Bolus

Ball of the Day

Via David Crawford, who explains: "Not one, not two, but three big balls at Roi-Namur.  This is the telemetry station at Kwajalein Atoll. I've actually been to Roi."

Ball of the Day

From Harry Bergeron: Aussies create the world's most perfect silicon sphere

Ball of the Day

Eric Ericson nominates Balls 17, the annual desert rocketry fest:

Lazy Day Chicago Part 3

After marveling at the Lagonda, our next stop was the South Loop in the heart of downtown Chicago. Aspiring artist Hawkette is shopping around for various colleges and was interested in  checking out the campus of Columbia College, well known for its visual arts programs and thoroughly pierced/mohawked student body. As luck would have it Tim is an adjunct prof at Columbia where he teaches painting and has a free pass around the joint.

First things first: victuals at Epic Burger on Tim's recommendation.  Whoa.

Now, I've eaten my share of burgers,  from Ketchikan to Katmandu, consuming vast herds of ruminants in my wake. But I can say -- without exaggeration -- that sammich at Epic was hands down the best damn burger I've ever snarfed. If you're ever in Chicago, do yourself a favor and head down to the South Loop for a little basket of heaven.

Where was I? Yeah, college. We next walked over to the Columbia Campus -- a couple of hi-rise downtown blocks bordered by Michigan, State, Harrison and Balbo -- and got the grand tour of the art facilities from Tim, including intros to several of his faculty colleagues. One stop was at the college's very cool printmaking studio.

Part of the campus is located in what used to be commercial buildings, complete with ghost signage. This one proudly advertises Studebaker.

Another used to be a Brunswick bowling ball factory.

View from a campus parking lot, right across the street from the venerable Harold's Chicken Shack.

By the time it was dark thirty we headed back to Tim's joint in the West Loop, where we spotted this once-bitchin' mulletacular Camaro parked forlornly along the street. The hole in the hood that once sported a blower was now stuffed with some sort of burlap sack. Poignant!

At Tim's studio, Tammi Jo says her final farewell to her beloved Vespa which now joins another of our old scoots in Tim's collection. Sad to see it go, but jazzed about getting one of Tim's paintings in exchange.

Ball of the Day

From Michael Smith, who spotted it on Ann Althouse blog: some kind of crazy scrote-plant

Ball of the Day

Via Southern Foosball, with a hat tip to Harry Bergeron: vintage "tornado" foosballs

Ball of the Day

Via Geoff Kransdorf: Swedish meatballs

The Uraguayan Invasion!

My jet set footwear fashionista buddy Manolo the Shoeblogger writes:

Hello to the Iowahawk!

Regarding your most amusing blogging at Bolus about the rise of the International Moptops, the Manolo gives you....The Uruguayan Invasion!!!

Montevideo (where the Manolo will be in December) was the locus for the beginning of the Latin American Moptop Movement.  There are many good videos on YouTube of the Los Mockers and Los Shakers, the two most influential bands, who in their own way acted out the Beatles vs. Rolling Stones dynamic in Spanish. 

Also, allow the Manolo to defend Argentine and Uruguayan Rock in general. It is actually quite good.

Best of the Wishes!

Manolo

Best of the wishes back atcha, Manolo, and congrats on your new gig at the Washington Post!

Here's a couple of videos (Montevideos?) of Los Shakers and Los Mockers back at the height of the fame. Good stuff by any standard.

the Beatlesque Los Shakers:

the Stonesian Los Mockers:

And for good measure, Los Jerks - sort of a mashup between the Kinks and the Beach Boys.

Ball of the Day

From Chief Science Officer Steve Carlson, and in honor of Pearl Harbor Day: tank ball from Modern Mechanix