bookofjoe

Insomania [sic] is contagious — you catch it from seeing too many misspellings

FunFact: the word "misspelled" is often misspelled.

You could look it up.

[via inothernews.tumblr.com]

Time Teller P

By

Nixon.

Polyurethane band,

mineral crystal window,

in 11 colors/

color

combinations.

$55.

[via Pulp]

Tripped-out Wallabies of Tasmania

Via reader Justin Caine comes news that the kissing cousins of the kangaroo have become addicted to opium.

Above, from left: A wallaby and a joey.

FunFact from Sam Jones's June 25, 2009 Guardian story: "Tasmania is the world's biggest producer of legally grown opium for the pharmaceutical market. About 500 farmers grow the crop on 49,420 acres (20,000 hectares) of land, producing around half the raw opium for morphine and other opiates."

Here's the article.

••••••••••••••••••••••••

Wallabies damaging crops in Tasmania poppy fields after getting high

Unlike their larger mainland cousins, the wallabies of Tasmania appear to be more trippy than Skippy. No lesser an authority than the island's attorney general has discovered that hungry marsupials and thousands of acres of legal opium poppy fields do not mix.

"We have a problem with wallabies entering poppy fields, getting as high as a kite and going around in circles," Lara Giddings told a budget hearing on Wednesday.

Nor does the problem end there. Even drugged-up marsupials, it seems, cannot break free of the physical law that demands that what goes up must come down.

"Then they crash," said Giddings. "We see crop circles in the poppy industry from wallabies that are high."

Tasmania is the world's biggest producer of legally grown opium for the pharmaceutical market. About 500 farmers grow the crop on 49,420 acres (20,000 hectares) of land, producing around half the raw opium for morphine and other opiates.

Giddings was answering questions about the security of the island's poppy stocks, which are estimated to be among the safest in the world.

However, the attorney general noted that 2280 poppy heads had been stolen over the last financial year.

Rick Rockliff, field operations manager for Tasmanian Alkaloids - one of the two Tasmanian companies licensed to take medicinal products from poppy straw - said that deer and sheep that munched the poppies had been known to "act weird" afterwards.

"There have been many stories about sheep that have eaten some of the poppies after harvesting and they all walk around in circles," Rockliff told the Mercury newspaper.

He said growers did their best to stop the local lifestock invading the fields as there were worries over the contamination of meat from animals that ate the drug crops.

"There is also the risk to our poppy stocks, so growers take this very seriously but there has been a steady increase in the number of wild animals and that is where we are having difficulty keeping them off our land," he said.

British animals appear to be more conservative in their choice of intoxicants. Last October, a drunk pony called Fat Boy had to be rescued from a Cornish swimming pool after gorging himself on fermented apples and falling into the water.

World's fastest production electric motorcycle (limited edition)

"With a top speed of 150mph, the Mission One is the closest thing to flying with two wheels on the ground."

"What is the sound of speed? Silence."

Li-on batteries.

Edition of 50.

$70,000.

[via Pulp]

Maira Kalman on Jefferson and Monticello

Long story short: the nonpareil author/artist was invited there for dinner and, like a student after a field trip, wrote — and painted — about it as only she can.

 

A magnificent illustrated (examples above and below) report of her visit entitled "Time Wastes Too Fast" appeared in yesterday's New York Times "And the Pursuit of Happiness" blog,

 

a fact I'd never have known but for reader Nanci McCrackin's heads-up to me this morning.

 

Sometimes everything you need to know isn't in the daily newspaper.

NYC Metro Cuff Bracelet

Designed by Tiffany Burnette.

"Über urban matte metal metro rider cuff bracelet. Streets, subway lines and numbers are embossed on the surface of the metal."

$23.

[via miniManel and Elvira's hot spot]

Howcast — 100,000 videos and counting

Howcast has created a mobile website (m.howcast.com) accessible from any phone with a web browser.

There's also an iPhone app — free, the way we like it.

Because hey, stuff happens.

iHirst

Not a fan of Damien Hirst?

No problema: for you, there's iQuinn, iEmin, iBanksy and iWhiteread.

Created by Naroa Lizar Redrado.

“iartistlondon is the cool new brand that enables you to make real contemporary pieces of art from the comfort of your home. All those pieces that you always wanted to have but couldn't afford."

"We believe art should be for everyone. Our boxes contain all the necessary elements so you only have to concentrate on creating. In no time you will have a masterpiece created by yourself. It couldn't be easier!"

iHirst: £49.99.

iQuinn: £20.

iEmin: £15.99.

iBanksy: £9.99.

iWhiteread: £4.99.

[via Elvira's hot spot, simko, rebel:art and Happy Famous Artists]