Saturday, December 31, 2016
Automobile de Fraude Passant La Frontière
Smuggling vehicle, fully armoured and festively decorated, plows through the French border, 1912
Seeds From Bullets
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| © Studio Total |
The US Army manufactures and consumes hundreds of thousands of training rounds that are fired at proving grounds and training ranges in the United States and around the world. Currently they are left on the ground after use where they take hundreds of years or more to biodegrade.
The US Department of Defence is exploring the use of biodegradable training ammunition embedded with seeds to grow environmentally beneficial plants that eliminate ammunition debris and contaminants.
The official link for this solicitation is: http://www.acq.osd.mil/osbp/sbir/solicitations/sbir20171/index.shtm
World's First And Best Thermal Cat Video
Finland's own Lauri and Anni Vuohensilta filmed this thermal cat video with a FLIR T660 thermal camera.
The thermal video of eating ice cream also looks pretty cool.
Via
The thermal video of eating ice cream also looks pretty cool.
Via
Friday, December 30, 2016
Global Peace Index 2016
Vision of Humanity's 2016 Global Peace Index provides a comprehensive update on the state of peace.
It shows that amidst global deterioration the world continues to spend enormous resources on creating and containing violence but very little on peace. The gap between the world's most peaceful and least peaceful countries continues to widen.
Via
It shows that amidst global deterioration the world continues to spend enormous resources on creating and containing violence but very little on peace. The gap between the world's most peaceful and least peaceful countries continues to widen.
Via
Gerald McBoing-Boing, the Oscar-winning cartoon from 1950
This Oscar-winning animation was adapted from Dr. Seuss's story by Phil Eastman and Bill Scott, directed by Robert Cannon, and produced by John Hubley. I remember watching the Gerald McBoing-Boing cartoon series as well.
They say it all started
when Gerald was two—That’s the age kids start talking—least, most of them do.
Well, when he started talking,
you know what he said?He didn’t talk words—he went boing boing instead!
Via Boing Boing
Anish Kapoor Couldn't Care Less About "Pinkest Pink" Ban
Last week I posted about British artist Stuart Semple's retaliation against Anish Kapoor buying the exclusive rights to the world's blackest black. Semple came up with the world's pinkest pink and allowed everyone but Kapoor to use it. See here.
Kapoor somehow got around the restriction and has posted a photo on Instagram showing what he thinks about Semple's ban:
Via
Kapoor somehow got around the restriction and has posted a photo on Instagram showing what he thinks about Semple's ban:
Via
Shylight
Certain types of flowers close at night, for self-defence and to conserve their resources. This highly evolved natural mechanism is called ‘nyctinasty’ and inspired Studio Drift to create Shylight; a light sculpture that unfolds and retreats in a fascinating choreography, mirroring that of real flowers.
The making of Shylight (short version) from Studio DRIFT on Vimeo.
Studio Drift is an Amsterdam (NL) based studio, which creates site-specific installations and interactive sculptures that deal with space and light, by playing with existing and new relationships between nature, technology and mankind.
The making of Shylight (short version) from Studio DRIFT on Vimeo.
Studio Drift is an Amsterdam (NL) based studio, which creates site-specific installations and interactive sculptures that deal with space and light, by playing with existing and new relationships between nature, technology and mankind.
The Making of Medieval Embroidery
Contemporary embroiderer Rosie Taylor-Davies recreates a detail from a 700 year old fragment of English embroidery. The small figure recreated in the video would have taken a medieval embroider roughly 35 hours to complete.
More at V&A
More at V&A
Thursday, December 29, 2016
Longest Bike Trail in US to Span 2,900 Miles
The East Coast Greenway is already a third of the way to completion, and when finished will stretch from Calais, Maine, to Key West, Florida, passing through 16 states and 25 cities along the way.
Via
Via
Rusty Dishwashing Robot Pursues His Dream Of Exploration
Hum from Tom Teller on Vimeo.
"A solitary dish washing robot living out his life in the back room of a restaurant is enlightened to the world that exists beyond his four walls, with the help of a small friend he breaks free of confinement to pursue his dream of exploration."Via
Bird Photo Booth Captures Adorable Close-Ups of Birds
Airstream's New Smaller Trailer
Six Girls, Five Pairs Of Legs?
