The Year 2008 in Photographs (part 1 of 3)

If you do not check boston.com‘s Big Picture at least once a week then you might as well sell your computer to someone who is willing to put it to good use. Seriously, add this one to your RSS feed. The collections are always striking and provocative.

Right now they are posting the Best Photos of 2008 in three installments. Parts two and three will be tomorrow and Saturday.

If those are a bit too serious for you, I highly recommend that you head over to The Smoking Gun and check out their Best Mugshots of 2008. Hilarity WILL ensue.

Aspen Boutique’s Fantastical Holiday Cards

From Ruben Miller:

“Aspen Boutique (formerly Aspen Traders) has a long-standing tradition of mailing fanciful holiday cards to their customers. They have been doing it since 1987. The cards are designed by Gardner Design of Wichita Kansas, run by Bill Gardner of LogoLounge fame. Bill was kind enough to share the entire collection of cards with us, and gave us some background about their unique, long-standing relationship with Aspen Boutique.”

Go check ’em out!

Beautiful Snowflakes

It snowed here last night. Just a bit really. I was hoping for more. Anyway, here are some photos of snowflakes taken with a photomicroscope. There are examples of different types of flakes that occur at different temperatures. I expect to spot these as tatoos on snowboarders after the holidays. Trampstamp anyone?

Shoes Thrown at Bush GIF

Whoever made this GIF deserves the Medal of Freedom. Goddamn If  couldn’t watch this all day…

UPDATE…

Saturday Morning Annimation – This is Where We Live

Vintage Vespa Images

Nice collection of vintage Vespa Images over on Flickr. I still want one of these things…

(via Bibi’s Box)

Air Art

A great video of an elegant new twist on the airship. I believe this is an actual timed race filmed at the World Air Games. Get yours and we’ll race!

20 Worst Album Covers of 2008

Pitchfork has dug up the crappiest album covers of 2008. I don’t know. I must admit that here are some really lazy/awful designs this year but I think the one above could be one of the BEST ALBUM COVERS OF ALL TIME!!1! OMG!!.

Over 40 – November, 2008

Ah November. Good times. The best thing that happened all month – actually, all year – was that I voted the Hell out of Barak Obama for President of the U.S. of A. and he freakin’ won. The worst thing that happened was that I discovered that I am now as fat as I have ever been and that I do not feel that good about it. Let us never speak of it again. We went to the Flat Track Roller Derby National Championship in Portland and I proceeded to ruin my voice for an entire week. Everyone thought I had come down with a cold it was so bad. Friendsgiving in Eureka was super special as I knew it would be. (I won at poker! That never happens!) Framed a bunch of posters that had been sitting around. Finally. I cut myself too. No, not while framing said posters. Making biscotti. (Got a bit tipsy. Whoops!). Oh, and I went and hung out with a couple of giraffes. And cheetahs. And Elephants.

Truth in Advertising

(Via BoingBoing)

Saturday Morning Animation – Das Rad (The Wheel)

New thing. Going to post some killer animation every Saturday morning. I know. “A regular post” thing. Can I do it? Probably not.

First up is the Germany’s, Das Rad, a 2003 Academy Award nominee for best short. Love it!

Metal Heart

Everything comes together beautifully in this short video shot at a monster truck rally. Yes. A monster truck rally. Trust me in the fact that it is awesome. Using time lapse photography and and tilt-shift lenses, Keith Loutit creates a toy-like world out of it. (His other time lapse/tilt-shift videos are worth viewing too.)

I don’t know exactly where this was filmed but I am sure it was on a ‘SUNDAY, SUNDAY, SUNDAY!!!’

The Book Design Review’s Best Book Covers of 2008

27 of the most awesome book covers of 2008. There are some really incredible designs in here and I think that it is sad that I only own one of these books. Time to browse over to Powell’s…

(By the way, here are the ‘05, ‘06, and ‘07 lists.)

Micah Smith $10 Poster Sale

Speaking of awesome posters, Micah Smith (AKA My Associate Cornelius) is selling every one of his awesome posters for only ten bucks each until the end of the year. Now that is a recession buster. I highly recommend you go and by one of theses hand pulled silk screened beauties and hang it up on your wall over that hole from that whiskey bottle you threw at it last Christmas. If you don’t see a band you like, well, frankly, your music taste sucks.

The Lucha Library

Check out this awesome poster from El Jefe. It is a beautiful two-color silkscreen, hand pulled, with an addition of 100. Did I buy one? Damn straight. There is also one that is red instead of green with a smaller edition.