John sez, "The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction is giving away copies of their Sept. 2007 issue to bloggers willing to write about the issue on their blogs. This issue features stories by Alexander Jablokov, John Langan, Albert E. Cowdrey, Heather Lindsley, Kevin N. Haw, Robert Reed, and a brand new story by Ted Chiang."

I've got a box of copies (about 40) of the Sept. issue I'd like to give away to bloggers. Here's the deal:

1) Go to our "Contact Us" page: http://www.sfsite.com/fsf/contact.htm

2) Tell us where to mail your copy of the issue.

3) Receive the issue and blog about it. Naturally, we prefer if you read the issue before blogging about it, but I'm just insisting that you blog about it. (Last time we tried this promotion, people mistakenly thought they should blog about the magazine in order to receive the new issue. No. The idea is to blog about this issue, even if the whole blog entry is short. So instead of blogging "The cover sucks," you're supposed to write "The cover OF THE SEPTEMBER 2007 ISSUE sucks.")

4) Send us a link to your blog.

That's all there is to it. I'll post here when we run out of copies.

Link (Thanks, John!)

This beautiful sign, erected in 1957 at Felix Chevrolet in Los Angeles, was declared a historic-cultural monument on Thursday. (Photo from Tejana's Flickr stream.) Antonio Villaraigosa and downtown-area City Councilwoman Jan Perry were against the monument status for the Felix sign and the car showroom, at the corner of Figueroa and Jefferson Boulevard, because they fear the designation will cause problems for area development efforts. From the Los Angeles Times:

"It is literally a modern totem pole," said sign preservation advocate Jim Childs. "It really explains the evolution of the automobile and Los Angeles..."

The Felix character was borrowed from the popular 1920s cartoon "Felix the Cat" by pioneering L.A. automobile dealer Winslow Felix, who opened Felix Chevrolet in 1922 at 12th Street and Grand Avenue. Felix was a friend of filmmaker Pat Sullivan, whose animation studio created the mischievous feline character...

Felix's fans urged that the sign and showroom be left intact. They noted that landmark status does not permanently block removal of a historic structure but does force property owners, developers and city officials to carefully study the effects of demolition.

"We're looking at an icon in California history, a true definition of L.A.'s love affair with the automobile," added Charles Fisher, who teamed up with Childs to nominate the sign and showroom as a landmark.

Link (Thanks, Gale Banks!)

Rich Prelinger sez,

The Internet Archive has launched a demo of the Open Library, a project that seeks to gather all the information about all the world's books and make it publicly available as a giant books wiki.

While many books are making their way online for free access, most still are restricted or cost money to touch. The Open Library combines links to open resources with information on in-copyright works and enables you and me to review, annotate, correct and convene.

I think this project (which right now seems to point to almost half a million books) is very cool -- it's going to be a major addition to the world's open cultural infrastructure. I have a hunch that it's going to be the primary way many if not most people access books, and I see it becoming an always-open window on the desk of every librarian.

Aaron Swartz led this project, which was conceived by Brewster Kahle -- please send them support, critiques and book databases!

Link (Thanks, Rick!)

Allan Janus says: "In regard to the 1950's comic that predicts the administration's Iran policy, I discovered a villain - the evil Yew Bee - in one of the Fletcher Hanks Stardust thrillers (contained in "I shall destroy all civilized Planets) who bears an uncanny resemblance to our dear vice president. And guess what - he's plotting to take over the country!"

Cheney - sorry, I mean Yew Bee - wreaks terrible destruction on the country - normal weaponry and constitutional restraints are useless! Cheney - sorry, Yew Bee - is poised to triumph and plunge the U.S. into a hideous dictatorship... and then Super Wizard Stardust appears and turns Chen... I mean Yew Bee, sorry - into a giant rat! By the way, Super Wizard Stardust is the only superhero I know of who's so secure in his masculinity that he can wear polka dots. And they look good on him!

Link

Reader comment:

Howard says:

(Click on thumbnail for enlargement) And, of course, we hope that the title "most prophetic comic" is not awarded to T-Man # 20 (which, alas, little Dickie Cheney probably devoured at some point in the course of his undisclosed childhood).

Alterati has a link to a torrent file to an out-of-print Timothy Leary comic called Neurocomics published in 1979 by Last Gasp. I have an original copy, and it's a fun introduction to his 8-circuit model of the brain, popularized by Robert Anton Wilson in Prometheus Rising.

This work, while in black and white, was years ahead of the modern pop art comic of the time. The black and white line drawings and illustrations are easy to digest and allowed the amazing depth of information Dr. Leary had synthesized to be delivered in 33 pages of psychedelic imagery and concise language. Other than Timothy, the creative talent involved included Pete Von Sholly, Tim Kummero, S. Riley, L. Ochi, B. Clark, and George DiCaprio. (George DiCaprio is, of course, the father of film star Leonardo, who just happens to be scheduled to play Dr. Leary in an upcoming pic. It all fits together in an acid sort of way.)

