Stalking the catalogue: No regrets

"Growing up I had always thought of tattoos as merely representing the idea itself. That having a tattoo simply said, "I'm the kind of person that would have a tattoo." That may have applied to the standard prison or military tattoo, but somewhere down the line tattoos stopped being the sole province of the badass and seamlessly slid over to he propriety of the soft, sensitive, malnourished hipster."

No regrets : the best, worst, and most #$%*ing ridiculous tattoos ever by by Aviva Yael and P. M. Chen
I'm fascinated by people's tattoos. I'm even more curious about the reasons behind them. They mostly come with quite good stories. (FYI: mine doesn't). For example, why would a guy get the Nike tick tattooed on his back? Why would another person choose to have theirs be two brightly coloured unicorns fornicating? Or the rapper ODB on their foot? Or 'WTF' on your finger? Or Frank Zappa picking his nose? See. Stories. This book doesn't provide the stories. It does, however, provide snark galore, and sometimes that's giggle-worthy, too.

Stalking the catalogue: Is that a Picasso on your fridge?

"The message is clear: lighten up, surrealists. Sometimes it actually is une pipe."

Is that a Picasso on your fridge? : kids' "masterpieses" critiqued by an art expert by Dan Consiglio
Consiglio separates 'finger-painted genius from crayon-doodled crap.' In essence, parents submit their child's art, and a critic reviews them.

Tell me that doesn't make you curious. Tell me that doesn't make you think "Well, THAT has to be a major case of WTFery, right there, doesn't it?" Tell me you won't request it. Tell me so I can shake your hand because I don't have the won't-power to resist it. And now I'm waiting not-so-patiently for it to come through.

Stalking the catalogue: What the doctor smokes

"Funny and ridiculous as they undoubtedly are, deliberate humour doesn't play a big part in these adverts, maybe becausei it's only in retrospect that we can see that Dri-Poo for the hair might not be the most savoury of names, or that a horse machine (guaranteed satisfaction) might find its real market in sexually frustrated Victorian housewives."

What the doctor smokes : and other inspiring adverts through the ages by Kate Parker and the Advertising Archives
I have long been fascinated by vintage adverts and vintage posters. They provide an interesting look into an era that, born in the mid-70s, I would never know. They give me a slight feeling of nostalgia for the good times that my parents and grandparents would tell me about when I was young. More than that, though, they provide much in the way of hilarity. By the time I came along it was adverts promoting food served in aspic (blech) and fondue parties held by people who looked far too happy to eat things dipped in cheese (why why why) and crocheted vests galore (yes I am judging you for your vest).

Not so secret joy: Looking through our Heritage Images database every now and then for 'advertising' images and finding such gems as a model playing a piano accordion whilst surrounded by even more accordions, or a model wearing knitted beach wear. Nostalgia makes me do it. Now you can do it, too.

Stalking the catalogue: The history of the world according to Facebook

"Ah, Facebook. We all make fun of it, and we're all on it. If the Facebook community - 600 million strong - were a country, it would rank third in population, and last in spelling ability."

The history of the world according to Facebook by Wylie Overstreet

I spend a fair bit of my time online. Doing all kinds of things. Probably, for the most part, I'm updating a status in some place, some where, so coming across Overstreet's book is like receiving a birthday present I never knew I wanted. Think on it: wall posts from the beginning of time. the Serpent creating a Facebook event to tempt Eve to eat the apple (and her response "Sorry, I'm on a master cleanse!"), Cleopatra listing 'eyeliner' as an interest, Romeo and Juliet professing their love for each other (Oh babe you're so amazing. luv u <3) or even Marie Antoinette not knowing "who" Democracy is (Ooo, Guillotine? Is he like a new designer?). I'm hoping that Overstreet's book can give me ALL THE GIGGLES. (Yes, capslock needed).

Like it. Ask it to be your friend. Share it.

Stalking the Catalogue: Extreme office crafts

Welcome to a new series of weekly posts called "Stalking the Catalogue." When you think about it - or when I think about it - that is, essentially, what I do. I stalk the catalogue for new, interesting and/or bizarre titles to highlight. Now I'm just calling it what it is.

Extreme office crafts : creative & devious ways to waste supplies & company time by Jimmy Knight and Tom Chalmers
THIS! Office crafts. Extreme office crafts. Extreme office crafts that encourage creativity. This is a thing that must be read.

Admittedly, I'm a little wary of the 'devious ways to waste supplies and company time' part of the title BUT I'm going to override that little smidgeon of fear and read it, anyway. How could I not when it encourages the making of post-it note mosaics? (My sibling doesn't know it yet, but her post-it note stash is going towards a very good cause - my entertainment)

We have two copies! So if this kind of humour is your kind of humour, request it today :)

Being funny can win you a prize!

The 2011 winners of the The Roald Dahl Funny Prize have been announced.

Cats Ahoy! by Peter Bentley and Jim Field won the The Funniest Book for Children Aged Six and Under category.

The brilliant world of Tom Gates by Liz Pichon won the The Funniest Book for Children Aged Seven to Fourteen category.

I love the fact that there is a prize for books that tickle your funny bone. What a great celebration of laughing out loud with a good book!