Friday Finds 5.20.11

Aaron: Building BART: Photos from the 60s and 70s

For those of you who are not avid readers of the San Francisco Chronicle, Peter Hartlaub is a fizzy whiz of a columnist whose take on Bay Area culture and history is a persistent pleasure. (He also tweeted at me about Rush the other day, which is pretty much all it takes to win me over.) This week on the Chronicle's baby and parenting blog The Poop, he posted a slew of really great photos of the building of the Bay Area Rapid Transit system, or BART as we local commuters call it. It's a wonderful post that shows the development of what was meant to be one of the most innovative transit systems in the US. And dig that picture of President Nixon boarding a train in the East Bay. I thought something smelled on the way in to the office this morning. All photos, including the one above of a boat towing a 324-foot section of the Transbay Tube in 1968, are from the San Francisco Chronicle Archives.

Miyoko: The Burning House

If your house was burning, what would you take with you? That's the question New York City-based creative Foster Huntington posed to friends and acquaintances. The innocent inquiry has turned into the creation of the-burning-house.com, where users can submit photos and descriptions of the items they'd gather in a hurry and take out the door in case of fire. Though the lists are rather unrealistic (there is a lot of cast iron among the mix), it's an interesting look at what people value. Plus, if you like lists and things organized neatly (as well as thingsorganizedneatly.tumblr.com), you'll enjoy a scroll through this blog. (via swiss-miss.com)

Jaime: The Lego Store

I am having a Lego-themed week. First Lou Maxon, who is writing this great Backstory series for Dwell.com, turned in his Week 12 post, which focused on ways to get your kids excited about architecture and house-building. A lot of it had to do with Lego. And then I stumbled onto this story about a new Lego store in Santa Cruz, with a 'Pick a Brick' rainbow wall where you help yourself to handfuls of Legos… so awesome. The closest store is in San Mateo. I may have to plot a visit soon.

Diana: Graphic Novel on Tumblr

Thanks to Sam for pointing me to this collection of visual intrigue. Bright hues, frenetic patterns, photographs of pop culture icons and a spattering of old masters in the mix. Click away!

Jordan: Paul Simon Fan Sings on Stage

Aw. Paul Simon. I very much love that dude. And so does Rayna, a fan who yelled up at him during a concert that she learned to play the guitar to Duncan from his second, eponymous album. He invited her onstage, and she strummed and sang—with tears in her eyes and a 'oh-my-gawd-is-this-real-life' expression on her face—the entire song. And well! A magic moment, to be sure.