Free Iran poster and t-shirt (link roundup)

You can download this Free Iran image as a poster for free here, or buy it on a t-shirt for $10.

And a few more links:

1. Japanese girl paper doll.

2. Charlie Brown a communist? Via.

3. Arnold Schwarzenegger promises that California will not tax affiliate sales. You know, I don't know that I agree with his methods, but I give the guy a lot of credit for digging in and trying to pressure California politicians to create a workable budget. As Palin's example shows, being a governor ain't exactly fun. Via.

4. At Evil Buttons: Wybie with welding mask cosplay.

*Previously: Darth Vader paper doll.

*Buy Coraline Dunks at eBay.

Steampunk submarine (link roundup)

Steampunk submarine by Alexander Jansson. Don't miss his "greenpunk" gallery. Via.

And a few more links:

1. Work in progress image of Molly Crabapple's heroes fighting the octopus of censorship.

2. Gallery of weapons prisoners have made. Via these sites.

3. "Three decades ago Mir-Hossein Mousavi was waging a terrorist war on the United States that included bloody attacks on the U.S. embassy and Marine Corps barracks in Beirut."

4. Rich Page got enough positive feedback on the Space Kook he drew for the Villains of Scooby Doo contest that he also drew The Creeper.

*Previously: Submarine being attacked by a tentacle monster Dunny.

*Buy submarine toys at eBay.

Romance novel cover shoot (link roundup)

Slideshow of photos taken at the cover shoot for romance novel The Lord of Devil Isle. Worth a look if for nothing else than to be dumbfounded as to how the model, Charles Paz, could possibly have been chosen Mr. Romance 2009. Excuse me while I go work on my pecs. Via.

And a few more links:

1. Apparently the CIA and Mossad have scored some great successes against Hezbollah recently.

2. NFL football contracts are rather ephemeral, but at least for the moment, the last player chosen in the 2009 draft was signed by the Chiefs.

3. Mini Billboard ad for the game Little Big Planet stuck in the grass in Union Square. Via.

4. Big furry monster cradling a little boy.

*Previously: A Steampunk Romance.

*Buy NFL bobbleheads at eBay.

Cardboard Tube Samurai to star in Tekken 6 (link roundup)

Penny Arcade's Cardboard Tube Samurai will be a playable character in Tekken 6. Via.

And a few more links:

1. "The Persian Conquest" of Beverly Hills. Via.

2. A New York Times reporter David Rhode was kidnapped by the Taliban about seven months ago (two months after getting married). He just escaped. Via.

3. Circa 1960's, Monsanto Disneyland patch.

4. During the day, her show in Vegas is called "Scarlett - Princess of Magic." At night, she stars in a show with topless dancers called "Scarlett and her Seductive Ladies of Magic." Via.

*Previously: Tycho sculpture.

*Buy military patches at eBay.

Dead Space costume in Tiger Woods PGA Tour

The latest version of Tiger Woods PGA Tour apparently includes a Dead Space costume. Video of the suit in action here. Via.

And a few more links:

1. Barack Obama is lying about his puppy.

2. Interesting discussion of the ways in which people in Western countries are helping the Iranian protesters: "Twitter has become not only a tool for channeling population centric political power against a government, but perhaps even a tool for leveraging population centric military power." (The article focuses on orchestrating denial of service attacks, not making green Twitter profiles.)

3. Gold bar vending machine. Via.

4. Bruce Schneier is having trouble selling his laptop on eBay because scammers keep trying to buy it.

*Previously: How Kendra from Dead Space was designed.

*Buy Dead Space toys at eBay.

Gallery of creepy mask designs (link roundup)

Esao Andrews posted a gallery of creepy mask designs, as well as the cover to Vertigo's House of Mystery's Halloween Annual.

And a few more links:

1. Energy efficient firefly.

2. Plastic Man mail away ad.

3. Monstrous bunny sculpture.

4. Twitter delayed it's planned downtime at the US State Department's request - - since Twitter was being used as an essential tool to share information about developments in Iran.

*Previously: Download a Twitter beard mask.

*Buy Plastic Man toys at eBay.

An awesome tribute to...Pat Morita? (link roundup)

The notes to this drawing by Jerome Opeña say "I did this piece in memory of Pat Morita soon after he died." Lots more monsters and robots on display at his apparently abandoned site.

And a few more links:

1. Ninja dad.

2. Clever "book cover" for The Sims.

3. Interesting claim: "Iran supplied U.S. diplomats with the location of Taliban military units in Afghanistan after the initial bombing campaign in the fall of 2001 failed to rout them, according to former officials in the George W. Bush administration."

