Imagining the Tenth Dimension
"Mind-boggling" is the right word for this video, which starts slow and ends with an existential "bang". See if you can keep up with it.
My thought is your right where you are today and only you can change things if you want them changed. For some peoples imagination may get carried away with them.
Make sure to check out a book by Rob Bryanton - there is a lot more there, what you've seen is only a summary of the first chapter... LINK
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Imagining the Tenth Dimension
How’s 2009 Been Treating You So Far?
How’s 2009 been treating you? Did you lose your job? Have trouble making ends meet?
Relationships not going so well, lets talk about it. Leave a comment and we can talk.
LINK
Ze Frank's voice drawing tool
Here's an early test of a new computer drawing tool invented by Ze Frank, in which you use your voice to create pictures on your computer screeen. You need a computer with a microphone to try this. You vary your voice volume to create different kinds of lines, for example, high volume makes the line turn clockwise, low volume makes it go counterclockwise, and medium volume makes it go straight. The drawing begins at the center. Ze Frank would love to hear back from you with the results of this tool, which is still in beta.
Link - Via: Etre, Via: Neatorama
Rare “Prehistoric” Shark Photographed Alive
Frilled sharks are rarely seen fish that usually live thousands of feet beneath the sea and date back to prehistoric times. This so-called “living fossil” was captured after it swam close to the surface in Japan and died in captivity just hours later. LINK
New baby gorilla at the National Zoo
On January 10, a western lowland gorilla was born at the Zoo's Great Ape House to mother Mandara and father Baraka. The newborn represents the seventh successful gorilla birth for the Zoo since 1991.
The newborn joins siblings Kigali, Kwame and Kojo, as well as Baraka's mother, Haloko, at the Great Ape House. All of the Zoo’s gorillas will remain on exhibit. Visitors can see them every day between 10 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. LINK, Via: Flickr
Dalmatian gives birth to 18 pups
News about the Economy
Okay, she didn't expand her family to 101 but 18 is pretty much too.... Leicestershire, UK. There is 12 boys and 6 girls. LINK
The Bird of Paradise Without Wings
Back in 1773 there was a buzz at the Royal Gardens of Kew. The Director, Sir Joseph Banks was about to introduce a new flower to the collection and he had named it after the Queen of the time. Queen Charlotte was the Duchess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz so this exotic new addition was called Strelitzua reginae in her honor. To the inhabitants of eighteenth century England the flower, then, represented the epitome of courtly glamour and its appearance was key to its instant success. However, it was to become best known by its common name - the bird-of-paradise flower. It is easy to see why. LINK
Six Things You Should Know About Minnesota
Think you know Minnesota? The Coen Brothers movie Fargo may make it seem that Minnesotans are yokels, but the truth is, Minnesota is far, far weirder.
Joshua Post Lee of The Black Table explains the things you should know about the Land of 10,000 Lakes. LINK
Southdale Shopping Center, circa 1956.
#4. We Invented -- and Perfected -- the Shopping Mall.
In the 1950s, Minnesota's shopkeepers figured people wouldn't want to shop at their stores if they had to step over frozen corpses on the sidewalk, thanks to our nipple pointy winters from hell. So when Southdale Shopping Center opened in 1956, it had a roof on it and included 72 stores, anchored by two major department stores, all arranged in a two-level design around a brightly lit center court. It offered free parking, and its 5,000 parking spaces were grouped into lots, well marked by clever symbols to help wind frozen shoppers locate their cars.
We all know it now, but back then it was an odd concept to have an enclosed space where folk could congregate and shop. It was big news that it had air conditioning and even bigger that there was helicopter service from Southdale to downtown Minneapolis. People stopped caring about us being the first so we had to build a more massive structure.
In August of 1992, in sleepy Bloomington, Minn., the Mall of America opened its doors. When it opened, the Mall was 71 percent leased with 330 brand new stores for business, including four nationally recognized department stores. Today, the Mall of America is the largest mall in U.S., and home to Camp Snoopy, America's largest indoor family theme park; Underwater Adventures, Minnesota's largest aquarium; a four-story Lego play place and more than 500 stores. It's so big and popular, the Mall of America is oft-cited as a potential terror target.
And in the coming years, new construction will soon give us the world title. LINK
The Artwork of Sarah King
Writers may use words to weave a work of literary art, but Sarah King did something else with them: she shapes them into wonderful illustrations!
Don’t Panic Magazine has a nifty interview with Sarah:
Inspired by science, space, animals and myths, Sarah’s illustrations are intricately beautiful and bursting with words.
Link, VIA: Neatorama
Her Morning Elegance / Oren Lavie
Her Morning Elegance
Directed by: Oren Lavie, Yuval & Merav Nathan
Photography: Eyal Landesman
Featuring: Shir Shomron
LINK: Youtube
Tattooed Lamborghini
click on image to enlarge
The Lamborghini Gallardo is actually done in sharpie markers on the paint and then finished with a clear coat for protection. The "Sharpie Lamborghini" is owned by Prestige Imports, a car dealership specializing in high-end models.
Link - Via: larryfire, Via: Neatorama
Transforming Toyota Truck
After graduating high school, three Japanese buddies decided to follow their dream of a year-long cross-country road trip, from the northeastern island of Hokkaido to the southwestern one of Yakushima.
