Stacked Crayon Art

Christian Faur is an artist who creates his works by (basically) scanning an image, breaking it down into pixels and then assigning a crayon color to each pixel and stacking the crayons. Here's one of his works.

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A timelapse of the artist at work:

Images from one of his shows:

David Mach, Artist

David Mach makes art out of everyday materials, such as match heads.

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Watch as he explains how he got into performance art (he burns the sculpture you see above)


David Mach, Precious Light from David Mach on Vimeo.

Here's one of his sculptures made with hangers.

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He's also worked with dominoes and playing cards (among other things) and created one of the telephone boxes for the BT Artbox project (posted on here a few days ago). Here's a link to his site (click through on all the links to find his work and multiple videos and more about the artist). 

Here's an interview he did (dated March of this year).

The Art of the Telephone Box

This event is already past (sorry), but in June and July 85 telephone boxes, each decorated by a different artist, were placed around London. When the event was over, the boxes were auctioned off and money donated to the Childline charity. Here are a few of the boxes.

Source of this and the following 2 images

Source for this and the following 2 images

Here's the link to see all the boxes on one page.

This is the Definition of a Disney Fan

Lip dubber mrharris222 sings (or lip dubs) along with Disney songs, adding his own interpretation. It's a trip down Disney memory lane.



via Viral Viral Videos

It's National Cherry Turnover Day!

I live in the Chicago area, so Michigan is just a short skip away. And when you think Michigan, think cherries. About 75% of the tart cherries and 20% of the sweet cherries in the U.S. are grown in Michigan.

Today is cherry turnover day.

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So here's a link for a recipe for Black Cherry Turnovers from ...in Sock Monkey Slippers.

The Art of K'nex

People have made some awesome things with K'nex, including this pirate sculpture:

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But this K'nex Skeeball Machine (featured on Instructables) is one of the most awesome creations I've seen. It took over a year to build, operated on quarters, turns itself off automatically and counts points.

It's "Just Because" Day

And it's a day to do something just because...

So play with a pinwheel!

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Play in a fountain!

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Dance!

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Hug someone.

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Read a book. Pick a flower. Go for a walk. Celebrate something silly. Or just do something nice for yourself. Why? Just because (what a great day)!

How to Separate an Egg Using a Plastic Water Bottle

Do you believe that a video on such a topic could amass over 2.5 million hits? I had trouble believing it, until I saw the video. Then I understood why this went viral last week. There's just something fascinating about it.

Artist Mark Crilley's Realism Challenge: Replicating a Torn Playing Card

When I first started watching this, I was preoccupied and I thought it was going to be a card trick. But it was so much better. I love watching people draw! And he does a fantastic job of recreating the playing card.

Even if You're Not All That Interested in Science or in Space Travel...

And even if you don't understand all of what Hank (of the Vlog Brothers) is saying in this video, I'm betting that you'll still think that 3 Things You Didn't Know About Voyager is pretty awesome.

It's National Dog Day!

Find a puppy friend to hug.

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Call Me Maybe in Afghanistan

If you thought you'd finally seen the end of the Carly Rae Jepsen Call Me Maybe videos...well, this one is a bit different, so I'm throwing it up here. The U.S. Army Infantry soldiers are based in Afghanistan.

Asap Science Weight Loss Tips

You may have heard much of this before, but it's all put together into an appealing (and short) video here.

School's In!

School started here this week. By you, too?

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(According to the caption beneath this photo on Flickr, this is from the Pioneer Florida Museum and Village in Dade County, Florida). 

Why Education Matters

From John Green of the Vlog Brothers. Yes, I love this! Education matters! Science matters! Paying attention and reading and studying and staying informed matters.

Coyote Music

A lady playing a saw attracts the attention of coyotes, who sing along.



via Daily Picks and Flicks

Life-changing 3D Printer

We've talked about 3D printers before, but never like this. Researchers at a Delaware hospital printed a 3D custom exoskeleton to help a child move her arms.



via The Presurfer

Pogue's Proposal

This film of David Pogue's wedding proposal is cute and funny and adorable (and romantic). Here's the text that appeared on the Vimeo page:

On August 15, 2012, I proposed to the love of my life. I made a fake movie trailer -- a thinly veiled version of our love story. I persuaded the movie theater at a summer resort to play it before a movie we went to see. Both of our families were there to see it.