There's an optical illusion on Reddit where someone seems to be missing their legs.
In this photo there are six women, but it looks like there are only five pairs of legs. The girl in the middle of the couch appears completely legless.
See the illusion explained at Business Insider
In this photo there are six women, but it looks like there are only five pairs of legs. The girl in the middle of the couch appears completely legless.
See the illusion explained at Business Insider
Territorial Disputes
A World of Disputed Territories maps all the countries in the world fighting over the control of land right now.
Via Boing Boing
Wednesday, December 28, 2016
A Day In The Life Of Auschwitz Today
After is a short documentary by Polish director Lukasz Konopaa that takes a haunting look at the daily activities of Auschwitz today, where the horrors of the past and the activities of the present exist side by side.
AFTER from Lukasz Konopa on Vimeo.
More here
Via
AFTER from Lukasz Konopa on Vimeo.
More here
Via
24 Hours On The Streets Of Cuba
Paris-based photographer Aliocha Boi took this series of photos in Cuba two weeks prior to the passing of Fidel Castro. I visited Havana for the first time just a few weeks later and , like most people, was struck by its beautiful decay.
Via
Via
Midnight Modern
Melbourne photographer Tom Blachford's project Midnight Modern shows classic mid-century architecture under the light of a full moon. Lovely.
Via
Via
Free DIY Musical Instrument Plans: Cigar Box Guitars, Ukuleles & more
Cigar Box Nation has just updated their archive of free DIY musical instrument plans. From the simple 3-string cigar box guitar instructional that started the Cigar Box Guitar Revolution to historical plans dating back to the 1800's.
Via
Tuesday, December 27, 2016
Ice Call - Sam Favret
Skiing the Mer de Glace (Sea of Ice), France’s 7km long, 200m deep glacier.
Ice Call - Sam Favret / Backyards Project from PVS COMPANY on Vimeo.
This video makes me want to drag out my antique skis and hit the slopes!
Via TwistedSifter
Ice Call - Sam Favret / Backyards Project from PVS COMPANY on Vimeo.
This video makes me want to drag out my antique skis and hit the slopes!
Via TwistedSifter
25 Best Films 2016
A video countdown of the 25 best films of 2016 edited by David Ehrlich (@davidehrlich)
Halifax Declares War On "Flushable" Wipes
'Flushable' wipes don't disintegrate and wreak havoc on sewers, at a huge cost to municipalities. Halifax, Nova Scotia has put together a video that explains the problem and the star of this video is toilet paper.
Via Boing Boing
Via Boing Boing
Monday, December 26, 2016
Making Kumiko Lattice
The Japanese craft of Kumiko requires the use of thousands of tiny, carefully cut sticks of wood, each individually placed to form intricate lattice panels.
Explore Sir John Soane's Museum in 3D
This small London museum houses the eclectic collection of 19th century architect, Sir John Soane. Only 90 visitors are allowed at a time, which often means a queue outside. The recently launched website will allow many more visitors to explore the rooms of his crowded townhouse in 3D.
More
Mapping the Shadows of New York City
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| Midtown Manhattan in the winter. |
From the winter shadows cast on the Hudson from One World Trade to the bright, sun-dappled street corners of Midtown Manhattan in spring ... all of the shadows produced by thousands of buildings in New York City over the course of one day mapped.
More: The New York Times"Calculating the length and shape of a shadow cast from a simple object can be easily done with pen, paper and some basic math. But architects use a more sophisticated method known as ray tracing; it simulates the effects a ray of light can have on a building and its surroundings. Most analyses of shadows study just a few buildings at a time. What made it an interesting problem for the researchers at the Tandon School of Engineering at New York University was how to do it at a scale so you could quickly study whole neighborhoo
A time-lapse view of Madison Square Park. Chang W. Lee/The New York Times
ds."
Wattway, Paving The Way To Tomorrow's Energy
Radioactive Greenhouse
Dutch artist Victor Engbers made this greenhouse with uranium glass for the Amsterdam Light Festival (don't worry, it's only slightly radioactive). The material was a favourite of the ancient Romans who liked its greenish colour. It's even more beautiful when hit by uv light.
