arebelfansblog

elena anaya

2012-02-09T22:07:00.001-08:00

elena anaya

christina ricci black snake moan

2012-02-09T22:06:00.000-08:00

christina ricci black snake moan

Um fim de semana "animal"

2012-01-28T04:32:00.000-08:00

Bom, pra variar, o post de hoje está uma semana atrasado. É que prometi contar como foi meu fim de semana em São Paulo e acabei me enrolando e enrolando vocês... Mas a verdade é que eu tardo, mas não falho! E aqui está.

Pra começar quero dizer que tenho muito respeito pela dinâmica de cada família e não acho que o funciona na minha casa, com meu filho e meu marido, é um padrão que deve ser seguido como um “modelo fordista” e vice-versa. E, só para esclarecer, aqui em casa fazemos o seguinte: viagem com o Bernardo é para o Bernardo, afinal ele tem só três anos.

Quando a viagem prevê longos passeios, compras, almoços e jantares e até uma fugidinha a algum espetáculo ou cinema não levamos o Bernardo junto. AINDA! Não tenho experiência nisso, mas acho que vou perceber quando será hora de incluí-lo nesse tipo de programa.

No ano passado fizemos algumas experiências e levamos o Bernardo a um hotel fazenda aqui em Santa Catarina, alugamos uma casa em Gramado por duas vezes, nos hospedamos em um hotel em Curitiba. Nos divertimos muito.

Ah, esqueci de dizer que o Bernardo tem uma verdadeira obsessão por animais e que por conta disso já conhecemos praticamente todos os bons zoológicos do Sul do País, com exceção do Zoo de Sapucaia do Sul (RS) – mas este ano ele não nos escapa!
Então, dessa vez aproveitamos que ele está em recesso escolar e decidimos unir o útil ao agradável. Levamos nosso monstrinho pra fazer sua primeira viagem de avião e conhecer o Zoo de São Paulo, o Zoo Safári e o Aquário de São Paulo! =) Enfim, um fim de semana “animal”! E foi mesmo.

Pra começar, ficamos num hotel bem legal pra quem vai a São Paulo com crianças, o Quality Suites Long Stay Vila Olímpia (Rua Alvorada , 1009 – Vila Olímpia). O hotel em si não é exatamente um Radisson (Avenida Cidade Jardim, 625 – Pinheiros),que é da mesma rede , a Atlantica Hotels International, mas tem um plus! O pulo do gato é que o apartamento dispõe de uma pequena cozinha e dois quartos (e não são apartamentos conjugados!).

O Bernardo adorou essa história de voar e quis ver tudo, da decolagem a aterrissagem.

Chegamos a São Paulo almoçamos no Jardineira Grill (Av. dos Bandeirantes, 1001 - Vila Olímpia), que fica ao lado do hotel e dispensa comentários. Sem mais demora fomos ao Zoo Safári (Avenida do Cursino, 6338, Vila Moraes). Tinha acabado de começar a garoar. Como não estávamos de carro, compramos ingressos para fazer o passeio numa van do Zoo. E acho que foi a melhor opção. No trajeto, alguns animais, como avestruzes e veados, vêm comer ração em nossas mãos e acabam danificando os veículos.

A proximidade com eles é incrível e a turma da nossa van era divertidíssima. O Bernardo surtou geral!

Em seguida fomos ao Zoológico de São Paulo. Compramos os ingressos e demos cinco passos para dentro do lugar quando começou cair o maior temporal! Esperamos um pouco pra ver se a chuva iria parar, mas o Bernardo começou a ficar impaciente. Voltamos para o hotel.

À noite fomos jantar num lugar bem legal, a Pizzaria Casa Braz (R. Graúna, 125 – Moema).

O ambiente é seimples e bonito. Mas o melhor é que a pizza é uma delícia! Na volta, o Bernardo chegou no hotel, tomou banho e capotou. Só acordou no dia seguinte. ;)

O domingo ficou reservado para o Aquário de São Paulo e o Zoológico. Nosso vôo estava marcado para às 16h, então, tomamos café e não perdemos tempo.

Primeira parada, Aquário de São Paulo (Rua Huet Bacelar, 407 – Ipiranga). Sobre o lugar, apenas uma palavra: demais! Tem jacarés (Tenso...), pingüins, leão marinho, peixe boi, tubarões, arraias, mil peixes diferentes, lontras!

Dessa vez quem surtou foi eu! AMOOOOOOO muito!

Uma das partes mais legais da visita ao Aquário de São Paulo é o momento em que a gente entra em uma réplica de submarino onde há vários aquários interligados. Ali é possível ver arraias e tubarões nadando ao nosso lado e sobre nossas cabeças! Lindo!

Sem parar pra pensar, fomos pro Zoo (Avenida Miguel Estéfano, 4241
Água Funda). Sensacional! Lotado, mas sensacional.

Não botei fé que o paulistano curtia esse tipo de programa! =(

Olha, eu já tinha visto muitos bichos em zoo, mas nunca tinha visto rinocerontes!

Além disso, tem girafas lindas, tamaduás, ursos de óculos, guarás (amo!), elefantes, tucanos e flamingos...

A única coisa chata é uma turma que fica na entrada de dentro do Zoo se oferecendo para tirar fotos da sua família! O serviço é bacana, mas o povo é chato demais! Deveria ter só um stand e os interessados procurariam o serviço, mas não. Eles te pegam pelo braço e oferecem a foto umas mil vezes! Uuuuuurrrrrrgh! =/

Vou confessar, saímos de lá às 12h45 e não vistamos todo o zoo. O Bernardo estava podre, e nós também.

Almoçamos no caminho na Pizza Hut, da Avenida Bandeirantes. Normal. Passamos no hotel pra pegar nossa bagagem e fomos para Congonhas. Ficamos “apenas” 55 minutos na final do check-in da Gol, afinal, estávamos com uma criança e tínhamos bagagem pra despachar. A fila de atendimento preferencial estava ainda maior do que a tradicional! Uma loucura. Embarcamos loucos de vontade de voltar pra casa.

Foi bem corrido, mas foi “animal”! O Bernardo, que era nosso público-alvo, a-do-rou!

Beijo!

Colorê 2012!

2012-01-25T07:16:00.000-08:00

Essa semana o Colorê reiniciou suas atividades. Depois de um período curtinho de férias, nosso blog de desafios de scrap volta com novidades e uma nova atividade!

A primeira novidade é que agora o time designers (DT) será dividido em dois grupos (A e B), que irão propor brincadeiras novas a cada 15 dias. Melhor pra você que segue o Colorê e adora um desafio! ;)

Outra coisa bacana é que o blog aderiu ao Mister Link. Esta medida é legal, por que lhe dará segurança de que seu trabalho foi recebido para participar do desafio, sem aquela história de ter que mandar e-mails e não saber se ele foi recebido.

E primeira a desafiar você e as DTs do Grupo A do Colorê em Janeiro é minha querida amiga e musa, Ana Castro. A idéia dela não podia ser mais legal para este época de férias: fazer um LO com pelo menos uma foto de uma paisagem ou lugar que te lembra ou faz feliz no Verão!

Podem aparecer pessoas na foto, mas o foco tem que ser o "lugar", o momento. O projeto tem que ter tamanho padrão (30,5 x 30,5 cm), mas os papéis, técnicas e título são livres.

Corre lá pra conferir quanta inspiração as DTs do Grupo A do Colorê prepararam para este desafio!

Um LO para Mê Dias...

2012-01-22T15:30:00.000-08:00

Oiê! Cheguei agora há pouco de um fim de semana super divertido em São Paulo (apesar do temporal de sábado) e estava louca pra mostrar uma página que fiz para o Desafio de Lift #01/2012, proposto pela Dri Gallinucci para o Fórum Yummy's!

A teacher homenageada este mês é a querida Rê Moni. E não foi nada fácil escolher um LO dela pra liftar, mas fui reduzindo, reduzindo, reduzindo minhas opções até que finalmente escolhi este, que a Rê fez para a Simone Oppes no amigo secreto de fim de ano do Fórum. Aff! A Rê está numa fase de backgrounds com papéis rasgados que me deixa boba! Acho tuuuudo lindo. Aliás, quero deixar um recado: Rê, minha flor, ninguém, e eu disse NINGUÉM, rasga papéis como você! Rsrsrsrsrs! E isso é um elogio!

A página está pronta desde o dia em que a Dri propôs o desafio, mas eu decidi aproveitar o lift e presentear uma amiga, a Mê Dias. Não preciso explicar os motivos do meu carinho por ela, eles são óbvios. Mas vou dar apenas um. O primeiro semestre do ano passado foi emocionalmente difícil pra mim e ela me escutou como ninguém num momento em que eu precisava apenas que me escutassem. E, naquele momento, ela me escutou, me deu carinho e um ombro pra chorar. Mas a Mê foi além (que novidade!). Sempre que nos falamos virtualmente ou pessoalmente ela se mostra uma amiga de verdade.

Então, resolvi aproveitar uma foto linda que a Catarina Monguilhott fez da Mê, em novembro de 2011, aqui em Floripa.

Escolher os papéis foi a parte mais fácil! Sempre que eu olhava pra foto só pensava na coleção Nantucket, da PinkPaislee. Mas daí, a moça foi passar as férias na praia e tive que ter paciência para enviá-lo, pra fazer uma surpresa. Ela voltou na última sexta, justo o dia em que a "encomenda" chegou na casa dela. Time perfeito! =)

Aí está, "Explore":

É isso. Volto amanhã pra contar da minha ida a Sampa.

Beijos!

LO "Celebrate your life with Friends"

2012-01-20T04:28:00.000-08:00

Bom dia! Estava louca pra postar o último LO que fiz com uma foto tirada pela Kênia Faria no aniversário da Maga. A festa foi um almoço delicioso na Pousada dos Golfinhos, da Ana Luiza, lá em Canasvieiras.

As turmas do ScrapTime, da Mundo do Scrap, se reuniram pra cantar parabéns pra Maga, bater fotos e fofocar muuuuiiiito, mas não necessariamente nesta ordem. =)
Eu adorei, por que foi uma ótima oportunidade de rever as meninas que eu não via há algum tempo e de conhecer melhor outras que eu só conhecia das conversas lá da loja. Foi uma delícia!

"Celebrate your life with Friends":

Usei a mesma coleção do LO que postei na terça, Miss Nelly Collection, da KaiseCraft. Além desses papéis, usei outros dois, um da October Afternoon e outro da Crate Paper. Os alfabetos são Studio Calico e October. As flores de feltro foram cortadas na Sizzix.

É isso!

Baijo.

LO para o Desafio do Sketch #18

2012-01-17T13:11:00.000-08:00

Voltei! Pela terceira vez hoje. A previsão do tempo não é boa, fatalmente irá chover em Florianópolis! =)

Acabei de terminar uma página e queria mostrar, "Happy moments are Forever". É um projeto bem romântico, baseado no Sketch proposto pela Rô Phillipsen para o desafio #18, do Fórum Yummy's:

Incialmente eu não sabia bem o que fazer com estes papéis (Miss Nelly Collection, da KaiserCraft). Não preciso dizer que essa coleção tem rosa demais, né?! Rsrsrsrs! Bom, mas eu tinha uma missão: neutralizar o rosa e harmonizá-lo com outras cores.

Não vou negar, pensei em desistir. Parecia uma missão impossível! Quando comecei a arranjar os papéis no projeto eu só via rosa, rosa, rosa. Quase enlouqueci, mas daí lembrei que eu tinha a cartela de adesivos da mesma coleção e comecei a ver uma luz no fim do túnel. O coração não é da KaiserCraft, é da Glitz (se não me engano!).

E, à medida que o rosa foi dando espaço para o verde, o azul (jeans) e o vermelho, passei a ter alguma simpatia por esta página. =) Na verdade, gostei bastante da página.

Beijo, beijo!

2012: Meta 1 - Vibrar mais!

2012-01-17T08:40:00.000-08:00

Não sei bem em que momento parei de postar aqui quando uma página minha era escolhida no Top Designer do Fórum Yummy's. Mas só me dei conta disso no final de 2011, quando a Mê Dias escolheu um dos meus LOs preferidos no Top Designer 33:

Ela disse: "Fá, você sabe que adoro seu trabalho. Este me chamou atenção, em primeiro lugar, por esta foto linda. Depois pelo título maravilhoso e o equilíbrio e harmonia de todos os elementos na página, perfeita! Lindíssimo seu trabalho, parabéns."

Pois é, era final de ano... E final de ano já viu, né?! Nada mais tem importância. Mas início de ano é diferente, queremos começar bem, ter novos objetivos, enfim, fazer melhor que no ano anterior. Assim, minha primeira meta para 2012 é vibrar mais com as minhas conquistas!

Assim sendo, aí está: tem outro LO meu entre os escolhidos para o Top Designer 34, o primeiro de 2012. E pra ninguém dizer que sou boba, que não tenho motivos pra me orgulhar (Kkkkk!), meu LO "It's Christmas Day" foi escolhido por ninguém mais ninguém menos que Larissa Albernaz, minha musa mor! Te mete!

E a Larissa disse: "Adorei o estilo clean com design perfeito, valorizando a foto e os padrões dos papéis, muito lindo!"

Então, vamos vibrar mais em 2012!

Beijo, beijo!

Que País é esse?!

2012-01-17T08:22:00.000-08:00

Oi, povo! E essa história de abuso sexual no BBB12, hein?! Bapho! Na boa, não curto o programa, muito menos o "elenco" dele, mas, vamos combinar, que um cara que abusa de uma mulher é um verme, né?! Aliás, acho que chamá-lo de verme é até um elogio - e uma ofensa aos vermes, é claro!

Não estou aqui para discutir a índole dos integrantes. Se a menina é isso ou aquilo, se o cara é cabra ou é cabrito, o problema é deles. Mas nada, e eu disse NADA, justifica uma violência como essa. Se a garota bebeu ou se ofereceu, não sei, mas, ainda assim, tem o direito de dizer sim ou não ao "garanhão". Aff!

Ah, e tudo isso devidamente documentado e transmitido pela TV. Bem ao alcance de você e sua família! Argh! :$

Sinceramente não tenho mais estômago pra uma série de barbaridades que tem acontecido ultimamente. Como aquela história da tal enfermeira que maltratou o pobre yorkshire... Passei uma semana sem poder olhar pro meu pobre amigo Lula (que é a cara do finado york). Aliás, virou moda maltratar cachorros nesse País. Arrastar cachorros em motos e carros é rotina. Crianças, então, nem vou comentar. :X Socorro!

É por essas e muitas outras que assisto cada vez menos TV.

Era só pra desabafar, ok?

Beijo.

Nota: Agora a tal da guria resolveu negar que tenha havido abuso ou sexo e que a troca de carícias foi consentida?! Ela ainda se negou a fazer exame de corpo de delito. Ai, ai... Ainda bem que, mais cedo quando escrevi este post, não resolvi discutir a índole dos envolvidos, por que, pelo visto ambos se merecem!

