Bird Flight Fractals


Link
Scroll down for today's pictures & links.

Bird Flight Fractals

Mesmerizing curves and formations made from a flock of birds... some say that these birds exploit the atmospheric conditions preceding a tornado. But tornado, or not, if you see this happening again, can you please make a better-resolution video and send it to us?



Link

Today's pictures & links:

Aerial Swimming Pool

Marina Bay Sand's Skypark in Singapore. Somebody has to shoot the next James Bond movie there. It just asks for a tightrope dance with a villain.



(images via)

This swimming pool even has the "infinity edge" emptying out on the neighbouring skyscrapers. Simply awesome.

------------

A River Runs Through It

...it runs through the gardens at Keukenhof in the Netherlands.


(original unknown)

------------

The Endless Staircase


(image credit: Philipp Klinger)

Sculpture in the yard of the KPMG building in Munich. Designed by Olafur Eliasson - see more images and info here.

------------

The Enormous Grid of Trees Spotted in Japan

Our reader Dave DenHerder spotted something unique in Google Maps on the northern island of Hokkaido, Japan - a giant forested grid of truly stupendous proportions!

He says, "At first, I almost ignored it until I realized that this pattern was huge... and very straight and precise for something that big. So I zoomed in until I saw that the grid was made up of bands of trees. Using the scale in the corner of the screen, I estimate that each square in the grid is about 2.5 miles wide!"



(images via GoogleMaps, sent in by Dave DenHerder)

------------

Mixed fresh links for today:

Crazy Mushroom-Shaped City - [architecture]
To woo a mate, male bowerbirds decorate, lavishly. - [wow nature, pics]
New fantastic wall graffiti animation - [wow video]
Inspiring Science Fiction Art from the 1980s - [cool art]
Carte Geografichen - [vintage maps]
These ATMs will give you money... grudgingly - [funny]
Is Mafia Dead? (State of Mafia Families Today) - [interesting]
Concrete Aircraft Carrier in China - [weird architecture]
Plane Refueling a Ferrari! - [wow video]
An Interview With The Editor Of The Onion - [neat videos]
Short Cute Animation from Stephane Halleux - [cute video]
Unbelievable Acrobatics Performance - [wow video]

------------

We like Klockwerks by Roger Wood

Klockwerks. Gorgeous design pieces - one look at the catalog will make you a believer, anbd possibly, a buyer:



(images via)

------------

Cats... The Good, and the Evil One

Note that we do not specify which one is which, exactly:


(original unknown)


(image via)

------------

Yarn Break


(image via)

See a lot more knitted oddities in Strange Knits and Yarn Monsters.

------------

This truck is too heavy for this bridge

Or rather, "was" too heavy. Somewhere in China, any additional info?





(images via)

------------

Great Star Wars "T" - Bow Tie Tuxedo Shirt!

Among many cool t-shirt designs, this one just begs to be bought - from here. Designed by Reece Ward exclusively for Lucasfilm Ltd. (another example)


(image via)

Other Reece Ward's designs - see gallery:


(images credit: Reece Ward)

------------

The Skull of the Sneezing Man

Very frightening:


(original unknown)

Take care when sneezing!..

READ THE PREVIOUS ISSUE ->

Permanent Link......+StumbleUpon ...+Facebook

Mario Coloring Pages Collection 2010




Playing games is one activity that is very expensive. Gamers lot of wasting time, money and energy to their desires on this one. Try asking them to play Ragnarok Online, or DotA all star or whatever it is ...

Most of them even to abandon their work, school, relationships, and often their personal hygiene. Money not spent too little investment. There is to provide High Definition TV, the latest consoles, and many more. Feasible if all the money that was spent on these? There are reasons that encourage Gamers to do these things. These are those reasons ...

