Kevin German's photograph 'Steve the Chicken' takes me to several far away places; either of my late grandfathers farms, the freedoms of girlhood, the songs of Neko Case, or the rural midwest.  

9 medieval ships found in Oslo

The largest collection of antique shipwrecks ever found in Norway has been discovered under mud at the building site for a new highway tunnel in Oslo.  Archaeologist Jostein Gundersen said at least nine wooden boats, the largest of which is 17 meters, or 56 feet, long were found well preserved nearly 400 years after they sank at Bjoervika.  

The International Herald Tribune has the latest...

comings and goings

I've been away for quite some time due to a consuming Costuming project.  Alas, it is finnished and I am here to give more random tandems of travel and urge culture to, well, whoever might one day accidentally view this sight.  I hope you enjoy the colby jack map of Canada!  

map quest II

Map of regional obesity trends in the United States of America care of Trendhunter.

map quest I

I happened across this map entirely by chance. Bibliodyssey gives a run down of it's unique origin.  

meat, meat and more meat

I love meat.  Not just because it's so damned tasty, though.  I also love meat for it's connotations and, as of late, i've found those connotations all over some of my favorite literary and design resources.  

Meathaus, a comics anthology, is a recent discovery for me.  It spotlights the latest work of a talented collection of New York cartoonists and illustrators. 

Another must see is MeatPaper: Your Journal of Meat Culture.  This print magazine covers a vast playground of topics circulating around art and ideas about meat.  Vegetarians, don't be wary, this is no carnivore's little black book.  Personal narratives, journalism, prose, poetry, images, and art criticism examine the role of meat in culture as well as in our diet. 

1. The flesh o fanimals as used for food

2. The edible part of anything, as a fruit or nut: Crack the walnuts and remove the meats.

3. The essential point or part of an argument, literary work, etc.; gist; crux.

4. Solid food: meat and drink.

5. Solid or substantial content; pith: The article was full of meat, with few wasted words. 

6.  Favorite occupation, activity, etc.: Chess is his meat.

7. Chiefly South Midland and Southern U.S. pork, esp. bacon.

8. Slang: vulgar. penis.

9. Archaic. the principal meal: to say grace before meat.

stamps via land or sea

I can't rave enough about Yellow Owl Workshop. Few things service a traveler as well as good stationary or a journal; and San Francisco's Yellow Owl serves up the preverbial hotplate of homemade delight.

Each of their limited edition stamp sets, seen above, are made from molded natural rubber, mounted onto maple, and even come in a custom birch box that is sanded and waxed by hand.

You can use the five stamps included in the set to mimic the scene pictured above or to create your own land or sea scape.

Further, Yellow Owl's hardbound journals are "handmade from start to finish" and their stationary comes with a personal consultation with the artist and founder, Christine Schmidt, as well as an original drawing.