LO com aba que esconde mais fotos!

2012-01-12T09:07:00.000-08:00

Hello! Não disse que voltava hoje?! Deve ser por isso que a previsão do tempo para Florianópolis é de temporal no fim da tarde! Kkkkkk! Com trovoadas! Hahahaha!

Agora, sério! Voltei pra postar mais um LO que terminei esta semana e que é um pouco diferente do que estou acostumada a fazer. Dá pra ver que é meu, mas tem um recurso que uso pouco (ou será que nunca usei?!): uma aba que esconde mais fotos.

Usei uma coleção de papéis pela qual estou absolutamente "in love", Farmhouse (October Afternoon, claro!). Linda, linda, linda. As estampas são superdelicadas, românticas sem ser melosas demais e os adesivos e chips são megafofos! Aff! Gamei.

Aí está, "My Family":

As fotos são de um fim de semana que passamos lá em Curitiba e foram tiradas no Parque Tanguá, lindo!

Bom, eu adorei fazer uma coisa diferente. Espero que vocês também tenham gostado.

Beijo!

LOs de Natal

2012-01-11T07:07:00.000-08:00

Oiê! Feliz ano novo! Espero que tenham começado bem o ano. =)

Meu 2012 começou corrido, assim como terminou o ano passado. É que minha fiel escudeira Célia está de férias e estou, digamos assim, por conta própria... A casa está de pernas para o ar, socorro! Mas amanhã acaba esse suplício: ela volta ao trabalho.

Passei rapidinho pra postar duas páginas natalinas que fiz com fotos do Bernardo. Usei basicamente a coleção Holiday Stile (October Afternoon), que é muuuuito fofa, vamos combinar?!

Então, aí está: "December, 25".

A outra é "It's Christmas Day"

É isso. Amanhã volto pra postar mais alguma coisa!

Beijo, beijo.

Home Interior Catalog

2012-01-01T05:03:00.000-08:00

Home Interior Catalog

Feliz 2012!

2011-12-30T09:52:00.000-08:00

“Mas, quando falo dessas pequenas felicidades certas, que estão diante de cada janela, uns dizem que essas coisas não existem. Outros, que só existem diante das minhas janelas, e outros finalmente dizem, que é preciso aprender a olhar, para poder vê-las assim…” - Cecília Meireles

Um 2012 espetacular para todos nós! Até!

Amigo Secreto do Colorê

2011-12-23T13:24:00.000-08:00

Olá, meninas! Estou aqui hoje pra revelar o nome de quem eu peguei no Amigo Secreto de fim de ano que fizemos no Colorê! Adorei minha amiga secreta. Não nos conhecemos pessoalmente, apesar de morarmos em município vizinhos, Florianópolis e São José, mas já temos uma história. Além de fazer parte do Time de Designers do Colorê, formamos dupla na brincadeira de aniversário de 1 ano do Colorê.

Quem disse a Ana Paula Neves acertou! E aí está a página que fiz com a foto dos filhos dela, "Pieces of my Heart":

Queria acertar no presente, por isso fiz meu dever de casa. Como moramos próximas, temos amigas em comum e todas me disseram que a Paulinha é a delicadeza em pessoa, muito meiga, uma mãe carinhosa e muito romântica. Essa última característica nem precisavam me dizer, basta visitar o blog dela pra ver os layouts lindos que ela cria. Tudo com muitas flores e embellishments delicados.

Por isso, escolhi os papéis da Bonjour Collection (Kaiser), com tons românticos, femininos, apesar do filho dela estar na foto (bom, quem me conhece sabe que o rosa não me impede de fazer uma página para um menino!). Até usei minha faca do Tim Holtz pela primeira vez. Desenterrei um envelope craft Maya Road e caprichei nas borboletas, rendinhas, costurinhas e botões. ;)

Ela já me disse que gostou. Que bom, fiquei muito feliz. Foi feito com muito carinho de todo o meu coração.

Ah, ainda não recebi minha página. A amiga que me tirou já se revelou e está muito triste por não ter conseguido me entregar o LO antes do Natal. Querida, Raissa, só o fato de ser sua amiga secreta já é uma felicidade enorme. Tenho certeza de que, com todo o teu talento, o LO que me espera é maravilhoso! Agora é que vou começar a roer as unhas de ansiedade! Rsrsrsrsrsrs!

Assim que minha página chegar, posto aqui!

Beijo lindonas!

Seja feliz!

2011-12-22T03:06:00.000-08:00

Amigas, queridas! É com a carinha fofa e feliz do meu Bernardo que eu desejo a vocês um Natal maravilhoso. Espero que todas possam passar esta data cercadas das pessoas que amam, com muita saúde, alegrias, brincadeiras e fartura. Lembrem que não importa o tamanho dos nossos problemas, tudo pode ser visto por uma outra perspectiva e, se Deus quiser, tudo passa, tudo se ajeita.

Desejo um 2012 iluminado, com muito sucesso, realizações, boas notícias, ainda mais saúde, viagens e amor! Vamos nos comprometer em fazer o bem, olhar mais quem está ao nosso lado... Vamos fazer mais carinhos, sorrir, gargalhar, estar com quem nos faz bem e compartilhar nossas alegrias!

Espero que o ano novo seja ainda melhor do que esse que está no fim. Por que melhor do que celebrar o ano que se inicia é olhar para trás e poder se orgulhar de seus acertos. No próximo ano, reavalie suas atitudes, seja bom, ame muito! É o que desejo a você.

Beijos, beijos e mais beijos!

Nos vemos em 2012! Até lá.

=)

Modern Bathroom Interiors

2011-12-22T02:00:00.000-08:00

Modern Bathroom Interiors

Living Area Decor

2011-12-20T02:00:00.000-08:00

Living Area

Ideal Bedrooms

2011-12-20T01:56:00.000-08:00

Ideal Bedrooms

Dining Room

2011-12-20T01:54:00.000-08:00

Dining Room

Front Door Interior View

2011-12-17T09:16:00.000-08:00

Front Door

Mirror Interior Decoration Home

2011-12-17T09:08:00.000-08:00

Mirror Interior

Bush Home Interior

2011-12-17T09:01:00.000-08:00

Bush Home

Interior swimming pool

2011-12-17T08:33:00.000-08:00

swimming pool

ption

Roof Interior Design

2011-12-17T08:24:00.000-08:00

Roof

Interior Painting Ideas

2011-12-17T08:19:00.000-08:00

Interior Painting

Classroom Interior

2011-12-17T08:13:00.000-08:00

Classroom

Corner Interior

2011-12-17T08:04:00.000-08:00

Corner Interior

cabinet interior

2011-12-17T07:57:00.000-08:00

cabinet interior

cabinet interior

cabinet interior

Interior Decor English

2011-12-17T07:46:00.000-08:00

Interior Decor

How to choose toys for children with autism

2011-12-16T22:44:00.000-08:00

Results of research from the University of Montreal showed that in people with autism, a brain area associated with a highly developed visual information. While other areas of the brain are less active, which is part of the brain associated with decision-making and planning. This may explain why most people with autism have a remarkable ability to recall and describe objects in detail.

Results were also answered questions about the ability of "visual learner" who have children with autism. Many children with autism learn better with visuals. Characteristics of children with visual learner is happy toy puzzles, shapes, like watching videos, especially TV cartoons, like letters, numbers, and sometimes can be read without being taught. Why children are taught better visually? Because talking requires a short time (millisecond), so too fast for children with impaired speech / communication.

So the use of the pictures that draw very well in an effort to teach a basic concept. Also an interesting picture will affect their interest in toys, the greater the interest in the toy, the better their ability to receive instruction in basic concepts. Bright colors to the image can stimulate brain activity in the thought process of children with autism.

Therefore, when you choose toys for children with autism, choose a toy in the form of picture cards, props, fine motor toys, and computer games. Game with audio visual can help autistic children build good communication so that they are more quickly understood.

If you want another toy, choose toys balance and repetitive motion. For people who do not understand, this movement may be considered strange, but many researchers say that the repetitive movement helps children with autism regulate their body.

Activities for children with autism should be fun, challenging and should be aimed at their overall progress. Preparing activities for autistic children can help a lot in their development. The important thing to note is that when choosing toys, choose toys based on developmental level and autism symptoms experienced by children. In addition to the symptoms vary in type, intensity of symptoms of autism also vary, from very mild to very severe. Knowing the strengths and difficulties of a person with autism may help to better understand their needs and help them maximize their potential.

Picture: Paletto toys from Amazon

Kitchen Decor on Christmas

2011-12-16T20:27:00.000-08:00

Kitchen Decor on Christmas

Babies Bedroom Sets

2011-12-16T20:21:00.000-08:00

Babies Bedroom Sets

Bedroom Decor on Christmas

2011-12-16T20:16:00.000-08:00

Bedroom Decor on Christmas

Christmas Lighting House Interior

2011-12-16T20:13:00.000-08:00

Christmas Lighting House Interior

3D Interior Architecture of Living Room

2011-12-16T20:04:00.000-08:00

3D Interior Architecture of Living Room

Modern Interior Doors Miami

2011-12-16T19:59:00.000-08:00

Modern Interior Doors Miami

How to design a playground in your backyard

2011-12-14T22:53:00.000-08:00

Along with the development of settlements, especially in urban areas, the harder it is also looking for an open area for play for children. If anything, the parents were worried about the safety of their children. The solution is to create a playground in the yard. Playgrounds are not just a children's playground, more than that also as a means of recreation parks, playgrounds are also useful for sharpening the potential and power-sensitive children to the surrounding environment.

So, how to design a good playground for children? Home is the first place or mute witnesses who saw your child's development. Almost every minute, children digest and interact with the environment around the house. For that, the conditions are safe and comfortable home is necessary for development of the child. No exception when designing a playground, this is not just choose the type of game, but related to the growth and development and safety of children at play.

Safety became a priority because the child does not like adults who are sensitive to the threat of danger. Child's play according to what he likes. To that end, it is important to you as parents pay attention to the safety of children. For example, choose a soft floor coverings, such as grass or white sand. If you want to use hard materials, you can use the trail as a border or a start toward the playground.

To place and type of game, consider the land area. Take advantage of the remaining land house building. If the limited land area, place a playground in the front yard by utilizing the frontier line of the existing building at home. For this type of game, choose a swing that is not too high. If the area of land large enough, place the playground behind the house because it is more secure and private. Because the vast land, you can freely choose the type of game, such as slide, swings, playhouse.

To protect your child from heat or rain, you should install a canopy. Use a fiber or a polycarbonate material for the canopy as the sun's rays can still enter. Only, drawback when using the canopy, the floor base material can not use the grass, because grass will not grow. Alternatively can use other software elements such as sand. If want to keep using the grass, you can use artificial grass. Previously, make sure the artificial turf material is not harmful to children.

Regarding the security of the type of game, adjust the type of game with the child's age. And do routine checks on the type of game that you use. When showing the damage, should be corrected immediately, if it can not be repaired, replaced the better.

To make your child happy and comfortable during play, make a colorful playground. The colors that you can apply the tools of the game, such as red, yellow, and blue. Then the green color of grass, other colors that you can apply on the playground complementary elements, such as tables and chairs.

Photos: Plan Toys Playground from Amazon.

Beauty of Outdoors

2011-12-13T07:19:00.000-08:00

Outdoor Decor

Kitchen Decor

2011-12-13T07:17:00.000-08:00

Kitchen Decor

Tips for choosing a child's bedroom furniture

2011-12-12T00:15:00.000-08:00

The bedroom is a place where children spend a lot of time, because this is where children find the privacy they need. In this space they learn, play, and rest. Therefore, comfort and safety aspects to consider. Problem was that the children grow throughout the year so the need for bedroom furniture would be different from time to time to meet their needs. For those who have a big budget, this may not be so many problems, but for families with a small budget, this can be a big problem when kids need a new bed, but it costs too much.

Here are some practical tips on how to choose a child's bedroom furniture.

Ages of children

The most important thing to comfort a child's bedroom furniture is a child could easily use it. For example, height adjustable desk with a child's height, the cabinet door is opened and closed easily. This makes it more fun for the kids to stay in their rooms. Important! note the furniture for your child's safety.

Consider the needs of children

You need to consider the child's age, size, furnishing needs, and plan the future of a child's bedroom. Customize with your financial abilities. Encourage the child to talk about the need for their bedroom and what you can afford to give. Make a scale of priorities in meeting your child's bedroom furniture, so it does not interfere with your overall finances.

Size of bedroom

Note the size of your child's bedroom so you can buy furniture that fits in the room. Do not fill the room with furniture, reserving space for play because children need to play for the growth and development. If the size of the bedroom is not too broad, you should select the furniture that is multi-function, is to save space and the amount of furniture to be purchased. Eg bed with drawers on the bottom, it would be advantageous because it has lots of storage space, so that the child's bedroom into neat because the goods can be stored and nothing on the floor.

Get rid of unused furniture in the room so that there is only furnishings actually used. To train entrepreneurship or social life, you can ask your child to sell or donate bedroom furniture or unused toys to charity or the needy.

Caixa Postal para cartões de Natal

2011-12-11T06:19:00.000-08:00

Bom dia! Não sei se já disse isso aqui antes, mas meu forte não é fazer altered. Se não havia dito, agora disse. =)

E digo agora, por que todo o time de design do Colorê teve que fazer sugestões de cartões, árvores, caixas, móbiles, entre outras coisas, para o Natal. Gente, queimei muito fosfato até finalmente pensar em algo: uma caixa para cartões.

Aí está:

Não deixe de espiar o que as belas criações das DTs do Colorê.

Beijo.

18 Unbelievably Realistic Works of 3D Digital Art

2011-12-09T19:25:00.000-08:00

By Steph in Gadgets & Geek Art, Technology & Futurism

What can’t artists do with 3D computer graphics these days? Fantasy can be brought to life in ways never before imagined, and realistic scenes as clear as a digital photograph are illustrated with stunning vitality. These 18 CG images from 15 talented artists will blow you away with their depth and attention to detail, from the tiniest little pores on the skin of an elf to the fibers on a fuzzy sweater.

Piotr Fox Wysocki

(image via: cgsociety.org)

The texture of the fabric. The gleam of the metal helmet. The pores, tiny hairs and imperfections of the skin. Piotr Fox Wysocki proves his mastery of 3D art with “The Last Elf”, a truly mind-blowing testament to how powerful 3D modeling programs have become. The project was certainly a labor of love, as Fox Wysocki notes that “As far as I
remember there were 1,300,000 small hair in the fabric.”

Juan Siquier

(image via: siquier.cgsociety.org)

3D artist Juan Siquier has managed to stir together a complex pot of magical ingredients to make this image so believable and moody: perspective, lighting, texture, and all of the little details that make up a personal space. See it full-sized on CGSociety.org to really appreciate the artistry of this image.

Arthur Wiechec

(image via: djdrako.deviantart.com)

Polish artist Arthur Wiechec may design everyday items like wine glasses and chess boards, but he infuses an incredible amount of life into them. Only the physical impossibility of floating wine and precariously balanced quarters of a glass betray the source of the image.

