The East Coast is bracing for the largest swarm of cicadas to arrive since Brood X surfaced in 2004. Time to look back at the definitive article on the impressive sexual habits of these periodical insects: “Love Bugs: Cicadas fuck like they haven’t gotten it on in 17 years“—a classic B-feature from the Washington City Paper archives, penned by yours truly. Of course, the best part of the original piece is the accompanying illustrations by the brilliant Emily Flake, which included a hilarious homage to the sexy pottery scene from the movie Ghost. Sadly, those drawings do not appear with the online version of the story today. So I have scanned and posted the dead-tree version here for posterity. Continue reading “Cicadas Are Coming! And They’re Ready For Sex”
Grilles Gone Wild [VIDEO]: A Frontal View of the 2013 New York International Auto Show
The first thing you notice about the Hyundai HCD-14 Genesis Concept is its imposing face. That futuristic four-bar grille is hard to ignore. It’s big. It’s aggressive. It’s complex. The glinting flat lines feature thin needle-like eyes on either side. Look closely between the lines to see the truly intricate design work — a rugged range of pyramid-shaped pits and peaks in perforated dark metal. “It’s a bit brutal, it’s a bit out there,” said Christopher Chapman, chief designer for Hyundai Design North America. “We’re kind of shark-nosing at front a little bit.” A striking snout no doubt, but not entirely non-traditional, according to Chapman: the shape of the polished stainless steel grate stays true to Hyundai’s usual hexagonal look, if just barely. Left and right lines bend very subtly to make it a full six sides. “This is a concept car,” Chapman said, “so we’re allowed to play around a little bit with the materials.” By the looks of things at the 2013 New York International Auto Show, designers have been playing around a lot, especially with regard to the grille. Continue reading “Grilles Gone Wild [VIDEO]: A Frontal View of the 2013 New York International Auto Show”