Broteen Shakes forwarded us the video flyer for YBCA's “Noel Noir” party, noting it “might be pretty fun.”  After watching the trailer, I couldn't help but feel both confused and as if I got slapped in the fact by insanity itself.  Looking for more info, I turned to the event's about page:

On December 10, don your fanciest thrift store best for the people’s winter ball and we shall bedeck the holidays in black! Noël Noir is a celebration of the Bay Area's love of the strange and the beautiful—for art and culture geeks, decompressed burners, untenured professors, hippy futurists, the funemployed, poly gamers, queerdos and anyone who wants to take a picture. More Tim Burton than Frank Capra, Noël Noir will whisk you away into the season’s seamier (and sexier!) underbelly.

What that means in English is, “it is a costume ball / holiday un-party in which you get drunk while rocking out of a selection of bands curated by Noise Pop.”  Even if that isn't your thing, let me stress you watch their video flyer.  It's a goddamn masterpiece.

($20.  Friday Dec. 10th)

Growing up, I had a cat, Catzilla, that used to prance around the yard, eat grass, and occasionally puke it up.  I never attributed his frequent indulgence in the vomit-inducing feast to body issues, but then again I'm not a muralist.  Even so, I never quite understood parts of this mural, even if I could relate.  Why were the steps backwards?  Why did they leave one of the signs blank?  Well, Troy over at Caliber seems to have the answer:

I used to live 3 doors down from this car wash. When this wall was being painted, some of the artists told me they had eaten a bag of mushrooms a few hours earlier, explaining the random elements in the composition.

(photo by otherthings)

rad/douchey Loko consumption pic via Series II

Stock up your fallout shelters with Loko tallboys, because the apocolypse is upon us.  Yesterday, the Michigan Liquor Control Commission passed a state-wide ban on the sale of 4 Loko, giving retailers thirty days to comply and clear their shelves of the products (I SMELL A LIQUIDATION SALE IN DETROIT, ROAD TRIP ANYONE???).  The dominos are all set to start falling; the City Council of Chicago has already proposed a ban on all alcoholic energy drinks and in Pennsylvania they're asking retailers to voluntarily cease sales of 4 Loko.  Details at the Chicago Tribune.

Michael Mansour, owner of a liquor store near the Michigan State campus, pointed out the obvious futility of the ban: 

“If they can’t get it prepackaged in one unit, then they’ll buy it separately and mix it themselves,” Mansour said. “They’re going to do it, whether they package it that way or not.”  (via Michigan State News)

How long before kids start making bank on smuggling Lokos onto Michigan campuses? Will campus PD start busting dorm rooms operating as Loko cook labs? 

Someone made a design-heavy video in attempt to sell employees of the Googlebooks and readers of thedailywh.at/boing boing/laughing squid/other memetumblrs on the merits of voting for Prop 19.  Admittedly, I dig the video myself.

On the flip, SF street artist Eddie Colla (Correction: the artist was “Mark of the Beast,” Eddie only took the photo) isn't really sold on the prospect in living in a state full of McMarijuanas':