Link (Via Bruce Eisner's Vision Thing)

English Russia says:

During the press conference of the Russian President Vladimir Putin, that took place on G8 summit, some young man started to throw out propaganda leaflets. This incident became very popular in the Russian part of the Internet. The reason of such popularity is neither the actions of the young activist, nor the smart reaction of the Mr. President. The reason was the man sitting in the conference hall (you can see him on the picture above). They called him Glazastik (Big-Eyed Guy). Below you can see the short video of this incident - see the guy with strange eyes behind the guy with leaflets, clear at 00.58 of the video. After the video was spread around Russian Internet many photoshopped versions of him appeared, we also include them here.

Link

Here's an audio excerpt from my 2005 book, The World's Worst: A Guide to the Most Disgusting, Hideous, Inept, and Dangerous People, Places, and Things on Earth.

Previously on Boing Boing:
• The Maddest Mad Scientist: The CIA’s Dr. Sidney Gottlieb
• The Least Adorable Pet: Miracle Mike The Headless Chicken
• The Least Healthy Diet: Breatharianism

Dan Gillmor, whose stirring We the Media is a clarion call for the Citizen Journalism movement, has just posted his annual progress report on the state of Citizen Journalism, cribbed from a talk he recently gave in Seoul.

Citmedia PrinciplesWhat becomes increasingly clear is the need to update media literacy for a media-saturated age. When people are creators of media, not just consumers, the task is more complex — but more important than ever.

Think of media literacy in terms of principles, not a bunch of specific must-do kinds of instructions. They differ somewhat depending on the role one is playing in the media ecosystem.

But even those of us who are producers of media are much more often consumers. When we’re in that role, we should consider these principles...

Link, Paperback of We the Media (via SmartMobs)

Pagans are not happy about an enormous Homer Simpson painted near an ancient image.

PAGANS have pledged to perform “rain magic” to wash away cartoon character Homer Simpson who was painted next to their famous fertility symbol - the Cerne Abbas giant.

The 17th century chalk outline of the naked, sexually aroused, club-wielding giant is believed by many to be a symbol of ancient spirituality.

Ann Bryn-Evans, joint Wessex district manager for The Pagan Federation, said: “It’s very disrespectful and not at all aesthetically pleasing."

Link

Mental Floss has a round-up of what happened to kids who were the subject of famous human interest stories in recent years.

That Kid: Who Got Stuck Down a Well

The Story: Back in 1987, an 18-month old “Baby Jessica” McClure captured the nation’s attention when she tumbled into an old well in her aunt’s backyard. Emergency workers piped fresh air and heat into the well, and expert miners spent 58 straight hours digging a parallel shaft 22 feet into the ground to rescue her. While healthy at the moment, The Today Show reported that Jessica has undergone 15 surgeries and 9 blood transfusions since reemerging.

The Post-Puberty Report: Adult Jessica seems to be, pardon the phrase, well-adjusted. Now 21, she’s married, has a child, and according to all reports, remains thoroughly down-to-earth. In fact, she’s refused to get plastic surgery to cover up her scars because it reminds her to be thankful for her life. Of course, she’ll probably be even more thankful for her life in 4 years. That’s when a trust fund, set up in her name with public donations, should kick a few million dollars her way.

Link

If Jesus built your hot rod, or rather low-rider, it might have wheels like these. From Kid Deuce's Flickr stream of a car show this weekend in Hawthorne, California.
Link (Thanks, COOP!)

Tris says:

US children's book publisher Boyds Mills Press wanted to censor a book by a German author that depicts a painting of a naked woman and small statue of a naked man on a pedestal that are displayed in a museum. They also wanted to remove pictures of smokers. Although they were all included for "realism's sake," they were also all just cartoon drawings.

"The author, not surprisingly, considers the request to be absurd. The statue's mini-willy, the author points out, is hardly even a half-millimeter long. And the naked woman hanging on the wall? Hardly a realistic depiction of the female anatomy. The US publisher, says Berner, was embarrassed to ask for the changes, but they were even more afraid of how American mommies and daddies might react if junior were exposed to such pornography.

"For the author, any kind of self-censorship was completely out of the question. She said she could maybe have lived with putting black bars in front of the problem spots, but "invisible censorship" was out. "If you're going to censor something, then the reader should be aware of it," she told SPIEGEL ONLINE."

The book ended up not being published. Part of a series, it is a bestseller in 13 other countries.

Here's a detail of the torrid scene:

Link

Reader comment:

Sarah says:

Roger Sutton, editor of Horn Book Magazine (THE children's book publication) talks about the picture book in his blog (and explains why he doesn't think it's censorship):

"But if I were running Boyds Mills Press, I would have made the exact same call, although I might have spared myself the embarrassment of expressing interest in the first place. Selling picture books is difficult, selling foreign-born picture books is almost impossible, add some boobs and a little dick to the mix and you might as well just climb up to the roof and throw your money over the side. It's not censorship, as there is no private obligation to publish. It's stupid parents. Again."

