MECO's disco Star Wars

In my head the lyrics are as sung by Bill Murray.

Malcolm McLaren's son torched his punk collection to protest the 40th anniversary of punk "celebrations"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gXuL3io7pQw

Joe Corre -- founder of the Agent Provocateur lingerie stores; son of Sex Pistols impressario Malcolm McLaren and fashion designer Vivienne Westwood-- torched £5m worth of punk tat in the middle of the Thames, topped with effigies of Tories including Boris Johnson, George Osborne and David Cameron.
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Hold the Babadook Book!

When the film The Babadook came out in 2014 I watched it, lights out, dark room, and felt the lick of terror roll up the back of my neck. It's a remarkable accomplishment for both the director, Jennifer Kent, and the leading actress, Essie Davis, neither of whom I'd heard of before. The monster is Mister Babadook, and he comes to life when the single mother in the film reads a large pop-up book, whose artwork would not be out of place in a German Expressionist film like The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, to her son. The boy pulls it off his shelf and asks her to read it. She asks him where he got it, and he replies, “On the shelf.” And then Mr. Babadook shows up and we get some classic horror cinema at its finest.

Much like everyone's first thought upon seeing the Evil Dead-I want that book!-or Hellraiser-I want one of those boxes!-lots of us thought “I want that Babadook book!” The book is central to the film's plot and in a Rolling Stone article director Kent explains the unique role the book played in the creation of the film:

“… illustrator Alex Juhasz's designs for Mister Babadook, the sinister pop-up book that plants the first seed in the young boy's imagination, also played a major role in the look of the film: Rather than design the movie and commission a prop to match, Kent modeled the film on the sharp edges and small imperfections of Juhasz's work. 'The book felt handmade and raw, and that's how I wanted the energy of the film to feel,' she says. 'We created that world as much as possible first, and the production design then had to mirror that'.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iKa5Eeb9QdA

The director and the book's designer decided to try a crowd-funded experiment to see if people just thought they wanted it, or if they really wanted it. I purchased my copy on November 24, 2014, for $80-the selling price during the crowd-funded campaign. The director wrote to the purchasers of the first 2,000 books:

“To all our incredible fans (and especially to you, the first 2000 owners of our special edition Mister Babadook book …)

“Thank you for being such solid supporters of this book and of the film. We are thrilled that The Babadook has received so much love and support from around the world. I never thought when we were shooting this film that so many people would see it, let alone give us the opportunity to put this special book into print. This is all happening because of the support from each and every one of you, and I will never forget that.

“I have written some more story pages for this special edition, and I'm going to be working with Alex Juhasz (our brilliant illustrator) over the coming months to create some very beautiful pop ups to go with that extra bit of Babadook story. You will be owning pages not even seen in the film. It is special for Alex and I to now be able to create this 'stand alone book,' and I believe it is going to be a very special book to own.

“In order to show my appreciation for your support, I have made a decision to sign each and every book that is sold in our campaign. So not only will your copies be numbered, they will also be signed. Thanks again to you all.”

And then they went to work.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fe3RU4lsF90

In an article in

The Creators Project we learn more about what was required to create a product from a film prop:

“Since its premiere at Sundance in January 2014, the film's fans quickly rallied for the production of the pop-up book seen on screen. 'We didn't know how the film would do,' says illustrator Alexander Juhasz. 'So when I made the book for the film, we were joking about how if it became a big hit, people might want the book in their home.' … requests to get the book made-bordering on demands-were heard loud and clear. …

“Once it came time to prepare the limited edition book for production, the team brought on paper engineer Simon Arizpe. Juhasz had to recreate all of the original artwork and reverse engineer much of what was made for the film. 'We had to rethink a lot of stuff for the design and format to work. In the film, the book ends abruptly, so we had to add some content. But we wanted to keep the integrity of the original-all of images that are in the movie are in the book, except maybe for one, I think,' explains Juhasz. Arizpe adds: 'Between the three of us, we figured out what we wanted each page to do. Alex gave me his art and I would mess around with it to make it move.' Once the prototype was completed, it was sent off to the printing house, where the paper is die cut, then folded and glued by hand.”

The print run was just 6,000 copies (only the first 2,000 are numbered and signed) and they sold quickly. It took two years for the purchasers to receive the book-it just arrived at the end of this October. It's hard to imagine anyone not being thrilled with the enormous pop-up book that not only exactly replicates the main prop in the film, but goes further with the story.

The easiest place for you to obtain Mister Babadook is on eBay, where copies are selling for between $300 and $600. You might get lucky and snag an unsigned copy for just over $200 if you keep your eye on things. If your means are more modest, and you want to include watching the film in your purchase, you can buy it at amazon.com in a deluxe edition Blu-ray with a single pop-up inside the front cover.

Whatever your choice, I would strongly suggest that you do not read the book aloud. If you foolishly ignore my advice, don't look up at the ceiling, because Mister Babadook is keeping his eye on you.

Trump to Romney: grovel before me for Secretary of State job

Fox News reports that Donald Trump's still thinking of offering Mitt Romney the job of Secretary of State. The catch: Trump wants a public apology.

A transition official told Fox's Ed Henry that some in Trump's inner circle want the former Massachusetts governor to apologize in order to be seriously considered for the secretary of State.
Trump is reportedly considering whether to pick Romney or former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani for the coveted cabinet position.

Giuliani is the preferred choice of Trump's loyalists and grassroots supporters, while Romney is a favorite of establishment conservatives.

