The Mira Hotel in Hong Kong

A few highlights from this collection of photographs taken at the Mira Hotel in Hong Kong.

*Previously: Restaurant designed by Syd Mead.

Disney Cruise Line's Virtual Portholes

The interior cabins on Disney Cruise Lines feature animated virtual portholes, complete with occasional cartoon characters making a visit.

*Buy Disneyland toys at eBay.

Melted chocolate restaurant

Designed by Wonderwall, melted chocolate Godiva restaurant in Harajuku. Via.

*Previously: The Han Solo chocolate bar.

*Buy gourmet chocolate at Amazon.

The Monsters of Bosco Sacro (link roundup)

"The many monstrous statues (of the Bosco Sacro/Sacred Grove in Italy) appear to be unconnected to any rational plan and appear to have been strewn almost randomly about the area." Lots of photos here, here, and here.

And a few more links:

1. "According to the California State Treasurer’s office, California has over $68 billion in public debt, but the Sacramento Bee’s Dan Walters has tried to count total California public debt, including that of local municipalities, and his total reaches $500 billion." Uggh.

2. Have I mentioned lately that you can support my blogging efforts by purchasing from Amazon? Gaiman's Odd and the Frost Giants is half off.

3. Asian-inspired Christmas tree.

*Previously: Merlion statue.

*Buy Hallmark Christmas ornaments at eBay.

Jackie O - - the first lady of vengeance (link roundup)

Nik Holmes imagines an action flick starring JFK's widow seeking revenge. He has various prints on sale here.

And a few more links:

1. The Fremont Troll in Seattle, Washington.

2. Good to know: the reverse cowgirl is suggested as a sexual position less likely to spread H1N1. Via.

3. A flight attendant took a photo of a shockingly obese passenger. Hard to believe it's not photoshopped. Via.

*Previously: Cool photo of a stewardess.

*Buy blaxploitation posters at eBay.

Flintstone's House (link roundup)

Todd Oldham visited Bedrock City and put out a book of his photos. Via.

And a few more links:

1. Funny logo for the Cake Wrecks book tour reboot.

2. January 2, 2010 is a palindrome - - 01022010. Via.

3. A man took home a statue of Thurman Thomas because it was so ugly that he "thought it might have been part of some radio station promotion that was left behind and that no one cared about."

*Previously: Clever Ugly Betty mall ad.

*Buy Flintstones toys at eBay.

Drudge takes a shot at Obama (link roundup

Photo and headline by Drudge - - linking to this article, which includes the following line: "Unlike recent presidents, Obama has two young children, and the first couple is adamant that the girls be left alone." (Except when they make useful props.)

And a few more links:

1. A cautionary tale about just how miserable practicing law can be.

2. U.S.'s Most Over-Rated Tourist Attractions. The description of the Queen Mary as a Ramada Inn crossed with a rusty old ship is dead-on. Via.

3. Just maybe, all that alarmist nonsense about highly developed countries failing to reproduce enough is nonsense. Via.

*Previously: Papercraft Obama.

*Buy Obama toys at eBay.

The more you say the less you say (link roundup)

"The more you say the less you say" by Frank Chimero.

And a few more links:

1. The world's deepest pub was in an abandoned gold mine at Gold Reef City in South Africa.

2. Chibi mecha paper toy.

3. Jar-Jar Binks encased in carbonite.

*Previously: Jar-Jar in carbonite sketch card.

*Buy carbonite toys at eBay.

An octopus and his pet boy (link roundup)

An octopus and his pet boy - - lots of colorful art on display at Dav Bordeleau's site.

And a few more links:

1. Prosecutor claims defendant killed his girlfriend and stored her body in a trunk, prosecutor displays and opens trunk in court, prosecutor unleashes such a stench that the courtroom had to be cleared and disinfected. Via.

2. Useful, detailed tips on shipping lots of comic books.

3. Some great photos of indoor water park Great Wolf Lodge.

*Previously: Porcelain Laura Palmer in The Black Lodge.

*Buy octopus toys at eBay.

Giraffe Manor, where the giraffes join you for breakfast

You can get up close and personal with giraffes at Giraffe Manor in Kenya.

*Previously: Plane-eating giraffe.

