Zissou has returned!
But I’m not going to say where. I don’t think I ? nay, any of us ? could deal with another Zissou passing. Needless to say, Andy at The Big Spoon has finally dried his tears.
We’ll miss you, Captain Zissou
Yesterday was a sad day for Brink. For the past couple weeks, on a pillar at the entrance to the communications school, there was a stencil of Steve Zissou (of The Life Aquatic fame). No idea who put it there ? I just know his little red beanie made me smile every time I saw it.
I told myself to get a photo of it for you Brink readers because, clearly, you’d appreciate it as much as me. Yesterday afternoon, as I walked back from class, I found a wall of dripping white soap where Captain Zissou’s face once was. The college washed it off! Boo.
The Big Spoon was also deeply affected by this event, so I grabbed a camera to capture his moment of mourning.
FLEFF kicks off tonight
The Finger Lakes Environmental Film Festival begins in just a couple hours, and Brink couldn’t be more excited. This is the third year Ithaca College has taken over the week-long festival (it used to be at Cornell), and since then, it has expanded to include more than 100 events, including film screenings, lectures, presentations and art exhibitions. And what do they mean by “environment”? Lots of things ? not just trees and furry critters. The festival’s directors, Patricia Zimmermann and Tom Shevory, explain how this festival is redefining the word here.
Tonight is the festival kick-off event, “Memescapes,” which is a performance featuring a live music score ? composed and performed by Judy Hyman, Jeff Claus (of The Horseflies), Rick Hansen, Jay Olsa, and Robby Aceto ? set to archival film footage and digital images. The performance will also include spoken word. IC does a lot of these multimedia collaborative projects ? really interesting to watch. And it’s not often you can experience silent films the way they were meant to be experienced: with live music. The event starts at 8 p.m. in Park Hall.
Best. Giveaway. Ever.
While surfing the blogosphere, I came across this bit of wonderful information: There is such a thing as Free Comic Book Day, when comic book stores just give away free issues. This year, the big day is May 5. As the date gets closer, the home page for Free Comic Book Day ? now in its sixth year ? will give an updated list of participating stores. You can find the extensive list of free comics here. (Oh, boy! Transformers the Movie Prequel #1!) Pretty sweet.
This made me reflect on my time as a comic book/X-Men card collector in my early elementary school years. I’m pretty sure my parents had to take out a loan to support my habits (hey, there are worse habits I could have formed at that age). I wasn’t able to score any No. 1’s (at least none worth enough to allow me to retire in a few years). But going to the comic book store with my cousins and waiting in line at artist appearances was always exciting. Now all that stuff just kind of sits in boxes deep in my closet. I rummage through it sometimes when I’m feeling nostalgic.
Here in Ithaca we have the oldest active comic book club in the country, the Comic Book Club of Ithaca, founded in 1975. Last month was the annual Ithacon, where people can meet artists and authors, and buy issues and toys. At the risk of sounding really geeky: I went to one of the Ithacons a couple years ago and met one of the artists who made those very X-Men Fleer Ultra cards I spent so much of my youth obsessing over. I’m pretty sure my enthusiasm for this guy and his art scared the friend I was with.
(Via Underwire)
Dancing on the ceiling
Brink’s a sucker for cute, colorful wellies (granted, I have those pale green wooly ones from Banana Republic, but hey, they were on sale). This funky mobile installation is at the venue Harry Klein in Munich. StyleClicker posted a photo of it, but there’s not much more information available. All you need to know: The wellies in this project beat all the rubber boots hitting the streets in this country. Time to invest in some Krazy Glue and plastic toy cars.
Super Duper Scary
I know, I know, you’re probably sick of looking at Colani and that yellow car. But Brink is back after a short vaca at South Beach. Not much to report on the Miami fashion end ? for the dudes: bare chests or white polos with popped collars; for the ladies: short skirts and high heels. A common theme between both the sexes? Lots of alcohol from Wet Willie’s.
While relaxing pool side, feeding my Internet addiction, I came across this brilliant (read: not so brilliant) idea: a human-powered rollercoaster. The eco-friendly Skycycle at Washuzan Highland Park in Okayama is powered by pedals and leg muscle. The cars come with a pink basket, and riders are strapped in by a seatbelt. But what’s really interesting is the design of the car. Picture those red four-seater carts families cruise the Jersey Shore in ? no sides, hardly any back support. Now put that on a rollercoaster track ? truly frightening.
Actually, the potential for the cart to tip at any moment might give riders more of a thrill than any loopy Batman coaster. And that Batman ride doesn’t come with a little pink basket.
(Thanks Reader Erin and Treehugger)
Mario’s German cousin rules
The Design Museum in London is featuring a retrospective of the work of German transport and architecture designer Luigi Colani through June. Titled “Luigi Colani: Translating Nature,” the exhibit will cover his work from the past six decades.
Colani, also posterguy for the gnarly handlebar mustache, has been creating new ways to think about transportation, design and style since the 1930s, when he studied art and aerodynamics. He began his career developing cars, and eventually moved on to planes, boats, furniture and commercial products.
?I am not a designer,? he says on Discovery’s ?FutureCar? series. ?I am a three-dimensional philosopher of the future.?
