I've been on this bench, and it's just as unergonomic as it looks.

My four-year-old nephew recently drew a picture of his mother, and I was struck by the similarity to the paleolithic fertility goddess known as the "Venus of Wilendorf" (c. 24,000-22,000 BCE).  My nephew identified the circle above his mother's head as a halo.  Interestingly, his mother isn't obese.  Perhaps he was channeling the generous figure that was idealized by his ancient ancestors.  Or perhaps his mother's art history degree (earned pre-conception) affected his DNA? 

While looking for invisible images, I came across...

A Dali-like painting of an invisible elephant by Nguyen Dinh Dang, and a cat who definitely thinks he's invisible

Beware of the invisible cows of Mauna Kea. Beware of the invisible snowmobiler

One of the most astonishing sensations in the desert is to walk in the middle of nowhere. Hours, with no mark...

Joe Bagley’s photo of two men in lounge chairs and a self-portrait of an invisible photographer taking a tea break

Woody Allen's mockumentary 'Zelig' re-edited to star me, Gert, as the human chameleon. Woody still has a cameo in the movie, by the way

HG Wells Penguin Mug

This invisible globe is a hollow glass sphere with a spinning LED light ring to create different projections. (Other unique globes by the same globe makers)

An invisible lizard

An optical illusion with six invisible triangles. Can you spot them?

Vanishing Point puzzles

Invisible Suits are interactive suits made from special blue screen fabric (material used for work with video blue screen technique). The intended effect is the virtual "disappearance" of the persons wearing the suits: their bodies merge with the visual environment they inhabit. Previously-blogged: Russian professor Oleg Gadomsky patents invisibility cloak

The artist Willem Oorebeek prints black ink on black surfaces, and his invisible "Blackout" images can be seen only from a particular angle

The lost secret of invisibility by artist Howard Kistler

This is a post that I am "co-blogging” with Hanan Levin of Grow-a-Brain. Thank you, Hanan, for the links you suggested!

Walking on air (as opposed to walking on water, walking on thin ice, or walking on sunshine):

This parachuter is taking one giant step, on an invisible current of air.

Here's a snapshot of "Sarah and Debbie standing on glass plates in the Auckland Sky Tower about 700 feet up in the air.  This was just a few moments before lightning struck the tower."  I'd say this counts as "walking on air."

These lone Converse shoes hanging on a power line are walking on air.  These occupied shoes are walking even higher.  And these shoes are higher yet.

One attraction of the Macau Tower is the "skywalk," which can be quite scary in cases of strong winds.

This Pedestrian Crossing sign would fit in perfectly at Britain's glass-floored Spinnaker Tower.

This woman is apparently high on life and is walking on air.

These guys in the treetops may be secured by ropes, but they're certainly walking on air.

Sports figures are often walking on air.

Is this Washington Post photo an optical illusion, a Photoshop job, or genuine walking on air?

Back in 1934, Popular Mechanics featured newfangled boots with built-in rubber bladders, promising the sensation of "walking on air."

Of course, the masters of walking on air are caterpillars.

My family once hosted a foreign exchange student--Fabrice from Corsica--and everywhere we went he asked "Is this typical?"  His recurrent question became especially annoying when we traveled to St. Augustine, Florida.  No, we explained, historic Flagler College is by no means a typical educational institution, as it's a former grand hotel in the style of a Spanish castle!  No, we explained, the students there aren't typical, because they get to study at the beach every day and their dorm rooms are in a former grand hotel in the style of a Spanish castle!  No, we explained, St. Augustine is by no means a typical American city, even if one were to leave Spanish castles out of the equation!  Years have gone by, but I was thinking about Fabrice today, and I decided to honor his memory by searching the Web for "typical" things.  Of course, the Web specializes in the strange and unusual, but after a good bit of digging I was able to uncover some typical things that would have brought Fabrice great comfort.  For example:

A "typical Friday nite."

Typical traffic in Bangkok.  (Actually a rather pretty picture, with lots of glowing primary colors.)

Typical food.  (However, I've never seen anything exactly like it.)

"Just another typical Shanghai party."

A "typical evening in France."

A typical cluttered desk of a sports coach.

A "typical Japanese police station."

"Typical England."  (However, my visits to the U.K. somehow always feature delightful weather!)

"A typical view from the helicopter during a flight over the ice."

A "typical crowd."  (However, they seem to be having way more fun than the people in Shanghai.)