4. A little out of season, but some good monster jack-o-lanterns.

*Previously: The Sims cosplay.

*Buy Karate Kid posters at eBay.

Thumbody - - the bank mascot? (link roundup)

Meet Thumbody, a mascot for a bank according to the comments here. Found amidst a vintage logo gallery. Via.

And a few more links:

1. Media Molecule posted what looks like Sackboy/Ico desktop wallpapers.

2. Neat idea - - a map that shows where you'd end up if you dug through the Earth until you came out the other side. But I had trouble interpreting it. Via.

3. A response to the claim that the Middle East's problems would be solved if Israel and the Palestinians made peace.

4. Enjoy photos of 7-foot-9 Chinese center Sun Mingming. And read about him here.

*Previously: The TSA has a new mascot.

*Buy Little Big Planet collectibles at eBay.

Torch Tiger (link roundup)

I don't know what Torch Tiger is. But I like the logo.

And a few more links:

1. The winner of Bruce Schneier's movie plot threat contest.

2. "At least 84 Afghan schoolgirls were admitted to a hospital Tuesday for headaches and vomiting in the third apparent poison attack on a girls school in as many weeks."

3. Gawker nominates the world's richest a$$hole:

Germany's Prince Marcus von Anhalt . . . Born Marcus Eberhardt in 1969, he started out as a butcher, went into the brothel business, did some time for tax evasion and human trafficking, then bought himself a title (from Zsa Zsa Gabor's husband): Prinz von Anhalt, Herzog zu Sachsen und Westfalen, Graf von Askanien.

Photo evidence here and here.

4. Space shuttle suffered "minor damage" during take off. Via.

*Previously: Cartoony versions of the Chinese Zodiac star in this bizarre footrace for Onitsuka Tiger.

*Buy Zippo lighters at eBay.

Concert poster by Paul Gardner (link roundup)

Concert poster by Paul Gardner on sale for $25 here. Via.

And a few more links:

1. Horrifying story of a married couple from Canada who moved to Dubai when the husband got a good job there, and then went bankrupt. Via.

2. Supposedly, "thousands of dolphins" leaped out of the water to prevent Somali pirates from seizing a Chinese ship. Photo link.

3. Yikes, the public elementary school closest to me has an after school course based on Kabbalah.

4. Former baseball player Eric Karros has possibly the worst combover ever.

*Previously: Foggy day in Dubai.

*Buy concert posters at eBay.

Leonidas Sackboy amigurumi (link roundup)

Leonidas Sackboy amigurumi by Maggie Wang, who takes commissions.

And a few more links:

1. The Fast and Furious would be way more interesting if it was based on drift racing in Saudi Arabia. Here's a taste of Robert Worth's fascinating article:

Drifting, which tends to attract poorer, more marginal men, has also been an unlikely nexus between homosexuality, crime and jihadism since it emerged 30 years ago. Homoerotic desire is a constant theme in Saudi songs and poems about drifting, and accomplished drifters are said to have their pick of the prettiest boys among the spectators.

Via.

2. "60 Minutes was, and is, a competitive and combative place . . . . It’s a place where grudges are held for a long time. I remember Ed Bradley, not long before he died, talking about how Mike Wallace had screwed him over on a couple of stories." Read more.

3. Portland Trailblazer Channing Frye points out some weaknesses in the plot of Twilight. And here's another hilarious Twilight review.

4. NY Knick's coach Mike D'Antoni was Kobe Bryant's idol when he was a kid.

*Previously: Leonidas makes a dinner reservation.

*Buy plush vampires at eBay.

Mickey Mouse as Frankenstein

Mickey Mouse as Frankenstein by Medicom, apparently to retail for around $70.

And a few more links:

1. Now t-shirts are as low as $5 and it's free shipping at Threadless.

2. Real-life Jawa sandcrawler?

3. Yesterday, Alex Pardee offered to send a free print to anyone who voted for his friend in a photography contest. A few hours later, his friend had to withdraw from the contest because the administrators felt he was cheating. You can read Alex's description of the fallout here and here.

4. Obama endorses the war on terror, announcing a major investment of troops and money in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

*Previously: Frankenstein/Boba Fett/Slave 1 mashup in Lego.

*Buy Frankenstein toys at eBay.

Gloomy Bear on the attack (link roundup)

One of several photos of a giant Gloomy Bear run amok.

And a few more links:

1. Project Rooftop announced the winners of its Batman redesign contest, but I already showed you the best entries in February.

2. Neil Gaiman is throwing a Twitter contest. On that note, I have a Twitter account under the name jstruan. I don't really have time to respond to Tweets, but if you'd like to use it to send me tips or just say hi, feel free.