Kuanfu Sun

(image via: apollo13c.cgsociety.org)

Macro photo of a bee, or work of computer art? Kuanfu Sun makes it hard to tell in this image, which is richly detailed down to floating bits of dandelion in the background.

Rodrigue Pralier

(image via: 3dtotal.com)

Principal Artist at Bioware Montreal , Rodrigue Pralier has worked on 3D characters and backgrounds for games like Mass Effect 2 . This particular piece was done using Zbrush, 3Ds Max and Photoshop.
“I wanted to do a piece with an old Samurai. He just had a fight and won over another samurai. He is completely detached, he has done it so many times before. Now he just awaits for the one who will beat him, and end his nonsense life.”

Hong Phi

(image via: hongphi.deviantart.com)

If you saw one of Vietnamese conceptual 3D artist Hong Phi’s interiors in a magazine, you’d never guess that it wasn’t a photograph of a richly appointed home. But all of these images – including the incredible food spread above – were made using CG.

Rick Baker

(image via: monstermaker.cgsociety.org)

Renowned makeup artist Rick Baker turned to CGI to create a stunning likeness of Frankenstein’s monster. “This piece entitled “The Monster” is based on one of my favorite stills, of my all time favorite monster Boris Karloff as Frankenstein’s Monster,” he writes on CG Society.
“I used Modo ZBrush and Photoshop to create this piece. Jack Pierce had crude materials in 1931 to create this makeup but managed to create an image that the whole world knows. Besides trying to do a likeness of Karloff I hoped to show some of the emotion that he put into this character.”

Mauro Corveloni

(image via: maurocor.cgsociety.org)

Mauro Corveloni’s “Muriel” may not quite look like a real woman – there’s something sort of waxy about her – but what’s truly impressive here is both the lighting and all of those tiny, fuzzy fibers on her hat and sweater.

Finn Meinert Matthiesen

(image via: madmaximus83.deviantart.com)

It’s an idyllic scene – a romantic picnic with textured table linens, a glass wine bottle, fruit and a basket full of bread with a lilypad-covered lake in the background. German graphic designer Finn Meinert Matthiesen says he used 3D-Studio Max 2009, VRay and Photoshop to create this image.

Max Wahyudi

(image via: student.vfs.com)

It’s tempting to assume that Max Wahyudi must have just edited an image of Heath Ledger as The Joker for this image – such is its realism. But you can see the whole fascinating modeling process laid out step-by-step at Max’s website, as each element is carefully arranged and enhanced.

Max Kor

(image via: mkor.cgsociety.org)

Each tiny eyelash, fine little hair, bump, wrinkle and scar make this 3D CG image by Max Kor astonishingly realistic – not to mention the reflections on the figure’s chain mail. And this image isn’t even an example of the latest and greatest 3D technology – it was created in 2005, making it all the more impressive.

Ed Whetstone

(image via: edthehobbit.cgsociety.org)

“This project was all about texturing something deceptively simple, the Sultan of Slime, the humble snail,” artist Ed Whetstone explains. “Then, the challenge was to composite it convincingly onto a photographic plate. The trickiest bit was replicating the very particular pattern of bumps and protrusions that snails always exhibit. This particular snail isn’t based on any specific species, but a mishmash of ones I thought looked interesting.”

Pasquale Giacobelli

(image via: karma3d.cgsociety.org)

Pasquale Giacobelli’s images may not have quite the crispness and shocking realism as some of his fellow 3D artists, but his art has a special something that many of them are lacking – humanity. There’s something in the eyes of his subjects that seems more fully alive than most computer-generated portraits.

Cornelius Comanns

(image via: cernulois.cgsociety.org)

Reflections can be tough to get right in any artistic work, but Cornelius Comanns has certainly crafted them convincingly in this piece, featuring an ice cube and two ladybugs.

Alex Stratulat

(image via: alexstratulat.cgsociety.org)

It really takes a moment to realize you’re not looking at an actual photograph of a young woman in this 3D work of art by Alex Stratulat.

‘BUMPS In Beijing’: Breaking Free From Drab Slabs

2011-12-09T19:22:00.000-08:00

By Steve in Architecture & Design, Travel & Places, Urban Images

Call it “urban jungle lite.” BUMPS In Beijing is a 5-building, mixed residential and commercial apartment complex located in the Chinese capital’s prestigious Chaoyang District. Japanese architect Keiichiro Sako’s neo-Metabolist “bumpy” design is a stylistic break from slab-sided traditional urban towers, providing optimum sunshine and breezy terraces that brighten up Beijing’s increasingly cramped skyline.

Smokin’ Stacks

(image via: Contemporist)
“BUMPS in Beijing”, a mixed-use, 5-building complex designed by Japanese architect Keiichiro Sako of SAKO Architects, is located in southwest Beijing’s desirable Chaoyang District.
(images via: Zeospot, ArNewDe and Globizen)
Even among a host of new and exciting highrise developments, BUMPS stands out – literally – thanks to its unusual stacked, staggered and yes: “bumpy” appearance.
(images via: Shearyadi’s World and World Architecture News)
BUMPS consists of four residential apartment buildings, each standing 80 meters (262.5 ft) tall and set at the corners of an imaginary square. The fifth member of the complex is a centrally located 6-story commercial building with a restaurant occupying most of the top floor.
(images via: Shearyadi’s World and Contemporist)
Right off the bat, BUMPS breaks with tradition by rotating the buildings’ footprints 45 degrees from the north-south axis. While seemingly unremarkable, one must consider that in Beijing almost all large buildings are oriented with a north-south plan. As Beijing is located north of the Earth’s equator, this means windows looking out of the north sides of these buildings will almost never catch direct sunlight.

Setback To Where You Once Belonged

(images via: Contemporist and World Architecture News)
Sako’s design for BUMPS was predicated on “daylighting” – introducing as much natural light as possible into each apartment unit regardless of its position in the complex. The 45 degree twist immediately doubled the sunlit facings. More ambitious was the staggered look of the individual apartment units and the visual effect the style imparted to the buildings as a whole.
(images via: ArchDaily and World Architecture News)
Looking at one of the towers, one can count 14 stories. Not so fast: each unit is made up of one white and one black module, with the upper section set back 2 meters (6.56 ft) from the lower. This allows each unit to offer not only an upstairs and downstairs, but an outdoor terrace as well.
(images via: Anchor Eighteen and Toki)
Repeated over the entire length, breadth and height of each tower, the series of setbacks gives the whole a unique modular appearance reminiscent of Tokyo’s famous Nakagin Capsule Tower (above, right) which actually WAS built from individual modules.

Let There Be Light!

(image via: Inhabitat)
The bumpy, blocky, Jenga-esque facades of the BUMPS complex with their interspersed rectangular modules remind some of stacked black & white shipping containers, though nothing so bare-bones basic would have a chance of being approved for Chaoyang. In contrast to some other neighborhoods in overcrowded Beijing, Chaoyang today boasts wide green belts, mature trees and widely separated highrise buildings. On the other hand, what’s the deal with the bus parking lot?
(images via: Modresdes, Wallpaper and PropGOluxury)
BUMPS lets in light through hundreds of 1-meter (3.28 ft) square windows. It remains to be seen if interior brightness levels will vary much from other designs offering floor-to-ceiling picture windows but it can be said, at least, that the wealth of identical square apertures add to the complex’s overall design aesthetic.
(image via: Izismile)
The total area of BUMPS is 103,218 square meters (1,111,065 sq ft), which befits its status as a landmark development Beijing urban planners are hoping will attract further projects to this part of Chaoyang. As always, the possibility remains that pressure from well-connected real estate moguls will result in overbuilding but at present, BUMPS literally stands alone as an urban island bathed in sunlight.

Inside Job

(images via: Shearyadi’s World and RoomU)
Construction on BUMPS began in 2006 and by late 2008 the complex was ready to welcome its first residents. If these interior images are any indication, BUMPS offers an abundance of linear space with very few obstructions or obtrusive load-bearing walls. Daylight entering through southeast and southwest facing windows penetrates all the way to the opposite sides, potentially saving on interior lighting costs over time.
(images via: Shearyadi’s World and SAKO)
Staircases linking upper and lower halves of the units are distinctive in their own right, formed from U-shaped segments in alternating black and white that make up the stair treads and the handrails.
(image via: SAKO)
On the downside, some residents may feel put off by the long inside walls and complete lack of any curved surfaces. Sometimes, efforts to increase a sense of spaciousness can impart a feeling of smallness from the perspective of the beholder. Reactions of anxiety, even alienation, have bedeviled urban planners since the first modern highrise apartment blocks were built in the early 1950s.
(image via: Zeospot)
Only time will tell if BUMPS In Beijing will succeed on an emotional level the way it has as a pure design on paper. New kid on the block? We kid you not!

Senior City-zens: The 10 Oldest Still-Inhabited Cities

2011-12-09T19:21:00.000-08:00

By Steve in Architecture & Design, History & Factoids, Travel & Places, Urbanism

Urban society may seem a modern phenomenon but cities have been around for a lot longer than one might think. Indeed, once nomadic tribes began to settle in one location, they saw that it was good, became fruitful, and multiplied. Decades, centuries and millennia passed while war, climate change and human migration all took their toll. Relatively few ancient cities have managed to survive the test of time. Here are 10 that have not only survived, but continue to thrive.

Damascus, Syria

(images via: Frederick Highland, Man In Demand and Historic Cities)
Damascus, the current capital of Syria, has a long and colorful history that stretches back nearly 12,000 years. Located in a fertile region well-watered by the Barada river, Damascus was a prime target of numerous kings and conquerors – and often wound up on the losing side.
(image via: EuroMesco)
Over 4 million people live in metropolitan Damascus today and, partly due to a skilfully constructed network of canals built nearly 3,500 years ago, boasts a multitude of parks and green spaces. Since 1979 Damascus has been UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Jericho, West Bank

(images via: Wikipedia and Bible Archaeology)
The ancient city of Jericho is the world’s oldest walled city, with evidence of stone fortifications dating back nearly 9,000 years; long before the “walls came tumblin’ down” events depicted in the Bible. Archaeological digs have turned up traces of habitation that are even older: up to 11,000 years ago!
(image via: SBF)
Not only has Jericho been continually inhabited for over one hundred centuries, scientists have uncovered a virtual layer cake of settlements – 20 in fact, built one on top of the other down to the present day. Now that’s something worth blowing your horn about… oh, wait.

Susa, Iran

(images via: Iran Facts)
Dating back to approximately 8000 BC, the ancient Iranian city of Susa rose to prominence again and again under Elamite, Babylonian, Achaemenian, Greek, Parthian, Sasanian and Persian civilizations.
(image via: CAIS News)
Today Susa is known as “Shush” though things have rarely been quiet there over its very long life. Susa is where the sole representation of the Code of Hammurabi was found. The 7-foot tall basalt stele was taken back to Susa in the 12th century BC and rediscovered in 1901. It now resides in Paris’ Louvre Museum.

Plovdiv, Bulgaria

(images via: Cultural Tourism and Virtual Tourist)
One way of measuring a city’s age is to note the number of names it has had. In the case of Plovdiv, the list begins with Eumolpias, changing to Philippoupolis when it was conquered by Philip II of Macedon (Alexander the Great’s father) in 342 BC. Centuries passed and Philippoupolis became Trimontium, then Philippoupolis again, then Paldin, Filibe and finally Plovdiv.
(image via: Discover Bulgaria)
Presently home to around 380,000 (580,000 in the metro area), Plovdiv is Bulgaria’s second-largest city and one of Europe’s oldest – signs of urban activity there go back nearly 9,000 years.

Jerusalem

(images via: Hamline University and Pierre Tristam)
Holy to a number of the world’s leading religions, 5,000-year-old Jerusalem was already settled centuries before any of them had their tenets put to paper, papyrus or pre-fired clay. According to the entry on Jerusalem in Wikipedia, “In the course of its history, Jerusalem has been destroyed twice, besieged 23 times, attacked 52 times, and captured and recaptured 44 times.”
(image via: Trip Advisor)
Sadly, those numbers are likely not the final score for this exceptional city 747,600 people call Jerusalem, Yerushalayim, Al-Quds and… home.

Tyre, Lebanon

(image via: Skyscraper City)
Source of prized Tyrian Purple dye and home base of those legendary master traders, the Phoenicians, Tyre was truly a wonder of the ancient world. The city was located on a walled island just off the coast of Lebanon and managed to thwart every siege until Alexander the Great built a causeway so his soldiers could march up to the city walls.
(image via: Sophismata)
(images via: Hezbollah Connect and El Baluarte De La Utopia)
The causeway changed the flow of the sea currents and caused the island to become permanently joined to the mainland. Today Tyre is Lebanon’s fourth-largest city and can proudly trace its history back nearly 6,000 years.

Athens, Greece

(images via: Erasmus Student Network, Destination 360 and BiblePlaces)
The capital of Greece is home to over 4 million today and is the 5th-most populous capital city in the EU. With its soaring Acropolis and majestic Parthenon symbolizing the golden age of Classical Greece and the foundation of Western civilization, Athens has been lived in for approximately 3,400 years.
(image via: Theodora)
The city has not always enjoyed prominence, however – by the early 19th century it had deteriorated to a backwater town with only a few thousand citizens. That all changed when Athens was named capital of Greece in 1834, with the city truly coming of age due to the many infrastructure improvements completed in time for the 2004 Olympic Games.

Lisbon, Portugal

(images via: Galen Fry Singer and Lgougo)
Due to its exceptional harbor situated where the Tagus river empties into the Atlantic Ocean, Lisbon has always been an ideal military and commercial location – incidentally attracting settlers to serve the soldiers and traders. Archaeologists have uncovered Phoenician objects at Lisbon dating back to 1200 BC; remnants of what was likely a Phoenician supply base for ships voyaging to and from the British Isles, an ancient source of tin.
(images via: Wall Street Meeting and John P Pratt)
Disaster struck Lisbon in 1755 when one of the most destructive earthquakes ever to strike Europe, accompanied by a massive tsunami and wildfires, leveled much of Lisbon and killed tens of thousands of residents.
(images via: Book Depository and Links On Waves)
Lisbon quickly bounced back from the disaster to regain her rank as one of Europe’s leading cities, a distinction she still holds today.

Varanasi, India

(image via: Sacred Destinations)
The city of Varanasi, formerly known to English-speakers as Benares, has been a religious and cultural center for at least 3,000 years. Over one million pilgrims from across the Hindu world visit Varanasi each year to participate in ceremonies and swim in the sacred Ganges river.
(image via: Without Borders)
Varanasi is as close to being a true “living city” as one could imagine. Every bit of space is utilized, every disused building is re-worked into a new purpose and over centuries of conflict and conquest, the city heals itself through the power of human conviction and devotion to a greater glory.

