Friday Finds 10.15.2010

Sam: Yahoo Search Loop

Here's a fun little word game that's sort of a web-based game of telephone crossed with free word association. Enter in any word, and the yahoo search loop will bring up the next search term and so on. Web 2.0 has become pretty rote, so it's nice to see that there's still some experimentation going on out there.

Miyoko: The Designer and the Chef Behind The Geometry of Pasta

I saw an image online from The Geometry of Pasta the other day but didn't realize it was part of a larger project, a book in fact. This week, however, we were treated to a Q&A on Imprint with the designer and chef behind the noodle shape history-plus-cookbook tome. While I wish the interview went on longer, there's the book (printed entirely in black and white) to follow up with.

Jaime: Phat Knits

I love these chunky 'Phat Knits' that Dutch designer Bauke Knottnerus created in 2008. Some are actually knit using gigantic knitting needles; others are knotted. They can be used as lounge-y furniture or as super-thick rugs. I know they've been around for a while but I just re-stumbled onto them and I love their playful vibe. Imagine watching TV on one of those coiled, knotted nests?

Aaron: Hallelujah Junction by John Adams

I'm on the road at the moment—zipping on the fleet-railed Acela between Philadelphia and New York—but I'm pleased to report that the book I brought along for my trip is first rate. Modernist composer John Adams' 2008 memoir Hallelujah Junction is as fine an account of post-war American classical music as I've come across, yet manages to be an equally illuminating look at the process, personality, failures and successes of one of our great living artists. If you've already fallen for Adams—I can't stop listening to Shaker Loops—pick up this book. It's a warm, insightful, utterly readable description of what it's like to make music in America.

Amanda: Compendium of 17th-Century Anatomical Illustrations from Japan

I've been enjoying this collection of illustrations posted on Pink Tentacle that showcase Japanese anatomical illustrations from hundreds of years ago. Featuring everything from trepanning techniques to stages of pregnancy, the images are a fascinating look at early ideas about how the body works. According to the site, many of the images actually originated in China and some contributed greatly to the development of opthamology in Japan during the 16th and 17th centuries. In addition to finding the works to be significant as historical documents, I also just quite like the look of them.

Jordan: Simpsons Themed Parody of Banksy by JBOY

So the watercooler isn't buzzing with Springfield-related news as much these days—I will admit that it's been a looong while since I watched the Simpsons, but my love for that show in its glory years remains strong as ever—but blogland went a little coocoo this week when Banksy animated the (actually a little haunting) opening sequence of last Sunday's show. For the full-circle effect, I like this bit of street art by London's JBOY that gives Santa's Little Helper a Banksy-enabled walk.
via NotCot