Beast

Cattle skin? That's a cardboard box if I've ever seen one! This is the 200-year old mummified monk that Buddhist expert and physician to the Dalai Lama Dr. Barry Kerzin claims isn't dead, just meditating really, really hard. Like, so hard he's only one step away from the state of Buddah. Now that -- that is RELAXED. Me? I fell out of bed night-thrashing last night.

[Dr. Barry Kerzin] has insisted the human relic is actually in 'very deep meditation' and in a rare and very special spiritual state known as 'tukdam'. Over the last 50 years there are said to have been 40 such cases in India involving meditating Tibetan monks. 'If the person is able to remain in this state for more than three weeks - which rarely happens - his body gradually shrinks, and in the end all that remains from the person is his hair, nails, and clothes. Usually in this case, people who live next to the monk see a rainbow that glows in the sky for several days. This means that he has found a 'rainbow body'. This is the highest state close to the state of Buddha'. He added: 'If the meditator can continue to stay in this meditative state, he can become a Buddha. Reaching such a high spiritual level the meditator will also help others, and all the people around will feel a deep sense of joy'.

Wait, so if you meditate till the tukdam state then all the people around you will feel a deep sense of joy? I wish somebody around me would meditate that hard. And if I had to pick, I'd want it to be my upstairs neighbor. No more stomping around, plus deep joy. Win/win. Keep going for a full shot of the monk.

Meet 37-year old Venezuelan man Henry Damon. Henry has had face implants, tattoos, and the end of his nose cut off to look more like Captain America's arch-nemesis, Red Skull. Obviously, he is really going for it. I like a person who isn't afraid to commit. Like, you could half-ass it and just buy a Red Skull mask to wear on Halloween, but Henry here has decided to MAKE THAT MASK PERMANENT. That is dedication. Next Henry plans on getting silicon implants in his cheekbones, chin and cheeks and have his entire face dyed red. Then his transformation will be complete. Henry is married with a young son, and says his family respects his decision, although I have the sneaking suspicion his son may have stopped asking daddy to tuck him in at night. Thanks to Roger GA, who wants to look like Ghost Rider. Heck yeah, I've always wanted to set my head on fire too.

Le jeune photographe américain Johnny Joo, de l’agence Caters News, a sorti une série de photos d’un hôpital abandonné et mystérieux, situé à Perrysburg, à l’Ouest de New York. Cette clinique en ruines traitait des patients atteints de tuberculose. On peut voir aujourd’hui les murs qui s’effritent, attaqués par la moisissure, des gravats un peu partout et des fenêtres brisées.

Robert Bahou photographie de touchants portraits de chiens, chats et chevaux révélant leurs étonnantes expressions. Avec un certain humour, ces photographies nous montrent des animaux aux expressions presque humaines qui en disent long sur leur attitude. Pour développer cette superbe série, le photographe souhaiterait immortaliser de la même manière des animaux tels que des lions ou des pandas.

Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson, best known for playing Gregor "The Mountain" Clegane in HBO's Game of Thrones adaptation, just broke a 1,000-year old Viking strength record by carrying a 640 kg (~1410 pound) log across his back for five steps. According to Viking legend, the previous record holder was Ormur Stórólfsson, who managed to carry the log (which was actually the mast of a Viking ship) for three steps before breaking his back and being forced to quit. You know, because it's probably not a good idea to keep going with a broken back. With a broken heart? You have to keep going with a broken heart, otherwise the pain will consume you. I read that in a relationship column. Just kidding, I read that above the urinal in a bar bathroom. Also, 'For a good time call your mom and tell her you love her'. Keep going for a video of the record-breaking in action.

Mould’s concept is fascinating. Instead of organising their magazine thematically, they’re planning different guest editors for each issue, a ‘curator’ who will bring their own personal outlook to the magazine and who will ‘mould’ the pages. So as the magazine grows into subsequent issues, it will morph and change its tone every time. Issue one, launched at the recent Istanbul Design Biennale, has been curated by Markus Miessen of Studio Miessen, and he’s decided to title his version of the project the ambiguous sounding ‘Cultures of Assembly’. Essentially, he seems interested in notions of ‘space’, both online space and public space, and how we experience these spaces in the modern world.

