This week's selection of links for you to browse. Enjoy.
Inner State of Things
Artist Brittny Badger takes appliances apart and then photographs the carefully laid out results. In her talented hands, the innards of a blender become abstract art. Via The Morning News.
The Quiet Art of Cartooning
Award-winning Canadian artist Seth writes in The Walrus magazine about the solitary nature of his work.
The Dalai Lama's Youngest Brother
Lisa Katayama of the wonderful Tokyo Mango blog recently interviewed Tendzin Choegyal, the Dalai Lama’s youngest brother, at his home in Dharamsala, India—the Himalayan town that houses the Tibetan government-in-exile. He's a fascinating man.
Buddhists Really Are Happier
On a related Buddhist note, a recent study by researchers at the University of California San Francisco Medical Centre has found that regular Buddhist meditation can tame the amygdala, an area of the brain which is the hub of fear memory. A similar study discovered that "...experienced Buddhists, who meditate regularly, were less likely to be shocked, flustered, surprised or as angry compared to other people."
Vintage Knitwear for Modern Knitters
Five free patterns you can download from The Telegraph's craft section.
Noupe: Websites You Shouldn't Have Missed in August
A great list of helpful and fun links for designers, web developers and anyone else who works on the web, courtesy of Noupe. Via Polymeme.
A Brief History of Female Robots
Interesting (and occasionally slightly creepy) designboom article about the history of the female robot, from Maria of the classic film Metropolis to E.M.A. (Eternal Maiden Actualization).
Donald Judd or Cheap Furniture?
Take this quiz and see if you can tell the difference between the work of minimalist titan Donald Judd and cheap modern furniture. Quite tricky, actually.
How to Find Love, Literally
Penguin Books made a surprising move recently and launched its own online dating site. Called PenguinDating.com, it's aimed purely at literary enthusiasts. This reminds me to get a copy of the very entertaining They Call me Naughty Lola, a compilation of the best personal ads in the London Review of Books (or LRB). These ads were (and are) both clever and funny, such as the very first ad to run in the LRB ten years ago, received from a man "on the lookout for a contortionist who plays the trumpet."
The al fresco photograph shown here is from Marie Claire Maison (sorry – no photographer credit given). It's the home of architect and designer Manolis Pandelidakis, on the island of Sériphos. Some details: The huge table, capable of seating up to twenty guests, is set with aluminium plates and Moroccan tea glasses. At the center of the table, food is protected from insects by large flour sieves.