I hid a video camera to capture her reaction (it was in a ficus plant next to the screen). Here's how it happened!

Pogue's Proposal from david pogue on Vimeo.

If You Like Bill Murray...

Here's a remix mash up (warning: some serious bad language here, so scroll past if that offends you).

George Costanza (or...er...Bud) Returns

And he's a barista in love. The music is, as you can see, from Nickleback (which, I've been told, the Internet loathes). Not sure why. I thought this was cute (sort of).

I Almost Missed It. Today is National Lemonade Day!

Drink up!



Here's a recipe:


With the link to the measurements

And here's one for pink lemonade cake (if you click through to YouTube, the recipe is written down beneath the video).

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Who is That Behind the Foster Grants?

A sunglasses supercut (not my favorite music, but...).

The History of Keeping Time

On the Internet we interact with people from all over the world, and it's easy to forget that we're often now just miles (or thousands of miles) apart but also hours apart. Sometimes night and day separate us. Here's a TEDEd video that discusses the history of telling time and why we have so many time zones.

Things That Can Ruin a School Photo (Humor)

The school year is beginning and that means school photos! Here's a video (okay, a silly, ridiculous, sometimes gross, disgusting and not very tactful video) showing what can make a school photo turn into something you'd like to hide but can't. Because it's in the school  yearbook for the world to see. Forever.

A Simple Solution to an Age-Old Problem

Okay, so not being able to get glass cleaner (or another solution) out of a spray bottle when it's tilted isn't exactly earth shattering. But it is annoying and inconvenient. Here's a simple solution (I haven't tried it yet, but it looks as if it would work).



via Nag on the Lake

Beware of Highway Signs During Storms!

I've never really thought about a highway sign being a hazard, but this footage from Calgary made me blink. Watch what a storm does to the sign. Incredible!

An Invisible Bicycle Helmet

Two design students set out to make bicycle travel safer.


The Invisible Bicycle Helmet | Fredrik Gertten from Focus Forward Films on Vimeo.

Art from Flip Flops

Someone on Facebook yesterday posted a cool image of recycled art using flip flops. I couldn't post that one because it was copyrighted, but here are some Creative Commons shots tomorrow of other awesome flip flop art.

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We're Nasa and We Know It (Mars Curiosity)

I'm a big fan of NASA and all it has brought us (personal computers, synthetics such as Teflon, GPS and satellite technology, more accurate weather forecasting that saves lives, long-distance telecommunications, CAT scans, polymers, better protection for firefighters, advances in solar technology, smoke detectors, ear thermometers, water filtration systems, cordless tools and much more). So, I love this video of NASA nerds strutting their stuff.

Happy 100th Birthday, Julia Child!

It's a remix by John D. Boswell for PBS (and isn't PBS one of the blessings of life. Love it)!

The Parent Rap

Even if you're not into rap, if you're a parent, you'll probably relate to this. Cute!



via Viral Viral Videos

The Story of LEGO

Yes, it's seventeen minutes long, but it's animated! And it's LEGO! Charming.

If You Can't Get Enough of Star Wars or Star Trek...

Check out Star Wars Origami by Chris Alexander. There are 36 projects.

If you prefer Star Trek, check out Star Trek: Paper Universe by Andrew Pang.

Which is Faster, Usain Bolt or Gravity?

Here's the answer from Minute Physics

Why is Music So Powerful?

Here's the scientific reason.

Just Another Day on the Pizza Delivery Route

Order Up is a short, fun film by Red Giant.


Order Up from Red Giant on Vimeo.

What...is Your Favorite Color?

No, that's not really one of the questions in this remix of James Lipton's Actors' Studio that showcases Lipton asking celebrities 10 questions, but the whole setup reminded me of the bridge keeper in Monty Python and the Holy Grail ("What is your name? What is your quest? What is your favorite color?")


'Actors Studio Remixed: 10 Questions' by Jordan Laws from ScreenWerks on Vimeo.

The Art of USB Flash Drives (and Hubs)

This little toaster USB hub has been all over the internet this week (click on the picture to go to the store):

So, I cruised over to Etsy to see what other innovative designs I could find.

