Osama Bin Laden Sneakers Are the Bomb, in India

If you’ve ever dreamed of having the world’s most wanted terrorist at your feet, now’s your chance of making that dream a reality, with the Osama Bin Laden sneakers.

These wacky shoes, featuring a caricature of the famous Osama Bin Laden, and a line that ( I think) says ” I look at you killed”. That doesn’t make much sense to me either, but you have to understand the sneakers are made in China, the country that brought us famous brands like Juma, Badidas, Mike, and other such abominations.

Chinese merchandise is very popular in India, due to its low prices, but these Air Bin Ladens have become a phenomenon, among the country’s youth. 21-year-old Praveen Kumar says “It gives me a feeling that the most hated person in the world lies at my feet.”

Osama Bin Laden sneakers are priced at just 650 rupees ($14.67), but you probably won’t find them in markets, outside Asia. Read More »

Ephemicropolis – The City of Staples

Creative artist, Peter Root, showcases his latest project, a city model created only out of stacked staples.

Named “Ephemicropolis“, Root’s staple model, depicts a fragile micro city that could collapse at the slightest wind blow or vibration. He used over 100,000 staples, for this project, and spent 40 hours stacking them. Some of the staple skyscrapers of Ephemicropolis are up to 12 cm tall, while some of the smaller buildings are represented by a single staple. The city covers a floor surface of 6m x 3m.

Ephemicropolis isn’t the first time Peter Root has chosen staples as his art medium, but it is his largest staple project, yet. Check out some of the artist’s other ingenious models, on his official website.

via DesignBoom

Read More »

Womble Truck – A Recycled Environment Friendly Art Car

British sculptor and active environmentalist, Buzz Knapp-Fisher, has spent the last six years working on the Womble Truck, an odd looking vehicle that has almost no impact on the environment.

Buzz bought the truck, six years ago, for a little over $400, and thought it was perfect for his environment art car. Named after popular TV show, “The Wombies”, who recycled all kinds of junk, in ingenious ways, the Womble Truck was modified to tun only on chip fat and biodiesel. One of the most amazing things about this weird looking truck, is that it was put together using parts from 21 different cars.

The Womble Truck had its original engine replaced with a biodiesel engine,and in the last year, the British inventor managed to make some adjustments that allow it to run on chip fat alone. If temperature is high enough, the truck will start and run on fat, if not, it will start on biodiesel and then switch to chip fat. And, believe it or not, this baby reaches top speeds of 110 mph, so it can hold its own, on the road.

Considering it only cost a little over $400, and the car parts were also pretty cheap, the Womble Truck is indeed a worthy technological achievement.

via Daily Mail

Read More »

Japanese Game Character Receives Real Life Birthday Parties

I’m a big video-game fan myself, but I’d rather go out and look for a real date, than stay home and cook sexy Lara Croft a birthday cake.

Love Plus, a Japan-only video-game, for the Nintendo DS, takes the idea of dating a virtual character, a bit further than other relationship simulators. Very similar to that old pet simulator, Tamagotchi, the player must keep his better half happy, by taking her out on dates, talking with her in real time, holding her hand spending quality time together, and, apparently throwing her a hell of a birthday party, complete with cakes and presents.

On April 20, fans of Love Plus celebrated the birthday of one o the game’s most popular characters, Anegasaki Nene. As a video-game character, Nene is practically ageless, but that didn’t stop dozens of players from posting photos from the birthdays they threw for her, on a popular video-game forum.

Oddly enough, this isn’t the strangest thing anyone has done for Anegasaki Nene. Last year, player Sal9000 actually married her, and spent the wedding night in a Tokyo hotel, where they could see the city lights. And I thought Japanese neon fights were weird…

Read More »

Kitty, the World’s Most Adventurous Cat

Kitty, an adorable gray kitten, has become an internet sensation, after her globetrotting owners posted photos of her, from their travels.