Cholula, Mexico

(images via: Webshots Travel and Cultura)
Arguably the oldest continually inhabited city in the western hemisphere, Choloula was a contemporary of more famous Teotihuacan yet never suffered the crisis that saw it’s neighbor abandoned in the 6th century AD. By the late Aztec period more than 100,000 people lived in Cholula, and the city near Puebla is home to over 90,000 today.
(image via: Rahuno)
Cholula rose to prominence in the 2nd century BC but settlement on a more modest scale goes back a further thousand years. The partially excavated monumental buildings at Cholula are among the largest in the world, with the Great Pyramid of Cholula being the largest man-made monument ever made! Its base covers approximately 25 acres and the pyramid’s total volume is estimated at 4.3 million cubic yards.
What’s it take to make a long-lived city? The same thing any realtor will tell you: location, location, location! Prime real estate does tend to attract the wrong crowd – conquerors have a way of ruining anyone’s backyard barbeque – but once all the fuss has died down people do what they’ve always done; keep on coming back for more.

Tilted In Your Favor: 13 More Famous Leaning Towers

2011-12-09T19:20:00.000-08:00

By Steve in Architecture & Design, History & Factoids, Travel & Places

Just as there’s more to food than pizza, there’s more to leaning towers than Pisa. These 13 slanted spires show that staying on the straight & narrow isn’t all it’s cracked up to be; though if gravity has anything to say about it, cracked up is destined to be their ultimate fate.

The Leaning Tower of Niles, Illinois, USA

(images via: Roadside America, City-Data and Jodola)
It may sound like the title of an episode of Frasier but The Leaning Tower Of Niles actually does exist, and has done so since 1934. A half-sized twin to the mother of all leaning towers in Pisa, Italy, the Illinois tribute stands 94 ft tall and leans outward 7 ft, 4 inches. You can’t enter this tower, however, as the exterior is just a facade built to disguise what is essentially just a water tower. It does have some pretty fountains around the base, however.

The Leaning Tower of San Pietro di Castello, Venice, Italy

(images via: Slowtrav)
Venice has it’s share of leaning towers, a consequence of great age and waterlogged soil. One of the most outstanding (if not entirely upstanding) is the Leaning Tower of San Pietro di Castello. Clad in bright but heavy Istrian stone, this charming bell tower has complemented San Martino church on the Venetian island of Burano since 1463.

Tower of the Milices, Rome, Italy

(images via: Virtual Tourist and Filor91)
The Torre delle Milizie was begun in the year 1200 and finished around 1280. Originally having three stories, a great earthquake in 1348 shook the top story to pieces. The main tower, however, has remained firmly standing though it has acquired a pronounced tilt over the past 800 years. Scientists and engineers examining the approximately 150 ft. tall Torre delle Milizie say its current 1.36 degree tilt towards the north-east will increase a further degree over the next 600 years, assuming another great earthquake doesn’t finish the job before then.

The Church of St Mary and All Saints, Chesterfield, UK

(images via: Pictures Of England, Tywkiwdbi and Allposters)
The Church of St Mary and All Saints in Chesterfield, Derbyshire, has acquired many legends over the centuries to try and explain why its spire is so radically twisted. One of the more amusing purports that the spire was shocked to see a virgin getting married at the church and twisted around to get a better look. A more scientific explanation is that a shortage of skilled workers in the mid-1400s when the church was being built resulted in green, un-cured wood being used to construct the spire. When about 50 tons of lead shingles were attached to the spire, the wood couldn’t take the weight and began a slo-mo buckling from the stress.

The Greyfriars Tower, King’s Lynn, UK

(images via: James Rye, BBC and BC/West-Norfolk)
The 92 ft tall Greyfriars Tower is all that’s left of once-mighty Franciscan abbey demolished in 1538 during King Henry VIII’s purge of monasticism and dissolution of the abbeys. The tower was left standing because it was a useful landmark for seafarers – a lightless lighthouse as it were. With a current lean of 27 inches or approximately 1 degree (the Tower of Pisa leans 3.98 degrees), Greyfriars Tower was stabilized by workmen in 2006 after fears were expressed that it could collapse onto the Theatre Royal just adjacent.

Temple Church, Bristol, UK

(images via: Looking At Buildings, Archidave and ChurchCrawler)
Measured from the top, Bristol’s Temple Church leans out about 5 feet but is in no danger of toppling over. The 114 ft tall church, dating from 1312 and not completed until 1460, was built on the site of a dismantled church belonging to the Knights Templar. German bombing during World War II’s “Bristol Blitz” caused irreparable damage to the church’s interior and in 1958 the building was taken into state care by English Heritage.

Caerphilly Castle, Wales

(images via: InfoBritain, Planetware and Chronicle)
One of the medieval age’s largest and most formidable castles, Caerphilly Castle guarded the border between England and Wales while presenting a bulwark against any uprising by the Welsh. Construction on the castle was begun in 1268 by Gilbert de Clare and it was not significantly damaged until the English Civil War of the 1640′s, when one of its towers suffered a very obvious tilt. English Heritage, which now oversees the castle, has finished its restoration but decided to leave the leaning tower as is.

The Round Tower Of The Kilmacduagh Monastery, Ireland

(images via: Sacred Sites and A Student Of History)
At 110 feet, the Round Tower of the Kilmacduagh Monastery is the tallest of its kind in all Ireland. The tower, located near the town of Gort in County Galway, is smoothly finished with its entrance door opening 26 feet off the ground – a very effective refuge for the monks and their treasured religious relics when threatened by marauding Vikings (an all too common event). It’s estimated that the monastery was first established in the 7th century and the tower was built sometime in the 10th century. The tower leans outward some 1.5 feet but is in no danger of falling.

Suurhusen Church, East Frisia, Germany

(images via: Wikipedia, Solidaridad and Cafeterra)
Stated by the Guinness World Book of Records to be “the most tilted tower in the world”, the Suurhusen Church‘s highest point leans at an extreme angle of 5.1939 degrees, a startling stat only mitigated by the building’s relatively modest 90 ft height. Though constructed in 1450, the church tower only began to lean in the 19th century when the marshy land it was built upon was drained. The church steeple was closed in 1975 for safety reasons but was reopened a decade later – one must assume it’s now safer than it looks.

Oldehove Church Tower, Leeuwarden, the Netherlands

(images via: Holland.com, Hindrik and Dromo)
The Old Tower in Leeuwarden, Fryslan, NL, was supposed to be even taller and grander than the images above show, but after construction began in 1529 and the tower reached a certain height and weight, it began to lean and all work on it was halted in 1533. It’s probably no coincidence that the tower’s main architect, Jacob van Aaken, died 1532 – such things don’t look good on one’s resume.

Oude Kerk, Delft, the Netherlands

(images via: The Great Mirror, White Valentine and 7is7)
The Oude Kerk (Old Church) in the Dutch city of Delft stands just over 245 feet high and leans about 6.5 feet away from vertical, quite noticable to somebody standing off to the side. Construction first began on the church in 1246 and the tower was built between 1325 and 1350. Inside the tower resides a massive bell weighing nearly 9 tons. The bell, cast in the year 1570, is only rung occasionally due to the fear of damaging vibrations but between you and I, who’d want a 9-ton bell swinging away at the top of a 245ft tall leaning tower?

Nevyansk “Falling Tower”, Sverdlovsk, Russia

(images via: Tesis-Yekaterinburg TA, Absolute Astronomy and Konstantin Grishin)
Nevyanskaya Tower leans into the chill wind coming off Russia’s Ural Mountains in the city of Sverdlovsk. Built in the first part of the 18th century, the 189 ft tall tower leans just over 7 ft out from the vertical. he tower was built by Akinfiy Demidov, an associate of Czar Peter the Great and a rumored counterfeiter – traces of gold and silver have been found in the tower’s main chimney.

Huqiu Tower, Suzhou City, China

(images via: Ironrodart, Phototravel and Good Wish Holiday)
The seven-story, 157 ft high, 8-sided Huqiu Tower was built between 959-961 on the city of Suzhou’s Tiger Hill. It didn’t start leaning until the 17th century. A curious feature of this tower is that it has no internal staircases – anyone wanting to visit the upper floors did so via the use of movable ladders. The top of the tower leans out by just over 7.5 feet, a consequence of the 7,000 ton tower being built partly on rock and partly on soil, causing 2 of the supporting columns to crack.
A new slant on architecture or a tower infernal? Beauty, even if flawed, remains in the eye of the beholder and symmetry is just one of many characteristics a noteworthy building can display.

Skyscraper, Interrupted: 12 Stalled Projects Around the World

2011-12-09T19:19:00.000-08:00

By Steph in Architecture & Design, Travel & Places, Urban Images

They were supposed to be shining examples of super-tall architecture, towers that celebrate the prosperity of their respective urban locations. But after the economic meltdown began in 2008, hundreds of promising projects around the world came to a grinding halt – even those in the middle of construction. Some of these 13 stalled skyscrapers may be completed if funds ever flow again, but others will sit in silence until developers come up with new ideas to take their places.

Calatrava’s Chicago Spire

(images via: thechicagospire.com, wikipedia)

It was a divisive idea from the get-go, with some Chicagoans applauding acclaimed architect Santiago Calatrava’s spiraling monolith design and others questioning its impact on the city’s skyline. But this skyscraper – which would have been the second-tallest in the world – will probably never be built. Today, the site is an abandoned hole in the ground, bereft even of construction equipment.

Nakheel Tower, Dubai

(images via: evolo, imre solt)

The planned centerpiece of Dubai’s famous man-made Palm Islands, Nakheel Tower – which was to be named “The Pinnacle” – would have consisted of three towers connected by ‘sky bridges’. Its projected height of 4,600 feet would have far eclipsed the Chicago Spire. The tower was canceled in December 2009 after the site had already been cleared and leveled.

Russia Tower, Moscow

(images via: foster + partners, wikimapia)

“In today’s economy, a project of such scale is no longer feasible for us and can no longer be justified.” This explanation was offered up by the developer of the Russia Tower in 2009 when the project was cancelled outright after months of inactivity at the construction site in Moscow, and the same could probably be said for every other building on this list. The Russia Tower aspired to be the world’s tallest building with 118 floors, 101 elevators, a capacity of 30,000 and a completion date of 2012.

Gran Torre Costanera, Santiago

(images via: urbanity.es, n0comment)

Santiago, Chile was to have been home to South America’s tallest skyscraper, the Gran Torre Costanera, a megastructure holding a six-level mall and two luxury hotels. 22 of 60 stories were completed before the project was halted in March, leaving an empty shell in the city’s business district.

250 West 55th Street, Manhattan

(images via: curbed ny)

“Fans of giant gaping pits, rejoice!” cried Curbed NY when developer Boston Properties announced that it would continue construction on the foundations of the glass office tower at 250 West 55th Street in Manhattan despite the fact that the building itself will probably never be finished. Today, the site is just a fenced-off hole in the ground, like so many others across the world.

56 Leonard Street, Manhattan

(images via: 56leonardtribeca, curbed ny)

They were supposed to be “houses stacked in the sky” – upscale, spacious living spaces in the heart of Manhattan designed by Swiss architecture firm Herzog & de Meuron. Work began on the 56-story building in 2008 and was halted in early 2009. Unlike many others, this project hasn’t officially been declared dead, it’s just “frozen”, so there’s still hope that it will someday be completed.

Columbus Center, Boston

(images via: boston.com)

It took 13 years, but the plug was finally pulled on Boston’s Columbus Center when the developers failed to raise the necessary funds to finish it. The ambitious $800 million project would have been a complex of condos, hotels and stores straddling the Massachusetts Turnpike, but has sat empty for two years accumulating trash and graffiti. Boston.com provides a detailed interactive graphic showing what might have been.

Jean Nouvel’s Signal Tower, Paris

(images via: design boom)

The Western edge of Paris is in need of a face lift, and famed French architect Jean Nouvel aimed to add some modern eye candy with the Signal Tower, approved for construction in 2008. But the project was shelved in 2010 as investors got spooked by the ongoing economic difficulties. Nouvel originally stated that the project would continue once the economy picks up, but his firm has since abandoned it altogether.

The Leadenhall ‘Cheesegrater’ Building, London

(images via: wikipedia)

Whether affectionately or derisively, Londoners have taken to calling the design for 122 Leadenhall Street the ‘Cheesegrater’ due to its perforated steel frame and wedge shape. Construction of the new tower, which was supposed to take the place of the now-demolished 1969 building that previously occupied the site, has been delayed, but it seems possible that the 737-foot tower will someday be completed. The wedge shape is designed to preserve views of St. Paul’s Cathedral from Fleet Street.

U2 Tower, Dublin

(image via: the guardian, wikipedia)

U2 isn’t exactly known for being low-profile in any capacity, so perhaps it’s no surprise that this Irish mega-band planned to build their home country’s first skyscraper and tallest building. The U2 Tower would have perched a recording studio ‘pod’ atop a 120-meter-tall structure packed with 180 condominiums and planned to include wind turbines, solar panels and an exterior facade resembling fish scales. It was suspended indefinitely in 2008.

Leeds Lumiere Skyscraper

(image via: wikipedia)

Could Lumiere still snag the title of ‘Western Europe’s Tallest Residential Skyscraper’? Maybe – if it ever comes back from the dead. The project in Leeds, England was put on hold due to the credit crunch after foundation work began in 2008 and the developers long hoped that their vision for the two glass towers would someday come to fruition. However, in August 2010 they announced that they would enter voluntary liquidation, making completion unlikely.

Burj al Alam, Dubai

(images via: wikipedia)

510 meters tall and 108 stories, the Burj al Alam is quite a building. Designed to resemble a crystal flower, this skyscraper is under construction in the business bay area of Dubai and is slated to include 74 floors of office space, a 200-suite hotel, 27 floors of apartments, a sky garden, a Turkish bath and a helipad. The project has been delayed and renewed so many times since its inception in 2006 that it’s unclear whether it will ever be completed.

13 Tilted Architectural Wonders of the World

2011-12-09T19:17:00.000-08:00

By Steph in Architecture & Design, History & Factoids, Travel & Places

When you don’t place a structure – particularly a very tall structure – on a solid foundation, this is what happens. The building starts to lean, further and further each year, and though it may take centuries, it will
eventually come crashing down without serious efforts to stabilize it. That’s what is happening to most of these 13 leaning towers of the world, although a few are tilted on purpose.

This infographic from The Economist gives us an idea of just how much many of the buildings on this list are off-kilter, from Big Ben at just 0.26 degrees to the Suurhusen church tower in Germany at 5.19 degrees. Read on to learn more about each leaning tower.

Big Ben, London, UK

(images via: wikimedia commons)

That’s right, it’s barely visible to the naked eye, but British Parliament have officially reported that its Clock Tower (a.k.a. Big Ben) is leaning northwest by 0.26 degrees (17 inches.) The level of the tilt has increased to 0.9 millimeters a year since 2003, and it seems that underground developments including a parking lot and an extension of the London Underground have caused the problem. Cracks have formed in the walls and ceilings of the house of commons.

