The Dark Mac Rises

Where Is the Best Place to Be Born in 2013?

Of course, it’s the country with the most bunkers per capita, whose people eat more chocolate, ride more trains and commit more suicides with guns than anyone else: Switzerland. more

 

Earth seen from the International Space Station – timelapse video

An extraordinary timelapse video created with pictures from the International Space Station shows Earth as it has never been seen before. The video, called Further Up Yonder, was made by Italian film student Giacomo Sardelli using Nasa stills. Sardelli calls the film a message from the ISS to all humankind. To watch a high-resolution version visit Sardelli's Vimeo page.

 

Waiting

The Gifts Of Life

Palestinians win upgraded UN status by wide margin

"The UN General Assembly has voted to grant the Palestinians non-member observer state status - a move opposed by Israel and the US.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas told the assembly the vote was the "last chance to save the two-state solution" with Israel.

Israel's ambassador to the UN, Ron Prosor, said the bid "doesn't advance peace - it pushes it backwards".

The assembly voted 138-9 in favour, with 41 nations abstaining.

Hundreds of Palestinians celebrated on the streets of Ramallah, in the West Bank, after the result was announced."
BBC News / more

Som Sabadell flashmob

Grumpy Cat has the Holiday Spirit

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Dido and Aeneas

Dido and Aeneas, by Pierre-Narcisse Guerin (1774-1833), French Neoclassical painter

  The Roman poet Virgil used part of the story of Dido in his epic the Aeneid .
 In Virgil's account, the Trojan leader Aeneas was shipwrecked on the shore near Carthage at the time when Dido was building the new city. After welcoming Aeneas and his men, the queen fell deeply in love with him. In time, the two lived together as wife and husband, and Aeneas began to act as though he were king of Carthage. Then Jupiter  sent a messenger to tell Aeneas that he could not remain in Carthage. Rather, his destiny was to found a new city for the Trojans in Italy. Dido was devastated when she heard that Aeneas planned to leave. She had believed that the two of them would eventually marry. Aeneas insisted that he had no choice but to obey the gods, and shortly afterward, he and his men set sail for Italy. When Dido saw the ships sail out to sea, she ordered a funeral pyre to be built. She climbed onto to it, cursed Aeneas, and using a sword he had given her, stabbed herself to death.

 

UN to vote on Palestinian enhanced status

The UN General Assembly is set to vote on upgrading the Palestinian status from observer entity to observer state. Palestinians say the bid, which would give it the same "non-member state" status as the Vatican, is an attempt to rescue the Middle East peace process. Analysts say the application is likely to win approval in the 193-member body when it is put to a vote, because it needs only a simple majority to pass. The bid is strongly opposed by Israel and the US. The UK may abstain. According to the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO), more than 130 countries now grant the Palestinians the rank of a sovereign state. They chose the "International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People" for the vote, which is set to take place at 21:00 GMT and will be preceded by a number of speeches focusing on the rights of the Palestinians.

 via BBC News/more

 

And the bride wore... roadkill

Artist Jess Eaton's new roadkill couture collection includes bridal wear.

  The controversial fashion designer has launched her second 'Roadkill Couture' range that includes clothing and accessories made from cat fur, alpaca, seagull and goose feathers - and even a human ribcage.

 

Santa Cthulhu 2012

Amy L. Rawson makes a special Christmas Cthulhu art project every year. via Neatorama

Sharing is caring!

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Disturbance Of Arafat's Grave Casts Horrible Curse On Middle East

RAMALLAH, WEST BANK—Experts familiar with the ancient prophecies warned Tuesday that by exhuming the remains of former leader Yasser Arafat, Palestinian officials had unleashed a horrible curse upon the Middle East, dooming the region to now begin centuries of bloody conflict. “Fools, all of you! In return for your transgression, a violent era of intractable disputes shall descend upon this land from Libya to Pakistan!” said Tshilaba, a wizened mystic and scholar who explained the punishment “had been foretold since the dawn of civilization.” “It is written in the scrolls of the ancients that, should the leader’s tomb be disturbed, generations of Middle Eastern peoples will then have to face strife, blood feuds, and the senseless slaughter of innocents, as neighbor turns against neighbor and brother against brother. Kingdoms will fall, entire cities will be reduced to rubble! All this and worse shall come to pass.
” The curse is also expected to “bring to ruin” relations between Arabs and Israelis in the region.
 The Onion

 

What you don't need to hear

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Something Is Wrong With My iPad: I Still Hate My Life

