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Star Wars Millennium Falcon Bed

Posted on 08 March 2010 by

What does a true geek sleep on? A true geek bed has to be the Millennium Falcon Bed. Yes, Kyla Kromer has done it again; she has created a star wars fans ultimate dream bed-The Millennium Falcon Bed. Though her earlier innovation-a delicious Hamburger bed was much appreciated but her latest Star Wars bed has broken all her past records.

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As Kayla Kromer introduces her creation, she can be seen dressed in a hot outfit lying on a bed which looks like a Falcon from star wars. The pictures of the Millennium Falcon bed instantly take you into the Star Wars world. The LED lights placed in a circle around the falcon bed complete the hyperspace effect.

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Other effects include, pillows looking like radar dishes and there are headlights too.

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Typical to Star Wars, the bed has many hidden compartments for storing everyday needs. What’s a Flacon without a cockpit? You name it and you have it, there is a special cockpit space for your favorite action heroes.

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The whole bed, with its special features has the complete look and feel of a star war bed. So go ahead, and get yourself a Millennium Falcon bed and zoom into space on a star wars mission.

Via Kayla Kromer.

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Stargate Atlantis Home Theater – Truly Sci Fi Pleasure

Posted on 05 March 2010 by

Stargate Atlantis home theatre is a specially designed theme theatre with special Visual and Acoustic effects. When you wave a hand at the Atlantis Logo at the entrance of the theatre, the doors automatically slide open just like the star Wars.

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There are motion sensors which on stimulation trigger the air pockets doors to open, thus welcoming you into the world of the famous Stargate Atlantis Home Theatre.

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As you step inside, you are fascinated and feel like stepping out of this world into Lantea which is the actual fictional home of the TV series Stargate Atlantis. Who could have created this home theatre? Yes, it is none other than Jacob Yarmuth located in Louisville, KY .He is the world’s biggest fan of the Stargate Atlantis series.

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Jacob Yarmuth whopped out $ 70000 to make his dream come true-the dream of creating a replica of the Stargate Atlantis Home theatre. The Screen is circular and 1 foot in diagonal just like the star gate screen.

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Other Sci-Fi features include Sony Mega changers that house up to 80 DVD’s can attest to that, a star dome that shows comets shooting across space. The THX speakers pump out seven channel sound and are accompanied by 2 polko Audio IW subwoofers.

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The Atlantis technology is immense and must be seen to be believed. In other words the Atlantis Home theatre creates magic and bringing alive the fictional Stargate series into your home.

Via Electronichouse.

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The King’s Walkway – World’s Most Dangerous Walkway

Posted on 03 March 2010 by

The King’s Walkway can be touted as one of the deadliest and the most dangerous walkways in the world, situated at El Chorro, near Alora in Malaga, Spain. It is simply not for those who have alto-phobia. The construction of the walkway was incepted in the year 1901 and it took four years for the completion of the project.

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It is naturally pinned along the steep walls of a narrow gorge, built to serve as a link between Chorro Falls and the Gaitanejo Falls mainly for the transportation of the materials, for inspection and the maintenance of the channel.

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The main reason for its construction was the hydroelectric power plants situated there which required a walkway for the workers to cross between the falls. It was inaugurated by King Alfonso XIII in 1921, who crossed the walkway then, thus the walkway got its name “The King’s Walkway”.

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The Walkway is 1 meter (3 feet and 3 inches) in width, and is over 300 meters (984 feet) above the river. It is in a state of disrepair without handrails for the support and with the concrete flooring having become brittle. The government had closed the walkway for the public, as many people had lost their lives while crossing it, more especially in 1999 and 2000 when 4 people lost their lives. The walkers latch onto the steel beam, which supported the concrete flooring earlier.

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However, the government has taken up the task of restoring the historical walkway in the recent years, as the adventurers still find their way onto the walkway, to explore it.

Via TheWondrous.

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Pitch Lake – A Natural Asphalt Resource

Posted on 02 March 2010 by

Sir Walter Raleigh first discovered the Pitch Lake while cruising through La Brea in southwest Trinidad. The Pitch Lake is one of the several natural asphalt lakes in the world. Since its discovery in 1595, several investigations and research have been conducted to determine the chemical composition and use of this substance found in the lake.

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The lake has awed explorers, scientists and common man alike. The Pitch Lake is 40 ha and 75 meters deep. The lake houses asphalt mines, as asphalt thus produced in large quantities is used in road construction supplies.