Tiger Hill Pagoda, China

(images via: wikimedia commons)

Suzhou, China has its very own leaning tower in the form of a pagoda. The Huqiu Tower, known as the Tiger Hill Pagoda after the hill that it was built upon around the year 960 CE, leans by roughly three degrees. 154 feet tall, the pagoda has gradually slanted because half the foundation is rock and the other half soil. Stabilization efforts, including pumping concrete into the soil, has helped to stop further leaning, but the top and bottom of the tower vary by 2.32 meters.

Two Towers of Bologna, Italy

(images via: wikimedia commons)

Bologna’s two most prominent towers – both of which lean at a considerable angle – are major landmarks of this Italian city. They were constructed between 1109 and 1119. The taller one is called Asinelli and the shorter Garisenda. Asineli stands at nearly 319 feet in height; it was withstood lightning strikes, fires, collapses and bombing attacks in World War II. Garisenda, which is cited several times in Dante’s Divine Comedy, began slanting in the 14th century due to the softening ground.

Oude Kerk, Delft, The Netherlands

(image via: wikimedia commons)

Built in 1246, Oude Kerk (Old Church) is the oldest building in Delft, and its leaning gothic tower was added between 1325 and 1350. Locals have feared that the tower, which was likely built on an old filled-up canal, would come tumbling down, and almost had the tower razed to the level of the church roof in 1843. Oude Kerk is the resting place of famed Dutch artist Johannes Vermeer.

Nevyansk Tower, Russia

(images via: wikimedia commons)

Younger by far than most of the towers on this list save Big Ben, the Leaning Tower of Nevyansk was built in the 18th century. Its exact construction date and purpose are unknown – some speculate that it was a watchtower, a bellower, a prison or perhaps even a laboratory for chemical experiments during the Soviet age. There are local legends that the angle of the tower is intentional; restorers say that it was a defect during construction that the architects attempted to remedy using specially trimmed bricks. Today there’s a three-degree deviation between the base and the middle part of the tower.

The Leaning Temple of Huma

(image via: wikimedia commons)

The world’s only leaning temple, dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva, stands in the Indian state of Orissa. It’s unknown whether the considerable lean of the tower was induced by design or by accident, but interestingly, while the edifice leans, the pinnacle is perpendicular to the ground. It’s possible that the tower began to lean due to flood- or earthquake-caused displacement of the rocky foundation.

Suurhusen Church Tower, Germany

(images via: wikimedia commons)

Suurhusen is the world’s most leaning tower that is unintentionally tilted. A late medieval steeple located in northwestern Germany, The Leaning Tower of Suurhusen is a brick gothic church that currently leans at an angle of 5.193 degrees – beating the far more famous Tower of Pisa by 1.22 degrees. It was originally built in the Middle Ages on a foundation of oak tree trunks preserved by marshy groundwater; when the land was drained in the 29th century the wood rotted, which caused the tilt.

Bad Frankenhausen Church Tower, Germany

(images via: panaramio)

An underground spring that winds beneath the entire town of Bad Frankenhausen in the eastern German state of Thuringia is leaching earth from below, making structures like the church tower extremely unstable. The church’s steeple has been slanting since at least 1640, reaching 4.8 degrees in recent years. Efforts to stabilize it have failed, and it seems that the steeple will soon be lost to collapse.

Tower of Pisa, Italy

(images via: carolyn conner, francisco antunes)

Of course, you knew this one was coming. The ‘Leaning’ Tower of Pisa is the world’s most infamous tilted building even though it’s not the oldest, the tallest or the furthest-leaning. But thanks to the open ground around the campanile of Pisa’s cathedral, the angle of the tower is startlingly clear, making for fantastic photo opportunities. Over 183 feet tall, the tower was built on a mere 9-foot-deep foundation, and it began sinking almost immediately after construction began in 1173, progressing beyond the second floor by 1178. By 1272, the tower was still unfinished, and engineers built upper floors with one side taller than the other to compensate for the tilt, making the tower curved. Stabilization efforts have continued over the centuries, and the tower was declared fully stable in May 2008 after removing the bells, cinching the tower with cables and removing earth under the raised side. Engineers say it has stopped moving for the first time in history, and that it will remain standing for at least 200 years.

Capital Gate Tower, Olympic Stadium & Gate of Europe

(images via: capitalgate.ae, wikipedia 1, 2)

Aging structures aren’t the only towers in the world that seem to tilt dangerously close to destruction. Just look at the Capital Gate Tower of Abu Dhabi, a mixed-use skyscraper reaching 520 feet into the sky with a dramatic 18-degree lean to the west. Capital Gate was named the ‘World’s furthest-leaning man-made tower’ by the Guinness Book of World Records in 2010. The tower is stabilized by the world’s first “pre-cambered core”, which includes a huge amount of concrete reinforced with steel, as well as 490 piles drilled nearly 100 feet into the earth.
Other intentionally leaning modern wonders include the Tower of Montreal at the Olympic Stadium and the Gate of Europe in Madrid. The Tower of Montreal is officially the world’s tallest leaning tower at 575.8 feet. The Gate of Europe towers are twin 374-foot-tall office buildings with an incline of 15 degrees.

7 Man-Made Architectural Wonders of the Ancient World

2011-12-09T19:16:00.000-08:00

By Steph in 7 Wonders Series, Architecture & Design, History & Factoids, Travel & Places

The Colosseum, the Great Pyramid of Giza, the Great Wall of China and Machu Picchu are world-famous ancient architectural wonders, but they’re hardly the only man-made structures worthy of effusive praise, enthusiastic photography and economy-stimulating tourism. These 7 historical sites, ranging from an incredibly deep well in India to the cradle of Mayan civilization – complete with the world’s first highway system – are often overlooked, but represent some of the most jaw-dropping and mysterious engineering feats from ancient times to the medieval period.

Chand Baori, India

(images via: moolf)

Perhaps one of the most beautiful examples of patterns in architecture, the 10th century Chand Baori well in the Indian state of Rajasthan is the world’s deepest, extending 100 feet below the surface of the earth. Built as a solution to chronic water supply issues in this arid region, the well has a total of 3,500 steps in 13 levels arranged in an inverted ‘V’ shape and is adjacent to the Harshat Mata temple. The walls are so steep that when standing at the bottom, you sometimes can’t see people who are on the steps above you.
It’s difficult to imagine the construction process for such a complex stone structure with the technology available at the time. Local legend has it that ghosts built it in a single night; perhaps that accounts for its preternaturally preserved state as well.

Sacsayhuaman, Peru

(images via: world-mysteries)

How did the Incas move these massive stones? That’s just one of the mysteries surrounding Sacsayhuaman, an immense fortress located on the outskirts of the city of Cusco in Peru. While the much more famous Machu Picchu is renowned for its views, Sacsayhuaman is a marvel of engineering, confounding Spanish conquerors who were so amazed by the construction, they thought it must be the work of demons.
The largest of the boulders that make up the three dry stone walls of Sacsayhuaman – all carried from a quarry located over three kilometers away – weighs an estimated 120 tons. But the seemingly superhuman feat of moving these boulders is not the most incredible aspect of the ruins: even thousands of years later, the stones of the walls fit together with such precision, you can’t fit a piece of paper between them. This precision, along with the various stone shapes that fit together like a puzzle, is likely the reason that the structure has survived earthquakes that have devastated the area.

Leshan Giant Buddha, China

(images via: wikimedia commons, national geographic)

The largest carved stone Buddha in the world towers over 232 feet into the air, with fingers measuring 11 feet in length and 92-foot-long shoulders big enough to be basketball courts. Leshan Giant Buddha overlooks the confluence of three rivers in the Sichuan Province of China. Begun during the Tang Dynasty in the year 713, the Buddha was built at the behest of a monk called Hai Tong who hoped to supplicate the temperamental water spirits thought to be responsible for numerous boat accidents. It took thousands of workers more than 90 years to complete the project.
Seemingly cosmetic details are even more complex and meaningful than they look upon first glance. For example, the 1,021 buns in the Buddha’s coiled hair are part of drainage system that continues behind the ears, in the clothing and along the limbs, protecting the statue from water-related damage.

Teotihuacan, Mexico

(images via: travel this world)

A massive urban complex laid out to celestial, geographic and geodetic alignments, the Teotihuacan archaeological site in the Basin of Mexico contains some of the largest pyramidal structures built in the pre-Columbian Americas. The city was established around 100 BCE and may have had as many as 200,000 inhabitants during its prime in 450 CE. It has been called the first true urban center in the Americas; its remains measure at least two miles across but the city was likely much larger and its influence extended as far away as Guatemala. Very little is known of the Teotihuacan people or what may have caused the city’s decline, which occurred in the 8th or 9th century.
An astronomer-anthropologist named Anthony Aveni discovered that the grid of the city was based on a point of prime astronomical significance. The builders seem to have aligned the east-west axis of the city to the point on the horizon at which the sun sets on August 12th, the anniversary of the beginning of the current Mesoamerican calender cycle.
Strangely, thick sheets of shimmery mica were found within the tiers of the Pyramid of the Sun. Hidden between layers of stone, the mica clearly wasn’t decorative; today it is used as an insulator in electronics but it seems unlikely that these ancient people understood such properties. Furthermore, the particular type of mica used in the complex was reportedly traced to Brazil, nearly 2000 miles away. The Pyramid of the Sun has never been fully excavated.

Underground Churches of Lalibela, Ethiopia

(images via: wikimedia commons)

The tiny town of Lalibela, one of Ethiopia’s holiest cities, is home to 11 monolithic churches – all carved from the same block of red volcanic rock, with their roofs at ground level. Likely built during the 12th and 13th centuries, the rock-hewn churches include four that are fully free-standing, with the rest either partially attached at the sides to the rock or with ‘liberated’ facades. They’re connected to each other with a maze of underground tunnels, and their construction was engineered to take advantage of natural aquifers deep in the ground.

El Mirador, Guatemala

(images via: authentic maya, wikimedia commons, the history blog)

The 500,000-acre site of El Mirador in Guatemala is referred to as ‘the cradle of Maya civilization’ and contains not only five Preclassic Maya cities that pre-date the far more famous Tikal by at least 1,000 years, but also the world’s largest pyramid by volume and the remains of the world’s first highway system.
A remote site located deep in the jungle, El Mirador was’t ‘discovered’ until 1926, and wasn’t mapped until 1978. The civic center of the site measures about 10 square miles and contains around 35 ‘triadic’ structures, with ‘La Danta’ being the most notable at 230 feet tall. Its volume, 2,800,000 cubic meters, rivals that of far more well-known ancient pyramids around the world including those in Egypt. El Mirador is also home to a complex network of large roads, which once linked important architectural compounds and nearby cities.
The 500,000-acre site of El Mirador is threatened by looters, drug traffickers and deforestation, prompting the creation of a 810,000-acre national park in the region, which is currently being established by the Global Heritage Fund and the Guatemalan and U.S. governments.

The Lost City of Mohenjo-Daro, Pakistan

(images via: wikimedia commons, abbas, national geographic)

4,500 years ago, Mohenjo-Daro was one of the largest early urban settlements in the world. It thrived for over a thousand years, but was completely forgotten until excavation revealed its ruins along the Indus River floodplain of what is now Pakistan in 1921. Abandoned around 1500 BCE for reasons unknown, Mohenjo-Daro has a planned layout based on a street grid of buildings made of mortared brick and likely housed around 35,000 residents.
Among many interesting features, what stands out the most about Mohenjo-Daro is plumbing and sewage system that was more sophisticated than what most Western households had until the 20th century. Not only did some home have indoor toilets, but there were actually sewage drains that ran below the streets.

Virtual Reality: Futuristic Tools for Virtual Worlds

2011-12-09T19:12:00.001-08:00

By Marc in Gadgets & Geek Art, Games & Gaming, Technology & Futurism

Virtual reality, much like the hovercar and living on the moon, is progressing slower than expected. Despite the fact that video game consoles don’t come with a full body suit yet, the technology has made some giant leaps in the past few years. Maybe it will just have to wait a few generations to catch up to our imagination. Here are 11 tools and ways that virtual reality is no longer virtual:

(Images via reversedreality, gazette.unc, edibleapple, technabob, smallbizaffinity)

Augmented reality is the baby brother of virtual reality, as it takes a half step in the right direction by combining the virtual world with the real one. Typically, augmented reality involves wearing a head set or using a mobile device that registers one’s location via GPS and visually matches landmarks to provide information. You may look at the Roman coliseum and see facts appear about gladiators, or see the names of all the restaurants on the street. This is the most immediately practical version of virtual reality, and a real step in the integration between man and machine.

(Images via wholesalelandparts, iowa, artslibrary, dbforums)

Visualizing data with technology has advanced an incredible amount in the last few decades. We no longer have to stare at grainy computer screens or hand drawn graphs. With the advancement of computer processing power has come the ability to visualize data in three dimensions. Whether it’s filling a giant screen with blazing graphs and three dimensional models, or a fully virtual experience that requires a headset, we’ve taken large steps towards making the fiction in television and film, a reality.

(Images via slashgear, gadgettastic, karennutton, newscientist)

Virtual reality chairs used to be a gamer’s dream, only a step below full fledged virtual reality. Sitting in a chair with two joysticks and a screen is a far cry from the 360 degree virtual environment we hope for, but it’s leagues better than the black and white pong of only a few decades ago.

(Images via escience, dailygalaxy, itclimasd)

Ever since the cult classic film The Wizard, which featured the premier of the Nintendo glove (a flop), an entire generation has felt the desire to own a glove that allows one to manipulate objects on a screen. Current technology is now advanced enough to allow tactile feedback in addition to allowing the manipulation of virtual objects. I’m sure a lot of readers are thinking “wake me up when they have a full suit that does this” but be patient! We’re getting there.

(Images via destructoid, dental.upenn, fredazar, medoto)

Virtual reality is a reality in many hospitals, just not in the way we typically imagine. Medical students are able to run simulations on virtual patients that are physically present in the form of a human-shaped doll (though the word “doll” doesn’t give these incredibly advanced, and expensive, tools much credit). Medical students are even able to practice procedures through physical and on-screen manipulations.

(Images via devorak.org, gearmoda, noobcake, warwick)

The virtual reality headset is typically what pops into mind when we think of virtual reality. Giant, clunky, and claustrophobic, the helmet tackles several of our senses at once by fully surrounding our head with a virtual display. Current headsets are able to produce sights, sounds, and smells. The ridiculously giant headset is slowly working its way down to a sleeker, more mobile style, but there’s still a long way to go.

(Images via neatorama, internet3d, huehueteoti, explainthatstuff)

Any fan of Star Trek is familiar with the holodeck, a room devoted to creating virtual environments that seem as real as anything in daily life. The virtual reality room is not quite to that level of sophistication, but they do allow one to be fully immersed in a simulation. Whether the room is for training purposes (such as a flight simulator), or as a tool to display data, they’re the closest we’ve come to our television counterparts.