But before they set out, the trio built one of the coolest road trip cars ever conceived, from a decrepit mid-80s Toyota Toyoace. LINK: Presurfer
Gatortar
Seeing the steampunk electric guitar reminded me of the Gatortar. It is a telecaster guitar, made with alligator skin by Louisiana artist John Preble. Check out the head stock - it’s a claw!
Link, VIA: Neatorama
Steampunk Guitar
Electric rock-and-roll meets Victorian technology in this steampunk guitar!
Built for the 2008 Jersey City Artists Studio Tour by Mark Dalzell, the Steampunk guitar, Organum Insolitus features a television with Fresnel lens magnifier, onboard phaser, an amplifier and uses clockwork gears, hand hammered brass, cloth wire and wood for its making. The freakin’ guitar can also be attached to an external amp via a standard ¼-inch cable, setting up the beastly guitar as game to steam some endless music.
Link, VIA: Neatorama
RIP John Martyn
John Martyn has died at the age of 60.
A statement on his website yesterday said: "With heavy heart and an unbearable sense of loss we must announce that John died this morning." LINK
There's a great version of 'Solid Air' here. Video: Youtube
Mohandas Karamchand Ghandhi
Yesterday, 60 years ago, Mohandas Gandhi was shot and killed while having his nightly public walk on the grounds of the Birla House in New Delhi. The assassin, Nathuram Godse, was a Hindu radical with links to the extremist Hindu Mahasabha, who held Gandhi responsible for weakening India by insisting upon a payment to Pakistan.
Gandhi was a major political and spiritual leader of India and the Indian independence movement. He was the pioneer of resistance to tyranny through mass civil disobedience, firmly founded upon total non-violence which led India to independence and inspired movements for civil rights and freedom across the world. LINK
Friday, January 30, 2009
Cube-Shaped MP3 Player
The neat thing about this minuscule, G4-looking MP3 player is it uses motion controls, like turning it on one of its side or tapping a corner, to turn on/off, skip forward/backward, etc.
Hacked Gadgets uncovered this device, which is built from scratch by an Japanese engineer calling himself ChaN. The MP3 player uses a three-axis accelerometer, enabling it to sense tilt, inclination and shock. The device features no buttons, and has a SD card slot, and a small, 2.1w speaker for playback. Plus it has an audio jack to attach a second speaker.
If you turn the player so that the speaker is face down, it turns off; lift the speaker side off the table and it back on. If you tap one of the corners against the table, it will skip forward a track. Tapping the corner on the opposite side will make it skip back a track.
You can also roll it on to its sides horizontally adjacent to the speaker to increase or decrease volume. Obviously, for some of these controls, buttons seem easier, but it's a cool demonstration of what you can do with simple technology and a good idea. LINK
Bobby McFerrin does Wizard of Oz
Steampunk Heart Anatomy
Here are some hilarious pictures of handmade steampunk hearts, created out of polymer clay by Kimberly of Monster Kookies (Don't miss the gallery).
Link, VIA: Neatorama
The Cute and the Sinister: Huggable Primates
The Pygmy Marmoset is the "storybook-cute" kind
The Pygmy Marmoset, looking like a reincarnated Furby (did you already forget about those? - a must-have toy in 1998), is the world’s smallest monkey. They range in length from 5 to 6 inches not including the tail, which is an amazing 6 to 8 inches in itself. Their name comes from the French word marmouset, meaning “shrimp” or “dwarf”. LINK
Yoichiro Kawaguchi's fanciful squids
These 3-D models of professor/computer graphic artist Yoichiro Kawaguchi's computer graphics are Woodring-esque mind blowers. According to Pink Tentacle, Kawaguchi and his team of researchers are "developing robots designed to imitate primitive life forms. Mockups have been put on display at a Shinto shrine in Tokyo, and working versions of the robots are scheduled for completion in two years." LINK
Beyoncé - Single Ladies SPOOF (Barack Obama)
*President Barack Obama 2009 Inauguration and Address*
WE MADE HISTORY!
(shout out to Dejuanp on this one!)
Song Link:
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=JBBHCJXU
LINK: Youtube
Broken Body Breakdancing
ZSL Babies 2008
Have a look at the various animal babies born in 2008 at ZSL London and Whipsnade Zoos! LINK: Youtube
{NEW} Multiple Shots of Plane Landing in Hudson River, NY
{NEW} From Security Cameras at a NY Pier showing multiple Shots of US Airways 1549 Landing in the Hudson River. LINK: Youtube
Railway Signs Used As Floorboards
“Ian and Lynda Spires uncovered the “treasure trove” after noticing the names of towns and cities underneath their feet as they emptied the attic to begin insulating the roof space. After scraping away the dust, they found the floorboards were actually 49 railway destination boards, used in the days of steam to show where a train was heading. He is thought to have taken the sturdy, inch thick boards when they were scrapped at the end of the 1960s and used them to line his loft. Until now, though, all the subsequent owners have been unaware of the fortune literally hidden away right above their heads.” LINK
Electro-Harmonix, guitar pedal engineers, vintage sound gadgets
Turns out that EHX also manufacturers a huge percentage of the world's vacuum tubes in its factory in Russia, which are then sent back to New York for testing and pairing before being sold to vintage and high-end audio fans, as well as manufacturers like McIntosh. LINK: Youtube
Robot reassembles itself after being kicked apart
Here's a modular robot from the University of Pennsylvania that can reassemble itself after being kicked into pieces. This is the second video I've seen of a robot that responds in a surprising way to its master's kick. The first video was of the Big Dog pack robot. LINK, VIA: Youtube
The Oval Office Desk
The story of where the desk in the Oval Office came from is more intricate and exciting than you ever imagined.
