“Lay on Ground, Light Fuse, Retire Quickly” is the first line of the story in the NYT about the sale of George Moyer’s enormous firecracker collection. Moyer is a pyrotechnician and fireman from Pennsylvania, so it stands to reason that he might have an outsized interest in any and all types of explosives. The photos aren’t the best, but that’s the consequence of a massive drag and drop operation. The entire collection was/is online at Morphy’s Auction House. Oh, and Happy Fourth of July!!

Ideas come from strange places. These odd little totems are called training dummies or retriever dummies. They are used in the training of hunting dogs. Typically they are made out of either canvas or rubber. One throws the dummy – maybe some animal or bird scent is impregnated or rubbed onto the thing – and then the good puppy goes and fetches the duffle-shaped decoy and gets a reward upon its safe return. Hopefully a biscuit and not just a pat on the head. Or at least that’s how I think it works. Now, I have said this before, I am not a hunter. And I definitely do not condone sport hunting. But I do believe I can still find an odd form of inspiration from these quirky objects. And they have indeed sparked a glimmer of a concept. Photos (except for the first two) are from here, here, here, here and here.

In honor of the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic (about which I am sure you have not yet heard quite enough) I thought I would post these photos. Apparently, in Newfoundland and Labrador, it’s quite common for icebergs to hit the shoreline or come mighty close to it. How bizarre to look out the window and see one of these instead of the usual tree or playset. Via The Daily Mail, These Things Happen… and Tony Seaward.

I think the idea here is that the relaxamat is meant to replicate the experience, in a far more benign and less scary manner, of the traditional bed of nails. Regardless, I think it has tremendous graphic appeal.

This morning my friend Patty sent me a link to a food blog that I had never heard of. So, like any good student of the web, I scrolled through, clicked links and basically enjoyed what I saw. Just when I was about to get back to work, I happened on this beast. This is the world’s largest gummy worm. Measuring well over 2 feet in length, weighing in at a mind-blowing, tooth-rotting 3 whole pounds and putting you way over your daily intake limit at 4000 calories!!! It’s positively scandalously vulgar. But, what fun to receive this on February 14th from your beloved instead of that typical heart-shaped chocolate thing. For more info go here.