The NY Times reports on a new documentary about the clash between balloon-twister subcultures.
A documentary now in limited release, “Twisted: A Balloonamentary” examines the world of professional balloon twisters, who make everything from life-size racing cars to their own wedding dresses. It also exposes the rift – who knew? – between the “gospel twisters,” who use their craft as a way to teach Bible lessons, and the “adult” twisters, who use balloons for more prurient entertainment.
“I refused to see the movie” when it first played, said Ralph Dewey, a prominent gospel twister from Deer Park, Tex. “There’s just too much unclean stuff in there.” He and several other like-minded twisters boycotted a screening of “Twisted” at a balloon convention in Texas last year.
The scenes that might make Mr. Dewey squirm take place at a gay men’s party in Las Vegas, where balloons are fashioned into parts of the male anatomy that are most logically suited for this purpose.
The face of Johann Rehbogen, 94, is blurred by court order because he was a juvenile at the time of his alleged participation in mass murders at Stutthof. The former guard, who uses a wheelchair, faces a sentence of 15 years if convicted but is unlikely to serve any time in prison because of his […]
This “Wacky Waving Inflatable Tube Guy” makes me so happy! For $13 (plus an annoyingly steep $9 to ship to the states), you get this inspired desk toy along with a little zine that tells the origin story of the wacky tube man, aka the “Tall Boy.” Watch him flail about just like his granddaddy: […]
Last week, Carla and I attended Sou Fujimoto: Futures of the Future, a new exhibit of 100 architectural models at Japan House LA in Hollywood. Fujimoto is well-known in Japan and Europe for his striking architecture that explores the boundaries between simplicity and chaos (what science fiction author Rudy Rucker calls the “Gnarl”). The gnarl […]
Slithering along like its namesake, Python has woven itself into nearly every aspect of web development since its inception the late ’80s. Flexible and readable, the possibilities of this programming language are nearly limitless – with the right understanding. And the quickest way to that understanding is the Ultimate Python Programmer’s Bootcamp Bundle. This comprehensive […]
Starting a podcast is easier than ever — just scroll through the variety of voices that are out there today. Getting your podcast heard? That’s a whole other level of expertise. Luckily, those trade secrets are fair game for all in the Podcasting 101 Bundle. Before you hit record, do yourself a favor and hit […]
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