In 2008, Willian and Laetitia, a young French couple, set out to discover the Americas, on foot. Two months into their daring journey, they stumbled across a cute kitten, and took it along for the ride. Kitty, usually spends her days napping in her owner’s backpacks, or on William’s shoulders. She even has her own umbrella, to keep her dry, in case of rain, and safe from the burning sun. While most house cats never leave their apartments, Kitty has traveled half way around the globe.

I’m thinking Kitty and Oscar, the globetrotting dog, should get together, someday, and exchange travel experiences. They have both seen a lot more of the world, than any of us, but some how I don’t think they’d hit it off.

Right now, Kitty and her traveling owners are somewhere in Columbia, planning their next destination, and you can track their progress and learn more about Kitty, on their official site, Turn of the world.

Read More »

Aelita Andre – An Established Artist at the Tender Age of Three

Three year old Aelita Andre can’t even tie her own shoelaces yet, but her paintings have been featured in famous art galleries, around the world.

Young Aelita appeared in the media spotlight, last year, when she appeared in The Age magazine. At just two years of age this Australian artist had her paintings exhibited in a gallery, in Brunswick Street, Fitzroy. Reactions weren’t as positive as you might imagine, as most of the media criticized the girl’s parents for exploiting and manipulating her.

But Aelita’s parents ignored malicious comments and encouraged their child to pursued her passion. According to her father, all they do is encourage her every gesture, whether it be dumping an entire can of paint on the canvas, or putting it on her clothes. Everything she does is original, and that’s why her art is so highly appreciated. As for the accusations of the parents making money off of Aelita’s artworks, they deny anything of the sort and claim all the money goes into a trust fund, for the artist to use when she’s all grown up.

And with 32 soled paintings, so far, for prices that go up to $26,000, Aelita has raised a small fortune, most of us only dream of, even when we’re all grown up.

Photos by Mick Tsikas/REUTERS via DayLife

Read More »

Baby Crying Festival Held in Japan

No mother likes it when her toddler starts crying, but at the Naki Sumo baby crying contest wailing is actually encouraged.

Held every year, at the Sensoji Temple, in Tokyo, the baby crying festival is a 400-year-old tradition, believed to keep rug-rats in good health. Amateur sumo wrestlers hold the babies high in the air, and try to scare them into crying, while a sumo referee judges the match. The toddler who cries longest and loudest is considered the winner.

Japanese parents bring the babies to the contest, of their own free will, and truly believe the sumo induced crying keeps their children in good health, and wards off evil spirits. This year, 80 babies, all under one year old, participated in Naki Sumo. As you might have guessed, the whiniest contender won.

Read More »

Creative Artists Weave Car Out of Seat Belts

Ann Conte and Jeanne Wiley have managed to renovate an old, beat-up car, by weaving it a new body, out of seat belt material.

The two artists set their sights on a 1960’s MG Midget that was used as support for firewood, in an American backyard. Their project was all about “recycling, reusing, repurposing and sustainability” so they decided to give their Midget a woven look. And what better material to use, than overstock seat belt material (over 500 yards of it). After weaving the body, the two simply bolted it to the car’s metal skeleton.

The seats of this woven vehicle are made of a partially recycled material, known as Corian Terra, and the headlights and tail lights are handmade ceramic. Conte and Wiley’s recycled car can be admired as part of a new exhibit at the South Shore Art Center, in Cohasset, MA.

Read More »

Robot Sculpture Made from Crashed BMW Parts

What do you do with a totaled 2005 BMW 645Cl convertible? That’s simple, turn it into a kick-ass robot sculpture.

At least that’s what this guy did, after he trashed his BMW, beyond repair. He turned to metal sculptor, Bruce Gray, who used the scrap parts one to create a work of art, dubbed “Robot Sculpture 1” (I dare you to find a worse name).

While the robot’s feet are immobile, it does feature a movable head, movable upper arm and and a forearm that raises, in case you ever want to make a toast,in its presence. Bruce Gray’s robot sculpture is also armed and dangerous, sporting a pivoting energy pulse gun, and a movable joystick/fire button controller.

via GizmoWatch

Read More »

I Love Cupcakes, But Not This Much

It’s true, cupcakes are one of God’s greatest gifts to man, and I like them just as much as the next guy, but i certainly wouldn’t pay $150,000 for one.