Mario Giacomelli, 1968
Mario Giacomelli was a self-taught Italian photographer. At 13, he left high school to work as a typesetter and spent his weekends painting. AfterWW2 he was inspired by the Neo-Realist films of Vittorio De Sica and Roberto Rossellini and eventually developed a style characterized by bold compositions and stark contrasts.
Via Ferocious Sprout
Sunday, December 25, 2016
First Dinosaur Tail Found Preserved in Amber
The tail of a 99-million-year-old dinosaur, including bones, soft tissue, and even feathers, has been found preserved in amber.
More here
More here
A Peacock Spider Christmas
Snake Buddies has taken some original footage of peacock spiders by Jürgen Otto and added some delightful Christmas effects. Merry Christmas!
Via Neatorama
Via Neatorama
Sunday Links 35
I just want to be Canadian
The Man Who Cleans Up After Plane Crashes
Thorne Miniature Rooms: Each of these gorgeous, intricately decorated rooms is painstakingly crafted to the scale of 1 inch: 1 foot. I saw them when I was in Chicago and they were my favourite thing at the Art Institute.
The movie that doesn’t exist and the Redditors who think it does: Over the years, hundreds of people online have shared memories of a cheesy Nineties movie called “Shazaam”. There is no evidence that such a film was ever made. What does this tell us about the quirks of collective memory?
'My best travel discovery of 2016' Writers and adventurers to share their best discovery of the year. My bucket list has just gotten longer.
The secret lives of Toronto’s Chinese bottle ladies Whether it is to make some pocket change, or just to stay active, older Chinese women have been scouring the city’s streets for years in search of recyclables.
The Dog Father - Indian Man Takes Care of 735 Dogs That Nobody Else Wants
How to bump Holocaust deniers off Google’s top spot? Pay Google Google ‘is unhappy’ with Holocaust denial beating the truth in its search results – but it probably makes more money that way.
The Last Bookbinder on the Lower East Side
Next-Level Mirror Mosaics: Long before the first disco ball glittered on the dance floor, Persian artisans were masterfully piecing together complex geometries in mirror, called aineh-kari.
Finding North America’s lost medieval city Cahokia was bigger than Paris—then it was completely abandoned.
This is a very disturbing story Drug firms poured 780M painkillers into WV amid rise of overdoses The unfettered shipments amount to 433 pain pills for every man, woman and child in West Virginia. Tell me there isn't something very wrong with that.
A tour of the Staten Island railway, the forgotten step-child of the MTA Subway system.
The Rooms They Left Behind: After the deaths of these 10 notable people, The New York Times photographed their private spaces — as they left them.
Angling for Warmth in Winter: 21 Ice Fishing Hut Designs
Florencio Sanchidrián is regarded as the world’s best ham slicer. He charges $4,000 for Slicing a Leg of Spanish Cured Ham
The first female doctor in Britain spent 56 years disguised as a man. James Barry's true identity was a military secret for nearly a century.
Polar Bears’ Path to Decline Runs Through Alaskan Village : The bears that come here are climate refugees, on land because the sea ice they rely on for hunting seals is receding. Thanks Bruce!
The Unsettling Work of a Female Cuban Printmaker: UCLA’s Fowler Museum has organized the first solo museum show in the US for Belkis Ayón, a black Cuban artist who was a master of collography. Worth a look.
The Little-Known History of How the Canadian Government Made Inuit Wear ‘Eskimo Tags’
Caetano Veloso’s ‘Tropical Truth’: Caetano Veloso is an aesthete, not a man of politics, but the times and his conscience lent a political valence to his aesthetic choices.
Cuba, in Clothes From the country’s secret black market stores to the emerging designers staking their economic claim, a look at how Cubans buy, sell, and make what they wear. Thanks Bruce!
Guilty Memories from an Anglo Montreal Childhood Like many English speakers growing up in Quebec, I saw myself as a victim. But within our own enclaves, we often acted like bigots.
The New Criticism: 10 Favorite Video Essays of 2016
The Man Who Cleans Up After Plane Crashes
Thorne Miniature Rooms: Each of these gorgeous, intricately decorated rooms is painstakingly crafted to the scale of 1 inch: 1 foot. I saw them when I was in Chicago and they were my favourite thing at the Art Institute.