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Various theories and postulations have been suggested to explain the formation of the Pitch Lake with its rich asphalt resource. According to one such theory, the lake is produced as a result of two faults, related to the subduction of the Caribbean plate of the Barbados arc.

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Due to immense pressure a deep deposit comes to the upper crust; lighter elements evaporate leaving being the natural asphalt. This may be degraded by bacteria to form petroleum. There are various legends associated with the lake. Local Chaima Indians believe that it is the wrath of their Gods.

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Nevertheless, the Pitch Lake is famous for its natural resource of Asphalt and draws crowds from all spheres of this world .Each year people pour in to behold and marvel the pitch lake with its natural bounties.

Via Wikipedia.

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Life Of Sparebots – An Unique And Exceptional Art

Posted on 01 March 2010 by

Creativity knows no bounds and this seems to be true in the case of Sparebots. Sparebots are more commonly referred to as Life of Sparebots .The Life of Sparebots can be found on Lenny and Meriel’s Photo stream.

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Sparebots are actually spare bits and as the name suggests are actually bits of spare electronic parts. These spare parts may be bits of wire, solder, resistors, leads, diodes and capacitors; used creatively to depict beautiful Sparebots.

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The spare bits are arranged in such a way that they look like real life forms. A spare battery may form the body of a Sparebot, while wires may be twisted to look like its arms and legs. Thus a sparebot is formed and this may look realistic too.

There are a number of photographs on the life of Sparebots. These photographs highlight the creativity with which Sparebots are made. These Sparebots depict common life activities in new light. The sparebots are fast becoming a rage on the internet as many people find them interesting and funny.

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Inside A Steampunk House

Posted on 26 February 2010 by

If you have a passion for Steampunk then Bruce and Melanie Rosenbaums home is an outstanding place on earth. The couple has authentically restored their Victorian home retaining its rich heritage and classic beauty while completely modernizing the homes systems.  They changed the functional layout of their Victorian home to accommodate the conveniences available in modern homes.

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They started their own Mod Vic (Modern Victorian) Home Restoration in the year 2007 mainly aimed at combining Victorian high designs and craftsmanship of that era with modern functionality and convenience. Bruce and Melanie Rosenbaum share a common love for Steampunk aesthetic and made good use of this in renovating their home.

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Their home originally a craftsman style Victorian built in 1901 has a great deal of history and antiques of the craftsman’s era. Let me give you a walk through their Steampunk home-To start with the Kitchen. Here the old Victorian heater was replaced by David Erickson.

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Bruce worked hard on restoring the Victorian stove by repainting, cleaning and re-plating the bright work made from Nickel. He even added a firebrick lining to retain heat in the stove for years to come. Bruce even built the fire back and hearth true to Victorian era and complimented this with the stove.

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He did a fabulous job by installing stained glass windows to retain the Victorian look. The stone of the hearth looks like real fieldstone from outside the house. The antique printer’s bench occupies the center of the kitchen. This bench is topped with engineered quartz stone.

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An extra pedestal was added here and serves to store the dog’s food. The bench has several drawers to store kitchen utensils and is partitioned to efficiently store cutlery and other supplies.

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The Kitchen door has a small Doggie door according to modern day convenience. The Kitchen stools are Victorian and may someday have high antique value. The switches are eye catching and one would love to toggle the modern switch/dimmer combination.

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The couple has decorated their house with amazing pieces of art and craft, like the clock which resembles a vintage piece, a steam whistle, fire nozzle and an old hat on a coat stand.

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Bruce’s living room is perfect example of the Victorian era designed with modern sci-fi equipment. Here there is a Victorian era mantle piece with a Plasma TV fitted in place of the Mirror frame. Below this is a fireplace inserted and sub woofer for surround sound installation. Lastly, Bruce’s house is truly fabulous and magnificently mod.

Via SteamPunkWorkshop.

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Beautiful Mirabell Gardens – The Dwarf Garden In Salzburg, Austria

Posted on 24 February 2010 by

Amidst the beautiful Mirabell Gardens, in Salzburg, Austria, the “Dwarf Garden” (‘The Zwerglgarten’) is located. It was built by Prince Archbishop Franz Anton Harrach in 1715, to commemorate the dwarves who were the models of entertainment, served in the Prince’s court. It has an inspiring history for the foreigners and the peasants of the town.

