Jason Hackenwerth’s balloon sculptures are playful, dramatic and slightly indecent. Some of them can be worn; some of them fire unspeakable things. Ideal for adding a whiff of trauma to a child’s birthday party.

There are films of the sculptures too. (h/t, Coudal.)

A few weeks ago, in one of the ephemera roundups, I posted a link to some tilt-shift photography. The technique is a kind of reverse Supermarionation, whereby life-size objects are made to look like scale model miniatures. Keith Loutit combines tilt-shift photography with stop-motion filming. The results are quite striking. Watch those teeny tiny people move.

Beached from Keith Loutit on Vimeo

Bathtub III from Keith Loutit on Vimeo

More tilt-shift imagery links.

Via Viewmanoid Films, meet the boyband of the future.

Introducing Shakerboys … from viewmanoid on Vimeo

Dig it, baby.

In the comments following this, on unrepentant former terrorist and current academic, William Ayers, I wrote: 

I’m not sure what the precise level of ostracism should be for those, like Ayers, who show no contrition for past sins. But I find it remarkable that so little stigma is apparent. There is a double standard here, whereby leftwing extremism, even of the most contemptible kind, is excused as some youthful exuberance or badge of credibility. I’m trying to picture a deranged ultra-rightwing academic still being employed, even acclaimed, despite his past attempts at sedition and indiscriminate murder, and despite such “radical” statements as, “break into the homes of poor people and kill them. That’s where it’s really at.”

Well, hey there, daddio…

Jeff Goldstein has some thoughts on Obama’s links with Ayers, and the mainstream media’s strange incuriosity:

No evidence? Well, Stanley Kurtz and Steve Diamond, two of the only journalists actually interested enough to look into the relationship, would beg to differ about the extent of Obama’s relationship with Ayers… Obama, we have found out, lied about the extent of his relationship with Ayers ([AP reporter Douglass Daniel] appears unfazed by Senator Obama’s dishonesty); he has never given an account of his CAC activities, and Ayers’ role in those activities (and has in fact tried to keep Kurtz and other journalists from telling their stories, issuing “action alerts” directing supporters to try to shout down his critics). […]

Here’s Daniel:

Obama, who was a child when the Weathermen were planting bombs, has denounced Ayers’ radical views and actions.

Well, unless you count his glowing endorsement of those radical views as put into action, including an endorsement of Ayers’ book on education, (which is nothing if not in keeping with Ayers’ radical views about the US-as-villain-and-oppressor), and the funding he funneled, through CAC, to Ayers-backed “educational” programs that eschewed things like math and science for courses based around progressive and radical notions of “social justice” and the politicizing of curricula through the “small schools” initiative.

Other than that, though, yeah: consider Ayers and his radicalism denounced in the strongest terms!

The whole thing.

Update: A deleted scene from Indoctrinate U:

“If you’re a Communist who’s declared war on the US government, if you’ve set off bombs all over the country and spent years on the run, there’s always one place where you will be welcomed with opened arms.”

Burn your guitars, the Optron has arrived. // All hail Mothra! Incomprehensible happenings in Japan. // Dr Manhattan’s penis is discussed at length. Oh, and the rest of the film too. // They come in peace, in puffer jackets. // Your very own Sarah Palin. // In unrelated news… // The Spirit. Ghostly cop, unruly dames. // The boombox backpack. // Styrobot. // The 2” cube PC. // Radar consoles we have known and loved. // Defunct spacecraft versus atmosphere. (h/t, Dr Westerhaus) // Space, as seen on TV. // Colours of the Moon. // Procrastination flowchart. (h/t, Coudal) // Moscow Zoo, 1920. // The photography of Josef Hoflehner. // And, via The Thin Man, it’s Mr Shawn Lee and his Ping Pong Orchestra.