One piece by Xerxes Cook applies a Jorge Luis Borges quote to the idea of Wikipedia, so that the online encyclopaedia seems to become the labyrinthine library from Borges’s famous short story ‘The Library of Babel’. For this piece, online space and fictional space eerily merge, and Wikipedia becomes a treasure trove containing strange stories waiting to be found (above).

A series of drawings called ‘Table Talk’ by Marcus Knupp contemplate how certain tables proclaim power while others attempt to democratise through their circular design.

A manifesto from artist Patricia Reed draws from the theories of Marx, Lefebvre and Zizek. It has been sparsely laid out with footnotes contained in the middle margin, a subtle and effective design motif peppered through the publication.

One of the most effective aspects of the magazine is that as well as stimulating the mind, curator Miessen has made sure that our eyes are stimulated as well. A visual manifesto for public space makes for a gorgeous visual essay at the centre of the magazine, and the spectrum of colours at the back, which detail facts about the specific tint of the page (above, below), is aesthetically appealing while adding pace to the run of pages.

Issue one of Mould brings together an interesting collection of writers, images, manifestos, design features and ideas. At times articles feel a bit opaque, but the application of critical theory to the modern world in the context of a magazine is potentially very exciting. It’s a trend that is slowly escalating, prevalent in new magazines that are cropping up like Pollen from Berlin. Mould calls for more critical thinking, which can only be a good thing, so let’s hope that their ideas spread.

Issue two of Mould is due this spring.

Review by Madeleine Morley.

mouldpress.org

 

youthindecline:

WE ARE BEYOND EXCITED TO ANNOUNCE A NEW, SURPRISE PUBLICATION!!!

Youth in Decline has joined forces with one of our favorite creators to publish their new zine: Wacky Wacko Magazine #1!

Wacky Wacko is the delightful art and clothing line created by artist+musician Seth Bogart… AKA the deliriously fun Hunx and His Punx!

This first issue includes bonertanical gardens, Karl Lagerfeld, Marc Jacobs, YSL reject drawings, grrrls, and more:

• an interview with THE Kathleen Hanna!
• art by Cody Critcheloe (Ssion), Peggy Noland, and the Dog Show!
• tons of Seth’s Wacky Wacko art & designs

20 pages. Offset color cover, interiors printed on Risograph in fluorescent pink, red, blue, and purple. 7.5” by 9.5”. Edition of 1000.

FOR LA FRIENDS: You can visit Seth Bogart at Table X18 this weekend (1/30-2/1) at LA Art Book Fair at The Geffen Contemporary at MOCA and grab a book!

FOR EVERYONE ELSE: You can order the book now from Wacky Wacko (and buy a shirt!!), as well as from the Youth in Decline store.

I do not need to tell you that horror anthologies are popular again. We have had any number over the past few years, some good and some dire, but all relying on often interconnected short stories to tell an overarching history of terror. The nice thing about anthology films is that you can get a lot of stars and directors in to work on them, producing a unique vision from a multitude of styles and approaches to the genre. The latest horror anthology will be Holidays, from XYZ Films, and it has secured a bevy of directors to contribute.

Holidays takes a step away from the usual Halloween themed films and expands it to encompass more holidays, including Easter, Christmas, Valentine’s Day, and Mother’s Day as candidates for horrific murder and mayhem. The participating directors now include the likes of Kevin Smith, Gary Shore (Dracula Untold), Scott Stewart (Legion, Priest), Matt Johnson (The Dirties), Dennis Widmyer and Kevin Kolsch (Starry Eyes), Nicholas McCarthy (At The Devil’s Door), Sarah Smith (The Midnight Swim) and Anthony Scott Burns. Smith we know is no stranger to the horror genre, having directed last year’s Tusk and Red State before that. The others directors are decidedly lesser known in a mainstream sense, but we can hope they’ll produce some worthwhile entries.

Looking at this list, however, we have to notice that there are already eight directors attached to this production, with more to be announced. That means that the segments will not be very long in a film that should run somewhere around two hours. Whether that is good or bad will remain to be seen, but I admit that I prefer the interconnected and developed narratives of films like Trick ‘R Treat. I just hope Holidays doesn’t rush things.