In 1845, famed explorer Sir John Franklin set out in the Terror and Erebus to discover the Northwest Passage, thought to link the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans by a water route above Canada. Last seen by a whaling ship in Baffin Bay, the Franklin expedition disappeared into the Arctic wilderness.
Years passed and, despite the ample stores the expedition had laid in, concern grew. The British Admiralty launched a rescue mission in 1852, led by Captain Belcher, aboard the Resolute, Pioneer, Assistance, North Star and Intrepid. Captain Belcher, a scientist, circumnavigator, war hero, venereal wife-suer, and controversially well-loved or hated explorer, bottled some beer for this cruise which resulted in the biggest and most expensive ebay mistake ever made.
You might wonder what any of this quote has to do with the Oval Office. For this to make sense, you’ll have to read the whole story. And then follow the many links for more information. Link, VIA: Neatorama
eTrade Baby Commercial Out takes
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Raw Video: Car Slams Into Church Roof
A man was seriously injured in Germany after losing control of his car and ending up in the roof of a church. The car veered up the embankment like it was a ramp, launching the car into the air and into the roof of the church. LINK: Youtube
Puffer Fish - Soccerballs of the Sea
Puffer Fish or "Soccerballs of the Sea"..LOL. A Puffer fish bites diver on finger. The diver has some fun with the interesting sea creature, before releasing it unharmed.
No fish were harmed in the making of this video. LINK
World’s Longest Backflip
The record for the longest backflip is 3.75 m (12 ft 3 in), achieved by Tommie Bonds (USA) on the set of Guinness World Records - Die größten Weltrekorde in Cologne, Germany, on 1 September 2007. LINK: Youtube
The Blue Djinn
“The car was built by TransFX, one of the most prolific and sought after Specialty Car Companies in Hollywood. TransFX has built Batmobiles, BatBikes, and even the BatWing for some of the “Batman” movies. They built the “Cricket” for A.I., and who knows how many others… Their work is masterful and you should check them out online. The “Blue Djinn” is truly a work of art… a Masterpiece of Engineering & Style. A true ‘Glimpse’ of how Automobile Designers believe cars of the future will appear - when the world is ready.” LINK
Lego Transformer : Barricade
I’m really impressed… not only with the quality of the model (cool car!) but with their ability to not forget all the steps to transform him. LINK: Youtube
If you want more images, visit here
http://www.mocpages.com/moc.php/60413
Little Pimpin’
“I think Jay Z was big pimpin’ before he could read too. In fact, that could be said of most rappers.” LINK
Hubless Monster Motorcycle Rolls Without Spokes
The biker boys at Amen Design have built a chopper based around Franco Sbarro’s hubless wheels. And it really rides!
Hubless wheels work by fixing the rotating parts (brake ring, bearings, hubless rim) onto the outer side of a non-rotating inner ring that attaches to the motorcycle’s swingarm or forks.
Advantages include decreased unsprung weight, reduced structural stress (no spokes to transmit forces through), increased braking leverage, more accurate steering, reduced vibration and a lower center of gravity. Hubless wheels also look bitchin’, which, we’re guessing is the main motivating factor in Amen’s decision to use them. LINK
Since this bike is a clichéd raked out chopper, any pretense of performance or functionality is thrown out the window in the name of extremely questionable style. We’re guessing the immense complication, need for extreme precision and high maintenance needs of the hubless design are the least of Amen’s concerns, as this motorcycle wasn’t designed to be ridden. [Amen] LINK: Youtube
Para-Glider With A Steel Lined Stomach.
I've seen some crazy stunts before from Para-gliders but this move must require having a stomach lined with steel. LINK
World’s Smallest Grand Piano
Perfect for a really small concert. Plus it really plays. LINK: Youtube
World’s Largest Photo Mosaic
“The Big Picture 2008… Over 112,896 photos were used to break the record for the world’s largest photo mosaic. This amazing masterwork was created by artist Helen Marshall in Birmingham, UK.” LINK
Kinetic Light Installation
“Beacon is a kinetic light installation with a mind of its own. An array of emergency beacon lights interacts with visitors, tracking their movement through the space, creating an immersive and playful experience. The installation exploits a transfer of technologies from existing industrial products. The beacon lights have had their internal parts replaced with custom hardware, enabling the rotation of the reflector and lamp brightness to be individually controlled. Thermal imaging cameras have been adapted to track the participants’ movement through the space.” LINK, Via: Vimeo
World’s First Snowmobile Double Backflip
The world's first double backflip on a sled/snowmobile/(skidoo, for the people who don't know the proper term), although he (Levi Lavallee) didn't land, I'm gonna give it to him. LINK: Youtube
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
"How the mighty have fallen"
The Bay of Biscay windstorm that crossed France this past week took down a 223-year-old beech tree planted in 1786 to honor Marie Antoinette.
VERSAILLES, France - It survived the French Revolution and a devastating 1999 storm, but high winds have finally toppled a towering beech tree planted for Marie Antoinette more than two centuries ago at Versailles Palace.