There was this:

And this:

And these: 

And even a number of steampunk drives, such as this one that emits a blue light when plugged in:

And a Gandalf drive made from a PEZ dispenser (there were a number of them made from PEZ dispensers):

Most of these are rather expensive, so if you're feeling handy, here's a tutorial on how to convert a PEZ dispense to a USB holder.

And Now for Something Completely Different - The History of The London Bridge

Minute Physics takes a brief hiatus from physics to discuss a bit of history.

A Fitting Video for the End of the Olympics

A time lapse of Olympic London by Simon Kearns. Lovely music, too.


Olympic London from Simon Kearns on Vimeo.

With a Piece of Chalk (A Short by JuBa Films)

This short about a troubled young boy (played by dancer Justen Beer) who finds a unique way to escape from his troubles has gone viral.

The Lonely Man's Olympics

One man creates his own Olympics.



via Nag on the Lake

The 100m Throughout History

The New York Times made this interesting computer animation. Fascinating stuff if you're interested in track  statistics, the Olympics or the history of athletic competition.

Useful Dog Tricks 3

By Jesse the dog

Curiosity Touches Down on Mars...

...And Partying Ensues at NASA

Actors Read Yelp Reviews...

I never knew a Yelp review could be so emotional and yet...

A Chilling But Necessary Commercial from Unicef

It won a silver award in the Public Service category of the Clio Awards.

What Would You Do if the Equipment You Use to Make a Living ($13,238.86 worth) Was Left in a Taxi Cab?

That's what happened to Casey Neistat in New York city. Here's his story that deals with the difficulties of locating lost gear.

You Can Get Anything From a Vending Machine!

Including mashed potatoes and gravy. (How do they clean those machines)?



via Presurfer

If You're a House Fan...

I'm a House fan. I'm going to miss the show, so here's a remix NCISmelanie made. It includes a clip from every show and took 2 months to edit.

Could You Sleep Through This?

I saw this video some time ago, but never posted it. Then I saw it again the other day, and this time it struck me as more amusing than it did the last time. It's a cat named Boo who has an interesting method of waking up (or annoying) everyone in the house. Clever cat!

Painter (and Painting Instructor) Bob Ross Remixed

Although I don't have an ounce of painting skill, I love watching artists do what they do. I suspect that a lot of other people do, too. At any rate Bob Ross is a bit of a phenomenon. He's been gone since 1995, but his videos still live on, entrancing countless viewers. Here's a fun (and musical) remix. (It's been trending for more than a week, so my apologies if you've already seen it).

If You Have a Pet Peeve or Two

We all have them. This guy has a lot of them. Are any of his the same as yours?

Recyling Sweaters by Reclaiming the Yarn

There are a couple of ways to save yourself some money and be green while you're at it by recycling sweaters you don't wear any longer. One is to sew them into other items, but today I want to talk about reclaiming the yarn (for those of you who knit or crochet).

Here's some yarn that the photographer reclaimed from a sweater.

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Here's a video on how to deconstruct the sweater and reclaim the yarn.

Here's another one where the crafter, Michigan artist M. Shaw, actually changed the pattern on the yarn before she deconstructed it by applying dye in a pattern. I love the part where she uses the antique knitting machine!

For a Dinner Party Your Guests Won't Forget

Add a little something extra to the table.



via Nag on the Lake

Portraits in Cork - Scott Gundersen

Artist Scott Gundersen draws portraits, then finishes them using corks.

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Here's a video of him at work. Go to his website (link above) to see more of his work and more videos.

Grace. A wine cork portrait. from Scott Gundersen on Vimeo.

A Very Tiny Apartment

This one's been around a bit. Makes me claustrophobic, but I have to hand it to him if he's managed to live here for 5 years.

Repurposing T-shirts into a Scarf

Still on my repurposing kick. How about taking old t-shirts and making them into a scarf?

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(Here's a link to the story behind this memory scarf).

And here's a tutorial (and some other amazing scarves) that will show you how to make your own.

The Survival of the Sea Turtle

TEDEd tells us how sea turtles have survived (and how they continue to do so).  I love TEDEd!