The Big Lebowski board game you knew was coming is here!

Dear Puffin

Urgent! Input is needed for R&D on the Big Lebowski monopoly game!

On the wonderful circuitous paths of the internet we often meet the most extraordinary people. Today I met Sam Klass, a musician from Ontario. Sam is the great-nephew of JRR Tolkein and has an album coming out soon.

But lets get down to brass tacks Puffin. Sam made this fantastic thing which required a full days work during his lunch break.

ITS BIG LEBOWSKI MONOPOLY PUFFIN! (Higher res version coming later, and Ill update when it arrives) All my wishes have come true, between this, Arrested Development Clue and the CandyPenisLand board game and theme park we featured the other day.

There is currently a sweet brainstorming sesh going on at Reddit, where people are amusing themselves by figuring out the nitty gritty of the game, like the Community Chest cards and stuff.

Sam says:

I need help brainstorming for the following info-

(Note from MacGuffin- these are sort of culled from a lot of different versions. Sam’s list on the Reddit thread is much more complete with a lot more detail about which cards were introduced when. Also there’s room for more than one option on some of these, because some of the cards repeat. There are at least 2 school tax cards, for example. )

Chance

1. Parking Fine: $15
2. Pay Poor Tax: $12
3. Pay School Tax: $150
4. You Are Assessed for Street Repairs: $variable
5. Your Xmas Fund Matures: Collect $100
6. Bank Pays You Dividend of $50
7. Elected Chairman of the Board: Pay Each Player $50
8. Advance token to the nearest utility. If unowned you may buy it from bank. If owned, throw dice and pay owner a total ten times the amount thrown.
9. Advance token to the nearest Railroad and pay owner Twice the Rental to which he is otherwise entitled. If Railroad is unowned, you may buy it from the Bank.

Community Chest

1. You are Assessed for Street Repairs-if this happens you only repair YOUR properties
2. Your Xmas Fund Matures
3. Grand Opera Opening, Collect $50 from each player.
4. Grand opera Night – collect $50 from every player for opening night seats
5. Life Insurance Matures – collect $100
6. Receive for services $25

I think they should break down thusly:

Chance

1. Parking Fine Your “thorough” physical had a $15 copay.
2. Pay Poor Tax Get antibiotics for infected marmot scratches $12
3. Pay School Tax Purchase a blow job from Bunny Lebowski: $150
4. You Are Assessed for Street Repairs Shell out cash to put the fucking ‘showdog’ pomeranian in a fucking kennel. $variable
5. Your Xmas Fund Matures Turns out Marty will pay you to attend the dance recital. Collect $100
6. Bank Pays You Dividend Fuck with Jesus (faptastrophe’s idea). Collect $50
7. Elected Chairman of the Board The League fines Walter for pulling a gun (even though it wans’t league play.) Pay Each Player $50
8. Advance token to the nearest utility. If owned, throw dice and pay owner a total ten times the amount thrown.
9. Advance token to the nearest Railroad and pay owner Twice the Rental to which he is otherwise entitled You have to go see the dance recital. Advance to the nearest bus stop aka railroad

Community Chest

1. You are Assessed for Street Repairs-if this happens you only repair YOUR properties You discover how much it will cost to get the bowling ball dent in your bathroom floor fixed.
2. Your Xmas Fund Matures You capture the marmot and hold it hostage. Collect $100 from the nihilists.
3. Grand Opera Opening, Collect $50 from each player.
4. Grand opera Night – collect $50 from every player for opening night seats
5. Life Insurance Matures Donnie’s life insurance matures– collect $100
6. Receive for services $25

Input?

Love

MacGuffin

Bourbon and Books aka Zombie Fortress

Dear Puffin

Your infographic interests me. Having recently see Shaun of the Dead, (at your insistence), my zombie senses are already tingling. Clearly we need to spend some time planning for the Zapocalypse. In the film the brave heroes hide out in a pub. I think this was an extremely wise choice, indicative of the cool decision making we saw from Shaun at every turn. I would like to nominate The Wellsbourne as our go-to fortress, in the event of a zombie apocalypse.

I would say that we should check this place out regardless, but unfortunately, it’s located on entirely the wrong coast. It’s in LA and nothing short of the Zombie apocalypse will get me to LA. I can’t imagine what it’s doing there, since I don’t think of it as a literary hotspot, aside from Hank Moody. Maybe I’m wrong. This place seems like it would be more at home in Boston, but perhaps that’s just my prejudice. Anyhow, should the zombie apocalypse come we will obviously have to have a Zombieland-esque road trip to the west coast so that we can hide out here.

Yours in readiness and armed with a cricket bat,

MacGuffin

Linkaround of Art

Dear Puffin

I found these via DesignWorkLife, one of my favorite sites for randomly drooling over pretty things. Dear Blank Please Blank and Sapling Press have teamed up to make these freaking genius note cards. I tried, I really tried, to pick my favorites, but I seem to have picked all of them.

That last one is going to be framed, I think, and posted in the bathroom of my yacht.

A couple of other interesting stationary/artsy type things have caught my eye recently.