The 82-foot (25-meter) high purple beech, one of the last trees in a hamlet dedicated to the former queen in the vast palace park, was felled Friday by an unusually fierce winter gust.
The 223-year-old tree's collapse, which also exhumed a jumble of roots, earth and grass, was the latest blow to the ex-queen's Versailles vegetation after her most cherished oak tree died in a 2003 heat wave.
LINK, Via: Neatorama
Ice Cold Shanty Art
Every winter, in the middle of a frozen lake in Minnesota, a brave group of artists come together to create the Art Shanty Projects. Part art festival, part extreme sport, the Ice Shanty Projects requires that each artist build his or her own "Art Shanty", a modified version of the small shacks traditionally used for ice fishing. The artists must survive extreme weather- sometimes 20 degrees below zero- to build their shanty. In this pod, intrepid VC2 producer, Shakademic, braves the weather cold to cover the closing
celebration of this unusual celebration of art and ice. LINK
Homemade Steampunk Lamps
Here we have some stunning looking Steampunk lamps, made from a combination of new, recycled and found objects.
Some of the parts used, to create these 3 amazing looking clocks include parts from antique radios, barometers and even a faucet valve.
All the items by Curious Inventions of Dr. Roberts are superbly hand crafted in the Steampunk Style using new, recycled and found objects. The technology is reminiscent of Jules Verne and H.G. Wells. These beautiful pieces of functional art will be a curious conversation piece in any home or office.
Link - Via: geeky-gadgets, Via: Neatorama
Logo Generator
Breathtaking large-format pictures of London at night
St Pauls Cathedral, Paternoster Square, City of London.
The Big Picture, Alan Taylor's always stunning large-format picture blog for the Boston Globe, is featuring amazingly detailed bird's-eye views of London at night by photographer Jason Hawkes, a follow-up to a prior post. Acrophobics beware!
Jason shot these images with a camera attached to gyro-stabilized mounts from a Eurocopter AS355, hired out at around £1150 (GBP) per hour, using Nikon gear and either a 14-24mm or a 70-200mm lens. Even with that, the low light and heavy vibrations can make things difficult, Jason says "I often shoot tethered to my MacBook Pro to check the sharpness of the images whilst I shoot."
Link, Via: Neatorama
Amy Crehore's hand painted ukuleles
Here's a sneak peak at Amy Crehore's hand painted ukuleles, which will be on display at her upcoming "Dreamgirls and Ukes" exhibition.
Paintings and ukes for my show at Thinkspace gallery, Los Angeles (Feb 13-March 6).The paintings just need to be framed and the ukes are 90% done in these photos. These hand-painted, restored, antique ukes will all be set up by a luthier, but they are also fine art objects that will hang in the gallery setting next to the paintings. Most are from the 1920's and 30's, so they are pretty rare.
Amy Crehore's Dreamgirls and Ukes. LINK
Brion Gysin at work
Gysin is perhaps best known as the "discoverer" of the cut-up technique popularized by his best friend William S. Burroughs, and the co-inventor of the trance-inducing Dreamachine. Gysin was also a pioneer of sound poetry and multimedia collage.
Above is a video of the artist at work on his calligraphic and roller paintings.
LINK, Via: Youtube
Art - O - Mat
Art-o-mat machines are retired cigarette vending machines that have been converted to vend art. There are 82 active machines in various locations in the United States (and even one in Canada). LINK
MINNESOTA: Threre is one located at the hotel below.
Minneapolis - CHAMBERS, The Luxury Art Hotel of Minneapolis
Milky Way over Mauna Kea
If you haven't been keeping up with Astronomy Picture Of The Day, you're missing out on some awesome images! Today's featured image is a prime example of why I could spend hours staring into the endless night sky. Now if only I was doing it at Mauna Kea, instead of the middle of Texas during a cold, wet spell...
Photo by Wally Pacholka
Link, VIA: Neatorama
The Thing + GI Joes + Disco-Dance Music = ?
Cemeteries surrounded by parking lots
Tullahassee Creek Indian Cemetery – Sand Springs, Oklahoma
Situated right between an ATM and a postal drop box, this Indian cemetery comprises about 1/4 acre of isolated turf in a parking lot outside Tulsa.
It was founded in 1883 and took less than a century to become the inadvertent centerpiece of a strip mall.
Link to a gallery of cemeteries in parking lots. LINK
Domesticated fox becoming latest pet craze in Russia
A new kind of pet is gaining popularity in Russia - the domesticated fox. The animals are being bred at a research institute in Siberia. Although these foxes are human-friendly, they've still got many wild habits.
Martyn is a Russian Silver Fox who has never lived in the wild and whose home is a three-bedroom Moscow flat. He's domesticasted but still has some wild habits, like hiding and digging holes.
