plan B. Stick to what you want to do and if someone gets in your way say "Fuck No" and keep going for what makes you say Yes.
"Every
thing you can imagine is real."
- Pablo Picasso
Kotobukiya is delighted to announce an innovative and fun addition to their Star Wars line of products: Lightsabers merge with Japanese culture and “Chop Sabers” emerge! Suitable for eating sushi or defending the galaxy, the Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader lightsabers measure over 9” long, with the blades cast in translucent material. The smaller “children’s size” Yoda saber measures approximately 8” long. As a special bonus each set includes translucent Star Wars logo chopstick rests.
Geek Japanese Star Wars fans are going to eat a lot more as a result of this. Eating sushi will never be the same again.
CHOP SABERS?
Via: Kotobukiya
Whenever you do a thing,
act as if all the world were watching.
- Thomas Jefferson
I want a relationship, not a Facebook one.
Whoa, Future Fossils
This is a really sweet series titled "Future Fossils" and you can buy these crazy vintage artifacts over at Bughouse. You gotta wonder what a kid from the future is going to think of when they see a pair of turntables.
Via: Bughouse
Tim Burton with Paul Reubens during the filming of Pee-wee’s Big Adventure (1985)
I gotta say, I'm a huge Peewee's Big Adventure fan, and Tim Burton fan at that. I have never seen this awesome photo!
Step 1: Place a dot of glue in the middle of a Styrofoam ball. Place the end of yarn in the middle of glue dot to secure and wrap the yarn around the Styrofoam ball several times through glue dot.
The beauty about working with yarn and Styrofoam is that the yarn "clings" to the Styrofoam texture, making it easy to wrap the yarn around the ball and not worry about the yarn slipping from place.
Step 2: Wrap yarn around Styrofoam ball several times in the same direction, then switch directions. Keep wrapping yarn around ball in alternating directions to get a "yarn ball" effect, as seen above.
Keep wrapping yarn around until Styrofoam no longer shows through. Doesn't that look pretty?
Step 3: When the ball is wrapped to your liking, place a dot of glue next to the most recently wrapped area of yarn. Continue to wrap yarn over glue dot to secure yarn in place.
The yarn ball should look like this afterwards, the glue is covered by yarn wrapped over it. Cut yarn, leaving a long tail for weaving in the end.
Step 4: Thread a needle with the yarn end and pass needle underneath several sections of wrapped yarn. Repeat a few times to secure, then trim yarn end close to ball.
Step 5: To make a hanger for the ornament, use a needle and thread a length of yarn underneath a section of wrapped yarn. Tie ends into a knot at desired length and hide knot underneath wrapped yarn section.
Repeat for lots of yarn ball goodness to hang on your tree this year! So much cuter than store-bought ornaments.
Via: Sew Wrong
The postal Santa has regained his wings.
Letter carrier Bob McLean had been donning a Saint Nick costume for the holiday season while on his route in Bellevue, Wash., for over a decade. But a supervisor earlier this week told him that he was no longer allowed to spread his brand of holiday cheer, alleging that a complaint was filed that he was not wearing official post office attire.
After a hearing yesterday, McLean was told he can wear the outfit again Friday when he delivers the mail.
"There will be a Santa in Bellevue," McLean told The Bellevue Reporter. "I'm just glad it's all resolved."
Earlier, he was pretty upset about being told not to wear the costume.
"The government is shutting me down because it's a non-postal regulation uniform," McLean, who has been working with the postal service since 1971, told The Bellevue Reporter.
McLean, who wears a white beard and has crisp white hair, said that he began wearing the costume when he was told that he looks a bit like Kris Kringle. Since then he has delighted residents while delivering the post, even causing traffic jams as motorists try to get a peek. He regularly visits the Aegis Living of Bellevue senior center as Santa, and at Bellevue's most popular Christmas attraction, Snowflake Lane, people lined up to take photos with him.
But this year when he was told that he must stop, he didn't take the news sitting down. USPS spokesman Ernie Swanson said the complaint came from a fellow carrier; McLean says that he believed it may be management's decision, but he is unable prove it. No one has come forward and said they had a problem with his costume, he told ABC News.
McLean said that the first reason that he was given for not being able to wear the suit was safety, followed by the fact that it was not a proper uniform. Finally a direct order came down, which he says he couldn't disobey.
"This was the first time; I don't know what happened. I don't step on anyone's toes," he said, adding that dressing as Santa isn't religious to him, "it's secular. It's about giving."
His union filed a grievance over the matter, and it was resolved in a meeting Thursday.