(Images via virtualreality, doolwind)

Mobility in virtual worlds was a difficulty originally solved by simply not letting one move. You would either coast in-game, or use leaning to control direction. As silly and outdated as this appears today, we’ve come up with an arguably more silly looking solution that’s a thousand times more effective:

(Images via nushakor, impactlab, nanoflix, technovelgy)

Mobility has always been an issue when trying to make virtual reality functional. Unless all virtual reality takes place on an empty football field, someone with a giant helmet on their head is bound to crash into walls. Enter the sphere: Basically a giant hamster ball that allows one to feel movement while remaining stationary. This could very well be a fixture in your grandchildren’s living room one day.

(Images via foxnews, localstranger, washington, geekiegadgets)

Virtual reality is already being used to great effect in several therapeutic and rehabilitative ways. Soldiers are calmed after their return from war by showing them war-like scenes in a safe environment. People with phobias are able to confront their fears with the safety net of not having to physically approach the situation that scares them. People are even able to train on new wheelchairs before they’ve sat in one, or tackle complicated body issues after an amputation.

(Images via masternewmedia, io9, usm, camillamediasecondlife)

Some people are already experiencing the freedom and creativity of the virtual life through games like Second Life, which allow one to design and use an avatar in a virtual world to move about and express oneself. Free of the constraints of their normal lives, these people are able to let loose in an anonymous environment. Not everyone uses this new tool simply for entertainment, however, as many businesses use it to hold virtual events, and some schools even conduct academic lectures that can be attended from anywhere in the world. Right now this is all conducted via a computer screen, but at the current rate, it won’t be long before we’re able to experience virtual worlds in a full 360 degree environment.

10 Most Amazing Ancient Objects of Mystery in History

2011-12-09T19:12:00.000-08:00

By Steph in Environment & Nature, History & Factoids, Travel & Places

They’re evidence of extraterrestrial visitation, time travelers or lost civilizations like Atlantis – or perhaps they’re here to show us that some ancient peoples were far more advanced than we think. It’s hard not to get caught up in the mystery and intrigue of these puzzling and often bizarre ancient objects, most of which simply can’t be explained by modern science.

Antikythera Mechanism

(image via: wikimedia commons)

The world’s oldest computer predates Bill Gates only by about 2,000 years. In fact, the absolutely mind-boggling Antikythera Mechanism – a corroded clocklike object found among the ruins of a sunken ship – may prove that advanced scientific technology existed far earlier than we ever thought possible. Scientists have since discovered that this mysterious Greek invention predicted solar eclipses, organized the calendar in four-year cycles, and may well be linked to renowned astrologer and engineer Archimedes. Though no other such mechanisms have ever been found, experts believe that many more made around the same time in 100 B.C.E. once existed.

The Baigong Pipes

(image via: rense.com)

“Alien toilet found in China”. This is just one of many absurd headlines seen on the internet concerning the undoubtedly bizarre Baigong Pipes, rusty red iron pipes that lead into a pyramid atop Mount Baigong from a nearby salt water lake. What’s so strange about the pipes? Well, for one thing, they’re in an area that is completely inhospitable to man – no civilization is ever known to have lived there. They’re uniform in size and seem to have been created in an intentional pattern. No clear explanation exists for the presence of these pipes, and scientists don’t seem to agree on whether they could be natural occurrences.

The Roman Dodecahedra

(image via: wikimedia commons)

These fist-sized bronze Roman artifacts found in France, Switzerland and Germany pose a fascinating problem for archaeologists: they just don’t have a clear purpose, but many are covered in symbols, some undecipherable and others relating to the Zodiac. But for all the speculation on their use, including that they may have been surveying instruments, some experts believe the Roman dodecahedra were merely decorative candlesticks.

Phaistos Disc

(image via: wikimedia commons)

There’s very little that we actually know for sure about the Phaistos Disc. It’s made of clay – check. It dates back to the second millenium B.C.E. – maybe. But its origin, meaning and purpose remain shrouded in mystery. Discovered in Crete, the disc is features i241 impressions of 45 distinct symbols, some of which are easily identifiable as people, tools, plants and animals. But because nothing else like it from the same time period has ever been found, archaelogists haven’t been able to provide a meaningful analysis of its content.

Baghdad Battery

(images via: world-mysteries.com)

What need would ancient people have for batteries when electronics did not yet exist? Found outside Baghdad, Iraq in 1936, the Baghdad Battery is a small clay jar containing an iron rod suspended in a copper cylinder which is soldered shut and sealed with asphalt. Replicas that have been made since then can produce small mounts of electricity, proving the battery’s capabilities, but the question of what the battery was used for many never be answered.

Voynich Manuscript

(images via: wikimedia commons)

Is the Voynich Manuscript evidence of a forgotten civilization, or merely an elaborate hoax? This handwritten book full of text that the world’s top cryptographers and codebreakers have never been able to decipher dates to the 15th century and was discovered in 1912 by book dealer Wilfrid M. Voynich. If it is a hoax, it’s incredibly convincing, given how fluidly the text was written and the fact that statistical analysis has revealed patterns similar to those found in natural languages.

Shroud of Turin

(images via: wikimedia commons)

A linen cloth bearing the barely-visible image of a man with apparent crucifixion wounds became the center of both devotion and controversy when it was first discovered in the Middle Ages. Could this be the burial shroud of Jesus Christ? Radio carbon dating puts the origin of the shroud between 1260 C.E. and 1390 C.E., consistent with the theory that it was a forgery. But the results have been disputed and since then, a wide range of modern tests have been unable to explain the markings on the cloth.

The Giant Stone Spheres of Costa Rica

(images via: mordac.org)

They appear to be flawlessly round, ranging in size from just a few centimeters to over 6.6 feet in diameter, and are found all over the Diquis Delta and Isla de Cano in Costa Rica. Weighing up to 16 tons, it’s hard to imagine how humans could have moved these gigantic sculptures hewn from hard granodiorite – considering that the nearest quarry for that material is over 50 miles away from where the sculptures were found. Over three hundred of them are scattered across Costa Rica, but we’ll never know why – the people who made them back in 1,000 C.E. are long gone and had no written records.

The Coso Artifact

(image via: livinglost)

When a spark plug was found encased inside a 500,000-year-old lump of hard rock, self-professed paranormal investigators decided there were three possibilities for how it got there: A, it was created by an extremely advanced ancient civilization (maybe Atlantis?), B, aliens visited the earth during the time of dinosaurs or C, time travelers from the future left clues in the distant past. All three explanations are highly unlikely to say the least, but scientists haven’t been able to come up with a better explanation – probably due to the fact that the Coso Artifact has mysteriously disappeared and is thus unavailable for analysis.

The Maine Penny

(image via: maine state museum)

When a genuine Norse coin dating to the early 11th century was found among Native American ruins in Maine in 1957, it seemed to offer an intriguing piece of evidence that Vikings did indeed travel further south than Newfoundland long before the time of Christopher Columbus. And it could be so – but experts have their doubts. The fact that the ‘Maine Penny‘ was the only Norse artifact found at the site seems to indicate that it came to the site through native trade channels from Viking sources in Labrador and Newfoundland.

3 Amazing 3D Graffiti Artists: Street Painting and Sidewalk Chalk Art

2011-12-09T19:10:00.000-08:00

By Urbanist in Graffiti & Drawing, Guerilla Marketing & Ads

(Check out our complete collection of 100+ Works of Creative and Geeky Art and Graffiti.)

Most people tend to think of graffiti as subversive art spraypainted in the dead of night on urban walls. Some artists, however, including Edgar Mueller, Julian Beever and Kurt Wenner, defy that stereotype, painting and chalking openly on city streets and sidewalks. Beyond merely entertaining crowds, their work has at times even broken world records. These street art images and biographies merely scratch the surface and begin to convey their amazing artistic talents.

Edgar Mueller is a world-famous street painter, perhaps best known for the above work: The Riverstreet River. At nearly 1000 square feet, this graffiti mural took up an entire city block. His other works often exhibit similar life-like qualities and take on renaissance themes.

Julian Beever is a sidewalk chalk artist whose work has appeared all across Europe. He skillfully and humorously plays up his illusions in a variety of ways, from interacting with the finished piece to making his street art’s evolution part of the work itself. Clearly, his artworks are as much intended to entertain himself as it is to dazzle the crowds that gather around them. His other street graffiti includes renderings of master artworks and pastel portraits.

Kurt Wenner‘s amazingly detailed street artworks conjure images of both Baroque religious murals and a Salvor Daliesque surrealism. They are somehow less tame than Mueller’s work, and far less playful than the art of Beever. Wenner is also an architectural designer in the US and Europe, fascinated with classical ornament tied to allegories and myths as well as literature and theater.

Runners Up featured in the street art images above come from around the world. Two are commercial pieces for Johnnie Walker in Tapei and EA Games in Italy, respectively. The lower work was a collaborative piece by four German artists, featured on Potsdammer Platz in the very heart of Berlin. For other alternative forms of creative urban street art, be sure to check out these articles on light graffiti, glowstick graffiti, reverse graffiti and guerilla marketing.

13 Panoramic Street Artists Stencil Far & Spray Wide

2011-12-09T19:09:00.001-08:00

By Steph in Architecture & Design, Graffiti & Drawing, Urban & Street Art

Sweeping street art enlivens super-long walls and even entire buildings with bright, fun, thought-provoking paintings and illustrations. Including works by renowned urban artists like ROA, BLU, Phlegm and Mark Jenkins, this collection of large-scale graffiti, murals and other forms of street art shows how a little creativity can turn a depressed neighborhood or unremarkable cityscape into a cultural landmark.

Jetsonorama

(images via: vandalog)

Artist Jetsonorama created this massive, beautiful mural at a Navajo Nation reservation in response to the news that an Arizona ski resort planned to use reclaimed wastewater to make artificial snow on a mountain sacred to several North American tribes. The work, entitled ‘The People Speak For Themselves’, features the words of the artists’ friends emblazoned upon illustrations of their faces.

Da Mental Vaporz & More at Galore Festival

(images via: vandalog)

Da Mental Vaporz at Galore DK from Butterfly on Vimeo.
Da Mental Vaporz crew joined ROA and several other notable graffiti artists at Galore Festival in Copenhagen in September 2011, creating this super-long wall of work while they were there. Photographer S. Butterfly, who created the above video, says ““The mural is a satyrical reference to unscrupulous people who are willing to deface street art walls for profit. The DMV also incorporated a tribute to Kase 2 (RIP), as well as Copenhagen landmarks, including the infamous Christiania market, where you can find anything.” Segments of the mural were painted on removable panels which were later taken to the “street art shop”.

The Panda Crew

(images via: pandakroo)

Based mostly in Paris, Panda Crew is a collaboration of four artists bringing humorous cartoonish illustrations – often featuring pandas – to the walls of the world. While the collective often shows off smaller works like sketches on its blog, they also stretch out to cover entire walls and buildings.

ROA

(images via: roaweb.tumblr.com)

From WebUrbanist: “ROA is known for painting the dark, gritty side of nature – particularly animals that are not, to most, cute or lovable. Whether portraying rats slinking across urban surfaces, bedraggled creatures that have seen better days or the blood and guts beneath a bunny’s soft fur, ROA clearly has a soft spot for the duality of the natural world and the rich variety of creatures it contains. “For me they tell so much more about this world then any other creature, but maybe in a year I’ll only paint landscapes…” he said in an interview with FatCap.”

Phlegm

(images via: phlegmcomicnews)

Phlegm loves to find “unloved walls” and turn them into works of urban art, often covering vast surfaces with oversized animals and his signature telescope. The UK-based artist began his street art career after being “sucked into the art machine”, preferring to work for himself. He now puts out a highly successful comic that often gets snapped up as soon as it’s printed.

Aryz

(images via: unurth, designer daily)

How stunning is this ultra-saturated mural covering an entire building in Lodz, Poland? Artist Aryz completed it for the annual festival Galeria Urban Forms. Artist and illustrator Aryz is from Barcelona, and his work is highly distinguishable both for its style and its eye-popping vivid colors.

Suso33

(images via: susso33)

From Madrid comes Suso33, decking out buildings in Spain and other countries with leaping dancers and looming faces. The artist has a pretty amazing technique using both hands at the same time, as demonstrated in this video.

SatOne + ETAM Crew at Galeria Urban Forms

(images via: galeria urban forms)

Munich’s SatOne teamed up with the ETAM Crew of Poland to create this vivid, sweeping work of art for the Galeria Urban Forms festival in Lodz. With SatOne offering a futuristic, abstract style and ETAM supplying richly colored illustrative elements, this pairing was definitely an inspired one.

Alexandre Farto

(images via: photographyrea)

Fine art in a realistic style comes to the streets in large-scale works by Portuguese-born, London-residing artist Alexandre Farto. In one of his most lauded techniques, Farto lays down wheat-pasted paper and then scratches out the details, leaving behind the textured urban surface of the background. Farto, a.k.a. VHILS, also works with prints, billboards, metal and mixed media..

Mark Jenkins

(images via: xmarkjenkinsx.com)

This incredible installation goes beyond an impressive panoramic work of street art, adding a rather disturbing element: the dead body of the artist that created it. Or at least, that’s what it seems like to concerned passersby before they approach the stabbed figure and realize it’s just a mannequin. Jenkins has made a name for himself not as a graffiti artist but for his thoughtful and often shocking urban installations, which are often inserted into public spaces guerilla-style.

BLU

(images via: blublu.org, rob monroe)

Artist BLU brings together his most famous work in a series of stop-motion graffiti animations using a large concrete wall as a canvas. The Argentinian, whose real identity has never been revealed, is known for these digital shorts and for his vast body of murals which can be found all over Central and South America, in the West Bank, London, Spain, Germany and Eastern Europe as well as in his current home country of Italy.
BLU also created the incredibly long evolution mural, appropriately entitled A Very Long Story, photographed here by Rob Monroe.

Multiple Artists in China

(images via: yeinjee.com)

Could this be the world’s largest urban mural? A number of artists joined together to cover more than 200,000 square feet on 21 buildings in Qingdao, China’s Taidong commercial district. The work was completed in June 2008 for the Beijing Olympics.

About Face: Unbelievably Hilarious Face Painting Art

2011-12-09T19:09:00.000-08:00

By Delana in Gadgets & Geek Art, Graffiti & Drawing

Remember going to birthday parties or the carnival as a child and getting your face painted? Face painting is fun and magical, and it lets us temporarily transform ourselves. You can be just about anything, from a fierce animal to a dainty fairy to a weird celebrity look-alike. Unfortunately, most of us stop getting our faces painting when we become adults. James Kuhn, however, picked up the habit as an adult – and ran with it.
James Kuhn has considered him an artist for his whole life, but it wasn’t until he grew up that he began painting his own face with a new theme every single day. He decided to do one new face painting a day for a year, in the vein of the other “365 days of self portraits” projects. He didn’t enjoy other 365 projects, saying they were self-indulgent or silly. So he decided to take another (arguably also silly) route by creating a masterpiece every day.

