jkottke

[jkottke]

I paged through this illustrated retrospective of Hayao Miyazaki’s work at the bookstore a few months ago and it was gorgeous. “The book is artistic biography, aesthetic treatise, creative process explication, and celebration of the filmmaker’s work.”

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The DSKY Moonwatch is a wristwatch that’s a shrunk-down replica of the Apollo Guidance Computer interface that the Apollo astronauts used to maneuver their spacecraft to the Moon and back. So nerdy!

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Did we all know this already? “Chip is a nickname for a guy named after his dad. Skip is a nickname for a guy named after his grandfather. Trip is a nickname for a guy named after his dad AND grandfather.”

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The Art of the Snack Solo. “And now I am into my stride. A fig is plucked. The cornichons emerge. The cheeses multiply. Little packets of oatcakes are opened. Maple syrup is experimentally poured.” (I…do not eat this way. 100% mealer here.)

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Post-Apocalyptic Orbs. While these might look like they are AI-generated, these floating orb-structures created by Masakatsu Sashie are actually oil paintings.

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33 Ways To Improve Your Life, Japanese Style. Including “be happy in your own company”, “find your inner otaku”, “take inspiration — but with respect”, and “be reliable”.

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Jessica Hische & Chris Shiflett are launching a company called Studioworks that makes business management software for creative studios.

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An Ambient 24/7 Streaming Video of Chill Work/Study Vibes. “I am adding this to my chill working music rotation immediately.”

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Learning from Finland’s success in combatting homelessness. “It is the result of a sustained, well-resourced national strategy […] which provides people experiencing homelessness with immediate, independent, permanent housing…”

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The Euthanasia Coaster is a rollercoaster designed to thrill the hell out of its passengers just before it kills them.

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When Your Terminal Illness Makes You a TikTok Star. “After being diagnosed with A.L.S. in 2022, Brooke Eby could have turned inward. Instead, she opened up — and found a fan base online.” This was a really great & poignant read.

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The Design of Classic Doctor Who Title Cards. Design and typography fans: travel back in time to the 60s, 70s, and 80s and check out the retro aesthetic of these old Doctor Who title cards.

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The Beauty Of Old Hollywood In One Scene. Evan Puschak dissects a scene from The Philadelphia Story, featuring Katherine Hepburn & Jimmy Stewart.

[jkottke]

How Ernest Wright Makes Scissors. “The idea behind a pair of Ernest Wright scissors is that you buy them once, and they last for multiple lifetimes.”

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What Dinosaurs Were Really Like. This is an entertaining and informative look at what we know about dinosaurs today (for those of us who haven’t kept up much since Jurassic Park).

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“Coyote time” is a trick video game designers use to be more forgiving about players jumping — the jump button still works after running off the end of the platform. It’s named after Wile E. Coyote’s ability to run in midair.

[jkottke]

The detail on these hyperrealistic pencil drawings is next-level! Even zooming in on the threads in this drawing of a bolt is indistinguishable from a macro photo. (That drawing took 280 hours…almost 12 full days!)