Five Years of Blogging Paralysis

Okay, let's try this again.

Iron Man Horse -vs- Darth Vadar Horse

The theme at this year's California State Fair was Hollywood. And everything, from the pig races to the county dioramas all were stretching mighty hard to accommodate it.  So it came as no surprise that the show horses would be performing to favorite movie musical soundtracks. However, the tribute to Johnny Depp with horses and skinny teenage horsie girls was just plain bizarre. When Iron Man came out riding his Iron Man Horse (I thought Iron Man weighed like a ton and could fly?) I should not have been taken back by the random battle pairing of him against Darth Vadar on the Darth Vadar horsie.  They mostly just charged at each other, no special effects or even fact light sabers. But oh man, it was fun strangeness!

San Rafael's Mt. Olivet Cemetary

For years I have driven up Hwy 101 and seen this graveyard just past the downtown San Rafael exits, and I have always wanted to check it out. Yesterday I did, in the 90 degree heat - and it was pretty darn cool. Earliest birth year represented: 1816; earliest death year: 1870.  Lots of Italian and Irish birth cities and lots of photos of the deceased. Find it in Northgate part of San Rafael - open 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. daily.  Creepy, but not gross creepy like new graveyards. Almost picnic worthy.

Damn Funniest Guy Ever

See more funny videos at Funny or Die

It was hard picking a video clip to represent Mitch Hedberg, and pardon the crummy-ish sound quality of this one - but the world is a much less funny place since he died. Whenever I need to remember how ludicrous things are, I just watch one of the awesome recordings from his monologues.

Four Minute and Nine Second Vacation

Whoa, I grabbed this video of Kome Kome Club's "Romantic Journey in the Sky (err? Sea?)" with it's eighties synth sound and shiny costumed gods, goddesses and monster guy - with even more eighties aesthetic (though it's from the early '90s) than you could shove into a wanna be DuranDuran cover band - because for the four minutes plus of its silliness, I can almost feel the holiday I have not had yet this year.

Firefly Squid!

Also known at the Sparkling Enope Squid - they only live for about a year, and grow to just around 3 inches long - but this wee blue flashing phenomenon arrives by the thousands each spring to Japan's Toyama Bay - where they have actually built a museum in their honor. Apparently, it is also the only cephalopod with the ability to see in color. All hail watasenia scintillans!

Koncentratin' Kitties

From the San Mateo County Fair - a photorealistic painting (2nd Place Prize!) of three psychic cats preparing to look into the future.  And the future will have tuna-fish in it.

Olde Jamestown Antique-y Shoppin'

Dang it - I should have bought this chattering bobble skulls salt 'n peppa shaker thingie. Occupied Japan porcelain with hand painted roses and gold luster eyeball holes.

Excellent Vegetable P.R.

Quick! Give this budding marketing genius a contract a.s.a.p.! Not only can she promise us good vision, but mini-carrot eyelashes to boot! More amazing kiddie art from the fair, the San Mateo Co. fair this time. 

Baby Bunnies at the Fair

Dang it - even with tiny bunny poops around its feet, this and every other baby animal at the San Mateo County Fair was able to radiate Cute Overload levels of unbearable adorableness.

Svankmajer + Natural History = Perfection

Here's an early Jan Svankmajer stop motion animation (1967) called "Historia Naturae" Man oh man, the music and segue moments of a man chomping away at fork-fulls of meat as if all of nature is just about food - hilarious and mesmorizing.

Kaiju! Because even monsters need to practice!

World Wrestling Federation has long needed to evolve - and frankly I would rather watch foam bodied Japanese monster guys bounce and flip each other any day than sweaty, mullet-haired guys in tight shorts. So a group of art students from Boston have taken it upon themselves to bring this wrestling format - Kaiju Big Battel, complete with Japanese pop music and a dozens of crazy new monsters and heros duking it out. I only hope they bring the act to San Francisco soon. In the meantime - check out this bit of amazing showmanship from a YouTube posting:

My Generous Neighbors

It took almost four days before someone decided that this 500 lb, half-working, chest and upper back muscle developin' machine should go live with them.

Sidewalk Koi

You can find these in the mural-tastic Clarion Alley - only remember to hold your breath, this cement koi-pond definitely doubles as a urinal for the lame-ass.

If It Says So Then It Must Be True

Exceptional Veggie Sculptures

This veggie chupacabra is mighty stunning. Just one of dozens of spectacular feats of produce-based creative splendor. Thank you Marin County Fair for bringing us a glimpse into this lesser known art form.Mr. Fennelhead here is sporting a scary bloody massacre mouth, who knew something with a bellpepper body could deliver the goosebumps? The teeter-totter chayote with googlie kumquat eyes and his ginger root dog friend are caught mid-action in this charming pastoral scene.The cucumber-chayote head daschund was fabulously showcased on his tinfoil runway - but the big prize went to the breath-taking squid made from mystery veggies. Seriously, I had to beat through a crowd to get this shot.

Mapping the BULLITT chase scene

 

WHOA! Watch Steve McQueen race his muscle-y Ford Mustang through 1968 San Francisco! And, as usual the route is impossible to follow - until now! Well, impossible to actually drive, but wonderfully juxtaposed with a moving Google map.

Death rides a motorcycle through the ivy

One of the many wonderful Patrick Amiot recycled junk sculptures that adorn the yards along Florence Ave. in Sebastopol. Vroom vroom.

Get Your Refreshments from Giant Food!

The power of an enormous soft serve cone compels me. Must - have - half- chocolate - half - vanilla - swirlie! And dip it in chocolate shell - before I change my mind and wander over to the giant french fry stand....

What is a hot summer night without lemonade from a giant lemon - and extra bonus ingredient - cherries!