A physicist with more than 40 patents to his credit would seem to have his career clearly mapped out. But Robert J. Lang’s first love is…folding paper. One of the world’s foremost artists in origami—Japanese paper folding—Lang creates creatures of such realism and complexity that it seems impossible that each is composed of a single sheet of paper, no cuts, no glue.

Inspecting Lang’s eight-inch-tall ibex, for instance, you can see its beard, ears, horns, even its cloven hooves. His grizzly bear has teeth. His insects—Lang’s favorites—have fat bodies, twiggy legs, antennae, sometimes even spread wings.

And some of Lang’s origami creations are life size, like his eight-piece orchestra commissioned by a European paper company, or the Pteranodon with a 14-foot wing span created from a single, four-meter-square piece of paper. It flies on permanent display at the Redpath Museum of Natural History in Montreal, Canada.

Perhaps Lang’s most elaborate commercial origami assignment was creating an entire landscape for a Mitsubishi commercial. He, colleague Linda Tomoko Mihara, and a small team of model-makers folded mountains, clouds, wheat, several hundred trees—lacy trees so people could peer through the branches—tree bark, cobblestones, eight-foot-tall skyscrapers, Victorian homes, simple and complex leaves, several dogs, a deer, perching birds, flying birds and a dragon.

“In just the last 50 years, we’ve seen the number of published origami design grow from about 100 to more than 36,000, says Lang. “And in origami, we’re nowhere near the limits of what’s possible…”

…Peanuts! Linus sings The Police.

Thanks Rich!

Another smart quiz. It’s uncanny how accurate these can be!

You Are Definitely Not a Hippie

In fact, you’re so conservative, you make George Bush look like Jerry Garcia. You’re not big on experimentation or alternative lifestyles. Fringe ideas tend to freak you out. You’re pretty suspicious of hippies - or anyone who sympathizes with them. As hippies would say, you are the establishment. You’re part of the system… and proud of it.

Are You A Hippie?

Al Gore has convinced me I should do my part to help save the world from the perils of man-made global warming climate change. So I’ll be ordering this bio-fuel car when (and if) it becomes available in California.

Gee, I feel greener already!

Labeled as the 430 Spider Bio Fuel, the roadster runs on the familiar mix of 85% natural ethanol and 15% gasoline, which reports suggest yield a modest 2% increase in power. That’s enough to bring the 4.3-liter V8’s output up to 500 from the standard 490 with torque rising 4% and fuel economy improving by 5%… More

Hugh Atkin sent me another of his satirical videos following up on the great job he did mixing campaign footage of the candidates with David Bowie’s “Changes” (see What Voters Want Is…).

In this video, he mixes a teary eyed Hillary explaining “how she does it”, with Tom Cruise explaining, well, essentially the same thing. Enjoy!

…about the current political news, I really am. I’m trying to pay attention to the incessant bickering between Obama and the Clintons, Giuliani’s “Travelin’ 9-11 Show”, Edwards’ attempts to be the candidate of change, Hillary’s crying, ad nauseum. But it’s all such crap!

Maybe things will (yawn) get a little more interesting in the weeks ahead. Meanwhile, I’ve got Hugh Atkin’s political mashups to keep me in the game.

Got this from one of our clients…

A thief in Paris decided to steal some paintings from the Louvre. After careful planning, he got past security, stole the paintings and made it safely to his van. However, he was captured only two blocks away when his van ran out of gas. When asked how he could mastermind such a crime and then make such an obvious error, he replied, “Monsieur, zat is ze reason I stole ze paintings!

I had no Monet

to buy Degas

 
to make ze Van Gogh.

 
See if you have De Gaulle to send this on to someone else.

 
I sent it to you because I figured I had nothingToulouse.

 
Thanks Jim!

Thanks Frank!

Jennifer Maestre is a self-taught artist, at least in her current medium of choice - pencil sculptures. She has also produced works in beads, nails and pins, but it was her works made entirely of sharpened pencils that first caught my attention and made me want to share her work here.

Her pencil sculptures are made by drilling holes in one inch long sections of pencils and sewing them together using a sculptural beading technique called “peyote stitch”. Take a walk through her site. I think you’ll find the work unique if not inspiring.

I’m always fascinated and often amazed by sandcastles. Not the kind we all built as children - primitive creations made at the beach with wet sand, a bucket and maybe a Dixie cup - but those produced by what I’ll call “professional” sand castle builders. They sometimes create their works of art at the California State Fair but are more often spotted drawing a crowd along popular beaches.

I happened across this image the other day of a comparatively modest but very romantic sand castle built as a marriage proposal to “Sarah”. I couldn’t help wondering if she answered “yes” (how could she not?) and so I did some ‘net surfing to try and find out. Sadly, I didn’t find an answer about Sarah, but I did learn that sandcastle proposals are a staple in many castle builders’ portfolios. Who was first? I wonder…but I digress.

In the process, I came across a really nice collection of notable sand castles at Travelburner. Surprisingly, it includes the wedding proposal (There are still romantics in the world!) along with nine others. Check them out. Like I said… I’m often amazed!

By the way, if you’re “Sarah” (or know her), I’d love to hear your “story”…

Hugh Atkin sent this spoof based on the David Bowie tune “Changes”.

John sent this from Disney World! (He’s on vacation…I didn’t ask.)

It’s important to be able to communicate with the help, especially if you didn’t pay attention in high school Spanish class…

NSFW around people who understand Spanish.

Here’s some good news for AT&T broadband subscribers: Free Wi-Fi at AT&T’s 10,000 or so Hot-Spots! I haven’t read all the particulars yet but it appears that Premier and Basic service levels benefit. Key for me will be learning what “additional” locations are included since I don’t spend a lot of time at Barnes & Noble or McDonald’s. But hey, anything that adds to the puny number of free HotSpots in my area is a bonus!

Measuring almost 3,500 feet long, covering 20 acres and holding 66 million gallons of water, the San Alfonso del Mar Resort’s seawater pool in Algarrobo on Chile’s southern coast was just named the world’s largest outdoor swimming pool by the Guiness Book of World Records. Story and more photos.

How three graphic designers re-created D-Day on a shoestring budget for the Timewatch program “Bloody Omaha”. Due to interest in the “making of” video, the complete program will be repeated January 27 on BBC television. In the U.S., the full production of BLOODY OMAHA will be shown on the Smithsonian Channel HD in May, 2008.

Amazing what can be done with just three actors, some props, a camera, four days and some amazing cgi (computer generated images), isn’t it?