Tallan Latz, eight year old guitar whiz

Andy McKee

At one end of the spectrum there are those guitar players — the ‘social players’ — who’ll share a few chords round the campfire every once in a while and then pop it back in the cupboard until the next gathering. At the other end, there are those who sit in their bedroom throughout their adolescence grafting away at a Van Halen solo until their skin is grey and their fingers are worn to the bone. But that sort of dedication can pay off, as this piece of superhuman virtuoso-ing demonstrates.

John Butler Trio’s Oceans

This is a fantastic piece of guitar playing. The John Butler Trio have been tearing up the roots scene Down Under for years now, and you can see why. He looks like your average nu-age folk singer-songwriter, but his obvious deep-rooted connection to the guitar — as demonstrated by his staggering sense of rhythm and chord structure — are pretty exceptional.

The Gibson Robot Les Paul Studio

The revolutionary Gibson Robot Les Paul Studio Limited Electric Guitar has some groundbreaking controls at your disposal. At first glance, the four control knobs seem to be indistinguishable from those on other Les Paul guitars. But look again. While the knobs do provide the standard tone and volume controls for each of the two pickups, the Multi-Control Knob (MCK) — the one with the illuminated top — serves as the master control for all aspects of the Robot Les Paul Studio Limited’s amazing self-tuning system. Which is kinda fun when you think about it.

Irina Werning’s Back to the Future photo series

Argentine photographer Irina Werning has complied this beautiful and poignant collection of portraits of adults re-enacting images of themselves as kids. From what I gather, she has asked people to submit photographs of themselves and then returned with them to these same spots at the same times in their lives. She’ll take this project round the world, from Baghdad to Eurodisney, and is looking for willing participants. Read more

Bug fighting in South East Asia

Of all the little idiosyncratic activities I’ve come across since living in Southeast Asia, this nears the favourite. The bug fights are held in a cemetery about half an hour outside of Chiang Mai late in the year when the stags are at their randiest. It pulls an impressive crowd who bet some hefty dollars on the winner, claimed by the beetle who throws its opponent off the revolving log and struts (or crawls) to victory. Read more

What The Fuck Should I Make For Dinner

All hail the magic 8-ball of cooking; the answer to those painful moments of indecision that plague every shopper at around 6pm on a hectic Monday evening. It’s not the nagging voice that questions every decision you make, but the blunt, obnoxious hollering of an online Gordon Ramsay. The kitchen abides.