Author Archives: Hackett

Dueling Mechanical Bulls, Maker Faire edition

By Hackett | Published: October 3, 2012

Small, barefooted people prepare to be humiliated. On the right, MB does an ancient dance of Canadian nerd rage. In the center we have Townsend: stunned; Leif showing his ability to slouch and lean on an invisible wall; Dale Dougherty and Philly, eyes asparkle, documenting. In the background are mocking reminders that we once had […]

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Dueling Mechanical Bulls at Google I/O 2012

By Hackett | Published: July 2, 2012

Bull-riding is considered a super tough-guy activity, a chance for cowboys, rodeo queens, and wannabees to prove that they have what it takes to triumph in this quintessentially American pastime. In our minds, all mechanical bulls fall short of being truly American in that they lack competition, the opportunity to directly humiliate another person. To […]

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Classes!

By Hackett | Published: January 13, 2010

Classes are back, finally, after years and years of exile in fake idea land. Right now, classes include leatherwork, absinthe making, sewing, electrochemical etching of brass and steel using household ingredients, and, (of course) two types of welding (easy and ugly/ hard and elegant) taught by Artstars with a disturbing range of personalities. Check back […]

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Fireless Fireworks, going into a crazed frenzy of production starting Sunday

By Hackett | Published: July 21, 2006

One of the first slogans of the Madagascar Institute was “A fine mix of obscure history and blowing shit up” and Fireless Fireworks combines the two, along with sexy pirates, lasers, and Shane Gross in wet, clingy clothing that leaves nothing to the imagination (except for confusion as to what, exactly, that is supposed to […]

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Danger Blender, Irish Festival Update

By Hackett | Published: March 21, 2006

So Saturday at the shop was a frenzy of concentrated Danger Blender activity in true Madagascar style- people who just stopped by for other reasons or to lend a quick hand doing heroic amounts of crucial labor (thanks, Jason), the thing getting done right at the last minute, things going horribly wrong at the party […]

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This Week at the Madagascar Institute

By Hackett | Published: May 16, 2001

So- it has been months (has it been months? It seems like it, as least to me, who cares, and maybe to the others that do as well.) since you ungrateful bastards have been blessed with another missive of sweetness and light from me, and oh what those months have contained- amazing events, radical leaps […]

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This Thursday at the Madagascar Institute

By Hackett | Published: December 13, 2000

-Welding with Fire: Using the new Oxy-Acetylene torch; or: New ways to horribly maim yourself, just in time for the holidays. -Practice, practice, practice. -Cheap and crappy but very hazardous holiday gifts, part whatever. Last Saturday saw the first steps of the Madagascar Institute volcano, the centerpiece of the upcoming luau to take place Jan […]

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This Sunday at the Madagascar Institute

By Hackett | Published: October 27, 2000

This Sunday at the Madagascar Institute: SEE the new workshop plan ! CUT solid steel with a spark-shooting grinder! PROVE that the whole is greater than the sum of the parts by welding scrap metal into art! COMMIT various felonies by building a rocket launcher! AND various other activities that fit worse than these into […]

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