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The Crown Prince Ludwig of Bavaria had a misconception taking the dwarves, in concern for his wife and their unborn child. Perhaps he assumed them to be ominous and ordered for their seizure and removal from the Dwarf Garden. But its great value to the Salzburg’s cultural heritage was forgotten, and the sculptures got auctioned.

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But the Salzburg Society for the Preservation of Local Amenities had taken great interest in restoring back the iron sculpts from the city councilors, and got the dwarves placed at the more deserving place.

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Today, some of the retrieved ones are placed in the Bastion Garden, waiting for the remaining sculptures to join them.

Via Flickr.

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Ear Tattoos

Posted on 22 February 2010 by

There are a variety of tattoo designs available for any part of the body. Some people may prefer to have their ears tattooed. However, there are many pros and cons of having your ears tattooed.

Ears are small and can be easily tattooed. Sometimes you could even hide the tattoo if your hairs are long. A tattoo on the ear gives you a stylish and funky look. It doesn’t take too long to tattoo on an ear as compared to other parts of the body. Therefore, ears can be tattooed in little or no time.

Some people may prefer to have a message tattooed under the ear. You could also have your favorite design tattooed on the earlobe. Some tattoos also go well with ear piercings.

A tattoo on the ear may also cost you dearly. If not taken proper care, the tattoo could cause infection and consequent mutilation of the skin in that area.

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Tokyo Storm Water Discharge Channel

Posted on 18 February 2010 by

Advance planning that leads to the security of the citizens of the country is always welcomed, more especially if it is something related with the natural catastrophes. These natural disasters are simply unpredictable and dealing with them looks like an insurmountable task.

Though hugely expensive, but it is worth taking over, for the millions of people residing in the realm of such dangers. Best example is regarding the inhabitants of the metropolitan city of Saitama, Japan, who had been facing the water calamities very often.

The technical engineers in Japan had come up with an extra-ordinary storm water management solution in the year 1992, which is the amazing underground system that effectively deals with the flood water and prevents the area from the massive damage to lives and properties.

It is called The Metropolitan Area Outer Discharge Channel, constructed to minimize the damage caused by heavy rainfall or typhoons. Since 1979, the city had faced six major floods, two of which were from typhoons. So this particular underground system has been set up with specific responses to an above ground occurrence. According to experts, this sewer water discharge channel is set to minimize the flood effect by 80%.

The overall design of the system is outstanding, standing tall at 25.4m (83 feet), 78m (255 feet) wide and 177m long (580 feet). The total structure appears to be more of a set erected for English blockbusters, as if taking us into those James Bond movies, etc.

Although it was completed years ago, this amazing system has not been used yet for the said purpose, but is surely an attraction for the tourists.

Via Plataformaurbana.

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Robolamps From Robert Matysiak

Posted on 17 February 2010 by

Hey you geeks out there! Are you looking for some cool stuff for your apartment? Robolamps are sure to add that geek touch to your home. Robolamps are lamps that look like robots. These Robolamps may look like a robotic dog, a robot machine, a robotic centipede and many more. They are very realistic and look very similar to robots. Think of a Robolamp that resembles a robotic dog.

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Robolamps were created by a famous Croatian artist names Robert Maystick. He has taken geek art a step further by creating lamps that look like robots. The robolamps may cost anywhere from 40 to 110 euro’s.

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These lamps are made from various plumbing devices and light bulbs and are in high demand; therefore the prices are high too.

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Via Robert’s Facebook page.

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Exquisite Book Portraits By Mike Stilkey

Posted on 15 February 2010 by

Artists are known for their creative eccentrics but Mike Stilkey is someone quite different. Mike is an artist from Alta Dena California, who paints exquisite portraits of life on spines of stacked books.

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Mike always had a fondness for painting on old books that he even got published under the name ‘100 Portraits’. However later on, he had an innovative idea- to draw on book spines. Gradually he started drawing on a mass of stacked books.

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The result was spellbinding and Exquisite paintings came to life through his drawings. Overnight Mike Stilkey became a legend, when he presented his paintings at the second Artist’s Annual group show.

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Mike Stilkey had brought a new revolution in the world of interior designing. Gone are the days of multitude of stacked books that looked dull and boring. With his work of art, these walls of book stacks came to life with striking paintings and portraits. He has also inspired other artists to look a little beyond their imagination.

