Mousetrap - 53

Masticated
GumArt
If you’re one of those people who have to chew gum all the time, you could find yourself with another hobby. This artist (he’s been doing it for seventeen years, he says) shows you how, with his rather, um, special art form. It’s pretty simple, really, he chews gum (in various colours) and then sticks it on his canvas in a variety of forms and shapes. The gum gives the works a three-dimensional feel, a sort of bas relief meets cartoon look. The works on display are “the surprisingly pleasing result of thousands of hours of chewing and spreading.” And in a related commercial site, he will happily sell you kits with which you can create your own works of art – a kiddie-style colour-by-numbers template, plus sticks of gum in the required colours. Chew on that!

Sex is all in the mind
Sex I.D.
Scoot, junior, this is not what you think. Part of the lovely BBC Science section, which is hour upon hour of fascinating reading (I spent a few hours getting distracted while I was supposed to be finishing this column), this test is designed to figure out the sex of your brain. In a little over twenty minutes, you go through a six-part test, some sections timed. Yes, you can pause midway if your boss comes in, and come back later, if your browser has cookies enabled. At the end, you get a rating of where your brain lies, as compared to the averages, with a detailed breakdown of the parts of the test. Each section also gives you links to further reading on that topic.

Kitty, kitty, kitty, kitty, kitty, kitty, kitty...
The Infinite Cat Project
Someone with whom a cat condescended to live took a picture of said cat and passed it around via email. Another cat-cohabiter happened to have that picture on-screen, and her/his cat bristled at it, and that someone took a picture of that, and likewise posted it online. Thus was born The Infinite Cat Project: pictures of cats looking at pictures of cats looking at pictures of cats looking at... well, you get the picture. So pull out the digital camera, round up your feline buddies, park them in front of the computer, open up the site and click away. Do see their submission guidelines before you send in pictures.

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This week’s blog

Shock and Awww
Cute Overload
Pictures by the bushel of juvenile (mostly, but some adults too) animals. All of them looking aww-cho-chweet. Or at least the people taking the pictures think so. Just the type of pictures that a certain kind of person thinks will enhance your inbox – until one growls at them and tell them to stop, that is, after which one is labelled cold and unfeeling. Ah well. Redeeming factor here: a sense of humour. And a glossary. From which I got my new phrase for the day: barfing a rainbow Yes, reader submissions are welcome. Not to me, to them. [Link courtesy Neha Viswanathan.]



Reader suggestions welcome, and will be acknowledged. Go to http://o3.indiatimes.com/mousetrap for past columns, and to comment, or mail inthemousetrap@indiatimes.com. The writer blogs at http://zigzackly.blogspot.com.

Published in the Times of India, Mumbai edition, 14th May, 2006.

Tags: The Times of India, Mousetrap