Holidays does not have a release as yet, but you can check out the very cool, slightly retro poster for the film below.

This is the deep sea goblin shark (previously seen in video HERE) caught by father/son fishing team Mike and Lochlainn Kelly off the coast of New South Wales in Australia. It's called a goblin shark because it looks like a goblin. If it lived under a bridge and carried a wooden club it might be called a troll shark. Apparently goblin sharks are at an "evolutionary dead end" because they're the last remaining species of its genus. Presumably because they're so f***ing ugly they refuse to mate with each other. Can't say I blame them, it would be hard pretending that's a mermaid. Keep going for a bunch more shots of why we should drill down into the earth's mantle and let the oceans fill with lava.

eguchi hisashi, 1987

Arcade has a great piece on the creation of the Canadian flag as we currently know it, spurred by an effort to distance themselves from Britain during a political crisis in the 50’s.

In the summer of 1964, with construction of the groundbreaking Montreal Expo underway, a new national symbol was seen as key to the modernization of Canada. The creation of a new flag was meant to be a truly public and participatory process in which citizens were invited to take part in the profound reshaping of their country’s national image.

I found it fascinating that their flag was designed so recently. In my mind flags have such a provenance and iconic nature that they seem like they’ve been around forever.

Below is my favorite rejected flag design. I love the simplified version of the maple leaves, the gaggle of geese, and the Japanese aesthetic it embodies. In fact, when you do a Google Image Search of the image you see primarily Japanese sumi ink paintings. Anyone know who created this version?

Designed by Spindletop Design

Printed by Workhorse Printmakers

As part of an ongoing collaboration with Houston independent bookseller Brazos Books, Workhorse Printmakers and Spindletop Design created 2014's Banned Book Week ephemera with an on-site print aspect in mind. On the day of the event, attendees printed subversive secret messages atop pre-printed, die-cut, and scored propaganda posters with attached bookmarks that they could then use to decode each other's messages.

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Production Details

Client
Brazos Bookstore

Quantity Produced
250

Production Cost
–

Production Time
1 week

Dimensions (Width × Height × Depth)
–

Page Count
–

Paper Stock
160 DTC

Number of Colors
2

Varnishes
–

Binding
–

Typography
Gotham
Knockout

These are the Barbie dolls father and Imgur user uhjess customized into Sarah and Jareth the Goblin King dolls from the masquerade ball scene of Labyrinth. He did an amazing job, and you can see photos of the entire customization process HERE. Still, it did kind . of bother me that a man so skilled and with such an eye for detail can't take a decent photo of the finished product. That always boggles my mind. Air conditioning too. Don't act like you understand it. Keep going for several more shots of the finished products.

Conan O’Brien‘s field segments are some of the best out there. They’re usually off the cuff and always crazy, so you never know what’s going to happen when Conan is let loose outside the studio, especially around food. This week, Conan took his IT guy Chris Hayes, a self-professed Taco Bell super-fan, and headed to Taco Bell headquarters in Irvine.

Once there, they received to a history lesson via a museum tour and were treated to every fast food lover’s dream: a chance to eat new products in the test kitchen and even make some new creations of their own.

In the kitchen, Conan created the O’Taco, a mashup of traditional Irish foods that was basically a tortilla filled with corned beef, cabbage, mashed potatoes and Guinness. His other great invention was the La Cone-A. Utilizing an ice cream cone as a food vehicle, Conan whipped up a standing taco — a savory ice cream cone, if you will.

Sound too good to be true? Don’t go running out to your nearest Taco Bell drive-thru just yet, it doesn’t exist. But never fear, culinary trailblazers: we’ve recreated it here just for you. If you can get past the idea of scooping refried beans with an ice cream scoop, you’re halfway to taco heaven.

Conan’s Taco Bell La Cone-A
(serves 6)
ingredients:
– 6 ice cream cones
– grilled chicken
– mexican rice, cooked
– 1 (16 ounce) can refried beans, heated
– cheddar cheese, finely shredded
– guacamole
– sour cream
– salsa

Fill the base of the ice cream cones with the cooked chicken and rice.

