Some random stuff I’ve run across in recent days and would like to share with my Three Loyal Readers:

• There’s a full-size model of a World War I-vintage Sopwith Camel (Snoopy’s favorite plane, you know), complete with its own runway, on top of a building in NYC. Its purpose is reportedly “to amuse the inhabitants of surrounding buildings and scyscrapers, most notably the former World Trade Center.” My reaction to this was an amused, “Huh.”
• Music fans on the go in the 1920s apparently had their version of the Walkman (or the iPod, for you youngsters in the audience): the pocket gramophone. I’d never heard of such a thing until a couple days ago; there’s a gallery of these ingenious devices here. (I especially like the Swiss-made Mikiphone, which resembles a smallish film can when it’s folded up.) My original source on this was here.
• This discussion thread contains some simply stunning photos of the Cuyahoga County courthouse in Cleveland, Ohio. (You’ll have to scroll down past the annoying block of ads.) In my opinion, kids, this is how public buildings ought to look: grand, classical, and beautiful. Looking at these shots, I can almost hear my footsteps echoing from the cool marble corners…
• And finally, the winner and honorable mentions of a design competition for The Radical Radiators of the Future. Radiators aren’t terribly common in these parts — I don’t think I’ve even seen one since I graduated from elementary school (my school was very old and had some great old-fashioned steam radiators) — but I really like the idea of the “Fedora” radiator grill, which features a little alcove in which to rest your chilled tootsies, warm a nice cuppa, or spoil your cat. Very cool…

And that is all for now…