Check out a feature about him from this weekend’s Times. (Via The New York Times’ DriveTimes)
Speaking of philosophy: Jean Baudrillard ? or as The Guardian put it, his “simulacrum” ? passed away recently at age 77. Julian Baggini raised some interesting points about his death in The Guardian, particularly this one:
News of the death of Jean Baudrillard provokes mischievous and possibly disrespectful thoughts about how he would have reported his own passing. “It never happened” would be the obvious choice. For those of us who didn’t know him personally, the “death of Baudrillard” is an entirely media event, one which we only observe through the filter of news, the internet and television. To believe otherwise is to fail to recognise the nature of our “hyperreal” society, in which we are no longer able to distinguish between reality itself and its simulation.
Lots of people thought Baudrillard was a bit out there, but his work on simulacra and the hyperreal start making a lot of sense when you look at things like MySpace, Second Life and LonelyGirl15 ? especially LonelyGirl, who blurred the line between real and not real, not only with the medium (YouTube), but also with the narrative itself. Baudrillard is heavy reading, but enlightening.
Fashion and fun winds down
Paris Fashion Week, the last of the “fashion weeks,” ended Monday, but that doesn’t mean we can’t still have a looksee at clothes that only remind us how little we have in the bank:
Balenciaga
What stood out for me was this little boy look. A sharp, tailored jacket and trousers that just reach the ankles. Part Willy Wonka (the color), part British school boy, part Replacements’ “Androgynous” ? and definitely adorable.
Givenchy
Small gold accents: hot. Exagerrated gold accents: even hotter.
Alexander McQueen
Shiny materials, flashy short skirts, tight leather leggings. Sure, bright blue eyeshadow looks pretty kick ass on the runway, not so sure how practical it is at the local bar. Kudos to those who find a way to pull it off.
Comme des Gar?ons
This outfit made me do a double take. The hands on the waist are very subtle, but totally make that look. Like McQueen’s line, Comme des Gar?ons also used bright eyeshadows ? pinks, blues, purples, not at all the dark tones normally reserved for fall.
Viktor & Rolf
The whole line is worth checking out. And boys think walking in heels is rough.
Chanel
Click here. I swear ? the very last time I mention Club Penguin: Look, a penguin! Nothing says couture like penguins.
Giambattista Valli
Clean and simple whites and blacks, and a touch of color in the form of platform patent leather yellow and red heels. But the hat ? oh, that hat!
Herm?s
This line is perfect for that chic bike chick in you.
Stella McCartney
More of what we’ve been seeing: loose shirts and sweaters; tight pants and leggings; long, tossled hair. Bravo, Stella, for featuring Daria ? in hot pink heels, no less. Brink has a serious girl crush on her.
(Photo links via New York mag)
If only you could make him do the string dance
As if Club Penguin isn’t addicting enough, try weaning yourself off Stardoll, a site that lets you dress up your favorite celebrities ? paper doll style. They provide the scantily clad cutout celebrity, and you choose the clothes (from dresses to jackets to accessories).
The site is aimed at teenage girls, but come on, who wouldn’t want to dress up Cristiano Ronaldo, Kate Moss and one of the greatest (and tallest) entertainers ever, Conan O’Brien. He even pops in to frame when the page loads.
And don’t worry, Brink’s already put in a request for a LaBamba doll.
(Thanks Reader Alex!)
Waddle on
So this is what the kids these days think about us 18 and overs: hunched over penguins with canes. At least, that’s what the users in Club Penguin, an online social networking site for tweenyboppers, think.
Quite popular among the young folk, the site lets users interact with other penguins their age and play real-time games. The rules are simple: 1) Be nice to other penguins; 2) Don’t give out personal info; and 3) No inappropriate language. The genius behind Club Penguin: Who can resist making a penguin avatar? They’re so damn cute!
So last night I opened a Club Penguin account (for reporting purposes, obviously). You can sign up for one of four age groups: 8 and under; 9 through 12; 13 through 17; and 18 up (see picture above). Unfortunately, Brink, the user name, was already taken. I had to immediately scratch my plans to hunt down the fake Brink (Rule No. 1 insists on penguin civility and No. 3 warns against profanities) and settle for the name Condi (see pink penguin bustin a move in the middle of the dance floor above). Condilicious ? I’m not joking ? was already taken.
Users can gather “coins” by either playing games with other penguins or exchanging real money for them. These coins can eventually buy you items for, say, your igloo. And it gets better: Your penguin can throw snowballs. There’s an aim and everything.
Within two minutes of landing in the frosty tundra, I made my first friend. The conversation went like this:
Friendly penguin: Hello.
Condi: Hello! How are you?
FP: Good. You?
Condi: I am well, thank you.
FP: You are nice. Are you new?
Condi: Yes I am.
FP: I?m not. Come.
To self: Come? Come where? *Cue creepy music*
FP: Come.
After a moment’s hesitation, I gave in to the weird, snowy world of Club Penguin and followed this waddling blob of pink pixels directly into a connect four game ? and totally got my butt kicked by who I?m sure was a 12 year old. I did, however, earn five coins just for playing.
Why is this cool? Well, millions of kids have already made virtual friends in Club Penguin, and there are millions more on the way. The Internet isn’t just for the older crowd in WoW, Second Life and Facebook anymore. The younger generations are more media savvy than ever. And I thought I was cool for having a MySpace five years ago ? some of these fourth graders probably know html. If kids are being exposed to this type of stuff early on, they’re going to design some pretty kickin games years from now.
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