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Alex Jones' ("Orion Pax") Back to the Future DeLorean looks like an actual diecast model rather than a Lego creation. Despite the spray-painted hull, it's still a legit build due to the skillful customization job.

The SoHo penthouse that Alicia Keys and husband Swizz Beatz called home for two years has just hit the market for $17.95 million. Keys originally bought the space from Lenny Kravitz in 2010 for $14.5 million. Located on 30 Crosby Street, the 6,000-plus square-foot loft has five bedrooms, four bathrooms, a 3,000-square-foot terrace and east-facing glass-encased dining room.



The living room fireplace is fortified with floor-to-ceiling marble, and a floating staircase leads to the master suite, complete with a personal spa featuring a duel nozzle shower surrounded by a unique pattern of brown and beige tile. Needless to say, the media room/home theater is equipped with a state of the art sound system.

Soccer fans around the world will never forget Zinedine Zidane's infamous headbutt delivered to Italian player Marco Materazzi during the 2006 World Cup. Materazzi said something provoking to the Frenchman and he reacted by going temporarily insane within a blink of an eye. The headbutt ultimately led Zidane to be sent off with a red card, completely altering the match, and resulting in a loss for France.



Algerian sculptor Adel Abdessemed decided to immortalize the moment, which turned out to be one of the most dramatic sports events of the decade. The resin sculpture, titled Coup de tete, is part of Adel Abdessemed's exhibition Who's Afraid Of The Big Bad Wolf?, which recently showed at the David Zwirner gallery in New York City. According to the release, the show "brings together recent works that revolve around the themes of war, violence, and spectatorship."

By Christine Chin

Milk jugs are riddled with nipples, salt shakers stand on baby toes, a crystal cup is combined with a grip-friendly human ear handle and decorative hairy trimmings.

Artist Christine Chin created a series of rather creepy yet fascinating kitchenware called Sentient Kitchen. More after the jump!

This is what Chin says about her series:
"Sentient Kitchen examines the convergence between technology and biology. As the machines that assist our lives become smarter and more architecturally complex, they borrow increasingly from the biological realm. Sentient Kitchen takes inspiration from some of nature's most ingenious engineering. What better way to dispense salt than through an organ that is highly developed to taste, and why not take advantage of the mammary gland's unique relationship to milk? While it is the nature of the human ego to cast suspicion on a challenge to human intellect, Sentient Kitchen products offer a non-threatening environment to explore the benefits of smarter, more sensitive solutions to our daily dining needs."

There are more than 3,000 exhibits from all areas of technical history on more than 30,000 sqm of indoor space and in our open air ground. The exhibitions include a genuine CONCORDE from Air France and the Russian Tupolev TU-144, more than 300 classic cars, 200 motorcycles, 40 racing cars, the largest permament formula-1 exhibition in Europe, 60 airplanes, 20 locomotives, and much more.





One of the greatest attractions is the IMAX 3D film theater which shows absolutely realistic three-dimensional movies on a 22 x 27 m large screen. Comfortable accommodation can be found at the Hotel Sinsheim just a few steps away from the museum.

Festival of Fire

Chahar Shanbeh Soori, literally means Red Wednesday, is an ancient festival, dating back to 4000 years ago since the early Zoroastrian era, which is still celebrated the night before the last Wednesday of the year. The word Chahar Shanbeh means Wednesday and Suri is red.On this occasion people make bon-fires on the streets and jump over them. The streets coming alive with children and people as families spill out of their homes and greet each other. The young use much firework before and during the Chaharshanbe Suri.

In Chaharshanbeh Soori, bonfires are made in the streets and some times in the yards. Based on Zoroastrain tradition the number of bonfires at any one place should be three representing the three holy values including: Good thoughts, Good words, and Good deeds. A bonfire can also be made in a single spot and this would symbolize unity and solidarity of Ahura.

Then someone is the first to go, taking a running start and jumping over the fire they say 'Sorkhie to az man, Zardieh man az to. This rhyme complements this ancient purification ritual where the healthy glow of the fire is beseeched to bless the person and to take away all their sickness.

Another tradition practice in Chahar-Shanbeh Soori is that people, most often children and young adults, wear strange dresses and sometimes wrap themselves up in sheets to symbolize the shrouds of the dead and head go to the street with pots and pans to create a cacophony you will never forget. As the saying goes, they could wake the dead! And that's pretty much the intention; this ancient ritual is said to ward off evil spirits. Then the kids go door to door to receive Chaharshanbeh Soori nuts, chocolates, etc.
It is said that wishes come true on the eve of Chahar-shanbeh Soori. So, the ones making wishes, should cook Pottage Ribbon called Ashe Reshteh in Farsi by themselves or assistance of friends and family members and serve it for guests and neighbors. It is cooked mainly by boiled beans and legumes, Spinach and some other vegetables, fried garlic and spearmint and noodles.