ROX, a Scotland based diamond and jewelry chain, teamed up with Cupcake Glasgow, to create what you might call a priceless treat. Their creation may look like any other small cupcake, but it’s actually sprinkled with tens of sparkling diamonds. That makes it worth 100,000 British pounds.

Creating the world’s most expensive cupcake was the best way to market “Glam in the City”, Scotland’s largest consumer show, which will take place between 18 – 20 June, 2010. If you’re interested, the outrageously expensive cupcake can be ordered at the ROX store, in Glasgow. But watch your teeth, I hear those diamonds are pretty tough to chew.

Photos via Xinhua

Read More »

Red Dragon – King of China’s Fish Tanks

The Red Dragon fish, also known as Arowana, is considered a good luck charm, in Chinese culture, and sells for unbelievably high prices.

The Arowana is an amazing fish that grows up to a meter in length, and can live up to 25 years. But it’s not these traits that make it so popular among China’s rich and famous, but its resemblance to a dragon. As you may know, Chinese people consider themselves descendants of dragons,  and many of them would pay big money, to own their very own dragon. The older the fish, the more expensive it is, kind of like a good wine.

Red Dragon fish are believed to bring good luck and prosperity to their owners, and some people pay as much as $8,000 to own one. Most Arowana owners prefer to keep them in secret locations, away from prying eyes, where no one else can enjoy the good fortune they bring.

The red-gold coloring and the name “Dragon” have made the Arowana fish a sought after social symbol, and have brought the species to the brink of extinction.

Read More »

Man Pulls Car Using His Eyelids

Li Dasheng, one of China’s greatest performers, attempted to pull a 1.5 ton car,using only his lower eyelids.

Known as the “Prince of Stunts” , 22-year-old Li Dasheng is famous for being able to perform over 30 kinds of Qigong, an ancient Chinese meditation art, as well as several other stunts. On April 16, he shocked the audience, outside the Boying Art Museum, in Xuzhou, China, when he pulled a vehicle, with his eyelids.

The Chinese performer put 2 curved hooks, onto his lower eyelids, and attached them to the frame of the 1.5-ton-heavy car. He managed to pull the vehicle nearly three meters.

Some of Li Dasheng’s previous include having a drilling machine drill into his temple and ripping apart a metal basin, with his bare hands.

Photos by QUIRKY CHINA via Telegraph.co.uk

Read More »

The Blood Fountains of Bucharest

Hemophilia is a serious condition,and over 2,000 Romanians suffer from it. To draw some attention to the hardships the 2,000 Romanians suffering from this disease, have to go through every day, the Romanian Association for the Problems of Hemophilia colored the water fountains, in the center of Bucharest, bloody red.

Passers-by did in fact notice the red water flowing in the fountains, but it’s going to take a lot more than this to inspire them to help hemophilia victims.

Read More »

219,000 Cigarettes to Help Smokers Quit

In an attempt to raise public awareness to the dangers of smoking, an Australian pharmaceutical company has set up an installation, featuring 219,000 cigarette imitations, in the middle of Sydney.

This unusual display, located in central Sydney, is supposed to convince smokers to seek professional help, and give up smoking. The cigarettes are covered by transparent panels, and in case you’re wondering why there are 219,000 of them, that’s how many a smoker goes through, in a period of 30 years, at a rate of 20 cigarettes per day.

Photos via ChinaDaily

Read More »

7 Incredible Artists of the Animal Kingdom

Not long ago, scientists considered the capacity to create art one of the major differences that separates man from animals. But that was only because no animal ever had the chance to use a paintbrush. The animal kingdom has plenty of artists  more than capable of handling a paintbrush, and these seven examples are undeniable proof:

The Painting Elephants of Thailand

Read More »