November 17, 2011
FW: Bet You Can’t Do This!
This is absolutely amazing! I am still trying to figure out how she did the last part of her trick.
Posts tagged ‘amazing’
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August 17, 2011
FW: Orthopaedic Surgeon’s Motorcycle
Bad to the Bone!!!
CHECK THIS OUT! MADE BY AN ORTHOPEDIC SURGEON.
LOOK AT HIS HANDS AND FEET. THIS IS AMAZING!
I STILL CAN’T FIND THE GAS TANK THOUGH.
This guy has far too much money and time on his hands.
How would you like to see this coming at you in the rear view mirror?
(built by an Orthopedic Surgeon)
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July 6, 2011
FW: The Book Shelf House
The innovative 'Shelf-pod' house in Osaka, Japan can hold 10 tons of books. Photo: Kazuya Morita Architecture Studio
Floor-to-ceiling, wall-to-wall shelving defines a compact, 557-square-foot home in Osaka prefecture, Japan, designed by Japanese Architect Kazuya Morita.
Designed for a young historian with an extensive book collection in Islamic history, Morita designed the house with interlocking laminated pine boards that slot together to form a lattice of towering shelving units.
Every element — from the stairs to the windows — were scaled to the individual shelf unit, “with the aim of achieving geometrical harmony which is comparable to Islamic architecture,” Morita’s website notes.
The shelving had to be strong enough to support the entire house. “This is an unusual structure. I never experienced this kind of architecture,” said Morita, who declined to disclose the cost to build the house. Numerous tests and experiments were run on models to ensure the structural integrity and convince city planning officials to issue a building permit. The home’s exterior features a painted clay and bamboo wall, with cedar exterior wall plate. The interior is finished with plaster.
Exterior of the shelf-pod house in Osaka. Photo: Kazuya Morita Architecture Studio
“It can support 10 tons of books,” said Morita, who opened his architecture studio in 2000. And, he added, “it can survive earthquakes.”
The shelving even extends into the home’s bathroom, covering a wall above the toilet and bathtub.
Construction of the shelving for the “Shelf-Pod” home began in mid-2006, and the home was completed in March 2007. Morita’s website details the many stages of construction, including the preconstruction of the large shelving units, which were assembled and structurally tested in a massive laboratory at Kyoto University’s Katsura Campus.
He commented in a blog post that the client “was not entirely (sure) how to use this,” when he saw the design. Morita also commented that he was “rather pleasantly surprised,” during a visit to the home in 2008, to see how the client had furnished the home and was using the space.
A good place for some bathroom reading. Photo: Kazuya Morita Architecture Studio
Considered part of a new generation of architects, the 39-year-old Morita has wowed interior design and architecture critics with the Shelf-Pod and some other innovative and unique housing designs, including the “Pentagonal House.” He noted that the Shelf-Pod was one of his most ambitious and challenging projects.
For Morita, the Shelf-Pod embodies a movement toward smaller, greener houses, and the increasing need to build more compactly in crowded big cities and retrenching suburban communities. He describes his work as a harmonious marriage of traditional and modern architecture, which incorporates sustainable materials and eco-friendly amenities. His homes blend indoor and outdoor environments and demonstrate that comfortable living can come in small spaces.
“Japanese architecture always has to be smaller. We have to live more efficiently,” he said in an interview from his office in Kyoto, Japan. “Many big cities have the same problems. They are sprawling and sprawling. It’s a very international situation.” His smaller home designs, he said, are “very useful in China, New York, London and other big cities.”
source: Yahoo Real Estate
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May 12, 2011
FW: Car Doors of the Future
Slightly dated cars, but the concept of an inline car door is pure genius. Unfortunately, the purpose of the door b-pillar is safety, removing it will have an adverse affect on the safety of the car. I guess for now we are going to have to deal with door dings, and car doors opening too wide into traffic.
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April 25, 2011
FW: PEOPLE ARE AMAZING
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February 28, 2011
FW: This Shouldn’t Be Possible
http://forwardeverforward.com/vids/amazing-mouth.flv
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February 7, 2011
FW: Brazillian Michael Jackson
It is amazing how much this guy sounds like Michael Jackson!
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December 23, 2010
FW: 50 Unknown Christmas Facts
- In 1836, Alabama became the first state in the United States to declare Christmas a legal holiday. In 1907, Oklahoma became the last state to declare Christmas a legal holiday.
- The abbreviation of Xmas for Christmas is not irreligious. The first letter of the word Christ in Greek is chi, which is identical to our X. Xmas was originally an ecclesiastical abbreviation that was used in tables and charts. In the early days of printing, when font sizes were limited and type was set by hand, abbreviations and ditto marks were used liberally. Xmas came into general use from the church.