A typical stone fence.

A "typical day" at a typical historical center.

A typical maladjusted teenager.  (Actually a still from Donnie Darko.)

A couple of typical sparrows.

Typical weather.  (Yep, that's weather.)

Unknown Significance

Left to right:
Tantric painting of unknown significance, with unspecified paint on found paper.
Limestone statue of unknown significance, discovered in Yemen.
Part of a painting entitled "Portent of Unknown Significance" by David Madzo.
"A funny little stone figure of unknown significance in the Monte Palace Garden."
A costume of unknown significance (via flickr).

The "stretch portraits" in the Haunted Mansions of various Disney theme parks tell intriguing stories that most viewers don't have time to decode.  As any visitor to the Haunted Mansion will tell you, the portraits grow in length as the ceiling of the gallery appears to stretch upward.  The portraits initially tell a three-part story, labeled in our illustration as A, B, and C (top, middle, bottom).  However, the story doesn't end there.  The viewer's eye must then go back up to A for a macabre and darkly humorous "epilogue."  Let's examine each portrait to decode their secrets.

On the far right of our illustration is a portrait of a distinguished gentleman with a beard.  In section A, we see the man striking a formal pose, one hand on a lapel of his jacket and the other holding a parchment.  Section B presents a gag: the man isn't wearing pants!  Section C holds a big surprise: not only is the man in his boxer shorts, but he's standing on a keg of dynamite, and a candle has just lit the fuse!  But the story doesn't end there.  Bringing our eyes back to the top, we see the man in a different light.  The man is obviously not surprised that he's standing upon explosives.  Indeed, he deliberately posed this way, for the portrait painter!  And that paper in his hand?  We now realize that he's holding his own suicide note.  His face is calm -- he is at peace with his own mortality and is ready to face the great unknown.

Now let's look at the portrait to the left of the bearded man.  In section A, we see a lovely young lady posing outdoors, holding a parasol.  Section B presents a gag: the woman is balanced on a tightrope, and it looks as if the rope might break at any moment!  Section C holds a big surprise: not only is the woman precariously balanced, but there is a crocodile below her, hungry jaws open wide!  Yet the story doesn't end there.  Bringing our eyes back to the top, we see the lady in a new light.  She is obviously not surprised that she's standing on a tightrope.  (Indeed, she wore pink slippers for the purpose!)  Her face is serene -- she is prepared to face the jaws of death, as the painter she hired hurries to finish his portrait!

Now let's look at the portrait to the left of the parasol lady.  In section A, we see a young businessman wearing a hat, his arms crossed in a posture of self-assuredness.  Section B presents a gag: the young man is sitting on the shoulders of an older man!  Perhaps he is climbing his way up the corporate ladder?  Section C holds a big surprise: the older man is sitting on the shoulders of yet another, and they're all sinking in quicksand!  But the story doesn't end there.  Bringing our eyes back to the top, we see the young man in a different light.  He is obviously not surprised that he's sinking in quicksand.  Has he struggled his way to the top to save his own life?  His calm face and crossed arms point to a different conclusion: he knows he's going down, and he is at peace with his imminent merger with Mother Earth.  

Finally, let's look at the portrait at the far left of our illustration.  In section A, we see an elderly woman wearing a shawl, posing with a red rose.  Section B presents a gag: the woman is sitting on a tombstone!  Section C holds a big surprise: the tombstone belongs to her husband George, and it appears that he was murdered with an axe to the head!  But the story doesn't end there.  Bringing our eyes back to the top, we see the woman in a different light.  The woman obviously killed her own husband.  Indeed, she appears almost proud as she sits atop his grave.  But is something else going on?  Why is she holding a rose?  If it's not for her unloved husband, could it be for herself?  Perhaps this portrait could be entitled "Arsenic and Old Lace."  The woman's own time has finally come, and she is calmly waiting for the poison to kick in.

Looking back at the top of each portrait, we see that the old woman, the businessman, the young lady, and the distinguished gentleman are all (in their own unique ways) "going out on top."  The point of all these portraits seems to be that death is inevitable, so why not take it in stride, have a little fun along the way, and go out with bang?  It's a darkly humorous philosophy that few guests to the Haunted Mansion have the time to decipher during their brief visit to the gallery.

I hear that the stolen painting "The Scream" has been recovered.  The art world is now feeling Munch better.