The ancient Iranians celebrated the last 10 days of the year in their annual obligation feast of all souls, Hamaspathmaedaya (Farvardigan or popularly Forodigan). They believed Farahvahar the messenger of Ahuramazda (in Zoroastrian belief), the guardian angles for humans and also the spirits of dead would come back for reunion. These spirits were entertained as honored guests in their old homes, and were bidden a formal ritual farewell at the dawn of the New Year. The ten-day festival also coincided with festivals celebrating the creation of fire and humans.

During ancient times, Iranian used to light fire on the roof by burning left belongings of the dead family members attracting and persuading their soul to come back and stay with them for a night. The reason for making fire was to invite soul of dead people in order to keep satanic soul or Ahriman far from the family gathering which is considered as a private community. Due to existence of this belief, houses were cleaned and dust was removed from houses of Iranians just in case make the invited soul happy and prove that the departed members are still enjoying their life in the other world and making people sure that there is no need to be worried about because all the sadness have been put aside by cleaning the house.

The tradition has still maintained among Iranian people, however after domination of Islam, the form of this tradition has somehow changed and people go to cemeteries and wash the graves of the dead family members and relatives instead of lighting fire on the roofs.
Today after more than four millennia, joy of Wednesday or Chaharshanbeh Soori is one of the most popular events amongst Iranian people. Although Chaharshanbeh Soori has its roots in ancient Zoroastrian fire festival, it is still maintained in Persian societies all over the world. However, nowadays young people in Iran have a different opinion about this festival and the way it is celebrated is quite different from what was practiced during ancient times. Sometimes people light very huge fires which sometimes make you feel that the whole city is burning. In addition to huge flames, some times young adults make small bombs and fire crackers which make loud noise and unfortunately sometimes cause lots of horrific accidents.


Source : payvand.com

Animal lovers

I love my dog. Look, here is a picture of him, his name is Willie. He's pretty bad-ass, maybe even cooler than your dog (I'm sure of it).
I'm totally guilty of buying him a new toy on his birthday and other holidays. According to this graphic we Americans spend 5 Billion dollars on gifts for our pets! It also says 25% of you all blow dry your pet after a bath. Are you kidding me? I do a lot for my dog, he has it pretty easy, but no way I am ever going to blow dry em'.
How come y'all suck at training your dogs? I know you watch enough Dog Whisperer to know how to control them, but you don't.Willie looks like he's been in a bar fight everyday after the park. The other dogs can't catch up to him and just nip at him when he finally slows down for a rest. At least he's got a torn ear and dozens of scars to show off to his dog friends.


Some things I don't understand about reptile owners.
Example A:
A person who catches dogs is called a dog catcher. A person who catches snakes is a snake wrangler. The ability to wrangle just isn't a quality I want my pet to have, it's straight scary.
Example B:
Snuggling with your reptile doesn't sound comfortable.
Example C:
If your reptile escapes, good luck at getting them back. If anyone finds a reptile in their front yard there is no "Awwww, look at this poor snake." There's just a good chance it'll receive a shovel to the face.
As for pets, I'm sticking with the four legged furry kind.


Source : dailyinfographic.com

On March 12th, a group of Shenzhen traffic police raiding an illegal moto-cab operation encountered a distraught female
"black cab" driver causing a scene on the street. The woman, whose 3-wheeled motorcycles were confiscated, resorted to running into the middle of traffic to avoid the police.


When finally detained, the woman then crawled under a police van, grabbed hold underneath, and refused to let go. The woman was eventually taken away for operating an illegal business, and her motorcycle cabs seized. The woman's sorrow and actions have sparked debate among netizens whether police should be so harsh towards people working in illegal professions like 3-wheeled cabs.

Tsai Design Studio

Located in rolling hills of Durbanville wine valley on the outskirts of Cape Town, Vissershok Primary School is a rural school dedicated to the children of farm workers and underprivileged communities living in Du Noon - a poverty- stricken township several kilometers away. Sponsored by three South African companies - Woolworths, Safmarine and AfriSam - the Vissershok Container Classroom is a 12 meter recycled container that was converted into an independent classroom for 25 Grade R (age 5-6) students.

It all started with an annual design competition called "Making the Difference Through Design", presented by Woolworths. The competition focuses on introducing design to local high school students. This year, the brief called for creative solutions on how a recycled container can be adapted to help under-resourced schools.
Grade 10 student (age 15) Marshaarn Brink won the competition with a playful design of an outdoor jungle gym.
The concept was then handed over to Tsai Design Studio who then evolved the idea into a final design that took in consideration the site conditions and environmental factors. Built with limited means and budget, the final product maximized the space as it incorporated the four following elements.