Here's an excerpt from I'm Not There, a movie about Bob Dylan starring a bunch of different people as Dylan. This clip features Cate Blanchett. It'll be released on September 21, 2007. Link

MIT aeronatuics professor Dava Newman designed this new spacesuit that's far sleeker and lightweight than today's bulky gas-pressurized outfits work by today's astronauts. Instead of gas pressurization, the new prototype BioSuit employs "mechanical counter-pressure" in the form of skin-tight layers wrapped around the body. The BioSuit looks very 60s mod to me, probably because it was influenced by ideas of that era for a "space activity suit." From the MIT News Office:

Traditional bulky spacesuits "do not afford the mobility and locomotion capability that astronauts need for partial gravity exploration missions. We really must design for greater mobility and enhanced human and robotic capability," Newman says...

Key to (the MIT) design is the pattern of lines on the suit, which correspond to lines of non-extension (lines on the skin that don't extend when you move your leg). Those lines provide a stiff "skeleton" of structural support, while providing maximal mobility.

The suits could also help astronauts stay fit during the six-month journey to Mars. Studies have shown that astronauts lose up to 40 percent of their muscle strength in space, but the new outfits could be designed to offer varying resistance levels, allowing the astronauts to exercise against the suits during a long flight to Mars.

Link

tonx says: The D.E.A. working with National Guard troops and Blackhawk helicoptors set upon Shasta County California this week to deal with the domestic terror threat of... pot growers.

"John P. Walters, President Bush's drug czar, said the people who plant and tend the gardens are terrorists who wouldn't hesitate to help other terrorists get into the country with the aim of causing mass casualties. Walters made the comments at a Thursday press conference that provided an update on the "Operation Alesia" marijuana-eradication effort.

"Don't buy drugs. They fund violence and terror," he said.

After touring gardens raided this week in Shasta County, Walters said the officers who are destroying the gardens are performing hard, dangerous work in rough terrain. He said growers have been known to have weapons, including assault rifles.

"These people are armed; they're dangerous," he said. He called them "violent criminal terrorists."

Link

Mark says: "Back in 1987, there was an ad on Australian TV warning people about AIDS. This ad featured a scary-as-hell Grim Reaper bowling for AIDS victims. He'd knock you down and you'd be dead from AIDS. This ad scared the absolute crap out of me, being 6 at the time. I'd lie awake in bed at night scared that the grim reaper was going to come into my bedroom and give me AIDS. Or that he'd be waiting with his bowling ball at the end of our hallway when I woke up in the middle of the night to go to the toilet." Link

Reader comment:

Sam says:

I remember a news story I saw on TV sometime in the early 90's. It was about a man who went on a business trip and mysteriously came home infected with HIV. Neither he or his wife could explain how he had gotten the disease. The reporter and experts could not come to a conclusion either. At the conclusion of the story the reporter explained how people can randomly get HIV and AIDS and to watch out because it could happen to anybody.

The Grim Reaper commercial seems to teach the same thing: you can randomly get AIDS at any time for no apparent reason. Education at it's finest.

Justyn says:

We need your readers' help in identifying this incredibly strange creature. My friend Zack has posted a photo of it on his site Arr-the-Kraken.com.

Just outside of Seattle, WA my roommate Ed recently took a photo of this . . . thing. We have no idea what animal this is but it was seemingly deaf and/or dumb as Ed got extremely close to it before it slunk away. There are two tufts of hair on it but, otherwise, it was completely bald. Any thoughts? Your help is appreciated!

Link

Last month, a robber with a gun in Washington DC threatened a group dining on their patio. One of the hosts suggested that the robber join them for a glass of wine instead of robbing their house and/or killing them. The robber took a sip and then things got very strange. From the Associated Press:

The robber, with his hood down, took another sip and a bite of Camembert cheese. He put the gun in his sweatpants...

"I think I may have come to the wrong house," he said before apologizing. "Can I get a hug?"

Link (Thanks, Vann Hall!)

UPDATE: Over at Orange Crate Art, Michael Leddy, professor of English, puts the story above in literary context:

I'm hoping that any of my Homer-reading students who come across this news item pause to think on the ancient Greek practice of ξενία (xenía), hospitality. The Iliad ends with an extraordinary moment of xenía, when Achilles as host treats Hector's father Priam with respect and compassion. The two share a meal before Priam departs with Hector's returned corpse. The Odyssey is a running display of xenía and its opposite: virtually every scenario in the poem hinges upon the practice or abuse of hospitality. And hospitality isn't limited to better homes and palaces: the swineherd Eumaeus acquits himself as a perfect host by offering Odysseus that best that he has: food, shelter, and a cloak to stay warm (almost literally the shirt off his back). Link