Tinselman

Nixon... Confused and Mourning

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How delightful! A confused Nixon... talking to Spiro Agnew. Or below, Nixon (rapidly) mourns the death of the Hulk.

For more presidential cameos from Marvel comics, check out photontorpedoes' Marvel Presidents set.

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High Tea

Chino City, Nagano Prefecture

A traditional Japanese teahouse by architect Terunobu Fujimori, which he calls, "the ultimate personal architecture." He says it feels like an extension of one's body, or "like a piece of clothing."

Somehow it reminds me of it Howl's Castle.

link (thanks Guy!)

Cactus Dome

Intrigued? Just stare at this photo a bit and try to imagine what it might possibly be. I'm thinking... the secret lair of Jame Bond's nemesis? Better yet... evidence of a crashed spaceship!... (because it looks a lot like the top part of the U.S.S. Enterprise to me).

 

Turns out, we're not so lucky. Brookings reveals the bitter truth...

Beneath this concrete dome on Runit Island, part of Enewetak Atoll, built between 1977 and 1980 at a cost of about $239 million, lie 111,000 cubic yards or radioactive soil and debris from Bikini and Rongelap atolls. The dome covers the 30-foot deep, 350-foot wide crater created by the May 5, 1958, Cactus test.

click to enlarge panoramically

via pruned

Golden Poop

It almost has the look of a golden flame that has taken an unfortunate tumble onto it's side. However, to the trained eye (such as those belonging to Tinselman... and practically everyone who's ever seen it), one can tell the true nature of this glorious wonder: poop. Giant Golden Poop!... gleaming like a poopy beacon atop the Asahi brewery in Asakusa.

Don't forget to enjoy the Golden Poop panoramically

Golden Poop from space.

Murder... Even for a Woman!

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A Complete 16 page guide to Murder. Killing your family is "Easy", even for a woman!

• flickr photo by crash n donna

Cleaner Brighter Faster

In 1968 women wore "futuristic" helmets during house cleaning house. After cleaning, wearing the fashionable helmets to shopping and lunches was considered a must. My own mother couldn't afford a helmet, so my dad constructed one out of cardboard and duct-tape. He painted it gloss white. I thought it looked authentic, but she finally stopped wearing it when she noticed some of the neighbor ladies laughing behind her back.

Thankfully, such strict standards are no longer required.

Great Babylon

This Babylonian pillar, which now rests in the Louvre, is unbelievably huge. It's just one of many pillars that once held up an ancient temple in ancient Babylon.

Samurai Vader

The Darth Vader design is a cheat? Stolen from history? It can't be!

Ever since I was a kid, I've always loved the way that our favorite bad guy looked like a Samurai knight. During a recent visit to a weapons museum, I spotted a Samurai helmet that almost had me joining the dark side! (yes Darth, we can rule the galaxy as father and son!!!)

click helmet to enlarge

More Vader Fun:

• Vader Hot Air Balloon
• Vader Domed Ukrainian Architecture
• A Gazillion Painted Vader Helmets
• Vader Statue of Liberty

Sex Shop Grace

Suitcase sex shop, Xiamen street market. Below: wax museum figure, Xiamen

Design researcher, Jan Chipchase, travels the furthest corner of the globe for work and pleasure. From Campeche to Hukeng to Kyotera....

As a skilled photographer, Chipchase seems to enjoy focusing on the odd and often forgotten details of the world. You can see the world through his eyes on his Future Perfect blog.

Another backpack-around-the-world-with-camera source I continue to enjoy is a photo-book called Asia Grace, by Kevin Kelly. This unbelievable resource (with its accompanying website) is simply packed, from end to end, with the most amazing people and places on earth. One would almost swear that Kelly traveled back through ancient history to take some of these shots.

The Rugs of War – Part 2

Because of the overwhelming response to my Rugs of War post, I thought I should continue with some more edge-of-your-seat Rugs of War info. And as it turns out... both textiles and war are nothing new! Neither is the dramatic combination of the two.

Let's travel back to the middle ages... shall we?

The above stalwart warriors are lifted from the famed Bayeaux Tapestry, commissioned by Queen Matilda of France to depict the Battle of Hastings in 1066. Unlike the Afghan rugs, there are no M60's or Blackhawks, tanks or jets... but there's plenty of weapons and death! That same thing was around in the middle ages and, even back then, people wanted to commemorate it (and glorify it) in cloth.

War rugs don't just remain decorative; we wear them... as you can plainly see by the "Remember Pearl Harbor" scarf, at the top of this post. I can't help but admire the scarf – practically overflowing with patriotic American soundbites snatched from throughout U.S. history – one of them is bound to make you feel something.

The detail from the left is taken from a japanese kimono during the 1940's. In the design, one can clearly discern searchlights, seeking out japanese bombers in the night sky. Chilling.

You can find more info and images on propogandistic textiles at designboom.