- Candy canes began as straight white sticks of sugar candy used to decorate the Christmas trees. A choirmaster at Cologne Cathedral decided to have the ends bent to depict a shepherd’s crook and he would pass them out to the children to keep them quiet during the services. It wasn’t until about the 20th century that candy canes acquired their red stripes.
- Oliver Cromwell, in England banned Christmas carols between 1649 and 1660. Cromwell thought that Christmas should be a very solemn day so he banned carols and parties. The only celebration was by a sermon and a prayer service.
- On Christmas morning since medieval times, church bells have been rung to announce to the world the coming of the Savior. It was customary from the 18th century to wear clothes and carry a small bell to signify the birth of Christ. The ringing of the bells was to signify the importance of the His Birth.
- Some priests in Australia advise you to say “Happy Christmas,” not “Merry Christmas,” because Merry has connotations of getting drunk—which brings its own problems. One should say “Happy” instead.
- The largest functional Christmas cracker was 150 feet long and 10 feet in diameter. It was made by Australian international rugby player Ray Price in Markson Sparks of New South Wales, Australia and was pulled into the parking lot of the Westfield Shopping Town in Chatswood, Sydney, Australia on November 9, 1991.
- The actual gift givers are different in various countries. England it is Father Christmas. France it is Pere Noel (Father Christmas). Germany it is Christkind (angelic messenger from Jesus), she is a beautiful fair-haired girl with a shining crown of candles. Holland it is St. Nicholas. In some parts of Russia it is a Babouschka (a grandmotherly figure), other parts it is Grandfather Frost. Scandinavia it is a variety of Christmas gnomes (one is called Julenisse). Spain and South America it is the Three Kings. Italy it is La Befana (a kindly old witch).
- A wreath with holly, red berries, and other decorations began from at least the 17th century. Holly, with its sharply pointed leaves, symbolized the thorns in Christ’s crown-of-thorns. Red berries symbolized the drops of Christ’s blood. A wreath at Christmas signified a home that celebrated the birth of Christ.
- In America, the weeks leading up to Christmas are the biggest shopping weeks of the year. Many retailers make up to 70% of their annual revenue in the month preceding Christmas.
- Although many believe that the Friday after Thanksgiving is the busiest shopping day of the year, it is not. It is the fifth to tenth busiest day. The Friday and Saturday before Christmas are the two busiest shopping days of the year.
- An artificial spider and web are often included in the decorations on Ukrainian Christmas trees. A spider web found on Christmas morning is believed to bring good luck.
- December 26th was traditionally known as St. Stephen’s Day, but is more commonly known as Boxing Day. This expression came about because money was collected in alms-boxes placed in churches during the festive season. This money was then distributed to the poor and needy after Christmas.
- The tradition of gifts seems to have started with the gifts that the wise men brought to Jesus. The exchanging of gifts between people started in about the 1800’s.
- According to legend, holly berries were once thought to be white. Offered humbly by a child to the Christ Child who pricked His finger, the white berries blushed red in grief and shame.
- The first American Christmas carol was written in 1649 by a minister named John de Brebeur and is called “Jesus is Born.”
- Decorating with holly was an important practice for the Druids, a pagan tribe in northern Europe. Because holly leaves were always green, the Druids believed that the sun never deserted the plant, and it was therefore sacred. Maidens in old England thought that if they attached holly to their beds it would keep the devil from turning them into witches.
- Early Christmas trees were decorated with fruits, flowers and candles, which were heavy on the tree branches. In the 1800′s German glass blowers began producing glass balls to replace the heavy decorations and called them bulbs.
- Kissing under the mistletoe possibly began in old England. One theory is that the Druids started it all. They believed the mistletoe was sacred and therefore a charm against evil. They used golden sickles to harvest it and, to keep it from touching the ground, caught it in the folds of their priestly garments. Another theory is that the custom was started by the Scandinavians, who considered mistletoe to be a symbol of peace. When enemies chanced to meet under it, so the story goes, they would be required to declare a truce for the day and seal it with a kiss of peace.
- For many centuries reindeer have been domesticated in their original habitat, which ranges from Norway into northern Asia. They have been trained to wear harnesses because of their strength, speed, and endurance in pulling sleds over snow.
- The origin of hanging Christmas stockings comes to us from southern Europe. One legend says that an old man was in despair because he had no money for his daughter’s dowries. St. Nicholas dropped a bag of gold down the chimney, which happened to fall into a stocking hung up to dry.
- Gingerbread has been a holiday tradition for thousands of years. It was originally eaten during Winter Solstice Festivals, but the tradition of the house made of Gingerbread originated in Germany.