"I hope you Apple Geniuses are up to snuff because I'm pretty sure my iPad's busted. No matter how much I use it to check email, surf the web, or tag photos on Facebook, I'm still gnawed at by a horrifying emptiness that no amount of fiddling with your magical gadget can fill. Is it too much to ask that the mere act of owning your products fill me with utter, unbroken contentment? I think not. Now, don't treat me like some tech newbie. I've done all the stuff the Apple support page says-I restarted the iPad, I upgraded to the latest version of iOS, I even sleep next to the iPad in hopes that it will turn into a beautiful, understanding woman-but for some reason I can't pass by a mirror without gagging then giving myself the finger. The iPad, like my spirit, is completely broken. For instance, it didn't even come with a headphone jack. Headphone Jack, I assume, is an outrageous skateboard guy who will recommend music to me and be my new best friend. Oh, it's just this music hole? Then, yeah, it did come with one of those. Well, something is definitely wrong with the iPad's Shared Photo Streams. It lets me browse my friends' photos, but in every picture, they appear to be smiling-I know that's not possible in a world that is literally a bottomless pit of loneliness, metaphorically. And I don't mean to go off on a rant here, but the only thing smart about this Smart Cover is how well it works! It's not smart at all at reawakening my childhood sense of joy or my ability to deserve an erection! Side Note: you know what's great at getting fingerprints off the Retina Display? Tears. And you know what's great for getting tears off the display? Kisses. Look, I bought all this Apple gear because it's all supposed to work seamlessly together. And sometimes it does. But when I download an album from iTunes on my iMac then use iCloud to download it to my iPhone then use AirPlay to send it to my Apple TV, no matter what song I select, the only thing I can hear is myself softly whispering "You are garbage" inside my own head. I restart my Airport Extreme thinking that'll do the trick but all I get is even scarier whispering. Alright, alright, I see that look in your eyes. I'm willing to leave this Apple Store on only one condition: You let me stay here as long as I want and don't make me leave. The second condition is that you find the voice of Siri and make her marry me. She doesn't have to call me "Sex Hotshot" like I programmed the Siri on my phone to do, but she can. And she has to.
 Also, are nightmares covered by AppleCare? Because my sleep mode is NOT working right. "
 By Sam Weiner - McSweeney's

 

The Hobbit's Journey Begins

The Hobbit world premiere in New Zealand – in pictures

 

Facebook Law for Idiots

CollegeHumor's Favorite Funny Videos

Morsi Morsi Me

npr double take

  Tens of thousands of Egyptians take part in a rally in Cairo against President Mohammed Mursi, who last week granted himself sweeping new powers.

Let's Put Our Heads Together

Stephen Shaheen is a Brooklyn-based artist whose work explores the porous borders between art, design and architecture.

 

Pablo Picasso Dressed Up As Popeye Once And That Looked Like This

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It is a dilemma faced by anyone invited to meet the Queen: what exactly does one wear?

This sniper serving with the Household Cavalry Regiment opted for his work outfit... leaving the Queen looking more than a little perplexed.

 

Misjudged The Distance

This grumpy mum wasn't best pleased when the lion tried to try to tame her cubs - and pounced straight at the enormous beast. But she obviously misjudged her distance - as she ended up sitting on top of the lion's mane like a hat - before falling to the ground below.

Ranger Jacques Matthysen captured the comic moment on camera, as he patrolled the South African plains.

 

Ring Ring

Never stop dreaming!

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2012's Christmas adverts

"Incredibly, Christmas – a festival in which a creepy old man labelled a saint by much of society dons outlandish clothing and promises to make children's dreams come true by sneaking silently into their homes at night – hasn't been cancelled in the wake of Savilegate. Nor are Britain's high-street retailers seeking to distance themselves from it. Quite the opposite in fact: they're openly advertising their enthusiasm for the yuletide period. It's a recipe for disaster come the inevitable public inquiry, currently scheduled for 2018. Still, in the meantime, we can enjoy their commercials for what they are: bullshit."

 By Charlie Brooker/The Guardian/more 

 

Made a mistake?

Brad Wilson brought in hungry mountain lions, cheetahs and orangutans, who were trained not to attack humans, and using their favourite types of food managed to take their photograph in a studio by rewarding them with snacks.

 

Japanese artist makes comic book creations out of recycled empty beer and soda cans

To a lot of men, Japanese artist Macaon has the perfect job and it's not difficult to see why.
He gets to drink beer and soda and then recycles the cans by twisting them into much-loved superstars from comic books, film and video games.