bookofjoe

'Every image has a sound'

"Noisy interactive posters were designed by DM9DDB to promote Saxsofunny, a sound production company from Brazil."

[via Toxel]

Ribcage + Heart Card — by Nathan R. Chrislip

Because sometimes love is like an Aztec sacrifice.

"Origami heart with original art on each side that hangs inside

a standing paper rib cage (packs flat for mailing)."

Measures 5" x 9" flat, 4" high x 3.5"

when assembled.

$9.

BehindTheMedspeak: 'She blew my nose and then she blew my mind'

Long story short: Blowing your nose is a bad idea and can cause sinus infection.

Here's Anahad O'Connor's "Really?" column from this past Tuesday's New York Times Science section to set you straight.

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The Claim: Never Blow Your Nose When You Have a Cold

The Facts: Blowing your nose to alleviate stuffiness may be second nature, but some people argue it does no good, reversing the flow of mucus into the sinuses and slowing the drainage.

Counterintuitive, perhaps, but research shows it to be true.

To test the notion, Dr. J. Owen Hendley and other pediatric infectious disease researchers at the University of Virginia conducted CT scans and other measurements as subjects coughed, sneezed and blew their noses. In some cases, the subjects had an opaque dye dripped into their rear nasal cavities.

Coughing and sneezing generated little if any pressure in the nasal cavities. But nose blowing generated enormous pressure — “equivalent to a person’s diastolic blood pressure reading,” Dr. Hendley said — and propelled mucus into the sinuses every time. Dr. Hendley said it was unclear whether this was harmful, but added that during sickness it could shoot viruses or bacteria into the sinuses, and possibly cause further infection.

The proper method is to blow one nostril at a time and to take decongestants, said Dr. Anil Kumar Lulwani, chairman of the department of otolaryngology at the New York University Langone Medical Center. This prevents a buildup of excess pressure.

The Bottom Line: Blowing your nose can create a buildup of excess pressure in sinus cavities.

World's Smallest — and Fastest — Hand-Powered Washing Machine

Going off-grid?

Take one of these puppies along.

How fast?

The washing cycle varies from 10 seconds to 2 minutes long.

Even you have 10 seconds, don't you?

No?

Then what the heck are you doing here?

Sheesh.

$49.99.

[via Tiny House Blog and Nikolas R. Schiller]

Martha Washington, Dancing Queen — She wore 'the Manolo Blahniks of her time'

Above, the avant-garde deep purple silk high heels studded with silver sequins 27-year-old Martha Dandridge Custis wore on January 6, 1759, the day she married George Washington.

Said historian and author Patricia Brady (quoted in Brigid Schulte's revisionist February 2, 2009 Washington Post front page story about the first First Lady) regarding the shoes, "They were the Manolo Blahniks of her time."

Mount Vernon curator Emily Shapiro and executive director James Rees described the shoes as a little sassy and definitely "over the top" for the time.

For the first time in decades the delicate shoes, whose sparkly buckles are long gone and whose original bright purple has faded to lavender, are on display at Mount Vernon, through Monday, February 23, after which they'll be returned to dark storage until 2020 or thereabouts.

Temperature-Sensitive Glass Tiles

Long story short: "Textured glass tiles that alter in color with changes in temperature."

For a change, not a concept or "real soon now" but ready today for whatever you'd like to do with them.

About $15 per standard size 4" x 4" x 3/8" tile.

So a square foot will run you about $150.

No end of fun.

Notes on [sic]

Observe the headline (pictured just above) of yesterday's 11:01 a.m. post on the Drink Selector Mug.

Note the quotation marks.

What do quotation marks mean to you?

To me, they mean something originating somewhere other than in my peabrain was cited exactly as it appeared.

And so the headline was.

Exhibit 2: Note the first sentence of the above-cited post (below):

What does it mean to you?

Perhaps you should take a time out to read Tom Stoppard's "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead." 

Who are Rosencrantz and Guildenstern?

Perhaps you should take the rest of the day off to read "Hamlet".

But I digress.

Exhibit 3: Note the second sentence (below)

of the post in play.

Note that in the original post the "look it up" link takes you right to the original text (below)

cited in my post's headline.

But I digress yet again.

So you see, perhaps, why I felt a twinge of annoyance when not one, not two or three, but four readers (below)

found it amusing to correct my use of the word "barrister."

But, see, it was in a quotation.

I used it as such because I found someone else's use of it amusing.

The joke's not on me, much as you'd like to think so.

Perhaps in the future I need to interrupt the flow of things with [sic].

You know what that means, don't you?

Ooob Doorstop

From the website:

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Product Benefits:

Aesthetic — The sumptuous, geometric form combined with the Ooob's functionality make it a modern design classic.

Ergonomic — The Ooob's smooth, curved profile eliminates catch points, meaning no more stubbed toes.

Staying Power — The Ooob’s streamlined form and heavy weight minimize any chance of you knocking it out of place by accident.

Multi-functional — The Ooob can be used as a bookend.

Thoughtful — Unlike wedges the Ooob does not damage the bottom edge of doors.

Gentle — Unlike wedges the Ooob's rubber skin doesn't scratch your floors, doors or furniture.

Tactile — The Ooob feels pleasing to the touch. It's almost a shame to keep it on the floor.

Features:

Dimensions: 23cm L x 7cm H x 7cm D (9"L x 2.8"H x 2.8"D).

Silicone rubber with steel core.

Weighs 1.2kg (2.6 lbs.).

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Black, Grey, Deep Pink, Red or Mango.

£19.57.