Via FecalFace.

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Vlad Artazov’s Nails Life

Posted on 12 February 2010 by

The famous Czech photographer Vlad Artazov has come up with an awesome random collection on arrangement of nails in different set ups which depict the irony of life in a very astonishing manner, in his recent interesting photo art called Nail’s life. It is incredibly done showing off the wide range of real life situations, feelings and emotions by the extensive use of simple nails.

Some pictures show the seamy side and some pictures show intimacy, but the art is truly inspiring. Though the ace photographer’s works are usually humorous and carry an ironic message in his pictures, this nail art can surely be his masterpiece.

Via Vlad Artazov.

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Carving On The Desks

Posted on 08 February 2010 by

A London-based artist, Ben Turnbull born in 1974 and expelled from two schools where he used to spent time drawing and carving out some exquisite caricatures on to a desk which today had led him to be one of the controversial artists with his controversial works, surely knows how to make strong impact with his art.

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His main focus has mostly been America as he is fascinated by the global dominance of the American political system. His work that resembles the children’s toys mainly depicts the prevalence of violence in society today, as his wood carvings are mainly of different guns and weapons which surely attract one’s attention.

Via BenTurnbull.

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San Zhi-Haunted Homes Of Taipei

Posted on 07 February 2010 by

San Zhai looks like an abandoned housing complex from Taipei, Taiwan. The rounded domes of the houses are an architectural delight and fantastically futuristic. The houses were built in the early 1980’s and targeted at rich Taipei residents of that time. The homes were built far from the city and served as homes for vacation or rehabilitation.

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Strangely, the housing complex construction was abandoned midway. Some say that the construction was abandoned as the developer had run out of money and resources. But there is another weird reason for the abandonment, locals say that, the place is haunted and evil spirits caused a series of fatal accidents at the construction site. Thus the developer decided to halt all plans of construction.

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The houses are cantilevered, looking like modular pod houses. The architecture of the houses resembles an Archigram; more or less it looks like an UFO. These space age houses look pretty awesome but they also give you a creepy feeling. Some may look like tattered space ship. The San Zhai homes are very modern for the present times.

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To imagine that these structures were made in the early eighties is fascinating. These abandoned homes, looking amazing and futuristic with a weird story make it a major tourist attraction outside Taipei in Taiwan.

Via Notcot.

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Playgrounds From The 70’s

Posted on 06 February 2010 by

The 70’s era saw many innovative playground structures. Do you remember that Miracle Fun house or the Earth Tone barrel of fun? The Miracle fun house is made out of wooden planks and fiber glass enclosure. This way the run for fun activity is kept safely inside the Miracle Fun House. Here fitness is combined with fun.

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Those days playgrounds had lots of features for tiny tots too. Humpty dumpty house is a rolling house specially designed for tiny tots who are not ready for bigger games. This has smooth corner ends and is made of fiber glass planks. It also has a safety guard on bearings and wheels. Big kids can’t fit in these houses, thus only small kids can enjoy the Humpty dumpty house of fun.

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Playgrounds also housed a variety of See Saws, Giganta a fun producing Robotic structure, Lunar Lander and Snails. These features make playgrounds a fun area for kids and invite them to come in and have fun.

Via DivineCaroline.

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History Behind The Abandoned Subway In Cincinnati

Posted on 04 February 2010 by

Beneath the streets of Cincinnati, Ohio, a set of visibly unused tunnels and stations for a rapid transit system could be seen. It is the abandoned subway of Ohio, called the Cincinnati Subway, infamous for its incomplete construction. The subway has been termed as “one of the city’s biggest embarrassments” and “one of the Cincinnati biggest failures”.

The construction began from 1920 and continued till 1925 with finance of $6 million which relatively got exhausted before the completion of the project. The project but, highlighted the technological advancement of that period, but had to be abandoned in mid-way even before reaching the 16 mile target, after the great depression and World War II, leaving behind with only 2.1 miles of tunnels (between Walnut street and near Western Hills) and three stations (Liberty St., Race St. and Brighton’s Corner) completely built underneath the Central Parkway.

Many of the items had really collapsed long back, and there was way made for I-75 and the Norwood Lateral in the 1950’s and 1970’s respectively. Earlier, the engineers planned out the extension from the Walnut St. south to downtown with one station at Fountain Square but it never got materialized. And moreover, several moving lines are untraceable as only three of the dozen planned stations above the ground were built.