- Taffy making on Christmas Eve was one of the most important festive traditions of the Welsh. Taffy is a special kind of chewy toffee made from brown sugar and butter. It is boiled and then pulled until it becomes lovely and glossy.
- It was once believed that any woman who went under a mistletoe and was not kissed would not marry the coming year.
- The world’s biggest Christmas tree (249 feet high) was put up in America in 1950.
- In India, they decorate banana trees at Christmas time.
- Real Christmas trees are an all-American product, grown in all 50 states, including Alaska and Hawaii.
- The biggest selling Christmas single of all time is Bing Crosby’s White Christmas.
- Most artificial trees are manufactured in Korea, Taiwan, or Hong Kong.
- “Silent night” was written for a choir when the church organ broke down.
- In North America, children put stockings out at Christmas time. Their Dutch counterparts, however, use shoes. Dutch children set out shoes to receive gifts any time between mid-November and December 5th, St. Nicholas’ birthday.
- The word “Christmas” comes from Cristes mæsse, an old English phrase that means “Mass of Christ.”
- French peasants believed that babies who come into the world on Christmas are born with the gift of prophecy.
- More than 1,000,000 acres of land have been planted with Christmas trees.
- Hallmark introduced its first Christmas cards in 1915, five years after the founding of the company.
- More diamonds are purchased at Christmas time (31%) than during any other holiday or occasion during the year.
- More than three billion Christmas cards are sent annually in the United States.
- It is estimated that 400,000 people become sick each year from eating tainted Christmas leftovers.
- Most people will walk on average five miles between the parking lot and stores during the Christmas season.
- According to tradition, giving a lump of coal in the stockings of naughty children comes from Italy.
- In 1937, the first postage stamp to commemorate Christmas was issued in Austria.
- During the Christmas buying season, the Visa credit card alone is used on an average of 5,340 times every minute in the United States.
- According to a 1995 survey, 7 out of 10 British dogs get Christmas gifts from their owners.
- It has been estimated that at least 56 percent of Americans sing to their pets Christmas carols.
- An average household in America will mail out 28 Christmas cards each year and receive 28 cards in return.
- “Wassail” comes from the Old Norse “ves heill”— to be of good health. This evolved into the tradition of visiting neighbors on Christmas Eve and drinking to their health.
- A traditional Christmas dinner in early England was the head of a pig prepared with mustard.
- The Norwegians once believed that witches and devious spirits were likely to steal their brooms on Christmas Eve.
- There is a special law in Britain that actually makes it mandatory to go to church on Christmas day. The law that is deemed the Holy Days and Fasting Act still exists, however, not so much enforced. Additionally no vehicle of any kind is to be used to get to the Christmas service.
- Most of the Evergreen tree, the traditional Christmas tree, is actually edible. In addition, it is nutrient rich, and is a good source of Vitamin C.
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October 21, 2010
FW: Playing With The Moon
May you always have work for your hands to do.
May your pockets hold always a coin or two.
May the sun shine bright on your windowpane.
May the rainbow be certain to follow each rain.
May the hand of a friend always be near you.
And may God fill your heart with gladness to cheer you.
- Irish Blessing
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June 4, 2010
FW: Real Gun Control
Switzer, S.C. — An 11-year-old boy who had been left alone after school shot and killed two men as they tried to steal a videocassette recorder from his family’s home, police said.
William Todd Knight, the son of Billy and Ann Knight, “acted very wisely,” said Spartanburg County Coroner Jim Burnett. “His life was in danger, he looked for an escape and could not find one … he was a very brave young man.”
Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Department Capt. John Blackwood said the boy was watching cartoons in his parents’ bedroom Monday afternoon when he heard noises at the front door of the family’s brick, ranch-style home.
Todd told officers he was scared, so he went to his room for the .22-caliber rifle his father had given him for Christmas and loaded four rounds.
He then went to the front door and saw a man he described as “rough” pounding on the door. The man finally left in a white Datsun.
Todd said he resumed watching cartoons and about 10 minutes later heard banging, this time at a dining room window.
He saw two men climbing through the dining room window. The boy said he went into the bathroom to climb out the window, but saw the white Datsun was parked in the back yard.
Todd told police he went back to the hallway, peeked around the corner into the den and was spotted by one of the intruders as they were taking the VCR.
Todd then fired three rounds at the men, who dropped the VCR and fled.
When police arrived, one of the dead men was found face down next to a woodpile in the back yard, approximately 50 to 75 feet from the house, while the second man was in the driver’s seat of the white two-door Datsun.
Ever wonder why good stuff never makes NBC, CBS, PBS, MSNBC, CNN, or ABC news……..an 11 year old boy, properly trained, defended his home, and himself……against two bandits……..and he wins. He is still alive. Now that is Gun Control !