3. You might be interested in participating in this Darth Vader themed artbook.

4. A former CIA agent is apparently being held in a secret prison in Iran - - he was supposedly investigating cigarette smuggling.

*Previously: Chinese Darth Vader's lightsaber makes people's clothing disappear.

*Buy plush Gloomy Bears at eBay.

Upcoming Bioshock artbook (link roundup)

You can preorder a new Bioshock art book for $25. Or you can still download the older art book for free.

And a few more links:

1. ABC News says: "Dramatic advances in public attitudes are sweeping Iraq, with declining violence, rising economic well-being and improved services lifting optimism, fueling confidence in public institutions and bolstering support for democracy."

2. Oxi Clean apparently is useful for removing armpit stains.

3. Desperate for Twitter followers? You could always promise to tattoo your leg with the Fail Whale if you reach a certain threshold.

4. So what kind of hobbies do you have? Oh, I teach self defense to the blind. Via.

*Previously: Bioshock cosplay.

*Buy Bioshock toys at eBay.

Barbarian wearing a teddy bear pelt (link roundup)

Teddy Bear Slayer t-shirt by Marcelo Braga on sale here.

And a few more links:

1. Best school essay ever, about Walt Whitman, no less. It starts, "Walt Whitman was an awful child molester who was born in ancient Hong Kong. He is over 3,000 years old and remembers the names of all of the forgotten Gods." You must read the whole thing. Via.

2. Christopher Hitchens decided to deface a sign bearing a swastika in Beirut. He and his companions were lucky to escape with their lives. Read this, it's more exciting than any action movie I've seen in ages.

3. San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom hopes to be governor some day. His new wife has a movie coming out this week. In it, she participates in a threesome.

4. Tenacious Toys has the new vinyl UglyDolls figures available for preorder (by the set).

*Previously: Female barbarian wearing a Cookie Monster Pelt.

*Buy Conan toys at eBay.

Ghost out of the shell (link roundup)

"Ghost in the Shell" by William Hood. More paintings on display at his site. Via.

And a few more links:

1. How to cheat Disneyland's Fast Pass system. Via.

2. My favorite website that I've never visited says it's going to start accepting advertising sometime this Spring.

3. Sentence fragment of the day by Robert Worth: "3,000 cars sit abandoned in the parking lot at the Dubai Airport, left by fleeing, debt-ridden foreigners (who could in fact be imprisoned if they failed to pay their bills)." Via.

4. A list of 999 business ideas free for the taking. For example: Stamphead, where stamps can be custom made in the likeness of an avatar the user creates. Via.

*Previously: Dubai plans a city in the sky.

*Buy Ghostbusters toys at eBay.

Ben Franklin with a power fist (link roundup)

Future Ben Franklin by Eamon Dougherty.

And a few more links:

1. CNN posted blatant Palestinian propaganda showing actors posing as an "injured victim" and his "doctor," pulled the video when it was exposed as propaganda, but failed to acknowledge they had been fooled.

2. Animated gif of a beaver with an antenna. (Reminds me of the bear from Dark Tower 2. Was one of the beams a beaver?)

3. Shanghai Disneyland to open in 2014?

4. Audiotape of part of Charles Barkley's DUI field test.

*Previously: Ben Franklin leading the Thriller dance.

*Buy "Age of Propaganda: The Everyday Use and Abuse of Persuasion" at Amazon.

Video of a man quickly sculpting a cat out of glass (link roundup)

It's like a magic trick how smoothly and quickly this man makes a cat out of glass.

And a few more links:

1. The Consumerist was purchased by Consumers Union, the nonprofit publisher of Consumer Reports.

2. Unemployment in Egypt might be as high as 30 percent. Or more. Via.

3. NYU lost $24 million in investments managed by Bernard Madoff. Via.

4. "The new generation PS3 contains an estimated 2,820 individual parts, compared to 4,048 in the previous-generation model with a 60Gbyte hard drive." Via.

*Previously: In case of revolution break glass.

*Buy Consumer Reports guides at Amazon.

The AccoLade: Saudi Arabia's all-girl rock band

Now here's what should be on MTV - - The AccoLade, and all-girl rock band in Saudi Arabia that has to keep its performances a secret:

Dina and Dareen wear their hair teased into thick manes and have pierced eyebrows. During an interview at a Starbucks here, they wore black abayas — the flowing gown that is standard attire for women — but the gowns were open, showing their jeans and T-shirts, and their hair and faces were uncovered.

Read more here, and visit their MySpace page. Via.

*Previously: Saudi Arabia calls off camel beauty contest.

*Buy "Tales for Little Rebels: A Collection of Radical Children's Literature" at Amazon.