*Buy plush giraffes at eBay.

Space Kook (link roundup)

Space Kook by Eric Wiryanata for the Villains of Scooby-Doo art contest (which features a $100 Threadless gift certificate prize). Eric also recently posted a new paper toy - - TV Boy.

And a few more links:

1. The Bionic Commando celebrates the 4th of July by barbecuing.

2. Victorian versions of Daredevil and Spider-Man.

3. The meal deals at chains like TGI Fridays are so good franchisees are furious with the parent company. Via.

4. For the locals, nice photos of Wildwood Park in Thousand Oaks.

*Previously: Plush glow-in-the-dark Space Kook.

*Buy Scooby Doo toys at eBay.

Vlado Milunić's and Frank Gehry's Dancing House

Check out Vlado Milunić's and Frank Gehry's magnificent Dancing House in Prague:




Here's video:



More information at Wikipedia. And lots of photos at Flickr and Google.

*Previously: Gorgeous gas station.

*Buy architecture posters at eBay.

Sackboy t-shirt (link roundup)

Pretend you're a Sackboy from Little Big Planet in this t-shirt on sale here. Via.

And a few more links:

1. Society of Publication Designers' finalists for its yearly magazine design awards are tremendously boring.

2. A warning against using Blik decals.

3. Family of vampires by Graham Annable.

4. Popa Taungkalat temple, Myanmar. It's built on a volcanic plug. Via.

*Previously: Video of underwater volcano erupting.

*Buy sackboy toys at eBay.

Gorgeous Gas Station

Only in Los Angeles. There's a gorgeous gas station by Stephen Kanner at the corner of Slauson and La Brea. As I understand it, the photo you see above is of the car wash. Lots more photos here and here.

*Previously: Eddie Veder was working at a gas station in San Diego when he met the guys from Pearl Jam.

*Buy gas station toys at Amazon.

Golfing off a cliff

As far as I can tell, this is for real. The Legend Golf & Safari Resort in South Africa features a golf course with the "Extreme 19th hole":

Set high up on the impressive Hanglip Mountain and accessible only by helicopter, this par 3 hole is played from a vertical height of 430 metres. After a short, breathtaking helicopter flight, golfers have the opportunity of teeing off from one of three tee boxes, high up on the escarpment. With advanced technology in the form of four separate cameras and the latest tracking equipment, the golfer can follow and capture the tee shot and the flight of the ball.

The fairway is seeded with Cynodon grass and contoured to funnel the ball to the green below.
In celebration of the African Renaissance, the green has been shaped like the map of Africa and is protected by a large waste bunker.

Golfers can choose to play this challenging hole in addition to their round of 18 holes, or as an experience on its own. A hole-in-one earns the lucky golfer one million US dollars!. Conceived by Graham Cooke of the UK, embraced by CEO, Peet Cilliers, and designed by David Riddle, the Extreme 19 is truly unique - an unforgettable golfing experience!

Via.

*Previously: The "Maxfli Noodle Long and Soft."

*Buy golf clubs at eBay.

Photos of the National Marionette Theater in Prague

Eddie Fitzgerald has posted a gallery of photos of the National Marionette Theater in Prague. These fine fellows are above the theater's front door:



Go here for the gallery. And here's some links talking about the theater.

The photos reminded me of the game Syberia. Here's a collection of cinemas from the game:



And here's a fanmade trailer for Syberia the movie, starring Kate Winslet. I'd absolutely go see this:



Apparently, a DS version comes out sometime soon in Europe:



*Previously: George Lucas puppet.

*Buy Syberia 1 & 2 for less than $10 at Amazon.

Roadside attraction commemorates Union's plan to use dinosaurs against the South

Mark Cline creates bizarre roadside attractions, including Foamhenge and Professor Cline's Haunted Monster Museum. But his most inspired must be Escape From Dinosaur Kingdom in Virginia, which reenacts the Union army's fateful plan to use dinosaurs against the South.



Here's the direct link to the photo. Here's a Flickr pool dedicated to Cline's attractions. And here's two articles discussing Dinosaur Kingdom. Via.

*Previously: One Velociraptor Per Child project.

*"The Land That Time Forgot/The People That Time Forgot" dvd set is less than $5 at Amazon.