How Fast Are You?

Fine folks from the League of S.T.E.A.M. are having a gallery show tomorrow night in Santa Monica. These are always a blast. You should go.

The League of S.T.E.A.M. presents
An Evening with the Unfamiliar: Scientific Investigations of Paranormal Oddities

Location:
Renee’s Courtyard Cafe & Bar
522 Wilshire Blvd., Santa Monica, CA, 90401 [map]
Parking available at 1234 4th St., $3 flat rate after 6pm

Time:
Sunday, January 17th, 2010
7:00 PM to Midnight

UPDATE: LA Weekly was at the show, and has a nice little write-up and some photos to boot! Go Team S.T.E.A.M.!

click to enbiggen

From the new and already fantastic Small Victories.

There was a time in the past century when women were appreciated for being women: lovely, curvy, smart, elegant, enthralling, distracting. While their rights were not yet guaranteed by any means, men were men and as such had a proper and healthy dedication to the women in their lives. This was well before the pornification of the country and the heroin-addict chic that led to such visual atrocities (and crimes against their own gender) as Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan and their ilk.

In World War II, images of women adorned the fighter planes and bombers piloted by the brave men who defended freedom far away from the women they loved. With a picture of his gal in his pocket (and one of Betty Grable above his bunk), pilots went into battle with images of strong women on the nose of their planes.

Often idealized portrayals, these images showed an appreciation for women that few men have today: strong, sultry, confident women who seemed to come from a Mickey Spillane novel or a Vargas book. But stereotypes aside, they were there to guide and comfort these men, as real women do so well out of their own sense of love and dedication.

There is an elegance and wonderful mystery about women that many men miss, probably because the Age of Real Men is gone. But the allure of an intelligent and strong real woman will always draw a real guy to appreciate her.

via WebUrbanist

Addendum: Virgin America took the classy route to sexy with this advert. Respect and appreciation can go hand in hand, yes? Yes.

Quoth Molly Crabapple (aka Dr. Sketchy):

I like… Walking down Hollywood boulevard until the buildings devolve into stripper stores and Scientology centers and places selling stun guns and salvia

More musings at Miss Crabapple’s Demographic of One.

What are you doing tomorrow night? Wrong! You’re going to the Infernal Contraption steampunk art show!

Quoth Nick:

Empire Steamworks presents Infernal Contraption.

Featuring L.A.’s top Steampunk artists, including the photography of Rei Sutton, the mad creations of Nick (aka Steampunk Ghostbuster), the delicious fashions of Kato, the exotic jewelery of Silent Cheesecake Studios, and many more, over 25 in all!

Also in store is a Victorian Museum of Oddities, The marvelous steam-powered absinthe machine, a steampunk costume contest, and live performances such as the Sizzling Siren Miss Satanica and her explosive fire act!

DJ Tenebrae will spin an eclectic mix of music in the Explorers Club Lounge, ranging from Dr. Steel to Danny Elfman!

You can also expect a full bar, dance floor, smoking oasis, Valet and street parking.

The cost is $10, from 10pm – 2am, Thursday, May 14th at the Monte Cristo, 3100 Wilshire Blvd. (one block east of Vermont) in Los Angeles.

I’ll be there will bells goggles on!

If you go to the same places on the intarweebs that I do, you’ve probably heard that Lenora Claire is curating a Bettie Page-themed art show at the World of Wonder Gallery. Which brings us to today’s topic: Elvira as Bettie Page!

Cassandra "Elvira" Peterson as Bettie Page

Talk about two great tastes that go great together! Photographer Austin Young is doing the FSM’s work there. He’s also shot Margaret Cho as Bettie for the show, and Lenora Claire spanking herself as Bettie.

I so need to go to this show. Quite a bit of Bettie-inspired art leaves me cold, but there are some darn fine artists participating here.

Bettie Page Heaven Bound: A Celebration of the Life of Bettie Page
Opening Reception Saturday, 2 May 2009, 8pm-midnight ($5)
Show runs 2-29 May 2009

World of Wonder Storefront Gallery
6650 Hollywood Blvd.
Hollywood, CA 90028
(323) 603 6300

Thanks DL!

As you know, I am a bald hunk of burning love. Also, girls¹ dig the beard. Need proof?

Quoth Lauren Ray of Pensacola, FL, the owner of these fine knuck tatts:

i got this tattoo because well, i LOVE beards. Everyone knows it, so i decided to truly show how much i do by getting it tattooed on my knuckles. The thumbs were a last minute idea and i love them. Tattoo courtesy of 3 Saints Tattoos, Pensacola, FL.

Behold the thumbs, which really sell the whole thing:

I salute your dedication, Miss Ray. Keep up the good work!

Via Knuckle Tattoos.

This hand-sculpted nightlight is for sale on Etsy. Half of sales proceeds go to Huston Food Bank. Quoth the artist, rendersean:

“Hungy” is an angler-fish nightlight that is truly one of a kind. He has been hand sculpted and built from a UL certified LED nightlight with a photo sensor to shut off the bright blue LED light during the day.

The eyes and some other details on Hungy and the base have been painted with glow paint, which adds to Hungy’s night-time personality. Hungy’s not suitable for pets or young children – though they have been epoxied & clear coated, the crabs could conceivably come off and while Hungy’s very sturdy, he’s not a toy. To see more photos, a video and information about how Hungy was made, visit http://www.sculptedpixel.org. You can also contact the artist, Sean D. Siem, for any questions by emailing s [!at] sculptedpixel.org.

Via Boing Boing Gadgets.

This weekend, machine project — our favorite gallery/hackspace — is traveling through space and time!

Friday, March 6th, 8pm. An evening of fiction, poetry, film and mechanical oddities with scifi author Mark von Schlegell (visiting from Germany, and author of VENUSIA and the upcoming MERCURY STATION), Claire Phillips (BLACKMARKET BABIES) and Anthony McCann (FATHER OF NOISE, MOONGARDEN, Machine Poet Laureate, you know — Anthony). Curated by Annie O’Malley.
-> More info here.

Saturday March 7th, 8pm. A talk on the rise and fall of civilizations, untold wealth, extraordinary events, our momentous future and what these have to do with materials innovations.
-> More info here.

Sunday, March 8th, 1pm. Dorkbot! (time traveler’s courtesy note: remember, it’s Daylight Savings Time the night before.)
-> More info here.

Sunday, March 8th, 8pm. A rousing sing-a-long where audience members will learn a unique, alternative musical language and by the end of the night become a choir, singing traditional hymns from the 19th century — all voices are welcome, a willingness to sing is the only requirement.
-> More info here.

With any luck, I’ll get to go to at least two of these. It’s anyone’s guess which though. See you there?

These are only some of the posters dug up by Andrew Lindstrom on WellMedicated. They are lovely.

Go to WellMedicated to see more. Mr. Lindstrom sourced these fine examples from these sites, braving 20th century web design and vicious popup adds, so we didn’t have to.

• Polish Poster Shop
• Polish Poster Gallery
• Classic Polish Film Posters
• retroCrush
• a Greyspace Poster Gallery

Via Twitter / ECTOPLASMOSIS!.