While it took centuries to turn a wild dog into a pet, scientists here succeeded with foxes in 50 years of selective breeding. LINK, Via: Youtube
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Hypodermic Syringe Chandelier by Andy Diaz Hope
This series of chandelier sculptures drips with sparkling hypodermic needles and garlands of swarovski crystal, and colorful gelatin capsules. Viewed from beneath they create colorful mandalas on which to meditate on ones relationship to pharmaceuticals. The beauty of the object from a distance and the repulsion of the individual elements upon closer inspection create the tension of our cultures schizophrenic relationship to drugs.,
Link - Via: Sprott, Via: Neatorama
The Skeleton Bicycle
The LambdaTable
The LambdaTable is the highest-resolution tabletop display system in the world, with a combined resolution of 24 million pixels. The device supports multi-user interaction for collaborative investigation of 2D and 3D high-resolution data. The LambdaTable is driven by a 7-node computer cluster with 10 gigabit interfaces and high-end graphics cards. LambdaTable collaborators interact with multiple datasets in an intuitive way. Infrared camera-tracked pucks allow users to simultaneously pan, zoom, and rotate the imagery. LambdaTable supports a broad range of visual application areas in addition to scientific visualization. LINK: Youtube
Text - To - Movie
If you can type, you can make movies. Xtranormal's mission is to bring movie-making to the people. You type something; they turn it into a movie. You can start making a movie by doing the following:
Click the Make Movies tab at the top of the page. On the page that appears, chose the style and number of characters you want to use. The movie maker appears. You can change the set, actors, and background music.
Start typing the dialogue for your actors. You can drag many actions directly into the text blocks such as camera angles, sound effects, facial expressions, and character animations. LINK
THE GREAT AUSTRALIAN LAND 2009 AUSTRALIA DAY
Words and Music by EasyRaoul. Lyric can be seen at the site of the video.
Australia Day 26 January 2009. LINK: Youtube
Shredding a Piano is Where It is At
Final Countdown Cellos
Loris Eating
Here's a really cute video of a bug-eyed loris (aka alien monkey!) eating.
This is the ultimate om nom nom. LINK, Via: stupidvideos.com
Robin Williams on Golf (NSFW Language)
Monday, January 26, 2009
Juggler
Wow. This game is alot harder than I thought it would be.
All you have to do is juggle. Juggler
Lego Converse All-Stars
These, unfortunately, are NOT functional, but it doesn't make them any less awesome! LINK
Latest Seoul Major Tourist Attraction : Banpo Bridge
Just a twist of design, a splattering of paint, a cheeky addition to something old can make it look brightly cheerful and attractive to the eyes again. The Banpo Bridge which crosses over the Han River in the Seoul capital of Korea has been given new life with the addition of a very interesting fountain, that was specially designed to attract more tourists. Instead of remodeling this huge structure to fit it with the usual design of a fountain, even that has been give some change,with the fountain shooting water downwards instead of up.
The fountains at the Banpo Bridge were installed on September ninth and have since become a major tourist attraction. It has nearly 10 thousand nozzles ( more exactly 9, 380 ) on either side of the bridge that shoots out 190 tons of water every minute. According to the Seoul mayor, Oh Se-Hoon, the fountain bridge would help acknowledge Seoul as an eco-friendly destination amassing more tourists. But unless the fountain is being used as a means of harnessing energy, the eco-friendliness of this fountain is skeptical. LINK
LINK: Youtube
The Musical Stylings of Dr. House.
Before Hugh Laurie became the legendary House, he got his start in comedy, including Blackadder and his own show with Stephen Fry aptly titled A Bit of Fry and Laurie. His show with Fry was a sketch show with Laurie doing musical numbers in between. One of the funniest songs is called "Little Girl", and yes, that is Hugh Laurie singing and playing piano. LINK, Via: Youtube
Virtual Etch-a-Sketch
I was never any good at the real Etch-a-Sketch, and I’m certainly not any better at the virtual version. This picture above was done on a real Etch-a-Sketch (you can see more on the Ohio Art site), but maybe you’ll do just as well online. Let us know how you fare!
If you give it a try put a link in the comments so I can check them out.
Link, Via: Neatorama
Are You Going to Finish Strong
Nick Vujicic inspires us to finish strong.
This video is very inspiring. A friend of mine sent this to me. It sure made me think a lot. Always remember this video when you think your having a bad day, after all maybe it's not so bad. LINK: Youtube
ViewMaster Artist
Everyone has used, seen or, at least, heard of a ViewMaster, the most classic of classic toys. For decades children have peered through the plastic ViewMaster binoculars and been transported to other worlds. As a kid, who didn’t watch a scuffle between Batman and The Joker play out in a myriad of 3D Pows and Whams or become a witness to picnic basket thievery by the infamous Yogi Bear. But who was responsible for creating the contraption’s 3D images?
“Most fans of the tiny fantasy worlds glimpsed through the lens of a View-Master viewer are probably unaware of the name Florence Thomas. Thomas was the Portland, Oregon sculptor employed by the makers of the 3-D viewer to create miniature dioramas of fairy tales and pop culture scenes which she then photographed for reproduction into the iconic circular white reels that have delighted children and adult collectors for decades.”
