Talented Lawyer Draws Stunning Photo-Like Ball-Point Pen Portraits
If these incredibly realistic ball-point pen drawings were created by an experienced full-time artist I would have been deeply impressed, but knowing these masterpieces were actually drawn by a self-taught lawyer, I’m desperately trying to keep my jaw from hitting the floor. The realistic-looking ball-point pen drawings of Juan Francisco Casas are famous all around […]
China’s Rich Can Hire Body Doubles to Serve Their Prison Time
As shocking as it may sound the practice of hiring body doubles to serve jail time in the place of rich and powerful individuals is well-documented in China. So if you thought your country’s legal system was corrupt, think again. Just two days ago I wrote a post about another bizarre job available in China […]
Tasmania’s Town of Murals – A Colorful Outdoor Art Gallery
If you didn’t believe in the power of art to change an entire community’s history and fortune, then Sheffield, also known as Tasmania’s Town of Murals, is the perfect example to convince you. Despite being located in a spectacular natural setting, at the foothills of Mount Roland, in north-western Tasmania, the small town of Sheffield needed something […]
Creepy-Yet-Beautiful Ship Models Made of Human Bones by POWs
To pass the time, French prisoners held in British dungeons during the Napoleonic Wars would build intricate ship models from human and animal bones. Now these creepy works of art sell for tens of thousands of dollars at auctions. While English prisoners of war spent their jail time playing sports, French POWs found a rather […]
Renzuru Paper Folding, or Origami on Steroids
If you thought Origami was hard, that the advanced form called Renzuru will probably seem impossible This centuries-old Japanese art form involves folding multiple cranes from a single piece of paper, ensuring that they remain connected with each other. Renzuru, which is roughly translated as “consecutive crane” can be traced back to the Edo period […]
Chinese Farmer Builds Lamborghini Reventon from Scrap Metal
28-year old Wang Jian, a mechanic and farmer from China’s Jiangsu province, has spent the last year building himself a home-made replica of the Lamborghini Reventon, one of the world’s most exclusive sport cars. Wang developed a passion for cars at a very young age, and even worked at an auto shop for 10 years […]
Chinese Companies Renting White Guys to Look Successful
Believe it or not, in China white guys can get a job posing as businessmen for companies who hire them to look more international to their real partners. It’s called “White Guy Window Dressing” and it’s apparently a very popular business tactic. What makes this such a great job for white guys in China is […]
Woman Avoids Looking at Herself in Mirrors for a Year to Boost Self-Esteem
Kjerstin Gruys, a 29-year-old PhD student in sociology, has gone mirror-free for an entire year, avoiding her own reflection in order to boost her self-esteem and inspire others to stop focusing on their physical appearance. Can you imagine not checking how you look for an entire year? Most women can’t go a day without looking […]
The Facekini – China’s Bizarre Beach Sun-Blocker
Beach-goers usually use sunblock and umbrellas to make sure they don’t get burned, but in China they use something called a “facekini“. The fact that it makes you look like a Mexican wrestler doesn’t seem to bother anybody. The facekini is being called “China’s latest beach craze”, but according to a Qingdao sales officer, the […]
You Too Can Kill Osama bin Laden, in a Real-Life Navy SEALS Role-Playing Game
Ever wish you were the one pulling the trigger during the famous SEALS raid that rid the world of Osama bin Laden? Well, thanks to Larry Yatch and his realistic re-enactment, now you can. And it only costs you $325. Retired Navy SEAL Larry Yacht opened Sealed Mindset, a 10,000-square-feet gun-safety and defense instruction center in New […]
Teenager Sets New World Record at Mobile-Phone Throwing Contest
Every year, the Finnish town of Savonlinna hosts a fun and relaxing phone-throwing contest where participants are invited to take out all their frustration on their handhelds by throwing them as far as possible. This year, a Finnish teenager managed to set a new world record, with a throw of over 101 meters. Ever since 2000, […]
Gotmar Mela – India’s Centuries-Old Stone Pelting War
For over three hundred years, the residents of Pandhurna and Sawargaon, two Indian villages located on the banks of the river Jaam, have been engaging in a bizarre stone-pelting ritual called Gotmar Mela that leaves hundreds critically injured and even dead. The stone war of Gotmar Mela, as its sometimes referred to, takes place every […]
A Chinese Farmer’s Epic Rickshaw Journey to the London Olympic Games
Chen Guanming, a 57-year-old farmer from China, spent over two years travelling about 60,000 kilometers, through 16 countries, enduring floods, war zones and extreme temperatures, to reach London in time for the games and “spread Olympic spirit”. The 2012 London Olympic Games may have ended, but remarkable stories related to the monumental event are still […]
The Heat-Painted Wonders of Dino Muradian
I discovered pyrography, the art of painting with heat, six month ago, after seeing the wonderful artworks of Julie Bender, but after I got an email from renown pyrography master Dino Muradian, I just had to write about it once again. Dino Muradian, or Dumitru Muradian, as he is known in his native country of […]
“Who’s Your Daddy?” Van Offers DNA Tests on the Go
Believe it or not, there’s actually a van dubbed “Who’d Your Daddy?” driving through New York offering men the chance to find out if they are really the fathers of their babies. As you might expect, business is going well. You could say this unique RV parked randomly on the streets of New York sells […]