# 11: Childhood Dream
Every person has chosen a career while still a child. But over time many of the dream that started to happen. Many children who want to become a professional athlete, a super hero, secret agents, and renowned musicians. In the real world these expectations will not be achieved by people who incidentally mediocre. This is the reason that makes gaming very pleasing. If you want to be Joe Montana, Spider-Man, double agent, or a member of Black Sabbath there are games for you.
Example: Madden, Marvel Ultimate Alliance, X-Men Legends, Splinter Cell, Guitar Hero

# 10: No Need Tickets To go there
If you want to travel to the Mississippi River but did not have money, try looking into the store games that can take you there. Its the same thing if you want to travel during the Nazi era in 1940 at war. Many of us who do not have a chance to go to the moon, but never explored parts of the world that we know exist.
Example: Call of Duty, Bioshock, World of Warcraft, Oblivion, Star Wars

# 9: Your Rival Is Losers
What is the equation of the Red Sox / Yankees, Ali / Frazier, Coke / Pepsi, ACMilan / Intermilan? They are a huge feud. One of the most amusing thing in life is to bow your opponent, make them a loser.
Example: Sports Games, Winning Eleven, Mortal Kombat, Halo, Gears of War, and anything with a multi-player.

# 8: Game Time Can not Be Separated
No matter how many games have been played, you will have a unique feeling that will not be lost. This differs from one person to another person. Try again you open your old games collection and search and play Super Mario Brothers. Mario Kart is an example of another game that will never run out of time consumed.
Example: Super Mario Brothers, Pac Man, Mario Kart, Halo

# 7: "Eureka" Moment
We've all experienced it. You're playing an RPG game and you have a stalemate. Everything has been checked many times and you do not find a solution to the problem. You think that there is a "glitch" in the game. You call your friends and all of a sudden you say "Oh yes, that one has not seen".

The satisfaction you get by crossing such barriers can not be found in the real world. Moment of "Eureka" is what makes gamers to play games they already passed. A feeling satisfied because they feel they have been through something that was considered unreasonable to pass. C
example: The Legend of Zelda, the God of War, and many other RPG games.

# 6: It's Fun To Be Evil
Very few people want to be evil. In practical terms, every human being has a social system in their brains that limit excessive actions. The criminals who are holding in custody know from consequences of their actions. Nothing justifies those who violate the law. In the world of video games, become a criminal, does not mean you are bad people. And it felt very amusing.
Example: Grand Theft Auto, Knights of the Old Republic, Bioshock, Destroy All Humans

# 5: Make Your Truth
You do not possess the money, you're not good at sports. But you certainly want a woman glanced at you and say Canti you attractive. Or at least you want to have feelings of being on the top.

You have it, by becoming a top 20 on Halo 3 Leaderboard. People generally will not care, but for those of you, you are a superstar in the gaming community.
Example: any game that gives the experience of playing in multi-player and accumulated statistics.

# 4: Saving the World
City / State / planet where you live are in great danger. A leader who is preparing a grand plan to win it will soon lose. A superhero is needed here, this hero will lead a mission for a counterattack.

Themes like this are very much video game. But how many times you feels, this looks like a new feeling and amusing. Potential of oppression and extermination summoned the heroes to do something big.
Example: Gears of War, Final Fantasy, Halo, Metal Gear Solid, Oblivion, Mario Bros.., The Legend of Zelda

# 3: Only the Chosen Who Can Survive
The madness of the Gears of War, Legendary in Halo, God Mode in God of War, and Expert in Guitar Hero. They have been instilled in every individual to become better than the average gamer. These games are made very difficult, so when you can pass you will have a tremendous feeling.

Every person in the past each made their own limitations. Try to finish the game Resident Evil by simply carrying a knife. Or past Splinter Cell game without killing one person-one.

# 2: staying up all night
Usually this happens to students who have exams the next day and had to learn the material in one night. Wait until he became a gamer. From there it will shift term. Playing gaming can be very drunk so you can completely lost in the game. You can play your game and aware of time without showing at 5 am today, you have to go to school at 7.