Link, Via: Neatorama
WOOD CHOPPER FROM HELL HAS ARRIVED
From trees to toothpicks in 15 seconds. LINK: Youtube
Talking about logging machineries, take a look at this harvester that can cut, delimb, and cross cut logs in seconds! Link
(Note: this particular machine, built by AFM Harvester, seems to be operating in a tree farm, not an old growth forest). Link: Neatorama
1stAveMachine - Testarossa
The transformation of woman to machine, incredible graphics and design. Testarossa is a project realized by 1st Ave Machine LINK: Youtube
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Magnetic Fluid Screw
Magnetic Fluid pulled up by an electric magnet from a basin, via a screw ( representing a spiral staircase when it works in the end ). LINK: Youtube
BSG Characters in Lego
Ochre Jelly recreated Gaius Baltar, Six, Starbuck, and Morbo from Battlestar Galactica in Lego! I looked up pictures of these characters, and found they are pretty much dead-on. Link -Thanks, Ochre Jelly! Via: Neatorama
Clever Critters: 8 Best Non-Human Tool Users
Mole rat masks. The naked mole rat's powerful, protruding teeth are great for burrowing — but digging with their mouths makes it easy to inhale dirt. To keep their lungs clear, the mole rats have been observed placing wood shavings behind the teeth but in front of their lips — a simple face mask. (As an aside, the naked mole rat's better-known cousin has been taught to use a raking device in captivity. A word to raking rat trainers: keep an eye on them! New York City is bad enough without tool-using rodents.) LINK, Via: Youtube
“It Was Every Photographer’s Dream”
Leopard seals are aggressive predators, and National Geo photographer Paul Nicklen didn’t quite know what to expect when he slid into the freezing Antarctic water with the largest leopard seal he’d ever seen. The leopard seal took Nicklen’s head and camera into her mouth. But he couldn’t believe what happened next.
Watch this video to find out.
Link, Via: Neatorama
When Jungles Attack
This gallery is full of cool pictures of Mother Nature taking (back) over. Most are jungle pictures, but there are a couple of others as well - the one of kudzu completely devouring a house in Georgia is interesting.
See all 20 of them at Environmental Graffiti. LINK: Neatorama
Virtual Card Toss
You have an upside-down hat and you have some cards; you need to get the cards in the hat. It’s just like a real-life card toss! The longer you hold down the mouse button,the more distance you’ll cover with your card. Use your mouse to pan to the left or to the right as needed. Have fun!
Link, Via: Neatorama
Living Statues
We’ve all seen them in busy shopping streets and parks, or in front of monuments and tourist attractions: street performers posing as statues. Some whistle when you pass by, some move when you give them money. Some do it as a career, others between jobs. But whatever the case, being a living statue takes guts, strength, creativity and yes, a good deal of exhibitionism.
Environmental Graffiti has photos of 15 living statues, some you’d never know until they moved! Link, -Via: Unique Daily, Via: Neatorama
4-Year-Old Prodigy Plays the Accordion
Hunter Hayes, born in 1991, is a singer-songwriter. He became a country music sensation at the tender age of three. He is also an accomplished diatonic accordion player, as well as a highly talented guitar player (from Wikipedia).
In this old 1995 video he plays "Jambalaya" with the famous country musician Hank Williams Jr. LINK, Via: Youtube
Invisibilia - When Photographs and Drawings Collide
This is a really simple idea, but the effect is really interesting. The artist has just taken pictures - some are his personal pictures and some have been found on the Internet - and replaced a real person with a drawing. He also gives a tutorial on how to create your own, if you’re interested.
Link, Via: Neatorama
1937 Bugatti Found in Barn
And not just any Bugatti, but a Type 57S Atlante, the kind that won international class speed records, the Grand Prix, and the Le Mans in 1937. Only 17 of them were ever made.
Collectors knew that this car existed, but didn’t know where, until it turned up in a barn, with its original chassis, engine, drivetrain and body, and with 26,284 miles on its odometer.
Link, Via: Neatorama
Maze Game is Really Hard
Your job is to guide the little red dot through the maze without touching the walls, but it’s not as easy as all that. There are moving parts and twists and turns that make this pretty challenging! And if, unlike me, this maze is way too simple for you, there’s a link at the bottom of the page for version two, which looks darn near impossible.
Link, Via: Neatorama
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Alluring Abstract Art of Agonizing Migraines
While less than 2% of the population have never had a headache, debilitating migraines affect millions of people worldwide, and are a great deal more than just a headache — migraines are the most common neurological condition in the developed world, and more prevalent than diabetes, epilepsy and asthma combined. To that end, artists who are migraine sufferers have attempted to express the excruciating, throbbing, and agonizing pain that they endure with unique and intriguing works of abstract, surreal, and graffiti art, which for them is a means of expression.
The subject is one that is close to yours truly, as anguishing migraines are frequently the culprit for my disappearance on this site for several days on end. The Migraine Action association reports that it affects over 15% of the UK population. More than 9 million people in Britain are thought to suffer from migraines — about 7.2 million sufferers have an attack at least once a month and more than 1 million develop symptoms at least once a week. LINK
LINK: Youtube
Astonishing Archaic Temple of Dendur
Honoring the goddess Isis, the gods Harpocrates and Osiris, and 2 deified sons of a local Nubian chieftain — Pedesi (”he whom Isis has given”) and Pihor (”he who belongs to Horus”) — the Temple of Dendur was a Nubian temple built during the Roman period around 15 B.C.
Egyptian temples were far more than houses for a cult image — they represented a variety of religious and mythological concepts in their design and decoration. One important symbolic aspect was based on the understanding of the temple as an image of the natural world as the Egyptians knew it.
The temple of Dendur was commissioned by Emperor Augustus of Rome, constructed from sandstone, measuring 82 feet (25 meters) from the gate to the rear and 26 feet (8 meters) from the bottom to the highest point. LINK
Sunken Sister Ship of Titanic to be Underwater Seabed Museum
Sitting on its side at the bottom of the Aegean Sea, Titanic’s lesser-known sister ship is set to become a spectacular underwater seabed museum more than 90 years after the gigantic and luxurious Olympic-class ocean liner met her demise when she sank in 1916.