Here's Romney, before lining up behind the new power:

“Donald Trump is a phony, a fraud. He gets a free trip to the White House and all we get is this lousy hat ... There is a dark irony in his boasts of his sexual exploits during the Vietnam War, while at the same time, John McCain - who he has mocked - was imprisoned and tortured.”

RIP Brady Bunch mom Florence Henderson

Actress Florence Henderson, most famous as "iconic matriarch" Carol Brady and recent turns on Dancing with the Stars, is dead at 82.

"We are heartbroken to announce the passing of our dear mother Florence Henderson from Heart Failure," the Henderson family said in a statement. "On this day of thanks, our beloved mother was surrounded by her devoted children and dearest friends. We thank all of her fans for their many years of love and ask that we be allowed to grieve in private.

10 Black Friday doorbuster deals you'll regret not buying today-up to 50% off

The biggest shopping day of the year is here, and the best part is that you no longer need to wait in line to take part. We've compiled 10 ridiculously good deals that will be gone tomorrow, so whether you're shopping for the holidays or yourself, you'll definitely find something.

You can check out all our Black Friday Mega Price Drops here. In addition to these already discounted products, you can use the coupon code BLACKFRIDAY15 to redeem extra discounts up to 15% off on other products throughout the entire store. Some exclusions apply.

Here are our our favorite price drops:

#1 Lytro Illum Camera + Accessories Bundle

The Lytro Illum Camera is the first camera to capture the entire light field, meaning you can refocus and change perspective on your images after the fact. This bundle includes: the Lytro Illum Camera, the quick-adjust shoulder/neck strap, the global Lytro quick charger with additional power cords for Europe, UK, and Asia, and the Lytro Illum 72mm neutral density ND8 filter. Normally the Lytro Illum bundle retails for $1499.96, and Boing Boing offers it for a sale price of $459.99. But today only, you can get the individual camera for just $299.99 or the entire bundle for just $349.99.

#2 The Big Data Bundle

The Big Data Bundle comes packing 64.5 hours of content on some of the most pertinent Big Data topics and skills today-including Hadoop, MapReduce, Spark, and more-to prepare you for one of today's fastest growing IT careers. This bundle normally retails for $681, and Boing Boing's regular sale price is $45. Today only, you can get the Big Data Bundle for just $28.

#3 Geek Fuel Mega Pack

Geek Fuel's monthly boxes come packing a random assortment of 5-8 toys, collectibles, and comics from some of the most popular franchises, including Star Wars, The Avengers, Doctor Who, and Super Mario Brothers. And this Mega Pack takes all of that to a whole new level, with an exclusive welcome box, plus one Geek Fuel box each month for the next three months-that's a minimum $50 value per box. The Mega Pack normally retails for $225, and Boing Boing's normal sale price on it is $79.99. But today only, you can buy it for $69.99.

#4 The Complete Machine Learning Bundle

This bundle includes 10 hands-on courses and 63.5 hours of training in machine learning, specifically designed to help you master AI and catch the eye of top employers. The Complete Machine Learning Bundle normally retails for $780, and Boing Boing offers a deal for $39. Today only, that price drops to $29.

#5 Code Black Drone with HD Camera

The Code Black Drone is Boing Boing's #1 selling drone, and for good reason: it's palm sized, it's seriously powerful and maneuverable, and it comes packing a high tech HD camera. The Code Black Drone regularly retails for $399, or $69.99 with Boing Boing's usual deal price. But today only, you can grab it at its lowest price yet, just $44.99.

#6 Complete Arduino Starter Kit & Course Bundle

With 25+ hours of training content, four courses designed to give you hands-on instruction, and a full Arduino toolkit of your very own, the Complete Arduino Starter Kit & Course Bundle is the real deal. You'll have everything you need to start building robots, light sensors, and more.

The bundle retails for $519, and our normal Boing Boing deal is $62.99. Today only, get it for $59.99.

#7 FEZ Vaporizer

The compact, stylish FEZ vaporizer is a sleek, smoking gadget equipped with the latest technology. It's uniquely designed to eliminate toxic compounds, and it heats up in under 60 seconds, too. It normally retails for $139, and Boing Boing offers it for $99. But today only, it's on sale for $79.

#8 The Complete Guide to Photography Bundle

If you've always wanted to grow your photography skills, this bundle will help you do so on a budget. It comes with five detailed courses and 37.5+ hours of training designed to help you snap everything from portraits to landscapes to everything in between. The bundle normally retails for $623, and Boing Boing's usual deal offers it for $49. But today only, you can get it for $29.

#9 Getflix Lifetime Subscription

Getflix is a best-selling service that allows you to bypass online geo-restrictions. It works to reroute only the necessary Internet traffic through a different server, and unblocks more than 100 streaming channels around the world so you can watch movies, TV, sports, and more wherever you are. A lifetime subscription retails for $855, and normally Boing Boing offers a $39 deal. But today only, you can buy a lifetime of Getflix for just $29.

#10 Become an Ethical Hacker Bonus Bundle

Ethical hacking is one of the fastest growing careers out there today. With this bundle, you'll be on the fast track to securing company networks and protecting against outside threats. This bundle comes with 9 courses all offering hands-on instruction on topics such as beginner ethical hacking and less common web attacks. The bundle normally retails for $681, and Boing Boing usually offers this deal for $49. Today only, you can buy it for just $25.

Check out all our Black Friday Mega Price Drops here.

The German Emigration Centre: People between Dreams and Uncertainty

At the German Emigration Centre visitors get an idea of what flight and emigration mean for the individual. Furthermore, the museum in Bremerhaven makes emphatically clear that many Germans were forced to leave their homes.