# 1: The Fun Never Stops
Time off school is a very amusing for gamers. Many games can be played during the holidays. Every villain you defeat will take you to the next adventure, and so on. Game maker never run out of your mind to suck into their world.
Example: Assassin's Creed, Mass Effect, Call of Duty 4, Super Mario Galaxy, Metal Gear Solid 4, Grand Theft Auto IV










Thumbnail Gallery For Mario Coloring Pages:





Vintage Construction Toys: Blasts From The Past

"QUANTUM SHOT" #639
Link - article by Simon Rose



In the age of LEGO, this reads like a blasphemy

We all have our own vivid memories from our childhood – family vacations, friends long gone from our social circle, siblings we now see only once or twice a year, TV shows and movies we followed avidly and of course, toys. For many boys growing up in the era before the advent of video games, construction toys were always popular. Here’s a look back at those far away days.


(1954 Meccano set, image via)

The Erector Set was first manufactured in 1913 and remained in production until 1967. Similar to the older British product Meccano, the set had a collection of small metal beams, with holes for screws, nuts and bolts and for attaching devices such as pulleys, gears and even small electric motors.

Here’s an early version from the early 1920’s:



(images via 1, 2)

These are from the decades following World War Two:



(images via 1, 2, 3)

Ideal’s Klikit products date from the late 1960’s, with Super City appearing in 1967:


(images via Jon Knutson)

Kenner Products was a founded in 1947 in Cincinnati, and introduced its popular Girder and Panel building sets in 1957. Kenner was one of the first companies to recognize the potential of TV for advertising their toy products in the USA, the first ads airing in 1958, when these two sets first appeared:


(image via)

Here’s the Bridge and Turnpike Building Set, also from 1958 (the Freeway USA sets from 1966 invited you to "design and build the great highway and bridge systems of tomorrow.") -


(image via)

Kenner’s Skyrail offered you the opportunity to “Build and Operate Sky Rail Systems of Tomorrow”, or at least the tomorrow that was envisaged in 1963:


(image via)

These pages from the Kenner catalog date from 1966:


(images via)

This Girder and Panel Building Set from 1974 contained 340 pieces for your building pleasure (left). That same year, if you could handle 1100 pieces, you could even construct your very own five foot tall version of the recently completed Sears Tower (right):


(images via)

Here’s a collection of Kenner magazine ads from the sixties. This set was promoted as the very latest thing in construction toys way back in 1961:


(image via)

The 1964 Modern-As-Tomorrow Girder and Panel set:


(image via)

The Hydro-Dynamic building set with motorized pump, also from 1964:


(image via)

And if you preferred to concentrate on residential buildings, Kenner even had a product for you too, the Build-A-Home and Subdivision Set from 1962:


(image via)

In Britain, Meccano was invented in 1901 and enjoyed great popularity in the 1930’s, 40’s and 50’s. Meccano was manufactured in Liverpool from 1914 until 1980, and is now made in France and China.


(images via 1, 2)

Here are some Meccano ads from the late 1930’s:


(images via 1, 2)

Meccano was advertised as “the world’s greatest toy” in this 1949 brochure (left). On the right is Meccano brochure from 1955:


(images via)

This 1956 instruction book depicts a model of an excavator, built from the familiar green and red pieces Meccano utilized for many years:


(image via)

Bayko was one of the earliest plastic toys to be marketed and was sold worldwide brand between 1934 and 1967. The company was bought by Meccano in 1960:


(images via 1, 2)

So there you have it – blasts from the past to be sure. I hope you’ve enjoyed this nostalgic look at vintage construction toys here at Dark Roasted Blend. In our final image you see puzzled Nazi soldiers getting ready to construct a tank from a "readily provided set":


(image via)

CONTINUE TO "TOYS THAT CREEP US OUT"! ->

ALSO READ: "BAD, TWISTED AND BIZARRE TOYS" ->

Simon Rose is the author of science fiction and fantasy novels for children, including The Alchemist's Portrait, The Sorcerer's Letterbox, The Clone Conspiracy, The Emerald Curse, The Heretic's Tomb and The Doomsday Mask.

Permanent Link......+StumbleUpon ...+Facebook

Check out this stream