FACE TO FAKE

Used to draw in gullible fairground visitors, “gaffs” are man-made objects created to simulate either mythical creatures or oddities such as a seven-fingered hand. The New York artist Takeshi Yamada was so fascinated by the idea that he created more than 250 artworks of his own. Wonder at the Hairy Trout, the Egyptian Cat Mummy, the Mongolian Giant Death Worm or even cans of Coney Island spiny bullfrog ( above). www.sideshowworld.com/ SSA-15.html

CATCH THE BUG

Short videos spread by e-mail have become many internet users’ favourite waste of time. The most contagious are being celebrated by Germ, the aptly named international awards, for a second year. This is a competition that anyone can take part by submitting videos, pictures and interactive stuff, with entries open until March 31. Winners will receive a free placement on the homepage of BoreMe.com, the viral video motherlode, worth £5,000, and a £2,000 commission from Channel 4 to create a viral. Their masterworks will also be displayed at the ICA in the annual Germ exhibition. www.channel4.com/germ

FLEA SPIRITS

The flea circus reaches the net thanks to someone named Fabu. His performers may occupy barely a single pixel, but they are capable of 75 tricks. These include the “Somersault” (the dot moves backwards and forwards in a vertical line), the “Moonwalk” (the dot moves horizontally with suitably animated legs), and the “Chainsaw Massacre” (one dot goes mad with the said tool rendered as a thin line and sprays the red blood of another everywhere). Visitors can submit their own tricks, which really cannot be too difficult since it involves manipulating a black spot or two around the screen. www.fabuland.de/fleacircus

PODCAST OF THE WEEK

The National Gallery is making the most of its vast collection with a monthly magazine-style programme presented by Miranda Hinckley. The podcasts don’t just reel off details about current exhibitions but invite real discussion and interaction. The comedian Frank Skinner talks about why he believes museums must retain free entry and reveals his little-known passion for art (if he could take away a painting it would be Cosimo Tura’s An Allegorical Figure, because she’s a “sexy bird”), while listeners are invited to submit a sound-piece inspired by an artwork that will appear on a future podcast. www.nationalgallery.org.uk

BLOG OF THE WEEK

Now in its third season, the US version of The Office has been amassing viewers and awards after developing well beyond the British original. Several fan blogs have sprung up but none quite as intriguing as Julie Elgar’s “That’s What She Said”. Elgar, a labour and employment lawyer, analyses each episode for potential lawsuits and gives each one a cash value. Since the comedy is based on fraught encounters with the inept central character Michael Scott, often involving defamation or discrimination, the pay-outs nearly always run into the high six figures. www.hrheroblogs.com

OLAV BJORTOMT