Using a large disher place one scoop of beans on top of each cone.

Sprinkle with shredded cheddar cheese, top with guacamole, sour cream and salsa to serve.

Designed by KeeganMeegan & Co

Printed by KeeganMeegan & Co

KeeganMeegan's awe-inspiring infinite calendar and moon-phase-tracker is a giant step for design-kind.

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Production Details

Client
Self-Promotion

Quantity Produced
1,000

Production Cost
–

Production Time
4 Weeks

Dimensions (Width × Height × Depth)
5 × 7.5

Page Count
–

Paper Stock
French  / Muscletone  / Black / 140#

Number of Colors
2

Varnishes
–

Binding
Grommet

Typography
Custom

This piece is available for purchase for $30

C’est au fond du lac de Witley Park en Angleterre qu’une salle de bal construite au début du 19ème siècle gît sous l’eau, gardée par une sculpture du dieu Neptune à la surface. Un escalier en colimaçon puis un long corridor en forme d’alcôve mène à la salle principale, dominée par un superbe dôme en verre de style art nouveau. À découvrir en images.

“Mambo Nos.1-4”
(1991-98)

Marking the embryonic first steps of Bega’s oeuvre, these largely unheard mambos are shrouded in myth, much like Dylan’s Basement Tapes or The Beach Boys’ SMiLE. A Scandinavian music blogger recently discovered a bootleg purported to contain several attempts at “Mambo #3.” A young, hungry Bega can be heard grappling with the opening line until settling upon “One, two, three, take a mambo with me.” One salivates at the thought of a 20th-Anniversary boxed set containing the rest of these seminal demos.

“Mambo No. 6”
(2000)

Even die-hard mambo-heads must admit the ramshackle nature of this obvious cash-in attempt, nipping at the heels of the more respected Fifth Mambo. Producers Goar B and Donald Fact eschewed their usual light touch, deciding instead to double-down on the record scratches and adding frenzied announcements of “This is Mambo Number Six, motherfuckers!” awash in digital reverb. Cocaine proved itself, once again, to be both the benefactor and the destroyer of mambo, its muse and its tacky, overwrought downfall.

“Mambo No. 12”
(2003)

Conceived as a prequel, this little-heard mambo focuses on the liquor store around the corner, and details Bega’s encounters with Angela and Rita. In an attempt at cross-marketing, the lyrics make numerous references to Red Dog Beer, and even coin the phrase “Doggin’ it like a mambo king.” It is Bega’s “Put ‘Em On the Glass.”

Mambo No. 16
(2005)

Bega is clearly treading water here; inspiration waned as mambo was seen as increasingly irrelevant after Bush was reelected. It’s a shame, as contemporary evidence shows that Bega had been working on a scathing mambo-cycle concerning paranoia and the patriot act. What we got instead were lyrical duds like “Four, eight, twelve, sixteen, here’s a new mambo like you’ve never seen.” More attentive mambonatics were glad to see the return of Mary and Jessica, however.

“Mambo XX
(Mambo Through Time Pt. I)”
(2007)

Pamela and Sandra appear at the liquor store around the corner. They are revealed to be sex-bots from the future, intent on bringing Bega forward to repopulate the earth. Though friends and family pleaded with Bega to return to his more grounded lyrical territory of objectifying present-day women, the Mambo Through Time concept was well under way. Modern-day critics of this daring sci-fi approach are missing the point (and let’s face it, most critics are hardly true mambros). Sure, production standards slipped as the money ran out and horn samples were replaced by a Roland JX-8P synthesizer once owned by Scorpions producer Deiter Dirks, but Bega’s renaissance as a writer was just beginning to flourish.

“Mambo XXIX
(Mambo Through Time, Pt. IX)”
(2007)

The liquor store around the corner has crumbled to dust. Monica and Erika have long since given their lives for the resistance. The evil Regulator has outlawed mambo. The world is awash in tones of gray as conformity and fear rule the land. But wait, off in the distance, a man in a white fedora stands tall…

“Mambo 69”
(2010)

The culmination of Bega’s disappointing and frankly icky Mambo After Dark series, this isn’t even numerically Bega’s 69th mambo. The less said, the better. A disappointing way to cap off a mambo-tastic career of highs and lows, unless reports of a Bega comeback prove true.