The ship was launched in February 1914 at Belfast, and put to use as a wartime hospital ship for the first time the following year. It sank off the Greek island of Kea near Athens on November 21 1916 when an explosion gouged a hole in its hull, while on its way to collect soldiers wounded in the Balkan campaign of the First World War.
Much mystery remains with so little known about her. Up to now the ship has only been glimpsed by a handful of divers, but the ocean liner will soon be open to tourists next summer.
The wreck of Britannic lies at a depth of 400 feet (122 meters), so visitors to the museum will reach the ship in small submersibles. LINK
LINK: Youtube
Lost Ancient City of Petra
Petra is located in southwestern Jordan about 50 miles (80 kilometers) south of the Dead Sea, surrounded by towering hills of rust-colored sandstone which gave the city some natural protection against invaders.
Enclosed by towering rocks and watered by a perennial stream, Petra not only possessed the advantages of a fortress but controlled the main commercial routes, turning it into an important center of trade for silk, spice and other routes that linked China, India and southern Arabia with Egypt, Syria, Greece and Rome.
Although the city may have been accessed from the south in ancient times, the only entrance to the city is through a 2 kilometer dry water course called the Siq — a dark, narrow gorge of dazzling rock formations and colors only 10 to 13 feet (3 to 4 meters) wide in areas — flanked on either side by soaring cliffs over 300 feet (100 meters) high. LINK
LINK: Youtube
Incredible Roman Arena of Nimes and its Ancient City
For nearly 2,000 years an imposing Roman amphitheatre has dominated the French city of Nimes — the capital of Gard Department on the edge of Provence — dating back to around 70 A.D. The Arena of Nimes is a testament to the degree of perfection achieved by Roman engineers in designing and constructing extremely complex buildings such as these, and the best preserved amphitheatre of the Roman era.
The monumental Roman building encloses an elliptical central space of 435 feet (133 meters) long by 330 feet (101 meters) wide, ringed by 34 rows of seats supported by a vaulted construction. It was constructed of stones from two quarries near the town — Barutel and Roquemaillere.
The front of the building consists of 2 levels of 60 over-and-under arches and an attic, separated by a cornice. Massive stones overhang at the top which were drilled to support long poles that suspended a huge canvas over the arena, providing protection for the spectators against the sun and foul weather. LINK
LINK: Youtube
Furniture from reclaimed wood
Dutch designer Piet Hein Eek specializes in works made from reclaimed wood, like this lovely cupboard. He does floors, too!
Piet Hein Eek, LINK.
Microsoft Songsmith: 'Roxanne' By The Police
Super-cool high-res pan-and-zoom inauguration pic
I love this great high-resolution pan-and-zoom picture of the Obama inauguration. I wish I’d been there!
Post a comment if you find anything neat/strange/unusual/cool tucked away in the crowd somewhere.
[Link, Via: Neatorama
Amazing Long Exposure Photos
Long exposure photos are so cool because they view things in ways your eyes never could. Digital Photography School has a great collection of long exposure images and the elapsed time it took for each image to come out. For some great images, I highly recommend visiting the site and looking at all of them.
Link, Via: Neatorama
Scriball
From High Tops to Flip Flops
Friday, January 23, 2009
Sardine Run Shark Feeding Frenzy Phenomenon in Africa
In a spectacular underwater marine ballet, millions of sardines run in hundreds of shoals, swirling, dancing, and transforming in shape in the annual Sardine Run — an unexplained phenomenon that’s been dubbed “the greatest shoal on earth” — for which they make their way through the cold Atlantic waters off the Cape towards the sub-tropical waters of the Indian Ocean, with vast numbers of predators in hot pursuit.
From the last week of May through early July every year, South African pilchard spawn in the cool waters of the Agulhas Bank and move northward in droves for what researchers say could rival East Africa’s great wildebeest migration.
Their sheer numbers create a feeding frenzy along the coastline for sharks, dolphins, and even killer whales for a breathtaking event of the year’s greatest feast which is unique in both magnitude and complexity to the region. LINK
LINK: Youtube
Bug-Eyed Pygmy Tarsier Primate Rediscovered in Indonesia
One of the world’s smallest and rarest primates — the pygmy tarsier — has been spotted by scientists 80 years after they were thought to have become extinct, in a mountaintop cloud forest on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi.
Pygmy tarsiers are small primates with dense gray to dark brown silky fur to keep warm in a damp, chilly habitat, weighing about 2 ounces (50 grams). They’re typically about 4 to 6 inches long with elongated hind limbs and a thin, tufted tail of about 8 to 12 inches that provides balance and support.
The adorable little tarsiers cling vertically to trees and leap from trunk to trunk, capable of jumping almost 10 feet (3 meters). LINK
LINK: Youtube
Sustainable Village Provides Innovative Shelter and Safe Haven
With simple evolution of one of man’s basic methods used centuries ago united with a little modern technology to construct shelter and housing, an innovative architect has created a small eco-sustainable village to accommodate 80 children, 10 staff, and a small school near Kathmandu, Nepal, in the Himalaya Mountains — the first of its kind for the region.