The portions of I-75 and the Norwood Lateral somehow follow the path of the line, but a long stretch near the Dana Avenue of I-71 was considerably built where you can check out for the subway’s loop that was planned on the eastern half side of the subway.

The tunnel can still be used by public, as the government has looked into the relative maintenance of the subway in the past recent years. The “Metro Moves” sales tax in 2002 could have been a great funding for the maintenance of the tunnel, but it was never favored by the common public.

Via Cincinnati Transit.

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The Living Bridges Of The Cherrapunji

Posted on 03 February 2010 by

It is incredible to see the bridges in Cherrapunji grow on their own, instead of being built. They are called ‘Living Bridges’ of Cherrapunji. Cherrapunji, in Meghalaya, India, is famous for the highest amount of rainfall in the world. It is not only the maximum rainfall that you witness here, but the place is adorned with amazing plants also, which leave you astonished.

A local tribe in Meghalaya, called War-Khasis, realized the utility of the plant ‘Ficus elastica’ (a rubber tree that produces secondary roots from higher up in the trunk, steeping into the river beds or perching around the boulders), to grow bridges naturally.

It is all about using intelligence in making this bridge. The local tribesmen allow the rubber tree’s roots to grow in the right direction, by making use of the betel-nut trunks which are sliced down from the middle and hollowed out.

The roots are then made to return to soil, so that over a period of time, a strong bridge is constructed. This strength of the bridge is directly proportional to the time factor i.e. the maximum the time covered; the maximum is the strength of the bridge. And to one’s amazement, these bridges can last up to centuries, taking of about 10-15 years of time for the development.

The root bridges can stretch up to 100 feet long and are sturdy to accommodate around 50 or more people simultaneously. The passage is covered with stones and boulders entangling the roots, to make an easier way.

Via Project-Cool.

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The Internet As Vintage Books

Posted on 29 January 2010 by

How would it have been if today’s popular internet websites and their web applications were artistically reinvented and designed as the 1960s book covers, so as to provide an insight into how these social networking sites may look if they were designed about 40 or 50 years ago? This innovating and enthralling series of images, in fact throw light on the illustrator’s creative thinking-process. The famous French autodidact graphic designer Stephane Massa-Bidal whose leading concept known as “Retrofuturs” (a mix of past, present and future), normally creates his designs with a minimalist approach and a retro touch.

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His present creative series “Web Services Covers Therapy” is definitely worth viewing taking the viewer in reminiscing that 60s era for modern networks like YouTube, Twitter, Wikipedia, MySpace, etc. These vintage images of today’s internet sites provide a virtual fusion connecting both the eras and are surely worth watching out for, for someone who cherishes such creativity as an addition to his vintage collection.

FFFFOUND!


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Flickr


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Twitter


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Facebook


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Via Flickr.

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Green Shop Made From Natural Material

Posted on 28 January 2010 by

The Belgian designer Ann Demeulemeester’s fashion retail shop in the Gangnam district of South Korea’s capital city Seoul brings some new dimensions to the Green concept. Seoul which is the second largest metropolitan and a major global city in the world, can surely boast of this that provides colors to its already existing metropolitan culture.

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This unique green shop is the blend of the modern artificial and natural architecture, which is basically a multi-storey building that uses geotextilkes planted with herbaceous plants to form the living walls and the stupendous green roof system.

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The aim is to cover the structure with the real green roofs and green living walls both externally and internally, smearing off the lines between the landscape and the building. The glass covering amidst the whole green concept provides the required elegance to the structure.

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The basement is a ‘multi-shop’, the ground floor comprises of the hot collections from the designer, and the second floor has a restaurant.

Via Ann Demeulemeester.

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How To Make A Pencil Crossbow

Posted on 26 January 2010 by

John Austin has a knack of creating mini weapons out of everyday items like a pencil, shoelace, penny, clothespin and what not. His book ‘Mini Weapons of Mass Destruction’ gives you an insight into the lethal potential of everyday items that can be transformed into a menacing arsenal. Here’s an easy way to make a pencil bowstring-Arrange two pairs of pencils at right angles using a rubber band to hold them together. You can make good use of a pen (with the refill removed) to form the projectile for shooting arrows and Rubber bands can serve as a bowstring. So, Voila! Your mini weapon is ready for shooting at your mates to have fun.

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Via JohnAustinBooks.

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