Bip! Bip! In the land of the Rising Sun, it’s Bippu and not Bling Bling that gets the wrong kind of attention on the blacktop. Bippu, the Nihon pronunciation of VIP, is a sashimi-style gangsta ride, a big Japanese sedan of the type rebadged here as a Lexus or Infiniti (forget the U.S.-bred-and-built Toyota Avalon), riding low on fat rims with enough ground effects to satisfy your local mid-’80s drug dealer. You’ve never seen a dentist-mobile look this, well, threatening at www.vipstylecars.com.

MindTwist: Jim Woodring is the creator of some of the trippiest images ever committed by pen to paper. His eponymous squirrel-type character, who traipses through a psychedelic landscape, is recognized by comics and art fans the world over—and this being the digital age, Jim also has a blog where he posts up exclusive hi-res artwork for all of us to enjoy. It’s called the Woodring Monitor and it’s your daily dose of consciousness-stretching. O.D. on A.R.T. at http://jimwoodring.blogspot.com.

Comments? Michael Citrome