Using a technique developed by Cal Earth in California, architect Nader Kahlili worked with the Pegasus Children’s Project to build a small sustainable village of over 40 “super adobe domes” to provide permanent shelter, using solar panels and a Bio Gas plant for sun and wind energy.
The main building material is simply what’s abundantly available throughout the world — the soil beneath our feet to mold and shape into an eco-friendly home.
Standard polypropylene sandbags in rolls about 14 to 18 inches (35 to 45 centimeters) in diameter and up to a mile long, are cut to length and filled with dirt, sand, or clay, using 10 parts of soil to 1 part cement for added longevity, making these ’super adobe’ homes that can last for decades. LINK
LINK: Youtube
Town of the Rings - New Self-Sustainable Town in Korea
Surrounded by a picturesque lake and forested hills, Korea is set to create a sustainable township which will be a self sufficient city of 77,000 inhabitants, to be located about 22 miles (35 kilometers) south of Seoul, South Korea. Called Gwanggyo, all elements of the new town will be designed as rings so that each part of the program has a terrace for outdoor life.
Expected to be completed by 2011, the architectural design consists of a series of overgrown hill shaped buildings to target high urban density and further developments around the Gwanggyo Power Center, one of the two envisioned centers of the future new town. LINK
LINK: Youtube
Incredible Ice Hotels and Snow Castles of Finland
Requiring over 1000 truckloads of snow and 3 weeks of work for a team of 15 sculptors to create, the largest ice hotel in Lapland reopens. Enduring temperatures between 32 to 23F (0 to -5C), you sleep on beds made of ice complete with sleeping bags and fleeces — and a survival guide on how to make it through the night.
There’s no natural light — all rooms are lit with multi-colored lights and bedecked with elaborate carvings. An ice bar, restaurant, walkways and lobbies have also been built in the hotel at Snowvillage near Kittila, Finland.
Three additional rooms have been have been carved from the ice this year, so up to 60 guests per night can enjoy a frosty stay in the 30 igloo rooms at Lapland’s largest ever ice hotel.
To warm your bones in the morning, hot berry juice is served to help to thaw you out. There are also 2 “warm” subterranean rooms available for the less hardy or adventurous travelers that can’t cut the sub zero conditions.
An ice bar and restaurant, ice slides and ice sculptures have also been created to keep you entertained on the 3 square mile (7.5 square kilometer) hotel site which has been recreated every winter for the last 8 years. LINK
The Bizarre Underworld and Lunar Landscape of Cappadocia
In the middle of modern-day Turkey lies a unique lunar landscape of caves, tunnels, and hundreds of entire underground cities that span for miles, which were first carved out by the pagan Hittites over 3,000 years ago. Called Cappadocia, this land of lost cities has secrets inside every cave and around every corner — from honeycombs of tunnels rigged with booby-traps to the clandestine routes of fierce battle. LINK
Fantastic Frigid and Fragile Sculptures of Snow
Far from child’s play that goes beyond the conventional carrot-nosed snowman, artists have long crafted chilly creations of snow sculptures. From small blocks of snow to epic proportions, transforming enormous snow blocks into larger than life masterpieces of an ethereal nature, some top the scales at 20 to 30 tons, measuring hundreds of feet in length.
Typically using nothing more than simple hand tools such as shovels, hatchets, and saws, snow sculptures and carvings are often created in full view of spectators, thus giving it kinship to performance art.
Winter festivals have prominently held snow sculpting competitions throughout the world in cold climes, most notably in Sapporo, Japan, the Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival in China, the Quebec City Winter Carnival in Canada, and various other locations including Perm, Russia, and the U.S. The Saint Paul Winter Carnival in Minnesota is allegedly the oldest annual winter carnival in the world, with the first dating back to 1886.
Be sure to go to the LINK to see the rest of the cool sculptures.
Worlds First Flying Skycar Takes Off from London to Timbuktu
A group of daredevils set sail on the ultimate magical childhood dream adventure, traveling in a flying car for a 42 day journey from London to Timbuktu — a place that’s had a mystical, “middle of nowhere” reputation for decades. The ‘Parajet Skycar’ can change from ground to flying mode in a mere 3 minutes, and will make the epic 3,600-mile (5,800-kilometer) journey by both land and air.
The “world’s first road legal bio-fuelled flying car” is essentially a 1,000lb (480 kilo) dune buggy with a fan motor and paragliding wing attached. It can reach altitudes of up to 15,000 feet (4,570 meters), with a normal cruising height of 2,000 to 3,000 feet (600 to 900 meters), and a flight range of 185 miles (300 kilometers).
Skycar runs on the ground on a biofuel-powered 4-cylinder, 1,000cc engine, accelerating from zero to 100 km/h in 4.5 seconds flat, has a top speed of 110 mph (180 km/h), with a range of 240 miles (306 kilometers), and an independent 4-wheel suspension to cope with the toughest terrain. LINK
LINK: Youtube
Spiral Wine Cellars - Wine Right Under Your Feet
Baby Madagascar Lemur
Barack Obama Newspaper Tote
This tote bag, handmade from the November 5th front cover of the LA Times, will be “a daily reminder of the historic election of Barack Obama”.
Covered in soft, durable water resistant laminate with double straps and velcro closure, this eye-catching bag is perfect as a large purse, grocery bag or carry-on.
Link, Via: Neatorama