Laughing Squid

WizKids has created a chess set based on the video game Team Fortress 2. The Team Fortress 2 Chess Set pits the rival RED and BLU teams against one another, and features hats that can be swapped between pieces. It will be available to purchase online from ThinkGeek and the Valve Store by the end of the year, and comes with a unique in-game item, the Grandmaster Hat.

When the troops from Reliable Excavation & Demolition and Builders League United aren’t on the battlefield, they often unwind in the green room together. They sip sodas, eat cheese-flavored snacks, and play board games. But not just any board game. They play chess. Ah, chess – that classic game that simulates two sides on a battlefield. TWO SIDES AT WAR!!! The tables flip and the guns come out. It’s RED vs. BLU all over again in this Exclusive Team Fortress 2 Chess Set.

Exclusive Team Fortress 2 Chess Set is an absolutely beautiful rendition of chess. BLU pieces vs RED pieces, with a twist. That’s right: HATS!! The pieces of Team Fortress 2 Chess have hats that literally twist off (using Construct-o-Lock technology) and can be swapped between pieces. What happens when hats switch? Even more TF2 zaniness. Oh, and you don’t just get these wicked pieces when you get a Exclusive Team Fortress 2 Chess Set. You just don’t get the game board. You get even more – some DLC love for the video game. Because Exclusive Team Fortress 2 Chess Set is the gift that keeps on giving. Just like the Pyro’s fire. Awwww.

images via WizKids

There’s a new kid in town. Indianna (Indi) the dachshund puppy has joined up with Harlow the Weimaraner of Harlow and Sage fame on Instagram. Sadly, Harlow’s sidekick and “big sister” Sage passed away in September at the age of 13.

We said goodbye to our very best friend Sage on Monday night. Sage was 13 and had some problems with her little heart. We are going to miss her very much but we are happy that she is not struggling anymore. She has most likely traveled to a place where it is legal for dogs to eat chocolate. She loved chocolate! Sage was the most wonderful big sister to Harlow. She taught Harlow lots of amazing tricks such as: The art of cuddling, climbing tall shelves to get treats and, how to properly go dumpster diving for leftover food! Sage was notorious for overeating! We are going to miss her happy spirit so much.

While no dog can replace another, Harlow and Indi have since become the best of friends, seeming to honor the memory of Sage.

And of course, this post would not be complete without a good picture of Harlow and Sage together:

photos via Harlow and Sage

via 22 Words

How Cats Blog by R. Stevens on Disel Sweeties

Malaysia-based graphic artist Tang Yau Hoong has created “The Art of Negative Space,” a collection of clever illustrations that use negative space to tell stories or communicate ideas. Part one and part two of the series can be viewed on Behance, and prints are available to purchase online from Tang Yau Hoong’s shop.

images via Tang Yau Hoong

via Ian Brooks

Expert pencil sharpener David Rees provides exacting instructions for proper pencil sharpening in the short film “How To Sharpen Pencils” by Kenneth Price. You can order a newly sharpened #2 pencil on Rees’ Artisan Pencil Sharpening website (sold out until 2014), and read his book on pencil sharpening, How to Sharpen Pencils: A Practical & Theoretical Treatise on the Artisanal Craft of Pencil Sharpening. We previously posted about Rees’ artisan pencil sharpening business back in 2012.

submitted via Laughing Squid Tips

Graphic designer Sören Lachnit has created a Circular Calendar that includes a visualization of how much sunlight is available throughout the year. The months and days are arrayed on the edge of the calendar while the sunlight is represented by a yellow shape in the center. The closer the yellow is to the edge, the more sunlight for that time of year. The 2014 Circular Calendar is available for purchase online.

photos by Sören Lachnit

via Wired

photo by Steven King

In his outdoor installation “Lucid Stead,” artist Phillip K Smith III used mirrored panels to make a 70-year-old cabin in California’s Mojave Desert blend in to the beautiful surroundings. The mirrored panels partially cover the building’s exterior walls, as well as the windows and doorway. At night, LEDs cause the building to glow in slowly shifting colors. The installation opened in Joshua Tree, California in October 2013.

video via Dezeen

photo by Lance Gerber

via Dezeen