Feeling depressed and suicidal over not being able to visit the “real” Pandora?  Wondering what it might be like to copulate with 9-foot tall blue aliens?  Well, Dangerous Minds reader, if you answered yes to both of those two questions, you are not alone!  And as a possible consolation to your despair/curiosity, Alternet suggests it’s only a matter of time before Na’vi pornography hits our event horizon.  Author Vanessa Richmond explains why that might not be strange at all:

Early designs for the Na’vi ?

Via GOOD:

We’ve brought you the interstate highways as a subway map, and now here is the galaxy. In case you were confused how to get from here to, say Cygnus, this will help you out. Just take the red line to the blue line and hop on the express. For all the jokes, we know those stars are out there, but have no idea how they relate to each other spatially, and this goes a long way toward making the universe a little more understandable.

(GOOD: Universe as Subway Map)

 
Here’s a fun Flickr photostream from Txrelichunter dedicated to all things skateboard.

Some memories of the good ole days. Used to be on the Pepsi skateboard team back in the 70s on the East Coast. We would put on shows at verious locations in New England and abouts..We went to New York a few times for a few parades including the Macys day parade where we skated with Tony Alva during his hayday. Steve Ellis AKA Woody Woodflow and later known as Cholo (of Hawaii) was also on the team..Some of the great parks we skated in this erra were Cherryhill in NJ, Shooting Star in Mass, Vernon in CT, Centrifical Force in RI and of coarse Yawgoo Valley Ski resort of RI… (our roots)

 
All Things Skateboard
 
(via Kanardo)

 
Why oh why does this exist?  From Gizmodo:

Researchers from the Machine Perception Laboratory at UCSD have developed this baby robot to simulate the development of a 1-year-old. And clearly, they’ve become somewhat attached to the little automaton with a gigantic head.

The robot baby is named Diego-San, and aside from joy, he’s bundled with a high resolution camera and 6-axis accelerometer. And while his coordination is limited to standing from a chair and holding a bottle, Diego-San’s face has 20 moving parts to convey emotion without speaking?

 
Garland Jeffreys says, “Wild in the Streets is my pride and joy. I consider it my “first” Rock ‘n’ Roll record, written and released in 1973, and recorded with Dr. John and his band, with Alan Freedman, Michael Brecker, David Sanborn, David Spinozza, David Peel, Produced by Roy Cicala.”
 
(via Wooster Collective)

 
From today’s Los Angeles Times, the little known tale behind the famous photo of Elvis Presley and Richard Nixon, including the top page of the letter Presley wrote to Nixon that led to the meeting:

“Dear Mr. President, First I would like to introduce myself. I am Elvis Presley.”

In five pages, Elvis explains he loves his country and wants to give something back and, not being “a member of the Establishment,” believes he could reach some people the president can’t if the president would only make him a federal agent at-large so he can help fight the war on drugs.

“Sir, I can and will be of any service that I can to help the country out. . . . I will be here for as long as it takes to get the credentials of a federal agent. . . . I would love to meet you just to say hello if you’re not to [sic] busy. Respectfully, Elvis Presley.”

 

 
Picture of Elvis and Nixon is worth a thousand words (Los Angeles Times)

 
Some test pattern music from me today because outbursts such as the one below are a common occurrence at my pad. So why not share? In this case I was testing the new Logic update (and yes, it was right after blasting “Dok” by Oval* whilst doing the dishes). It’s also a test to see if I can get away with this kind of tomfoolery around here, ha! In any case, it’s a long dreamy piece. Maybe even relaxing in an odd sort of way ?

*what ever happened to Oval ?

 
Seeking to redefine our notions of both personal rest and space, the Sleep Suit is made of EVA foam chosen for its compressive strength, and features pleats that conform to the sleeping positions common to most people.

It is inspired by Buckminster Fuller?

 
The legendary Fred Frith, he of the iconoclastic Henry Cow/ Art Bears/ Slapp Happy axis has since 1974 also had a sideline as a solo guitar manipulator. It’s not enough that he can play anybody under the table in any trad style you can mention. No, Fred brings a massive battery of extended techniques, each more personal and unlikely than the last. Below is a nice little clip which hints at a vocabulary scarcely touched upon by any other guitarists before or since. Long may he mangle.

 
bonus cut from the “Guitar Solos” LP (1974) “Out Of Their Heads (On Locoweed)”