Mambo 2015

Mamboholics rejoice! Currently in the works, this mambo was commissioned by the German Federal Ministry of Health, the Bundesministerium für Gesundheit. Previews of the lyrics suggest that Bega must individually contact Angela, Pamela, Sandra, Rita, Monica, Erika, Tina, Mary, and Jessica to inform them that he has contracted a little bit of herpes.

If you didn’t already know, 92-year-old actor Sir Christopher Lee, who plays the evil Saruman the White in Peter Jackson’s adaptations the Lord of the Rings trilogy and The Hobbit (among countless other roles), is a head banging metal head. Yes, really. In what seems to be becoming a Christmas tradition, Christopher has released a new single entitled “Darkest Carols, Faithful Sing.”

His clear take on “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” includes three different mixes of the song and is currently available on Amazon and  iTunes. On the track, Lee stated, “It’s light-hearted, joyful and fun. It’s a band singing on how metal should be played…”

In the below video he posted to YouTube, you’ll find a teaser for the brand new track as well as a look at some of his past holiday work.

He’s once again collaborated with guitarist Hedras Ramos who previously worked with him on several other ventures including his first foray into the world of “Christmas Metal” with A Heavy Metal Christmas back in 2012.

After last year’s release of “Jingle Hell” reached number 18 on the Billboard Charts, Lee broke Tony Bennet’s record and became the oldest performer to have made the chart at the ripe old age of 91. He also just so happens to be the oldest heavy metal artist as well.

On his age and favorite hobby the rocker said, “At my age, the most important thing for me is to keep active by doing things that I truly enjoy. I do not know how long I am going to be around, so every day is a celebration and I want to share it with my fans.”

Well, at least we know what he does in his free time. You keep doing you Christopher. We love it!

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What do you think of Christopher Lee’s new song? More importantly, what do you think about the “Christmas Metal” genre? Let us know in the comments below. 

 

 

Nectar & Stone est une confiserie basée à Melbourne en Australie et fondée par Caroline Khoo. Ces chocolats, cupcakes et biscuits célèbrent la féminité avec de délicates formes et couleurs. Telle une peintre, Caroline Khoo confectionne et prête attention au moindre détail au point que ces douceurs semblent aussi délicieuses qu’agréables à regarder. À découvrir.

Le designer basé à San Francisco Luca Iaconi-Stewart a toujours rêvé de posséder son propre Boeing 777. C’est désormais chose faite, avec ce modèle réduit réalisé à partir du papier des dossiers manila. Le moins que l’on puisse dire, c’est que la ressemblance est d’un réalisme impressionnant. A découvrir.

This is a video of two hikers walking across a crystal-clear frozen lake (have you been watching the videos on Hedonistica? Go watch the videos on Hedonistica) in the High Tatras Mountains in Slovakia. Wow, what a magical adventure that must have been. I imagine later they got lost in the woods until stumbling across a Yeti who invited them to dinner with a bunch of talking forest animals. Speaking of getting lost in the woods -- remember how Hansel and Gretel left a trail of bread crumbs to find their way back home? That was a pretty stupid move. It's almost hard to believe kids these days are even stupider. Hit the jump for the video. Then jump up and down as hard as you can and see if you can get the ice to crack.

Durant une semaine, le réalisateur Danny Cooke s’est rendu à Pripyat, ville la plus touchée par la catastrophe nucléaire de Tchernobyl, pour y réaliser cette stupéfiante vidéo. Grâce à un drone survolant la ville fantôme, on découvre des images déroutantes, où des fleurs semblent éclore parmi les structures décrépites et les lieux totalement abandonnés. À découvrir en vidéo.

These are shots from Chelsea and Jesse's Big Lebowski themed wedding at Chop's Bowling Alley in Omaha, Nebraska. It looks like it was a great time, and was officiated by a personal friend of theirs who looks a lot like Walter and was recently ordained a Dudist Priest. Plus the owner of the bowling alley was so into the idea that he stripped the wax off some of the lanes so they could dance on them. No word if anybody lost a hand to a ball return machine like Roy Munson. No? Different bowling movie? Geez, calm down, it's hard living with 12-pound balls (sometimes they suck all the blood away from my brain and make me stupid).