All of James’ paintings are done on himself, and he usually takes his own pictures as well. These are some of the most unique self-portraits ever, since he looks quite different in every one of them. If additional pieces are needed, he usually cuts them out of cardboard, paints them, and sticks them to his face as needed.

James is always looking for new inspiration for his creations. He has used everything from cartoon characters to his favorite foods to famous duos and groups, and everything in between. Some of the most amazing face portraits are those featuring two or more people. It’s fun to decipher how he divides up his existing facial features to create features for the characters.

His particular form of artistic body painting is just for fun, though his other artwork has been displayed in galleries. He believes that, overall, making money from art shouldn’t be an artist’s top priority; their goal should be to push through their fear and their conventional thinking to create something new and thought-provoking. His incredible face painting has gained him international attention, and he’s been featured on TV shows and in newspapers around the world.

The artist, who lives in Michigan, describes himself as a face paint illusionist, drag queen, performance artist, and full-time Christian. He’s recently been featured in a Ripley’s Believe It or Not! picture book, and although the 365 days of self-portraits are over, he continues to create masterpieces on his own face. You can see many of his face paintings come to life on his YouTube channel.

Face Swap! Incredible Photoshop Identity Theft

2011-12-09T19:08:00.000-08:00

By Marc in Gadgets & Geek Art, Guerilla Action & Art, Technology & Futurism

Photoshop is a geek’s favorite tool, and the internet’s best friend. Face swap sounds like a horrifying identity theft ring, but in reality it’s one of many memes that are bringing the wonders of photo manipulation to the masses.

Nic Cage is Everyone

(Images via screenjunkies, cinemablend, boingboing, unrealitymag, niccageaseveryone, theouthousers)

“Nic Cage is everyone” is one of the best memes making the internet rounds right now. It’s the anonymous internet’s attempt to make every recognizable celebrity into the most recognizable of them all, through some creative image manipulation.

Man Babies

(Images via blahbethany, 2pep, buzzfeed, knowyourmeme)

Every father wants their child to grow up to be like them. It’s less well known that every father also wants to be like their child. The man baby meme is the epitome of this movement, and it is disturbing.

Celebrity Face Swaps

(Images via knowyourmeme, weakstream, dailydawdle, iywib)

They say working together for a long period of time makes two people incredibly close. Famous couples, real life and fictional, are the perfect example of this.

Face Bombing

(Images via motherboard, funnyjunk, faceswaps)

Face bombing is when a face swap goes global. When every face in a photo is turned into a clone of the others, the hilarity goes through the roof. The creepy component also reaches its zenith.

Face Swap!

(Images via buzzfeed, themetapicture, yellowmeansgo)

A perfect face swap can make the day just a bit brighter, and terrifying. Male / female swaps are definitely the most effective.

Even More Man Babies

(Images via comedycentral, mtfunny, blahbthany, lukegilman, chiu-on-this, imglols)

There is something that messes with the mind when a man baby photo is faced down. The mind boggles, as all expectations are turned upside down.

Face Bombing Extravaganza

(Images via bite, knowyourmeme, netlore, faceswaps)

Welcome to the family reunion of your nightmares! A legion of clones that all look just like their parents, and their uncles, and their cousins…

Animal Hybrids

(Images via voooz, atomicbunker, freakingnews)

To finish on the most disturbing note, or why not make man’s best friend part man? Or get even stranger with even more unusual animals…

Jail-Safe Tagging: Spray Up Buildings in Augmented Reality

2011-12-09T19:07:00.000-08:00

By Delana in Gadgets & Geek Art, Graffiti & Drawing, Technology & Futurism

Graffiti is one of those art forms that really is only for the brave. It takes a fair amount of courage to risk arrest just to put your mark on the world. For everyone who has always wanted to engage in some heavy tagging without the fear of doing time in jail, the Street Tag app from Channel 4 lets you use your iPhone’s camera to spray paint in augmented reality – no furtive glances or cover of darkness required.

(all images via: Pop-Up City)

The free app turns your iPhone into a virtual spray paint can, letting you tag any building you want in broad daylight. Feel like defacing the Empire State Building with your name? Go for it. Want to leave a big smiley face on the Sears Tower? No worries. The augmented reality abilities hold your artwork in place on an image of the building so that you can spray away to your heart’s content. While the app is full of cool and a lot of fun to use, there is a slight learning curve involved. But once you get the hang of it, you can upload all of your masterpieces to an online gallery – complete with geo-tags – to share them with the world.

Senior City-zens 2: The Oldest Still-Inhabited Cities

2011-12-09T19:06:00.001-08:00

By Steve in Architecture & Design, History & Factoids, Travel & Places, Urbanism

It takes a village… at first, at least. Whether that village grows into a city depends on many factors; whether it remains inhabited through centuries, even millennia, of war, natural disasters and environmental degradation is another thing altogether. Following up on our original post, here are ten more ancient, still-inhabited cities that have withstood the test of time.

Byblos, Lebanon

(images via: Middleeast.com, Saidon and LAU)
The city of Byblos, Lebanon has been a thriving urban center for at least 7,000 years but it really hit its stride around 3,200 years ago when it became an important player in the papyrus trade. In fact, the word “byblos” is Greek for “papyrus”, an early form of paper made from wetland plants that grew in Egypt’s Nile delta. From the word byblos we get the root word biblio, as in bibliogrphy.
(image via: Lebanon Embassy)
To the Phoenicians, master traders of the ancient world, Byblos went under the name of Gubla and later Gebal. Today its Arabic name is Jbeil and much of the city’s ancient and medieval glory is available for appreciation by natives and tourists alike.

Faiyum, Egypt

(images via: Westga, East Travel and Discount Travelogue)
Cities first rose up out of Egypt’s Faiyum Depression nearly 6,000 years ago, nourished by the life-giving water which collected in the low oasis west of the river Nile. In the heyday of Pharaonic Egypt the city was known as Crocodilopolis, the leading center for the cult of the crocodile-god Sobek. In the Roman era, citizens of Faiyum used a distinctive painting technique known as encaustic. The pigmented wax used to paint the portraits of the dead on their coffin lids has withstood the passage of time to a remarkable degree, as can be seen in the lifelike portrait at above top left.
(image via: TIXIK)
Faiyum today has a population of several hundred thousand and both it and the surrounding area are well watered by an effective system of canals first built around 1800 BC by the pharaoh Amenemhat I. Twelve massive waterwheels keep the flow steady and are a popular tourist attraction.

Gaziantep, Turkey

(images via: Kaliteliresimler, Resimle and BusinessWeek)
Gaziantep is the oldest inhabited city of Hittite origin – the Hittites were one of the great civilizations of the fertile crescent and jostled with Ancient Egypt for centuries. The Hittites were also the first to smelt and forge iron on a large scale, giving them a huge advantage over their rivals. Before the rise of the Hittites, however, Gaziantep was ruled by other civilizations including the ancient Akkadians approximately 5,000 years ago.
(image via: Hotel Club)
Gaziantep today is home to 1.5 million people and seems to be somewhat of an international real estate hotbed – wealthy foreigners have been swooping in, buying up old Turkish houses, and are restoring them for use as vacation homes.

Beirut, Lebanon

(images via: Habeeb and Orpheus Tours)
Beirut first entered the historical record in the 15th century BC, making the city at least 3,500 years old though archaeological finds have extended its timeline back an additional 1,500 years. Even the city’s name has remained remarkably consistent over the centuries – in ancient times it was known as Berytus.
(image via: Habeeb)
Today Beirut is the capital of Lebanon, a bustling cosmopolitan center with a population of just over 2 million. Its recent history has been as troubled as its ancient history… many residents can recall the sound of gunfire and bombs bursting in the Lebanese civil war and the Israeli invasion of Lebanon in 1982.

Aleppo, Syria

(images via: SeattlePI, Historische Alepposeife and National Geographic)
(image via: ALJV)
Situated at a strategic point between the Euphrates river and the Mediterranean Sea, Aleppo was prominent in the ancient world as a center of trade. Archaeological work has been difficult in Aleppo since the modern city sits directly atop a series ancient ones. Aleppo has had a tumultuous history in more ways than one. A deadly earthquake in the year 1138 AD killed as many as 230,000 people. The city had just begun to recover when it was conquered by the Mongols in 1260, 1280 and finally in 1400 by Tamerlane.
(image via: KRAFT)
Modern Aleppo from the air is one of the world’s most striking cities – the 13th century AD moated central citadel rising 150 feet into the sky resembles a meteor crater in reverse. The area of the Citadel shows evidence of human occupation going back 7,000 years though ancient Aleppo gradually grew into what we consider to be a city.

Asmara, Eritrea

(images via: Intl Listings, City Of Sound and J Watson)
Though Asmara’s recorded history only goes by 700 years, recent excavations in the city’s suburbs have uncovered an extensive urban settlement dating back as much as 3,000 years. According to a BBC report on what city life in ancient Asmara would have been like, “The settlement’s inhabitants lived in stone houses, ate cows and goats, drank beer, farmed fertile land and wore animal skins.” The more things change, the more they stay the same!
(image via: Asmera.nl)
Asmara looks like a typical modern city today, thanks (or no thanks) to Italian occupiers who revamped the city to a European plan following its conquest by Italy in 1889.

Cadiz, Spain

(images via: MSA Cultural Tours)
Gadir, Gades, Cadiz! That’s what a presumed sign on the immense city walls found 7 meters (roughly 21 feet) deep under Cadiz’ city center might read to, successively, Phoenician, Roman and Spanish visitors. Roman sources praised the beauty of Gades’ dancing girls but much earlier, like Lisbon, Gadir (meaning “The Fortress”) was a stopover for Phoenician ships plying the long tin route to and from the British Isles.
(image via: MSA Cultural Tours)
Though the recently discovered walls date back to the 8th century BC, most archaeologists agree the site on southern Spain’s Atlantic coast was a fully functioning city as long as 3,000 years ago, if not longer.

Xi’an, China

(images via: China Tourist, Theodora and Topren)
Over the past 3,000-odd years Xi’an has been the capital of 13 different imperial dynasties. The most striking reminder of Xi’an’s ancient glory comes in the form of the Terracotta Army, buried in the year 210 BC along with Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of China. Though most of the lifesized figurines have not been excavated, it’s estimated that the army consists of over 8,000 soldiers, 130 chariots pulled by 520 horses, and 150 cavalry horses.
(image via: National Geographic Traveler)
Notice the rather large and obtrusive KFC billboard in the view of downtown Xi’an above? Not to worry, it’s not long for this world – as are 190 other designated “eyesores” due to be removed from Xi’an’s city center when their current contracts expire, after which time no new advertising contracts will be accepted. That’s one sign of the times we can all appreciate!

Rome, Italy

(images via: Saint Mary’s and Viator Travel Blog)
“The Eternal City”, Roman legends state that the city was founded in the year 753 BC by co-kings Romulus and Remus – who were raised by a she-wolf. Regardless of the fine details, Rome can trace its history back to those times. The city reached the height of its glory following the decline of Classical Greece and after the Roman army’s final victory over Carthage in the battle of Zama. By the time of Julius Caesar and the establishment of the Roman Empire, it could be said with certainty that “all roads lead to Rome”.
(image via: Innovawood)
Rome and Romans endured difficult times following the Empire’s last gasp in the year 476 AD but with the growth of Christianity it once again rose to pre-eminence. Much of Rome’s ancient glory has been lost but much still remains.

Istanbul, Turkey

(images via: MarvaoGuide and ERP-KIM Archive)
Rome’s successor after the fall of the Western Roman Empire, Constantinople was founded by the Roman emperor Constantine in the year 330 AD and remained one of the world’s greatest and wealthiest cities throughout the medieval era. It was built on the site of an existing city named Byzantium which was founded by early Greek colonists in the early 7th century BC. After shining brightly for over 1,000 years, Constantinople finally succumbed to the Ottoman Turks in 1453 and a new era in the city’s life began, this time under the name of Istanbul.
(image via: Kaletour)
The Blue Mosque, built between 1609 and 1616, is one of Istanbul’s most popular tourist attractions. In its awe-inspiring size, interior decoration and above all beauty, it ranks with Constantinople’s magnificent Hagia Sophia basilica (now a museum) commissioned by the Byzantine emperor Justinian in the early 6th century AD.
Life attracts life, a pull made stronger with the passage of time. Those who have had the privilege and the pleasure of visiting an ancient city say they can feel the city’s lifeblood flowing down well-worn streets and pulsing through centuries-old marketplaces. Time passes; our lives flicker by like moths to a flame yet our eternal cities remain, burning bright, into the future.

Twisty Mystery: Ancient Underground German Tunnels

2011-12-09T19:06:00.000-08:00

By Steph in History & Factoids, Travel & Places

Why would a network of cramped, claustrophobic tunnels emerge into the kitchens of farmhouses, the aisles of churches and the center of cemeteries? No one knows exactly why man-made subterranean systems like the Erdstall were built, but at least 700 of them exist in the German state of Bavaria alone, and many more are hidden across Europe, from Hungary to Spain.

One such network was discovered in the middle of a cattle pasture when a grazing dairy cow suddenly fell into the earth up to her hips, revealing an opening. The Erdstall system, located near Munich, is 82 feet long and is believed to have been built in the Middle Ages. The passages are so tight that one must crouch or crawl to get through, and oxygen is in low supply.
Local legend has it that they were built by elves, and they’ve earned the name “schrazelloch”, which means “goblin hole.” This may give an accurate idea of their size, but the tunnels are not, as locals imagined, escape routes from castles. Most are no longer than 165 feet. Some historians believe they may have been used to venerate the dead. Others believe they were hiding places during times of great unrest.

The tunnels have gained attention from archaeologists for the first time in recent months, who have ruled out their use as storage space or livestock housing. Curiously, very few archaeological artifacts have been found inside. For all of those that have been found, it is believed that another 90 percent remain undiscovered and unexplored.

16 Creative Tables with Potential Identity Crises

2011-12-09T19:05:00.000-08:00

By Mike in Environment & Nature, Furniture & Interiors, Urban & Street Art

From their earliest mention in ancient Egyptian inscriptions to the modern trestle and refectory styles we know so well, tables have come a long way. Today, new materials and design methods are injecting further creativity into modern tables – but are they having an identity crisis? These 16 table designs look like they are eager to be something else.

(Image: via John Nouanesing)

Old furniture can always be reinvented with a fresh, bright lick of paint. This table picks up the concept and runs with it – giving the illusion of a board dripping with a river of fresh red paint. Designer John Nouanesing hides function (the table legs) within illusion – it is likely a great deal sturdier than it first appears.

(Images: via Absolut Form and Amy Youngs)

Here is another table that seems to dispense with legs. Danish designer Essey’s Grand Illusion appears to be a tablecloth hovering in mid-air – but the clue is in the title. It is made from 3mm-thick acrylic, firm enough to magically suspend your coffee cup (David Copperfield would approve). More practically, for those with a penchant for countertop composting, the Digestive Table offers an earthier alternative – at its heart is a contained ecosystem to process food scraps and create rich fertilizer for indoor plants.

