What would you wear in outer space? Fashion designers, space entrepreneurs, and intergalactic travel advocates gathered to answer that question recently on a runway (the couture kind) near Los Angeles International airport. BBtv's Xeni Jardin was there, with two pro fashionistas providing live critique and comic relief: Nony Tochterman of Petro Zillia, and Oren Shepher of Spear Collection.

"Space Style 2007: A Giant Leap for Couture" took place during the TRANSFORMING SPACE, an annual conference hosted by the California Space Authority (CSA) and the California Space Education and Workforce Institute (CSEWI).

Participating designers included Louise Bisby, Rain Sherman, Danielle Kelly, Samantha Ceora, Payam Emrani and Syuzi Pakhchyan of SparkLab (her cool LED light-up bracelets have been covered in Make:CRAFT -- 1, 2). Misuzu Onuki, creator of the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency’s (JAXA) space couture fashion show, presented the finalist designs from that competition. Martin Bergstrom of Sweden showed off burka-like headdresses, and "mathematically-inspired" Japanese designer Eri Matsui presented a zero-G-inspired wedding gown.

The event was co-produced and co-hosted by Randa Milliron of Interorbital Systems, a Mojave-based rocket company working to make space transportation a reality, and Karyl Newman, an artistic consultant to the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. California Space Authority (CSA) hosts included Andrea Seastrand and Celeste Volz Ford. Link to photos by Sam Coniglio.

Music: Casino Mansion, David Habif, and Roman Kovalik. Video art: Steve Nalepa.

Below: BBtv fashion analysts Oren (left) and Nony (right) glimpse the future of spacewear, and they're not sure quite what to make of it.

Filmmaker G.J. Echternkamp and his parents make pastrami sandwiches in Xeni's kitchen, and talk with Mark about the new feature film FRANK AND CINDY, which documents their lives. Snip from the film description:

When Cindy married a rock star, Frank, in 1983 she imagined a life of glamour and GRAMMYS. But the song that propelled Frank to fame, Whirly Girl, would be the only chart-topper from his short-lived group, OXO. Years later, out of shape and nearly bankrupt after spending his money on "gas, food, dry cleaning and drugs." Frank is not the vision Cindy married.

Desperate to resuscitate her dream, Cindy furnishes a new studio for Frank in hopes he'll record another hit. Instead, he'd rather drink. Upset by his lack of ambition, Cindy berates him incessantly ("I hate every fat bone in your body!"). And now, twenty-three years after appearing on American Bandstand, Frank lives sequestered to the basement where he uses coffee cans as his improvised bathroom.

Both appalled and amused by his parents' behavior, Cindy's filmmaker son, G.J., picks up his video camera and aims it at them. After a year of filming, what began as an attempt to mock his one-hit-wonder step-father, instead becomes a candid portrait of the pursuit of happiness.

Mark visits the garage and workshop of "professional amateur" Mister Jalopy, who builds neat things from materials he scavenges from swap meets and garage sales. Mister Jalopy is a connoisseur of fine machine junque and curiosities, and he takes us on a guided tour of some of his most recent retro-mechanical creations and discoveries.

Last week on Boing Boing tv, we showed "the making of" -- now, here's the real thing. Jason Wishnow's book trailer for the new book, "The Zen of Zombie : Better Living Through the Undead".

Link to ZEN OF ZOMBIE video, and here's the backstory.

Previously: Zombie Yoga: 100 undead, doing poses in the park

In today's Boing Boing tv episode, Mark Frauenfelder wanders through Maker Faire in search of interesting robots. First, we meet Babbling Head (an animatronic skull that sings sea shanties), Froggo (a weird slimy kitschy creature 'bot with a squid beak for a mouth), and Seeker Robot (GPS-autonomous RoboMagellan contestant), all creations of Eric Lundquist. Then, we stop by Bleeplabs, and listen to strange sounds emanating from a simple (but cute) analog synthesizer. If you dig today's show, you might also enjoy this previous BBtv episode with cool stuff from Maker Faire '07.