We both agreed that we wanted the ceremony to be short and sweet. As neither of us are religious, this was pretty easy to achieve. For the processional, each member of our wedding party entered individually to "Looking Out My Back Door" by Creedence Clearwater Revival, while I walked down the lane to "Behave Yourself" by Booker T and the MGs, both songs pulled from the movie's soundtrack. This was followed by a unity cocktail ceremony, where we made White Russians, walked to the end of the lane and toasted our guests while Bob Dylan's "The Man In Me" played in the background. After we said "I Abide" and were announced as husband and wife, we killed the lights and danced into the audience to Kenny Rogers' "Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In)."

Sounds magical. There were also cupcakes with flavors inspired by all the different characters in the movie. Unfortunately, they made the Jesus flavored one white chocolate and raspberry instead something made with an 8-year old liqueur. It's the fine details, you know? That's how I know I'd make a great wedding planner. Plus I'm not afraid to tell anybody they shouldn't go through with it. *sitting down with couple* Listen -- marriage isn't for everyone, and it's definitely not for this guy who asked you. Keep going for a bunch more pictures of the event.

BrianDavid Downs

haze/bdd/marx collab gatefold for seawhores: the hunt is on -amphetamine reptile records
Edition of 90. Hand carved, silk screen printed, glued, stamped, and so much more - sleeve/records.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/brianddowns/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/brianddowns/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/brianddowns/

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L’artiste Andy Scott a conçu l’installation « The Kelpies » : une sculpture haute de 30 mètres représentant deux têtes de chevaux énormes qui s’éclairent et changent de couleurs. Il a passé neuf ans au total pour construire le tout dans la ville de Falkirk en Ecosse. Ces deux chevaux sont une personnification de l’Histoire du peuple écossais : fière et majestueuse.

Photos by Dswainphoto.

It’s that time of year again when someone connected to the 1988 cult comedy, Beetlejuice, comes out of the woodwork to offer a brief soundbite on its languishing sequel. This month, it’s Michael Keaton. During an interview with Deadline to discuss his recently-released flick Birdman, he updated the film world on the status of the eagerly-awaited Beetlejuice 2.

“Tim Burton and I have emailed about it. We’re both in the same situation (of always being busy on other projects). Neither one of us gets tired of the conversation Tim says he’s working on something, then goes away for a while. At some point, someone is going to say we really want to do it. You don’t want to fuck it up, so it has to be perfect.”

As is usually the case when Keaton works the press circuit, roving reporters tend to question him on the role that still stands as one of his quirkiest, stand-out performances. Talk on Beetlejuice 2 has persisted since the first flick bowed back in the late eighties, yet somehow it hasn’t snagged the greenlight. The changing tide came however, last year, when it was revealed that Tim Burton was definitely on track to direct. Of course, another Beetlejuice simply wouldn’t work without Keaton or Winona Ryder. Luckily they’re both ready to sign on the dotted line once the script is in place.

Currently, Seth Grahame-Smith (Dark Shadows, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter) and David Katzenberg (The Goldbergs) are co-writing the script and have been tapped to also produce. Burton and Keaton have made mention that their involvement hinges on the story and the screenplay; but… didn’t Grahame-Smith finish it nearly two years ago? If he did complete a first draft back in March 2013, it’s likely that the reason Katzenberg came aboard was to collaborate on the next subsequent version. Either way, it’s all been rather quiet on the Beetlejuice 2 front for some time. If Keaton, Burton, and Ryder are still game – why aren’t the wheels in motion?

Thanks for reading We Got This Covered

Sur le site Airbnb, il est fréquent de trouver de magnifiques maisons intégrées dans les arbres. Définitivement l’une des plus romantiques, la Secluded Intown Treehouse est située à Atlanta. Les deux espaces habitables, à savoir la chambre et le salon, sont reliés par un pont qui, le soir venu, brille de milles feux grâce à des guirlandes subtilement suspendues. A découvrir.

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