The Postal Service, which is losing billions of dollars each year, apparently decided that it was no use fighting Santa Clause with so much on its plate.
US POSTAL SERVICE CAN'T
SHUT DOWN SANTA!
US Postal Service tries to stop an employee from dressing like Santa on his route. What idiots.
Via: ABC News
MERRY CHRISTMAS
JAMES MURPHY DESIGNS
This is pretty dope. I discovered Jame Murphy's work on flickr. His artwork is really fun. It has a cartoon, hipster and tattoo fusion happening. Not sure what that means, but that's the only way I can describe it. He also designs Tee's. He has a bunch of stuff on his flickr page. He's designed a ton of shirts. Make sure to check it out. View more here
An overview of Christmas in America
1600's: The Puritans made it illegal to mention St. Nicolas' name. People were not allowed to exchange gifts, light a candle, or sing Christmas carols.
17th century: Dutch immigrants brought with them the legend of Sinter Klaas.
1773: Santa first appeared in the media as St. A Claus.
1804: The New York Historical Society was founded with St. Nicolas as its patron saint. Its members engaged in the Dutch practice of gift-giving at Christmas.
1809: Washington Irving, writing under the pseudonym Diedrich Knickerbocker, included Saint Nicolas in his book "A History of New York." Nicolas is described as riding into town on a horse.
1812: Irving, revised his book to include Nicolas riding over the trees in a wagon.
1821: William Gilley printed a poem about "Santeclaus" who was dressed in fur and drove a sleigh drawn by a single reindeer.
1822: Dentist Clement Clarke Moore is believed by many to have written a poem "An Account of a Visit from Saint Nicolas," which became better known as "The Night before Christmas." Santa is portrayed as an elf with a miniature sleigh equipped with eight reindeer which are named in the poem as Blitzem, Comet, Cupid, Dancer, Dasher, Donder, Prancer, and Vixen. Others attribute the poem to a contemporary, Henry Livingston, Jr. Two have since been renamed Donner and Blitzen.
1841: J.W. Parkinson, a Philadelphia merchant, hired a man to dress up in a "Criscringle" outfit and climb the chimney of his store.
1863: Illustrator Thomas Nast created images of Santa for the Christmas editions of Harper's Magazine. These continued through the 1890's.
1860s: President Abraham Lincoln asked Nast to create a drawing of Santa with some Union soldiers. This image of Santa supporting the enemy had a demoralizing influence on the Confederate army -- an early example of psychological warfare.
1897: Francis P Church, Editor of the New York Sun, wrote an editorial in response to a letter from an eight year-old girl, Virginia O'Hanlon. She had written the paper asking whether there really was a Santa Claus. It has become known as the "Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus"
1920's: The image of Santa had been standardized to portray a bearded, over-weight, jolly man dressed in a red suit with white trim.
1931: Haddon Sundblom, illustrator for The Coca-Cola ™ company drew a series of Santa images in their Christmas advertisements until 1964. The company holds the trademark for the Coca-Cola Santa design. Christmas ads including Santa continue to the present day.
1939 Copywriter Robert L. May of the Montgomery Ward Company created a poem about Rudolph, the ninth reindeer. May had been "often taunted as a child for being shy, small and slight." He created an ostracized reindeer with a shiny red nose who became a hero one foggy Christmas eve. Santa was part-way through deliveries when the visibility started to degenerate. Santa added Rudolph to his team of reindeer to help illuminate the path. A copy of the poem was given free to Montgomery Ward customers.
1949: Johnny Marks wrote the song "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer." Rudolph was relocated to the North Pole where he was initially rejected by the other reindeer who wouldn't let him play in their reindeer games because of his strange looking nose. The song was recorded by Gene Autry and became his all-time best seller. Next to "White Christmas" it is the most popular song of all time.
1993: An urban folk tale began to circulate about a Japanese department store displaying a life-sized Santa Claus being crucified on a cross. It never happened.
1997: Artist Robert Cenedella drew a painting of a crucified Santa Claus. It was displayed in the window of the New York's Art Students League and received intense criticism from some religious groups. His drawing was a protest. He attempted to show how Santa Claus had replaced Jesus Christ as the most important personality at Christmas time.
A little background Americana on
the most wonderful time of the year.
Why Did The Screamer Scream?
It's been frustrating art historians for generations. Here's a little background, and might now help you understand "The Scream" by Edvard Munch a little better.
when you can't
Life is something to do
get to sleep.
- Fran Lebowitz
something to consider...
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