Liftingfaces

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  • Band Name Etymologies

    If you ever wondered how your favorite band got its name, here is a pretty comprehensive list of band name etymologies, citing mostly first hand sources for the bands’ origins. You’ll spend quite a bit of time here, be warned.

  • Woodland Fragments

    The art of Daniel Gustav Cramer.

  • The Children Are Happy

    The art of blu.

  • MUTO, a wall-painted animation

    Umm . . . I’m not really sure what to say here. A tremendous accomplishment? Raising the bar for bedroom doodlers and flip-book animators around the world?

    The fact that the piece functions on more than one level — blending and defacing a medium of permanence (street art) with another which thrives on the moment (animation) — sort of heightens the impact of the project for me.

    Thanks moxi for the link.

  • Grace Says “Hey, I’m Down Here!”

  • Benedictish Frankwiches

    Courtesy of The Gallery of Regrettable Foods by way of my buddy Matt Daly.

  • Analyzing the Spaces Between

    The art of Matthias Hoch.

  • Why Haven’t You Watched This?

    (BILL O’REILLY GOES NUTS.)

    Personally, I like the guy fine, but this clip (presumably from the early 90’s, or whenever it was that he would have had a full mop of hair) of Mr. O’Reilly losing his cool with his newfangled teleprompter was just too classic to pass up.

    What I find most interesting is how his anger is channeled into the technology itself more than the person operating it.

    Keep your eyes peeled at the very end, after the audio cuts off.

    Thanks, Cass. You made my evening.

    WARNING: THIS VIDEO CONTAINS PROFANITIES.

  • Cut Paper Skull, With Graphite

    The Art of Reed Anderson.

  • Take Your Vitamins.

    Or watch these two innocents meet their maker.

  • Bad Word Pairs #005

    “Bachelor Pad”

    Maybe since I haven’t been a bachelor since 5th grade, I’m not qualified to understand why this term is so widely used and easily accepted.

    Do people who live in “bachelor pads” really think they’re cool? Or are they so past the point of desperation they feel that dubbing their Ikea-clad condos with a hip name might help them sleep at night, even if it doesn’t help them score some chicks?

    Or maybe “bachelor pad” is simply a term used by the parents of the guys who live in them, used when talking to their other empty nester friends about their sons accomplishments over t-bone steak and red wine?

    Whatever the case, I just don’t get it.

  • TOP 5 SUGAR CEREALS

    (PAST AND PRESENT)

    5. Cinnamon Toast Crunch – A solid staple in any cupboard.

    4. Cookie Crisp – Cookies and milk, I mean, come on.

    3. Trix – Trix are for kids, adults, and when I’m a senior citizen.

    2. S’Mores – They changed the recipe, but they used to be irresistible.

    1. Count Chocula – It’s like Lucky Charms, but with a gothic twist.

  • Quote of the Week #001


    “Dolphins are sharks with good publicists.” –Howard Stern

  • Mining the Debris of Memory

    The art of Thomas Doyle.

  • Addicted to TALLEST MAN ON EARTH

    “With all this fever in my mind, I could drown in your kerosene eyes. You’re just a riddle in the sky. Oh where do my bluebirds fly?”

    It’s fair to assume the songs Kristian Matsson sings on his latest LP, “Shallow Graves,” were written by a master wordsmith from 40 years past.

    But you’d be wrong.

    I’m no music historian, but of what little I know of the man, I can’t help but compare the songwriting to that of Bob Dylan. The music is sparse, seldom more than an acoustic guitar or a banjo. These are a set of haunted American campfire tales, sung by a Swede with a voice somewhere between Dylan and David Gray.

    At the end of the day, I can’t stop playing these songs. Have a listen for yourself. Check out my favorite two tracks:

    Where Do My Bluebirds Fly

    The Gardner

    And here’s a Youtube clip of Kristian performing “It Will Follow the Rain“

  • The Aura Project

    The art of Chrysanne Stathacos.

  • Haunted Fauna

    The art of Joshua Jensen-Nagle.

  • Grace Says “Today I Turned One”

  • TOP 5 ROCK BANDS

    (WITH THE WORD “BLACK” IN THEIR NAME)

    5. The Black Keys – Mp3

    4. Black Swans – Mp3

    3. Black Rebel Motorcycle Club – Mp3

    2. The Black Angels – Mp3

    1. Black Heart Procession – Mp3

  • Bad Word Pairs #004

    “Moist Towelette”

    It’s not that I don’t enjoy using them, but having to ask for a “moist towelette” by name ironically makes me feel dirty inside. Couldn’t they have gone with a “damp tissue” or something that doesn’t employ such yucky connotations?

    Just thinking about these two words together puts a sheen of sweat across my forehead.

    Gross.

  • Enjoyably Uncomfortable Compositions

    The art of Maria Friberg.

  • Some Billionaires Want to End World Hunger.

    Others prefer a tweny-seven story, two-billion dollar home.

    This is not a joke. Please read the article, and draw your own conclusions.

  • Why Haven’t You Watched This?

    (THE NEW DARK KNIGHT TRAILER)

    I can’t wait for this film to come out. The latest trailer demonstrates why comic book movies don’t have to carry the stigma of, well, comic book movies.

    Seeing Heath Ledger steal the show in some of the shots in this trailer is a bittersweet thing, but the best memorial for him will be for this movie to live up to the hype.

    If you haven’t watched it yet, here’s the link to the trailer.

  • My Mind’s Playin’ Tricks On Me

    The art of Tim Lee.

  • TOP 5 BAY AREA EMCEES

    (PAST AND PRESENT)

    5. Shock G

    4. JT the Bigga Figga

    3. E40

    2. Spice1

    1. Too Short

  • Grace Says “Are We There Yet?”

  • Meet the Bagginses

    Guillermo del Toro is directing “The Hobbit”. Peter Jackson will serve as Executive Producer.

    I couldn’t think of two better hobbits for the project myself. Read more about this week-old development over at The Guardian.

    In related news, Ian McKellen and Andy Serkis will be returning to play the roles of Gandalf and Gollum, respectively. Guillermo says so himself in an interview with TheOneRing.net.

  • Addicted to THE DICTIONARY OF DIFFICULT WORDS

    From aardwolf (an insect-eating cousin to the hyena) to zither (a stringed instrument in the same family as the harpsichord), I find this online resource fascinating. If you enjoy strange words or strange things, this is the resource for you. Some of your findings will lead you down a breadcrumb trail to several interesting dinner conversations.

    Enjoy The Dictionary of Difficult Words.

  • Bad Word Pairs #003

    “Crunchy Tomato”

    You don’t like to bite into an apple and find it soggy, do you? Well then why is it that every time I bite into a sandwich, the tomato is crispy as an apple?

    When I lived in California, I remember they were always ripe and delicious. But here in the midwest, it’s near impossible to get a good tomato.

  • Why Haven’t You Watched This?

    (BATTLE AT KREGER)

    If you’re one of the few left on the interweb who have not witnessed this marvel of nature, shame on you. But, if it’s true, you’re in for a treat. This is the video National Geographic wishes it shot first.

    For the squeamish, no animals were (really) hurt during the filming of this video. But don’t ask me how that’s even remotely possible.