Lucky Ducks... I Mean Turkeys. Meet Cobbler and Gobbler, This Year's Pardoned Thanksgiving Fowl.

This year the choice was between Cobbler and Gobbler (via an online social media vote), two 19 week-old, 40 pound birds. Elementary school students in Rockingham County, Virginia - the native area of the turkeys - chose the names.



While one of the turkeys is recognized as the National Thanksgiving Turkey – chosen for the first time by the American public through an online contest this year – the president traditionally pardons both turkeys, one serving as an alternate.


above: The presidentially pardoned turkey Cobbler, whose distinguishing mark from his brother, Gobbler, is a small black mark on the beak, arrives at George Washington's Mount Vernon, Nov. 21, where he and his brother will live out their days under the property's care following a pardon by President Barack Obama. (Photo: M.Scott Mahaskey/POLITICO)

"If for some reason Cobbler cannot fulfill his duties as the official White House Turkey, Gobbler will be waiting in the wings," Obama said.



With the turkey gobbling away nearby, Obama teased about new beginnings.
"They say that life is all about second chances, and this November I could not agree more," he said, joking about his re-election. "So in the spirit of the season, I have one more gift to give and it goes to a pair of turkeys."



Following the pardoning, the turkeys will be taken to George Washington's Mount Vernon Estate and Gardens, where the winning turkey will be on display for visitors during "Christmas at Mount Vernon." They'll stay on the property after the holidays. The birds grew up on a farm near Harrisonburg, Virginia under National Turkey Federation Chairman Steve Willardsen's supervision.


above: Cobbler and Gobbler arrive at George Washington's Mount Vernon, Va., where they will live out their days under the care of the property following a presidential pardon, Nov. 21, by President Barack Obama. (Photo: M.Scott Mahaskey/POLITICO)

This year marks the 65th anniversary of the turkey presentation. In his remarks, Obama also thanked the troops overseas and asked Americans to remember the victims of Superstorm Sandy, which killed dozens in the U.S. and wreaked major devastation across the Northeast last month.

Concluding his comments, the president gave one final blessing to the turkey.
"You are hereby pardoned. Congratulations, Cobbler," the president said. "You'll have a great life."

Photos and info courtesy of The White House, CNN and Reuters

In Honor Of Turkey Day, 18 Works of Art Inspired By The Wishbone.

The most common belief is that the tradition of breaking the wishbone at Thanksgiving began with the ancient Etruscans and Romans who dried chicken wishbones and touched them as they made a wish. Lacking enough bones to go around the Romans fought over them - breaking them in the process. The Romans were said to have later introduced the practice into Great Britain.

Incredible - and Enormous - Public Portraits by Hendrik Beikirch.

Artist Hendrik Beikrich 
(aka ecb) first worked as freelance artist in Koblenz, Germany. From 1996 through 2000 he studied art education at university of Koblenz-Landau. It was 
in 1989 that he created his first painting using a spray can
 instead of a brush and he was hooked.



He has since painted portraits on the walls of buildings all over the world, from a Pizzeria in Brooklyn to most recently, the tallest mural in Asia. Works of his can be seen on buildings and underpasses in New Zealand, Korea
, Canada, USA, Mexico, Thailand, Australia, India, Hong Kong, China, Chile, Belarus, Russia and European countries.

Most recently he completed "Where There Is No Struggle, There Is No Strength", a portrait of a fisherman, the tallest mural in Asia:





And here's a look at many of his other works on underpasses, apartment buildings, walls and commissions for museums and restaurants:












Hendrick Beikirch

The New Limited Edition Sun and Moon Watch from Mr. Jones.

The new Sun and Moon watch from Mr. Jones shows the time based on the position of the Sun or Moon in the sky on the watch face.



The crescent shaped sky on the dial represents 12 hours with the time running from left to right. At 6am the sun 'rises' on the left of the dial. The sun slowly climbs in the sky until it reaches the apex of the crescent midday. The sun gradually descends until it reaches the right hand marker at 6pm.



After 6pm the Sun ‘sets’ and disappears from view, meanwhile the Moon ‘rises’ on the left. The position of the Moon in the sky therefore shows the hours from 6pm until 6am.



Along with the image of the Sun and Moon, the hour disk features a revolving image with scenes of the natural world that gradually passes as the day progresses. The minutes are displayed in the centre dial and these run in the conventional way, so each marker on this dial corresponds to five minutes.




Sun and Moon is a revival of an very old watch design: "Sun and Moon" watches were first produced in Britain in the late 1600s during a period of experimentation with ways to represent the time. We really like this visualisation of the time - it's both logical and elegant.

Sun and Moon is produced in an edition of 100 pieces, each watch numbered on the case back and comes with a signed certificate from the designer.

The watch comes packed in an MJW box which features a newly commissioned artwork by illustrator Fanny Shorter. Inspired by the 24 hour display, Fanny's artwork shows the life cycle of the mayfly which takes just 24 hours:




Specifications:
Case: brushed stainless steel
Strap: black leather with ecru stitching
Mechanism: Ronda 515-24H single jewel quartz mechanism
Width (3 o'clock to 9 o'clock): 37mm
Height (from lug to lug): 46mm
Waterproof: 5ATM
Guarantee: 12 months
Smallest strap diameter:150mm
Largest strap diameter: 205mm

Sun and Moon
£145 (approx $190/€164) Buy it here.

Portraits Made With A Single Unbroken Black Thread Wrapped Around Nails.

above: Constellation Steffan, Wood panel, brads, single sewing thread


above: Constellation Mana (detail), 2011

Japanese artist Kumi Yamashita, who now lives and works in New York, has been featured on several design sites for her amazing Origami Light and Shadow project (shown below) in which Japanese paper and creased and mounted on the wall to give off a shadow that emulates a human face profile.

