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There’s something strangely appealing about some of David Chien’s quirky illustrations.

Here’s an experiment that you can try at home:

Take one afternoon, just as dusk is falling. It helps if it’s a little cold, and ominus looking dark storm clouds are rolling in. Get in your car, and put on some heavy metal act from when you were a kid. I’d recommend Dio, Holy Diver, but really anything like that would probably do. Turn it up VERY, VERY loud, and sing along VERY, VERY badly. It helps if you can laugh with giddy glee as you’re singing. Now, drive someplace really, really fast. Throw an occasional devil sign, or bang your head a bit as the spirit moves you.

If you’ve done all of this correctly, then for anywhere from about 7 1/2 to 12 minutes*, you will feel exactly like you’re 16 again.

It’s like broken glass
You get cut before you see it
So open up your eeeeyyyyyeeeeesssssss!

Bloody fountain of youth baby…Dio Raaawwwwwkks!

*Be sure not to exceed the recommended dossage as shortly after that period, you may experience feelings of being just a little pathetic and lame.

I’ve got just three words for you: Monster Super Heros!

Ha..Ha..Ha..Ha!!!
The League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen is either going to be unbelievably great or unspeakably bad. I don’t care which. I HAVE to see this movie! Oh, and did I mention that Sean Connery is in it? Ha..Ha..Ha!!!!!!

Los Angeles is such an amazing place. There’re all of these little nooks and crannies. You could probably spend several lifetimes exploring and still not find everything the city has to offer.

For instance, straight up the 405, just in the San Fernando Valley, off of Burbank, there is this remarkably beautiful japanese garden. I went there this morning and took some Photos. It costs like $3 bucks to go in and explore. If you have a reasonably large group, they’ll even give you a docent guided tour. The thing is unless somebody told you about it, you’d probably never even know it’s there.

If you have a free afternoon sometime, it’s completely worth the trip. It’s at 6100 Woodley Avenue.

So, I showed you mine, now you show me yours. Any other Angelinos have any tucked away little hidden treasures they can clue me into?

The animation in the Wonderful Days trailor looks amazing. I don’t have any idea what the story is, but it sure looks pretty.

This could be fun:

Jennifer Government: NationStates is a nation simulation game. You create your own country, fashioned after your own political ideals, and care for its people. Either that or you deliberately torture them. It’s really up to you.

So far, Nation States seems to be a bit slow paced. It’s a turn based game, and as far as I can tell, you can only get one issue per day. I can’t seem to find any other controls other than the settings you choose when you first start. Still, it may be interesting. I’ll have to keep up with it if I can remember to check back each day.

Delightfully charming cork doll figures. I don’t know if these would be as wonderful if seen in person, but the photography and presentation on the Internet makes them truly amazing. Thanks MeFi.

A callous appeal to emotions? Yeah maybe, but still are these the people we’re so eager to go kill? (scroll down for the photos).

They’re so much like you and me. They’re going to be blown to hell, in the name of ego freedom and peace. More to the point they’re going to be killed in my name, and I don’t think there’s a single thing I or anybody else can do to stop it. Even if you try to convince yourself that there are people over there that would happily kill smiling Americans, it’s still pretty screwed up.

Mostly I try not to think about it, because when I do it makes me feel ill.

Mmmm, smell the satire: Beauty Kit for Little Girls. Quicktime video, disturbing, delightful.

Since when did the Getty start exhibiting avant guard art? The last time I was there, I didn’t find the art that compelling (as opposed to the building’s architecture and views which are obviously spectacular). Still, Bill Viola: The Passions looks interesting. The video clips as presented on the internet don’t do much for me, but I wonder if it would be better in context, because it seems like an interesting idea.

I wonder if I can convince my parents to go when they are in town next week. I should probably point to some of the museum’s more conventional works - just in case they happen by the site.