(Images: via Architecture MNP and Fernando And Humberto Campana)

A table that thinks it’s a cutlery drawer – called Precious Famine, this arresting web of metalwork is made of Christofle silverware. Don’t drop your spoon on this table – you’ll never find it again. In a similarly reflective mood, the Brasilia table appears to be salvaging Art from seven years of bad luck, by forming a mosaic of mirror shards. The inspiration is the chaotic jumble of stone that form the foundations of Brazil’s capital city.

(Images: via design boom and Anyroom)

These tables don’t want to keep still – or so it appears. The r.n.i. tables of Korean designer Chul An Kwak are modeled on running horses, but there’s a frond-like hint of the deep sea in those trailing legs. Anyroom’s Dance table looks similarly intent on being elsewhere, but more sedately, like a caterpillar.

(Images: via Julia West Home and James McAdam)

Surely we are now on firmer ground now, with this bedside table like a low dresser, and this tall table fit for a lamp? Not when the former folds out into a sofa (as easily and simply as sliding out a drawer) and the latter is a piece of furniture fit for an ancient Celtic warrior. James McAdam has designed the table as a response to the security fears of around half of Londoners, but it’s bound to hit a chord with the inhabitants of other thriving cities.

(Image: via Tineke Beunders)

In Japan, a third of a million people are gainfully employed in sending tiny steel balls bouncing around vertical tables. That seems to be the inspiration behind Marbelous, perhaps the world’s first piece of Pachinko furniture. Watch as the balls wind their way through the tabletop, corkscrew down the legs and collect in the feet (and be sure to watch out for any that have escaped onto the floor).

(Images: via design mong and Lee Stoetzel and Link Studios)

Not content to be just a table, the House On The Table wants to be your entire office. The draught round your legs may be disconcerting, but otherwise this table offers all the basics of a modern workspace, bookcase and all. Lee Stoetzel’s creation looks like it belongs on your shelf, but it is actually a table in disguise – whilst the Stink tree table (yes, that’s the name) cunningly masquerades as an ex-table. However, a closer look reveals that crack running through its centre is a beautifully crafted tree.

(Images: via Because We Can and CNET)

Perhaps modern technology is more to your liking – in which case, these tables are sure to please. The Wave is a coffee table inset with a network of motion-sensitive LEDs: wave your hand over its surface, and a ripple of light will follow your motion. A table to make the most of your best glassware. The HP Labs Misto table, on the other hand, thinks it is your computer screen, allowing you and your loved ones to view photos and movies and play games on its touch-sensitive surface.

(Image: via lovegrove and repucci)

And lastly, a table with a sense of real grandeur. The Concerto Table looks for all the world like a super-modern Grand Piano … until dinnertime, at which point drawers slide out to reveal your best silver cutlery. It’s also designed to be a musical centerpiece, thanks to the built-in housing for an iPod. But, sadly, there are no ivories to tinkle.

15 Creative Coffee Tables & Coffee Table Designs

2011-12-09T19:03:00.000-08:00

By Steve in Furniture & Interiors, Gadgets & Geek Art, Travel & Places, Urban & Street Art

No living room would be complete without its centerpiece: the coffee table. As a focus for family, friends, football and fun, the coffee table can’t be beat… but it CAN be OFFbeat, as these 15 creative coffee table designs show so well.

Noguchi Throws Down the Coaster

(images via: Classic Design and Noguchi Museum Store)
It’s hard to say what the first piece of furniture worthy of the name “coffee table” was or where it was conceived but for most of us the term brings up an image of the iconic Noguchi coffee table. First produced in 1944 in association with the Herman Miller company, Isamu Noguchi’s tour de force is a simple, organic, ultimately pleasing design that set the bar for urban cool.

Bring On the Coffee Cats

(images via: Retro To Go, Roomgoods and ProductWiki)
Noguchi’s very basic coffee table design has inspired numerous copies – or should we say homages? – over the last 60-odd years. The Moebius, Butterfly and Cross tables are all undeniably interesting but at the same time face a frustrating conundrum: how does one improve a superb minimalist design whose signature feature is its simple magnificence?

Domino Theory

(images via: SIDD and Design Spotter)
This dynamic coffee table design from Canada’s SIDD Fine Woodworking makes you think for a moment before setting down your mug o’ java. Better use a coaster before you do – each Domino is constructed by a single SIDD craftsman over a period of six weeks and bears the artisan’s signature on the underside.

Tune Up Your Room

(images via: Rowean Design and Walyou)
Any successful living room suggests a sense of peace and harmony to the user, and the latter quality is best expressed by the Fender Stratocaster coffee table from Fender Custom Furniture of Portland, Oregon. Solid maple construction is custom stained to evoke the warm, vintage look of Fender’s famous Stratocasters; enhanced by chrome plated tuning pegs and silk screened graphics. FCF has enjoyed great response with the Strat table and will be following it up with a coffee table based on the rockin’ Telecaster.

I Sea What You Did There…

(images via: Nerd Approved and Everything Nautical)
What’s up, dock? The Nautical Rowing Dory Coffee Table from Everything Nautical, of course. The 48-inch long table features detachable oars – for those REALLY rainy days, one assumes – and a fitted glass top that nestles just within the gunwales. A genuinely thoughtful design, the Nautical Dory includes a pair of removable shelves that allow you to set the table on end and use it as a bookshelf or, even better, a maritime curio case for your seashells & scrimshaw.

The Age of Aquariums

(images via: Gizmodo Germany and Shirley Aquatics)
Sticking with our nautical theme, it’s not really a surprise there are aquarium coffee tables… what IS odd is that there are so many. Perhaps it’s the way watching fish swim can be so relaxing; maybe having water in front of you can make one thirsty. No problems there, unless of course watching fish in front of you makes you hungry… and drive your cat crazy.

Take Me to Your Melitta

(images via: Seanmichaelragan.com)
Geek furniture doesn’t get much more geeky than the ZAP coffee table, a one-off, home made Space Invaders tribute from Sean Ragan of Austin, Texas. Layered with handmade Mexican Talavera tiles in cobalt blue and lemon yellow, the 38 by 51 inch table cost Ragan about $415 in materials – which he kindly posts spreadsheet-style for anyone who’s contemplating a similar project. Ragan is offering the table for sale so if your games room (what geeks call a living room) needs that finishing touch, you know who to call.

Save Space, Sit on a Table

(images via: Design Milk)
From Space Invaders to space savers: the hand-crafted Futaba coffee table unfolds into a stylish loveseat when unexpected guests arrive… from the Delta Quadrant. If it was just a little larger (or you were a little shorter), the Futaba could double as a sofa bed. Sleeping on your coffee table? It’s more likely than you think.

The Periodic Coffee Table of the Elements

(images via: Designboom and Element Displays)
There’s nothing worse than a geek with a sense of humor, unless it’s a geek with no sense of humor. In any case, the Periodic Table of the Elements would even make ol’ Mendeleev himself crack a smile, until he read the price tag ($8,550). Pricey or not, it’s a table… of the elements… get it? Not exactly a thigh-slapper but if you’re going to make a joke, at least carry it through to the end and that’s exactly what Element Displays has done. All of the elements are sealed into clear acrylic blocks and set into a 4-ft. wide burred oak table. Built-in lighting illuminates the blocks and the more reactive elements are sealed in inert Argon gas or mineral oil. There appear to be quite a few blocks labeled with the “radioactive” symbol, so unless you want your coffee re-heated for you we suggest using a lead coaster.

ROSIE says, Touch-a Touch-a Touch-a Touch Me!

(images via: Engadget and Savant)
The world’s first interactive coffee table costs a cool $35,000 but like all new technology, the price should fall as the ROSIE Coffee Table Touchpanel Controller begins to fly off the shelves and into America’s homes. Featuring an Apple OS-X based operating system and an Intel processor, the ROSIE coffee table is really too good to rest coffee mugs on… and besides, spill-proofing the screen has been one of the biggest issues the Savant design team had to deal with. Isn’t this what Microsoft’s highly touted Surface table was supposed to do?

Godzilla’s iPhone, or Your Coffee Table?

(images via: iLounge and SlipperyBrick)
Not everyone has 35 grand to blow on a coffee table these days, but that doesn’t mean one must do without. Take the iPhone coffee table, crafted by iLounge readers Tuan Nguyen, Ken Thomas and associates from corrugate cardboard glued together with white glue. It’s not interactive but it does include a set of iPhone icon coasters coffee-sipping guests can use to rest their mugs on. The table doesn’t have an iPhone dock, unfortunately, but as it’s just a design concept made of cardboard perhaps that might be asking a bit much.

Coffee, Tea or Napalm?

(images via: Motoart)
Please return your Motoart coffee tables to the upright position… which would be a different position from the ones these genuine recycled aircraft parts assumed in their previous lives aboard F-4 Phantom fighters, Boeing 707 jetliners and B-52 Stratofortress bombers. Seriously, a coffee table made from chromed Phantom afterburner cans? That lights up at night with red LEDs? You know you want one.

The Coffee Table Book Lamp Table

(images via: Robot Nine)
Takeshi Ishiguro’s Book of Lights is the ultimate coffee table book – it’s a table top and reading light all in one. Granted, the three .06 watt LEDs don’t hold a candle to, well, a candle but this is one design project that favors form instead of function. Anyway, anyone who can combine a working lamp with a pop-up book deserves kudos in my, er, book.

Kramer’s Coffee Table Book

(images via: SONY Style and Press The Buttons)
No collection of coffee tables should be without Cosmo Kramer’s “coffee table book that turns into a coffee table”, as demonstrated by the hipster dufus himself on a very special Live with Regis and Kathie Lee. SONY liked the concept so much they employed the theme to package their 32-DVD Complete Series of Seinfeld set. This may be the only one of Kramer’s crazy concepts to ever reach fruition – on TV or in real life.

The Coffin Table

(images via: WebEcoist)
All good things must come to an end, and that includes you – whether you’ve been good or not. Prepare for the day you shuffle off this mortal coil with the Biodegradable Coffin coffee table from Halfway House Design. Designed by Charles Constantine of the Pratt Institute – we’re assuming that’s a school – the eco-friendly, biodegradable pine wood Memento coffee table will stylishly store books, games, wine… and one day, you.

Unusually Clever Living Room Furniture Designs: From Coffin Bookcases to Geek Coffee Tables

2011-12-09T19:02:00.001-08:00

By Delana in Furniture & Interiors, Urban & Street Art, Urban Videos, Various Uncategorized

(Check out our complete collection of 90 Creative Urban Furniture Designs.)

The living room is often the center of a house. It’s the place where families and visitors gather to talk, relax, and be entertained. The furnitures and decor in the living room can set the tone for everything that happens in that room. It follows that living room furniture is a main focus when a house is being decorated. If you’re anything but traditional, these unique and clever living room furniture designs may be right up your alley.
Love fancy cars but can’t afford to keep a whole one around? How about just the back end? This car couch (top) is nothing like the tacky versions from the 80s. This is smooth, luxurious Aston Martin DB6 – just like James Bond would sit on if he ever sat around watching movies and eating potato chips.
The Wave Chaise (bottom) is a new concept in teen seating/entertainment. This one piece of furniture contains everything your teenager (or you, if you’re game) might need entertainment-wise. Watch TV and movies, play video games, do homework, listen to CDs, read a book, talk on the phone or take a nap in this futuristic-looking pod.

This odd looking piece of furniture (top) may have been inspired by a toothbrush. The long noodly arms look comforting, but we wonder how difficult it would be to play video games while constantly batting the soft arms out of your face. This piece is a concept designed by a student at Bucks New University.
You may have heard of the world-famous motorized sofa. If you’re concerned about the environment and want to work out your calves without ever leaving your couch, the Couchbike gives you the best of all worlds. Although it’s not commercially available, its creators took it on a riding tour around the maritimes in Eastern Canada.

The Meltdown Chair (top left) is a fine example of art doubling as a useful object. The artist, Tom Price, heats a chair form and presses it into a pile of clear PVC hose to melt and char the plastic. When it’s done, it looks like a chair with springy supports. These may not be for everyone, but they do look oddly comfortable.
When you feel like cuddling but you need to get some reading done, the Octopus chair (top right) has you covered. Literally. Made from recycled jeans and polystyrene balls, the many legs of the Octopus chair will keep you cozy and protected as you catch up on the latest thriller novel.
Have your friends stopped answering your calls because they can’t stand to help you move all of your furniture into a new apartment yet again? Solve part of the problem with the inflatable massage chair (bottom right). It only weighs 18 pounds and can go from rolled up to fully inflated and ready to use in two minutes. Plus, what’s classier than an inflatable chair in your living room?
This sheep chair (bottom left) might take the trophy for classy living room furniture. With its three heads, soulful eyes and massive amounts of wool, this chair is part hellhound, part lambskin rug, and part really creepy throne.

If you’re like us, you’ve probably said to yourself many times, “Hm, I could really do with an open flame in my living room.” Now, just for you, there’s a coffee table (top) that lets you not only keep an open flame near your flowing curtains, but grow grass at the same time. The Fire and Ice coffee table features a fire pit on one side and a cavity on the other side for storage or growing grass. A sliding metal platform only allows you to display one side at a time.
The Cityscape (Dublin) table (top right) brings the Dublin skyline to mind while providing the perfect place to store your books and other oblong objects.
If you know someone who loves pinball, you can score major points in their book by making them this excellent pinball coffee table (bottom right). The idea of having an arcade machine that’s also everyday furniture is enough to thrill any geek.
Convertible furniture is a great way to maximize the space in your living area. Most of us are used to seeing pull-out sofas for this purpose, but a pull-out coffee table (bottom)? That’s exactly what Julia West Home has done here. The result is a simple pull-out bed that you’d never know was there by looking at the closed-up coffee table.
If it’s convertible furniture you’re interested in, take a good look at Fix it on the Wall Furniture (middle left) from designer John Nouanesing. When the furniture is not in use, each piece has its own place in the wall holder. When you need the tiny table and four cushions, simply pull them down, assemble, and enjoy your impromptu tea party.

These coffee tables are for the true nerds among us. The top, a working Nintendo controller protected by a layer of glass, was truly a labor of love for its proud owner. The table on the bottom sports a feature that most of us instantly recognize: the periodic table of elements. Each element is represented by a small sample of it safely embedded in acrylic so that even the dangerous elements can’t hurt you.

The design for these shelves is simply amazing. PLoP! shelves are made of corrugated cardboard to make them easy to carry around and set up in a new place. The shelves are collapsible, so whenever you need to hit the road quickly you can just remove your things from the shelves and fold it up. The units are also connectable, so you can have a long system of book shelves.

Finally, the “Eternaltainment Center.” This company provides double-duty furniture that today can be used for any number of applications, but when the owner kicks the bucket the main part of the furniture becomes a casket. They sell everything, from sofas to display cases to pool tables, all made from your future coffin. Is it just us, or is that concept just a little weird?
What’s your favorite piece of weird living room furniture? Let us know in the comments!