CRAFTS

Electronics experiments

In a world that is upgrading and discarding electronics at an alarming pace, some cutting-edge creative types are taking a new look at outdated electronics, from computers and cell phones to iPods and scanners. Randy Sarafan, a new-media artist, has gathered a bunch of mind-expanding crafts projects into his new book, “62 Projects to Make with a Dead Computer (and Other Discarded Electronics).” The $14.95 Workman paperback starts with the basics, from how to avoid accidents to how to solder and sew. Projects include turning an old Walkman into a travel soap dish, an iPod into a first-aid kit and a scanner into a compost bin. An old mouse can be used to grow catnip or grass for kitty snacks; an old iMac makes a perfect terrarium.

As the author says, don’t trash it— transform it!

BOOK

Lincoln vs. the vampires

One of last year’s most unexpected hits was Seth Grahame-Smith’s mash-up novel, “Pride and Prejudice and Zombies,” which combined Jane Austen’s classic 1831 romance with “ultraviolent zombie mayhem.” And, except for Austen and/or zombie purists, readers agreed that it worked!

Now Grahame-Smith is back with —what else?—“Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter.”

“It seemed like every popular hardcover book was either a vampire novel or a Lincoln biography, so I thought I might as well combine them,” Grahame-Smith told writer Zach Baliva for an article in the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library newsletter.

Grahame-Smith researched Lincoln’s history, inserting vampires at appropriate moments and allowing Abe to use his trusty ax for more than splitting logs.

MICROWAVING

Peep vs. Peep!

They’re bright, sugary and so cute that you can’t resist biting their tiny beaked heads off. They’re Peeps. But as anyone who buys food knows, Peeps have multiplied into a variety of colors and shapes.

The official site (

www.marshmallowpeeps.com

) has recipes for plenty of sweet desserts and treats. But Peeps people with far too much time on their hands have learned that Peeps expand in a fearsome way when microwaved—which has led to the obscure but much-loved game of Peeps Jousting. To do this, insert one end of a two-pointed wooden toothpick into the chest area of each peep so it protrudes horizontally. Position the Peep jousters facing each other a few inches apart. Put them into the microwave and hit the power button. The Peeps will puff up until one of the toothpicks pierces the other Peep. That’s the winner! If they both explode, you’ll have a mess to clean up. When the joust is over, approach the Peeps with care—they will be hot. YouTube features an alarming number of videos of Peep Jousts.