The Moody Bill illusion

I had originally discovered this trick while reading Origami to Astonish and Amuse by Jeremy Shafer. Creating the illusion is very simple. You fold the portrait on a bill a certain way, a valley fold bisecting the mouth with two mountain folds on either side. The result, depending if you look from the top on down or the down to top is a frowning or smiling president. Yes, it's very, very silly. But, trust me, after you've done it once, you will using it as your go to stupid party trick. Personally, I like using five dollar bills for the trick. There's something about Lincoln that is always ripe for comedy. Link goes to Metacafe.com video instructions.

Guinness Beer Soap

From Etsy.com
- For the metrosexual who doesn't want to be seen as a metrosexual comes the most manly bar of soap ever. (Or until someone invents a WWII bar of soap made from spent bullet casings and the blood, sweat and tears of old dog soldiers.) Creator and seller, Dennisanderson, has cooked up a soap containing actual Guinness. Each bar runs from 4 to 5 ounces and will set you back a fiver. Link to selling site.

Great statues from around the globe

From losu.org - The US and Brazil don't have the giant statue market cornered. Here is a photo list of amazingly massive statues from around the world. My favorite is pictured here; the Leshan Giant Buddha. Construction for the stone giant was started by a Chinese monk named Haitong in 713 a.d.. He had hoped the statue would bring peace to the turbulent shipping waters below. Legend has it, that when the money for project threatened to dry up, Haitong gouged out his eyes to show how sincere he was towards his goal of finishing the statue. To say the least, someone else completed the Buddha.
The strange ending to this story was that so much rock had been removed from the mountain and deposited into the river that the currents did indeed change. The result? A safer passage.
Link to photolist.

Justice - "Phantom Part II"

French electronic duo, Justice, has a new video that definitely fits the "usual unsual" mode. Directed by Daniel Bloomberg, "Phantom Part II" reminds me of a John Hughes' film that was strained through a Hitchcock filter, that would be the reason for the chocolate syrup on your left, and given to Sam Raimi to edit. Plus, the song is the type that will take up residence in your head long after the video has ended. Link to Quicktime video

Das Park Hotel

Located in Donauradweg Park, Austria, Das Park Hotel isn't your usual Holiday Inn locale. These rooms are made out concrete sewage pipes. Designed by Andreas Strauss and looking like the European lovechild of a Tokyo capsule room, each suite contains a double bed, a lamp, a blanket, an internet connection hookup and one sleeping bag. Toilets and showers are a brisk walk away. The best thing about the hotel is the "pay as you wish" honesty policy. People quite commonly pay anywhere from 7 to 20 Euros a night. Yes, it's not exactly built for comforting your every whim but none the less, it beats camping in a pup tent. Link to Das Park Hotel (Site is in German.)

DIY Altoids tin pocket-sized watercolor box

From Instructables.com -This is one of those "it's so simple, it's brilliant" ideas. A watercolor box mades from an Altoids tin, Fimo Clay and tubes of watercolor. If you have your own tubes already, this is much cheaper than going out and buying a field set. Link to instructions.

Giant Hornet's Honey

For those who can't wait to get to the "worm" at the bottom of the bottle of tequila there's Giant Hornet's Honey. Yes, the insect is real. According to the website's description, The Giant Japanese Hornet's body contains enzymes that will increase the strength and energy levels of those who eat the hornet. Personally, I'd rather stick with Red Bull. Especially since the price tag of a 4.4 oz bottle is $44.00. But if you are dying to try it out for yourself you can purchase a jar at Edible.com

The Calligraphy of Andrey Shch

Calligraphy comes from the Greek root words; kallos meaning "beauty" and graphẽ meaning "writing". The three major forms of calligraphy are the Chinese, the Arabic and the European styles. While the Chinese and the Arabic styles are still going strong, thanks to the strong cultural ties of the Chinese and the Islamic rule that prevents graven idols which has led to mosques being decorated in Arabic writing instead, calligraphy in the West is a dying artform. This is due mainly to the invention of the keyboard. Why write out a longhand letter when an e-mail or a text message is so much quicker?

Still, some artists maintain the art. Ukranian designer, Andrey Shch, is such one artist. With a simple pen, the type you can find lying anywhere and a common writing surface, he shows that calligraphy is still a beautiful art that should not be forgotten. Watch him create a piece on a simple napkin.



His website, SHCH Graphics Group contains many more of his works.

Anti-emo riots break out across Mexico

From Wired -

A series of riots broke out in Queretaro, Mexico, when several hundred people, including many punks and rockers, went on a beating rampage. Their target? Emo youths. The result of these attacks led to police protection for the said black-hair dyed, eye make-up wearing emo followers. With special guest appearance from the Hare Krishnas. Link to further details and video

An Intro Post

Call me superstitious but I never start a journal on the first page. That page I either leave blank or come back to after I write a few pages.

So, think of this intro post as a blank page.

The main objective of this blog is to find the strangeness that is in our universe, be it fiction or non-fiction, movie or tome, man or machine, nature or civilization. There's much to cover.

Now any more and this posting won't be much of a blank page. So, on with the show.