The movie that doesn’t exist and the Redditors who think it does: Over the years, hundreds of people online have shared memories of a cheesy Nineties movie called “Shazaam”. There is no evidence that such a film was ever made. What does this tell us about the quirks of collective memory?
'My best travel discovery of 2016' Writers and adventurers to share their best discovery of the year. My bucket list has just gotten longer.
The secret lives of Toronto’s Chinese bottle ladies Whether it is to make some pocket change, or just to stay active, older Chinese women have been scouring the city’s streets for years in search of recyclables.
The Dog Father - Indian Man Takes Care of 735 Dogs That Nobody Else Wants
How to bump Holocaust deniers off Google’s top spot? Pay Google Google ‘is unhappy’ with Holocaust denial beating the truth in its search results – but it probably makes more money that way.
The Last Bookbinder on the Lower East Side
Next-Level Mirror Mosaics: Long before the first disco ball glittered on the dance floor, Persian artisans were masterfully piecing together complex geometries in mirror, called aineh-kari.
Finding North America’s lost medieval city Cahokia was bigger than Paris—then it was completely abandoned.
This is a very disturbing story Drug firms poured 780M painkillers into WV amid rise of overdoses The unfettered shipments amount to 433 pain pills for every man, woman and child in West Virginia. Tell me there isn't something very wrong with that.
A tour of the Staten Island railway, the forgotten step-child of the MTA Subway system.
The Rooms They Left Behind: After the deaths of these 10 notable people, The New York Times photographed their private spaces — as they left them.
Angling for Warmth in Winter: 21 Ice Fishing Hut Designs
Florencio Sanchidrián is regarded as the world’s best ham slicer. He charges $4,000 for Slicing a Leg of Spanish Cured Ham
The first female doctor in Britain spent 56 years disguised as a man. James Barry's true identity was a military secret for nearly a century.
Polar Bears’ Path to Decline Runs Through Alaskan Village : The bears that come here are climate refugees, on land because the sea ice they rely on for hunting seals is receding. Thanks Bruce!
The Unsettling Work of a Female Cuban Printmaker: UCLA’s Fowler Museum has organized the first solo museum show in the US for Belkis Ayón, a black Cuban artist who was a master of collography. Worth a look.
The Little-Known History of How the Canadian Government Made Inuit Wear ‘Eskimo Tags’
Caetano Veloso’s ‘Tropical Truth’: Caetano Veloso is an aesthete, not a man of politics, but the times and his conscience lent a political valence to his aesthetic choices.
Cuba, in Clothes From the country’s secret black market stores to the emerging designers staking their economic claim, a look at how Cubans buy, sell, and make what they wear. Thanks Bruce!
Guilty Memories from an Anglo Montreal Childhood Like many English speakers growing up in Quebec, I saw myself as a victim. But within our own enclaves, we often acted like bigots.
The New Criticism: 10 Favorite Video Essays of 2016
Saturday, December 24, 2016
Artist Indulges In a Bit Of Tit For Tat
"Vantablack" absorbs 99.96 per cent of light, which makes it the darkest pigment known to man and artists dreamed of using it in their works. When NanoSystems announced that Indian artist Anish Kapoor had been granted exclusive rights to use the world’s darkest black artists were furious. Over ten years British artist Stuart Semple has developed the world's pinkest pink and you can now buy 50 grams of it for $4.95 - unless your name is Anish Kapoor. Semple has attached this disclaimer to the product:
*Note: By adding this product to your cart you confirm that you are not Anish Kapoor, you are in no way affiliated to Anish Kapoor, you are not purchasing this item on behalf of Anish Kapoor or an associate of Anish Kapoor. To the best of your knowledge, information and belief this paint will not make it's way into that hands of Anish Kapoor.Via
Futuristic Cars 1948
This short was released theatrically on May 21, 1948 and featured "streamlined marvels on wheels." I'm still waiting for them to arrive at my local automobile dealership.
Via Miss Cellania
Via Miss Cellania
No More Than a Litre of Wine a Day
A French sobriety campaign from the 1950s recommended “Never more than one litre of wine per day… the correct serving: one quarter of a bottle per meal,” and beneath in large capital letters, “HEALTH, SOBRIETY“.
It wasn’t until 1956, two years after the start of this campaign, that the consumption of alcohol was outlawed in French schools for children under 14.
