The problem with Day of the Ninja

December 5th is the annual Day of the Ninja.

A couple of quick tidbits:
Day of the Ninja (Dec 5) started in 2003 by the guys at website Ninja Burger.
Talk Like a Pirate Day (Sep 19) started in 1995 by two guys in Oregon.

Why won't Ninja Day catch on like TLaP Day? Well, maybe it will. But right from the official ND site: Plague your co-workers with ninja-ness and wear a ninja mask to work! Got the day off? Run wild in the streets, or dress like a ninja at the mall! Just show the world that YOU ARE NINJA!

Let me put it this way: I may give an "avast, me hearties" while slipping past my co-workers in the lunchroom to grab another cup of coffee... but I am certainly not wearing a ninja mask to get to that cup of java. The first, a funny conversation-starter... the second... I see no potential but humiliation and embarrassment. And dressing like a ninja at the mall or on the street? How about International "Kick-Me-Sign-On-My-Back" Day instead?

And fine, maybe I ain't as free-wheelin' cool as others out there... but I like to think I likely represent the median attitude on this Ninja vs Pirate vs Zombie question, and it's my opinion that Ninja Day will only catch on with hardcore extremist ninjas, while Pirate Day will appeal to a wider audience. It boils down to the "ease of participation" and "potential humiliation limited to self-chosen situations" factors.

Satan alert!

Hit Puberty Yet?

"Belly Dancer turns Sci-Fi Fantasy Into Career."

and

"Princess Leia."

Need I say more?

Arts round-up

A few of the "arts-related" tidbits I've ran across recently that have caught my eye.

Neil Gaiman's work on The Sandman series ranks near the top of graphics-based literature. Good Omens, the book he co-authored with Discworld-creator Terry Pratchet, is one of the funniest books I've ever devoured multiple times. And now Gaiman is giving away his latest, The Graveyard Book, by taping himself reading individual chapters on his book-tour and posting them on his MouseCircus site for young readers. (Wired)

And to follow-up on a story mentioned earlier: Stephen Colbert has won the White House! (In the Marvel Universe.) (Wired) And, like the Chicago Tribune's "Dewey Defeats Truman" gaffe 60 years ago, the Daily Bugle blows it! (Wired)

Staying with the comic theme for another moment, kottke posted some links to maps of the New York City of the Marvel Universe. (WizardUniverse) (NYCmetblogs) (flickr)

Next: some awesome t-shirts for sale at Glennz.

Then check out Edmund McMillen's independent artist product: This is a cry for help. A load of stuff for $10!

And if you figure you've already bought so much stuff you can't get more, check out this post on Swaptree... like ebay, except it's an exchange of goods. (Lifehacker)

On another note... if you think you're old ask yourself this question: Do I dream in colour, or black-and-white? If it's B&W, then you're right, you are old... apparently the television you watched as a child may influence the colour of your dreams. (TelegraphUK)

Speaking of old, here are the definitions of some commonly-used abbreviations, most of which are derived from Latin. (BloggingTips) And another list in the follow-up post. (BloggingTips) Both excellent posts are written by Kevin Muldoon of System0.

Daft Hands - Harder Better Faster Stronger

Here's your Face on a Fist

While not a science video, this is a good slow motion video of people doing normal things and being struck in the face.

"The Googling" series, by the Vacationeers

Large Hadron Collider (LHC) - explanation for laypeople

911 Call: Officer bakes pot cookies with wife and thinks they're dying

I remember the first time time stopped for me. Yet I still have to go to work tomorrow morning.

Round-up of The Arts

Let's just start with an article from The Tyee about the death of pleasure-blogging...

And move on to the idea that the identity of Banksy has been discovered...

Then to Jimmy Fallon honing his late-night skill in preparation of taking over NBC's Late Night next year by putting out some webisodes...

And for the Nature-as-Art category, 30 incredible abstract satellite photos....

Here's a 1964 interview with Ayn Rand for Playboy Magazine...

Videos of David Lynch and Donovan talking about where ideas come from...

The impact of the creative class on communities...

The lawsuit is over: there will be no Doors without Jim Morrison...

And for anyone looking at putting tiles in their bathroom, check out this arty tile-work...

And now your musical tastes are in tune with your personality...

How to read a movie, by Roger Ebert...

Suicide as Art

Half-a-century ago a 20-year-old woman jumped off the Empire State Building. About four minutes later, an art student who was across the street when the incident happened took a photo. The photo was used in Time Magazine, and was later appropriated by Andy Warhol for use in one of his prints. While a morbid idea, Jason Kottke describes this interesting story on his site.

I'm a Marvel... I'm a DC... and I'm... Hellboy...

Great series of parodies of the Mac/PC commercials done to comic book movie heroes.

BEAST

Last night Mah tuned me in to a fantastic indie band from Montreal named BEAST.

Check BEAST out on mySpace. All the songs are great, but Mr Hurricane is a great intro...

Thom Yorke, as played by a bank of hard drives...

...with the rest of Radiohead played by office machines of by-gone years... the en'sembe presents "Nude"...



Brilliant! (In case you're worried, when you get past the clicks and pops and hums, it will definitely kick into something you will recognize, if you've listened to the new Radiohead album "In rainbows..." If you don't have time for 3 minutes, jump past 1:09 or so...)

Hello, I'm a Marvel... and I'm a DC...

Funny.

Henri

Henri the existential "chat noir".

Vancouver Artist Spotlight: D-Formed

Great stuff by Jonathan Dy, one of Vancouver's amazing visual artists.

D-Formed