Animal Index Cards by Hiroshi Sasagawa. Not yet available in the U.S., but Japanese residents can buy them here. First seen at lost.net.au/vic.

I remember being fascinated by a book where literary creatures poured out of books into a library. A cross-hatched giraffe sauntered between bookshelves, doves flew out from a wedding scene, and Ariel flopped down from The Little Mermaid. I've probably blended different pop culture sources* into one non-existent book, but if anyone else remembers reading this, please tell me the title! It's driving me nuts.

These two products, both by Japanese designers, give the same goosebumps-inducing sense of text transformed into flesh. Both have been featured on countless blogs, too, although the index cards aren't available stateside (some have suggested DIYing it).

*I wonder if I've reimagined a chapter of Urusei Yatsura (click through for a scan)? There's a deranged kangaroo, but no giraffe.

The Story Behind the Bookmark, by Yuko Tokuda & Yumiko Komiya, $16.00 each at Greener Grass Design. First seen at PingMag.

Scan from Urusei Yatsura by Rumiko Takahashi. From "Feudal Furor," translated by Viz.

Sorry for the spotty posting! I've got three reasons for it:

1. I'm starting a new blog on Asian pop culture. It should be up by October.
   
2. The economy's in the tank, so I'm shopping conservatively. My fall shopping list consists of a blue cardigan, boots, and black slacks--necessary bits, but nothing worth blogging. It's not just me: recessions motivate people to limit their spending to well-made basics. The Observer has a nice article on this phenomenon, which they've labeled "the slow fashion movement."
   
3. I'm reading real books again (i.e. not just blogs and manga*). Below are ten titles worth checking out (note for feed readers, it's a newfangled Amazon widget, so you may have to click through):

*does anyone want manga recommendations? Despite the comics boom, the medium's still marginalized in the U.S., so I'm not sure how many of you are interested in comics or manga in particular. I love the stuff.

Sorry for the lack of updates! I'll post more info soon.

For those of us who still buy CDs...

Find a nice hard edge (I used the kitchen counter). Slide the CD case's bottom side (i.e. the side without the sticker) against the sharp edge, hard enough to shred the plastic seal. Peel off the plastic wrap.

Undo the case hinges and open the case as shown. Separate each part of the case from the sticker, taking care to keep the sticker intact. Snap the hinges back in place, and you're done.

P.S. That's the Santogold album I've been going on about. Love it and her!