Link roundup

1. Take a look at the disastrous art project that almost was: Los Angeles' Steel Cloud - - Public art that was "stressful just to look at."

2. Keep this in mind the next time someone speaks against immigrants:

Kotkin sees America's heartland as our most profound demographic asset going forward, noting that this vast and agriculturally rich "flyover country" can easily absorb another 100 million citizens and still leave us, in demographic terms, six times less dense than Germany. Compare our trajectory to that of China, which, by 2050, will have more old people (400-million-plus) than we've got people -- and at more than 3 1/2 times the population density (1.4 billion souls crammed into the same landmass). Still think China is going to rule this century, weighed down by that unprecedented demographic burden?

Via.

3. Astro City's Jack-in-the-Box pin-up by Chris Samnee.

*Buy Astro City toys at eBay.

Standing stones on Orkney (link roundup)

The Ring of Brodgar on Orkney, Northern Scotland. You'll find more photos here, and more photos of other standing stones here.

And a few more links:

1. China Mieville has a blog. Via.

2. "The Justice Department reported Thursday that 12 percent of incarcerated juveniles, or more than 3,200 young people, had been raped or sexually abused in the past year by fellow inmates or prison staff."

3. Cute drawing of classic horror movie monsters.

*Previously: Mieville fan art.

*Buy horror movie poster collections at Amazon.

Mount Greylock's Veterans War Memorial Tower (link roundup)

Photo of the the Massachusetts Veterans War Memorial Tower in the Mount Greylock State Reservation. Here's another photo.

And a few more links:

1. When you suffer from Asberger's a routine parent teacher meeting can be harrowing.

2. Lego robot.

3. Monstrous nesting dolls.

*Previously: Giant chess pieces.

*Buy chess sets at eBay.

KAUST monument

KAUST monument and scale model. KAUST is the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology in Saudi Arabia.

*Previously: Saudi Arabia's all-girl rock band.

*Buy Wonders of the World collectibles at eBay.

If Michael Jackson had starred in Mega Man

Michael Jackson as Mega Man, Ryu throwing an inspiring fireball, and Darth Vader as Mickey Mouse and The Sphinx all by Oliver Barrett.

*Previously: Eddie Van Halen and Toto were both key to Thriller's success.

*Buy Mega Man toys at eBay.

Grouped monuments

A few of the world's great religious monuments grouped together by cns025 for Worth 1000.

*Previously: Church of La Sagarada Familia sandcastle.

*Buy "Contemporary Church Architecture" at Amazon.

Moai Papercraft

Good for acting out Gradius. Download. Via.

Photos of giant people next to famous monuments

Go here and explore.

Untergunther, a group that seeks to carry out clandestine historic restoration projects in France

A group of urban adventurers has wound up the French state by creating a clandestine clubhouse in the dome of the Panthéon, one of the most celebrated buildings in Paris.

The group devoted part of its nocturnal occupation of the Panthéon to repairing the building's 19th-century clock, which stopped working in 1965. But when informed of this public-spirited act, French officialdom was less than grateful.

Read more. Via.

Adorable Eiffel Tower wearing a beret

What an Eiffel!
Originally uploaded by glumpire

Via.