First there are these great Facebook like/dislike stickers from 55his, which amuse me because I rather like being meta about Facebook and applying it to real life. Also is it bad that I want to stick one of these on the hipster bear trap and write Admiral Ackbar on it?

And this is the most graphically lovely of the aid for Japan posters I’ve seen. They’re all gorgeous and I would buy every one if I could, but this one just really touches me somehow. Available from Zac Neuleib for $22.50, all proceeds go to aid for Japan.

And this is just cool. Apparently this is origami and you can buy it from the artists Etsy shop.

 

 

 

 

 

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I also love this alt Mad Men poster from Needle Design. They also have a lovely Inception poster, and I know you adore Inception Puffin.

All my love

MacGuffin

In defense of advertising

Dear Puffin

A final parting comment on the advertising world. While their tastelessness is legendary (go look at Copyranter if you don’t believe me) they also come out with stuff like this:

(Click to embiggen but it should be immediately obvious that this is hugely NSFW)

Possibly the best ad ever. Since I know you are at work I shall explain that this is a sex themed amusement park, where the safer you play, the longer you stay. Never have I been so motivated to stay safe. Via The Inspiration Room. Illustration by Rod Hunt, from Goodby, Silverstein & Partners.

Stay safe!

MacGuffin

Linkaround: LOTR Bracketology, Angmar Ringwraiths vs Isengard Uruk-Hai

We have some LOTR bracketology here, courtesy of Steve Thomas (Yes, again). The Angmar Ringwraiths vs The Isengard Uruk-Hai and the Hobbiton Hobbits vs the Gondor Rangers. Winner plays the Rohan Ruffriders. More on Steve Thomas’ site.

This is the Large Hadron Collider represented in …..quilt form? Here.

Awesome Alert: This is the Arrested Development version of Clue. I think its Buster, with the Cornballer, in the Banana Stand. Or possibly Lucille, with a seal, in the Law Offices of Bob Loblaw. Or Michael, with the Staircar in the Model Home. The game board is here, and its awesome. Awesome enough to warrant bold and italic.

A fascinating explanation of whats going with the failing nuclear power plants in Japan, here. The latest news is that the they’re planning to flood the chamber with sea water to prevent a melt down. Scary shit.

A graphic representation of the inner working of Kanye’s mind. Seriously, take a look at this.

GOP Budget cuts target tsunami warning center. No. Just….. no. Here.

The Darth-cade Fire and the Flaming Siths are playing at Galactic City Limits., along with Hoth Hoth Heat, the Arctic Wookies and Earth Windu and Fire. Flyer is here.

My buddy Tim has finally updated his utterly hilarious blog here.

This is a Tardis suitcase. Please please tell me its bigger on the inside…… It is actually for sale on ebay right now. The person who buys this will be crowned lord of the geeks and will be feted with beer and roses.

Pining for the Fjords

This is a gallery of amazing pictures of municipally designed and constructed scenic overlooks and rest stops in Norway. From the site:

In 2005, Norway initiated a massive 15-year agenda to generate more tourism. The government turned to architects and designers to concept and build tourist routes and architectural rest stops to enhance the experience of the stunning Norwegian landscape. The projects span from the southern town of Jaeren to the northern tip of Varenger. Visitors and Norwegian natives alike are afforded the luxury of safe roads and reveling in clean and relaxing architecturally inspired viewpoints.

Noway wins. I now want to go here. These are just so incredibly gorgeous….Im pining for the fjords. Or, in the words of Liz Lemon, I want to go to there! Via Superpunch.

The rest are behind the cut

The American Double Standard

This article has some incredible stuff going on. Representative Peter King wants to assuage us of the fear that inquiries into radical Islam will unfairly target the good Muslims in America.

It’s is not the blatant fear-mongering by King, but his own hypocrisy which makes this such an incredible article.  Congressman King on the IRA:

King declared, “If civilians are killed in an attack on a military installation, it is certainly regrettable, but I will not morally blame the IRA for it.”

We’ll ignore the question of if Al Qaida has any legitimate cause. And, frankly, I don’t care if he backtracks on this position. This position remains:

King told The Associated Press in an interview Tuesday that the IRA and al-Qaida are very different and that the IRA never attacked America.

This is the heart of what’s wrong with much of America today – particularly the GOP and Tea Party. Things only matter when they happen to us. The overwhelming impression I get from these groups is that if you’re not able to defend your own rights (and property) you’re not really entitled to it.

To add salt to these wounds, he employs a really outrageous tactic:

The congressman said the hearings are aimed at protecting Muslims from being pressured to commit terrorist acts.

So, let me get this straight. We’re taking care of Muslims by shielding them from the dangerous element in their midst. They’re unable or unwilling to do so themselves? At best they’re victims, at worst, they’re complicit in the actions of those who would harm us.

But, to what extent is King really interested in protecting us?

“It might be politically correct, but it makes no sense to talk about other types of extremism, when the main threat to the United States today is talking about al Qaida,”

I’m sure that the families of victims of Jared Loughner can take some comfort in that. This is a witch hunt, pure and simple. And I can only hope King is voted out of office after more reasonable heads keep this from happening in the beginning.