Telefunken

Online HypnoDisk / Yes, and...

From this page.

This site also features the complete text of James Braid's book "Neurypnology, or The rationale of nervous sleep considered in relation with animal magnetism" (Braid disputed the supernatural interpretation of mesmerism . He coined the word "hypnotism" in 1843).

Here's Richard Feynman's account of his experience with hypnosis:
He [a hypnotist] started to work on me and soon I got into a position where he said, 'You can't open your eyes.'

I said to myself, 'I bet I could open my eyes, but I don't want to disturb the situation: Let's see how much further it goes.' It was an interesting situation. You're only slightly fogged out, and although you've lost a little bit, you're pretty sure you could open your eyes. But of course, you're not opening your eyes, so in a sense you can't do it.

He went through a lot of stuff and decided that I was pretty good.

When the real demonstration came he walked on stage and he hypnotized us in front of the whole Princeton Graduate College. This time the effect was stronger; I guess I had learned how to become hypnotized. [Confirming what I have said tends to happen - there is learning with practice and experience.] The hypnotist made various demonstrations, having me do things I couldn't normally do, and at the end he said that after I came out of hypnosis, instead of returning to my seat directly, which was the natural way to go, I would walk all the way around the room and go to my seat from the back.

All through the demonstration I was vaguely aware of what was going on, and cooperating with the things the hypnotist said, but this time I decided, 'Damn it, enough is enough! I'm gonna go straight to my seat.'

When it was time to get up and go off the stage, I started to walk straight to my seat. But then an annoying feeling came over me: I felt so uncomfortable that I couldn't continue. I walked all the way around the hall.

Dylan Morgan, a Braid enthusiast, has a rather charming book here, in which he describes hypnotic induction as a state of focused rapport. In his explanation, hypnosis is achieved by inducing a series of "yes moments".

I'm reminded of the "yes, and..." rule of improvisational theater. I wonder if there is a connection.

In Case You Missed It

This George Carlson story was posted on Cartoon Snap:

And here are two pages from Carlson's book on cartooning (Six used copies are currently on Amazon!):

Eating healthily on $1/day

$1 diet project. And more advice here and here.
And... here's a delightful blog by a woman who was put off by the bland, not always healthy, choices made by the couple shown above, and decided to do better...
(She's doing it right now, by the way)

Stop Motion Magic

Bed Bug Cartoon

Simplicissimus

Every issue of Simplicissimus, considered by some to be the greatest picture magazine of all time, can now be downloaded as high resolution pdfs here (click the link that says: "Abruf der Hefte"). This looks to me like hours and hours of cartoon browsing bliss.
Here are a few samples that I captured today:

Literature

WireTap!

Frank and I make our improv stage debut on Sunday. Please come!

It is guaranteed to be one of the following:

a. A high-water mark in the history of long-form improv that will change the lives of all those who come to see it.
b. A reasonably entertaining show by a group of well meaning people.
c. A complete catastrophe that will shame us and our families and hang over us like the dripping severed head of an E.C. corpse for the rest of our lives.

In the words of Gene Wilder: "The suspense is terrible, I hope it lasts!"

Jim Tyer and Gene Deitch!

1959 TerryToon cartoon produced by Gene Deitch with some animation by Jim Tyer!

Story from North America

Story from North America (FULL VERSION!) from Kirsten Lepore on Vimeo.

Disney's Mars & Beyond

Danielle Ate the Sandwich

These are very good.

How to Hallucinate

Bike Lock Gurus

Bike locking techniques appraised.