parody: a humorous imitation, often used to expose, denounce or deride.

satire: the use of irony, sarcasm and ridicule to expose, denounce or deride.

I’m a fan of the Stewart/Colbert hour. They do almost the same thing, but with a twist. John Stewart makes fun of the news and the people that read the news directly. He points out their faults and follies directly. His angle is nearly pure satire.

Colbert makes fun of news agencies (read Fox) by pretending to represent one of them and playing it straight most of the time. He exposes their flaws through exaggeration and mimicry. This is nearly pure parody.

Which do you think is a more effective means of denouncement? Satire or Parody? Which do you prefer?

N.B. I am aware that parody is, in fact, a subset of satire. Let’s treat them as separate for this argument.

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I just discovered this tune by Da Vinci’s Notebook last weekend. It’s amazing. It’s hilarious. It charts out and defines the framework of every R&B love song ever — and that’s science!

Interesting side note: Two of the four singers in this group are none other than skeptical-community darlings Paul and Storm. Who knew?

Keep listening to the end. The modulation is the best part.

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• Shaun of the Dead playset
• Bat Fan!
• 1 white room + lots of kids + lots of stickers
• Not Remotely Steampunk
• Jenny discovers the consequences of watching Doctor Who
• A spaghetti gauge with figure-shaped cutouts
• How To Speak Wookie
• Muppet hats!
• A Big Wheel for grown-ups
• How to make fake intestines

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What if I told you C. M. Coolidge’s “Waterloo” (1906) is an illusion – a message hidden within a painting? Well it’s true. And that’s what this post is about – and it’s not about the “Coolidge Code” or some theory based on numbers hidden on the playing cards. Since making this discovery hours ago, I have been waiting to let the world know of my findings – a secret that has been hiding for a hundred years. I will tell you all about that shortly but first, a bit of background on the man…

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It’s the New Year’s Eve Eve edition of the Quickies!

• Lifecycles by Manvir Singh is an illustrated guide to the, well, lifecycles of a diverse group of organisms. This 8-page pamphlet is available for free download!
• An interactive pixelated fireplace for both PC and Mac by Ted Martens.
• At Paleofuture: The Fanciful, Chocolate-Filled World of 2012.
• From the Subversive Finds Department: Hidden Cross Stitched Messages from a Nazi POW. Astounding! {thanks to Geo H}
• Omigosh you guys: Maker xylophones, called lithophones, are made from stone, fossilized coral, wrenches, bolts, floor tiles and more. Videos included.
• HTML5 Cheat Sheets
• The best and worst identities of 2011 according to Under Consideration.
• SPARKLECORN! The meme, the myth, and the legend. {You can blame Cloe and Maggie.}

Film alphabets, fountain pen physics, food, freakonomics, and some film.

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This week, I took over The Geek Life podcast and invited my fellow MAL contributors along for the ride. Do you want to hear the sweet, sweet voices of nearly a dozen Mad Art Lab bloggers? Do you want to want to hear Victor read poetry? Do you want to learn more about Sparklecorn? Of course you do!

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Recently, I found an interesting article. It is a variant on a tale we have heard before – there is a new hypothesis regarding the real meaning behind Leonardo da Vinci’s painting, Mona Lisa. And while this story doesn’t have any of the conspiracy hallmarks that seem to trouble da Vinci’s art lately, it does include the “hidden object / hidden meaning” trope.

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In any given year, you’ll find news stories about (usually religious-themed) images appearing in unlikely places. 2011 was no exception. Buzzfeed was kind enough to compile a list, including a description of what’s supposed to be in each image. Of course, I see things a bit differently…

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The very funny Zach Weiner published a comic today that mocks people who speak with great authority on topics they know relatively little about, and rightly so. However, one of his example “Phrases uttered atop Mount Stupid” gave me pause: “Biologically, tomato is a fruit, not a vegetable.”

I figured this was common knowledge, and I was a little confused as to why it was included on a list of misconceptions. Maybe because saying so makes you sound pretentious?

I decided to see what is said about the classification of tomatoes by people with actual authority on the subject, and so I turned to Harold McGee.

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• Once magazine reimagines photo stories for the iPad. Steve Heller interviews Andrew Jones, the creator, in Once Upon an iPad.
• In Caffeine We Trust. It’s a limited edition interactive coffee poster. {via Maria}
• Freehands or SwypeGear? Or is there a better choice elsewhere?
• LEGO My Atlas Detector, You Meddling Muppets! by Jennifer Ouellette. {via Brian G}
• SMBC and Scenes From a Multiverse {via Steve D}
• Jennifer Maravillas maps the world with found objects. You can view her work here. And her tumblr is full of notebook entries which are especially beautiful.
• It’s the end of the world as we know it. And, honestly we feel pretty ok. In fact, we’re enjoying: Apocalyptic Art for the 2012 End of Days.

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