Hasui Kawase’s Wintry Woodblock Prints
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| “Snow at Tsukijima” (1930) |
 |
| “Tokyo (Santa in the Snow)” (1950) |
More here
DIY Kimono Wedding Dress
Japanese brides-to-be are modifying traditional furisode long-sleeve kimonos into stunning strapless wedding dresses. It only takes about 10 minutes. The sleeves are first folded down and then tied into a decorative bow in the back. And the best part is they can still wear them as kimonos afterwards.
Via
The Year Kenny Loggins Ruined Christmas
What may be the best Christmas post ever from Allie at Hyperbole and a Half who still holds a small amount of resentment toward Kenny Loggins.
Enjoy it here.
The Longest Night
Better late than never. A cut paper/ silhouette stop-motion animation in tribute to the winter solstice, the longest night of the year. Music, words, art & animation by Angie Pickman.
The Longest Night from Angie Pickman on Vimeo.
Via my sister.
The Longest Night from Angie Pickman on Vimeo.
Via my sister.
Friday, December 23, 2016
Kedi, A Beautiful Documentary About the Street Cats of Istanbul
Kedi is a full-length documentary about the hundreds of thousands of highly interactive street cats that roam the metropolis of Istanbul. Claiming no owners, the cats live between two worlds, neither wild nor tame.
Kedi premieres in theaters February 10th, 2017.
Via
Kedi premieres in theaters February 10th, 2017.
Via
Mama Dog Begs, Brings Food Back to Pups
When a dog in Thailand is offered a chicken leg, you might expect her to gobble it up but this dog, chicken in mouth, scurries away immediately. Where is she going?
Looks like her pups got takeout tonight.
Via
Looks like her pups got takeout tonight.
Via
Virtual Holographic Roommates Will Soon Be Available In Japan
In December, 2017 anime lovers will be able to live with Hikari Azuma, a blue-haired anime girl who will be able to recognize different patterns in your life and respond to them. It will cost 298K yen (about $2500) for the pleasure of her company.
More here
More here
Thursday, December 22, 2016
This Human Diver and a Fish Have Been Friends For 25 Years
Tateyama Bay, in Japan’s Chiba Prefecture, is the meeting place of two very unlikely friends – local diver Hiroyuki Arakawa and an Asian sheepshead wrasse by the name of Yoriko. The pair met 25 years ago and have been visiting each other ever since.
Read more
Ingeniously Designed Nesting Bowls
Buy me these POURfect Mixing Bowls and you will be my new best friend. They have spill-guards and spouts for easy pouring - no need for a funnel - and come in a 1-2-4-6-8-12 Cup Bowl Set.
Via Boing Boing
What Lives Beneath
Roman Fedortsov works on a fishing trawler based in Murmansk, a port city in the extreme northwest part of Russia. He tweets photographs of his WTF catches.
Еще раз про #макрурус. #Чешуя как наждачка. #промысел #Баренцево_море #рыба #улов #трал #фото_с_борта_судна #рыбофабрика #траулер pic.twitter.com/5yAscLwEEx— Роман Федорцов (@rfedortsov) December 12, 2016
More here
Thanks Bruce!
How to Safely Delete Private Data Forever
What third-party eraser tools do is wipe over your sensitive files with random data, so not even the best recovery utility on the planet can bring them back.
More here
Wednesday, December 21, 2016
What every website knows about you
This website demonstrates all the data any website you visit can find out about you without asking permission and tells how to hide any of this information that you don't want to reveal.
Via Boing Boing
Best and Worst Of 2016 In One Drawing
Artist Niv Bavarsky has summarized the best and worst of what happened this past year for Beutler Ink in a re-imagined and updated drawing of Hieronymus Bosch’s The Garden of Earthly Delights.
More here
More here
Excuse Me, There's A Bug In Your Ear!
These unique earrings from the brand Double M created by Taiwanese designers Marc and Mango, are made in the shape of kabutomushi, the Japanese rhinoceros beetle. They are available in Japan on the Village Vanguard online shop.
New York Historical Society Preserves Post-Election Post-it-Note Project
The New York Historical Society will preserve a large section of the notes that have covered the walls of the Union Square subway station since November 8. The post-it notes represent a poignant moment of post-election solidarity.
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