Artist Richard Prince Designs Cans for AriZona's Lemon Fizz Beverage.

the press release:
AriZona Partners With Renowned Artist Richard Prince To Create 'Lemon Fizz' Beverage, Debuting At Art Basel Miami Beach

"As huge fans of Richard Prince and his work, it was important for AriZona to create a beverage that embodied the mystery and intensity of Richard's art, and Lemon Fizz acts as the perfect beverage to symbolize those feelings. The package design celebrates Richard's creativity and history within the art world, with secret elements for consumers to discover that signify the union of our creative forces," says Jackie Harrigan, Global Communications Director.



Prince, a controversial artist, famous for his use of appropriation art and his Jokes series, which alluded to the sexual fantasies and frustrations of middle-class America, joined forces with AriZona beverages on the project. "My latest work has embodied the use of tangible items, such as cans, to create installations," Prince says. "As a fan of AriZona's Arnold Palmer line, it felt natural to collaborate and the partnership evolved from there. The outcome is Lemon Fizz, which is a fantastic beverage and one that I can employ in my own craft."



The beverage will be packaged in a Pop Art-inspired, 23-oz. can, featuring representations of his Cowboys, Nurse and Jokes paintings:


Old black-and-white shots of Prince, photographed by Sebastian Piras and Sante D'Orazio in TriBeCa back in 1992 are featured on the can:



The beverage, to be launched nationally following the Art Basel Miami Beach show, will retail from $0.99 to $1.25, in line with other AriZona products.

About AriZona:

Founded in Brooklyn, NY in 1992, Arizona's mission is to offer top quality beverages in uniquely packaged designs that are accessible and affordable. AriZona Beverages — makers of the number one Iced Tea in America, holds a unique position in the global beverage industry with its iconic $0.99 big can and "keeping it real" no frills approach to the consumer market. AriZona never pays for glitzy advertising campaigns to gain consumer loyalty and is constantly ahead of the curve, carving out trends without the use of focus groups and market research. With a loyal following across various demographics, AriZona pulls its own inspiration from its fierce social media following and devoted fan base. To learn more about the AriZona lifestyle, please visit drinkarizona.com; Facebook: AriZonaIcedTea; Twitter: @DrinkAriZona

About Richard Prince:

above image: Mr. Prince. (Courtesy Patrick McMullan Company)

Richard Prince, born in 1949, is an American painter and photographer. Mining images from mass media, advertising and entertainment since the late seventies, Prince has redefined the concepts of authorship, ownership, and aura. Applying his understanding of the complex transactions of representation to the making of art, he evolved a unique signature filled with echoes of other signatures yet that is unquestionably his own. An avid collector and perceptive chronicler of American subcultures and vernaculars and their role in the construction of American identity, he has probed the depths of racism, sexism and psychosis in mainstream humor; the mythical status of cowboys, bikers, customized cars, and celebrities; and most recently, the push-pull allure of pulp fiction and soft porn, producing such unlikely icons as the highly coveted Nurse paintings.

Richard Prince's Website

Source: PR Newswire (http://s.tt/1tgpV)

The Coolest Coloring Books For Grown-Ups Part III - 25 New Adult Coloring Books for 2012-2013

My previous two posts, The Top 30 Coolest Coloring Books For Grown-Ups and The Coolest Coloring Books For Grown-Ups, Part II. Twenty New Ones for 2011-2012 still receive plenty of attention (and most are still available for purchase). But hold onto your Crayolas (or colored pencils or Sharpies) because I've got a slew of new and awesome coloring books for grown-ups that range from erotic to artsy, for 2012-2013. These make fabulous holiday gifts for friends, co-workers and even for yourself.

New Origin Gins - Each Features Juniper Berries From Various Locales.

The Origin range of London Dry Gins is a unique proposition for the discerning gin-lover. Each expression is distilled using juniper gathered from one single location; Arezzo (Italy), Meppel (The Netherlands), Veliki Preslav (Bulgaria) and Valbone (Albania), with two more son to come from Kosovo and Macedonia, respectively.




The flavor profile of the beautifully labeled line of gins vary largely in taste but are all very ‘juniper-focused’. For this reason, Master of Malt supplied a small (10ml) vial of additional (cold-distilled) botanicals. Adding this vial to the bottle will transform it into a more ‘typical’ gin, flavoured by Coriander and Citrus, as well as the inevitable Juniper.




The full list of ingredients in this ‘adjunct’ vial is:
• Coriander
• Fresh Lemon Peel
• Bitter Orange Peel
• Cardamom
• Angelica
• Cassia
• Liquorice
• Cubeb Berries
• Camomile

Origin – Single Estate Juniper Spirit. Arezzo, Italy
Clean Citrus and Pine, with a really smooth creaminess on the finish. Amazingly Long.


Origin – Single Estate Juniper Spirit. Meppel, The Netherlands
Tobacco and Calves Leather, with an earthy, Coffee-Rich Finish. Much more savoury and masculine than the Arezzo.


Origin – Single Estate Juniper Spirit. Veliki Preslav, Bulgaria
Perfumed, Floral notes with a fruity, slightly waxy finish. Put me in mind of a fantastic old Clynelish…


Origin – Single Estate Juniper Spirit. Valbonë, Albania
Resinous and Blackcurrant-y notes, with hints of Tobacco and a chocolaty finish. Very rich.


These can be purchased online from Harvey Nichols and other fine liquor establishments that specialize in unique products.

The Gin Blog (from where some of these images came) has an extensive and informative review of the Origin Gins here.

Other info and images courtesy of Master of Malt