Learning Area: The container serves as a classroom in the morning for Grade R students and a small library in the
afternoon for the entire Vissershok Primary School. The large roof shelters the container from direct sunlight while the gap reduces heat gain. Cross ventilation is achieved through a series of colorful windows located on each side of the container.

Gathering Area: Stepped seating extends the patio, offering a space for children to eat lunch and socialize, while also acting as an amphitheater for school assemblies.

Play Area: Marshaan Brink's concept for the play area was to be a part of the container "like a pair of outstretched arms". The steel frames extend outwards supporting the play equipment.
Growing Area: Once it grows, the green wall will act as a vertical vegetable garden that shelters the play area from the prevailing southeast winds. A large area adjacent to the container classroom was transformed into a vegetable garden. Besides serving as an educational tool for the children, the garden will also allow the school to have fresh produce for their feeding program.


Source : www.archdaily.com

Ukraine's Glamorous Airport Guards

The airport guards at Borispol International Airport near Kiev, Ukraine, are not the typical staff that travelers get to see every day. With their manicured nails, perfectly coiffed hair and immaculate make-up, this gorgeous line-up of female staff in military attire look like models straight off the ramp.

According to the Daily Mail, these female guards are now a part of a makeover masterclass, in which a team of experts, hired by airport officials transform these women into stunning beauties, and also provide grooming tips. This makeover initiative, the publication said, is taken well in advance of the Euro 2012 soccer championships that Ukraine will host around June this year. Apparently, the government wants friendly and beautiful staff to greet the football teams and fans visiting Ukraine.

"No wonder we are doing this master class in preparation for the Euro 2012 (championship). The (design) experts are not only giving a present to all our girls before the 8th of March (International Women's Day), but they are showing them how to look nice every day.

So every traveler who come to the Borispol Airport will see a beautiful Ukrainian border guard, and they will remember only the best about Ukraine," Maryana Markovich, the Airport's border guard press officer said in a statement on Itnsource.com, a footage libraries Web site for news services. Andrei Yudin, a stylist who worked his magic on the guards believes these women to be truly beautiful even without makeup. "I just do it for the sake of touching up a beautiful face one more time," the expert said in a statement on the Web site.


Source : ibtimes.com

A museum dedicated to the founder of the legendary Italian car company Ferrari is being built by a British architecture firm. Work began this week on the è14m museum, which will feature a wavy yellow roof resembling the bonnet of a vintage car. It will arc over the two-storey house in which motor racing legend and car designer Enzo Ferrari was born in 1898. The museum, in the town of Modena, is being built by London-based Future Systems, which beat seven international rivals to clinch the contract.

The museum will be devoted to Ferrari's life and work and will contain vintage Ferraris, Maseratis, car engines, film footage and memorabilia. The roof will be bisected by fins, with the design inspired by the radiator of a classic Italian sports car.

The hope is that the museum, which is due to be completed in 2011, will become an iconic landmark in the northern Italian town, attracting up to 200,000 visitors a year.

It will chart the career of Ferrari, who grew up next to the metal foundry run by his father, Alfredo. He became a racing driver in the 1920s, achieving some success, before starting his own automobile company in 1929, establishing Ferraris as a design classic and becoming one of the world's most successful car designers.

He died in 1988 at the age of 90. Ferrari's famous symbol of a black horse against a yellow shield was inspired by the squadron badge of a World War One Italian flying ace, who was killed in a dogfight. The new Enzo Ferrari Museum will complement an existing Ferrari Museum at Maranello, outside Modena.

Source : fastcodesign.com

Nice photos on the final product of Iron Man 2 - Mark II
(Armor Unleashed Version) Limited Edition Collectible Figurine taken by bloggers. Enjoy!

By BEYOND Studio

A project with adjustable table space within. The idea is about supporting smart use of space. The inspiration came from the need of having a coffee in the garden and no space to place the cup or newspaper. Space of seat and table is adjusted by rotating elements of the bench.
The product is designed by polish designer, Karolina Tylka and produced in Poland.



There are different lengths, from 1 up to 3 meters and various material possibilities. Moving elements can be made of;
plywood, MDF, injection-moulded plastics, cellulose and honeycomb cardboard.

The open day cruiser is not so much a new model of boat, but a completely new way of thinking about spending time afloat. The big draw is, of course, the fact that the sides of the boat open up in just 12 seconds to double the useable surface area of the boat.



Taking the idea of a "playground at sea" a step further, the builders of the boat have also made all the deck seating inflatable, so it can be thrown overboard for use as sunloungers.
The stepped hull and lightweight construction mean the Wider 42, powered by twin 480hp Cummins MerCruiser diesels, should hit a top speed of 53 knots.