The Art of Coop

The Art of Chris Cooper aka Coop

While his work is closer to infamous than famous (yes, he’s the one who professes a passion for “lesbo devil girls”), the 34-year-old Coop magnificently breathes life — and dark humor! — into wacky images of screw-happy robots, decadent Satan-types, over-the-top female vamps, and drooling bug-eyed creatures driving hot rods, all of which typically leap off the page.

Anyone who, of course, has seen sci-fi comic books and movies from the ‘50s, or taken a peek at his father’s collection of Playboy magazines as an adolescent can immediately spot Coop’s influences. His art borrows heavily from artist Wally Wood (of E.C. Comics fame) and hot-rod maker Ed “Big Daddy” Roth (the guy who created “Rat Fink”). -- Spectator.net

The artist Coop and one of his 13 individual 6 by 6ft panels, designed to flow together and form a single, huge 78 ft. painting that fill all the walls of the gallery surrounding the viewer. It can be seen in person Aug. 14 - Sept. 18 in Los Angeles. His show is titled "Parts With Appeal' - gallery details at Coop's web site. Click for more information and to view more of Coop's masterpieces.

[Images from coopstuff.com]

New respect for women drivers

"If you meet the expectations of women, you exceed the expectations of men." -- Marti Barletta, gender trend specialist

Volvo discovered women have higher standards for their cars than men. So what happens when Volvo gives a group of eight women total freedom to design the perfect car for the way we live today? Introducing the YCC, Your Concept Car, the sporty coupe that manages to look beautiful, sturdy and tough all at once... a car that focused on three main areas: ergonomics, storage and convenience. A car designed to put you in control in traffic and in your life. -- Volvo Concept Lab

Check out the interactive Volvo Concept Lab for yourself.

YCC includes features not found in man-made cars.

Among the dozens of unique items: no hood; no gas cap; easy-clean paint; head restraints with room for ponytails; numerous exchangeable seat covers of various colors and materials (linen, leather, felt, etc.); compartments for handbags; gull-wing doors that make it easier to load and unload larger items and children; computerized assistance for parallel parking; and improved sight lines. Owners carrying large items can set the doors to open automatically when they reach the doors. At the point-of-purchase, retailers can conduct a body scan of the driver measuring height and length of arms and legs. The data is stored in the vehicle's key, and the car recommends a seat position for the driver that provides her or him an optimal line of vision and reach. The car also electronically notifies the owner's chosen service center when maintenance is due, and the service technician contacts the owner to book the appointment. -- Woman Motorist

Read the complete Woman Motorist review of this unique automobile.

[Copyright © 2004 Volvo Car Corporation]

Find the car in the photo

Every day the human brain processes millions of images, but only some
of them are focused. To prove this scientific fact, try the following test:

Stare at the picture above and find the car in the shortest possible time.

Average Results:

Average time for a woman: 1.23 Seconds
Average time for a man: 12.46 Minutes

[From Jill's Jokeline.]

Big Truck Fetish

In pursuit of the elusive chrome and steel tanker trailer. Glendora, CA. 8.29.04

It takes all kinds:

Is it a guy thing, or am I the only one fascinated with huge, chrome and steel gasoline tanker trailers? When one of those highly-polished babies roars past me, I instantly feel its pull, the magnetic attraction from its gleam. I've been known to pursue one for miles trying to catch a fleeting glimpse of my Mustang reflected on its shiny curves. I especially love following closely behind, watching the world smear around and past my mirror-image in its fish-eyed rear end. It's like a moveable feast for the eyes. The only thing coming close to it, is following an In-N-Out ® Burger Cookout Trailer, but that's like a moveable feast for the nose. -- Kapowie Zone

Click for more info about tanker trailers. For you multi-axle fetishists click here to view a gallery of tanker trucks.

[Photo & story: ©2004 Kapowie Zone]